#i adored the visuals i adored the music i adored the story i adored P

[halebobgr]

Rise of P

[kaplancik5]

My Thoughts On The Little Mermaid Live Action

I personally loved the movie.

The visual affects were stunning. It made it seem like it was actually taking place underwater, which was the point and they achieved that pretty well.

I personally don’t mind Flounder and Sebastian looking realistic because every other fish is also realistic in the movie, so they fit in and don’t look out of place.

I especially loved the music. I’m a huge fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work in general, and he did not disappoint and amazed me with his work once again. In my opinion the songs were the most entertaining and enjoyable part of the movie and kept it from being boring.

The songs feel like musical theater songs, I’m not surprised by that because Lin-Manuel Miranda worked on them and he has worked for Broadway musicals before. They sounded fantastic.

The Scuttlebutt didn’t feel so out of place. Out of context it feels weird but with the context not so much. Because Scuttles mostly blabbers in the movie.

The rap wasn’t bad in my opinion.

Also, I found Daveed Diggs’ (he voices Sebastian in the live action) rap at the end of the song to hype up Ariel to get ready to be kinda similar to Daveed Diggs role in Hamilton as Lafayette when he was telling Washington to get his right hand man back for the war. If this was intentional, it felt like a nice reference.

I love how different Halle Bailey is to the original Ariel.

The original Ariel’s Part of Your World song seemed a bit melancholic and Ariel seemed resigned to her fate. Halle Bailey’s Ariel’s Part of Your World song was a combination of frustration and determination. This made the two reprises of the song later on in the film even more powerful. With one being hopeful and the other being sorrowful. I commend Halle Bailey on conveying all those different emotions, she’s an excellent singer and actress.

Unlike the animated film, Ariel doesn't actually go up to the surface until after her fight with her father which is a small but smart change that I liked. Instead of being rebellious because she's a teenager this version of Ariel is frustrated at the fact that she's constantly ignored and controlled and I like that Triton's unreasonable behavior effectively becomes the catalyst for her to go to the surface, I like that irony.

The storm in the beginning of the movie felt almost identical to the animated movie. The effects felt realistic and climactic.

I love how Ariel got a song when she first became a human. It made us see her perspective and understand her better.

Compared to to the animated Ariel, this version of Ariel was less Love Struck. Instead she seems to be more intrigued by Eric in the human world which does feel more realistic. It shows her curiosity for the human world a lot more. Which is a change I liked.

I’m glad they didn’t go for the love at first sight thing for the remake and gave Ariel and Eric time to bond. I loved the chemistry between them.

I personally prefer their bonding time in the live action over the dinner they had in the original, and we still got a “dinglehopper” scene.

Also, I found the way Eric learned Ariel’s name to be adorable.

In the animated film it's kind of a love at first sight moment with Ariel falling for Eric after he talks about looking for his dream girl but in the live action it's more like their kindred spirits both feeling pressured to live up to their family's expectations of them and sharing a desire to explore the world. They understood each other and related to one another without the use of words, which I find adorable.

I loved the market Eric and Ariel went to. The production team made a fantastic job, it really seemed like it could be a marketplace in the kingdom. I also love the choreography, the music and the dance for the place, it seemed very fitting and not out of place.

I also love how we got to see Prince Eric’s side of the story, he even had his own song.

In my opinion him being adopted gives him more character depth, him loosing his parents in a shipwreck gives him more reason to be so drawn to the sea.

When Eric recovered he sends people to look for the girl who saved him and I like that he takes a more active role in finding her in the live action, unlike in the animated movie where he’s just wandering around on a beach. Because of the incident his mother forbids him from sailing again which leads to our first new song of the film wild Uncharted Waters. The lyrics are filled with Maritime references which are a bit obvious which is good in my opinion because it makes the viewer understand them easier. It works for the new direction they've taken with Eric's character. It feels like a heartfelt song, I think Jonah Hauer-King made a great delivery of it.

I also liked how Ariel instantly forgot she had to kiss Eric. It made it seem like their love was even more “impossible” because if she couldn’t kiss Eric she’d turn back into a mermaid and be under Ursula’s control. It also made Ursula even more evil.

Ursula and Triton were actually siblings during the early development of the 1989 film but this dynamic was scrapped, I’m glad we got to see it in the live action.

I think Trident and Ursula being related helps with Ariel’s deal with Ursula.

Because Ariel had never met Ursula, she had just heard what her father said about her. She doesn’t fully believe her father because he also told her people are evil and she saw that to be false with her own eyes when she saw Eric. She was already doubting about what her father thought of “evil”.

She had also just gotten into a big fight with him and her trust for him had decreased.

She was also scared of her and thought about leaving but Ursula successfully manipulated her.

I also think the live action Ursula is pretty good. She’s manipulative and evil, she also has a great voice.

Overall, I think the changes were good changes and fit into the story.

[zombieeparty]

Me again.

Just curious.

What would you say the main inspirations are behind your OCs?

I can’t recall if I told you about mine (Leon Vartanian. Star Wars OC. Bisexual autistic ballet dancing space lion and ex-fugitive). The main inspirations I had for him stemmed from a need for Star Wars to have more non human protagonists, hence why I made him.

I don't think you did! That sounds like a pretty neat oc XD

As for the main question, you've just opened the Pandora's box of asking me about my fictional guys...

For my ocs, I think the main thing that inspires them, both in terms of look, tone and story, are just all of the things I love. Movies (especially the works of Martin Scorcese!), traditionally animated films, fashion and music of the 1960s-80s, and anthropomorphic animals.

That's probably (definitely) the reason I love drawing them so much, they're literally just a mishmash of all my favorite-est things :p

My main ocs' setting and story take a lot of inspiration from movies I've seen, but especially two films in particular- Goodfellas and Casino. I consider them both to be perfect movies (in my opinion at least!) I could go on forever about how much I adore the works of Martin Scorcese. Personally I would give anything to see a dramatic crime story such as those two films told through anthropomorphic animals in flashy clothes. Hence, my ocs...

I also really love putting my favorite tropes and characters into my ocs! For example, Klaus (the bespectacled coyote who is begrudgingly Nick's confidant :p) is pretty directly inspired by Clarence Boddicker from Robocop. Even down to the name, fashion sense, and seeming at first glance to be an odd fit for a crime boss. What can I say, I love the idea of a deranged sadistic criminal hiding under the thin veneer of looking like a college-professor.

Clarence my beloved <3

Nick himself is an oc I've had for years and years now, definitely for more than 6 years. His old name used to be Snickerdoodle

I've always been drawn to characters who look scary and dangerous but are actually just tortured souls. That explains him pretty well, I think, but I'm not sure how much of that I've been able to communicate through the stuff I've posted here. A lot of their story lives in my brain, and I've yet to find a concise way to format it all yet!

I think the biggest inspirations for Nick's personality have been characters like Winslow Leach (Phantom of the Paradise), Henry Hill (Goodfellas), Ace Rothstein (Casino), Sonny (Dog Day Afternoon), and more I'm probably forgetting.

Visually speaking, more recently Nick has been looking more and more similar to Scar from the Lion King. That's most likely subconscious- I just like characters with scars on their faces. My style has also drawn a lot of inspiration from the works of Tracy Butler, which might be a bit more than obvious in some of my fanarts.

Anyways, I think I've gone on for long enough xD if you can't tell I really love my ocs and I love talking about them (and tysm for asking me hehe)

[absentcaryatid]

Jealous Yeosang

An ATEEZ fanfic by AbsentCaryatid

Inspired by Yeosang's Universe TMT quiz answer that he would rather have ATINY look at another idol than catch them going to another idol's concert.

1.2K words, Content note: gender neutral reader, rated all ages, the jealousy is teasing only

~

It was a cozy night in with your boyfriend over. Given Yeosang's fame as a member of ATEEZ, most of your dates were quiet evenings at your place or his and tonight was no exception. After the takeout meal he had arrived with was demolished, you ended up cuddled on the couch watching television together. Revisiting a favorite series on Netflix, you had brought up the first episode of Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung to introduce Yeosang to the series.

You thought he was getting into the show the way he was watching so intently but you were missing the way your devoted partner kept a close eye on your reaction every time the character Prince Dowon showed up on the screen. Finally he could keep it in no longer and paused the video. “That actor is Cha Eunwoo. I recognize him from the group Astro.”

“You are right,” you agreed. “I really like him....”

Yeosang cut you off with a snort. “So you have a thing for the visual in each group? He is taller than me and a model too.” His tone was taunting, but the slump of his shoulders hinted that an insecurity was exposed.

“Are you jealous?” Turning on the couch to face him, you caressed his cheek gently. “As I was saying, I really like him paired with Shin Se-kyung as Goo Hae-ryung. They make a great couple. Seeing them on screen makes me think of us and how much I love you.”

He visibly relaxed, but still looked stressed. “You are not just waiting to move on to him if you get the chance?”

You drew back in shock. “Yeosang, I could never. There is nobody for me but you.” He seemed to recover further until you made an addition. “Sure Eunwoo is handsome, and I like to look at him, but that is all. Okay, maybe I'd also go see Astro in concert.”

Yeosang pretended to be scandalized. “Not only do I expect loyalty as my partner, but as an ATINY as well.”

Wrapping your arms around him you bestowed a deep kiss then drew back. “As a couple we are exclusive, Yeosang, but as a music listener I can make no promises. ATEEZ will always be my ultimate group, but my heart has room for many musicians. You have seen my album collection after all.”

As someone who benefited from the occasional raiding of your extensive music library, Yeosang agreed it was okay to love many groups. Settling back into the cushions once more, you leaned against each other and resumed the series, liking it so much he binged three episodes before falling asleep snuggled into your side. Multiple dates went on like this until sighing together at the expected happy ending for the lovers in the story.

Such frequent time in close contact on the couch had been good to build up a reserve of loving touch to get you through time apart once Yeosang was on tour with ATEEZ. While the video calls and messages left on your phone were meaningful, you still needed ways to distract yourself from missing your adored boyfriend.

The best idea you came upon was to go to an Astro concert. Originally you had hoped to go with Yeosang when your boyfriend was back from overseas tomorrow, but that date was sold out before you could get tickets. While tonight's entertainment had been fun, it was not as enjoyable without your partner there at your side.

Show now over, you sauntered to the bus stop humming your favorite tune from the evening. Your way was lit by the white light stick with vivid purple star declaring yourself an Astro fan. You held it aloft, swaying, as you relived highlights of the performance.  

“Hey ATINY,” you heard a very familiar voice call out. Looking up, you saw Yeosang lowering the backseat passenger window as one of the KQ Entertainment sedans drove by and your face broke out in the largest grin. Opening the door, he pulled you into the vehicle.

Surprised by Yeosang's presence when he was not due home yet, you kissed him all over after being apart for so long. Once he could get a moment to breathe, he revealed that he caught an earlier flight home because he missed you so much. “I just left the airport headed to the dorm and we passed by the concert hall lit up for Astro. To see my own beloved partner walking down the street waving that group's light stick while I am supposedly still out of the country was hard to take.”

Professional as he was most of the time, the manager at the wheel was still heard to laugh as Yeosang mock berated you for going to see a concert that was not ATEEZ.

