#gushing so hard over everyones art and writings

[waffluuu]

subways and seas, shattered dreams

or, my piece for the @anachronism-ahitzine!! please check the zine out, everyone did amazing!! :)

[habizuh-studios]

me gushing about tgcf for... idek-

Haha, don't ask why i'm making this post when I'm basically dead, BUT- TGCF is honestly was got me into the danmei fandom. Two of my friends were gushing about it so in order to not feel left out i watched the donghua and it was the BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE not only because the donghua was actually so beautifully animated and the story was so captivating, but also because i watched it in dub and got to see howard wang. Which was great, obviously. unfortunately, i spoiled a LOT. And i mean A LOT of stuff after finishing season 1. I spoiled the ghost city arc, the 800 year wait, and some of Xie Lian's trauma before even starting season 2. And i didn't even have to wait that long for it- some people were waiting over 2 years!! which is crazy to me. The character designs are so intricate and beautiful in all mediums, including the audio drama (which is actually my favorite art out of all of 'em), which HOW?!??!?!? ITS AN AUDIO DRAMA?!?!??! i ended up buying all the books, despite spoiling myself a TON. And i don't regret it at all- i even convinced myself (not really myself, but my dead bank account) to buy the special edition of TGCF!! The official art is gorgeous, the pop-up is gorgeous, the books\ mark is gorgeous, and- despite all the spoilers, after i got used to the writing style it was honestly A BLAST. I finished all the books in less than 2 weeks. I stayed up late reading them- and my favorite part was finishing a book so i could jump to the next one. And my greatest surprise was i didn't even spoil ALL of it to myself! The instigator of the war between xianle and yong'an (if ykyk, hint: family) was such a surprise to me i had to put the book down for a good second before reading it again! xie lians occasional sassiness was honestly really in character, but still a surprise. I have seen some who didnt like tgcf because of the character arcs and hualian- which is fine, but as long as you have the right expectations going into the book, you will not be disappointed. Xie Lian is honestly my favorite. Sue me for being basic, but i love him. Even before knowing all the trauma, i loved him. (Followed closely are Ruoye and Feng Xin, so i guess you can guess my type which i immediately attach to, haha) anyway, in case you weren't looking for my life story, then here: watch the donghua of tgcf, then read all the books, no spoilers. Trust me. Spoilers ruined some of the emotional moments for me yet i still felt empathy for all the characters, which is kind of hard to do. (it hurts, dream on, there is no banquet that does not come to an end). then consume the fan content. Literally all of it. We are the most blessed fandom in history. You may look up some things to expect for tgcf, because i believe the theme is actually quite different from mxtx's other works! I still love wwx tho ;) ----- PS: I also love the parallels. I'll talk about one since this post is so long already, but here- I absolutely love the quotes. A lot of times, popular quotes are remembered when Hua Cheng is saying them, but when you read the books, you realize he's just parroting what xie lian has said... im biased and this isnt for everyone, and obviously his tone and context are wayy different + he has great quotes on his own- but I think it shows his love for him. or maybe i just love Xie Lian, haha.

[bellafragolina]

Romantic headcanons for Hassel, Clavell, and Jacq pls? <3

Sure!! Happily!

🍓🍓🍓

Hassel:

Hassel is the definition of sappy when it comes to you. He’s just so overjoyed that he gets to be a part of your life, to be able to hold you and kiss you and love you so much. You support his dreams and you love him as he is, not because of his standing in his family or his position on the Elite Four. Hassel is down bad for you, and he’s not afraid to show it

He has many photos of you both at his desk in the teacher’s lounge and in his classroom. Those in his classroom are drawings he’s done, ones the kids as about. Hassel happily rambles to them about you, so much so that sometimes kids ask about your during class to sidetrack him. It’s well and good until he gets teary over how much you’ve made him feel loved, and then everyone has to soothe a blubbering Hassel.

Hassel loves taking you out. You two travel Paldea, with Hassel showing off the beautiful sights and taking you to all the restaurants. If there’s live music playing, he’ll dance you around. It’s nothing too intense or fast, but you both have fun swinging and swaying to the music. Some of Hassel’s favorite memories are of you laughing as he dips you down to pepper you in kisses

His passion is music, on top of just art. He’ll write little songs or melodies for you on guitar or piano, and serenade you at home. It’s very romantic, but if you tear up, he will as well. If you want, he’ll teach you how to play, sitting close and guiding your fingers over keys and strings alike. Should you flip the script and play him a little song you wrote for him, he’ll sob into the kisses he smothers you in. He’s just so in love, and so so sappy about you

Clavell:

Clavell is a gentleman, a little old fashioned, but oh so sweet. He always is doing little things that makes your day brighter. He kisses your hand when you meet or depart, he offers his arm for you to hold while you both walk down the street, he pulls chairs out for you, and everything you can think of. You almost feel like you're part of those old romance movies, and it makes you swoon a little bit

Clavell enjoys more peaceful dates with you. Candlelit dinners, walks in the park, days at museums or the aquarium, or spending time at home with a movie, maybe a bit of slow dancing to the music on his record player. It's so very romantic, but Clavell is open to more active dates, if that's what you want. He enjoys your trips to sports games, or to hike amongst nature, so long as you take it slow.

He's easy to fluster. Clavell isn't used to PDA, and it never crosses his mind much when he first starts dating you. Sure, you hold his hand or his arm, but he offers them to you. Kisses on the cheek? You leaning on him, head on his shoulder? Hugging him from behind? He blushes every time, eyes wide. He likes it, don't worry. He's just not used to it yet.

