#i even memorized Which opening and ending song a set of episodes will have like gurl wtf

[aria0fgold]

My brain just beamed me thoughts of my childhood anime and the realization that the moment I noticed how much I like Inuyasha's dynamic with Sango a lot more, they would've turned out to be my very first rarepair but alas... It instead became the catalyst of me finally losing my hyperfixation of 10 years on it.

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#27: The Timeout (1.04)

Every now and again there comes a piece of media that you know is going to stay with you for a lifetime. For me, that’s TOWL Episode 4.

I’ve never been more excited and more overwhelmed to try and dive into all the scenes of an episode than "What We". It’s my favorite Richonne episode of all time so I have to revel like never before. Truly what Danai crafted with her writing and what Andy and Danai delivered in their performances is phenomenal and transcendent. I’ll cherish Episode 4 forever, from minute one to the final shot 🥹🤩💛...

Now that we've arrived at the illustrious episode 4, it's only right to kick it off with a happy dance😋...

For some March 17th, 2024 is just a regular day but for Richonne stans...

Because it's the day that the Richonne episode aired.

I remember how stoked I was when the time had finally arrived for episode 4. Leading up to it there had been high praise and acclaim for the episode with it even being deemed the climax and ‘for the richonners’ and one of the best of the TWD franchise. So I was already going in with big anticipation and "What We" knocked it out of the park in every way possible.

What Danai wrote is just 🔥🔥🔥 in all the ways and I'm very grateful for her and this thoughtful powerful episode she crafted. 👏🏽

There was a time when I had ep 4 memorized from the first line to the last cuz it was just excellent and moved me like no other. There is so much to say about this one episode and I'm gonna try my best to say it all because this is the kind of episode you rave about for years on end. And as someone who already revels in every detail of Richonne's story, this episode is the epitome of why I do what I do with this blog.

The raw and visceral range of emotions captured in about one hour of television - it’s a triumphant feat and I’m obsessed. TOWL is already a dream come true but episode 4 is a dream within a dream and perfectly captures why Rick and Michonne are the greatest soulmates to grace a screen.

So let’s get into it. 🤗

The masterpiece of an episode kicks off with a bang as we’re brought back to the moment Rick and Michonne are in that rocking helicopter with Rick silently freaking out and Michonne looking right at him cool, calm, collected, and a little crazy. 😋

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

They intercut with the apartment that will become a very pivotal and important setting in Richonne’s journey. And I absolutely love the choice to have the episode mostly take place in a swanky high-rise apartment similar to where Michonne lived before the apocalypse. It’s like after years of being out in nature which is more Rick’s territory they now get to enter Michonne’s more city-girl territory. 

I also like the 'Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree' song they use for this scene. The lyrics are very much intentional and the song's meaning is also fitting as it’s “sung from the perspective of a man returning home after three years in prison and looking anxiously for an agreed-upon sign that the woman he loves would welcome his return.”

So right off the bat with this song and helicopter moment, I was like...

The lyrics start by saying, “I’m coming home, I’ve done my time.” Which by the end of this episode, Rick will arrive at that same realization with Michonne’s help. Also, Michonne is determined to head home herself too after doing her time with the CRM. And considering Rick and Michonne are home to each other and they’re finally about to get some extended alone time it really is like they’re coming home to each other this ep.

Then the song says, “Now I’ve got to know what is and isn’t mine.” as we see the little Roomba that could. I love the way electricity and these items all help to tell the story.

Throughout this opener, we see Rick and Michonne both staring at each other in the helicopter, and again the way they can express so much without words is clear.

Rick is attempting to like idk sternly stare her down but Michonne is unfazed and you can tell her mind is made up that she will do anything to keep them from falling apart. She knows if they go back to base it’ll only be that much harder to convince Rick to leave, so she’s yanking him out of there before that happens.

(Side note: I know there’s often debate on whose crazier in general - Rick or Michonne. and I honestly think Rick. Even tho they’re very equal and match each other's crazy. It's just that Michonne is a bit more composed most of the time that’s why Rick edges her out to me. But when Michonne doesn’t want to be composed...oh she can beat everybody in the crazy department. And she took the Crazy-Off trophy home in this helicopter. 🏆👌🏽 Also when I thought about it - it would probably be hard for Michonne to yank a grown man out of his seat that swiftly and so I like to think Rick basically let her lol. Like he saw that helicopter door open and while he was yelling no he knew Michonne’s gonna do what she’s gonna do and so he’s gotta go with her.)

gif cred: @chaoticroad

The lyrics then say, “If you received my letter telling you I’ll soon be free...” which is very fitting to the letters Rick used to write Michonne. And then we get that moment where Michonne grabs Rick and throws them out of the helicopter. Just iconic. 👏🏽 And Rick is genuinely shaken by Michonne doing this, understandably. You can hear it in the way he yells as they fall into the rushing water.

