#friendship is such a strong and underrated form of love.

[goldenmorningglory]

2:53 am and I'm thinking about how charles has his hand over his heart after they're told they can stay on earth as ghosts and the parallel to the previous hug when edwin has his hand on his heart. just. them not having beating hearts but the reason the other feels it's phantom beat.

[kiwisa]

grid dynamics ✩ the harpy

F1 Grid x Fem! Driver! OC

⏤ series masterlist

✩ GEORGE RUSSELL

#GEOSTRÉE... ıllı NOW PLAYING: You’re My Best Friend, Queen !

George was the first person to welcome her, to reach out to her. If their meeting seems to have been determined by the fact that Astrée debuted with Williams, the extent to which her teammate went to put her at ease shows the sincerity of his intentions. Very quickly, their collegial relationship turned into a true friendship that kept growing until Astrée came to consider George as her best friend. If it is usually complicated for her to open up to others, George soon imposed himself as an obvious choice.

He has in a way become her pillar in Formula One, being her protector and mediator on the paddock, whether with the press or the other drivers, both of whom can sometimes take Astrée's unintentionally rude gestures badly.

George is always pushing his friend to try new things, dragging her into messy plans like post-race parties where the alcohol flows freely or holidays spent climbing mountains—Astrée hates hiking.

Since Astrée's transfer to Red Bull and George's to Mercedes, the two former Williams drivers don't see each other as much as they used to, but they take advantage of the races to catch up and they sometimes even fly to see each other, either in Monaco (where Astrée lives) or in London. At each break, whether summer or winter, they spend one or two days together. It has become a tradition that has yet to be broken.

✩ CHARLES LECLERC

#CHASTRÉE... ıllı NOW PLAYING: Bad Liar, Selena Gomez !

It took Charles a long time to dare to approach Astrée. He was intimidated by her. It must be said that he is perhaps one of the only drivers to have followed her career closely, and not only when her arrival in F1 was announced. The many praises he heard from his brother Arthur in F2 didn't help either to shake off the image of Astrée as a racing prodigy. The first time they really spoke was when Astrée congratulated Charles on his podium finish at Silverstone⏤which ended with a DNF for the woman⏤three months after she had joined the grid. If Astrée hadn't made the first move⏤which in itself is a miracle⏤they could have gone on for a long time without talking to each other.

The reason for this is very simple. Although he will never admit it, even under torture, Charles has developed a little crush on the French girl since he discovered her existence. Unfortunately for him, not admitting it doesn't mean he doesn't show it: this boy has no concept of discretion. Looking at her with puppy dog eyes and blushing every time she deigns to speak to him are not the definition of "secret." Internet users put two and two together rather quickly and, since then, ship them together.

Excluding his inability to function normally around her, the two French speakers have managed to build a strong friendship, which is underrated on the paddock and internet, perhaps because we see her more with George or Lando. Yet, Charles is the mediator between her and Max and perhaps the only one who gets them to talk to each other without insults.

✩ LANDO NORRIS

#LASTRÉE... ıllı NOW PLAYING: True Love, Pink !

Lando is the perfect example of the bad first impression Astrée can trigger in others. Outwardly cold, as she is reserved and cautious by nature, Astrée was immediately intimidating to the young Britishman. Although they are almost the same age, Lando's reactions to Astrée suggest that he is much younger than she is. Fearful of confronting her on the track, of talking to her, the driver is never at ease when the Frenchwoman is near him. Even the simple fact of being in the same room as her terrifies him: Astrée is silent, cold, charismatic, unpredictable and Lando hates it.

However, what started out as a distance between the two due to shyness on Astrée's part and some form of intimidation on Lando's has evolved into a friendship with a unique dynamic that many internet users love for the content that emerges from it. Lando and Astrée are like cat and mouse. And Astrée is definitely not the mouse.

Numerous videos⏤there would be enough to make an hour-long compilation (fans often have a field day doing precisely that)⏤have captured all the times Astrée has terrorised Lando. If at first she didn't realise it and just found this Englishman rather strange… she soon understood what was going on and learned to use it to her advantage to get her daily dose of happiness. There's something hilarious about seeing an almost 25-year-old man screaming because of her "hello." She can't help it: her sadistic side comes out with Lando.

If the latter is the victim of her numerous attacks, he can count on his tormentor to also be his defender. Every time someone other than her dares to make fun of the McLaren driver, they are violently put in their place by Astrée.

Even though Lando still fears the woman, he knows that these seemingly sadistic gestures are actually a way for her to express her friendship (he would prefer words of affirmation or gifts but, as the famous saying goes, it is what it is).

✩ DANIEL RICCIARDO

#ASTRIEL... ıllı NOW PLAYING: Here Come The Sun, The Beatles !

No one thought these two would get along, but they proved to everyone that opposites can sometimes be a good fit. If one is the sun and the other, the moon, their differences allow them to reach a certain balance that just works. They complement each other so well. Daniel can drop his constant positivity around Astrée for a few moments without her judging him and Astrée can, for once, let down her guard.

Astrée is never as smiley as when she is with Daniel, and everyone sees that ⏤ drivers and internet users alike. Many times, the woman has been spotted bursting into laughter. This is rare in the paddock and when it happens, you can be sure that Daniel was the one to tell the joke. Like George, Daniel pushes Astrée out of her comfort zone and shows her that showing positive feelings is not a sign of weakness but can become a strength.

Since he has become Red Bull's reserve driver, and therefore they don't see each other at every race⏤running into each other once in a blue moon at the HQ is not the same⏤, many people notice that Astrée has turned in on herself, and smiles even less than before. The one who managed to calm the storm is no longer there to chase away the clouds, to the great displeasure of the others who thought they would see a lull on the paddock and track. This does not mean she tried to dissuade Daniel from making this choice, however. On the contrary, it was she who convinced him to leave McLaren: Astrée always has his back and will not stand to see anyone disrespecting him.

✩ LEWIS HAMILTON

#ASTRIS... ıllı NOW PLAYING: Your Song, Elton John !

Their beginnings were somewhat catastrophic, full of awkwardness, embarrassing moments, and sickly shyness (see their first conversation after the Imola GP) which can be explained by the great esteem Astrée has for Lewis. If he is not the one who inspired her to start racing⏤she owes that to a certain Michael Schumacher⏤he was the one who proved to her that everything was possible even when the world was against you. Lewis is, therefore, the only person who manages to intimidate Astrée. Normally, the exact opposite occurs (see Lando or Charles' personal experiences).

Astrée took a long time to get over the fact that yes, she knew The Lewis Hamilton and that, yes, this same Lewis Hamilton wanted to get acquainted. Their friendship was one that happened in private, away from the cameras. If various interactions on Twitter or comments on Instagram showed everyone that they are friendly acquaintances, the outings to Monaco, the skydiving, and the few holidays spent together were kept secret.

The transition from friendship to love went smoothly after a year of a somewhat ambiguous connection. These two are very much in love but remain hidden, for the same reasons as their friendship was: apart from the desire to keep it to themselves, they want to avoid hateful comments on the internet. They have no plan to launch their idyll any time soon, preferring to enjoy each other's company without being judged by strangers. They are well aware that their considerable age gap would be a bone of contention.

If they⏤and particularly Astrée⏤are determined to protect their relationship, it is because the latter acts as a true protective bubble for both of them. Astrée is the only one who understands Lewis and manages to take the weight off his shoulders. The opposite is also true, but, above all, he helps her to get past the criticisms which, despite two years, continue to persist.

No one knows about it, except for George who has become their diversion, but some suspect it. Probably because Astrée is shipped with every driver. Perks of being the only female driver, I guess.

✩ MAX VERSTAPPEN

#MAXÉE... ıllı NOW PLAYING: Me And The Devil, Soap&Skin !

Many thought that these two would get on well together. Two drivers with a sharp competitive spirit and a cold appearance: it seemed written in the stars. Their way of being on and off the track is quite similar. Perhaps a little too much so. For many, it is this very similarity that is the source of their discord. Rather than seeing the things they have in common as an opportunity for friendship, they become a weakness, a mirror held up to them that they would rather ignore.

They make everyone’s—the other drivers included—heads spin as their relationship constantly oscillates between hate and friendship. Many paradoxical gestures do not help internet users to determine what is going on between them. While Astrée abandoned her race at the 2021 Silverstone GP to help Max and suggested that two of the season's best drivers were getting along, the Frenchwoman's past tweets criticising him and the many jabs at each other in press conferences suggest otherwise. The chaos that was the 2021 Netherlands GP gave the final blow to what might have been.