At school, he doesn't talk about his own personal life much, preferring to focus more on the students. However, if asked, he'll discuss you, how he admires your confidence and strength, and such. He's not as prone to rambling, sadly, but curious kids can draw all sorts of things out of him, such as your hobbies and interests and all that. You visit, only to find a handful of students know you?? Clavell blushes when you bring it up, embarrassed to be caught gushing about you to the kids

Jacq:

Jacq is a silly boyfriend. He's always doing experiments and research, so he'll talking about them a lot. They're really interesting, if you have an interest in Pokémon biology. If you don't, his rambling helps lull you to sleep, since his voice is lower and calming when he talks. He's put several students to sleep before, so he doesn't mind you sleeping. He's touched you like his voice that much

He's a bit of a workaholic, so you'll have to drag him from his research. Luckily, it's not that hard to convince him to take a break. A few kisses and he's following you like a little puppy. Try not to use your powers for evil, however. The director isn't pleased if Jacq falls behind on his grading or anything, and Jacq will overwork to make it up to him, so be careful

Dates with him often turn into little fieldwork excursions. Jacq will pull you towards wild Pokémon and show off how his app works. It's often good for training your Pokémon, since Jacq gets information whether you battle or catch it. He's your personal cheerleader, clapping and shouting out encouragement as you battle. Every win earns you a kiss to the cheek, and Jacq carries lots of healing items for your team, berries too, as thanks

Some of Jacq's favorite moments are when you two are home, snuggled together on the couch or in bed. He's a big fan of physical affection, and wants you laying on top of him, or him on top of you. Whatever gives him the most skin to skin contact. It's very cute, until he gets withdrawal symptoms at work and a student, or Arceus forbid, Clavell walks in on you both in his chair, melded together in a mess of limbs and kisses

🍓🍓🍓

we love men

i love these men

<3

~Renee

[imsoquarky]

OKAY IM GONNA TALK ABOUT TMNT MM NOW

WARNING FOR SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT!!! THIS IS A RAMBLE POST, I AINT TIPTOEING AROUND IT!!!

Also, probably gonna start making # for post types. I feel like I reblog so much stuff that it's hard to find my actual content-

♠️ - ♣️ - ♥️ - ♦️

Starting off the bat, everyone who said Rise lovers were gonna love MM were absolutely correct. I adored this movie with every fiber of my being and I really think it could bring new people into the TMNT fandom just as ROTTMNT did.

While I will always be sad that Rise did not get the merch it deserved, I am over the moon that MM is getting it. The toys I've seen and merch I've gotten are already extraordinary. For the most part they are very very well made and most of it doesn't look like they've seen their entire family be brutally ripped limb from limb.

But moving away from my opinions about merch which is a whole other bag of worms being the physical item lover I am. THE MOVIE WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!

The storyline, the characters, the voice acting, the line delivery, the writing, the comedy, and ofc most of all

THE ART!! OMG THE ART!!! I LOVED EVERY SINGLE BIT!!! I see so much dragging on the art of this movie because it's ugly BUT THATS THE WHOLE POINT!!! It's meant to be messy, asymmetrical, even uncomfortable at times. Every character is so vastly different from the last, including every single background character. Some of my favorite overall designs were Splinter, April, Stockman, Superfly, Mondo Gecko, and even that fuckin BEAST Superfly turned into at the end.

This was the first iteration I watched where Splinter started out as a rat, being only into the more modern media, I had no idea that he was originally a pet. I could go on and on about MM Splinter and that is what I am going to do. I LOVED HIM. SO MUCH. He was such a dad, and an absolute badass when he wanted to be. Kicking ass to save his sons and just worried out of his mind about them. Despite his distain for humans, he was willing to take their help when it was offered. Instead of reprimanding his sons right then and there, he'd give them a hug and make sure they were safe beforehand. And when he saved them from getting their blood taken (I'm not calling it milking, please don't make me omg- /lh), he was like "I told you so!" but not in like.. a toxic way?? I never thought Splinter would end up as my favorite of any iteration, yet... here we are.

But y'all probably aren't all that interested in my gushing about Splinter yeah? Let's talk about the turtles, going from my favorite to least favorite (not to say I don't absolutely love them all, I just like some more than others.)

Raphael and Donnie are tied, but I'll start with just Raph. Raphael very much reminded me of when I was younger. Down to the struggled with volume & um... well, anger issues. Deep down, he loves and cares about his brothers, but he wants to branch out and meet new people. It's not that he doesn't want them to be there when he dies, it's that he wants to know other people outside of them. He loves them, but it's only natural to not want to ONLY have them.

Donatello was a silly guy, lots of playful jabs at his brothers and I just loved him. Also, the guy can DRIVE. Technically, being old enough, most places I know you can get a learners permit, so he probably realistically could drive. Despite complaining about having a "giant stick" much like 2012 Donnie, I found myself less annoyed by his complaints. Maybe I'm bias? Who knows. Point is, I loved him.

Leonardo, like Raph, was extremely relatable. With his upbringing and having a very anxious father, it makes sense to have such chronic anxiety. I swear, sometimes I feel like a mix between MM Leo and MM Raph. While ofc, I wasn't a fan of the little crush on April, it's not unrealistic. This is the first girl they've met and he has dreams of getting a girlfriend, obviously a 15 year old like that is gonna fall head over heels for the first girl he sees. Hell, when I first found out girls could like girls I honestly wasn't much different. (Ofc, I'm not a girl anymore, but that's besides the point here). But April shutting him down at prom was a relief, I'm hoping it just stays as a little puppy crush. It was handled SO much better than 2012 ever did, and I'm standing by that.

Now Michelangelo. Mikey was the SWEETEST OMG. Him and Mondo were an adorable duo and I'm hoping in future content we get more of them. Also, what is with Mikey and almost getting hit with cars in this film? I think the mans needs to keep away from the streets because he's like the critters down here in Kansas, very bad luck with cars. Only reason he's probably my least fav here is because I guess I don't have much to say about him, like, specifically?

Anyways. That's a lot of rambling, someone please talk to me about MM.

[beskar33]

📌

Su'cuyyy. I go by Beskar on the interwebz💚he/it 26yrs old, semi-ficto, gay & arospec, French-Moroccan(Shilah Berberⵣ), currently living in the Southern USA.

Legally blind, recovering addict, autistic as fuck & chronically lovesick. je parle français / ni jorhaa'i mando'a

✌️&❤️ to everyone!