I like that when Michonne throws them out of the helicopter that’s when the lyrics say, “Then you’ll know just what to do if you still want me.” Fitting. And in this case 'just what to do' was to jump out of a helicopter together without a parachute or anything. Michonne is crazy and we love her for it. 😋

And honestly, Rick loves her for it too even if he’s obviously rattled by it at first. She really looked at her man and said 'the CRM can’t have this one' and plucked Rick out of the sky...again.

Also, the fact that this implies they were able to hang onto each other and not at some point get separated either in the air or in the water. Magnets confirmed lol. 🧲😂

So then I like the way it’s filmed as Rick and Michonne’s hands are seen grabbing onto rocks and then without seeing them we get this sense of movement as they make their way into the apartment building.

They rush into the apartment both breathing heavy from the wildness that has just occured as the lyrics say, “It’s been three long years. Do you still want me?” Fitting again.

And then I love the clever use of the thermostat system (there's probably a more accurate word for what that temp controller thing is but I wasn't sure what, so I'm just gonna call it a 'thermostat' lol). It’s perfect that the first thing the thermostat says is, “Welcome home,” as it's in this place Richonne will finally return home to each other.

gif cred: @nerd4music

As Rick and Michonne silently look around the lyrics say, “I’ll stay on the bus, forget about us, put the blame on me” which speaks to Rick’s current mindset of staying behind to help her get home and his willingness to be the 'bad guy' if it means keeping Michonne safe. 

And then y’all, I love this final moment of the teaser when Rick slowly looks at Michonne, upset but also very clearly reminded of who he’s dealing with after she chucked them off a helicopter. And then Michonne looks right back at him like she’d do it again too. 🤭

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

Once again they are very much communicating with eyes alone and after he talked cash crazy to her, you know in this episode it’s now going to be Michonne’s turn to do some talking. 👌🏽

And then the teaser ends with this great shot of Richonne facing each other with some distance between them in front of that scenic stormy window and I love the symmetry of it. 😍 For me, it illustrates how they may not be in sync yet but they're still in some way aligned.

gif cred: @nerd4music

There really are so many great cinematic shots in TOWL and this is definitely one of them.

The way that teaser ended with them just silent staring at each other and the lightning - ooh I just knew we were about to eat good as Rick and Michonne get a whole episode to themselves in this building. 🙌🏽

gif cred: @perryabbott

After the title sequence, Michonne and Rick are again staring each other down, and then Michonne says with certainty, “We needed a timeout.” I mean she’s not lying. 💁🏽‍♀️ It’s hilarious tho that that’s her first explanation for doing what she did. For her, those extreme measures were justified because of how badly they needed a timeout. And I agree with her entirely.

Also, I adore her saying 'we' and still operating like a package deal despite what Rick said about what they had being broken at the end of ep 3. She knows this relationship well and so she knows they just needed to get away from CRM territory to finally talk.

And after all that posturing Rick was trying to do last episode, I like how Michonne still heard the subtext in his words so she knew clearly 'Everything you’re saying and doing was just a sign that you and I need a breather away from all those other people.' Like I just love the wording of calling this a 'timeout' so much. (See, RJ’s not the only Rick Grimes who needs an occasional timeout. 😁)

Then Rick testily says, “I can’t believe you did that.” and Michonne is quick to retort, “I can’t believe you said that.”

gif cred: @figmentof

I always love how to Michonne, his words and her actions were equally crazy, if not Rick's words being crazier. 😂 She’s like 'You nearly ended our relationship, I nearly ended our lives so...

Then the thermostat, which really nicely needles a thread through the emotions of the story says, “Your preferred temperature will be reached in ten minutes.” That distracts them a bit as they look around and then Michonne walks away to take in the place some more.

And as she does this, Rick reaches for his PRB which I hadn’t noticed the first time I watched. I was like dang so had Rick not lost his PRB he might’ve called the CRM here before he and Michonne could even get some much-needed time to talk. Thank goodness he lost his. Reaching for it so quickly definitely demonstrates that the CRM has done a number on him.