For these two, the professional ruins the personal. It is impossible for them to get past the status of rivals and bond. Every time they interact, each other's victories and defeats come back to the front like bad memories—which they essentially are.

Astrée's transfer to Red Bull did not help. On the contrary, it has reinforced the immense rivalry between these two: neither of them wants to be the second driver. What was supposed to be a dream team—made up of two exceptional drivers that everyone expected and feared—quickly turned into a nightmare where chaos and quarrels coexist, much to the dismay of one Christian Horner who would very much like to send them to couples therapy.

✩ taglist !

@xcharlottemikaelsonx @i0veless @simping4marauders @muglermami @fxllfaiiry @exatse @lilsiz @iloveandsuffer @notaceventura @missamericana69 @kageyamama-hinatatata @gentlemonsterjennie1 @sad1esgf @16solace @kenanlotus0 @till1am @itsnotgray @starkwlkr @missflobelova @mehrmonga @crimeshowjunkie @anicega @kosmosgalore @lovemarvel16 @charles-dimple @hiding-behindmy-glasses @serenityleah @flowerchild-96 @hopiiex @ivegotparticulartaste @jivas0 @screechingtrashkid @gxp30 @lauren--maex @idkiwantchocolatee @javden @lighttsoutlewis @rowansshit @like-fire-love-blog @ironmaiden1313 @tpwkforevermore @thydarkestknight @almostjollypizza @sunfairyy @scuderialavender @erinisrightheree @f1version @motorsp0rt @mango-bear @xoxmariaxox @rippl3s @mactavishly

[autumn0689]

Lester Papadopoulos is a comfort character to me. I’ve been a huge Percy Jackson fan for years now, and I’ve loved many characters (Grover, Nico, Leo, Percy, etc) and when I first read TOA I loved it, but after rereading it…

I fell in love with Lester, this caring and complex character who had many layers to him, that came off as selfish, and yet just so happened to be one of the most selfless characters in the book.

He’s caring, he’s a former god, he’s selfless, he pees himself regularly, he loves his children, he drowned his ex that one time, he is a god of many things, he has had many lovers. He has so many aspects to him that makes him so interesting.

He has a redemption arc as he realizes that he has made mistakes, but also realizes that he has been abused by Zeus, that it most likely influenced how he view things, and how he may have picked up toxic behaviors from Zeus. He learns to be more human, which is such a beautiful arc to see him go through.

He cares SO MUCH about others. He grieves for Jason and Crest and Heloise and so many other people. He tried to sacrifice himself many times and has many heroic qualities, but he is an unreliable narrator and sometimes what he says doesn’t reflect what he does.

His and Meg’s relationship is one of my favorite friendships in the books. It feels like it’s the two of them against the world at times. Meg cares so much for him while also calling him out on his bad actions (like when they were on Sutro Tower) and Lester cares so much for her as he realizes that she has been abused, that she needs help, and that he wants to help her separate from Nero’s influence, that he is so proud of her for standing up to Nero. They both form such a strong bond with each other and I just- I love them!

He is also absolutely hilarious. I find myself laughing as he is just- so snarky sometimes? He also sometimes know random things? (Like the Goddess of Sewers Cloacina) He is also funny when he has no knowledge on how human things work (like not knowing the price of Tater Tot’s)

He also gets anxious and freaks out and cries and he just feels. He gets happy and laughs and gets sad and laments. He gets flashbacks and clearly has trauma but doesn’t let that excuse his bad actions as he feels guilt for his actions. He can also be quite harsh on himself, blaming himself often and sometimes projecting that onto others (like him saying that Piper is blaming him for Crest’s death??) He is such an emotional character and I love him for that.

I love whenever he gets his godly strength as it starts with small things and then it gets to the point that he can create fire with his hands just by simply mentioning cauterizing a wound and breaking Nero’s fasces and having enough strength to drag Python into the Underworld and is strong enough to hold on just enough to save himself from falling into Tartarus. He is such a strong person who has an incredible pain tolerance.

There are many other things that I love about Lester Papadopoulos/Apollo. I think I can positively say that he is my favorite PJO character. I often reread TOA more than the other books. I love the story and how dark it can get while also exploring the themes of how abuse affects you.

I just- I love Meg and Apollo. I need for fanfic of them!! I need more content of them! Their friendship is so underrated, so when I see people make fanfic of them I get so happy!

I also love the community. The fan-artists and the fanfic makers and anyone who just writes long posts, like me, are so talented and is honestly the best fandom I’ve been in.

I hope the PJO show becomes popular so that more people can read these amazing series. I hope there will be a day that TOA gets adapted, and even if it doesn’t, I still have the audiobooks to go back to.

Thanks TOA fandom, for still going strong, even years after the books ended and new books have come out and are still making fanfic about them. It feels like the books have never ended, like the TOA books are still going on and are still making posts.

I’m so happy to be part of such a passionate fanbase.

Anyways if anyone is willing to offer any good fanfics then let me know!

[deadbydad]

What if Mortal Kombat...Was Turned Into A Show?

Look, I know that they already did something like this, but let's be honest it sucked.

The lore in Mortal Kombat is so interesting yet confusing, and I feel like that's what makes that game so special. And I think that, if done right, it could be made into a show and do well!

But I don't mean that the show needs to like show the whole plot or storyline because we've already seen that. Instead I want to see episodes about different characters and/or their relationship with other characters.

Here's a list of the characters I would like to see get an episode about them:

Kung Jin - He's one of the most underrated characters and it doesn't help with the fact that he was literally in only one game, and even in that one he didn't have that much of a chance to develop his character a lot. He's one of the first confirmed gay characters in the game series, and that's great we love to see great LGBT representation in games. In an episode I want to see more about his past, his parents and who they were and what happened to them, and especially his relationship with Kung Lao. I also want to see his relationship grow stronger with the other Kombat Kids Cassie Cage, Takahashi Takeda, and Jacqui Briggs. We hear about this character yet I feel like he has so much more potential and they could prove that with an episode just about him and how he develops.

Takahashi Takeda & Takahashi Kenshi - One of the father and son duo's, I feel like Kenshi gets way too much hate for doing something to protect Takeda from getting hurt or even killed like his mother did. Any father would do that for their family and their child. At first when Kenshi comes back to see his son after Hanzo Hisashi trained him as a Shirai Ryu warrior, Takeda hates him and says that Kenshi had no right to walk back into his life just to be a proud dad, but after Hanzo explains why Kenshi did it, Takeda tries to forgive him and give his father a second chance. And he does, later on in the game we see that they have a great father and son relationship. I want to see how that happened and how that developed in an episode. It definatly wasn't talked about enough in the game and I feel like in a show it would be better explained.

Hanzo Hisashi & Takahashi Takeda - Hanzo Hisashi had taken in Takeda when Kenshi asked him to take care of his son and train him until he was strong enough to fight. Hanzo did, and it seemed that Hanzo and Takeda had developed a father son relationship in some shape or form. Again, this wasn't really shown how it happened, and I feel like it would be greatly explained better in an episode instead of in a game.

Cassie Cage & Jacqui Briggs - Cassie and Jacqui are best friend that grew up together due to their parents, Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs, being close friends for many years. Not a whole lot of how their friendship began and formed was shown on MKX or MKXI, which is a shame. I feel like it would be interesting to see how these two grew up together and became friends over the many years they've known each other.

The Kombat Kids - Cassie Cage, Kung Jin, Takahashi Takeda, and Jacqui Briggs are the next generation of fighters and defenders against Shinnok. And basically the whole MKX game we see these four get to know each other and become closer. But that's it, we really don't know what happened between the four of them except that Jacqui and Takeda are married or engaged, but other than that we don't know exactly what happened to this group. It seems like they're all still friends which is a good thing but I feel like that an episode could be a great way to explain what happened and give us more details.

Kung Lao & Kung Jin - Okay NetherRealm make up your damn minds because in MKX it says that Kung Jin is Kung Lao's cousin but in MK11 it says that he is Kung Lao's nephew. Why make that change I have no clue, but that's besides the point on why I think these two deserve in episode of their own. The episode could show stuff that we haven't seen clearly in the games and stuff that we've heard through dialogue intros. The episode could show us them training or sparring, getting to know one another as family and hell maybe they'll fucking help each other with their damn egos, but that's what I love about these two to be honest. Not much is said about these two's relationship with one another and that is a damn shame if you ask me.

