#drew this in-between episodes of a K-Drama

[sipnoot]

ruh oh hes a biter

og pic

[sport333]

It's more than mala-flavored Every episode is legendary

It's more than mala-flavored Every episode is legendary

Mnet's "Street Woman Fighter 2" (hereinafter referred to as "Swoofa 2") is very popular.

In fact, many analysts said that it would not be easy to surpass the popularity of "Soupa 1" because "Soupa 1" unexpectedly enjoyed great popularity. It was judged that the "Strong" sisters showed most of what they could show.

However, 'Soupa 2' is writing a new legend, breaking down such concerns at once. "Swoopa 2," which aired until the fourth episode, is drawing attention with record results every time. In the third episode, the highest viewer rating (based on Nielsen Korea's tally and paid households in the Seoul metropolitan area) was 4.0%, ranking first in all channels at the same time, including terrestrial broadcasters, breaking its own highest viewer rating. The 1539 target ratings and 2049 ratings also proved their potential by topping all channels.

Among them, a notable achievement is the 2040 female viewer rating. In particular, in the last four episodes, the ratings of women in their 40s have risen to 7.6% and an average of 5.8%. Women in their 20s and 30s also won the hearts of female viewers by achieving first place, including terrestrial broadcasting.

Male viewers' viewing changes are also noticeable. The ratings of men in their 40s jumped from 2.3 percent in the second episode to an average of 3.9 percent in the third episode. As such, the popularity of "Soupa 2" seems to be spreading rapidly beyond men and women of all ages, showing an even rise in male ratings.

Behind this popularity of "Soupa 2" is a variety of attractive elements that evoke dopamine in viewers. The quarrel between the crew members has been strengthened, and the teamwork of the crew members has become stronger.

In the beginning of season 1, Gabi and Aiki's competitive mode contributed greatly to increasing viewership. In addition, the case of Hollybank and Coca-Cola and Butter also maximized the confrontation and made it fun. However, in season 2, Lia Kim and Mina Myung attracted early viewers by properly presenting their emotional goals. In season 1, he said, "There was this level of conflict," but during the battle, Lia Kim and Mina Myung showed emotional fights over "choreography," and eventually showed tears from each other, emphasizing that it was "real."

The comments have become more powerful. It is said that the confrontation between Manequin Redrick and One Million Harimu, a teacher's student relationship, was also interesting.

Another strength is that the participating teams have become global as K-dance has gained worldwide popularity. He also joined the world-class dance team Jam Republic and Japanese team Tsubakil, highlighting that his status is recognized even on the global stage.

The narrative has also become stronger. Latris of Jam Republic and Ledrick of Mannequin drew attention by properly drawing out the drama narrative. In the middle class video shoot, Latris and Redrick's conflict, especially when Latris pointed to Redrick as the weak, reached its peak, but they were injured at the same time and met in the emergency room, drawing attention.

In teamwork, the member, who was designated as the worst dancer, showed tears and became stronger when the team's score was cut. For example, Deep & Dap leader Mina Myung, who was selected as the worst dancer, shed tears, saying, "But my children are happy that no one received the worst dancer." The team members patted him without saying a word, and Bebe's sea, who knew the weight of the leader, shed tears together.

In addition, Bada's heavy advice and comfort to Tatter, who shed tears due to the pressure of the "Choreography Copy Challenge Section," and One Million leader Lia Kim showed insufficient performance compared to expectations at the beginning of the show, but he became stronger thanks to the team members.

With Tsubakil confirmed as a elimination crew, the "Soupa 2" mega-crew video has surpassed 1 million views in all seven croups and has easily exceeded 19 million cumulative views (as of 9 a.m. on the 15th).

Dynamic Duo X Lee Young-ji's "Smoke" (Prod. Dynamic Duo, Paddy), a leader-class mission song that adopts Bebe Bada's choreography, is causing a challenge syndrome, covering not only various celebrities but also the public. #smokechallenge TikTok hashtag views have already exceeded 260,000 views, becoming the center of the global craze 대전호빠

Recently, even BTS (BTS) V participated in the "Smoke" challenge by presenting a colorful dance line with the sea and Goff, making headlines. Ahn Yu-jin of Ive also joined the "Smoke" challenge, and the challenge video of Park Jae-beom and Kinzaz Mike Song, who appeared as a special jersey in "Soupa 2," is also showing off their popularity. In addition, celebrities such as Kang Daniel, who is active as the MC of "Soupa 2," Rise Shotaro & Bada, NCT Taeyong & Bada, Lee Young-ji, ITZY Yeji & Ryujin, Enmix Gyujin, and ATEEZ San are heating up the heat by uploading challenge videos.

In addition, the "Smoke" challenge is going through hip word of mouth within short platform video platforms such as Instagram Reels and TikTok. Mnet has led to the success of "Supa"'s "Hey Mama," followed by "Supa"'s "Sabbing" and "Smoke" challenge. This is why there are voices saying that "Supa 2"'s popularity exceeds season 1

[korra-the-red-lion]

Supergirl and Shipping

I was thinking about this last night and I just couldn’t wrap my head around how Supergirl has been pretty up and down with all the couples and ships of the show. Quite frankly, I don’t think anyone as been spared from poor treatment. Ship Wars in the fandom need to end and we should agree that SG has done us all dirty. I’m a Supercorp shipper, and some of my best friends are Karamels, but we can talk about our ships with fighting about them. We as a fandom need to acknowledge that there are toxic people in the shipping fandom, but not all shippers are toxic. You don’t have to like the ship, just respect that someone else does. Agree to disagree and move on if need be, but don’t fight please. Anyway, let’s take a look. Antis of any of these ships, please don’t interact.

Karaolsen: James was kind of a bland LI, admittedly, but that’s okay. Kara’s crush on him in s1 was really cute and the slow burn was worth the kiss in the end. But then they randomly end the relationship because Kara is “bored” by it. This couple might have actually planned to have been broken up but it’s hard to say. A*drew K*iegsberg interfered with it as soon as possible. This ship had potential to go far, but was never given the chance.

Supercorp: whole relationship is queerbaited by the studio. The chemistry the two actresses have is amazing. Lena and Kara are a good pair, having absolute belief in each other and would go to the ends of the world for each other (much like Olicity and WestAllen) but the studio went out of their way to have Lena do really awful things to Kara, and have Kara in turn do some really awful stuff as well. The show teases s5 is going to be a fight for Lena’s soul but then does everything it can to have Kara not to be involved, which made no sense. The parallels between Clois, WestAllen, and Olicity is ridiculous. Overall this is one of the more popular ships of the show but even then, the treatment of fans has been pretty rough. 

Karamel: Started off pretty cute, but then the show lost sight of itself in season 2 by having a huge focus be on Mon-El and the Daxamite storyline (this is not a roast of him or his character, this a general problem SG has with all its villains). The relationship was pretty rocky but finally settled into a groove (where Mon-El learns to finally respect Kara and her trust him) when the show tossed Mon-El into space. Then they tease the Karamel fandom by having him come back with a “will he, won’t he” storyline that ruined the development that he had into a mature character by having him emotionally cheat on Irma. Both him and Irma deserved better from that season.

Sanvers: Maggie and Alex probably wouldn’t have lasted the whole show, tbh, but the ending sucked. They knew Florina was leaving so they rushed the awful marriage storyline and then had them fight over children, something that was never brought up until that moment. Even when together, there were whole episodes where Maggie was only in it for 30 seconds and there would be no Sanvers scenes in the episode.

AgentReign: This was one of the roughest ones for me. Sam was introduced as a single mom with a child, and the chemistry between Odette and Chyler was through the roof. I don’t know if they planned for them to ever get together but it sure felt that way. Odette was not returning for the next season and they knew that, but instead let the fandom fall in love with the these two hoping they would get together, only to realize that it was never happening. Just a big ouch.

Lames: I think this ship is actually my least favourite of the whole show. Only because of how poorly it started out. James didn’t mind Lena at first, even thinking she was a good person because of Kara’s belief in her. But then the writers had him start mistrusting her and quite frankly never being kind to her unless Kara forced him to play nice. Then out of nowhere the show is like “nah they have the hots for each other” which was completely random. Then when it finally seemed okay they ended it...because reasons.

Dansen: I really love this couple but they got the short end of the stick. S5 ignored them in favour of Lex having infinite amounts of screen time. I wish there was more content, but it’s not from a lack of trying. The show hopefully gives them more screen time in the last season and maybe even ends with having them adopt a child together. They’re very mature and good for one another. They support each other through hardships and I wish we saw more of it in s5.

Brainia: The couple is super cute! I hate how s5 treated them, because it seemed like they made up drama for them to fight over. Nicole and Jesse had amazing chemistry and I’m glad they followed through with it. But hopefully they fix everything in s6, because I’m going to be very disappointed in the show if it doesn’t get resolved properly.

So yeah, looking these ships it's frustrating because they all had/have potential but the show hasn't been the best at actually following through with it's promises. Dansen and Brainia will both probably become canon, but it's sad when you think about the amount that has been spent on one of them while the other went through unnecessary drama.

All in all, being a shipper in the SG fandom sucks, haha.

[1-lightofjustice]

Justice for Awashima Seri

One of my latest posts made me want to re-watch K Project Return of Kings, especially Scepter 4 segment. And damn, there are so many things that happened to Awashima and frankly she didn’t deserve it. I’m not talking about GoRa’s overly disgusting fanservice attempts on Seri, although that’s indeed something that must be protested. I’m talking about how she was kept in dark by her two megane colleagues (mainly Munakata) even though she’s Second in Command of Scepter 4 and someone who has been working besides them for years. After I finished rewatching..... wow it’s worse than I remembered. My heart truly breaks for Seri, and I’m super glad that in the end she got her happy ending (by punching Munakata’s face). Like first, we know how worried she was about Munakata’s state, and after Reisaru’s fight in episode 8, Seri was so worried about Fushimi’s wellbeing and his bedding. Then at the very beginning of her role in episode 9, we have this :

For almost anyone besides Seri, maybe they will not think too much about the fact that they can’t understand what the hell are on Munakata and Fushimi’s heads, after all they’re not the easiest people to understand. But for Seri, it’s quite a new unpleasant territory for her. There’s a reason why she’s the Second in Command after Munakata, why she can easily command the rebel Fushimi without many protests from the said rebel, and why she can work alongside cryptic geniuses like Munakata and Fushimi. From R:B novel, we know that she’s an all-round achiever, but one of her main virtue is she’s goddamn observant. She more or less can understand Munakata’s unique mindset, and she mostly can see right through Fushimi’s bullshit. She more often can hit ‘100 point mark’ regarding the enigmatic Munakata and the ‘absolute tsundere’ Fushimi than any other human being except each other. Like on Munakata’s case, we have this :

Yoshino continued. “An ordinary man would have an interest in nude females, I think, but this is the Captain we’re talking about… How is it for him, what do you think?” She looked up at Awashima.