More about me & this blog;

🌿 Honestly, I only use the term F/O online; Boba is my partner in life...my rotten soldier...my sweet cheese❤️ He's been with me for many years, and he's like a part of me & has helped me through so much. I sincerely consider him to be my soulmate & one of my best friends :') We officially got together summer of 2017, and we've been married since 12/12/2020. I'm not ok with sharing, as this is very much a "real" relationship for me & he's my actual partner. Thanks for your understanding.

🌿 Don't have much of a DNI but, at the risk of sounding a bit sensitive, please don't follow/interact if you ship romantically with/crush on Bo, or if you frequently interact with someone who does. No hate whatsoever, it just makes me uncomfortable because I love him as I would any partner IRL and treat our relationship as such.

Be 18+ and be nice, I guess. If you're shipping w/ minors, we probably won't get along too well, just sayin'. This blog won't get too NSFW but there might be some suggestive stuff here n' there. Also, I cuss like a sailor, jsyk

🌿 I love people, but I'm extremely awkward/shy and as of late, my personal life is somewhat hectic so I'm often busy or overwhelmed lol. It might take me a bit to get back to you, but I truly, deeply appreciate every single kind interaction and message I get & promise I ain't ignoring you

🌿 Not a fan of discourse, drama, or rude/mean people; been through way too much real shit in my time on this planet to care what folks say or do in their personal lives, especially strangers online. This blog has quickly become one of my little sanctuaries and I try to keep it positive, as I do with most areas of my life. If I don't like your energy, I'll just block/ignore, no hard feelings.

🌿 By the way, for those outside the community who might see this, I'm pretty effin' confident in who I am, and that includes my identity/relationship. You're free to interact/follow if you'd like, just be kind. Didn't go through years of therapy to feel shame over something that's brought joy, creativity, love, and comfort to my life since I was a child. Hate will always be deleted without acknowledgement, so by all means, throw a lil tantrum in my inbox while I continue to cultivate good vibes😌💋

🌿 Some of my interests outside of Star Wars & kissing my husband include: practicing yoga, Star Trek, DCSS, ancient Greek historical fiction, creative writing, hiking/camping, singing, and drinking dangerous amounts of caffeine

sideblogs & tags;

positivity/spirituality: @suumcanara

NSFW: @bevika

OG posts+asks: #💬 beskar.txt

OG writing: #✏️ beskawrites.doc

OG art: #🎨 beskart.jpg

positivity: #☀️ good vibes

favorites: #fav

disability: #blind fury posting hours

homeless adventures: nomad tales

imagines n' stuff: #❤️💭 daydreams

music: #🎶 jam sesh

gush posts: #💌

mandalorian culture: #⚔️ oya manda

self-insert: #🪡 bev tag

my love: #🔥 bo tag

ship: #💉💥| BoBev

[ghost-recs]

hey :) it's very cool that you're making such organized rec lists! you probably don't mean any harm by this but is rating them necessary? by recommending them you are already telling people that you like them, and saying what you enjoyed about them is also great!

but rating fics on a scale from 1-10 and putting your opinions into the general tags/ tagging directly so that the writers that- i'm guessing largely did not ask for your criticism- are very likely to see it creates an uncomfortable atmosphere

i know that at least for me i would not enjoy being putting next to other authors like this, and having a rating put on a fic that i worked hard on and that is therefore probably very dear to me would feel discouraging. many authors on your lists also explicitly state that they are not looking for criticism on a hobby they want to simply enjoy

again, i assume that you mean absolutely no harm and simply want to help others find fics they might enjoy, but this luckily isn't school, we can simply enjoy things without having to grade them

this divide in fandom, where artist are treated like 'content creators' and readers as the 'consumers' is a larger issue that way too often causes artist to lose their joy in being active in fandom.

fan art should be about community, after all we're all just some people with a shared love for our favourite characters

so please, let's share and support the fan fiction ( and fan art in general) we enjoy in a way that doesn't feel like a product review

Hey! :) I just wanted to address this before it becomes something that I never intended/wanted it to become.

In no way, shape, or form am I trying to offend or criticize anyone when I recommend works. My “ghost ratings” are purely my personal preference out of my favorite fics. It is an easier way for me to organize my lists based solely on my personal taste and preferences. The ratings are not meant to be a grading system. They don’t measure the quality, quantity, or even the content of the works. What they show are simply which ones I preferred over others.

I will admit that choosing to add my own personal rating is to let others know which fics were my favorite. But first and foremost the entire point of making these lists is to share the love of these works. I enjoy adding the ratings just to show personal preference. After all, everyone has pieces of writing, fics, or fan art that they prefer over other ones. It’s fun to gush a little extra over the works that you most enjoy!

Again though, it is not meant to be a critique. I am not trying to offer advice or pretend that I could do better. It never crossed my mind that someone would view these recs as a “product review,” and that is my own fault for not thinking it through from that perspective. I don’t view these artists and writers as “content creators” and the readers as “consumers.” We ARE just one community! :)

That all being said, I am deeply sorry if I have offended anyone or crossed a line. I never meant to do that and truly just want to share fics that I enjoy with others. To any writers, artists, and readers that I’ve offended with my ratings, I apologize and I hope you will forgive me.

I have decided that my ratings are not worth the risk of possibly discouraging others. It would break my heart if I knew my recommendations were doing that to others. I will be taking down all my ratings and will not be adding more to any future recs.

Anon thank you for discussing this with me in a kind and helpful manner. And for not assuming that I’m trying to be a jerk and tear others down.