Rick starts taking in the swanky apartment too with its electricity and running water and I love seeing the two of them in this new environment. He asks, “What the hell is this place?” And it’s clear this is way more of a familiar environment to Michonne than Rick.

Again, I thought this setting was such a great choice because it’s almost like they want to exacerbate Rick and Michonne’s differences even with the whole city girl/country boy thing to make you wonder if enough time has passed for their differences to now outweigh their similarities. But of course, the answer will be a resounding no and they’re still the compatible soulmates we know and love. 👌🏽😌

I love seeing Michonne admire the place and feel like she’s really at home. Like she’s not rattled at all from plunging into the water after leaping off a helicopter just moments before.

gif cred: @kinyany

And then I adore this next moment of Michonne going to the closet to change clothes for several reasons. There’s so many scenes that accomplish multiple things at once in this episode and this scene is layered in the best way. 👏🏽

Naturally, Michonne wants to get out of that soaked uniform but on a symbolic level it shows how she’s far more eager than Rick to shed the CRM off of her. It's like as she changes, she’s letting both herself and Rick know, Dana's gone.

She's gonna be Michonne Grimes from here on out. 👌🏽😌

And then "somehow" Rick finds his way over to where he can watch Michonne changing. 😋

gif cred: @nat111love

And even though they’re supposed to be mad at each other, he of course can’t look away as he watches her. He’s not even trying to be subtle about it lol.

gif cred: @nat111love

As he watches Michonne from the legs up, I know good and well Rick knew at this moment that ain’t nothing feels 'broken' between her and him.

Also, I just know this whole moment was a lot to take in for Rick because so far since reuniting, he had only seen Michonne super covered up with ponchos, jackets, and soldier gear. Like he hadn’t even seen her signature tank tops and tight pants combo - but here, Michonne was like let’s just dive right into 🎵panty and a bra we can’t get involved, boy🎵 (yet lol 😉) 

gif cred: @nat111love

And honestly this whole ep I was like Michonne really knows the exact things to do to help Rick come to his senses. Because while yes there’s definitely the steamy checking-her-out element of the scene, I also always appreciate how changing in front of him like this is effective in establishing their closeness and comfortability.

Like Michonne is not gonna just strip down like this in front of anybody but in doing so here it’s setting the tone to communicate to Rick 'you’re still my husband, I still feel safe with you, and so I can comfortably be this bare.' 👌🏽

gif cred: @nat111love

And then, because each scene expertly communicates several things at once, this moment of Rick seeing his wife’s body for the first time in years then takes a somber turn when Michonne lifts up her shirt and Rick sees that X scar she got during that excessively brutal episode in season 9. 🥺

I thought it was such a smart move to include Rick seeing the X scar in this scene, and it gives Rick this reminder that Michonne has been through a lot he doesn’t know about while they’ve been apart.

Rick has been so convinced that Michonne won’t be safe if he goes home with her but this lets him know she still has had to face a dangerous world without him. She's been through so much. 😢

gif cred: @nerd4music

Breathing really does tell quite the story throughout this episode. The way Rick takes a breath when he sees Michonne's X scar, you can tell that it sobers him up after longingly eyeing her down and he’s shaken by seeing she’s been hurt.

I feel for him because I think every scenario overwhelms him right now. It’s overwhelming to think about all Michonne has been put through in his absence & it’s overwhelming to think about all she could be put through if he doesn’t get her home. Like he’s feeling a lot. But never peeling his eyes off of her while he’s feeling all these things tho. Just saying lol. 

gif cred: @nat111love

And because Rick is staring straight at her, Michonne can likely feel his eyes all over her and so she gives this look back at him which I love. 😊 She knows what she’s doing. She knows what he’s thinking. And she knows because Mr. Everything We Had Is Broken has his eyes glued to her rn.

Rick Grimes really is the reason there are phrases like “eyes glued” because the way his eyes consistently get stuck on Michonne is really something.