Awashima’s lips curved into a stiff smile as she took her time to think.

Then she drew a breath and, “I haven’t given that subject a thought until now. But well, if I had to answer…” She shook her head. “This is what I think: in the Captain’s case, it’s entirely possible that never once in his life he has so much as opened that kind of magazines or, alternatively, stores an entire thousand book collection of obscene materials in his room, and I won’t be surprised in the least in either case. Would this suffice as an answer?” Munakata Reishi’s right hand woman and Lieutenant, Awashima Seri, said with an even more strained smile.

 Case Files of Blue Chapter 1 (and looking at how eager Munakata asked Hidaka to show his collection, suffice to say that Awashima is absolutely correct about her answer).

Awashima: But, well, for the Captain it’s probably of equal value. Fushimi: Of equal value? What is? Awashima: Protecting this country’s peace and fulfilling his promise to a kindergartener.

Optician Drama CD

And on Fushimi’s case :

“…It might not be a misunderstanding, you know. What if I were in cahoots with Homura?” he retorted, lips pursed.

For a moment, Awashima’s eyes widened slightly before narrowing to slits as she humphed letting a slight smirk tug on her lips. “Suppose there really is a traitor who’s trembling while covered in cold sweat; I’d say at the very least it’s safe to assume he’s not switching sides because he likes it. It’s time for your report. The materials are ready, I hope?”

The King and The Traitor 

“It’s hard to call realistic, I have to agree with you on that. And on the off chance that it indeed is a strain’s doing, there is hardly any ground to claim harm sustained from the act. It’s the rainy season, after all. So I do find the idea of wasting time and manpower on investigating this possibility unreasonable, especially considering that we hardly have any to spare, but… if it’s an order from my superior officer, I will look into it though?”

It was said curtly and emotionlessly, but Awashima let out a little chuckle, hearing Fushimi’s answer. “Then look into it for me. Since like me, my competent and capable subordinate, too, seems to be concerned with this matter.”

Endless Rain

Also in anime, she noticed Yata’s worry for Mikoto and informed him about Mikoto’s condition to calm him. After breaking Sarumi’s fight, instead of asking apology, she demanded Fushimi to show her the result of his investigation, knowing full well that Fushimi already did some digging before he confronted Yata. She made the remark about only a King can attract another King. Heck, she already deduced that the reason why Munakata kept Zenjou-san on Scepter 4 is to kill Munakata one day, even though Munakata understandably never told anyone about it. During ROK, I kinda got feeling like Munakata and Fushimi were purposely ‘ghosting’ her, but looking at how observant she is, it’s quite understandable why Munakata and Fushimi kept Awashima in the dark to preserve their secret mission (still jerk move for them though). 

I think that’s one of the reason why Fushimi gave the hint about his secret mission only to Yata. Not only Yata is his best friend, but he also can count on Yata’s insensitiveness, having been the victim first-hand in the past. Like, Fushimi who is surprisingly responsible and dutiful for his job maybe thought “it’s fine to give Misaki a hint, it’s not like he can pick it up anyway”, so he can feel ‘less guilty’ for endangering the secrecy of his mission. Not that he’s wrong though, I mean Yata you’re a good guy but I have to say you really have a fine thick-head for not noticing and still saying that Fushimi betrayed the Blues, Fushimi jumped from sinking ship after Fushimi uttered such a vague sentence and after knowing that Fushimi secretly asked your brother to quit Jungle. Thank God Munakata gave him clear explanation later. Instead for Awashima, she only got this :

In that brief moment of silence, Fushimi let Awashima knew 3 things :

1. He joined Green clan and willing to attack his ‘former’ clansmen for them.

2. Not only joined Green clan, but he’s now one of J-ranker of Jungle. You know, the true Green clansmen, the one they have to be most cautious like Sukuna and Yukari.

3. He allied with one of Green clansman who participated on Anna’s kidnapping and former Scepter 4′s prisoner.

And he didn’t give Awashima and Kusanagi anything except complete silence and green-laced knife-throwing. Mission accomplished! The monkey succeeds on fooling the strong-willed and observant Lieutenant of Scepter 4. Just like the phrase “To fool your enemy, fool your friends”, there’s no way Awashima can perceive that except as complete betrayal. Haha.

(Truly, Fushimi was so good at executing his job. Too good, actually).

Then, after that shocking revelation that can shake someone’s mentality, she still had duty to report it toward her superior. Look at her reaction after Munakata said things about biting the giver’s hand.

(OMG watching that scene after knowing about Fushimi and Munakata’s secret mission made me truly itch to punch a certain King’s beautiful sparkly face).

She blamed herself for failing to look after Fushimi. I read some posts about Fushimi’s betrayal speculation before ROK episode 11 was aired, those who predicted that Fushimi joined Green for real, almost all expected Yata to stop Fushimi and made him go back to Scepter 4 (or Homra). While I understand the potential Sarumi heartbreaking angst and their another flashy fighting scene, I can’t help but think, can Yata do it? Not that I doubt strong bond between them, but Yata and Fushimi are equal in power. Okay, Yata is stronger in raw power, but Fushimi proved himself can accommodate his power effectively to match Yata. We know from their fight in Ashinaka Gakuen that Fushimi’s dual-color status can pass Yata’s defense, just like an attack can pass the defense from the same aura. Then Fushimi got his Green Aura. I didn’t say that Yata surely would lose to Fushimi on that situation, but it’s understandable if he lost and no one will blame him. But Seri? She’s canonly stronger than Fushimi, she’s usually can keep Fushimi on check in Scepter 4 and Seri is his direct superior after Munakata. I think if indeed Fushimi joined Green clan, the ones that have a chance to win battling him are Seri, Kusanagi, Kuro, and Kings. I can see Awashima blamed herself for failing to stop Fushimi and wanted to compensate for that failure by bringing Fushimi back to Scepter 4.

So, as if that burden is not heavy enough, Munakata brought Zenjou to his side and Awashima, who already worried about Munakata’s safety for a whole season and more, got an honor to watch on front seat as this happened :

Her King had a sword pointed toward his neck, but Awashima wasn’t fast enough to even touch her saber. Munakata’s Second in Command, who just realized that preventing her King’s Damocles Down is her responsibility, was shown the fact that she was not fast enough in comparison with Zenjou. Just, let’s imagine some time between episode 9 and 11 Seri looked at her saber, lamented at the fact that she failed to stop Fushimi and she was not fast enough to fulfil her most hurtful responsibility. Imagine Seri tried to get a hold of herself, readied herself to point her sword toward her closest comrades. 

Of course her torment didn’t end there. The Quack Prime Minister fired Munakata from his duty, removed him from Scepter 4. And Munakata, wordlessly, without giving any words or announcements toward his clansmen...  

(SERIOUSLY GIVE HER A BREAK! MUNAKATAAAAA!!!!)

I feel like that scene is the peak of Munakata’s “ghosting” toward Awashima. Not to mention, her (and Scepter 4) next order is :

(Help! My poor clueless ducklings are trapped while their genius jerk megane superiors are carelessly walking toward suicide plans!).

Honorary mention for the rest of poor lost ducklings :

(Yes, Munakata, you can’t just leave without any words toward your clansmen. Especially when you literally walked toward your death).

(BTW the meaning of “one unthinkable thing happening after another” is Fushimi’s betrayal followed by Munakata’s resignation. Little appreciation that they thought Fushimi’s betrayal is “unthinkable thing” even though the fact that Fushimi’s status as Homra’s “traitor” is widely known in Scepter 4).

 (Zenjou-san and the rest of Scepter 4 are not amused by your secret plan shenanigans, Munakata and Fushimi. Zenjou thought that those jerks truly ruin meganes’ reputation. Unbeknown to him, Enomoto thought the same).

Well, we know what happened after this. Seri and the rest of Special Squad got their first clue about what the heck is happened from a freaking TV, they rushed toward their King, the show was shifted to Silvers and Reds and NO SCEPTER 4 REUNION OR SETTLEMENT EVEN THOUGHT GORA CRAFTED SUCH A BIG AND COMPLEX CONFLICT IN SCEPTER 4.

Well, at least Seri got to punch Munakata in the face, even though in my opinion she truly deserved more after all the shits she had been through.

[marshmallowprotection]

“Have you seen Saeran?”

“I haven’t seen him since earlier this afternoon. He hasn’t answered any of my texts, I thought that he might be out with you. He wasn’t in the greenhouse when I checked but I could look again. He usually tells me if he’s going to step out like this.”

Although they were no longer bound in fear of their father or the agency coming after them, that didn’t life that mean was without stress or worries. Life had many curveballs to deal with and they weren’t always pretty or fun. Saeran had been in better spirits but that relative peace and comfort still could get to him.

He may have let go of much of the pain that held him down, it still affected him and the way that he interacted with the world at large. There was no denying it and even though his panic attacks and episodes of confusion were few and far between. 

Him not saying a word to Lila wasn’t a good thing. 

Saeyoung knew that unease in her eyes. He patted her shoulder in a small attempt to reassure her from anything worse for wear. It wasn’t like they had life or death threats anything. That wasn’t something that they had to worry about in this life of freedom. They’d had their K-Drama level adventure and they had their fill of it. 

“I’ll go check outside,” he said, gently. “You check the rest of the house and if we still can’t find him, then we’ll let the others know and then we’ll send out the dogs after him, okay?” 

She couldn’t crack a smile at his attempt at a joke but she appreciated that he was trying his best. Saeyoung always was, even if he had no clue sometimes when it came to calming down his brother in the midst of a fire but he’d always let her know that he appreciated everything she did. 

Sometimes, Saeyoung acted like she knew what she was doing all the time as if she’d trained for it, but she never did. She just took a deep breath and walked in the room knowing that she would handle anything that was happening as best as she could and if she made a mistake? 

Saeran would forgive her and they could make a system for it in the future if it were to happen again. That’s just how they’d settled into their relationship in the first place. It may have started between some messy circumstance but they’d made the best of that and kept walking forward. 

Which is why whenever he didn’t answer her or tell her what was up, she knew that something wasn’t right. She decided that she’d do a sweep of the house to be sure that he wasn’t just holed up playing Animal Crossing again, she caught him playing late one evening and he hid it from her because—

Gosh darnit, that dork was working on breeding flowers to give her again. Which was really sweet, but not at two in the morning when he was supposed to be in bed when she got home from hanging out with Jaehee. He’d always laughed it off whenever she scolded him because it sounded so silly when she did it. 

It was as simply as him saying, “So, this is what you look like when you’re mad? Huh?” She’d bap him on the shoulder with a huff on her lips whenever he teased her like that but it was sweet in his own way. It was just another thing to add to her list of reasons why she loved him.

She knew that she shouldn’t expect anything less than that level of attitude. 

With Ray and Saeran together, it was a perfect harmony of confidence and sincerity that made him his own person. Though there were moments where it felt like those personalities flooded to the surface, she knew that they weren’t gone as they existed in her Saeran, or Saeray, as Saeyoung had playfully joked once. 