I love you all! I love all of you artists and the love for the fandom that we share! Thank you for bearing with me, and have a great day/night!🫶🏻

[bad-blood-animal]

Regarding the future of certain projects TLDR they are on hold due to my health

Hello everyone and good day/evening/night. Not that I'm super active on Tumblr anymore outside of my projects, but I figured I would explain that these projects are now on hold until further notice. My plan was to continue to translate SINo content. I have a few EoS character gacha messages finished, as well as some job/weapon stories. Summaries of Aoki's streams. Break down of lore exclusive to the JP server. Chapter 7 of Act of Desire nearly done for a few characters. I had planned to scan and maybe try to formulate a team to translate the official movie pamphlet and the light novel. I spent my time on Tumblr from the start of the game in JP gushing about this game, and it still means a lot to me, but in regards to editing, scanlating, translating, ect. It's gotta be on hold. Medical vent: For two years, I had drastic changes in my body. This included a cyst that needed to be surgically moved inside of my body. Eczema, suddenly, with no history of skin conditions. Hormonal changes. Two years of it being hard to swallow, my throat always hurting, and having a cracked voice. Two years of never having energy, always tired, constantly having throat and ear problems. A few weeks ago, I went to do a check-in in regards to the cyst removal almost two years ago. Apparently my thyroid had gotten so large that my doctor noticed right away. Blood work, ultra sounds, several tests later, we're looking at a papillary thyroid cancer diagnosis. It's a scary thing to hear, but it can be treated. Mine is contained to the thyroid. Sadly, I won't even be able to book my surgery until the end of April. This has understandably taken a toll on the ones close to me, so I ask that people who know my circle respect them. This is not the end or a goodbye from me. There's so much I want to do and share with you all, but it is beyond my capabilities for awhile. Thank you all for all the support over the years. This site from my dinky little preci0us m3tal days before SINo came out to now, to the people who supported my writing and art before I started tl projects. I thank all of you. Whether we are friends, followers, or just passerby's I got a lot of love and support over these years. I will be back better than ever soon. I will need a removal surgery of my thyroid first. I will share a few things I did manage to finish in the coming days [job/weapon story-wise].

[lightwithinthedarknessu]

My @KHGuidebook contributor bundle! Was so honored to get to write for such a cool and beyond creative project. Writing Roxas’ journal entries and Sora’s letter was so amazing. I had so much fun!! Everyone’s work just shines. This zine is packed with not only gorgeous art pieces but beyond creative and gorgeously atmospheric fics! Truly is a love letter to all the original KH worlds. I adore everything and am just gushing over each piece! Thank you all for the hard work 🥰🫶

[lycorim]

Ask game!! Here's: 11 & 17?

(what fic or piece of art are you proud of making?, the thing in canon that everyone loves and that you also love)

11- I am proud of a lot of my art, but if I had to pick one piece it’s this one, which I lovingly call Daenerys Piece (to date, my only Dany art, which really needs to change lol). It took me just under a year to finish (on and off bc I’m a procrastinator) and in a way I see it as the culmination of my art education. A close second is this comic adjacent thing that I still really like.

17- gee, this might be the hardest question on the list, mostly because I don’t know if there’s any one thing in canon that everyone likes. This is going to sound corny and basic, but… the characters. The points of view. The way Tyrion’s chapters are so misleading and conniving that they actively confuse the reader until Martin finally wants you to know what’s going on. The way Sansa and Ned talk around their emotions to themselves, so that it’s only upon a second read that you actually get what they are saying. The POV trap that is Theon Greyjoy. Brienne. Cersei. The way the we only learned that she really genuinely believed she had seduced Ned by lamenting about her incestuous tendencies several books after it happened. Everything about Cersei. I could go on and on, but it’s that stuff that I always gush about when the books come up in conversation. Maybe it’s cheating to say that the characters are my favorite part of a character-driven story, but idk man Martin went fucking hard when he chose to write for over 20 points of view and kept them all distinct. Also Lady Stoneheart because the moment she was introduced took me OUT. On my work break no less! I should get workers compensation.

(The ask game)

[mirjam-writes]

What about you? What writing are you happy about this year?? Is there anything you want to brag about?

Happy Yule, solstice, Christmas, Festivus, (belated) Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Doctor Who Day! And anything else you might celebrate, or happy Monday if you don’t!

Thank you so so much for asking 🧡🧡

This was quite a writing year for me. I wrote only four stories, but I'm quite proud of all of them. To Love Somebody was my first foray in rare pairs. An angsty backstory for Shadwell, and what made him the way he is. It has an hopeful ending, and I'm quite proud of the structure, and how much I managed to squeeze into the small word count. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is a short and wholesome outsider pov story I wrote for an event. I was surprised how much people liked it! It was also my first attempt on present tense, which continued in A Stable Relationship, one of my FTH stories for this year (the second one will probably be a bit late, and be completed in January). I had fun writing it, and it turned out to be a good one, and the only one of these oneshots that was Explicit. It was set in horse riding world.

The reason why I wrote only three oneshots, and why my second FTH piece is late, was of course my favourite story of all time: Be Still My Soul trilogy. A human AU story set in the sad moments of Finnish history.

Despite the class differences, landowner Azirafel Fjäll and sawmill worker Anton Crowley have been friends since childhood. The Great War rages over Europe and the Empire of Russia is in the firm grip of a revolution. The echoes of these fateful events carry over to the Grand Duchy of Finland, vaguely sauntering towards independence. Azirafel and Crowley find themselves on the opposite sides of a conflict that will eventually lead to a bitter civil war, tearing the country apart.

Is there a possibility for them to find their own side, or will this be the end of their budding love story?

I started writing the third part in January, and finished it just before S2 aired in July. It finished posting in October, and it's now complete and done, though I'm still commissioning art for it. This story took over my life for over two years, and it's my baby. I've had such a hard time to let go of it! It also has its own blog @be-still-my-soul-fanfic where I posted dozens of posts about historical and cultural facts. The story is written in a way you don't need to know anything of the Finnish history beforehand (my American betas made sure of that). It's a lovestory, not a history lesson, BUT if you want to learn more, there's a lot of extra info available 😅

I think it's the best story I've ever written (and probably ever will). Many readers have agreed, but it's angsty with very heavy themes until the happy ending, so it's not for everyone and I think posting it just when S2 aired cut some of the potential readers. The third part of the trilogy is now five kudos shy of 100 kudos, and I'm hoping it could get past that milestone before new years. 😂 So yeah, my own personal favourite gets the least interaction of them all. Oh well.

I'm gonna sound a bit self-absorbed, but I'm proud I finished it and it turned out even better than I hoped. My dream would be to print a physical copy or to record a podfic of that, but both might be a bit too much work.

For the next year I have two zine fics to finish, and I have applied to a third one. I have one event fic in the works as well, but the FTH story will be the one I'll concentrate until it's done. It's an oneshot human AU which somehow grew limbs and now it's 7.6k words and nowhere near done 😱 That's my holiday project.