Also - Michonne/Danai's beauty is truly divine. 👑

gif cred: @kimwexlersponytail

When Rick makes eye contact with Michonne here he has another one of those shaken breathing moments as I think he’s brought back to the reminder that they’re still supposed to be in a fight. Cuz homeboy looked like he forgot for a sec. 😋

So he finally looks away and then Michonne looks away with a knowing expression as she resumes changing. 

gif cred: @kimwexlersponytail

Rick walks over and sees Michonne’s PRB and in his state of stress, he’s convinced himself that this PRB is a solution to their problems and will be what best keeps Michonne safe. But as he looks at it, he then sees Michonne emerge in fresh new clothes. (Side note: it always makes me so happy to see Danai and Andy’s executive producer credits each ep and especially seeing Danai’s writing credit this episode 👏🏽🥹) 

Again without even needing words, Michonne immediately can tell what Rick is thinking as she looks from him to the PRB and then rolls her eyes, disappointed. She wants them to be done with the CRM so bad. And I completely get it. So she grabs the PRB and then she says, “You lose yours, huh?” Rick is silent and then Michonne slowly approaches him as she says, “I know what they do.”

And then y’all, I have about 85 favorite parts of this one episode but among those favorite parts is this part here when Michonne and Rick have this whole magnetic tension that’s mostly silent but speaks volumes. 🔥🔥

gif cred: @msanonships

Andy and Danai are truly the king and queen of layered acting because every single choice they make is never one-dimensional. There’s always so much communicated in each second, hence my need to dissect each second. And in this scene, they manage to express so much - tension, desire, fear, lust, love, anxiety, etc.

Michonne asks, “You want to call them here?” and even just the way she says it is perfectly delivered because it’s not taunting or even unempathetically challenging. It’s more like she’s asking knowing he knows full well that the PRB is not what he actually wants to be pressing up on right now. 😋

After she asks this, it’s such a great and hot moment of the two making eye contact and trying their damndest to resist each other. I know they had those magnets within them confused as to why they weren’t kissing like their life depended on it being this up close in each other's space. (Also, their height difference has always been so complementary 😊)

gif cred: @nat111love

I love the way this scene breathes as their chemistry and sexual tension just fill the atmosphere. The unique effect they have on each other is made abundantly clear and only Richonne can make a moment of just staring at each other this sexy. ❤️‍🔥 The tension of their fight was outmatched by the sexual tension between them.

Like the way she puts the PRB against his chest and raises her eyebrows. The way Rick stares into her eyes and I believe also at her lips and then down at the PRB, trying hard to maintain his whole “it’s over” energy from ep 3 but not doing it successfully. And then all Michonne has to do is tilt her head for Rick’s attention to be right back on her.

She doesn’t break away from looking at his face the whole time and when Rick looks at her again you can tell they both know loud and clear that he does not in fact want to call them here. He's got other things he wants to do. But there's so much fear and shame consuming him that it has him not thinking straight.

gif cred: @nat111love

Along with Rick's immense fear and anxiety communicated in this exchange, this is also where it is just so clear that Michonne has a hypnotic hold on this man. Cuz while Rick still thinks they need to go back, he also can’t bring himself to take the PRB when Michonne is basically handing it to him.

The way he’s staring at her and moving his head it looks like he's feeling every emotion there is and it’s also taking every cell in his body to resist her. He’s so focused on trying to resist that he seems to be rendered silent, at a loss for words. But no words are needed for both of them to know exactly what this whole moment is about. 👌🏽

And make no mistake, Michonne is also putting some effort into exhibiting restraint too because during this hot moment, there are a couple times when she’s looking at him like she wants to be all over him the second he stops acting up.

gif cred: @nat111love

What they both clearly want to do but are resisting right now, will be something they finally do in a later scene that actually parallels this one...but they’re not there yet. 

So in a rare moment, they go against their inner magnets and instead of leaning in, Michonne gives Rick this lingering eye contact and walks away as Rick watches her.

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

As she walks away she pockets the PRB since, without even saying it aloud, they’ve established they don’t want to call the CRM here right now. And thank goodness they don’t because Richonne has a lot to talk about.

And the most pressing thing Rick and Michonne have to talk about next is their children. As in plural. 😊👌🏽

[mirai-e-jump]

Boonboomger/Gotchard Film Pamphlet ft. Main Cast & Staff Interviews (translations below, long post)

Publication: July 26, 2024

Iuchi Haruhi (Taiya Hando)

For this film, the guests are HIKAKIN-san and Irei Himena-san. I'm together with HIKAKIN-san during the opening scene. I started watching Youtube when I was in my second year of elementary school, and have been watching him ever since, so I was really tense at first. Because HIKAKIN-san was playing himself, I was as nervous as I was during filming of the first episode, and it was hard for me to interact with HIKAKIN-san as Taiya Hando, not as Iuchi Haruhi……

In between filming, I had a chance to talk with him for alittle bit and told him, "I'm glad to meet you," to which he replied, "Same here, I'm also glad. Thank you!," and I was extremely moved.