They weren’t gone. 

Who they were created the man that she loved very dearly. She loved him, all of him, no matter who she was speaking with. That fact would never ever change as long as she drew a breath in her body. Perhaps that would be tested soon, as she stopped at the last room at the end of the hall. It was her work room that she had separately from the bedroom.

Saeran had insisted that if he and Saeyoung had their own space in the house, meaning that Saeyoung had the basement to tinker on his gadgets and toys as he wanted, and Saeran had the greenhouse to tend to whenever he needed to work on his hobby, then she deserved her own space to be able to sew or paint to her heart’s content. 

Saeran never often came into the space when she wasn’t in there, but it was just slightly ajar. She always shut it. She gently opened the door and peered into the dark room with a frown on her face. It was obvious that someone had come into the room but she didn’t see anyone. “Saeran?” 

“...!” 

There was a gentle thud to her right, so she switched on the light with a soft flick of her wrist and paused, turning to look at the figure that was huddled tightly in the corner. He was looking at her but this was this unreadable confusion and fear in his eyes. 

“I wasn’t sure where you went and...” Lila paused. 

She was surprised to see him tucked away in the nook that she’d set up for herself on the floor. To be fair, it was a cozy area because she’d tucked away all her spare blankets and plush that she’d brought over from her childhood room to decorate the space. 

It reminded her of the way that Ray used to look at her whenever Saeran got far too overwhelmed with his anger back at Magenta. He wouldn’t know who she was for a long moment, nor where he was or what had been going on while he was gone. 

Clearly, something wasn’t right. 

Nor was the fact that he’d been crying. So, something had happened but she didn’t know what exactly happened. He rubbed at his eyes but he never stopped looking at her as if he were waiting for her to lash out. She’d seen the way that he flinched.

It was subtle. 

She had done the same thing when she was a child and her mother yelled at her for the hundredth time for not coming home right after she finished school. It was just something that you learned to do over time when you thought that you were going to get hurt by an adult. 

It had been a while since something like this happened, so she wasn’t sure if he had something trigger a flashback or worse. 

She stayed where she was in the doorway but sank down to her knees to show that she wasn’t going to move or do something rash. She’d never touch him or make a move without him letting her know that it was okay. “Are you okay?” she tried, softly. 

No response.

“Did something happen?” 

His voice was a bit too quiet to pick apart. “...”

Those weak sniffles were still evident in his throat this time. There was no recognition in his eyes, either. There was just that fear that she saw and that broke her heart. She wouldn’t let it show, not for his sake, no, it wasn’t the time to focus on herself. 

He wasn’t okay and she needed to work to figure out the source of this problem. She couldn’t leave him, but at the same time, she needed to let Saeyoung know that she had found him. Lila cursed herself for leaving her phone on the table as she went to look for him. 

She hadn’t thought that she would have to, and this is what she got for letting herself not carry that thing like another limb like she had done when they were together. Lila looked at him once more, deciding to test the waters once more to see if she could discern more. 

“Wait here,” she said, making sure that her voice didn’t raise too high. The last thing Lila wanted was to set him off the way that memories of his mother hit him hard. She needed Saeyoung. “I need to go and find Saeyoung, okay? I’ll be right back with him so don’t go anywhere.” 

Lila wasn’t getting anywhere with him like this, and she knew that if she at least had Saeyoung, they could work together to discern the problem. She rose from the ground and just as she went to step from the doorway, his quiet voice spoke loud enough that she heard him. 

“You know Saeyoung-hyung?” 

Lila stopped, and she looked back. There was something about his tone that seemed different. It was much more soft, more withdrawn. She looked at him, the wide eyed expression on his face and the way that his fingers had clutched tightly to the pillow in his lap. 

“Yes,” she responded. Okay, so he knew who Saeyoung was. That was a good step to knowing where who he was, if he was not Saeran. “Saeyoung is my good friend. He’s just downstairs right now. Were you looking for him?” 

He nodded his head, a bit too quickly. “Yeah... I got... scared,” he looked down at the floor again. It didn’t seem like he could meet her eyes. “I couldn’t find Hyung. Where is he? Is he okay? I need him. He said he— He said he would come and find me but—” 

Lila gently shushed him as the whimpers grew. “Do you want me to go get him for you? I promise I’ll only be gone a minute.”

His eyes widened and he furiously shook his head over and over. The huge fear returned to his eyes as he looked around the room that didn’t remind him of anything that he knew. “No, no, no, no. Please, please don’t leave me alone, Noona. Please. What if mom finds out that— that we’re not home? It’s so late— she’s gonna be so mad, Noona, where’s Saeyoung?”

Mom? 

Wait...

Could it be?

“Okay, I won’t leave. I promise. Saeyoung will find us in a few minutes, we were just looking for you,” she reassured him. Lila took a seat back on the ground this time in front of him but still making sure to ensure that he had enough space to feel safe and comfortable. Relief flooded his features but he grew silent not long after that. 

“...”

He kept his eyes trained on the ground as his fingers tugged at the fabric of the pillow that he pulled at. His eyes would flicker to his wrists and ankles now and again like he was searching for something binding him that couldn’t he found or seen. 

“Hey,” she changed her tone, smiling at him with a friendly look in her eyes. “Can I ask you something, if that’s okay with you? While we wait for Saeyoung to find us?”

He bit at his lower lip but nodded, seeming okay with her question. 

“How old are you?” 

He paused for a moment as if he were trying to think of his age. The nervous pull of his hands let her know that he was uneasy. He lifted his head just enough that she could catch a glimpse of his mint eyes again. “Um... I don’t... I don’t... I don’t know,” he said, quietly. “Hyung was the one that counted. I think... maybe... nine?” 

Okay, so it wasn’t Saeran.

It was a member of his system that she hadn’t met, or known about. As far as she knew, Saeran didn’t know about anyone else, either. It had been quiet for a while... so, he hadn’t really thought about as he started going to therapy again as he needed. 

“And, is your name Saeran?” 

He shook his head. 

A solid no.

She opened her mouth to ask him if he would like to share it with her but she heard the sounds of footsteps from the other end of the hall. She nodded at him when he mouthed his brother’s name, and he looked so much more at ease as the redhead entered the room. “Hyung!” he breathed in relief. 

Lila caught him by the arm and gave him a look, “Saeyoung, we’ve been waiting for you. Why don’t you take a seat?”

Saeyoung seemed puzzled by her statement but he knew that she would let him know what was going on if he didn’t figure it out on his own. He plopped down next to her against the carpet and much to his surprise, it took only a second for the child to sling his arms around him. 

“I thought you were gone forever,” he whimpered. “You said that you’d come back but I couldn’t find you.” 

The redhead stiffened, the very clear memories of those years washing over him like the back of his hand. 

He sucked in a breath and gladly returned the hug as it became appear that his brother wasn’t going to let go of him any time soon. “I’m right here. Hyung isn’t going anywhere.” he told him, gently. “You must have gotten a little lost looking for me, huh?”

The child nodded. 

“It’s okay. You found me, and you’re alright,” Saeyoung loosened the tension in his back as he smoothed down his hair. “What got you so upset? Did you miss me that much?” 

He whispered something that Lila couldn’t hear but Saeyoung did. The redhead breathed in deeply. “You don’t need to worry about Mom right now, okay? She’s asleep and we’re staying a special place where she can never find us. She’s not good at hide and seek, remember?” 

The child slowly nodded his head. He hung on Saeyoung’s every word like it was a lifeline. It seemed like he would believe his brother if he told him that pigs could fly. Granted, Saeyoung knew how to tell a really compelling story, it didn’t take long for him to reason with him that they were safe. 

Though, it was hard for her to know that this one had no memories of her, but only Saeyoung. It made sense. She was just glad that he knew Saeyoung and trusted him because he needed someone and even if that someone couldn’t be her, she wanted it to be someone he knew. 

She just stayed out of the way as Saeyoung handled everything he could, and she silently thanked him for being the saint that he was. Though, after a few minutes had passed, he kept glancing in her direction as if he were trying to see if he could figure out who she was, as if it were some mystery. 

Saeyoung caught onto that very quickly. “Curious about our friend, huh? Don’t worry. She’s really nice. She was really worried when we couldn’t find you so if you get scared again and you can’t find me, you can trust Lila, okay? This is her room, but I’m sure she’d love to share it with you.”

Lila brushed aside a loose strand of her hand from her face as she offered him a smile and a wave. “Of course, I would. You can always come in here if you feel upset. That’s what I would do if I was scared. Free feel to play with anything that you want, okay?

Those distressed tears that he had in his eyes were long but gone. He offered her a polite smile, it was a bit shy compared to the ones that Saeran shared but it was definitely an attempt on his part to show that he appreciated that gesture from her.

If she had been a scared kid, she would have gone to a space that felt like it was made for her, too. 

That quiet voice was still feather light and hard to hear but the quiet room made sure that it was audible. “Thank you, Noona.” 

Saeyoung nodded. It seemed that he wasn’t as upset as he was, so now they could focus on calming him down and ensuring that he felt safe until Saeran had the time to return from whatever triggered him to step away from the front in the first place. “Since we’re not home, what do you say about ice cream for dinner?” 

Those wide eyes lit up again. “Really?!” he nearly squeaked, but covered his mouth as if to stop himself from being too loud. “Really? Can we, Saeyoung-Hyung? Can we?” 

“Of course,” he said, looking back over at Lila. “You don’t mind if Lila comes with us, too, do you?” 

“She’s not gonna eat my half, is she?” a pout came across his face, and the two of them laughed a little. 

“Absolutely not,” Lila promised. “You get the biggest half.” 