Kotal Khan & Jade - This couple really came out of nowhere, and the game did give us like a small hint about these two and how their relationship started, but it still just came out of nowhere. NetherRealm Studios could explain this and how these two got together and the whole back story of these two with an episode and it would be better explained than in a video game.

Johnny Cage & Cassie Cage - I love this father and daughter duo so much, but I want to see an episode about these two. Maybe how they're both dealing with Sonya's death and how they're navigating that together as a family, maybe Johnny helping Cassie with how to handle and use the green magic that they have, or maybe even just how Johnny is feeling about seeing his daughter growing up and how he deals with that too.

Kuai Liang and Bi-Han - I want to see an episode about these two growing up together, so badly. I want to really see how these two brothers interacted with each other before everything went to shit. I just want to see that. No like sad shit, I've seen enough of that, I want happy memories.

[where-i-overanalyze]

Soul Eater characters and their MLP Gen 4 equivalents

i will be disregarding all ships and familial relationships for this purely because it would make it WAY too complicated and this is my silly little haha. i already put too much thought into it, i cannot burden my mind with the restraint of familial and romantic relations.

first up, the main 7 characters. starting with the one who inspired this all:

Maka as Twilight Sparkle

she's got the wings, she's got the book smart, she's got the power of friendship on her side, it's perfect. this was all started b/c while rewatching the anime, we joked that Maka's dubbed voice sounded like Twilight. this one is the strongest comparison, it gets worse from here.

Soul as Spike

no offense to Soul, but he's usually secondary to Maka most of the time. snarky, sassy, and often asking questions. also, his name is Spike, Soul's got spiky hair, it makes sense.

Black☆Star as Rainbow Dash

cocky, proud, super strong, fast, and blue!! a lot of their development revolves around like valuing other people (Black☆Star is more about like,,,, becoming his own person but y'know) also they both have scratchy voices.

Tsubaki as Fluttershy

calm and mild mannered, but also on occasion has the ability to go apeshit. befriends someone who is quite strong and obnoxious that most characters find annoying.

Death the Kid as Rarity

obsessive about appearances and has a particularly fancy way of talking. pale?? distinctive hair. makes sense.

Patty as Pinkie Pie

no explanation necessary.

Liz as Apple Jack

older sister figure! blonde and realistic, kinda tough and used to having to work for stuff (though Liz doesn't have to do it too much anymore now that she and patty are chilling w/ Kid) also, AJ was the only one left of the mane 6 lol.

Crona as Princess Luna

obviously the moon connection, duh. dark aesthetic, doesn't understand other people, and gets kinda possessed by madness!! which leads into my next choice

Kishin Asura as Nightmare Moon

evil!! but also because they were a bit misunderstood. spreads their powers across the entire world. possesses someone who is also part of them. lives on the moon.

Lord Death as Princess Celestia

tall and a god figure, but also kind of royalty? super OP but also we barely get to see them fight or use their powers ever so that our lovely main characters can be the ones to defeat the big bad. questionable morals at times.

Stein as Discord

crazy ass bitch!! tall and a slightly concerning amount of people simp for them. looks stitched together, stuff sticking out of their heads.

Marie as Princess Cadance

Ox as Snips

weird hair,,,,,,,,,,

Harvar as Snails

tall?? Harvar's a spear so he's tall by default. he's also gold-ish when he's in weapon form so that counts, also pointy b/c unicorn and spear.

Jackie as Octavia

Jackie has to be Octavia b/c her name is based off of cellist Jacqueline du Pré and even though Jackie doesn't play cello, this is who she must be to fulfill her destiny. also, they both have dark hair.

Kim as DJ Pon 3 (Vinyl Scratch)

gay. unicorn, so she has magic like a witch

Kilik and the Pots as the Cutie Mark Crusaders

there's three of them and they are inseparable. do not separate them. Kilik can be Sweetie Belle b/c he's standing in the middle.

Sid as Big Mac

man of few words. super strong and ,,,,,,, angular?? idk they're both kinda blocky. sad eyes,,,,,,,, UNDERRATED.

Naigus as Zecora

doctor!!! also if i was a pony, i would have a crush on Zecora. i have a crush on Naigus. this is my reasoning.

Medusa as Chrysalis

evil. weird and confusing hair!! dark aesthetic with one accent color. insanely manipulative, undeniably slaying.

Arachne as The Storm King

this one comes as a suggestion from Tumblr mutual (and my literal current college suite mate) @xaltiide she says that this guy is "the big bad" but isn't doing Most of the bad stuff in comparison to the other villains.

and finally, my grand finale

Giriko and Justin as Flim and Flam

they suck!!!! they suck SO BAD!!!!!!!! and they're evil. HORRIBLE.

anyways, happy April fools everyone. i finished the last half of this post while an edible kicked in on a Friday night and i feel like that probably shows in what i have created, but i will stand by this.

[baileypie-writes]

My Favorite Pretty Cures of Every Color

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This includes my personal opinions. If you don’t agree with them, just ignore them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pink ~ Cure Butterfly/Ageha Hijiri

Before Cure Butterfly, there weren’t many pink cures that I absolutely loved. When she was introduced, she was automatically my favorite one.

She’s one of the very few pink cures who isn’t ditzy or clumsy, which is great. She’s also older, so I can relate to her more.

Ageha’s relationships with the other characters is something I love. Especially with Cure Wing. Their sibling relationship is just so cute and funny!

Red ~ Cure Rouge/Rin Natsuki

When watching Yes! Precure 5, I didn’t think much of Cure Rouge. But after watching Otona Precure, I finally got to appreciate her character.

She’s genuinely so nice and cool. She’s responsible, and tries her best to help Cure Dream be as well. I always enjoyed her attacks too.

Orange ~ Cure Yum-Yum/Ran Hanamichi

(Yes, I consider her orange)

Cure Yum-Yum is such an underrated cure in my opinion.

Her design is so unique and beautiful. It’s definitely one of my favorite cure designs. Toei really knocked it out of the park with her.

I also relate to Ran on kind of a personal level. She gets so passionate and excited about the things she loves. Sometimes, she’s a bit much, and she interrupts people. Seeing things I don’t like about myself in characters really draws me to them.

Yellow ~ Cure Sparkle/Hitana Hiramitsu

Pretty much the same as Cure Yum-Yum. Her design is unique, and I love her personality. She’s so funny, and her relationship with Nyatoran is so cute.

I also relate to her. Especially in the episode where she felt she wanted to quit being a Pretty Cure

Green ~ Cure March/Nao Midorikawa

I always thought Cure March was cool. Her design, her attitude, her love for her family, everything. I always enjoy the episodes about her as well.

She’s so responsible and kind, and her attacks are so awesome in my opinion. And out of all the Princess Forms, she’s probably my favorite one.

Blue ~ Cure Gelato/Aoi Tategami

I love Cure Gelato’s personality! She’s confident, but not arrogant. I also love how she’s the “rebellious rich girl”.

She’s so cool, and she’s a rock star! I love how that’s reflected in her design as well!

Purple ~ Cure Coral/Sango Suzumura

I fell in love with Cure Coral’s design the moment I saw it. It’s just so cute! All the bows and frills, and that hat!

Sango’s personality sets her apart from the rest of the purple cures, and I love her for that. I love her love for cute things, and her friendship with Manatsu.

White ~ Cure White/Honoka Yukishiro

The icon. The legend. One of the cures who started it all.

I love Cure White. She shows little girls that they can be smart and strong at the same time. She also doesn’t need to constantly saved by Cure Black. In battle, they’re both equally as strong. Honoka’s personality compliments Nagisa’s perfectly as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~baileypie-writes

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group B Round 4: Kageki Shoujo!! vs Orient

#B2: Kageki Shoujo!!

Girls aiming to become top stars in a Takarazuka high-school

#B3: Orient

Samurai on motorcycles!

Details and poll under the cut!

#B2: Kageki Shoujo!!