Irei-san has a long career in acting, and I was particularly impressed by the delicate expression she showed when she was listening to the other's lines. Even when it wasn't my turn to appear, I was always studying Irei-san's performance. Initially, Princess Nicola's in a state where she can't clearly decide on what she wants to do, but then there's a scene where Taiya asks her, "Where do you want to deliver yourself?" This is a scene that shows a glimpse of Taiya's kindness and conviction, so I tackled it carefully. Before the performance, both Irei-san and I were quiet and concentrated the entire time, and I'm glad that we were able to perform this scene. Eventually, when Princess Nicola's prepared to make a decision, I felt that it overlapped with Mira in the first episode……I was really happy to see that Taiya's way of thinking was conveyed to Princess Nicola through Mira.

Also, a memorable scene during filming was when Taiya protects Princess Nicola. Since filming continued after this scene, I had to act as if I was properly protecting Princess Nicola, while also moving around to make sure her wig and hair accessories didn't fall off. In many ways, this one scene caused me some mental strain (laughs).

The climax of the film is the first six person simultaneous Boonboom Change, which includes Sakito Homura. Since it's a movie, I believe that one of its features is that there are many shots that show all six members. While filming, I had the feeling of, "I definitely want to see this on the big screen in theaters!"

Sakito's Miyazawa Yu-kun has alot of experience in stage plays, so I've learned alot from him, including vocalization, and I'm often inspired by him on set. Oh yeah, speaking of Yu-kun, when we shot the ending dance for this film at Fuji Speedway, only one part was filmed for him. He looked like he was ready to dance to the entire song, and seemed disappointed when he asked, "I'm already done?" (laughs).

The list of highlights are endless, from the Used Kurumaju that appear in the beginning of the film, to the wonderful guests, the location filming at the grand Fuji Speedway, the massive action, and the ending dance. It's a very lively "festival" film, so please make sure you have fun! _

Hayama Yuki (Ishiro Meita)

Chasshiro's highlight in the film is the part where he rewrites the program of the "Large Planet Destroying Missile" in order to disable it. Chasshiro's supposed to be super impressive, but lately, his crazy side tends to be what we focus on (laughs). Of course, that's what makes him interesting to play, but I believe that this film will reaffirm Chasshiro's superiority. Nevertheless, only in Boonboomger can such scenes be played out in an interesting way, like when Shirabe-san and Boonboom were fooling around, Chasshiro suddenly intervenes and says, "Give me a hand here!" (laughs). I took my performance extremely seriously, but I have no doubt that the audience will find these scenes interesting to watch. And at the climax, after disabling the missile, Chasshiro's the last of the six to arrive. This part is cool (laughs), so don't overlook it.

The first half of the battle between the Boonboomgers and the army of Used Kurumaju I was able to watch on site. It was almost a full lineup of all the enemies we've taken down so far. I had the impression that in the TV series, they struggled against every enemy, but in the film, they were able to defeat them one after another. I felt that the Boonboomgers had become stronger. Personally, I was happy to see Reizoko Grumer from episode 14 again, as it mainly focused on me and Mira (laughs).

I've been watching Youtube since I was in elementary school, so I was excited when I found HIKAKIN-san's name on the script's cast column. HIKAKIN-san is a very gentle person. However, during the actual performance, he suddenly started improvising, and I thought that this was to be expected of a professional entertainer. And, of course, when we first heard his live performance of "Boonboom Hello Boonboomger!," we all looked at each other. We were like, "It's the real deal!" (laughs). We were very excited. In the scene where we're watching HIKAKIN-san's video recording, Mira asks for his opinion with, "It's amazing, isn't it Chasshiro?," but he responds as if he's not interested. He was happy on the inside, and Mira surely saw right through him (laughs). Miu-chan does her best to play off me, so it's very easy for me to work with her.

I call Sakito Homura's Miyazawa Yu-kun, "Zawa-kun." Zawa-kun and I had been filming together in the TV series for about a month before we started filming the movie. So, I think the "six Boonboomger members" are beautifully captured in this film. Still, since Boonboom and Byundi also call themselves Boonboomgers, there are essentially eight Boonboomger members (laughs).