Thank you for asking!! I was so delighted to get a chance to ramble myself 🧡 There's never enough chances for writers to gush about their own work because it always feels a bit self centered. That's why I like to wander around Tumblr and give people the perfect excuse to do that! Peek at the #writer's favourites tag if you want to see other fanfic writers sharing their favourites! And feel free to use the tag yourself if I forgot to ask someone (I was very much not organised when going through the blogs and I'm not good at matching blog names with writer names 😅)

I hope you'll have a magnificent new year 🧡

[psychewritesbs]

What do you think that made Jujutsu Kaisen different from any other shounen? Also, why do you think that most people said it's overated? I don't mean anything negative, just want to know your opinions on this. Thanks to you I started JJK manga and anime, and I love it (sorry as a new fan, at first I hesitate because of the negative stigmas that I found on fandom about this series).....

Also, why do you think that Gojo is a popular character?

First of all... I'm SORRY! I've literally been writing an answer to you for like for ever and ever 😭

It's just that I've been thinking long and hard about your ask because how do I objectively gush about what makes jjk amazing, when all sense of objectivity and normalcy walked out the door in 2020?

So I'll start by saying FUCKYES I don't know what fandom you found me through, but I LOVE hearing that you decided to give jjk a shot despite what other people might say about it. Most especially if you found that you love it.

I think that, for all of its flaws, jjk is still a wonderful story exploring deep truths about the human condition.

So I'm going to glaze on jjk like there's no tomorrow under the cut'o!

Glaaaaaaaaze....

Regarding the idea that most people think it's overrated: It's really simple... jjk is a very multilayered niche story.

By multilayered I mean that everything from a meathead battle shonen fan, to a brainiac "intellectual" who doesn't care for the battles that much, and everyone in between, will find something that they can enjoy in jjk.

✅ Canon/headcanon romance ✅ Battles ✅ Existentialism ✅ Amazing characters ✅ Spirituality and esoteric concepts ✅ Power scaling

The problem is that jjk is so mainstream because of this mass appeal, that it could never live up to everyone's expectations, nor it should. That is not to mention that the more popular it becomes, the more people who are simply not going to like jjk it will reach.

In the end, jjk is at its core a niche story published in a shonen magazine, catering to a very specific audience.

To me, for every person saying jjk is overrated, there's 9 people who love it. And maybe I can't back up my totally made up statistic with facts, but jjk wouldn't have 90 million copies in circulation if most people thought it is overrated--they just happen to be the loudest and I can't wait for them to stfu lol.

🤪...

So that's really it. jjk is so popular that it has gotten the attention of people who aren't going to like it for whatever reason they might have. Sometimes it's simply personal taste, and sometimes it's them missing the point. These are the people calling jjk overrated.

How do I know? Because when I heard all of the hype surrounding csm and how it was the second coming of manga Christ, I decided to read it and found it to be incredibly overrated. That doesn't make csm objectively bad, btw, it just mean I personally don't care for Fujimoto's writing or art.

What makes jjk different from other shonen?

What I want to say is that I'm wondering if there is an objective measure for what makes jjk different. I think the obvious answer is that jjk has successfully subverted tropes time and time again. But I think it actually goes much deeper than that.

I am not sure that I speak for everyone. But... like would I be me if I didn't turn this answer into an exploration of depth? It's just that for those of us who feel jjk in our bones and don't see it as yet another basic shonen story... I feel like jjk speaks deeply to our humanity.

Whether we are conscious of it or not, stories are carriers of subjective truth and experience. And jjk is moving and shaking the collective psyche because of what it's saying about our shared humanity.

The basic shonen recipe

(source)

The thing is that I started watching Jujutsu Kaisen because I had an expectation that a shonen story had a good chance of catching my attention.

I've seen a lot of anime, and a lot shonen anime to be more specific. So I went in assuming jjk would follow a specific recipe.

Light haired, yang/Sun archetype, happy go lucky with a single-minded determination to achieve something shonen mc who goes on a hero's journey, learns about himself, and powers up as a result of his journey...

Bonus points if he has a demon inside of him and joins a tight knit 3-man squad made up by dynamic personalities that is mentored by the strongest teacher.

That said, it is the way Gege has explored every single one of these tropes that has made jjk unique in my eyes. I particularly love that there is a certain intentionality to how jjk's characters express typical shonen character traits outside of the way the recipe is usually followed...

The result is the same... but the means and the journey in jjk are explored through an existential and psychological lens that is very grounded in our humanity (aka relatable).

I think more than being a battle shonen, jjk is an exploration of the sense of self first and foremost.

In that sense, jjk is an exploration on how the sense of self is shaped. Like the panel above setting the stage for one of the main themes in jjk: how facing the existential fear of death shapes the sense of self.

So to me jjk is intentional about asking deep questions about life, and telling stories about characters who ask the same questions and how they go about finding answers.

As such, jjk asks that we question the very foundation of our identity as we come face to face with how our expectations haven't matched up to the reality of the world around us...

Similarly, jjk asks that we consider the difference between choosing a life worth living true to what truly matters to us...

...and realizing a little bit too late that what we thought mattered was not as important...

jjk is saying there are consequences to your actions and face them you must even if it all feels bleak...

And to me, that's because Gege understands people on a very deep level. To the point that if you're a jjk fan and you feel moved by any of its characters, they move you deeply.

A lot of this is in the subtext, of course, so not everyone can understand these themes on an intellectual level, nor do they care for. And it doesn't matter if they do or not because jjk still shakes and moves so many people to the point that you have people who make a sport out of hating on it and spend hours complaining about it... like who has that much energy to focus on something they don't like 😭?

Anyway... if I had to say one thing that makes jjk unique, it is how it story tells--which is ironically the main complaint people have about it. Again... it's a niche story that has mass appeal.

I love Gege's writing because to me it isn't about his technical skill, but his vision and the topics he explores. As someone who's been consuming animanga for 25+ years, an author with a unique writing style and an interesting premise doesn't come often. Gege is that author for me.