[ibroughtyoumybullets-ningy]

which is better? dr who, torchwood, or ace attorney?

i have no idea who asked this, but now we're gonna break some shit down.

doctor who

is it good?

eh, sometimes. it depends on your definition of 'good'. the show is problematic in a million different ways (especially if you're watching Classic) but it's also campy as ALL hell and yes that's a good thing.

doctor who will always hold a special place in my heart for a variety of reasons. Rose was a very important character to me growing up, and the show was where i saw my first queer character. alongside all that, the show's themes of how anyone has the power to stand up and be the hero, how everyone has that one thing that seems completely useless but is the key to saving the day, and to never stop exploring and asking "why?".

the show is more than just a mixed bag. it's thirty different mixed bags all tied together with some rainbow yarn masquerading as the same bag. there are very few people who will enjoy everything the show has to offer (heck, i don't enjoy everything the show has to offer) but there are very few people who won't enjoy at least some of it.

torchwood

is it good?

hahahahahahaha no. 💚. i say this with so much love for this stupid franchise. it's shit 💚. but, at the same time, it drew me in. beyond the first season and it's bizarre, dated nonsense, there's a surprising level of depth to be found here. torchwood connected with me in ways i really never expected it to, especially given its first season. it's deeply 2000s for better or for worse, but it managed to craft several character arcs and even just individual scenes that are going to stay with me for a long time.

on a different note, i also really appreciate (most of) how they handled the show's queer representation. having an all bisexual main cast is something unheard of from that era of entertainment. and, adding onto that, they don't make a big deal out of it. until the third season, there are no big coming out scenes or drama over characters being in same sex relationships. everyone's bi and it's treated as a normal thing.

don't get me wrong, this whole franchise is hit or miss. the episodes themselves range wildly in quality, the novels are (for the most part) pure garbage, but a lot of the audio dramas have ended up redeeming the franchise and helping it capitalize on that idea of 'doctor who but for Grown Ups™️' not with pointless sex and gore but with darker storylines and ambiguous moral implications the original series couldn't or wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. is it for everyone? no. but it is for 2000s kids who like rtd doctor who.

ace attorney

is it good?

well. as a game, the gameplay loop can become very repetitive and exhausting after going at it for 10 hours straight (and yes, i've been there). and as a story it has a tendency to not only jump sharks, but organize an annual shark jumping and feeding festival. of course, no murders will happen at the shark jumping and feeding festival. why, such a thing would be completely unheard of! and i, Shar K. Bait, can guarantee no one has ever been fed to our sharks.

in all seriousness, i went into these games expecting complete bullshit. we've all seen the memes. so then i started Turnabout Goodbyes and it ruined my life.

i don't know how long the series will be able to hold my attention when i'm done with all the games (i still need to finish aa3, i have the Chronicles, aai should be here in a few days, and when all those are done i can play Apollo Justice, no clue yet where i'll play aa5/6 since i don't have a 3ds), but so far i'm interested. the writing and gameplay being intertwined the way they are is a nice balance, neither feels like it's overtaking the other and by shifting back and forth between courtroom battles and visual novel content neither outstays its welcome.

as far as this series of me rambling is concerned, ace attorney is probably the best constructed overall. but, it's a different medium (video game) so its production works much differently than that of television.

i didn't expect to get as invested into the series as i did. particularly, i really enjoy miles edgeworth's arc (part of the reason i was willing to fork over so much for aai cough cough) and i'm curious to see how his character is handled in later installments, since i've heard some of the writing goes downhill in the later games.

so which of these is better?

well, my dear anon, not to be a wishy washy bitch, but none of them. i can appreciate them all for different reasons and recognize that some have strengths the others don't. yes, doctor who is technically one of my oldest hyperfixations, but also i dropped the franchise for almost a decade because of a certain writer (who will not be named) completely killing my interest. i've only had torchwood for just over a year and ace attorney for a couple months, so it's hard to say if they'll slot themselves into a permanent hyperfixation slot in my mind.

but i can't truly call one 'better' than the other, as i go to them for different reasons and expect different things from them. i hope you enjoyed my breakdown on why. 💚💚

tl;dr - you're comparing apples to bobbins, they serve different functions in my life though i love them both

[mgsapphire]

C-drama recommendation list part 1/?

I'm not sure some of you are aware, but I'm also into c-dramas, and when I did the k-drama recommendation lists, my beautiful online friend suggested we do a C-drama one together, but it grew out of control, so I'll be publishing a lot of recs sparingly through the next two weeks.

Collab with @ill-behereforever

Romantic 

My Mr.Mermaid (2017) The story of this drama was beautifully done, from beginning to end The story is about A young swimmer  who is trying to stage a comeback three years after a scandal, he meets rookie sports reporter Yun Duo, who is assigned to cover the competition but has a fear of water.They cross paths again and again, eventually falling in love with each other.Episodes 36, Available on Viki, we tv and youtube.

I hear you (2019)This one tells the story of a musical prodigy and a striving voice actress who pretend to be together on a reality show but eventually become smitten with each other. Slow burn Romance.Episodes: 24. Available on Netflix

Accidentally in love (2018) tells the story of an idol who decides to go to university and the girl he meets there. 30 episodes long, available on Netflix. 

Dating in the kitchen (2020) watch only if you are okay with the age gap. Our ML is the CEO and soon-to-be boss of our FL, who is a chef. Story takes a turn when the hardcore foodie ends up tasting our FL's dish. And the rest is history. Episodes 24. Available on Viki

Here to heart (2018) Wen Nuan is a successful career woman who meets a man from her past once again, Nan Xian, who is the owner of a successful company. 46 episodes long, available on Viki.

Romantic fantasies

My girlfriend is an alien(2019) This drama had a cute, fun, and catch-worthy storyline! Our FL is an alien from Cape Town Planet who gets lost here on Earth and meets the overbearing CEO ML who forgets women everytime it rains. U read that right it‘s an Interspecies Romance! Episodes:28, Available on WeTv and Tencent.

Love of thousand years(2020) This is one epic romance! In this an immortal deity falls for a mortal woman and he ends up following her for a thousand years and 10 different incarnations. Episodes 30, available on viki.

Legend of the white snake(2019) Another story about immortal and mortal beings. It’s Based on a legend. In this the FL is an ancient snake spirit who challenges ML to a contest of skill but  they both end up  losing their hearts to each other. Episodes 36, Available on Netflix and Viki.

Rattan (2021) The story of a reincarnated half demon and the man who helps her make sense of her life. 31 episodes long. Available on Viki and Youtube. 

And the winner is love(2020) This is a martial arts story between our FL who is banished from her home and hunted for a secret and the imposing ML who helps her survive and their journey to find love while battling evils to keep everyone safe. Episodes 48, available on Youtube.

Destiny's Love(2019) This is a short and sweet romantic drama. Our ML is the  guardian of the stars but when he loses the key to his powers he’s forced to go to the mortal realm. There he falls for a strong female general. But trying to keep her with him he loses everything. His love is lost.He is imprisoned for 3000 years. Once he is free he goes to find his love and correct the wrong but the woman he loves is no longer the same. And this is the story of their love. Two Star Crossed Lovers. Separated by fate, united by love. Episodes 36, available on viki.

Underrated Shows

Go Ahead (2020) The story of 3 siblings of a found family, and their growing pains and love life. You may want tissues for the tears and a pillow for the anger. 40 episodes long. Available on Viki and Youtube.

The Best of you in My Mind (2020) A cute university love story of a vet student and an archer who have been friends since childhood, but grew apart due to misunderstandings. 

Arsenal Military Academy (2019)  A period drama about a woman who decides to pass her brother in order to join the military academy. Growing bonds with the recruits in it. Honestly, the visual of this drama is what first drew mgsapphire in. 48 episodes long. Available on Viki.

My Love, Enlighten me (2020) A man who is capable of remembering everything unexpectedly forgets a very important detail in his life due to a fever, and ends up hurting his savior, this is the story of his quest for Redemption. Available on Viki and Youtube.

[w-ngs]

사랑의 불시착 (crash landing on you)

genre: k-drama (romance)

what? i’m not writing about a book, but a k-drama? yeah. if there was ever a k-drama with a story and characters worthy enough to be reviewed as if it were a book, it would be this one. i’ve never cried harder watching the last three episodes of this show than i have for literally any other movie or tv show. and after watching the very last scene, i felt so… fulfilled. i’ve never cried harder, but i’ve also never been more fond of a cast and story. for once, each and every single character played an important role and had their own vivid personality that made the story so much richer. and i feel like you can’t say that about a lot—if any?—of the usual k-dramas. also, there are spoilers all over the place, so beware.

i didn’t realize this until recently, but i fall in immediate love with strong character-driven stories. and the characters were 1000% a huge factor of what drew me into this drama. i’m not only talking about the leads, but the side characters as well. there was not a single person out of place or unnecessary to the story. they all added their own unique little spark and made each scene all that more entertaining to watch. the five “avengers” (that’s what they’re nicknamed in korea heheh)? i love them to death. they are the MOST adorable little group and seeing how much they cared about jeonghyuk and seri made me feel all fuzzy inside. i loved seeing them on the screen. and the village ladies? even though they were a bit irritating in the beginning, they won me over soon enough with their cute little flirting and motherly habits. both groups were people that genuinely loved and cared for one another like family, related or not. and seeing that made me so, so happy. we don’t see enough of that wholesomeness enough nowadays. speaking of family. even though seri’s family pissed me off at the start (and of course we still despise sehyeong and his wife), i grew to be fond of her parents and sejun and his wife too. and i especially appreciated how the parents actually supported their kids instead of pushing them to follow the decisions of their elders. finally, the parents in a k-drama acknowledged that their children were adults with their own decision-making capabilities.

and may i SAY. seri’s character as the female lead was amazingly refreshing. what i’m used to seeing in a female lead is a poor or weak girl dependent on some rich heir or ceo of a company for her entire life’s needs. most dramas these days are moving away from that stereotype, but women still tend to be portrayed as the weaker sex. so what i absolutely adored about yoon seri is that she was a powerful woman in her own right. she created her own thriving company from the ground up with hardly any support from anyone, and definitely not from her own family. she had her own power and money and she knew how to use it. and when the drama shifted from taking place in north to south korea, we got to see her take care of those closest to her using her own means. also, she fucking took a bullet for her man. SHE, for HER MAN, took the bullet. where else have you seen that shit in a k-drama before? cuz i sure as hell haven’t. it’s always the man protecting his lady, which is good and all, but wow, i feel like i had some part of me vindicated when she selflessly went for that gunshot. and seo dan??? my QUEEN??????? we love that after pining after a guy for ten whole years, she finally found someone that helped her realized her own worth, which allowed herself to grow into her own person. see? it is possible to have TWO very strong, very beautiful, female leads in one very popular drama. take that, the extremely patriarchal society in south korea that’s been in power for generations.

let’s talk about love and how it brought out the best qualities in those that encountered it. let’s talk about selflessness. because that’s basically what love is, isn’t it? risking your own life time and time again because you’d rather take the fall than have your significant other suffer. because seeing them hurt is a thousand times worse than getting hurt yourself. and even when you ARE purposely hurting them (but hurting them in order to protect them, obviously), you just can’t let them completely out of sight or mind. i’ve never seen a more pure love depicted in these 16 episodes than i have my entire life, whether that be in books or the screen. they’d die for each other, time and time again, because of love. and that’s a pretty common theme in all dramas, korean or not, but something about the way neither of them spared a second thought about their own safety or wellbeing because the other person was too important to risk losing, just made me sob fat tears over and over and over. the way they’d do anything, ANYTHING for each other, just to ensure the other’s happiness, just completely ripped me apart. when jeonghyuk said to seri that seeing her in the interrogation room was a pain for him, forcing her to leave, and then immediately sprinting out of the room when he heard that she collapsed, had me in literal pieces. the same for when he would not leave the window when she was undergoing treatment for sepsis. ESPECIALLY WHEN HE STEPPED BACK RIGHT WHEN SHE WOKE UP. LIKE, DUDE, PLEASE, YOUR HURT IS HURTING ME TOO. SO MUCH. also, we cannot forget about the moments between gu seungjun and seo dan. i’m just. well, i’m proud of every single lead’s character development, but those two. wow. when things started really building between those two, i kind of had a feeling he would be the one to go. i don’t know what it was, but when he did go, that felt like a punch in the gut. but personally, the scenes between them i did cry for were when he confessed what he loved about her on the bridge, and when he gave her the ring in jeonghyuk’s house. they each really found someone who could finally break their walls down, someone who loved them for who they were. and my god, that shit is beautiful man.