“It was one thing to have you looking at Eunwoo on screen, that I could endure. But to go to see him live on stage? Cheating on me like that is unforgivable!”

The way you laughed in return let Yeosang know you understood he was only joking. A truly jealous and controlling partner would have been ditched by you in an instant. Instead you both recognized his reaction for what it really was. Envy. Yeosang would have liked being at the concert too if he had been available. Even with his own tour stories to tell, he listened politely as you excitedly recounted everything you enjoyed about the show you had been caught headed home from.

“Sounds like you liked it a lot. Does that mean you wouldn't mind going again tomorrow night as my date?” Your look of joy gave Yeosang the answer he was hoping for. “You have sacrificed a lot for my fame and while I know you enjoy our evenings at my dorm or your place, I wanted to take you out on a real date and that's why I came back on the night flight instead of with the rest of the guys tomorrow. We have dinner reserved at that nice place you have been wanting to try, then front row seats for the second day of Astro's performance.” 

This was one of the many reasons you adored Yeosang. There was so much to him beyond a stunning face and witty commentary. He listened to what you liked and remembered that information to put it to use making you happy. That thoughtfulness went a long way with you because it was your love language too.

The next night as you sat side by side, you took note Yeosang knew all the fanchants by heart. After the fantastic meal he had gifted you the latest version of the Astro light stick so tonight he borrowed your older model and you bobbed them in time to the music. Yeosang was not even bothered when Eunwoo himself blew a kiss in your direction from the stage, especially not when you reacted by squeezing his own hand tighter, landing a kiss to Yeosang's cheek, and thanking him yet again for such a perfectly planned date with the only man you loved.

~

Yeosang Masterlist

General Masterlist

[angstmongertina]

WIP Wednesday Results/Sentences

Aaand the poll is over! Thank you to everyone who voted! I adore you and my muse hates you. :P

Accountability sentences (and copied/new fic premises) under the cut! Since not everything got a vote this time, I'll be skipping the ones that didn't get any votes.

Letters to Nadia – From a shared 7KPP ‘verse with @teaandinanity’s Valya where our characters’ kids decided they were in love with each other. (Supposed to be 1 sentence but shhhh it's fine.)

He shakes his head, regretting it a moment later when the world swirls precariously around him, but the image of Nadia, her face set in that perfectly polite smile he knows hides disapproval and genuine hurt, continues to swim before his eyes. Genuine hurt caused by him. Then again, that’s still better than the alternative. He can handle hurt. Hurt is better than fear. Or, at least, that’s what he’ll have to convince himself of.

forever i’m yours, forever i do – A retelling of Artem’s second anniversary card that started as just an attempt to write out the smut and that VERY MUCH grew out of control HELP (3 sentences, but I added an extra just 'cause.)

To distract himself, he glances to the side, where Jeremy is fidgeting with his cufflinks, but before he can do anything more than offer a sympathetic look, the music swells with the familiar strain of Pachelbel, and he stiffens, straightening as a sudden hush falls over the audience. He’s supposed to be watching Celestine. He knows this. He hears the crowd murmur as she steps into view, feels the sharp inhale from the man beside him as he lays eyes on his bride, and yet he barely even notices, because all he can see, all he knows, is her.

Homecoming – For the CoG story Teahouse of the Gods, because the A'Li romance was right up my alley. Continuing the angstier version. (1 sentence)

She’s the first one to break the sudden stillness, words falling out of her mouth before she can even think about them: “You haven’t changed.”

Oh Brother – Again from the shared 7KPP 'verse mentioned above, Thomas’ little sister’s version of what happened. (3 sentences turned into three paragraphs OH WELL)

“Doesn’t know everything about her either.” His voice is unusually soft, one might even say hesitant, and Iris turns to find him with an odd expression in his eyes, though the next moment, it’s hidden under his typical teasing grin. “Sorry, you’ll have to find another source of information for your gossip.” “Ugh, what good are you, then?” Aster grumbles, but there’s a satisfaction in their mannerism that means they’ve already achieved what they intended to. Though the jury is still out on whether or not it’s actually helpful.

Spiral Point – More 7KPP because the brainrot is real, but this time for Camyon’s childhood friends AU. Here is more of their first interaction at the Summit, when neither of them actually recognize the other. :D (1 sentence)

Those sharp dark eyes were still fixed on her, however, and she realized belatedly that she was staring. “My apologies, Your Grace.”

Dinghun Zhou – CinderLia! In an alternate universe in which there is no Summit, but there’s still an event to try and find a wife for the perpetually single Duke Lyon. (2 sentences)

She raised an eyebrow and the man gave a sheepish smile. “He did inform me I was not to return until I was certain I could bring back an acceptance from you.”

King's Gambit – Fic for Gilded Shadow I started ages ago and never finished. Because Lance's route sniped me REALLY hard. Ari? Saw that coming. Caissa? Not terribly surprising. But LANCE????? (3 sentences)

She was, as he had already identified, a star student, and her focus on her exam, her little oasis in the chaos swirling just outside of her visual range, made it relatively easy to monitor her well-being. Until suddenly it wasn’t. It all happened so quickly, he nearly missed it.

That Which Binds Us – Also an ooooold old fic, this time for Fire Emblem Awakening and Chrobin. Because I had Ideas about what was happening in the background of the first half of the game, but I am terrible at multichapter things. (2 sentences but I cheated one more time.)

The concern softened into faint amusement, though she kept her thoughts to herself as she smiled. “I was just wondering if that was all, but maybe we should just say it is. We need our leader focused and alert, after all.” He shook his head with a rueful grin.

Much cheating was done in terms of making things longer than requested, but hey, better that than shorter! Thank you if you read them all!

[himi-wiz]

Btw is no one talking about this on tumblr but Verbal Justice has been out for a week ago and I was waiting for a post to scream about it but no one made a post and I couldn't stand not talking about Nemu, Ichijiku and Otome-sama.

Immaculate vibes! Gosh the rhyming especially Otome's bars, I am worshipping. So. Hard.

Here are some thoughts on favourite parts and screenshot with gorgeous visuals.

NEMU. BELOVED. MY GORGEOUS DARLING YOU ARE STUNNING IN THIS. TELL THOSE BOYS TO BUZZ OFF YES. 🥺💀🌹💕

Gosh her flower motive always gets me, such a beautiful world she strives for especially in comparison to her brother Samatoki's work as a Mafia Boss which is like, a life full of death, darkness and corruption.

ICHIJIKU <3333 PLEASE STEP-- I mean, please continue to tell us how you'll wreck wretched men and put them in their place, yes ma'am. Lash out at the despicable patriarchal system you despise with all your heart's content, I'll support your ventures. Muah. 🥰❤💖💖

THEY REALLY MADE OTOME A GOD AND I CAN'T I AM ON MY KNEES HELP-- Sorry Dice, your mom's way too powerful. Good luck, dude.😔

Jokes aside the visual editing for this is crazy good, especially how she's both coated in shadows and the amber glow of the sun while rapping about her rise to power? What a Queen. Urgh. 🧎‍♀️🙏🌅🔥🔥✨

Admittedly Verbal Justice is not my fave melody line, the verses slap but the chorus is a bit slow with a haunting mantra-like repetition that can get grating unlike Femme Fatale. I understand it's intentional considering like saviour/path to God references though and it was fun though not something I'll slap onto a playlist I'll listen everyday unlike Magic Transistor or Hoodstars. Also Giga-P's never known for having a bad chorus so tough competition to beat there.

BUT YOU KNOW THE CRAZIEST THING ABOUT THIS.

THE SONG WRITER. THE LYRICS COMPOSER IS THE QUEEN OF J-HIPHOP HERSELF URASAKI AKIKO AKA AWICH. AND CHAKI ZULU IS ALSO ONE OF HER TOP PRODUCERS SHE WORKS WITH.

I'M SO DAMN IN LOVE AAAHHH

KING RECORDS ALWAYS PICK SUCH GOOD CHOICES FOR COMPOSERS, CREEPY NUTS, GIGA-P & REOL, TEDDYLOID, SHO KIRYUIN.

If only I can figure out how to access the other composers too. Invisible manners for example are tad hard to find in English but they do have a tumblr and twitter updates at least.

Awich's recommended discography:

Queendom is an autobiographical song about Awich's life story here and it's well worth a watch, phenomenal storytelling and I adore it so much.

And so it's like doubly amazing they got the Queen herself to make lyrics for Otome who's in a similar position of climbing to power with her own smarts, resolve and words for a better world in her homeplace like Awich returning to Japan where she moves hearts with her voice too. But well, there are clear differences there storyline wise when Otome is set up to be one of the top villains/antagonists. Very understandable sentiment tho.

And speaking of origin stories, Awich did do a collab with some Oikinawan youths, SugLawd Familiar and CHICO CARLITO called Longiness Remix. comments say they're (I think SugLawd Familiar in particular) in high school? Seriously?? And it's a jam!

(Here's the full song MV, no eng subs yet tho.)

And an article briefly explaining the video details!

I might do a couple of explanation posts on hypmic producers I adore sometime.

With that I'm out, cheers and stan women with amazing music hehe~

[interact-if]

Day 5 of the interviews! let’s give it up for Ligia! :chinhands:

Ligia, author of Love the Guard, Be the King

Latino Heritage Month Featured Author

Mathias' heart has been bleeding since his father, the former King, decided to punish you for his mistakes. As the youngest child of a lesser bourgeois, you were raised in the castle, between the King’s cruelty, the Queen’s friendship, and  Mathias’s kindness (or supposed kindness?).

Now, more than twenty Carnivals since your arrival, the King is dead and the Queen’s sickness  worsens each day. As the azure taint spreads in the kingdom and the Opalean Wars come to an end, it’s Mathias’s time to sit on the throne.

Will the docile Prince become a kind King, a violent Monarch, or a ruthless Tyrant? Will you have any say in it? And how much will your relationship change?

Love the Guard, Be the King Demo | Author’s Kofi | Read more [here]

Tags: historical, romance

(INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT)

Q1: So, tell us a little bit about the projects you’re working on!

With pleasure! Right now, I’m working on three main projects. My personal Visual Novel project, “Love the Guard, Be the King,” a second Visual Novel I’ve been secretly working on with a good friend for the past 10 months or so, and I also have an ongoing book series about hot, quirky supervillains—but I’ll focus only on the first two cause that’s what we’re here for, right? Hahaha.

LtGBtK is a really intimist experience, focused more on the MC’s and RO’s character arcs and how we can change depending on our experiences and how we feel about them. The entire plot happens in only four days, but it takes into account almost 30 years of history—basically Mathias’s (the only RO) entire life!

“Crystal Library” has mystery, romance, magic, 6 ROs, and a ton of memorable scenes already. I’m working on the graphics and the programming for this one, while Coco Nichole (@dreamybard), one of my favorite writers ever, is the brilliant mind behind the plot and all of CL’s characters! I can’t wait to share this one with you all. Romance is optional in both. :)

Q2: What excites you most about using interactive fiction? What are some of the biggest challenges?