Summary:

After being forced to graduate from JPX48 following a controversial incident with a male fan, Ai Narata swears to never interact with another man ever again. Using her talents and strong desire to get away from men, Ai auditions for the exclusive all-female Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts. The school is renowned for producing the best actresses that go on to perform in the famous all-female Kouka Theatre Troupe. Coming from the idol industry, Ai is the perfect candidate for the school’s hundredth generation class, but her aloof demeanor alienates her from her classmates. The eccentric Sarasa Watanabe is the only person who wishes to become Ai’s friend. She enters Kouka with the goal of becoming a top “otokoyaku” performer—an actress that plays traditionally male roles. After seeing a Kouka performance of The Rose of Versailles when she was younger, Sarasa dreams of performing as Lady Oscar one day. Unfortunately, Sarasa's inability to read a room causes friction between her and her classmates, including Ai, who reluctantly becomes her roommate and partner in many of their classes. Succeeding at Kouka will involve more than just raw talent for these young girls as jealousy, deceit, and the harsh realities of show business put their mental fortitude to the test. Will Sarasa and Ai be able to rise to the top and stand on the silver bridge?

Propaganda:

If theatre setting/schools is your thing, you’re probably going to love this series! We follow our protagonists and their schoolmates following their dreams to become actresses for the prestigious Kouka Revue. Not an easy road as they will have to face and overcome many challenges, the hardest ones coming from themselves. Indeed, the story is not afraid to address sensitive topics and their resulting traumas (see TW list) always rightfully handed. These episodes may be a bit hard to see if you’re sensitive to these topics, but the show never leaves you in discomfort: everything is properly addressed, and characters are cared for realistically.

The characters are all very well-written, portraying individuals with way more depth than they may appear at first glance. We follow their growth—or its start—during the series. Sarasa is a walking sunbeam, and her blooming friendship with the withdrawn Ai is a delight to watch. We learn to know—and love—all their classmates as well, as episodes switch focus to one or the other.

The OST is really good, with a catchy opening, and no less than five different versions of the ending song, a fabulous duet voiced by the cast! The animation features really pretty art with iconic details like the stars in Sarasa’s eyes. The series is a homage to Takarazuka and scatter references to famous real-life Revues and older famous shôujo manga series like “Versailles no Bara” or “Glass no Kamen”. Actually, it feels like a modernized version of their essence: roses, sparkles, spotlight, drama, all while staying safe!

This anime is like candy for eyes and soul, and I really hope we'll get a season 2 to explore the girls' voices further!

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Pedophilia, Self-Harm

Nothing is too graphical nor explicit, just the right amount to let the unsettling situations be clear enough to watchers, and they’re always addressed correctly.

Child abuse/ Pedophilia: episode 3 (+4), about Ai’s traumas

Self-harm: episode 5 focuses on a girl with an eating disorder, forcing herself to vomit (not sure if that really counts as TW?)

#B3: Orient

Summary:

Freed from the rule of samurai 150 years ago, the people of Hinomoto live peaceful lives and revere their liberators—demons whose true forms remain elusive—as gods. Fated to mine rocks for the demons to feast on, Musashi knows the grim truth: humanity is enslaved by these otherworldly beings and the samurai are the last bastion fighting for freedom. Hiding his true opinion from his peers and growing distant from his childhood friend Kojirou Kanemaki, Musashi lives in angst until the day of his graduation.

When the fresh graduates arrive at the mine, they are horrified to see the inhumane treatment of miners and the uncanny physical appearance of their overseers. However, Musashi manages to endure thanks to Kojirou's help. As the demon leader wreaks havoc on the quarry, Musashi is saved once more from certain death by the Takeda samurai clan. Recovering from humiliation and yearning for adventure, Musashi embarks on a journey to become a samurai and form his own clan!

Propaganda:

Ohtaka has done it again in creating a world full of characters with more depth than can be portrayed limited amount of screen time that each of them get. This leaves the viewer with a whole lot of potential to imagine on their own, even after watching. It’s kind of unique that it is set in the samurai era of Japan, but thanks to crystals left by the demons, motorcycles and flying castles are a thing outside the main characters’ mining village. There are plenty of gags throughout and dynamics between characters. Personally, I loved the second half a lot more than the first because of the cast introduced then. For example, the detail given to Kuroku with the lace she wears–it’s so intricately beautiful! Plus, most of the mechanics of how the world works is covered by then, so we can get into the action.

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse

The third main character comes from a mentally abusive family situation, but the other two help her leave that situation. Main character’s child abuse is in flashbacks for character development to rise above that and break the cycle. Don’t know if gore or fan service need a trigger warning, typical shounen stuff.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form with your revisions, and I’ll consider adapting those changes.

New: Starting round 5, screenshots will be included in the poll post. You can submit screenshots through the form linked above, or through here, via ask or dm.

Guidelines in submitting screenshots:

No NSFW or spoilery images.

Pick some good images please. Don’t send any blurry or pixelated ones.

You may send up to 9 screenshots, but not all may be used.

[a-detraque-barista]

Sweet Dreams

Yandere Denki x Reader

Genre: Yandere, Angst

Word Count: 828

Warnings: yandere themes, nightmares, denkis underrated power

Your skin tingled and twitched from the electrical currents continuously being sent through your body. It felt relieving and made you numb at the same time. Your brain was going into overdrive from the overstimulation of your nerves. You could faintly hear the muffled voices of your friends calling out to you. Their words couldn’t be made out and your vision was getting more and more blurry.

Before you had the chance to even sit up, you were pinned down by your shoulder. The hand holding you sent more electricity through you, causing your body to become static. It was beginning to make you breathless. Your whole body wanted to shut down but the so-called hero above you wouldn’t let sleep overcome you. Not before you saw and accepted what he was capable of.

You needed to see how strong he could be. How heroic he truly was. You did help him and encouraged him. It was only a matter of time before you realized he wanted more than your companionship and friendship. He wanted everything you had to give, and more.

“Don’t sleep now, Babe,” he smiled down at you as his grip on your shoulder became tighter.

“You shouldn’t be doing this, Denki,” you gasped out as he sent more currents through your skin.

“Why not? Everyone was trying to keep us apart, and you were letting them,” his eyes downcasted and the hurt in his voice was clear, even to your static-filled mind. “So, I needed to...be dramatic? Even if you didn’t want me to.”

Denki used his quirk one last time on you before straightening his body. His love-struck smile to his features before he turned back to the ones he used to call friends. This was for the best, he told himself before preparing for the fight he started and the fight he was going to end.

⚡️⚡️⚡️

“Denki, come on! It’s time to go!” you yelled for your roommate as you stood by the front door to your guys’ apartment. Today you two were going to meet up with your old classmates from 1A. Everyone decided to head to the beach.

You couldn’t remember the last time you went to the beach. Given your water-based quirk, it should practically be your home away from home. But Denki and hero work takes up almost all of your time.

“I’m comin’!” He rushed down the hallway to almost run into you with a sideways grin. “I’m ready~”

You chuckled before leading the way to your car. The two of you sang along with the blasting music while you made your way to the beach. You couldn’t help but feel like you’ve been through this day before but you decided to ignore it.

Once you two got there, almost everyone had already arrived. Denki went over to greet the Baku Squad and you went over to your friend group; Izuku, Iida, Ochako, Tsuyu, and Todoroki.

Todoroki was the first to come up and hug which surprised all of you but you hugged him back nonetheless. Then the others came to form a group hug causing you all to laugh.

Then the whole world began to fizz out like an old film getting jammed in the machine.

You woke up lying in the bed you shared with Denki. You let a shaky breath. Your dream felt so real, like you were truly back with your closest friends.

Looking around the room, everything seemed normal except for Denki not being in the room. Denki was never out of bed before you. Shaking your head you realized you were getting off topic. You needed to find out if you were just dreaming Denki fighting your friends and his.

You quietly sneak out of the room and down the hall. The first thing you noticed was the smell of something burning. You peak around the corner to see Denki panicking in front of the stove. Muttered curses could be heard as he pulled one of the many pans cluttering the stove and its burners to the sink. Smoke rose to the ceiling and Denki quickly waved his arms back and forth so the smoke detectors wouldn't wake you up.

You couldn’t help but laugh, giving away your hidden spot. Denki jumped and turned around to see you. “Babe! I didn’t hear you,” he grinned before hopping towards you.

You flinched and backed away. Shock was written all over Denki’s face before he realized why you did, “Was it the nightmare you were having? I woke up to you struggling to breath and when I woke you up you just stared at me before falling back asleep.”