i feel like i could list so many more scenes where i completely lost it over the emotional depictions of love, and how each scene showed that love can overcome basically anything, but i’m not going to. because then i’m going to cry all over again. my god, just what kind of CRACK were the writers on these last few episodes??????? did they have a personal vendetta against the viewers for wanting us to suffer this badly????? well actually, for all the crying i did, i thoroughly enjoyed every tear, so. thank you. thank you for bringing to life such a purely beautiful couple like jeonghyuk and seri and showing us that if we really want it to, love can conquer all. and thank you especially for having the courage to tackle—and doing it with such tact and class—a difficult topic like north and south korea’s division. you know, while i was watching the scene where jeonghyuk and his comrades were being sent back to north korea, i thought, “if everyone in north and south korea and maybe the entire world watched this drama, we could reunite them again.” seeing the pain on the characters’ faces whenever seri tried going back south, or when she had to send them back north, hurt me differently than the hurt i felt when i watched romance scenes. because that shit is real. that shit happens in real life—friends and family have been torn apart because of the split between north and south korea. i would know, because i’ve heard the stories from those not only afar but close to me. i guess it also hurts that much more because that’s my history as someone of korean descent. can’t we all just love each as we are? as humans with flaws but also redeeming qualities as well? if we all got to know each other, each other’s good and bad and happy and sad parts, i would like to think it wouldn’t be that hard.

[kzesl]

Kdrama: Moorim school-thoughts

I have a lot of feelings about Moorim School: Saga of the Brave, and guess what? I’m going to share. Fair warning, this post is probably going to be a jumbled mess. Like me. I’m a jumbled mess. Spoilers ahoy.

Meet everyone at the school. They all look dorky. Headmaster in the middle, students on the left and teachers on the right, with some overlap.

How I got into this one? I watched Secretly, greatly (ouch, my feels. I could write a long post about it. Stop me. Please.) and then I decided to see what else Lee Hyun Woo has acted in. Because he was an adorable badass in it, and I am weak.

Objectively speaking, Moorim school is not very good. I, however, don’t watch things objectively. Why be objective when you can be subjective? Right? Right. This is not a kdrama that I would recommend to anyone who has never watched a kdrama before. This is a drama for those who like certain, specific things in their dramas. I enjoyed it. Even though I had to increase the speed at times. I use Super Netflix extension occasionally, I admit.

What is it about?

This is the IMDb summary: Moorim School isn't focused on high academic scores. The school teaches students virtues including honesty, faith, sacrifice and communication. The teachers and students at the school come from different countries with their own stories.

These are the four main characters, from left to right: Wang Chi-Ang, Shim Soon-deok, Yoon Shi-Woo, and Hwang Sun-ah.

The intro is a bit misleading. It makes you expect badassery and mysticism, and instead you get a bunch of dorks arguing about who gets the bed with a good view though the window.

It starts with a man protecting a little girl, and fighting off a bunch of mean looking men, dressed in black (gasp! Bad guys) in the woods. The fight scenes are not exactly good. They make me cringe. It’s not high production. However, not every series can be like K2 when it comes to fight scenes. It’s a bit bad, because the series focuses on martial arts quite a bit, but eh. They managed to convey that the man protecting the girl is a badass. Let us move on and not mention the quality of action scenes again. He fights the bad guys off and hides with the girl behind a shield that he raises by activating magical symbols. (Magic is never explained. Everyone just accepts its existence. It’s not taught at the school either. It just exists and no one questions it.)

Then we jump to eighteen years later.

People are preparing for a concert, but the main star, the most popular member of k-pop group Möbius, Yoon Shi-Woo, is sleeping instead of rehearsing. He gets chewed out, but he is not overly concerned. He’s got bigger problems, like the splitting headaches and wonky hearing.

Next we meet Wang Chi-Ang, who is spoiled, sheltered momma’s boy, who only wants to make her happy and his father, the chairman of the Shang Hai group, proud. He’s in the city to go to the concert, because his father’s company is sponsoring it. Shi-Woo is a model for their company.

Shim Soon-deok is a resourceful young woman who is working hard to support herself and her blind father. She sells food at the concert, and she works at a chicken place. She also attends Moorim school. The ladies are badass in this series. Which is nice.

Hwang Sun-ah is Soon-deok’s friend and Shi-Woo’s biggest fan. She calls him my Shi-Woo (headcanon: she is the founder of his fan club. It is a secret she will take to her grave, because it feels a bit awkward when certain truths come to light. Headcanon 2: Shi-Woo knows, but lets her think he doesn’t.). She had to sneak out to go to the concert, because her father, the headmaster of Moorim school is overprotective.

There are a couple of shirtless scenes and Shi-Woo has a Very Important Necklace, which we know because the camera focuses on it a lot.

Chi-Ang and Shi-Woo are accidentally given the same room at a hotel. Oh, no. Who’s going to be the one to leave?!?! Chi-Ang attempts to throw his weight around and refuse to sponsor Shi-Woo, because everything is a competition for that man and he has to win. But Shi-Woo is unimpressed and uninterested and like cool, whatevs, day off.

That’s Shi-Woo there, in white. No fucks given. Can’t win against someone who’s not playing, Chi-Ang. Now this says a lot about their future relationship. Chi-Ang always tries to win, and Shi-Woo always refuses to compete.

The concert goes okay, until there is an accident on stage and Shi-Woo almost gets injured/dies because a piece of equipment starts falling on him and he doesn’t hear everyone shout at him to move because of the wonky hearing. He slows the equipment down with his surprise magical powers and Sun-ha manages to save him. She tells him to go to Moorim school, but doesn’t tell him how to get there (who needs directions, anyway).

Both he and Chi-Ang end up there in the end. Chi-Ang because his father insists (he has nefarious plans) and the girl he likes goes to the same school, and Shi-Woo because he wants help with his hearing. There is a possibility that he will permanently loose it and music is all he has. He is an orphan who has no one else in this world since his manager/father figure turned out to be all about the money. Also, the relationship he has with the rest of his group seems strictly professional. And Möbius was the name he used for himself before he was even scouted. So it predates the group. (I want to read a fic about group feels, or an AU where they are actually close.)

Also, the shield magically comes down when they come close to the school for the first time, and that was not supposed to happen and everyone is concerned. But that relates to the plot and the plot is a bit meh. I’m here for the relationships anyway. (Sigh. The plot had potential.)

Things happen, and I won’t go into detail, but the two of them get expelled, go on a quest, get accepted back into the school and become friends. BFFs.

The school teaches cooking, martial arts, manners (I think), dance (?), meditation, and no other subject, it seems. It is a very weird school, and the professors are weird and nothing makes sense, but okay. Not many things about this series make sense. Moorim was created to ensure world peace, apparently. And it’s a martial arts school, primarily, but they are more focused on teaching good values. There aren’t that many students in this school, and they are from all over. I’m not sure how students are actually recruited. The school is a secret. Are they scouted? Are they those connected to Moorim? Or those who get lost in the woods outside of the school? Who knows. Not me. They also seem to struggle financially because the heating is off. Why else would everyone sleep pretty much fully clothed?

The other students in the school get some screen time, but their characters are not all that well fleshed out, so I found myself not caring too much. It got a bit better in later episodes. One of them keeps badmouthing others in English, for some reason. It’s not like on one understands him. Everyone understands him. He just likes speaking English, I guess.

There is a mysterious man in a coma, villains, a magical key split into three pieces that can lead to unlimited power, reunited families, surprise siblings, etc.

Also, let’s ignore how quickly some people became good at martial arts. Now, I’m no expert, but I have a bit of experience in martial arts and I have known some extremely talented individuals, prodigies, but even they needed more than two months to get anywhere. I’m going to leave it at that. Magic is real in this universe. It’s magic. Problem solved.

The part I like the most about this series is the relationship between Chi-Ang and Shi-Woo. They start off as roommates who don’t like one another, so they fight a lot. It changes, but- Now I’m all for men being shown as having other male friends they can have healthy relationships with, someone they could lean on and cry in front of, if necessary, without toxic masculinity getting in the way. Let men be friends, yeah? And I’m not one who immediately sees gay in everything. But, those two guys have the hots for each other. They’re all: I came back for you/I stayed for you/I miss you/You mean more to me than unlimited power/You’re so cool-No you are/Don’t smile, I might start liking you.

Ahem.

They like the same girl (Soon-deok). Which seemed very hard for them, but I believe that was the best thing that could have happened to them. Soon-deok kept refusing Chi-Ang, and she was very clear about it. She drew the line at one point, and he made me very uncomfortable when he outright told her that he doesn’t care about her lines. This could have turned very ugly if his rival had been anyone other than Shi-Woo. He threatened to destroy Shi-Woo more than once, and he came close to irreparably destroying their relationship, but in the end he didn’t. Because Shi-Wook had so much faith in him, he couldn’t bear to. Again, if it had been anyone else, he wouldn’t have even hesitated. (Hmm, imagine a Dark AU. So many possibilities. )    

I have the urge to write fic. Sigh.

Also, at one point the students have a party and Möbius’s song plays in the background and no one teases Shi-Woo about it or peer pressures him into doing his part of the song or the dance, or even looks at him while smirking. WTH. Come one, guys!

Back to the two leads. It’s an interesting dynamic they have. And although Chi-Ang is taller, physically stronger and more imposing, it’s Shi-Woo who’s actually in charge. And I’m not going to tell you to get your mind out of the gutter, because that’s exactly where mine is. And Chi-Ang looks like he might have a serious praise kink. Besides, we have seen that Shi-Woo is not shy about going after what he wants. As we saw with the two kissing scenes with Soon-deok, he is quietly assertive. Unlike Chi-Ang, who is more… bluster and need for attention.

Shi-Woo started as this arrogant, irritable superstar, but it didn’t take him long to shed that behavior, that image. As if, all this time, he was just waiting for a moment out of the spotlight, for a place where he can belong. He seems like one of those people who were born knowing which lines they are not willing to cross. His urge to harm someone is his greatest fear, because he is aware of the damage he is capable of inflicting.

Chi-Ang had different masks. He too knew loneliness, but his was of a different kind. While Shi-Woo was not protected enough, Chi-Ang was sheltered too much. His mother dotes on him, and his father adores him, albeit in his own, extremely unhealthy way. It was clear to me from the start that his father loves him. It seems a significant thing that he is the son of a mistress and not legitimate, but his father has made no attempt to hide him. He provides for him, protects him and spoils him. He has no kind words for him, though, and his lessons are poison, but he tried to make his son strong. Which is what he values. And he has used him. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t love him. He just doesn’t know how to love properly. 