Anyways... Gege probably didn't even think of any of that...

jjk is just another battle shonen.

About why people love Gojo

Honestly? I'm the wrong person to ask 😂. I haven't a clue. Maybe because he's a cute bishoen? And also the strongest?

No clue lol. Anyone want to chime in with why they love Gojo?

But I fully agree with this and saved it just for you lol 👇🏼

(source)

Thanks for dropping by anon! :)

[percahliaweek]

Day 7: Free / Random Prompt

It's really hard to believe that this is already over.

I think I can speak for everyone when I say that I'm in awe of the creativity and passion of this community. As of writing this I can see 80+ fics in our AO3 collection and 40+ incredible pieces of artwork (of which I need to go back and tag more from day 1)! And with more to come - from people completing their WIPs past this date, to fics inspired by art and vici-versa, this blog will continue to be active as needed.

So... now what?

If you're looking for a last-minute prompt for today, we can recommend plenty of ways to get some (random) inspiration! Random page of the Encyclopedia Exandria / Random word generator / OTP prompt generator / AU generator / @ghostofwhitestone 's Spell prompts [roll 2d20?] / Wild Magic Surge table / Life events table

Comment, comment, comment! Gush in the tags of your favorite artwork, leave an essay or a massive keysmash on your favorite fics! Give back a little of the love all these creators have shown, especially the little ones that might be overlooked.

Speaking of: starting tomorrow, we'll be reblogging some pieces again to get more eyes on them!

Given the success of this celebration, we hope to give Perc'ahlia Week another shot next year! It will likely be from Monday the 23rd to Sunday the 29th, with the 29th keeping Yours / Later given it's the anniversary of Passed Through Fire. As for the rest of the prompts... well, it's a bit too early to start planning yet, but I can say there are plenty of excellent ideas for prompts going forward and we hope to make a poll to iron out the final list. Wayyyy down the line (as well as any other preferences for the event going forward: announcement date, anything to make it easier to participate, etc.).

I'd like to give a huge shoutout to all the participants: you've blown us away with your skill and creativity, and I really hope you got as much out of this experience as you put in. Thank you so, so much, you make this fandom a wonderful place to be in.

To those on the sidelines: your enjoyment of everything these creators share is half the fun! Thank you for joining us for the ride, and for letting your delight shine through. Hopefully you can join us next year!

And a final thank you to all the mods who helped this run smoothly: @essayofthoughts, @rightpastnowhere and @crithaus, it was a pleasure keeping this ship (hah! get it?) on course with y'all while also watching you offer your own contributions to Perc'ahlia Week. @burr-ell, my co-admin, thank you so much for helming this with me, your insight was always astute and your work dearly appreciated (im sorry for changing your nickname to butt-ell </3). Also thanks me @blorbologist i guess.

[staticl0ve]

Hi :)

I am so not well versed in the fine art that is tumblr communication (so sorry if this is a weird way to say this) but I wanted to leave some praise for your amazing fics, since they definitely played a role in inspiring me to start writing for the dbh fandom after all these years, which I had been way too nervous to do in the past.

I know I gushed vaguely about Exile just yesterday, but even so, I thought I would leave this here as a reminder of how lucky everyone (myself included) is to have the pleasure of reading your amazing fics. Thanks a ton for always giving me something to look forward to whenever you post <3

I am blushing so hard. JUST. SPEECHLESS. EEE. Omgggg. I am so happy to have inspired anything!!! I’ll have you know I had some mutuals rec your writing so be prepared for a reverse uno where I’ll be able to COMMENT BACK. 💙

Exile was such a journey to write. Just weeks of listening to a sad song playlist on loop LMAO. So glad you enjoyed it! Agh brb gonna ugly cry over here. 💙✨✨

[metallteeff]

i’m going to gush about this book under the cut because it might be my favorite book ever

i’m not going to say bpd is perfectly correlated with the idea of a mirror or that everyone with bpd has an obsession with The Mirror or mirror imagery because i feel people would take that the wrong way and understand it as vanity but this book is not only a mirror to me but also perfectly explains this idea of The Mirror through her what she’s experienced and having little or no identity. The idea of forcing yourself to paint an image on a mirror instead of just wearing your clothes. i’m using more prose than review but this books has made so much easier for me to understand how much of my thought process is powered by my bpd, and usually this would be one of the most earth shattering things, because that idea that bpd has so much control over me makes me feel like a dissected bug something disgusting and vulnerable but this book says that exactly before i can even finish the thought. it repeats thoughts u had yesterday from a book written years before i had it. it presents every thought i’ve had or tried to push down right in front of me on a published page.

bpd for me makes it so hard to connect because of this imaginary game of social connection you start to make up in your head. you’re trying to play chess with checkers and you don’t even know how either game works. the author lisa johnson lays out exactly the web of her life and connections and her idea of tactics that play out seemingly without her executive decision. these things just happen because she wants them to so she acts on them. this is the only way something can happen when you’re thinking through the way bpd works. you’re forced down a cattle canal with a nail gun at the end. it’s a one track mind sent down a labyrinth of choices and you’re poorly equipped for strategy.

not only that but the dissection of the facade(s) that come with having bpd is also wonderfully done (and how could it not be when told by someone with bpd). so often are facades presented as two layers: something to lure and something to trap. something delicious that leads to torture. with this people think those with bpd only aim to do these things, that we are oriented around the goal of destruction and only get to know people to slowly close our jaw over them. i think then too many people with bpd add this idea and belief as another layer onto our made up game of charades and chess. if you know i have this then you won’t love me anymore, that’s when ill have to flare or fringe and quills. i’ll have to do this to show you you’re right and wrong, that im awful and scared. that i am a defense mechanism as a whole. the book starts with this presentation too, making the read feel as though you’re following and outsiders path in. it begins with repeating talk of celebrities and house fires and the fascinations with public meltdowns. the connection you have to public figures pushed to their limit and lashing out and arguing tabloids reports like that’s a person in itself. this follows up with an incredibly clinical chapter, and if we treat this book in itself as a person (as its later described as) it feels distinctly placed there to make up for the gossip of the last chapter. this continues on as we get deeper and more personal with the authors life and the back and forth becomes clear this is the every day change and adjustment with bpd.