So it was a dream…

“Come here, lemme smother the bad dreams away,” Denki embraced you tightly and you can feel the little sparks he lets off whenever he’s excited about something. Reminding you of the feeling of electricity running through your body.

It was a dream...right?

“OH NO! THE WAFFLES!”

[holdoncallfailed]

can you do a longlist of the books about strong girl protags and female friendships, etc. that were really impactful/your favorites so i know what to gift/rec any young girls in my life?

aww!! i would literally love nothing more than to compile such a list ty anon. i tried to put them in an order vaguely representative of youngest audiences to older...i'm not sure how well some of these would hold up in 2023 but they're all ones i remember enjoying and having an impact on me somehow...

not one damsel in distress by jane yolen

the daring book for girls by andrea j. buchanan & miriam peskowitz

the whole dear america series!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the ordinary princess by m. m. kaye

the caddie woodlawn series by carol ryrie brink

walk two moons by sharon creech (i used to have whole passages of this book memorized because i read it so often...potentially the most formative one on this list)

because of winn-dixie by kate dicamillo

the scholastic encyclopedia of U.S. women by sheila keenan (my elementary school art teacher had this book in her classroom library and i remember flipping through it when i was hanging around after school while my mom was doing PTA stuff...it was the first time i'd heard of so many of those women and further stoked my interest in history. i remember being so disturbed [and also intrigued] by the entry about ethel rosenberg specifically. i'm sure there are more updated versions of the book but this is the particular edition i remember reading.)

the penderwick sisters series by jeanne birdsall

bloomability by sharon creech

everything on a waffle by polly horvath

the tracy beaker series by jacqueline wilson

the outcasts of 19 schuyler place by e. l. konigsburg (also extremely formative)

saffy's angel / the whole casson family series by hilary mckay (i used to carry these books around with me as if they were security blankets)

p.s. longer letter later and snail mail no more by paula danziger & ann m. martin

the secret language of girls by frances o'roarke dowell

the tail of emily windsnap by liz kessler

savvy by ingrid law

love, stargirl by jerry spinelli (idk if any book had more of an impact on me as a child tbh like this rocked my world so completely i still think about it/quote it all the time. i know a lot of people read stargirl in school and honestly i don't think it's that good but the sequel is so underrated. so read it.)

a perfect gentle knight by kit pearson

feathers by jacqueline woodson

habibi by naomi shihab nye

the anastasia krupnik series by lois lowry

criss cross by lynne rae perkins

ella enchanted by gail carson levine........OBVIOUSLY

esperanza rising by pam muñoz ryan

kira-kira by cynthia kadohata

the city of ember by jeanne duprau

bad girls by cynthia voigt (tbh i REALLY don't know how this one holds up but i remember thinking it was pretty edgy as a kid)

little women by louisa may alcott

hurt go happy by ginny rorby

persepolis by marjane satrapi (obviously for slightly older readers)

the aforementioned rookie yearbook, natch. (also older)

[flyfish1999]

Sure, I'll send one from main: Yukari Takeba?

thank you :] !!!!!!!!!! these have been so fun to write ! i super adore yukari, and i'm very worried for her ^_^;; she is possibly ... THE best written modern persona character to me (at least in fes .. i havent really analysed how i feel about her fully in reload yet)... let's hope they don't decide to change that in the dlc o7 !!!!!!

favourite thing about them: yukariiiiiii orz ... lies on the floor and weeps until a big puddle forms underneath me i love how messy she is and is allowed to be . she goes back on her word, she's a hypocrite, she's distrustful, she's rude, she doesn't always know what to say, she's sometimes a coward, she's selfish .. but she learns and grows and changes and adapts . and she still makes mistakes ! even when it feels like she should have it all figured out . she grieves . and she stays true to her ideals when it counts, and she never loses real hope in what she believes in . she's selfless but she's also strong enough to do what she does for her own reasons, even when she's all alone and can't use her evoker yet . she stays behind to make sure you're okay after you put yourself in the line of fire for her . and when she's the one to kickstart everyone's use of theurgy, she does it protecting someone . YUKARI TAKEBA I LOVE YOU ! i will shut up now, or there will be pages of this ^_^

least favourite thing about them: NOTHING . yukari haters are weak ^_^

favourite line: this is so difficult ! but from mitsuru's awakening: "that's all i can do. that we can do. right, mitsuru-senpai?" their development is one of the most satisfying things in p3 for me !

brOTP: i love the progression of her friendship with both junpei and mitsuru in p3 so so much, but i think she could have a very cute friendship with rise in arena ! both being in showbiz, i feel like they could match each other as lovers arcana very cutely ^_^

OTP: yukamitsu, i'm nothing if not predictable, but i also love post-answer yukaigis !! they're super underrated ^_^)/ brand new days is their theme to me :p

nOTP: while i can't really see her with the other sees boys, i don't really have one that stands out to me as something i don't like :]

random headcanon: from the posters in her room, i think she's also somewhat of a music fan with a bit of a collection ^_^ !! it could be something very cute she'd have in common with the protagonists .. making mixes and going to escapade and such :D

unpopular opinion: uuuuu ............. i don't like her featherman outfit in arena at all !!!!!!!! the actual future story doesn't bother me as much as it maybe should ^_^;; but goddamn couldn't she get changed ; ; !!!!!!!! it really rubs me the wrong way ... i have no idea why . also, i miss her bad aim in fes . it's so funny how overcorrected bows are . "i won't miss!" twang miss

song i associate with them: GIRL A - siinamota !!! favourite picture of them: this pq line sticker ! i love yukari "the popular one" ehehe .. third year yukari being a bit of a mentor to second year chihiro as she grows even more is a cute thought !

[aq2003]

almost forgot. ten's run episode ranking (nine ranking here)

some stray thoughts and opinions under the cut

my overall ranking for the series so far would be 4 > 1 >= 3 > 2. donna sweep babygirl

"i have brain damage" tier would've been called "the qpr meth has gotten to me" but then i remembered how absolutely glued to the screen i was for sound of drums <3 all of the other episodes there are either donna episodes or episodes where ten goes through horrors specifically bc donna isn't there and sound of drums is the exception lmao

by default i think simm!master is the best main villain in ten's run. he is still very goofy like the cybermen and the daleks (and 98% of the villains in this show really) but simm!master has that toxic doomed yaoi backing him and that means everything in the world. rtd drop your simm!master spotify playlist

it is SO CRAZY how an episode called "planet of the ood" can make me cry. but it did. and i love it for it. i love the ood so much. they are my little guys

stolen earth/journey's end was my least favorite arc in main series 4 - which is just a testament to how much i loved the rest of it lmao. like i still rly liked the finale, and the scene of davros pointing out that ten turned their friends into soldiers and how it was framed almost like they were being put on trial. Was so fucking juicy. but it felt overall like the story was doing that "trying to include everyone" thing and the pacing felt off as a result. like i rly needed the donna mind wipe scene to be longer it was goin so fast i couldn't process it

42 goes so crazy and i love it so much bc to me it is the defining tenmartha episode. you have that showcase of deep inherent trust, of swearing to save each other, of being the person the other needs bc is there anyone else. but you also have ten screaming at her to kill him so that he won't hurt anyone and then at the end, deflecting and refusing to talk w her about it. "burn with me martha" is like that previously-unspoken-now-brought-to-front undercurrent to their whole relationship and ten says it while being possessed by a rageful vindictive sun. waow

i really dislike the temporary companions (astrid and christina in voyage of the damned and planet of the dead respectively). not the characters themselves but the timing and role they have in the story and how they're framed. i do understand that part of ten's character is that he gets attached very easily and can't stand being on his own, but also for astrid this was directly post-martha where ten's realized he's been fucking up her life by acting the way he did. and for christina this was post-donna and pre-time-lord-victorious. forming a friendship that ends w/ tragedy or ten pushing them away i can see, but romantic tension is pushing it HARD. which leads me to my next deranged point

ten is aroace to me i'm so sorry society he clocked the aroace meter the minute the story decided to introduce donna and then in series 4 make them the soulmates of all time while there isnt a HINT of romantic tension between them. and there is something so narratively aspec about ten being created by and for love but sometimes his love isn't enough/isn't the right kind and everyone will leave or find someone else. being an alien can be a metaphor for being aroace if i'm crazy enough about it (and also if their humanity is a constant theme to their arc that is hammered in time and time again)

i forgot i was supposed to talk about the episodes hold on a second

one of the most out of body experiences i had was watching love and monsters, really quite liking it (despite finding the ending weird) because it's a grounded and solid episode w strong characterization and really great jackie and rose moments, only to find out this episode is nearly universally despised by the dr who fanbase. help girl

the human ten arc probably has the most underrated villains in the show. i just really love that concept of monsters that need to eat timelords in order to survive, and ten giving them one chance to be spared of his rage and die peacefully by turning himself into a human for a hot minute. it's just really neat idk.