Chi-Ang takes after his father in many ways. We see that the most in later episodes. But he has people who have faith in him, and who are willing to tell him off. He is aware that he is wiling to cross too many lines, lines he shouldn’t. He is gray, and will probably always struggle with himself. He seems like a puppy most of the time, but when he is serious about something, his determination is a scary thing.

Shi-Woo would make a more terrifying villain, though. He wouldn’t become one, precisely because he terrifies himself when he thinks about what he could do, if pushed enough.

I could talk more about this series. There are quite a few touching moments I could cover, and also a lot of ridiculousness and wth moments, but there is a reason I didn’t do a recap of every episode. I don’t have time. Besides, I wrote all of this just to get it off my chest, because I have no fandom friends to discuss stuff with. It is sad.

Also, I should have broken up the text in this with a few more photos, but I’m tired.

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: June 2019

Halfway through the year! Here’s how I spent the month of June.

……….FILM……….

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) Delivers on everything I’d want out of a Godzilla movie: destruction, cool monsters, and bland humans making crazy decisions. It perhaps took itself a little seriously, but that also felt on-brand, you know? Hopefully this series keeps going so we can get to a Mechagodzilla showdown.

Booksmart (2019) So good. We caught this at the end of its run so it’s a shame I can’t tell more people to go out and see it. Great bff chemistry, nuanced cast, funny, and solid direction. It felt familiar and new. Oh but as a former teacher, the Jessica Williams bits were all sorts of problematic.

Rocketman (2019) Just wonderful! The framing device of rehab wasn’t just a break from the biopic tropes, it was a crucial element towards reinforcing the main thrust of the film. Sure it goes through the rise and fall of a star, but it uses that arc to show the growth of a human. That’s why this is great. Also Taron Egerton is just overwhelmingly great.

……….TELEVISION……….

The Bachelorette (Episode 15.04 to 15.07) I worry that Hannah isn’t going to make it to the end of the season without some sort of emotional break. The slightly unhinged antics were fun at first, but now it feels like it’s bordering on full-on meltdown. I still long for a season where we’re given simple romance and good good friendships, but until then I suppose we’re stuck with Luke P. It’s really hard to watch a genuinely problematic relationship continue but hopefully he’ll be gone soon. Also that clip episode was next level.

The Magicians (Episode 1.10 to 3.08) It’s still doing a great job of acting as a sort of remix of the books. The stuff from book 2 is carrying over to the later seasons and while it’s not moving quite as briskly as the first, it’s still doing a great job of showing a different perspective and interpretation of the core plot elements.

……….READING……….

Thisby Thestoop and the Black Mountain by Zac Gorman (Complete) I put this on hold at the library thinking it was a graphic novel. Then I saw it was categorized as “children’s so I figured, knowing it was a collab between Gorman and Sam Bosma, it was an all-ages comic. Turns out it was a children’s chapter book and I loved it! Light-hearted, touching, and full of lovely illustrations by Bosma, it delivered everything I wanted in a format I wasn’t expecting. Also it’s about the adventures of a D&D-styled dungeon’s gamekeeper, Thisby Thestoop. So if you have a kid (or you, yourself) want an RPG-adjacent read, this is a great choice.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (Complete) Compilations like this are always a lot of fun and I find it interesting to pick up themes when reading a collection of myths. There’s an awful lot of punishment in Greek mythology and in reading these, I really picked up on a lot of tests. Tests of strength or drinking ability or speed and it’s all rather fascinating. I admit that Gaiman’s writing is what brought me to the book but it’s rather subdued. Very cool to read how interested in Norse Mythology he is and it adds another layer to his other books (particularly American Gods). I don’t know if I’d recommend it if you were only a fan of Gaiman’s work, but I’d definitely suggest it if you’re keen to learn more about Thor and Loki and the gang.

Motherlands by Simon Spurrier & Rachel Stott (Complete) I love bonkers sci-fi. There are giant fleshy bounty hunters, pixelated teleporting guns, tiny lizard people, and civilizations all on the backs of crabs, but at the end of the day this book is about the relationship between a mother and her daughter. Sure, both are bounty hunters, but it uses the fantastic to explore the personal and that’s what my favourite speculative fiction does best.

Black Hammer Vol. 1: Secret Origins by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston (Complete) Think alternate Justice League trapped on a farm in an alternate reality (likely our own). It’s a family drama set in a small town and it’s really good! At first it felt like a “this is our version of Shazam! This is our version of Martian Manhunter!” but the characters are breaking away from the tropes and it’s in that deviation that the book really shines. Worth checking out.

The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo by Drew Weing (Complete) As far as all-ages comics go, this has a good range of appeal. It touches on topics like gentrification and xenophobia, but uses monsters to communicate them. The main characters didn’t really resonate with me (the POV character doesn’t get to take much action and the expert is perhaps a little cold for someone meant to show compassion for all). There’s a second volume and while I didn’t love this, I want to check out the next chapter to see where it’s all going.

……….AUDIO……….

Factually (Podcast) If you know Adam Ruins Everything (either the show, youtube clips, or the podcast) then this is a natural continuation. I’m still not sure why the transition from the other podcast to this as it feels essentially the same, so I can only assume it was a contractual or savvy business move. Also the podcast is a deeper dive into common misconceptions in the world and it has Andrew W. K. for the intro music. What more could you want? 

……….GAMING……….

Maze of the Blue Medusa (Satyr Press) We had a bit of a lull this month from me being sick, but the party continues to hesitantly explore deeper into the maze and so is running into more dangerous encounters! It’s all very exciting.

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda (Brace Yourself Games) Having never played the original indie game (Crypt of the Necrodancer) I found it to be a steep learning curve and I died a whoooooole bunch at the start. Now I feel like I’ve found the literal (and metaphorical) rhythm of the game. Lots of fun, a great blend of new and familiar Zelda elements, and just a generally breezy game that can be very difficult. Oh also you can play as Zelda! For the whole game! 100% recommend.

Gato Roboto (Devolver Digital) Perfect bite-sized game. Three-ish hours of a cat in a mech suit is exactly what I wanted and it didn’t fail to deliver. The bosses are challenging though I admit most of the other enemies were pretty chill. Worth the modest cost and the whole thing was a lot of fun.

And that’s it! As always, feel free to send me any recommendos as I’m always looking for something new to watch/read/hear/play!

Happy Sunday.

[femnet]

If you are looking for a new show to binge, I highly recommend Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. I recently came across this fantastic K-Drama and was hooked, finishing all 16 episodes in a couple of days.

The show follows Do Bong Soon, a cute girl gifted with extraordinary strength who finds herself being hired as the bodyguard of Ahn Min Hyuk, the CEO of a gaming company. At first glance, you might think that the show follows a typical drama formula of a ~special~ girl who biggest struggles are having to choose between two hot guys but Strong Woman Do Bong Soon shows us developed and engaging characters all throughout.

While admittedly, the show does use some common tropes such as a love triangle, I was pleasantly surprised at how the show didn't end up making that the focal point. In fact, it was a rather small plot arc. Instead, the plot focuses on our lead, Bong Soon who struggles to figure out how to use her strength while trying to get her dream job as a game developer at Ainsoft who's CEO happens to be Min Hyuk (Hot Guy #1).  Meanwhile, her childhood friend, In Gook Du (aka Hot Guy #2) scrambles to find the culprit behind several cases of missing women. The show touches on a few darker themes while keeping up with their lighthearted and sweet atmosphere, all while managing not to undermine the gravity of their darker themes such as violence against women. I won't delve too much deeper into the plot itself because I think the aspect that draws viewers in the most is the characters.

Let's start with Do Bong Soon, the main protagonist. Often when I see a female as the main lead of a superhero/action genre show or movie I feel like I have to force myself to relate to her. That's not the case with Bong Soon. Bong Soon defies so many female actions lead stereotypes. She's sweet and cutest thing ever but also stubborn and firm. Bong Soon has super strength and has to hide it but not because she's afraid of being seen as unfeminine but rather because she'd rather live a quiet life. As we see her become more comfortable with her powers, Bong Soon uses her powers to help those in need without hesitation. It was especially satisfying to her ***Mini Spoiler Ahead*** snap the fingers of a sexual assaulter on the train. One small detail that pleases me was that Bong Soon didn't have sexiness as her secondary power. There was no need for her dress up and use her 'womanly charms'. In fact, Bong Soon's go-to outfit was an oversized hoodie or sweater and some comfy shoes (perfect for maximum comfort while eating spicy chicken feet and beating up local thugs 😉). Bong Soon struggles to figure out what to do with her life, especially since she's never had a steady job after graduating high school, which often causes tension between her and her mother. Bong Soon learns to stand up for herself and others. Bong Soon is kind and adorable and sweet but still manages to be a badass.

The male lead is the adorable Ahn Min Hyuk. Despite already coming from a wealthy family, Min Hyuk sets out on his own and builds his own company, Ainsoft. After being sent threats and being followed, Min Hyuk hires Bong Soon as his personal bodyguard after seeing her strength in action. Min Hyuk drew me in instantly, likely because I've never encountered a male character like him. I was honestly expecting the typical spoiled, coldhearted, rich boy but got pretty much the opposite. Min Hyuk is energetic and eccentric and well, the definition of Extra. This show constantly tore down stereotypes because I thought that Min Hyuk would be an asshole and try to 'prove his masculinity' after seeing Bong Soon's powers but after seeing her impressive strength he was just a mixture semi-afraid and turned on. One of the best parts of his character is how flustered and excited he gets, especially when Bong Soon is being adorkable. Min Hyuk tries to protect Bong Soon but still listens to her and in the end, accepts the choices she's made. In a time where the media is trying harder and harder to create 'manly' characters, seeing one who felt no need to establish dominance around women was amazing. It should be noted that ***Minor Spoiler Ahead*** that Gook Du and Min Hyuk try to one-up each other in a typical man-against-man fashion but it ends with them drunk and cuddling on a pool table and Bong Soon carrying them away so yeah...  

Although you may cry a few times watching, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon is heartwarming and adorable. Everything from the characters to their chemistry, to the freaking soundtrack, is cute. If you're looking for something that shuts down the annoying stereotypes about action shows but still manages to be cute and heartwarming, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon covers that and so much more.

[xemovie]

Life Is Beautiful (Korean: 인생 은 아름다워) is a 2010 Korean drama starring Song Chang-eui, Lee Sang-woo, Lee Sang-yoon, and Nam Sang-mi.