i’ve never read a book that feels like i am just reading my own diary with different names, jobs, and places. she discusses how her art and writing seems to teeter on being a favorite person itself, how when you have no identity it’s not just “hard to maintain a relationship” it’s utterly impossible to understand what attraction is. how aversion to comfort is more plausible but wonders why nothing you choose is comfortable. how analytical you have to be with bpd, weighing pros and cons, which without explanation seems as cold and callous “strategy” to anyone without it (though it’s just so you make the “better decision” in the end). this book is catharsis for every article that focuses on the bpd’s loved ones pain rather than that affected by the disorder. for every time you ask “what about me?” through gritted teeth and green eyes this book shares that deep inside grinding pain saying “i know”. it’s such a wonderful book that i really genuinely do start to get light headed reading this.

it’s a hard read, not in terms of content or a sudden wave of self loathing, but because it starts to destroy the wall or hole many with bpd have surrounding loneliness. “there is no one like me” is destroyed when you read lisa johnson describe your life in fine detail in the exact code words you always use so no one will know what is actually going on inside. when you cuts in clippings from artists, psychological studies, and pop culture i see my art fold out in front of me too, trying to make this same exact message. when this feeling of utter god awful loneliness starts to be dismantled by her words you see piece by piece what yours is actually made up of, where it came from, and how to discard it. there are people like you, but we all are so utterly terrified of being turned inside out we don’t just build a barrier, we incase ourselves in resin to sit and wait and be chipped out. consider this book the hammer and chisel.

i recommend this book to absolutely anyone. if you have bpd you will find some solace in it in certain, i’ve found it in every page down to every paragraph. if you love someone or even know someone with bpd i really encourage you to read it. it’s not just a bullet point list of things that ppl with bpd do or feel like, it is drenched in what having it is like. the formatting and text is sporadic with lines that imitate self harm inflictions littering breaks between paragraphs at random. words get bolded and each word of sentences are broken up by periods. italics shrink to the bottom of the page and font changes mid paragraph when floundering to keep up an appearance. it’s an insightful book because reading it you experience these episodes along with them happening. it leads you on a simulation of how out of control thus disorder is and feels. if you’re struggling to understand your loved one or yourself this book lays it out down to having a readers guide with questions to answer in the back.

it’s been an incredibly beautiful experience to read through this and see oddities i thought were disgusting exist in another human being as it’s always easier to understand and be kind to another’s pain than your own. reaaaaaad it.

[sheirukitriesfandom]

Summer Reading/Writing/Arting Tag

@thequeenofthewinter (and I think domeone else too but there's nothing in my notifications 🤔) tagged me a while back but because I have a whole bunch of shit going on irl I've been feeling rather "socially drained" and putting all my free time into Italian and ESO.

So sorry for the wait 😅.

Tagging: @elavoria @skyrim-forever @alma-amentet @katastronoot @miraakulous-cloud-district @dirty-bosmer

1) Describe one creative WIP project you’re planning to work on over the summer.

I hope I'll finally finish ACoS: Foe so I can move on to the letter G (ACoS is based on a series of letter prompts). I also want to continue with my original writing project.

2) Rec a book!

I rarely get around to reading for myself rather than uni (two foreign languages = two literary canons, yay), so I'm going with an author I admire greatly. 

I recommend "The House* of Ulloa" (Los pazos* de Ulloa) by Emilia Pardo Bazán. 

The story is set in 19th century Galicia and follows the young priest Julian Alvarez, who becomes chaplain for the marquis of Ulloa. Upon his arrival at the run-down estate, he gets drawn into the intrigues between the marquis, Pedro Moscoso; his majordomo, a suspicious, brutish man named Primitivo; and Primitivo's daughter Sabel, who is the mother of Perucho, Pedro's illegitimate son.

The House of Ulloa is an example of the Spanish naturalist movement, so if you're a fan of minimalist style, this book probably isn't for you.

*House doesn't exactly equal pazo. A pazo is a manor house in the countryside which often looks a bit like a small castle.

(Pazo de Meiras, where EPB used to live. Sadly, it later became the summer home of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco...)

3) Rec a fic! 

A Dream of Empire by Melampus

I'll just let the summary do the work for me:

"The Empire was all Lyrian had ever known. From a simple war mage trainee to Fatebinder, she never looked back on her choices, assured of her life as a loyal servant of the Empire and the Overlord. The war of conquest for the Tiers changed that. The fires of war forged Lyrian into something else beyond a mere tool. War was an ugly, dirty thing, but Lyrian felt right at home in the grime of battle, the spilling of blood. She never aspired to more, yet the world simply laughed.

And yet, in the chaos of war, there was a constant that she gravitated around without truly realizing it. Or rather, someone.

The Fatebinder of Balance."

I love Lyrian and her relationship with Calio, I love the additions to Tyranny's worldbuilding, I love the way everyone is characterised—it's just a great fic for a great, underrated game.

4) Rec music!

I've been thinking long and hard about which Trve Kvlt metal band I'd talk about just to show off my ~~eclectic taste~~ but fuck, I wanna gush about Angelo Branduardi. 

I love Angelo Branduardi. 

He's a renown Italian folk/traditional/pop musician, author, film soundtrack composer, (small-time) actor and, relatively recently, voice actor for a point & click adventure game.  

His music spans an incredible range of genres, lyrics & time periods ranging from songs of medieval origin to quiet folk to singer/songwriter to pop. He's released 28 studio albums and 50 albums in total. My favourites are the "Futuro Antico'' albums which contain adaptations of traditional songs from different areas and time periods as well as languages.

For example, the other day I listened to "Loibere Risen" from the first Futuro Antico album and thought to myself "Wait a minute, that's not exactly German… but it sounds so German I can kinda understand it." It's a song from the 13th century sung in Middle High German… Other obscure languages and dialects, such as Occitan, also find their way onto those albums.

Many publications call Branduardi a "modern day bard" and I think that's an apt description so if you're in any way inclined towards folk and "Bard-ish" music (or are learning Italian and looking for an easy to understand singer), I recommend you check him out.