time lord victorious my babygirl. like oh my god i was wondering for the entire time how the fuck does ten go from "vain/overconfident but at heart always driven by his love for others" to "god complex" and the answer to this question is "you take away everyone he cares about and make him watch more and more people die in front of him until he just fucking snaps". at the end of waters of mars i was almost expecting him to knock 4 times on the tardis door himself and was so glad it didnt happen. etc etc. i'm also really glad that it doesn't last for more than 5 minutes. what he does essentially haunts him for the rest of his (short) life and that's so so important

end of time part 2 doesn't get a ranking. it is simultaneously the best episode and worst episode. it made me cry my eyes out three separate times. like it's not even an episode anymore it's like an experience. specifically one akin to watching a good friend you made over the course of 16 days die in front of you. i felt my soul being sucked out and i wont ever feel anything again (until the 60th anniversary specials fix me). god fucking bless

but pairing up martha and mickey out of nowhere was so so fucking bad and i need to actually murder whoever made that decision

[poda-venna]

Headcanons: Team Psykick

I find the team very underrated and it appears to be the least appreciated out of all the major teams in the series. Potentially, I was able to create a couple of headcanons for them and yes, they deserve some!

→ Meeting and team formation

The Psykicks met four years before the cyber incident. Kane was on a trip to Tokyo, and met Salima in the park where she was Beyblading with some bladers. Kane challenged her for a battle, and it ended in a tie. They become friends.

Kane had already known Jim by that time. He met him in a similar fashion, but with science and mechanics involved in it. They both are the brainy brats of the soon to be formed team, and discussed long about repairing beyblades and so on.

Salima and Kane together met Goki the next day in the same place in the same way. Kane introduced Jim to them and that's how they decided to form a Beyblading team with the four. Despite living in different regions in and across Japan, every year they meet to travel.

→ Post-cyber incident

They wanted to embark on a new journey since the battle tower incident altered a small part in their peaceful life. They'd want to start everything afresh and forget the bad things. However, Kane suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and couldn't get over the misery by the time world championships ended. He felt that he didn't deserve his teammates. He didn't get enough opportunities to excel in Beyblading that particular year and went on a couple of counselling sessions to the psychiatrist dealing with his case.

Jim felt incredibly ridiculed and lost his hope. He is considered to be the weakest by none other than himself. Goki is the most sane about it and Salima is the comforting hen. Yet, she is feeling very bad for them, especially for Kane. She never thought that a mentally strong person like Kane is feeling extremely down.

Nevertheless, they get over their misery soon enough.

→ Personal space

Goki and Kane often take the responsibility to take the lead, especially the latter but Goki tends to guide him during certain occasions. Jim is the youngest and he needs to be taken care of for most of the time. Salima is the one who often acts like the mother Hen to the team and controls them whenever fights and arguments ensue. However, Kane also takes turns to stop such things.

Goki and Jim are often together, and similarly the case for Kane with Salima. Goki and Jim gel well with each other and they often beybattle. However, Jim ends up losing most of the time but he is not angry with him every time. They are cool and fun bros.

Kane and Salima share common grounds, loyal and have immense trust on each other. Overall they have a mutually healthy and good relationship. He taught her to not worry about winning or losing, but just enjoy battling. She has feelings for him and loves his company. She is emotionally dependent on him and often finds him her comfort person.

They have a relationship which is a bit above friendship, marking the possibility of them getting romantic overtime.

Goki and Jim quarrel during some occasions, and it becomes a hard time for the other two. Regardless, they remain

→ Travels

All the four contribute an equal amount of shares but however, Kane often takes the responsibility for bookings - be it train tickets, flight tickets, bus tickets, cabs, rooms, dorms, tables, etc. Jim looks for points of interest. Goki and even Kane do both. Salima doesn't contribute much in this but invests her time on shopping complexes during their tours.

Jim has the lightest baggage, whereas it is heavier for Salima and Goki. Kane stays in the neutral good.

They book two rooms - one for the guys and one for Salima. However, Kane sometimes stays with Salima and she doesn't mind it either.

Jim loves to click photos of everything and literally everywhere they go, he doesn't get satisfied without this hobby. Kane is more invested in the informational aspect and he loves museums the most. He won't leave the place without gaining knowledge. Jim loves the same too but sometimes, he likes places associated with sceneries (for photos and shit). Goki doesn't have specific preferences. Salima likes botanical gardens, coffee and tea estates, and places with street shops and others.

Salima often cooks if they are staying in tents or cottages. Goki helps her at times.

During their travels, they encounter several beybladers. Kane usually fights them and Jim analyses the battles. The others fight when they feel like.

Kane maintains a book to record all their travelling days. Sometimes, Salima wants to sneak into it but Kane doesn't allow that, as it's his personal diary.

[readerwithnosleep]

Book Series Specific Award Show Time!!

The categories are:

Most character development.

Least character development.

Best couple.

Best friendship.

Best chapter.

Best female character.

Best male character.

Best book of the series.

Most heartbreaking moment.

Most underrated character.

Most overrated character.

Plus an honourable mention.

The series of note in this case is the Zodiac Academy (plus additions from the connected series’) as it has quickly become my favourite series. For now that is.

SO! The results!

The award for Most Developed Character goes to:

🐺Seth Capella (ZA) because holy shit i hated this dude two books ago. I would basically skim his chapters when they appeared and now I'm smiling at the page when he comes on.

🐍Ryder Draconis (RB), like damn this man went from getting murderous, or horny it depends on if Elise was there or not, every time he saw the main group to being Nebular Allies with his worst enemy and walking around with DISNEY TATTOOS.

The award for Least Developed Character goes to:

🐲Darius Acrux (ZA), I really don't like this dude sometimes because his lack of change brings me such uncontrollable anger all the time and I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL- he. does. not. deserve. Tory. Like, they are perfectly matched but that means squat when he treats her like a clueless little girl all the time.

The award for Best Couple goes to:

💙🦇BlueLance (ZA) because THESE TWO have the best and purest relationship and they are so cute but also so fucking hot and sooo fierce when fighting for one another. Nobody can even attempt to come close to them.

The award for Best Friendship goes to:

🐍🦅Ryder and Gabriel (RB) because the friendship between these two was utterly heart breaking during how it began to fully form after the first Elysian Mate bond but the devotion to eachother that they end up with is UNMATCHED in the Ruthless Boys series.

💙❤️‍🔥Darcy and Tory (ZA), these two have such a strong relationship, I mean their bond transcends the effects of the shadows from the very first moment that they use them. They were my rock, my fall-to relationship throughout this whole series and it hurt when they were separated and at odds the most.

The award for Best Chapter goes to:

🦁💜🐍Chapter 21 - Warrior Fae (RB) was SO FUNNY. Leon was a genius and that's all I'm going to say. 🦇🦅Chapter 19 - Warrior Fae (RB) was so fucking bizarre but so absolutely hilarious that it makes sense that why 'Orio' and 'Noxy' are bonded by the stars because what other friend would not double over in laughter when that happens.

💙❤️‍🔥Fire trial chapter in Darcy's POV (can't find what chapter it was) in The Reckoning (ZA) because they were so damn badass when they literally WALKED. THROUGH. FIRE. Like, goddamn. I would gladly join the A.S.S. and bow to Tory and Darcy.

💙🦇Chapter sex ed - The Reckoning (ZA) when many readers where reading the chapter through the gaps in their fingers and tears of disbelief and laughter. It was so bloody funny!

The award for Best female Character goes to:

💜Elise Callisto (RB), while yes there was limited amounts of female characters that were actually good in the Ruthless Boys series, Elise was still a complete badass and she deserves more recognition then I'm giving her in this.

💙DARCY VEGA (ZA) because this girl is amazing in every way. Imma just sum up her brilliance in this quote in which she cut Seth down to size; "Iron is made stronger in the hottest part of the fire, Seth. You didn't break me, you forged me.” I am in love with her.