What I LOVE and FEAR about all types of interactive fiction is how it invites players to, on a much deeper level, be part of the narrative. When reading books, we all work hard to translate beautiful sentences and scenes into images in your head. We interact with it, yes, but when playing IFs, we also explore the narrative in a different way; we have so much more agency over what happens! We sometimes have different paths to choose from, beautiful illustrations to unlock, or character traits that change depending on our choices… it’s amazing, and, IMO, it’s a very unique way to experience narratives.

But it’s also very complex, very demanding, and it can easily get out of hand if you give the players too many options/branches to follow, mainly when working with small teams or, in my case for LtGBtK, alone. *takes a deep breath* I just hope I’m doing a good job. .-.

Q3: What has been something in your project you’ve had to do a weird amount of research for?

Besides programming lol basically everything. For LtGBtK, I’m trying to create this weird fantasy with a modern-medieval society (?), so I’m constantly researching medieval customs, traditions, tools, and weirdly specific stuff like socks. Did people wear socks in the medieval era? What were their playing cards made of? When was ice cream invented? How did they shave? How did kids become knights? What were their perfumes made of? And soaps? What did they eat? How different was their wine? And what kind of materials or slang or fabrics can I use, and what can I change without completely breaking immersion?

 And then I shove all that into a pot and adapt it to a world where Mathias can literally put the world on fire with a wave of his hands. ♥

Q4: Which of your characters is most like you? How?

I think I’m a mix of them all, but mainly Mandra and Rafa (one of my main characters in my supervillain books). They have wildly different personalities and stories, but those two have clear views of the kind of person they want to be, they’re not afraid of their soft sides, and they are ready to work hard to become good at what they love. Rafa has a specially strong connection to her brother, like my siblings and I, and Mand is often locked in an eternal state of wanting to be alone and wanting to be surrounded by family/loved ones, so I guess we meet there too!

Q5: Does your heritage influence your characters as you create them? (How? Why or why not?)

Yes! There are the very basic ways, like habits, names, food, family dynamics, settings (mainly in my books, which are all very Brazilian), and Holidays. And then there’s a more personal way that I’m not entirely sure I can explain because I lived in Brazil for 28 years, and I’m not sure I can put that into words. The classics of our literature are different, Art, architecture, and music developed differently, my country was violently colonized and still faces the results of that violence (including but not limited to structural racism, classism, misogyny etc), I learned some Capoeira in my physical education class at school, we call non-Brazilians “gringos,” and so on. This is my normal, and this is what my characters would see as normal too, because I don’t know any different.

At the very core, all my characters are influenced by my country’s history, by our relationship with other countries, and by the values my parents taught me, passed down to them by my Indigeous-Spanish-Portuguese-German foremothers/fathers. :P

The main, more palpable way my heritage influences my characters, though, is through humor and theme. I think Brazilians have a very specific, sharp, and often very smart kind of humor that, IMO, stems from the type of history our country has, and the way we look at life, sometimes translating pain into humor. As for themes, I usually write about what makes me angry... and there’s a lot in Brazil’s history and modern society that causes me that. :)

But all I know for sure is that I want to show the world Brazilians are much more than samba and soccer.

 Q6: What is something you love to see in interactive fiction?

Other people! In the same way I add my history and worldview to my creations, I always approach stories thinking that there’s a whole, well, history behind them. And I love that! Also, I adore choices that feel impactful + good friendships and family relationships + soft romances with mutual respect. ♥

Q7: Any advice to give?

Hmm. Be proud and celebrate who you are and where you’re from. Learning and understanding the world inside us is a life-long process, so it’s always a victory to discover new pieces of ourselves. :) Also, if you can, talk to people that come from different cultures than yours to expand your worldview, don’t be afraid to be soft (the world needs more kindness), and please study personal finance. Seriously. XD

[yvesdot]

Books Which yves. Personally Finds Easy To Read

I discussed the possibility of reading recommendation lists on request, but didn’t have a reference then. This is that reference: if you want a list like this, drop me $5 on ko-fi or subscribe at any tier to my Patreon ($1+) and request it!

This list runs through a few categories of books I find easy to read and frequently return to. They’re not sorted by genre, but I try to give my best pitch for each. Titles also include titles by the authors which I find immensely good as well, but tragically couldn’t include for the sake of time. I hope I'm able to help just a few 'reluctant readers' with my few dozen suggestions.

P. S.: Pairs nicely with my how to read post.

Graphic Novels

Eyes tired? Pick up a comic or graphic novel. I also find that graphic novels often provide a whole new dimension for analysis in their art styles, visual direction, and framing, when you're up for it.

Saga

The ultimate in binge-reads, Saga has three massive beautiful hardbacks out with a total of 54 issues of nonstop insanity. This space opera follows the lives of several major and minor players in a galactic conflict whose reach spreads into the families, relationships, and everyday lives of everyone in the universe. Don’t get attached; they’re probably going to die.

The Wicked + The Divine

A rip-roaring comic which has ended, so you can start now with the guarantee that you’ll reach the ending ASAP! Not a single one of these people with magical powers arguably deserves them (...but does anyone?) and they are going to show it to you by murdering, having sex with, and literally eating as many people as possible. Not an issue goes by without you wondering either, what can they do now?! or why did they do THAT?! Warning: Volume 8 is side stories and thus personally less interesting to me.

Fun Home (Dykes to Watch Out For)

“I’ll just flip through it,” I think. “I’m not going to read the entire thing this time. Just a few pages.” I am an idiot, and several hours later I have finished Fun Home again. This classic graphic memoir is in no way dry while retaining its highbrow nature and general beauty as Alison Bechdel takes you on a tour of her life, her family, her sexuality, her mind, and her relationship with her father. Guarantee you will not be the same after you finish it. (Bonus: there’s a fantastic musical, too!)

Habibi (Blankets)

“Okay, but THIS one I’ll just flip through,” I say, and again it’s a lie. I literally cannot stay away from it; for the love of God do not put this 500 page monster anywhere near me or I’ll be trapped again. I literally cannot tell you more than that I have yet to stay away from this book, whether I think it is good or not. My sister, who is dyslexic and finds reading for any length of time physically taxing, read the entire thing over two weekends and complained that she suffered the entire time... but couldn’t stop. “It’s so bad,” she said, and I thought she was finished until she said “...but it’s so good.” Thus, I encourage (as with any book) a robust critical reading; the GoodReads reviews on this one have well covered its racist/sexist overtones.

The Arrival (Tales From Outer Suburbia, Tales From the Inner City, The Singing Bones, Lost & Found)

I adore Shaun Tan, and this is his most famous and possibly most affecting work. An entirely wordless graphic novel follows an immigrant on his journey across the ocean and into a new country, new home, new job, new friends. I struggle every time to slow myself down, because the story never stops moving, and yet the pages so greatly reward further examination. Tan’s work shines so incredibly brightly here, and like I said, no words at all.

Manga

Okay, I know, they should fall under graphic novels and comics... but I couldn’t stop talking about graphic novels and comics! So manga gets its own category.

Death Note

Don’t tell me you haven’t read Death Note. No, literally don’t tell me. Take the energy you were going to use to type that out and go to your library and check out the first book. You know what? Just buy the whole series. This is the best manga of all time. It’s iconic, it’s got a great following, it provides everything from lighthearted comedy to cutthroat political analysis—you need to read Death Note. I literally am not taking no for an answer go read it right now. (And watch the anime! And, personally, I enjoy the original Japanese live action film. It’s silly beyond all rights, but so much fun.)

Arakawa Under the Bridge

Not sure why this one seems to be so niche. Kou, a hapless businessman, accidentally falls into the debt of a young woman named Nino and will do anything to repay her—including becoming her boyfriend?! Unfortunately, Nino claims to be a Venusian, and even less fortunately, she lives with a group of weirdos under the bridge at Arakawa. Proves that when it comes to manga, it’s less about the premise and more about how the mangaka executes it; within a volume you’re sure to be obsessed with these characters and ready to follow them to the ends of the earth... or Venus. Admittedly I don’t know what it would be like to read this series without the cosmic soul-knowledge that Sister is a transbian; warning for transmisogyny therein.

DOUBT (Judge, Secret)

Go Tonogai Yoshiki give us nothing! These three series are my go-to when I need my brain firmly off and entertained. With twisting murderous mystery plots, the highest of stakes, and a cast distinguished solely by hairstyle (or, for the ladies, breast size!), this is my equivalent of reading trashy romance. Like eating an entire bag of cheese puffs but at the bottom you find the depths of human depravity and a twist that makes no sense. With that said, I still respect Tonogai and am enjoying watching his writing mature.

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness

LGBT manga is extraordinarily hard to find at times, and Nagata’s innocently honest memoir (paired, of course, with the sweetest of art styles) feels like a major breakthrough. Fans of both Alison Bechdel and Allie Brosh can come together to enjoy the self-analysis, artistic persona, and deep emotion present in this book. Nagata has since published two sequels, both already available in English, and I recommend continuing to read those, as well! A vibrant read.

The Heart of Thomas

A fascinating look into what would become the massive genre(s) of yaoi, boys’ love, shounen ai, and so on—but, as the genre originator, not any of those things. A book of aesthetic, of emotion, of love, of social strangeness; a book in conversation with, against, supporting, uprooting normative cultural roles. Likely the most niche book I consider an important read—and an easy, if emotionally riotous one.

Children’s Books

Oh, I love a good children’s book. The warmth, the kindness, the care... nothing better than curling up with a book for someone just a little younger.

Alice in Wonderland (The Hunting of the Snark)

If you do not like Alice in Wonderland, maybe I do not like you. These two books (Through the Looking Glass is another book, Tim Burton! Not interchangeable!) completely destroy all my rules about plot and I love them for it. Seasoned readers may enjoy The Annotated Alice, featuring all the context you could ever want, while new readers will be able to enjoy the ridiculous rhymes just fine on their own.

Al Capone Does My Shirts

I am a little taken aback by how much I enjoyed this series. Each book is incredibly easy to read (I once blinked, wondered how long it had been, and saw I was on page 100). The autistic representation is surprisingly solid for its time, the setting is perfectly utilized, and the series is just overall an immensely heartwarming read that manages to maintain suspense throughout. What it says on the tin: a historical fiction piece about a young boy who lives on Alcatraz, while Al Capone works in the laundry.

Rapunzel’s Revenge

We’re back to overlapping categories, because this is also one of my favorite graphic novels, along with its sequel (Calamity Jack). I remember spending hours reading and re-reading this badass Rapunzel retelling as a child, flipping back and forth, absorbing all of the detail in the art and speeding alongside the story. I will also admit that this is still one of my favorite fictional romances, complete with bad-boy-with-a-golden-heart(-and-eggs) and a really adorable ending. I still reread both books often.

The Wish (The Fairy’s Return, Fairest, Ever, Ella Enchanted, The Two Princesses of Bamarre)

Gail Carson Levine is one of my favorite authors of all time, and this is possibly her least known work. The Wish follows Thelma as she accidentally helps a fairy godmother and earns her deepest wish: to be popular. One of my favorite takes on high school popularity structures, beauty, friendship, and magical realism... and a cute little romance, too!