Oh, and Angelo Branduardi is also the voiceclaim for Chief Justiciar Valcarion, one of my ESO OCs.

 5) Share one piece of advice!

When it comes to creative activities, rules are there to be broken. 

For any creative expression there are so many guides out there telling you to do this and that and while you should understand why those rules exist, don't let them limit you. Write that experimental 500k word novel from the perspective of a goose, wear that weird outfit you find cool even if they tell you those colours don't go together or it's out of fashion, draw that proportion-defying figure even if people tell you that's not how it works. 

It's all about expression and it's all good as long as those deviations from the norm are your intent (rather than, say, trying to draw a proportional human being but failing and hiding behind style).

[canayams-art]

i also feel like the animation this season is different, more crisps or something, because it looks even better than season 1 already gorgeous one. fengqing taking hold of me again was unexpected, but im dealing with the onslaught of emotions! i think it's just been too long since ive seen them in new scenes :"))

LQQ IS THE MVP OF THE DONGHUA AT THIS POINT! i looooove his design so much, more than the manhua one personally, and every scene he was in was soo good, i would have hard time choosing the one favorite as well. i think lqq debut this season was absolutely on point, and honestly i love watching him on my screen. he's so precious and when i tell you every scenes he's in makes me love him more and more im not kidding.

KEJEJJRJRJ FY AND LQQ INTERACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN SOO GOOD! especially considering mq is much more open as fu yao and being touched by lqq's sincerity and concern for mq would be right there on his face. (dw they make me cry as well🥹) i think i would also like to explore lqq's reaction to qi rong insulting mq, or maybe even their interactions during the aftermath of the tong'lu. mq being canonically good with children and helping lqq with guzi would be soo cute 🥰🥺 their potential for a strong and genuine companionship has me squealing as i write this, no lie

im so with you on your view of quirong!! it's definitely not a ship for me, even if i do tend to give every ship i come across a chance. although i think a fandom as well plays a role in my dislike, the overall impression of the ship didn't really give me the right vibe to like it either. im not above liking a pretty fanart for them when i come across it, but overall i just don't care about them. however it is always nice when you come across someone who also isn't a fan of the popular ship, makes you feel less crazy for not liking them 😭

mhmm if only more people thought like that, the discourses in the fandom would not exist :") it's so silly thinking everyone would have the same taste about fiction and media they watch and choose to interact with, and if that were to be the case the fandoms would be such a dull place to be. everyday i feel like the fandoms have went from a fun place to find like-minded people who enjoy things you do and with whom you can gush over your silly little blorbos, to this draining chore where you're constantly afraid someone will be on your throat for whatever reason if you dare say something about any character whether you like them or don't. it's honestly becoming exhausting but that's exactly why curating your own fandom experience and environment is important to have fun.

im personally ready to drop a fic if i see a trope i don't like or interpretation i don't agree with, even if i was already invested into the story prior. im willing to look past the characterization issue when the fics are clearly meant to be crack, but otherwise it really is very important to me that characters be the closest to canon as possible, especially in canon universe. modern aus are tricky, but honestly with enough lore throw in to explain it, i can swallow slight mischaracterization. anything fanon related tho, yeah im dipping so fast 😭 gods i sure sound pretentious and nitpicky about this but it's true, i learned the hard way that the only way to enjoy a fandoms is to set standards for what you like and not and not really care about others opinions, it's so much more enjoyable and you will eventually find the like-minded people who will support your delusions

side characters are gold mine when it comes to fics and general fandom experience, and from what ive noticed, the less popular the better 😭😭 sure you will probably have to make your own fan work but it's soo worth it at the end of the day! also less discourses so it's definitely a win. i also feel like the side characters/pairings usually have more interesting concepts when it comes to fics/art 🤔 this is not the case in every fandom but from my experiences, fics and art about side characters somehow feel more satisfying? idk to me it always comes across how people make a thing without it being cut out and served for them by already established canon, so to me it always feels more enjoyable to interact with such works

FIRST TIME DRAWING SQX?!?!?!!! IM ALMOST TEMPTED NOT TO BELIEVE IT! SQX IS SO GORGEOUS IN YOU ARTSTYLE AND IM DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THEM AGAIN AT SOME POINT IF YOU DECIDE TO DRAW THEM AGAIN! im also not so subtly stalking you account for any lqq rarepait you decide to grace us with 👀👀

I’m so sad we have to wait a little longer for the next episode to come out,,,,, I need to see fengqing more 😭 Also!!! Lqq really is the heart and soul of the season so far!!! I guess that makes sense considering we’re right in the middle of his arc but he really is such a joy to see in every scene— they really made him so baby and if last episode is anything to go by they’re about to make him so anguished (affectionate). I love this boy so much.

Also every time we bring up more and more different qianqing scenarios, I can’t help feeling that they’re actually so surprisingly complimentary to each other. Now I’m actually just disappointed that mxtx never really explored their dynamic. Lqq would’ve been a perfect ally in mq’s hardships and mq would’ve been a such an asset to have in the search for qr and the management of Guzi’s care (not sure if mq would be nurturing but he’d definitely come through with a lot of “Why aren’t you [insert form of care here] ?”). They could’ve benefited from being closer.

I think there’s something novel about side characters and rarepairs that makes them (personally) so appealing. We don’t see so much about them so we want to know more and from that want comes so much unique and interesting exploration. I just read an entire story about a pair of main guys— I wanna know more about the people who were a part of their story. It’s about the fun of redirecting the spotlight 🥹

(Also I think in a way everyone is a little pretentious with their personal preferences for what they enjoy and how they enjoy it. If the writing or the art isn’t doing anything for you or it loses you along the way then that’s just part of the subjective experience of the arts! It’s okay to admit to being picky or selective.)

Anyway—! As a lqq art peddler I am happy to keep peddling more lqq art in the future. Might even start drawing more donghua lqq (manhua lqq is very special to me but donghua lqq has charmed me so much 😭). I really gotta get back into the frenzied rate at which I used to draw him— now with a couple extra boyfriends LMAO.