Aside from scoring high ratings that were in the mid-twenty range during its run, the series also drew attention for the sensational role of a gay couple who love publicly in a Korean drama on television network in golden hour. While the homosexual theme approach is quite sympathetic, there is an opinion that "major changes in the last episodes of 'Life is Beautiful' have been made due to the stubborn opposition to the issue. "and" there are no kiss scenes between the main actors in 'Life is Beautiful' amid endless kiss scenes in other K-dramas depicting heterosexual couples.

https://www.xemovie.com/tv-shows/life-is-beautiful

[hellosensitivity]

‘i don’t know it just is’, selfishness and regret

Oct 5th, 2020

2006 was when we first engaged contact. Both, freshman in High School. Every interaction would begin with a playful punch to the arm. When I least expected it, you would be sure to put a little extra “umpf” into the punch. There were definitely times where it would hurt, but maybe “love is pain” (cue: “BIGBANG - Lies”, legendary song btw). Neither of us minded it. If anything, it always brought a smile to our face. It was one of the things I looked forward to the most during school days, within the ~11 minute gap in between our six class periods days. I didn’t think much of it at the time besides cherish the moment. This went on for a good ~2 years. You had a boyfriend at the time. I had a crush on another girl on the Badminton team we were on. Since she was the best girl player on the team, I spent A LOT of time improving my Badminton game so I could be the best guy player to impress her. It was some crazy long-con and oh so naïve idea I had that didn’t get me very far. We went on about our days and continued to grow up. 

Around March 2008, was when I first had developed some very real feelings. You had broken up with your boyfriend, but kept calm and carried on.

I liked everything about you. Personality, looks, sense of humor, ambition, dedication, selflessness, the list goes on. In my eyes, you were truly perfect.

I had no idea how to express myself. Somehow, I mustered up the courage to say that “I like you” and she simply said “oh... i didn’t know that”. I asked her if it made her awkward, but she said “no”. She asked the same back and I said “yeah”, but she said “don’t be!”. The exchange ended there. Things continued to be casual. 

We would always meetup in between periods, and walk to class together. I would try and throw in nice compliments and say things like “you’re pretty today”.

We would share the same math book because we had the same math class. I would have notecards in as placeholders / to put my notes on. One day, I open my book and see that my notes were drawn all over by her. She drew little cute drawings and so I would write / draw things back with her. It went back and forth for like 3 days since it happened the week before finals.

Going into the Summer break and beginning of our Senior year, was me talking to a lot of close friends about managing all my emotions, reading into the situations, and figuring out what to do.

Fast forward to Spring 2019, and I had asked you if we could turn our friendship into something more. You politely mentioned that you had to wait until college before dating. “No big deal”, I thought. I’ll just wait it out. “Hopefully, we get into the same college”. We continued to be friends and continued add to our list of great memories.

Little did I know, came the breaking point. 

Prior to graduation, there were rumors of you and another guy seeing each other. It ended up being true. I couldn’t help but feel led-on and betrayed. It was a huge turning point in my mental well-being. My first real heartbreak even though we weren’t actually dating. Where did it go wrong? Why did this happen to me? Why am I like this? Questions that I thought about for years to come. Rejection was painful.

I started to ignore you, and you took notice. You didn’t have the courage to confront me about it, because you’re not the confrontational type. Eventually, enough of our friends convinced me to talk to you about the entire ordeal because we were both hurting.

We talked. You had told me that I was one of the best guy friends ever, and that you regret making me feel the way I felt. You never intended to break my heart and felt 100% guilty. You hoped that we could become friends again and that we could get passed this, and that you missed me. You said it would be okay if I didn’t agree, and losing me as a friend would become one of the biggest regrets of your life. I decided that, yes, we could rebuild that strong friendship we had again. At the end of that day, we exchanged hugs and smiles. 

I lied. The very next day, I was still in utter pain from it all. I continued to ignore you. I felt like you didn’t deserve a friend like me. I didn’t know how to control my emotions and let it consume me. I just wanted to run away as far as I can. I was selfish.

Soon, we graduated and went our separate ways.

Years pass, and there were few occasions where us crossing paths again became very real. I did everything in my power to avoid it.

A lot of my decisions, things that I involved myself in, and where I am at now, were because of what we had gone through. This single series of events shaped me into who I am today. I was desperate for an escape from all this pain. This would continue even til this day, and no end appears to be in sight.

Looking back at it, I was 100% at fault. I was caught in my own emotions and threw away our friendship. Instead of preserving what we had, I left you with regret. I’m sorry.

This sounds like something out of a fairy tale, no joke (or no “cap” if I’m trying to stay with the times). A lot of people say, what happens in High School doesn’t even matter. We’re young and just still figuring it out. But, this is something I held dear to my heart, and has shaped me to be the person who I’ve become the past 10+ years. I feel like I’m paying the price now. My life has been filled with episodes of depression, and anxiety ever since. I deserve it for being such a shitty friend. Knowing you, you’d want me to overcome and get through this. I’m trying my best. It’ll come someday.

I always think about this from time to time, no matter what is going on. I don’t know what it was exactly, but being around you always made me happy. Anytime I ask myself when I was ever the most happiest, it was our friendship. I miss it.

Fast forward to Oct 4th, 2020. I discovered two songs:

eaJ x Seori - It just is (feat. Keshi’s Strat)

CHUNG HA & Christopher - Bad Boy

As I drowned myself in these two songs, I had a flashback of all those good memories we had (it sounds cheesy, I know. But, its the truth). The lyrics from both songs just really hit home. Even though we had a falling out, I still feel like you were one of the most complete and near perfect people I’ve ever met. I don’t think I could ever say anything bad about you, despite how I felt. These two songs remind me of the vivid memories I had of us. 

It was around the time where “Wong Fu” was making a name for itself. They had just released “Just a Nice Guy”. This was around the time where we would listen to / share K-Pop music from BIGBANG, Girls Generation, Super Junior, Wonder Girls, Epik High, DBSK, etc, because it was a topic of interest we shared. You also introduced me to the Mando-Pop singer, Rainie Yang, who I still re-visit and listen until this day. I remember watching the Asian dramas: “Why Why Love” and “Boys before Flowers” because you recommended them to me. 

I woke up on Oct 5th, 2020 to a Facebook notification about you. Coincidentally, I had taken the day off, and was inspired to write all of this.

Thanks for the great memories, and life experiences.

Sorry for being selfish. Sorry for only thinking of my feelings and not yours.

Sorry for throwing away our friendship.

Sorry for being one of the biggest things you regret losing in life. I regret it too.

Regardless, it’s been ~11 years and you seem to have got life figured out. You’re starting a family and on your way to become very successful in your career. I’m very happy for you.

Here’s to a life long wish of continued happiness to you and everyone you love.

Happy Birthday B.

Sincerely,

a memory.

[emotten]

Writer Questionnaire

Part One: The Writer

·      Do you use a pen name?  Explain why you chose it. I use my initials: E. M. Otten. I do not particularly care for my first name, and that’s really the only reason I went with my initials instead.

·      Describe your writing process using just one word. Chaotic.

·      What genre do you write most often? YA Fantasy

·      Who is your favorite character that you’ve created so far? I really like Flip, a new character who will be introduced in Shift: Abomination. He’s a wild and fresh addition to the story. But, as far as characters I’ve already introduced, I am I big fan Adam Bliss (from Crooked). His story was really fun to tell and I love the friendship that blossoms between him and his partner in the book.

·      Are any of the characters you write based on people from your real life?  Explain. Not really. Certain mannerisms or things a character says are inspired by the people in my life, but I would feel too strange basing a character off of a close friend or family member.

·      What is the most important thing that becoming a writer has taught you? I’ve learned a lot about myself, who I am and how my experiences have shaped me. I’ve learned about a lot of mythology and lore than I never knew about before, so that makes research fun. And, of course, I’ve learned that this is what I want to be doing for the rest of my life; writing.

·      If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing? Acting? Trying to direct? I don’t think I could dream of doing anything outside the entertainment industry.

·      How do you choose character names? Something I look up names by meaning if I want the character to have a certain type of symbolism. Other times I’ll hear a name or see a name and use it, and then look up hundreds of surnames and their meanings and say the names out loud to see if they fit together. It’s actually one of the hardest and most tedious parts of my process.

·      Do you prefer typing or hand writing? Typing, only because my brain works faster than my hand can write. Typing allows me to keep up with my thoughts faster. But there is something special about handwriting.

·      Describe your work space. I have a portrait of Deadpool next to my desk, and lots of trinkets to inspire me; jars full of pens and paintbrushes and twigs with fake birds on them… A lot of weird stuff.

 Part Two: Books

·      What is your favorite book? This is a hard one! There are so many. But the one I pick up the most is my collection of works by Edgar Allen Poe. I read a little from this book almost every day, and I try to create a visual story in my head as I read. It’s a sort of creativity and adaptation exercise for me that freshens up the jumbled thoughts already in my head

·      Who is your favorite author? James Patterson is the author I own the most books by. But I’m not sure I’m ready to clai a favorite author just yet.

·      Do you remember the first book you read that meant something to you?  Explain. When the Wind Blows, by James Patterson, was given to me by my dad when I was young, and I just remember feeling so connected to the character of Max. (She was like eleven years old, her physical description matched mine, she had a heart of gold and a sarcastic defense system that worked quite well.) That book drew me into a whole new world of fiction and opened me up to new book genres.

·      What genre do you read most often? YA Fiction, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mystery.

·      Who are your favorite characters from a book?  Why? One of my all-time favorite novel characters is Will Herondale of Cassandra Clare’s The Infernal Devices series. He’s funny, handsome, and charismatic, but he’s also kind of an asshole at first. His journey is one I’ll never forget.

·      Who are your favorite villains/anti-heroes in a book?  Why? I don’t think I need to explain why Severus Snape of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is one of my absolute favorite novel anti-heroes.

·      Do you remember the first book that made you cry?  Explain. Ugh. I read The Kite Runner in school and it really wrecked me. I remember sitting in the quiet classroom, trying my best not to sob, but it was too much. That book is rough.

·      Do you have a “guilty pleasure” book or series?  Explain. Not really. I display all my favorite books with pride! I do get shit from my friends sometimes about the abundance of YA vampire fiction that lines my shelves, but hey, everyone has their own thing, right?!

·      What’s your favorite novel trope? I love when the hero of a story comes from a small town or something like that. Plain, un-special protagonist somehow discovers they have what it takes to save the world.

 Part Three: Film

·      Does film sometimes inspire your writing? Yes! Sometimes it helps me break free from bouts of writer’s block.

·      What is your favorite film genre?  Why? I love thrillers and horror, but I also adore comedy. The best for me is when a movie contains both terrifying suspense and witty, well-timed comedy.

·      List three to five of your favorite films. Scream; Fight Club; For a Good Time, Call; Choke; Stuck in Love.

·      Who is your favorite character from a film?  Why? This is a hard question to answer. But the first character that I thought of was Fred in Gia Coppola’s Palo Alto.  There’s just something about Fred that makes him interesting and intriguing and you want to know more. He’s totally nuts, and clearly has some deep issues, but his issues are never really explored and his insane behavior serves as a really unique source of mystery and intensity for this otherwise pretty calm film.

·      What’s your favorite film trope? Has to be the old horror trope when playing “guess the killer” and it ends up being the guy who they said in the film was definitely not the killer.