Among the Hidden (Running out of Time, The House on the Gulf, Turnabout, Double Identity, Just Ella)

I owe a lot to Margaret Peterson Haddix and her complex, well-researched, easy-to-read science fiction for children. Her books provide a nice palate-cleanser when you want a simpler dystopian series or something with a more easily resolved mystery, without sacrificing any of the tension or stakes. I’m still inspired by her work to this day, and still trying to catch up to her insane publishing speed!

Young Adult

For similar reasons, I love young adult books. They seem so vibrant, so intense, so dramatic to appeal to teenagers surrounded by the dullest environments possible (and filled with the most complex emotions).

The Alchemyst: Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

I find high fantasy difficult and series even harder, but this has long been a childhood favorite of mine—a story that keeps twisting and turning and revealing things to the reader, without ever feeling too expository. You really believe that you’re lost in this world with its protagonists, struggling to navigate its magic, and deeply afraid for how it will resolve; a wonderful, very thick, very satisfying read about twin siblings caught up in the end of the world.

Words in Deep Blue

A book that shocks you with how beautiful it is. I am genuinely upset that, because this book is for young adults, it doesn’t have a chance at being appreciated for the meditation on love, death, friendship, work, books, and family it provides. Friends to enemies to lovers, relationships too complex to unwind, love fated for tragedy... A book that sweeps you along like water.

Don’t Look Back

Can I admit something? I often read trash. I often read silly, nonsensical, catty, totally ridiculous nonsense with terrible love triangles and God-awful stock character mean girls. Alright! With that off my chest, here’s Don’t Look Back, marrying your simplest, cheesiest fictional high school tropes to an enticing mystery with a completely ridiculous ending. I pick this up from time to time and am simply swept along the path of the narrative, wagging my finger at the stereotypes while knowing full well they’re exactly what I came for.

Skinny (Can’t Look Away)

And we’re back to the good, important YA. Skinny is a book about a young woman who gets gastric bypass surgery, an experience the author shares, and all the trials and tribulations associated with it... and surviving high school. It’s a kinder look at your favorite high school tropes; a better romance, a more nuanced relationship with popularity, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be happy. I read Skinny often, and I’m always happy to rediscover what it offers. Plus: many, many, many, many wonderful musical references.

Horror/Thriller

The shortcut to suspense: a very good mystery, or else sheer terror. These are a few horror/thriller/mystery books that I find always keep me hooked.

The Couple Next Door

More twists than a rollercoaster. If a character exists in this book, they have a secret, and it’s nothing you’ve ever heard from any normal person. The book’s momentum never stops throughout, the revelations keep on coming, and the resolution is fascinating. Another book I never manage to put down once it’s in my hands. Who stole that baby?! And whose fault is it? The answers may surprise you.

Coraline (Coraline: the Graphic Novel, The Graveyard Book)

Is this horror? I’m not quite sure. As a child, it seemed the most comfortable book in the world... but I could never get past those illustrations of the other mother’s hand. I highly recommend this book if you’ve somehow not yet read it; Gaiman perfectly blends genres to create his masterpiece of child fantasy and adult terror. A forever favorite that only seems to ripen as I get older, with one very well-written cat.

The Visitors

Horrifying. Absolutely mesmerizing in its gorey details. This is a book that manages to tread that line between playing it safe and going overboard; in particular the treatment of women is fascinating and much better than the usual, simply by adding a major female player to complicate the story. When Marion’s brother, John, has a heart attack, she’s forced to take care of the ‘visitors’ in the basement... and confront the truth she’s been hiding from for years.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

A surprisingly good little horror book! I recall reading this for the first time after watching the film, curled up in my room, and being genuinely surprised by how easily it flowed. The plot is simple, as you likely already know—four teens who committed an accidental murder begin receiving threatening notes implying that someone knows what they did last summer... and is out to get revenge.

A Tale Dark and Grimm

You may notice a lot of children’s books on this list (comparatively), and there’s a reason for that—adult horror books just never seem to scare me quite as much. With children, you can’t always show the gore or trauma, so you have to imply it... this book has always been one that unnerved me, particularly with how far the author chose to go. Every fairy tale meets its horrific original version and then somehow has a much more evil, much more painful baby which our main characters have to survive. Promises to destroy your mind.

Fast Pace

A collection of books that move at a fast pace simply because the author is an incredible talent who knows how to get you engrossed. These books can be from any genre and from any age range; the only requirement is that they move at the speed of light.

Speak (Speak: the Graphic Novel)

I’m pretty sure every YA book wants to be Speak. A story that accurately relates the depression and apathy of trauma and teenage life while retaining total reader absorption, Speak is another book you can’t put down once you start, and it’s practically guaranteed to have you sobbing like a baby by the end. Unfortunately, this famous book seems to be fading slightly out of the zeitgeist, despite its eternal quality and relevance.

The Hate U Give

Unfortunately, in the wake of the “read a book by a minority to ‘educate yourself’” trend, Angie Thomas’s incredible skill at writing has been overlooked in order to mark this book as Important Because You Will Learn About Race From It. The Hate U Give is a powerhouse of a book; the only story I’ve almost missed a train stop for. There is no putting this book down, and the pages fly by like nothing else. Impossible to overhype; go read it now.

After the Shot Drops (The Patron Saints of Nothing)

A story where you know from the start that everybody can’t be satisfied. Someone—likely everyone—will face drastic sacrifice. Ribay pulls no punches; I’ve yet to meet a reader who 1) didn’t stay up far too late reading this 2) didn’t get emotionally demolished by that ending. I itch to re-read this one; it’s been far too long since I was engrossed in it. Full disclosure: I know Ribay and he’s a great guy who has wonderfully influenced my writing; I have a personal interest in getting him readers.

The Devil Wears Prada

I know! I know! You’ve seen the film! Well, I’m here to tell you that the book is horrifically fun to read; there’s something so much more satisfying about drama in page-turns. Indie-published and unhindered by the MPAA, this book is able to cuss with abandon and make sniping comments without ever worrying what you’ll think about it. Like that friend of yours you know ought not to be such a terrible gossip, but whom you never seem to stop when she gets going...

American Born Chinese (Boxers & Saints, Level Up, The Eternal Smile, Dragon Hoops)

Sometimes you read a book and you discover that an author is a genius. This is how I felt on my first read of ABC, unraveling the intertwined and inescapable threads of the narratives. Yang is somehow still criminally underrated despite his consistently incredible, beautifully-drawn, warm-hearted, and engrossing work; I highly recommend you take a look at everything he has to offer. ABC in particular, I believe, brings something fresh and new to the scene that I’d never seen before, and allows for a unique blend of genres and styles to appear together without ever breaking connection.

Slow Burn/Romance

Because some of the best tension comes from a really, really, really good romance. A good variety here of romance, fantasy-romance, and plain science fiction which simply happens to contain the greatest love story of all time.

They Both Die at the End (More Happy Than Not, What if It’s Us)

The premise is simple: two boys, fated to die in the next 24 hours, meet to enjoy their last day together. The world, of course, is not—as usual, Silvera weaves a many-layered and complex story that, while most closely focused on two characters, is really about all of us on Earth. This is a romance that roots from friendship; this is a relationship that lasts forever in a day. One of my favorite, most pure-hearted relationships in fiction.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

The town may be cold, but the romance sure is hot! (Sorry.) This is, tragically, my one and only vampire romance; I’ve never read anything that can hold a candle to it. Black knows exactly how to taunt you with sensual imagery, brief moments of vulnerability, and just-a-little-too-bad boys. Not just that, but the plot is the perfect combination of that natural unwinding path of a well-planned story and a rollercoaster of twists and reveals that always keeps you guessing. On any given reread I’m bound to go “Oh my God, NOW I get why that happened!” a dozen times.

The Darkest Part of the Forest

Oops, All Holly Black Recs! But again, this book took me on a rollercoaster of bad fae boys and complicated romance, and this time there were well-written love triangles and nuanced views on promiscuity and parasocial relationships and tragic gay characters and hope and magic and my God you just have to read this one too. Most importantly, not once does it feel as though Black is repeating herself. A godsend.

Brokeback Mountain

At its slim length (only 55 pages!) this novella is well worth sitting down for a read all in one go. The film captures none of the original text’s interiority, where the story leaves us alone with the thoughts of its players to stew in their loneliness and lust, never stopping the plot for a moment. An author like this can make you hang onto their every word of description; an author like this makes you feel loved. Cannot recommend highly enough this iconic story of two cowhands in love.

The Left Hand of Darkness

We simply must ask whether The Left Hand of Darkness invented romance. This is a book that treats love like more than love itself; like love is a force and a war and a culture and a body unto itself. I will not lie to you; the first chapter is quite hard to get through, but the second Genly Ai, our hapless narrator, starts talking to these genderless aliens, you’re hooked. Prepare to follow this romance to the ends of the planet... and possibly a little bit farther.

The Scorpio Races

Right, sorry, okay—if LHoD invented romance, perhaps The Scorpio Races invented rivals to lovers. Perhaps The Scorpio Races invented rivals as lovers. Puck and Sean both need to win the deadly Scorpio Races, for drastically different reasons. The two are as alike as they are different, and form their own impossible-yet-natural relationship over the course of the book. The pacing is tight, the characterization is incredible, and you can almost taste the salt from the sea. One book that never loses its touch.

Memoir/Biography/Autobiography

I didn’t always love memoirs, but I’ve found as of late that many of my favorite books just happen to fall into this category. You’ll find some overlap here with the graphic novels section; I love graphic memoirs and am bound to recommend them.

Maus

I occasionally forget that not everyone has read Maus. A book that changed the world’s perception of comics; Spiegelman has since published his dozens of rejection letters from publishers who couldn’t see how to sell “a comic memoir about the Holocaust where all the Nazis are cats and the Jews are mice”. Of course, Maus is now widely known as one of the best comics, records of the Holocaust, and books in general, because of the compilation of these seemingly disparate features. Spiegelman’s art and his father’s words make for a haunting telling.

Smile, Sisters, Guts.

I believe everyone’s also already read these. If not, again, I am not joking when I say you are missing out to the point of being uncultured. For those of us who may have been experiencing hermithood for the past decade, Raina Telgemeier burst onto the graphic novel scene with her graphic memoir, Smile, about her experience knocking her two front teeth out in middle school. It is not an exaggeration to say that she single-handedly caused the current children’s comics boom. Suffice it to say that my home’s copy is rendered practically unreadable by the amount of times the pages have been flipped, held open, and thoroughly loved.

Spinning (A City Inside, i love this part, The End of Summer, On a Sunbeam)

Tillie Walden was what many little girls dreamed of being: a child figure skater on her way to Olympic-level competition. She quit as a teenager, and Spinning tells you why. I believe this is the book that made me fall in love with Walden’s work; her delicate linework and voice resonate throughout every page. This is a book that makes you feel as though you’re making a new friend, as if you are making a new home.

My Friend Dahmer (Trashed)

It’s hard to resist the draw—John Backderf was friends with Jeffery Dahmer, and would like to tell you about him. This is a book that shocked me with its balance of information and narrative; a text that knows how to touch on a delicate topic without sensationalizing. Backderf never pretends to know more than he does, and never tempers his emotions, either. This one’s on my own re-read list!