The award for Best male Character goes to:

🐍Ryder Draconis (RB) because he was tied favourite with Gabe but since we barely see Ryder in the other books there is more excitement at the prospect him popping up in them.

🦇Lance Orion (ZA) THIS MAN OWNS MY SOUL. I would be his doormat if he asked me to. If he told me to. Even if he looked at it, I would materialise into it and feel honoured when he stood on me.

The award for Best Book of the Series:

3️⃣The Reckoning - (ZA), this is my comfort book. It is before all the awful shit stars to happen at the scarily fast rate that it does for the rest of the series. Plus, BlueLance forms.

5️⃣Warrior Fae - (RB) because this is where everyone gets all mushy squash and the ✨group activities✨ were great. And when they actually got on there was some absolutely amazing scenes between them all and it warmed my wounded heart.

The award for Most Heart breaking Moment goes to:

🚨🦁THE CAVE WITH EVIL, SIREN, THERAPIST BITCH AND LEON. (RB) That scene made me bawl my eyes out at like five in the morning and it was NOT pleasant. Not fun.

🐉💙❤️‍🔥Y'know what? Nobody talks about it and it annoys me. When Catalina is given a star divorce by Darcy and Tory, that shit was heart breaking because of how unhappy she was for YEARS until that moment. It was a happy moment only because she had escaped.

The award for Most Underrated Character goes to:

🐉Catalina Acrux (ZA) because this woman was so strong and despite that she treated the twins, Orion, the Heirs and both of her boys with so much of the motherly love that most of them were missing growing up. She deserved every little speck of happiness that she could carve out of the world.

🍰Middle Kipling (RB) HEAR ME OUT! He provided so many weird ass moment that had me in tears of laughter every time. For example, the wedding?? That was peak comedy.

The award for Most Overrated Character goes to:

🦟Melinda Altair (RB specifically) I did not like her one bit in the Ruthless Boys series, I mean she outed them and almost got Ryder killed, brutally, many times. Idc that she is Elise's or Caleb's family, she was a bitch in those books.

🧛🐟Caleb Altair and Max Rigel (ZA) the only times that these two are not completely unbearable are when they are with their ships. If it wasn't for Seth and Geraldine they would be such extremely pointless wet blankets. Granted, they have some leeway with this because they are useful in the seventh book but other than then they are just kind of... there.

Now, finally the honourable mention goes to...

🐀Eugene Dipper! I loved this little guy when he appeared in both series'. He was funny and he became a much stronger Fae by the ZA books and I think he deserves a mention because he managed to escape Lionel's grip.

[dogbertliveblogsowlhouse]

IT’S BEEN A MONTH FELLAS

and tomorrow the new episode comes out! now, i feel it’s kind of weird jumping directly from the middle of season 1 alllll the way to season 3, so let me give a brief summary of my thoughts on every episode that i didn’t blog in between adventures of the elements and thanks to them!

Backend of Season 1:

The First Day:  a pretty good episode to officially kick off luz’s actual tenure at hexside! also why couldn’t this basilisk have been as nice as the one we meet later

Really Small Problems: development: tibbles is my least favorite character in the entire show, and this episode is just a worse version of little dipper

Understanding Willow: great insight into willow and amity’s fractured friendship, and i love a good mindscape episode

Enchanting Grom Fight: gonna be real with you chief i remember very little about this episode outside of the last ten minutes. but hooh BOY those last ten minutes

Wing It Like Witches: usually i’m not the biggest fan of sports episodes, but this one was pretty good! also has some very good lumity in it, which is i think the main reason people remember this episode

Agony of a Witch: pretty good first part of the finale! even if it DID write out amity for no good reason

Young Blood, Old Souls: great capper to the first season, great official introduction for belos, just really great things all around. also fun fact: all my speculation of “who put the curse on eda” during the blog was a giant ruse, i knew it was lilith the whole time, and i was going to reveal that during the actual reveal, but YKNOW. THINGS HAPPEN.

SEASON 2A:

Separate Tides: fun pirate adventure! man this “golden guard” character is pretty neat, hope nothing bad happens to him!

Escaping Expulsion: this episode gives some nice insight into the families of the hexside kids, especially Amity. Odalia Blight is a very strong contender for my least favorite character in the show, but tibbles is staying there for now

Echoes of the Past: i feel like this is one of the most underrated episodes of season 2. it really gave such immense depth to king’s character so quickly, when, god bless him, he really was basically just a joke character in season one. it sets up its reveal so brilliantly and does it in such an interesting way, without directly giving away the massive reveal later in the season.

Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances: this episode is some really neat insight into the clawthorne family, which we previously knew very little about! also they really gave lilith’s beast form one of the scariest designs in the show only to never use it again, huh

Through The Looking Glass Ruins: wow, they made mattholomule not completely unlikable! way to go! also the little lumity kiss at the end was cute, if not a bit overshadowed by events to come

Hunting Palismen: yknow what, i don’t even care that the bat queen was in this episode! because this is the first episode where we really get to know hunter, who’s honestly probably my favorite (or at least one of my favorite) characters in the entire show. love this boy.

Eda’s Requiem: this episode introduces so many great characters! it didn’t really hit with me when i first watched it, but it’s grown on me. what i just said can also be applied to raine as a character in general

Knock, Knock, Knockin’ On Hooty’s Door: this. mother. fucking. episode. this episode has literally everything you could want as a fan of this show. it’s got KING development, it’s got insanely massive EDA development, it’s got the official solidification of LUMITY, and it’s got hooty galore. yes, yes, he ate the letter, but considering who the sender of that letter turned out to be, was that really a bad move in retrospect. love this one, definitely in my top 3.

Eclipse Lake: this episode is pretty good! it’s got pretty good doses of lumity, hunter, insane lore implications in backgroud details that soon turn out to be crucial plot points, and one of the coolest fight scenes in the entire show! what more could you want? a belos face reveal? WELL WE GOT THAT TOO

Yesterday’s Lie: this episode has a pretty otherworldly feel to it. which is funny considering it takes place on earth. after spending so much of the show on the boiling isles, just    going on a small adventure in a connecticut town is a pretty wild change of pace. vee is adorable, camilla is great, that in-between dimension is wild, and the ending, hooh mama. great way to cap off the first half of season 2. (also yes, i too think it’s funny how much they hyped up “evil luz” only for it to just be a cute little basilisk with no ill will in its body)

SEASON 2B:

Follies At The Coven Day Parade: ehh it’s alright. i don’t really like kikimora, and this episode just sort of cemented that further. also knowing the fact that raine was faking being mind controlled would probably make this episode rough to rewatch

Elsewhere and Elsewhen: now THIS is how you do a time travel episode. great origin story for phillip/belos, who’s honestly one of my favorite villains of all time now, throw in some nice luz and lilith bonding, some collector-shadowing, and some fun time travel chicanery, and you’ve got yourself a banger episode

Any Sport in a Storm: okay, the last sports episode was alright, but this one just... hits home. thank you, thank you, i’ll be here all night. really though, this episode is really great for hunter and willow’s development, starts a ship i didn’t know i wanted, and tibbles dies right along with one of the biggest fan theories! what fun!

Reaching Out: this episode is mostly just some fun wholesome wrestling shenanigans and then dear god do the last five minutes hit. as someone who’s also grown up without a father, and is “totally fine with it”, the big reveal of this episode just makes looking back on luz’s actions throughout the episode all the more tragic, and makes the ending even more heartwarming. also the blight twins are as great as ever

Them’s the Breaks, Kid: some adorable baby eda and raine shenanigans, plus it makes terra even more terrifying than she already was! not as fantastic as some of the other episodes in this half of the season, but it’s pretty dang good!

Hollow Mind: this is my favorite episode of the series. “oh it’s just restating information to the characters that the audience already knew” don’t care. this episode is everything i love about this show. such intense reveals, character moments, tension, and even some comedy thrown in. slowly piecing phillip’s entire backstory together through the events of the episode as well as minute background details is genuinely rewarding, and the episode officially introduces one of the most important scrunklos in the show, the collector! and the ending is genuinely stressful for everybody involved. this episode is just a three-course dinner of everything that makes the owl house great. mwah

Edge of the World: AND THE OWL SHOW JUST KEEPS SWINGING, WE GOT YET ANOTHER BANGER ON OUR HANDS. this is probably my favorite king episode, it has one of the best double-reveals i’ve ever seen in anything, and even though people already sort of pieced together King was a titan, I didn’t, okay. this episode masterfully takes things that were already set up, and uses them to its full advantage. love this one.