·      Who are your favorite villains/anti-heroes in film?  Why? I will always, always have a place in my heart for Billy Loomis and Stu Macher of the first Scream film. First of all, two killers? That was a big mind-f**k for me as a kid. And the way these characters are portrayed is just perfect.

·      If you had to write the reboot for any film, what would you choose and why? I suppose if I had to, I would choose something really, really old but not all that popular. There’s this old Martin & Lewis film, At War with the Army that I have loved since I was a kid, and while I don’t usually like “war movies,” anyone who’s seen this knows it’s a lot different. So if I HAD to do a reboot, I would want to bring the genius of Martin & Lewis into the modern era and introduce younger people to the classic comedy I grew up with.

 Part Four: Television

·      What television genre do you watch the most?  Why? Fantasy, Drama, & Comedy.

·      Do you have a favorite television show?  If so, what is it, and why? I have a lot of favorite TV shows, but if I had to choose one I’d have to go with American Horror Story. There’s just nothing like it out there and every season is fresh; new characters, new story, new shocking scares.

·      Who are your favorite fictional television characters?  Why? I really love the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. There’s nothing more to say.

·      What’s your favorite TV trope? The love triangle, of course!

·      Is there a character death/departure that still haunts you? Jon Snow, of Game of Thrones; even though he ended up coming back to life, it was the TV death that rocked my world. I think my neighbors probably thought someone was actually dying inside my house the night I watched that episode. I screamed, I cried, I threw things.

·      Who are your favorite television villains or anti-heroes?  Why? The Vampire Diaries had a few anti-heroes and villains that really stuck with me. Klaus Mikaelson and his family of Original vampires struck fear and worry into viewers for multiple seasons. They were so well created, and their story was so intricate, that they got their own spin-off show! Kai Parker was another incredible villain on the show; a sociopath with the ability to absorb magic from others and use it against them. He was a true baddie, with no weaknesses and nothing to lose.

·      If you had to write a reboot of a television series that was on air the year you were born, what would you choose and why? Ha! I was born in 1989 and most of the shows on TV back then were cheesy family sitcoms. However, Cheers was also on air, which is an incredibly underrated classic coke-bottle show that I love and adore. I’ve always wanted to create a new, modernized version of Cheers, and maybe someday I will.

·      What’s your go-to series to binge watch? Usually I’ll choose a comedy series or something I have watched before, because chances are, if I’m bingeing, it’s because I’m sick or hungover or something and I’ll definitely fall asleep. That being said, I usually go for something funny like Always Sunny, Parks & Rec, How I Met Your Mother, or 30 Rock. If I’m in more of a drama mood, I’ll stick to my old favorites like Dawson’s Creek, The O.C., The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Being Human, Teen Wolf, or Buffy.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1203

Monday, March 5, 2018

 Jee-Riz Comics and Appraisals had another successful Capital Trade Show yesterday at the Jim Durrell Arena on Walkley Road. Many thanks to Spider-Man super fan Jeremy for dropping by our table.

 I'm not a movie buff so I didn't watch the Oscars last night. It's on our PVR so I'll get to it eventually. I read that someone mentioned Len Wein and John Romita Senior during the telecast so I look forward to seeing that in context. I still get excited whenever I see comic book references on TV.

 Moon Knight #192 - Max Bemis (writer) Jacen Burrows (pencils) Guillermo Ortego (inks) Mat Lopes (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Crazy Runs in the Family part 5. This issue ends in an episode of Fantasy Island. The conflict between Ra and Khonshu is coming to a head, Marc's head. I'm not a big fan of psychological drama but I love Jacen Burrows's art so much that I can't stop reading.

 The Terrifics #1 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Ivan Reis (pencils) Joe Prado (inks) Marcelo Maiolo (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). This is the fourth New Age of Heroes comic book to hit the racks and the one that I was most looking forward to because Plastic Man is on this team. The team is lead by smart guy Mr. Terrific and includes Metamorpho and Linnya Wazzo AKA Phantom Girl (thank-you Google). I loved Ivan Reis's art when he drew Green Lantern so I hope he does some spiffy things with the malleable Plastic Man. Jeff Lemire introduces this team quite nicely and the surprise guest on the last page made we want to continue reading.

 Cal Exit #2 - Matteo Pizzolo (writer) Amancay Nahuelpan (art) Tyler Boss (colours) Jim Campbell (letters). It's hard to remember why I wanted to read this second issue since #1 hit the racks over 7 months ago. Now that I have gotten through this very dense comic book I find that I don't care for these characters or their gun happy world. Another thing I didn't like was the stark colours. The recent gun violence in real life has also influenced my decision to stop reading this as well.

 Avengers #682 - Al Ewing, Jim Zub & Mark Waid (writers) Sean Izaakse (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). No Surrender part 8. It's no coincidence that Hawkeye and Red Wolf are in this critical issue. Clint put the threat of Bruce Banner down for good but as we all know in comic books, death never lasts. Cosmic beings make anything possible. The colours on the first page nearly turned me off but it was only because David Curiel was trying to make the flashback scenes look old timey.

 Mera: Queen of Atlantis #1 - Dan Abnett (writer) Lan Medina (pencils) Richard Friend (inks) Veronica Gandini (colours) Simon Bowland (letters). This 6-issue mini spins off of the current goings on in Aquaman. Mera is recuperating from her magic induced injuries on land and isn't as powerful as she used to be. One of her missions while healing is to try and assure the surface world that the war in Atlantis won't impact them. As much as I love green-eyed redheads, I just couldn't get too excited about this story. Mera's diplomatic mission can go on without me.

 Hungry Ghosts #2 - Anthony Bourdain & Joel Rose (story) Leonardo Manco & Mateus Santolouco (art) Jose Villarrubia (colours) Sal Cipriano (letters). These two creepy tales have a European flavour. One will be very foreign to North American readers and may turn their stomachs. The other is about supernatural creatures that would only scare children. Both would be good with a glass of Chianti.

 All-New Wolverine #31 - Tom Taylor (writer) Marco Failla (art) Nolan Woodard (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This is a fun one issue team-up with Gabby and Deadpool. I like these little interludes between all the drama.

 The Demon: Hell is Earth #4 - Andrew Constant (writer) Brad Walker (pencils) Andrew Hennessy (inks) Chris Sotomayor (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). The heroes continue their journey through Hell to try and keep Belial from creating a gateway to Earth. Many monsters will be mashed before the end.

 Saga #49 - Fiona Staples (art) Brian K. Vaughn (writer) Fonografiks (letters). This might be the only comic book on the racks where the artist's name is listed first in the credits. Congratulations to Fiona on her marriage to Ben.

 Spectacular Spider-Man #300 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Adam Kubert & Juan Frigeri (art) Jason Keith (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). There were some dumb things in this issue that turned me off this title again. The worst bit was at the end. It rhymes with crime gravel. Not even the back up story with the Black Cat by Chip Zdarsky, Goran Parlov and Giada Marchisio managed to cheer me up. Have fun whenever you end up Spidey.

 Detective Comics #975 - James Tynion IV (writer) Alvaro Martinez (pencils) Raul Fernandez (inks) Brad Anderson (colours) Unknown (letters). Batwoman is judged by a jury of her peers to see if she should be allowed to stay in the Bat-family. The path Kate chooses will be interesting to follow into the future.

 Star Wars: Darth Vader #12 - Charles Soule (writer) Giuseppe Camuncoli (pencils) Daniele Orlandini (inks) David Curiel (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Vader deals with who is trying to kill him as only Vader can. I want to see how successful his terrorist tactics are.

 Silencer #2 - Dan Abnett (writer) John Romita Jr. (pencils) Sandra Hope (inks) Dean White & Arif Prianto (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). Code of Honor part 2. Honor AKA the retired Underlife assassin Silencer survives the hit on her and Talia al Ghul. In her attempt to call off her old employers she finds out there is no honour among bad guys. If you like Hit-Girl or the Punisher, I think you'll like this new age hero.

 Action Comics #998 - Dan Jurgens (writer) Will Conrad (art) Ivan Nunes (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Booster Shot conclusion. Superman and Booster Gold were on the verge of being executed by General Zod and his evil son, and wife with the Eradicator thrown in for good measure, last issue. This is where Dan Jurgens shows us how they snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It is the definition of deus ex machina. To make matters worse, at least for me, the good guys return to the present to find a situation where a tragedy has just occurred. Guess how that's averted? Time travel sucks.

[higuchimon]

[fanfic]  Phantom’s Soul:  2/16

She’s the one.

His heart gave a funny little jerk, such as he’d never experienced before. Such as he’d thought he never would again.

After all the time, all the years since he’d left his planet, he’d never thought that even when he first met the person with the matching counter would he feel like this again.

He turned away, tense in every muscle. He could hear her voice; she’d seen him. Humans had a countdown too, he thought. He was fairly certain he remembered reading that when he’d researched Earth before arriving.

So she would know too. Know that her counter ran out the same that his did, and by all rights he should demorph, and so should she, and they could at least talk to one another…

He kept on walking, giving her only the brief comment of being ‘friends’. If she asked about the timers, about the warmth he knew she had to sense under her own uniform, as he did under his armor, then he heard nothing of it.

He had to keep an eye out for whatever else Divatox had planned for the day. He couldn’t just talk to a human.

Not even when that human was a fellow Power Ranger.

Not even when that human was also his soulmate.

His arm warmed, though never to a burning temperature, only to begin to fade moments later, as he drew out of her range. When they came closer together again – and they would, he knew it – then it would warm again. Hot and cold, that was how it would be, until they touched one another, and the shimmering green numbers became whatever their marks would be.

He’d seen it before, between many of his own people, and others from other worlds. Different signs, different methods, but with the same goal in the end: finding those who were meant to be connected and weaving them together. From the time his first manifested until his world fell apart, he’d imagined that one day he would have that joyous moment. Sure, the thought it might be on a different planet with someone whose species hadn’t made full interstellar contact yet hadn’t crossed his mind, but… here they were.

And here he was, walking away from it.

Not forever. It wouldn’t be forever. But he would have to tell her at some point that he just couldn’t. That he needed to do too many things out in the universe. Divatox wasn’t the only minion of evil out there. She was just one of the strongest, and what he brought with him might hold her off for a little while longer.

He hoped they wouldn’t be needed. All he could do on that score was hope, and watch, and judge it in the end. Zordon’s advice had been very simple: only if you must. They’re new but they’re strong and clever. It might not be needed. But watch.

Watch. Not get involved more than he had to. Not pull her aside and tell her that he would love to get to know her better, that the cosmos itself dictated they should know one another better, that as dangerous as it was to be a Power Ranger, it would be far more so if Divatox or anyone else knew about the bond that intertwined them even now, and he couldn’t do that to her.

If he told her, she’d say she didn’t care. Part of him didn’t either. He wanted to let her know, so the choice was hers to make.

And yet he couldn’t bring himself to say a single word.

To Be Continued

Notes: Cassie/Phantom is one of my oldest OTPs.