When You Are Engulfed in Flames (Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, Calypso)

I really struggled to pick just one to recommend here. I love all of Sedaris’s books, and I’ve chosen When You Are Engulfed in Flames because it’s the most straightforward—most of these stories cover Sedaris’s experience quitting smoking. Sedaris has a real way with words, with metaphor, with narration; I always find myself surprised at just how well he can put a turn of phrase, laughing out loud at a particularly well-worded punchline. And there’s no such thing as stopping at the end of a story, either! When it comes to Sedaris, I finish one book and pick up another; it never, ever ends.

[COMING SOON: Really Good Nonfiction, Really Good Classics, Short Story Collections, Sheer Beauty. I’ll reblog this post as it gets updated with roughly 20 more books, hopefully in the following week (7/5). Please support me on Patreon and ko-fi so that I can dedicate more time to answering your queries on writing and reading!]

[animebw]

Short Reflection: Evangelion 1.0- You Are (Not) Alone

How does one judge a piece of media that’s almost exactly the same as another piece of media that’s come before?

Sure, the anime world is no stranger to remakes. FMA 03 vs Brotherhood, HxH 1999 vs 2011, the old and new versions of Fruits Basket, all the different interpretations of Fate/Stay Night... there are plenty of anime properties that have been made anew and reinterpreted for new generations of fans. And there’s plenty of interesting conversations to have surrounding what these different versions were going for, how well they succeeded at their goals, all that good stuff. But the first Evangelion Rebuild movie isn’t just any ordinary remake. It’s a near shot-for-shot recreation of the first six episodes of the original TV show. If you decided to start Evangelion with the Rebuilds and put this movie on, you’d get a nearly identical experience to if you decided to put on the show. Sure, I know future movies will move the story in a new direction and fully cement this series as its own unique take on Eva, and that’s where the really meaty discussions are sure to begin. For now, though, our starting point is almost entirely composed of imagery, sequences, dialogue, and ideas we’ve seen in this exact order before. How do you judge something like that on its own terms? Should I judge it on its own terms? Is it even possible? How different would my experience with this movie be if it was my introduction to Evangelion and I was experiencing all these moments for the first time.

For now, I can’t answer those questions. Perhaps my opinions will evolve the further I get into the Rebuilds. Until then, though, all I can do is talk about how this movie affected me now, reliving old memories in a slightly different context.

If I’m being honest, there’s something almost uncanny about Rebuild 1.0′s slavish devotion to recreating the first six episodes. It’s not just the scenes themselves that are the same; it’s how they’re shot, how they’re edited, which music cues are dropped when. Hell, even the animation itself feels lifted wholesale from the show at times, as if they literally just traced over the cuts from ten years ago and redid them in a new engine. That alone creates this fascinating stylistic contrast; you’ve got these very 90s keyframes and animation techniques, but now they’re in widescreen with smooth digital lighting effects and the occasional high-quality CG assistance for some of the more complex mechanical tech. This is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a 90s-style anime made with modern animation technology, and that itself is pretty cool. I’d even argue the overall effect is so seamless that it’s just as beautiful and evocative as the show. But it’s definitely weird re-experiencing an aesthetic that was very much of its time updated for modern technology. I spent so much of the first half-hour of this film experiencing what I can only describe as a reverse uncanny valley, trying to wrap my head around how well this twenty-year-old visual storytelling still conveyed its meaning in this new context. There should’ve been so much whiplash from fitting the styles of different eras together, and yet it just... works. And that was somehow more unnerving than if there had been a disconnect. What wizardry did you employ to make it so seamless, Anno?

Of course, this movie isn’t literally just the exact same shots as the show. If it were, it would be over two hours long and the pacing would make no sense. There are a few cuts, a few additions, a few re-ordered sequences to make the story flow better as a cinematic narrative. And I could honestly spend the rest of this review talking about how those minor changes affect the experience overall. Some moments I desperately love are lost to cuts, but I can understand why they needed to go; as much as I adore the end of episode 4 where Shinji and Misato stare at each other across the train tracks, that kind of emotional catharsis plopped right in the middle of this movie would slam the brakes on Shinji’s arc and ruin the power of seeing him finally stand up to his demons in the final act. Some moments I feel should’ve been left in; Kensuke and Toji’s subplot is so stripped down that they barely register as characters, which makes their big inspirational speech to Shinji near the end ring hollow unless you know them from the show. Most of the additional scenes are welcome; I like the extra time with Misato and Ritsuko’s relationship, and introducing Shinji’s mental train conversations and Lilith earlier on helps the show’s slow progression of abstract, cosmic weirdness feel more natural. And when the final battle rolls around, the animators really get to cut loose and showcase the full power that modern technology can bring to Eva-on-Angel conflicts when they’re not just reusing blueprints from a decade prior. If that’s a sign of how hard the action is gonna go once these movies come into their own, color me excited as fuck for what’s still to come.

What really hurts, though, isn’t losing any one big moment or subplot. It’s losing all the tiny, incidental moments that are peppered throughout the show. Moments like Shinji teasing Misato when they first meet, or Ristuko joining them for dinner in their cramped apartment, or Shinji finding refuge with Kensuke out in the wilderness for a brief night of comfort. As brutal a show as it was, Evangelion always contrasted that darkness against the simple, ordinary lives of its characters, the scattered moments of humor, sweetness and light that made us care about their fight against the darkness. These are the moments that make Evangelion, and I just wish so many of them hadn’t been cut from this movie. I understand the time constraints; there was no way a 100-minute film could keep every last detail from 150 minutes worth of TV. But even just five more minutes to keep some of these details in, even just one more scene in Misato’s apartment to make it feel like home, even just one more scene with Kensuke and Toji to make their big finale speech hit home, would have made a world of difference. Honestly, I think the pacing overall works really well cinematically, building to a natural climax point and shifting just a few details around to give Shinji a single continuous arc en route to that finale. But those extra five minutes could have pushed it into “This could’ve been initially conceived as a movie and I’d never know the difference” territory.

You know what, though?

More than anything, watching this movie just drove it even further home how much Evangelion fucking owns.

See, I bring up the changes and cuts and additions because talking about what’s different is the most obvious thing to talk about in a product that’s otherwise mostly the same as something you’ve already talked about. But for the 80% of the time where 1.0 is just Neon Genesis Evangelion again? Folks, it was like nothing had changed at all. There I was again, getting swept up in the drama, gasping at the brutality, biting my nails in terror for Shinji’s safety and well-being, devolving into an emotional mess over his growing connection with Rei, howling with fury at Gendo’s cruelty, marveling at the visceral way Anno directs action, even cringing at the same overt fanservice that still hasn’t grown on me after all these years. The coat of paint may have changed, and some details may have been shuffled around, but this is still the same haunting, gut-wrenching, breathtaking, extraordinarily beautiful franchise that broke the world of anime open back in 1995. Not even literally repeating itself is enough to take away its power. If anything, it just makes it even clearer timeless Evangelion is, how its storytelling and conception of humanity transcend the context of their time to speak to audiences of any era. Evangelion could’ve come out for the first time ten years ago, five years ago, yesterday, or decades into the future, and it would still hit just as hard no matter what. It’s a shining star that will never truly fade, a story that will forever remain just as jaw-dropping, just as agonizing, and just as revolutionary no matter how much time passes since it was first released.

So in the end, maybe Rebuild 1.0 is nothing more than a rehashed starting point that begins to set the stage for the real changes to come. But so what? That starting point is every bit as electrifying now as it was when I first laid eyes on it, an eternal reminder of the unmatched power of Neon Genesis Evangelion. I may not like all the little changes it made, but I will never grow tired of revisiting the beginning of anime’s undying masterpiece. So as we prepare to see how these Rebuilds will chart their own course moving forward, let’s raise one last toast to the moments that started it all... and look forward to the new heights this old foundation will take us to. With all that said, I give Evangelion Rebuild 1.0 a score of:

8.5/10

God, I’m so happy to be back with this franchise. See you next time for 2.0, where we (hopefully) get to really see why this story was worth rebuilding in the first place. See you then!

[toonbly]

I haven't played pokemkn sword or shield tell me what u know the all of it peas

oh dude if you ever get the chance you should absolutely play sw/sh!!! its great!

like it does have its problems, arguably its a bit handholdy and the national dex being behind paywalled dlc is really :/ but personally i dont mind the handholdy shit bc im bad at video games and onlu play yhem for the story LMAO

but its a really fucking pretty game!! the map is huge and every town is this GIGANTIC explorable area, it has really solid visual and design themes based around fairy tales and medieval royalty aesthetics, its plot is p simple but the simplicity allows for MUCH stronger characterization which i adore literally every character is lovable and memorable, the postgame is really fun, the music SLAPS, they go ALL OUT with what the switch can do like theres full on animated cutscenes that just look GORGEOUS-- its a good time!! defo my favorite of the main games so far

[spockandawe]

50, 42, 6 for the mdzs ask?

Absolutely! :D

50. Favourite Song / Part Of The OST

Ooh, I think I’m going to be boring and say that I’m a sucker for Wuji. But I also have only been through the OST in a very ad hoc manner, and I’m terrible at paying attention to soundtracks while I’m watching things. I have very much enjoyed all of the songs I’ve listened to, and I want to go back through and listen more, but I... have not followed through on that yet. I also ADORE all of the incidental demonic flute music that happens in the show, but I do need to find that music in... isolation, without visuals, because it hurts me as a musician to see how hard the fingers don’t match what’s happening XD

But Wuji is just GORGEOUS. Might have bought a couple-three instruments, driven a lot because of force of this song. MIGHT have a dizi instructional video bookmarked, just for purposes of learning this song. And... I might have messed around on recorders, an instrument I’m much more familiar with, figuring out how to play this song XDDDDD (the trouble is that none of my recorders are all that fancy, and hitting the high notes cleanly is difficult on a not-fancy recorder)

42. Favourite Female Character

HM. Hmm. This is a tough competition between Jiang Yanli and Wen Qing, but I do think I’m going to have to come down narrowly on Wen Qing’s side. She’s just... so great. I love a sweet big sister, but I also love a mean big sister, especially since she’s also extremely sweet in her own way. I think after reading just the book, I would have tipped in Jiang Yanli’s direction, but after the show...

But both of them were acted so well in the show too!!! Jiang Yanli doesn’t let me down in any way, I think I’m just a sucker for Wen Qing, because I love seeing Jiang Yanli taking care of Wei Wuxian, but I love even more seeing Wen Qing bully him and take care of him. Jiang Yanli is an angel, and I want all the best things for her, but I really do love ladies with even sharp edges.

6. Favourite Ship

Also a surprisingly tough question. MAN. All of the mxtx books spoil me, because I’m used to shipping things that are never ever going to become the center of a story, and then I get given ships I adore, and start grubbing around looking for even more food to add to my plate :P This story, though...