Labyrinth Runners: one last great classic hexside episode, that really pays off to gus’s little arc throughout the season. also introduces probably my least favorite coven head, but he’s not bad by any means. amity and willow’s plot does meander a bit, but the real stars here are gus and hunter. love their chemistry, love how overpowered little baby man gus is, love this episode.

O Titan, Where Art Thou?: this episode is fucked up! okay, that’s a bit of hyperbole. the main part that’s fucked up is the sheer contrast between luz and eda, which leads to the one fight in this show i never would have saw coming. eda’s sheer hopelessness vs luz’s misplaced optimism is really devastating to watch at times. but, the ending DOES leave a good taste in your mouth, which is great. also steve is funny. i like steve.

Clouds on the Horizon: yep, odalia’s my least favorite character in the show! this episode is a great prelude to the finale, and also the first and currently only full-on lumity kiss, so that’s great. it has a pretty good resolution to the blight family drama, some great character moments between... pretty much everyone, and leads into king’s tide pretty well. speaking of...

King’s Tide: alright i’m gonna come right out and say it, i love the collector. i love their vibe of “clueless little kid with the power to literally destroy anybody and anything if they want to, but they just want to play.” pre-release and post-release collector feel like two completely separate characters (especially when you factor in the collector we saw in the owl beast’s flashback), but it works i think. also i like phillip’s “i’m quitting my job, time to tie up every loose end” energy in this episode. a great finale to probably one of the best seasons of television in history. i love how dire the stakes are at the end, and i can’t wait to see them continued tomorrow.

and with that, that should bring us all up to speed with where i’m at currently with my thoughts on this show! can’t wait for tomorrow, seeya all then.

[sailorstarr-chan4]

Anime Update: Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple

Episodes: 50 Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Favorite Characters: Miu Fūrinji, plus every single Master living at Ryōzanpaku (yes, even the old pervert, Kensei Ma. Every shounen anime's gotta have one >.>) Favorite Pairing: Kenichi x Miu (predictable, but I'm a sucker for Friends to Lovers) Pros: Great action, hilarious dub acting, just a good ol' fun romp. There's a lot of laugh out loud moments, and the majority of annoying tropes are either short-lived or subverted. It's just so entertaining, it's not hard not to binge-watch. Cons: If you're not a fan of shounen cliches, this won't be the series for you, because it is VERY by the numbers. If you're a sucker for this kind of thing, it's a perfectly fine example of a martial arts anime, if not downright underrated. That said, the writing is definitely of its time and is Low-Key Misogynistic, yes, even with several kickass ladies. Strong women does not equal feminism. Recommended for: Shounen/martial arts anime fans who are not snobs. Or really, any anime fan who isn't a snob lol.

~~~

This is just such a fun series. It's not original, deep, or complex in any shape or form, but I highly enjoyed myself with every single episode. It helped that the actors were clearly having a BALL with their characters and scripts, and there were so many lines that lived rent-free in my brain and continued to make me giggle days later.

Fun fact: for nearly a decade, I knew of one hilarious scene that basically summed up Cat People and was often shared among anime fans in a "this is YOU" way lol.

(Seriously, even without context, it's still hilarious AF)

For years, the clip was posted as "The Greatest Scene in Anime" or something along those lines, but after it was taken down, it took me forever to hunt down another version of the clip, let alone the anime title. Then, last month, I felt the urge to finally provide context to one of my favorite out-of-context anime scenes, and started watching the series.

And just like that, I was hooked.

I haven't completed an anime that was more than 26 episodes that fast since the first season of Shugo Chara! in 2017, or the entire Black Butler anime franchise (including OVAs and movies) in 2019.

Be warned: the fanservice is fairly shameless. Tame compared to some other titles out there, of course, but what's there is pretty..... in your face. Plus, there's a lot of.... confusing ideas about fighting women. On one hand, Kenichi (our protagonist) has a principle against fighting girls EVEN IF THEY'RE ACTUAL FIGHTERS, which is annoying/sexist enough. On the other hand, his love interest, best friend, and housemate, Miu, kicks his ass on the regular whenever they spar during training sessions together. Like????? I can't tell if Kenichi is just an idiot, or if he respects Miu's abilities so much he puts on a whole level than "other girls" (which is also Problematic, but in different ways). It's weirdly confusing and is never really addressed, other than angrily by the other women trying to fight Kenichi, and that can painted as Crazy Strong Man-Hating Women shit..... *siiiiiigh* Ohhh, the early 2000s..... >.>"

With all that in mind, do I still recommend this series? Honestly.... kinda??? But only if you're just looking for mindless entertainment. Do not expect deep revelations or nuanced characters. This series knows its audience, and knows its style, and is all the more refreshing for it. It doesn't try to be anything other than what it is: a fun, kickass series about martial arts, fighting to protect others, and the Power of Friendship.

Don't think too hard about it, and just enjoy the ride.

[theforgottenmcrmy]

I'm trying to write for the first time, but I am scared to even post it. Do you have advice for first time writers like me? Also, love your Growing Strong fic! It's so well done. I always look forward to when you post a new chapter <3

First, I just wanna say that I’m honored that you’re asking for my opinion🥲🖤 Second, thank you so much for reading Growing Strong! That is very sweet of you to say😊 And third, congrats on taking the leap to write! Just this time last year, I had yet to be active on here, so I know the leap can be scary, but it has also been super rewarding.

I could probably go on and on about all the stuff I’ve learned, but I’ll try to keep this short and succinct so it’s more digestible to read.😅 But if you have any follow up questions, or want me to address something more specific that I didn’t mention, please do not hesitate to send me another ask, or even message me. I will gladly talk til the cows come home if there’s even a chance something I say could be of use.

1) Before I mention anything else, in case this resonates with you as much as it does me, my most important piece of advice is this: comparison is the thief of joy. I’m 100% guilty of looking at the stats of other fics on here and AO3 and internally putting my own works down or just feeling bad about myself because of it. It might be tempting to look at other fics to kinda gauge where your own in standing in terms of interaction from others, but I really recommend not doing so if you can help it.

2) On the flip side of number 1, don’t be afraid to look at other fics and see what works. Before anyone @s me, I’m not talking plagiarism. But concepts. For example, an Aemond X OC enemies to lovers fic? That would probably be received well, since it’s a popular trope in a popular fandom right now. But even more technically, don’t underestimate the power of tags. See what tags other authors are using for similar fics in the fandom. That’s gonna be the best way to get the fic out there and seen, especially here on tumblr.

3) Edit and proofread. I’m sure this is an obvious one. But (coming from a reader perspective) this can be a uch an underrated asset to a fic.

4) Don’t get yourself feeling down if there’s not an immediately overwhelming response to your posted fic. If there is, that’s great! If not, that doesn’t mean anything at all, I promise! Depending on the fandom, where the fic is being posted, and how frequently updates for ongoing stories are being uploaded, it can take some time to get a following for it. This is also something I’ve been guilty of. But, if your fic is out there, eventually, people will find it.

5) Respond to comments/asks/even reblogs with commentary. (Unless they’re downright negative and counterproductive. I would not recommend entertaining any of those with a response. Fortunately, I don’t think things like that are frequent much at all.) But if someone leaves a compliment, reply back, even if it’s just to say thanks!😊 When I leave a comment on a fic I really enjoyed, and the author takes a moment to respond, it literally can make my day.

6.) Make some mutuals. A lot of the earliest friends I made on here were authors writing in the same fandom, and even just fellow readers. This is not a requirement by any means, but I can’t understate the value of having people to talk about fandom things with. You can bounce ideas off one another, etc. Plus, friendships formed from a mutual love of something is just👌🏻🖤 And if you already have some mutuals, ask them if they’d like to take a look at what you’ve got going on and if they would be willing to provide some feedback😊

7.) Write for yourself. This is probably related to several of the points I’ve already made, but it can’t be said enough. If you want to write because you truly want to, I believe it’s best to do it for yourself. You might end up spending a lot of time writing something, so it might as well be something that makes you happy. If you only write for likes (nothing against people who do) you might get burned out, and be unable to take any joy from it. But if you write something you love, anyone else who also enjoys it will be icing on top of the cake, since you already made yourself happy by writing it.

8.) Have fun with it. Life is too short not to.