So here are the competitors: Wangxian, 3zun, and Xuexiao. This is a REALLY tight competition, but let me try to think through this. (I also feel compelled to mention that chengning is one of my favorite new things, and the ship that has me the most :eyes: at the end of canon, but i haven’t wormed my way deep enough into it to make it a real competitor)

I think... first, I’ll have to eliminate 3zun. It’s an emotionally loaded ship, which I love, and Lan Xichen is eminently lovable, but the other two players are loading this in such a way that it becomes incredibly difficult to resolve things happily, but it’s a very... quiet sort of tragedy, one that leaves me feeling more hollow than anything. Xuexiao, on the other hand, is a tragedy that ends with a BANG, and when it’s not a tragedy, it’s filled with delicious tension and the potential for things to take a sudden horrible turn. If it’s happy, I love it, and if it’s tragic, it’s the kind of tragedy I can spend an evening sighing over.

But I do think I’m going to have to ultimately come down in favor of wangxian. After spending so much time in ensemble cast fandoms, I’m really not used to having my favorite pair at the center of the story! I feel boring, but this ship really has EVERYTHING. I’m here for the tragedy of how things ended, and the unbelievable miracle of being reunited after everything was lost. I’m SO here for the way that tragedy informs Lan Wangji’s changed approach to Wei Wuxian the second time around (give me the same relationship remix for xuexiao, you cowards), and everything to be said about being offered unconditional love and acceptance after resigning yourself to the fact that there’s no place for you in this world. I’m always, always here for an autism/adhd solidarity ship, especially with how well they understand each other, and the way Wei Wuxian rolls with Lan Wangji’s minimally-verbal vibes. I’m really passionate about music and it’s so exciting to see the main characters being musicians together without it being the central defining factor in their relationship. I love every flavor of devotion-despite-separation-and-despair that mxtx offers me, and this was the first one I sampled, and it made an IMPRESSION. I’m going to cut myself off here, because I could ramble for paragraphs, but this ship just warms me from the inside out, on all kinds of different levels

[tatyana-dreaming]

Eugene Onegin reactions (Act 1.1)

I’m making a separate one for music-related thoughts but this one has the screencaps/lyrics and such so here we go!!

AHHHHH I remember seeing this for the first time back in March and this was the moment I knew this was a TREASURE just for that visual alone. I had no idea what was coming

:’) this line hits differently if you know the story. also the Marinksy Theatre said “forget the leaves, there is untapped apple metaphor potential to dig into here”  (I still love the leaves though)

iconic or WHAT

TICKLE FIGHT!!!!

you GET THAT CAKE, Olga!!! I adore how she cuts a new, bigger piece. Olga is a Cake Empowerment icon

BOOP! and yes I do have a gif of this I’ll post it soon

this isn’t familiar at ALL

Tatyana being extremely self-conscious about her hair and also relatable

Olga is onto you

oh freaking no, devastating charisma has begun :’)

Tatyana  p l e a s e  you haven’t even spoken to him yet (also sadly relatable though oops)

Real classy, already. He has taste though I suppose

oh we’re serious here

Olga: c’mon Lensky, lighten up we see each other like every day meanwhile Onegin is onto Tatyana, but she’s also not being very subtle the poor darling

“don’t worry, i’m here now, you’re welcome”

Lensky is such a sweetheart look at him

somebody hold him

there we go <3 happiest point in the show it’s all downhill from here

no particular caption, this is just really cute

oh you don’t even know, Filipyevna, you don’t even k N O W

[quinintheclouds]

Thoughts on Putting Others First: SvS Redux as they come to me

AN HOUR LONG?!?!?! Y E S THANK YOU

I am LOVING this opening art style. The way it shows all the things Thomas could say and shuts them each down, the silliness tying in perfectly to the video game setting, the way we could SO STRONGLY empathize with Thomas despite him not saying anything. Well done!

“Eff friends, Patton!” Patton and I made the exact same gasp and noise at the same time in reaction to that dsjfhljdhg

Lookit Thomas’ lil vest awww <3

ROMAN WITH THE PUNS I LOVE IT APPRECIATE HIM

rhymes

rhymes

they’re rhyming is this gonna be

A SONG!!!

(Logan off somewhere watching all of this: “You guys are doing a RAP? Without ME? .....Unacceptable”)

Seriously poor Logan being left out BOTH TIMES despite clearly having excellent points on the matter

But I’m loving this Patton/Roman dynamic being explored in this way. They have a lotta similarities but the differences are really standing OUT so far and I like it! Also it looks like Roman isn’t gonna just shut up and do whatever Patton says out of fear that he’s a bad person/bad for Thomas this time. I’m glad they’re both getting a chance to talk cause they aren’t exactly taken seriously a lot of the time.

RETURN OF THE BLINDFOLD METAPHOR followed by Roman saying “in Patton’s defense...” so they like, KNOW what Deceit meant about the blindfold? Were they playing dumb? Or do they just suddenly get it now that it’s coming from Thomas?

Ok this Feral Cat Story of Roman’s is too specific for me to dismiss and now I’m convinced either Remus brought a shitton of cats home one day and they just flooded their house/rooms, or Patton brought home a bunch of cats out of love and didn’t realize he couldn’t take care of em...either way that’s an adorable anecdote

The car jump line that Patton took literally is just making me miss Logan even more :(

I’m glad they’re giving context to the relationship between Thomas and Mary Lee & Lee! A lot of fander questions and opinions circled back to “well it depends how close they were” so it was smart of them to fill us in.

“those baby-makin’ catholics”

6:45 Patton has clearly thought through a lot of possible outcomes to talking to Lee and Mary Lee before going to the wedding... he never brought them up, even when Roman did and then Deceit did. But he’s bringing up points no one had addressed, and I think that’s a great way to put more intensity to Patton’s apology to Thomas for lying back in SvS pt 1. He hid a lot more than he let on. Man, how much guilt is this poor man feeling right now? :(

“Talking about it could have been harmful” I’m very intrigued by the parallels between Patton wanting to keep things from Thomas’ friends to protect their feelings in this episode and SvS, and Deceit disguised as Patton in CLBG trying to get Thomas to... keep things from his friend to protect their feelings...

WOAH “But was it worth it? I don’t--” “No.” Thomas cutting Roman off with that much certainty DAMN Thomas REGRETS going to the wedding HARD and also is agreeing with Roman finally??

Patton: “sometimes you can make all the good choices, and still not get the good ending.” Thomas: “I’m not even sure there was a good ending to get.” Roman: “Mmmm, I’m pretty sure there was.” There is so much to unpack here oh my gosh.

WOAH WOAH WOAH WHAT??? DAMN THOMAS CAME FOR PATTON WHAT ON EARTH??? Patton: “I think we can all agree that you are a good fellow.” Thomas: Can we? ALL? Agree on that?” Patton: *sputtering noises*

Poor Patton... I mean they’re right but gosh I feel for him. He wants so badly for Thomas to be a good person and he realizes now how strict and unyielding he’s been, and wants to not do that but doesn’t know how to be more lenient without sacrificing integrity cause that’s his JOB and he doesn’t know how to do it better aaaa this is such a mood

MUSIC IS THERE ANOTHER SONG COMING?

Return of the bagel. Except this time it’s Roman guessing/wanting the bagel and Patton being like “what? no?”

ok not a song but video game style is back!!

“ugh you’re such a dad” I love it

Patton just made more puns and Roman omg “Like, you’re SUCH a dad that like it’s too much to handle sometimes”

I am loving this whole scene jdfhjadshg Patton ily and I relate

Thomas and Roman teaching Patton how to come up with imaginary scenarios skjfklsjdfh

Sondheim wrecking Leslie Odom Jr is such a hilarious visual

Ok all three of them are peak dumbass and I’m so here for it (like they’re smart and all but they’re peak dumbass)

Daaaamn Patton is letting out so much this episode. Like he’s been holding back but wowie. R: “Just like how you didn’t HAVE to give him a hotdog” P: *sucks air through his teeth* “I feel like you kinda do though?” YES PLEASE let’s discuss the concept of obligation in morality again!!! Where’s Logan when you need him? Or Deceit even? (I feel like D’s gonna show up later but I wanna hear Logan’s thoughts this time too)

Patton: You can disagree! But... it’d kinda be wrong?

LOGAN POPUP! Ok fine if he isn’t in the ep at least he pops up in a lil dialogue box on screen. Also he popped up to support Patton... neat!

“It’s just me, Logan. I’ve taken this form because I didn’t want to be too...invasive.” POOR LOGAN NO YOU’RE NOT INVADING ANYTHING YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE HERE! Also Roman getting scared by the popup while Patton just waves happily like he always does upon seeing Logan aww

Okay I am getting serious DOPAMINE from Logan talking. Like, he’s spittin’ FACTS. Something about the way he talks is so interesting and soothing and makes me so excited to LEARN. Roman mockingly mouthing ‘behoove’ had me snort though XD

LOGAN AND I WERE IN UNISON HELL YEAH! Patton was all like ooh you’re sharing your lil factoids! And Logan and I at the same time corrected, “Facts,” and proceeded to state the definition of factoids (we worded it differently but yeah as usual Logan is on my wavelength)

Logan’s sprite getting so disappointed at Thomas’ interruption joke jgdkjghks he looks so DONE

OML I LOVE LOGAN’S DIALOGUE BOX TALKING TOO FAST FOR THEM TO READ THIS IS SO ACCURATE

Oof Thomas finally feeling like he GETS it and Patton being like yeah but not if you’re doing it bc you want to feel  good tho... (also that’s the same argument Deceit made in SvS pt1??? I’m confused by Patton/Deceit’s functions lately and I’m very invested)

Oh ok Thomas just brought up that very point haha

“we all agreed the right thing to do was go to the wedding” um are u sure about that

“I was wrong” PATTON CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT?? I know Logan has the reputation of not being able to admit when he’s wrong (which isn’t true -- he doesn’t like to but he has done so countless times...well not literally countless but you understand my meaning), but Patton rarely is in a situation where he has to, so this is jarring in a hopefully good way. Istg if this is Deceit disguised as Patton again I’ll be so disappointed... I feel like the writers wouldn’t do that though

Patton: says smth deceit said. Roman: and you...agree? Patton: Definitely! I mean uh maybe? (WHAT IS HAPPENING INSIDE PATTON’S HEAD RN SO MUCH TURMOIL)

Roman: “I’m not an expert in the... moral medium” Thomas:  “Go ahead Roman, we wanna hear what you have to say.”  Patton: *halfhearted gestures and noises for roman to go ahead* jashfjdh he’s trying so hard

AWWWW they’re validating Roman so much I love it

“whomstsoever” ok I take it back roman’s not valid

I adore Logan’s popup fun facts, and him giving definitions for Roman’s vocabulary reminds me how much the two of them love writing and poetry and language aaaa

Patton trying not to be harsh is somehow 10x harsher than he normally is

oh wow that got real.

I know I’ve said this but I love logan’s insertions... but I do wish he got to say them out loud like earlier :/ Pausing to read them is less fun than hearing him talk.

oh wow that got real part 2

I want. So badly. To jump into this video and debate Patton on the nature of morality and what “the right thing is.” Roman you’re not being dumb, you’re bringing up excellent points and you’re valid again.

Oh no Patton... empathy is not morality... please please address that there are people who can’t experience empathy and choose to be moral and good

THE  TROLLEY PROBLEM HERE! WE! GO!

Logan’s popups bc he doesn’t want to “be too invasive” and making them optional to read hurts my heart :( He knows Patton, Roman, and Thomas aren’t reading any of it but he doesn’t want to be too much so he stays silent. Why?? Logan it’s okay! Why is this a thing now but not in the last 2 episodes? What happened to Logan :(

OOOOOOH Patton didn’t flip the switch :o Interesting! Daaaamn he’s arguing to let 5 people die rather than flip the switch so only one dies

LOGAN’S TEXTBOX WAS SO BIG AND FAST IT KNOCKED PATTON OVER I CANNOT BREATHE hang on I gotta read it

HE’S TALKING ABOUT DEONTOLOGY YES LOGAN THANK YOU FOR TELLING PATTON WHAT I PHYSICALLY CANNOT please tell me you’ll talk about utilitarianism and moral particularism next

Okay he used consequentialism but it’s close enough to utilitarianism that the outcome is the same. (Do you get it? Do you like my joke about how the outcome is most important? When we’re talking about-- oh you got it already? Good, moving on.)

DID ROMAN JUST FJCKING KILL LOGAN

“I’m okay, figment of your imagination, so.” Okay so CAN the Sides get hurt or can’t they?? Cause Patton clearly got bonked, roman got hit in the eye with paper and said ow, but logan got hit in the head with a throwing star and had his teeth ripped out and he was totally fine?

 Thomas is being so HONEST with himself so early in the episode, wow this is refreshing and I’m hype

AW YAY Patton called textbox Logan in to help with philosophy yay :’)

Logan: “Pity seems to be at the center of your idea of ‘putting good into the world’” first, Logan doing a voice impression of Nietzsche is GOLD, and second.... I wish they’d let him finish cause I was waiting for a “but” cause Logan siding with Nietzsche on this one feels... wrong? Like I could see Dee bringing it up or Logan using it in an argument only to continue with a contradicting philosophy but Logan equating empathy to pity... idk I thought he’d grown more than to think that :/ Actually I don’t think he ever saw it that way. It feels out of character but I’m guessing he had more to say to debunk that.

HOLY SHIT PATTON SKIPPED ALL THE REST OF LOGAN’S DIALOGUE AND YEETED HIM OFF THE SCREEN bruh he may have been right and he should’ve gotten to say it >:(

ROMAN ISTG DO NOT TRY AND MAKE THIS YOUR FAULT

I SAID DON’T

GODDAMMIT

sjfkdjgjsh okay aww Thomas good job, Patton too. Thank god they’re being nice to him

Patton is having a breakdown holy heckity about time

damn Patton is freaking HARSH

“I have a difference in opinion on this one, Patton” Thomas: *relieved sigh whisper* “ohhh thank you, Logan” YES APPRECIATE THE BOY YES YES I LOVE HIM why are they looking around like he isn’t making sense?

LOGAN YES! CALL HIM OUT! LET THOMAS VALUE HIMSELF AND PUT HIMSELF FIRST SOMETIMES! “Every point you’ve made in today’s discussion has contradicted that sentiment.” I love you but also you sound a lil like deceit... very lawyer-y and feels calculated like he’s been keeping notes for this purpose... I want deceit and logan to debate already damn it. Maybe it’s just that Logan’s inflections feel reminiscent of Deceit to show...something?

Ok can I just say that Logan gets so much rep for his strictness or high standards but he’s been SO GOOD about that lately and him teaching about the importance of leisure and self-care and freedom in your life and self-esteem and valuing yourself like you do with others... not even just this  video -- he’s been like this in the last few as well and these recent episodes remind me of early Logan (esp My Negative Emotions)  and that makes my heart so so happy.

Continuation of the above, compare this to how Logan acted in Why Bed? with regards to Roman. Roman advocated for leisure time and following dreams, while Logan had a schedule that optimized productivity and health. Now he’s taking a similar stance to Roman and asserting the importance of these things... WHY is so much of Logan’s character development OFFSCREEN?? I wanna know what made him switch on this! Maybe just cause he’s listening to roman from why bed?

Why is Logan being so abrasive? He sounds like his intent is more to disprove Patton rather than state what he actually thinks... not a fan of that but he’s not wrong

WOAH WOAH TOTAL PATTON BREAKDOWN WHAT HAPPENED WHAT THE FCK HE’S A LITERAL MONSTER IN THIS VIDEO GAME?

OH, MY GOD. If Logan didn’t step in and save them here this would have been catastrophic. I can feel my relief. I mean, he screamed, but it was a relief. WAIT IT WAS DECEIT THE WHOLE TIME??? Daaaamn good job on this one Deceit and I definitely like him more now but also WHERE IS LOGAN. Was it the whole time? That makes sense in hindsight and makes me feel better about some things he’s brought up but I feel like it really was Logan at the start, it wasn’t until he started calling out patton that his voice and inflection and stuff changed

Patton trying to attack Deceit   and hitting Thomas instead was  an EXCELLENT way to  showcase the effect SvS 1 and 2 are having

Deceit’s lil “A DUH DUH DUH DOY” looked and sounded just like Logan’s lmao don’t tell me it’s another switcheroo (I doubt it greatly lol)

REAL LOGAN REAL LOGAN REAL LOGAN

So wait what was the point that Deceit switched with Logan? Cause Logan’s saying “one more fact” so he was himself earlier right?

“Not that any of you care, but  I am unharmed.” Nooooo they care </3 “I will do you all a favor and spare you my company” okay OUCH

EFFECTIVE ALTRUISM YES aw he’s talking about him and patton working together yes thank you

Damn, Deceit is LOVING everything Logan says haha same

Logan and Deceit teaming up to teach Patton that it’s okay to care about yourself

DECEIT WHAT he’s being so supportive of Roman holy heck this is so genuine OH Roman’s arguing with it  this is a lot of stuff I didn’t expect roman to say out loud wow

THOMAS JUST SAID DECEIT THE CHARACTER ISN’T INHERENTLY UNETHICAL WOW this episode really said let’s make Deceit--

WAIT WOAH SORRY HIS NAME REVEAL!!! He’s Janice?? Is that true?

WAIT WOAH PART 2 BUT DECEIT JUST SAID IF IT WEREN’T FOR THE MUSTACHE HE WOULDN’T KNOW WHO THE EVIL TWIN IS BETWEEN ROMAN AND REMUS HOLY SHIT HE ACTUALLY LOOKED VULNERABLE AND THEN HURT AND THEN RIGHT BACK TO SNAKE

ROMAN’S GONE

fuck.... patton...roman....deceit....thomas....logan....I’m gonna go cry about all of them now

LESLIE ODOM JR IS HERE??????? oh there he goes

patton oh my god I love you  this ANGST are you trying to kill me?

Patton telling thomas he’s worthy of love I actually teared up

dfjdakjhfa deceit don’t push it

Wowie that was an EPISODE

[nicholasbritel]

Top 20 (or 10 if 20 is too much work) movies you feel are a must watch? Can be any genre (though preferably not horror), any year, anything you want 🌻

giving movie recommendations is always making me feel like that robot from the simpsons movie who couldn’t handle the pressure of his job and shot himself jdffgd so i just want to say that these recommendations are based on how emotionally attached i am to these movies. like, objectively pulp fiction is a better movie than easy a, but will i watch easy a over pulp fiction? probably. most definitely. yes. so now that i got that out of the way here it is, including my pointless thoughts which you’re more than welcome to skip-

joe versus the volcano - i was going to say you’ve got mail but it’s pretty popular anyway and i feel like this is the one tom hanks and meg ryan movie that is being overlooked. it’s funny and super relatable if you’re at this stage in your life where you’re trying to figure out what you want and don’t really like your job. also it’s probably one of meg ryan’s best comedic performances, she’s wonderful in this one. 1917 - i genuienly love the story and the characters so much. everyone talk about the cinematography in this and rightfully so, it’s a beautiful movie in so many aspects and there’s something so haunting about it. easily one of my favorites of the year (technically it came out last year but i’ve only seen it in january so) columbus - it’s beautiful and intimate and personal. just one of these movies that get to you in their quiet way. eddie the eagle - this movie is just... the sweetest, most optimistic and fun movie you’ll get to see. it’s the ultimate feel good movie, really. taron egerton is adorable in this, i always have a blast watching this one. amelie - i feel like this movie captures what it’s like in the brain of someone with social anxiety who longs to do things anyway but is sticking to fantasizing instead. i don’t know if you can say that a movie is kind, but it feels like it is, in a way.  paper moon - i talk about this one a lot but it’s so incredibly good. the father-daughter relationship in this is delightful. it’s kind of a found family except none of them will admit they actually care about each other.

victor victoria - ‘a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman’ (a direct quote from the movie that basically sums up the plot). this is a musical with julie andrews, so if you like the genre i think you’ll really enjoy that one. first of all, it’s julie andrews in a suit. it’s very witty, very colorful and very gay. but it also isn’t. you’ll get it when you see it. the last black man in san francisco - it only really got to me the second time i watched it, but it’s a really beautiful movie about home, indentity and toxic masculinity. there’s great music and beautiful shots of san francisco, and there’s something about this movie that feels really personal and tender. some like it hot - it’s a wild ride from start to finish. i’ve watched it many times and it never gets old. mad max fury road- on top of being badass and visually awesome, the story is so good and powerful. it’s got badass ladies and tom hardy doing what he does best- making you like his character despite having 2 lines and grunting the rest of the time. pride and prejudice (2005)- everyone loves p&p, i don’t even need to expand on that. forrest gump - it’s beautiful, it’s optimistic, it’s heartwarming and funny and sad and it’s got tom hanks in it. loving vincent - i only watched it once, but it’s so unique. it’s basically about van gough, but is told from the perspective of several people who knew him. think ‘i, tonya’ in terms of the unreliable narrators, only with a completely different tone. the real star of this movie is the animation (if you can call it that)- every single frame was hand-drawn to look like a van gough painting. takes a little time to adjut to the style, but it’s a very unique movie. modern times - i don’t remember if that was the first chaplin movie i’ve watched, but i definitely had a serious charlie chaplin fase after watching this. it’s my favorite movie of his. what we did on our holiday - criminally underrated on this website and in general. the writing is so witty and the actors are wonderful (and very scottish) but the real stars of this movie are the kids. the best part is that they weren’t even written as the super mature kids you usually see in indie films, they’re just being really honest and weird in the way that kids are and it’s brilliant. monsters inc - mike vasovski. that’s it, that’s why you should watch it. the skeleton twins - it’s one of those depressing indie movies that are so easy to love. my emotional support depressing indie movie, if you will. there is that one dancing scene though....it’s the best thing you’ll ever see. mulan - ‘make a man out of you’ is the best disney song and that is that. portrait of a lady one fire - the romance!! the friendship between the 3 women!! the aesthetic of the beach and the painting and the orpheous-eurydice parallels! captain fantastic - i exhausted myself at this point but mmm i’ll say it really reminds me of what we did on our holiday and little miss sunshine in terms of the tone. it’s all about family, about being close to people and learning to let them go when you need to.

[ranma-rewatch]

Episode 25: The Abduction of P-Chan

Y’all, it has finally COME. The arc I have been wanting to rewatch for ages. One of my favorite arcs in the series. It’s time for figure skating, I’m pretty sure I remember this arc very well, and I look forward to seeing if I still love it as much as I used to.

Oh, but before I do that, I just want to go over something. I already talked about this during Season 1, but some of you might be confused why I’ve waited so long to cover this arc. It’s because the original broadcast order and the production order are different, and Hulu has things in the production order. I wanted to cover the series by broadcast date, so even though this takes place right before the original Shampoo arc, we’re not watching it until, well, now. But anyway, that done, let’s watch the episode!

I am not disappointed.

The episode starts at an ice-skating rink, where Akane is there with a few unnamed friends who want her to join the skating club, because she’s genuinely that good. However, she brought P-Chan with her and left him on the ice. Before she can get back to our transformed lost boy, someone else finds him and takes him away, calling him ‘Charlotte’.

From there, we cut to a ramen shop where Ranma is getting grilled by his friends Hiroshi and Daisuke, who want to date ‘the other Ranma’. That request goes as well as you can expect (though I do have to wonder, since it’s unclear if they think the ‘other Ranma’ is Ranma’s girlfriend or his sister, and they both want to date her, if this would be an actual polycule), but just as Ranma starts walking away, insulting Akane because his friends brought her up, she appears, looking upset.

Ranma immediately regrets that and starts backpedaling, only to realize she doesn’t care about that, she wants his help finding her pet. Luckily, that won’t be too hard, because the thief enters the same shop they’re in, carrying Ryoga around with her. Akane tries taking him back, but the girl resists.

That’s when someone shows up to help Akane, a tall attractive young man who acts like the ultimate pretty boy romance option. He apologizes, explaining his friend has a bad habit of taking things she finds cute and naming them. That just sets the girl off though, whining more and more about the matter until she challenges Akane to a figure skating match.

It’s then that we learn who these two are: Mikado Sanzenin and Azusa Shiratore from Kolholtz High School. Together, they’re a figure skating duo known as the Golden Pair, and they’ve won 950 matches with no losses. Despite this, Akane is ready to fight.

Mikado starts putting the moves on her, causing Ranma to flick some food at him. The figure skater takes that as a challenge, so it’ll be a doubles match of Ranma and Akane versus Mikado and Azusa, and it’ll be in one week.

That night at dinner, Ranma and Ryoga argue over who gets to skate with Akane, each bragging over what they can do...the only issue there is that neither can actually skate at all. Akane starts helping Ranma after he goes into the bathroom and activates his and Ryoga’s curses, since he feels like failing so badly at skating looks worse when he’s masculine.

The Golden Pair return, with Azusa snatching P-Chan to put a new collar on him, one only she can unlock, and Mikado now trying to flirt with Ranma. It’s revealed that they’re both masters of Martial Arts Figure Skating, and that’s what the match really is, as they train by defeating a hundred opponents in just nine seconds. Things get worse when he actually steals a kiss from Ranma, causing Ranma to go use hot water to turn himself back and enter the ice rink ready to fight. He punches the ice so hard that he leaves an enormous crack in it, and he claims it’s the first time in his life he’s been really mad.

That’s where the episode leaves us! But wow, I still feel like a lot happened in this one. There’s a heck of a lot for me to cover, but let’s just start with, well, all the Ranma/Akane. I’m sorry! I can’t help myself!! There was just so much of it! Whether it be Ranma worrying about making Akane mad from another “she’s not cute” kind of thing and being ready to take it back, to how annoyed he gets from Mikado flirting with her, to how after being kissed by Mikado one of the first things he worries about is that it was in front of Akane.

It was adorable!

I also think it’s remarkable how this story is just carried by the personalities of its characters. This isn’t some plot that happens to have the Golden Pair in it. The conflict is driven by Azusa’s strange kleptomania and my Mikado’s predatory behavior. Compared to some other storylines I can think of, this approach makes this one feel much more focused, as well as emphasizing the antagonists of the arc.

I’m going to give each of them their own Character Spotlight in coming weeks, but I did want to say here that I think it’s really interesting how Mikado is frequently animated to make his possessive behavior clear just through visuals, like how he holds Ranma’s arms while carrying him, to keep him from resisting his advances.

The comedy felt strong in this episode, as did the action. I wasn’t laughing the whole time or anything, but I was entertained throughout, and that’s not something I can say for a lot of episodes, sadly. It’s a strong start to this arc, and it just gets better from here...or at least that’s what the opinions I formed in high school tell me, from across the vast distance of time.

Instead of doing a Character Spotlight, I’m going to FINALLY talk about Season 2’s Opening! Since, for some reason, this is the first episode to have it...when due to broadcast order versus production order a lot of places don’t even have it in Season 1!

This song is called “Little Date”, performed by the band Ribbon. It’s a very cute little song, with elements of lighter and sillier moments but also of more emotional ones. I like it a lot more than the first opening’s song, and while I’m not sure if it’s my favorite opening, it’s one of the ones I love going back to listen to the most.

The visuals are...okay. The first half is pretty meh, a combination of original art, images from the manga, and overall less animated stuff. It’s also kind of infamous for showing Ranma’s cursed form topless, right at the start. The second half is better, and I especially love Shampoo’s introduction. The way she and the music fit together is really good, and the fact it’s at the bubbliest part of the song works really well.

On the whole, even with some more lackluster visuals, I’d still put it above the first seasons’s OP.

If it isn’t obvious, I’m very happy to be starting the Martial Arts Figure Skating Arc. I don’t know how popular it is in the larger Ranma fandom, but I know I’ve always been a big fan of it, and this time around it’s still good, at least so far. Honestly? I’m actually going to put this as the second best episode so far, I liked it that much.

Episode 7: Enter Ryoga, the Eternal ‘Lost Boy’  

Episode 25: The Abduction of P-Chan

Episode 12: A Woman's Love is War! The Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge!

Episode 15: Enter Shampoo, the Gung-Ho Girl! I Put My Life in Your Hands

Episode 9: True Confessions! A Girl's Hair is Her Life!

Episode 2: School is No Place for Horsing Around

Episode 19: Clash of the Delivery Girls! The Martial Arts Takeout Race

Episode 6: Akane's Lost Love... These Things Happen, You Know

Episode 13: A Tear in a Girl-Delinquent's Eye? The End of the Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge!

Episode 23: Enter Mousse! The Fist of the White Swan

Episode 17: I Love You, Ranma! Please Don’t Say Goodbye

Episode 20: You Really Do Hate Cats!

Episode 16: Shampoo's Revenge! The Shiatsu Technique That Steals Heart and Soul

Episode 8: School is a Battlefield! Ranma vs. Ryoga

Episode 11: Ranma Meets Love Head-On! Enter the Delinquent Juvenile Gymnast!

Episode 4: Ranma and...Ranma? If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Another

Episode 5: Love Me to the Bone! The Compound Fracture of Akane's Heart

Episode 1: Here’s Ranma

Episode 22: Behold! The 'Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire' Technique

Episode 3: A Sudden Storm of Love

Episode 21: This Ol' Gal's the Leader of the Amazon Tribe!

Episode 10: P-P-P-Chan! He's Good For Nothin'

Episode 14: Pelvic Fortune-Telling? Ranma is the No. One Bride in Japan

Episode 18: I Am a Man! Ranma's Going Back to China!?

Episode 24: Cool Runnings! The Race of the Snowmen

This arc continues next week, and if I’m being honest, I think it’s going to top this. But maybe I’m wrong! We’ll see with “Close Call! The Dance of Death... On Ice!”. Can it be as good as Reptaur on Ice? I doubt it.

[harmonytre-reacts]

Glitch Techs Episode 1 Reaction

I know I’ve been reacting to Trollhunters, and I will continue to, but right now I’m going to watch Glitch Techs because it kinda has a time limit. The second season comes out August 17th, and if not enough people are interested, it will be cancelled. The art style looks really cool and it’s been on my watchlist for a while. Jumping in blind!

After note: THIS SHOW IS SO EPIC AND YOU MUST WATCH IT NOW! The character’s are so full of personality, the animation is beautiful, and the story and effects are engaging! As long as you’re not sensitive to flashing lights (mostly the title card), then it is an AMAZING show!

Ooooo cool glasses and color ambience!

Already adoring the vibrant art style!

The hair swoop XD

Digital Ghostbusters

Okay the memory forgetting thing is kinda creepy tbh

He’s not gonna upload them all, huh?

Oof, the title screen is very flashy. Ouch.

Already like Five. XD “I choose you!” Classic! And the visual game effects are great!

Ooh, I like his hair! Dawwwww and he teaches kids!

DAWWWWWWWWW SUPPORTIVE PARENTS!!! I love! >w<

That truck runs well for not moving in over a decade. XD

Yep yep yep love Miko! Her hair reminds me of Twilight Sparkle, but I can already tell I’ll love her more! (And considering I already like Twi, that’s good.)

Aaaaaaaaa she’s so dramatic and dorky, I love her! And her hair is beautiful and so is the animation!

I don’t see how leaving one person behind to do her own thing would be a problem? She seems responsible and it’d be one less kid for them to account for?

Augh, that poor coffee guy!

Is that foreshadowing? I feel like that’s foreshadowing? “One of these days you’ll get lost in your head and I won’t be able to get you out.” Meh, maybe I’m reading too much into it.

Oh “respawns”. I heard “refunds”.

Woah, epic VR!

LOL I LOVE MIKO”nah nah nah nah nah this is my theme song, bring rainbows of pain is always the best!”

Yeahhhhh I don’t like Mitch. Being popular doesn’t mean you can be a jerk, man.

“Death to dingleberries!” Miko is the BEST!

Miko and Five are best team!

Ooooo cool puzzle!

NO NO NO MY NETFLIX FREEEEEZED!

Ooooo team win!

Stop being a sore loser Mitch . . . -_-

EPIC BATTLE MUSIC

No Mikoooooo!

No Fiiiiive! ;^;

Miko’s hair is so flowy and I love it!

And I love the video game sound effects. OwO

Huehuehue the tire tracks!

Co-oooooooop!

She’s soooo dorky and I loooove her!

Wow Mitch abuses his power. -_-

OHOHO THE ERROR WASN’T A ONE TIME THING!!! BOOYAH!

Oop, I was right, Mitch didn’t take care of the glitches. :P

Dawwww Five is baby.

Gimme that I wanna press the red button.

Muffins? BIT IS BABY.

SO EPIC! 100% better than any magical girl transformation!

Eeep, even Bit transforms?!

Lol, Mitch has girly scream! Oh, Chomp Kitty? Five can take care of that no problem. <3

CHOMP KITTY IS BABY! I know the glitch is bad, but I wanna hug it!

Mitch ded.

Yeah uhhhh, Miko I love you, but WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!

Lol, toddler snot.

The tiny mew, dawwww.

Yeah uhhh Five calm down, be better than him.

Hehe, her sister saw.

Oooo, locker portal!

So cool, including the credits!!!