As this was my first movie, I was alittle nervous in the beginning, but looking back after filming finished, I enjoyed playing Chasshiro. I hope everyone enjoys themselves to the fullest from start to finish! _

Suzuki Miu (Mira Shifuto)

When I first heard from the staff that, "Mira is the main character in this film," I was shocked. When I actually read the script, I realized that everyone plays a leading role, but that Mira was given a very important role. In the first episode, Mira's determined to "take control of her own wheel," and now she tells this to Princess Nicola. I was happy to see Mira's growth, but at the same time, I felt alot of pressure to perform the role properly when we started filming.

I'm from the same agency as Himena-chan, who plays Princess Nicola. I've been in the industry for 12 years, while she has 14 years. I've known her name for a long time, but this was the first time we performed together. My impression of her was that she's dignified and mature. However, the more we talked, the more I could see how cute she was for her age. One day, when she had to choose between two types of bentos, she became seriously distraught. She was like, "Although I'd like to eat this one, the croquettes in the other one are hard to turn down……" I said, "Well then, how about if I take one with the croquettes in it and then give them to you?" She then said very innocently, "Eh, are you okay with that?" The smile on her face at the time was just too cute. It made me so excited that I almost died (laughs).

Still, when it came time to perform, I got alot of inspiration from Himena-chan, who has a longer career. Her reactions were too great, like she was doing them naturally. Her lines had alot of emotion. I was particularly careful not to make Mira's words sound like she was giving a lecture. I didn't want to "tell" Princess Nicola to listen to her story, rather, I wanted to create the image of Mira talking about her past on her own, and having it naturally resonate with Princess Nicola. What would the best way to express this be? I played the role while exploring the tone of my voice and the "pauses" in my performance. There were also scenes with the four of us, including Miyazawa Yu-kun's Sakito Homura and Byundi. When Mira asks for help, Sakito looks at her and Princess Nicola and says, "…Let's do this." At that time, Yu-kun's performance and Sakito's facial expressions were impressive.

I was also happy to be able to actively play as a "driver" in the film. I hadn't had an opportunity to ride in a car in the TV series for such a long time, so I thought, "At last, it's here!" However, I myself don't usually drive a car, so the staff gave me advice on things like how to use the gear stick and how to handle the wheel in a stylish way during the shoot. I think the footage gives a sense of a dynamic race, so please make sure you pay attention to it.

This production has the usual "cranked up" aspects, but as a human drama, it's a film worth watching. If those who watch it get the feeling of, "I also want to take another step forward," then that would make me very happy. _

Saito Ryu (Jou Akuse)

In this film, I was allowed to do flying kicks and backflips on a trampoline. I'd been appealing to Action Director Watanabe Jun-san for a long time with, "I want to do action," and now it's finally been realized. It was my first time stepping on a trampoline, so two days before the shoot, I was given some time to practice flying kicks and backflips so that I could do them before the real thing. Even though I found some parts to be difficult when I actually tried them, I'm happy that I did it. My muscles still hurt though (laughs).

What's more, I also experienced what's known as the "water fall" for the first time. I was surprised at first, but this is one of the best parts of playing a hero, and I thought, "Finally, it's here!" It seems that the staff wanted to give Jou's character a variety of challenges, so for my part, I'm grateful. The water was still cold when we were filming, but it was fun to do.

BoonBlack impresses me every time with the powerful action of Suit Actor Ito Shigeki-san. In the film, there's a scene where he fights one on one with Circuit Grumer, and he does a backspin kick, and his leg goes up very high. In fact, during filming of the movie, Shige-san taught me BoonBlack's role call pose. I'd like to perform in front of the fans someday.

My hobby is beatboxing, and it all began with watching HIKAKIN-san on Youtube. That's why I was very excited to be able to perform with him in this film. In the film, Jou says, "Amazing as usual!" to Genba, who "procured" HIKAKIN-san, but I think that might've been alittle bit of my true feelings coming out (laughs). In the scene where HIKAKIN-san was asked to leave because of the incident, only the two of us acted it out. Jou forces him out of the gate, and I felt really bad……

Director Nakazawa told us to "get excited" in the last scene, so we all got excited (laughs). Mira and Jou take the lead, and then Chasshiro and Genba join them, circling around Princess Nicola. I have no doubt that you'll feel our fun atmosphere. The ending dance was filmed at Fuji Speedway. The place is alot bigger than I had imagined when I stood on the actual course. After filming, we all watched the cars drive around the course, which was also cranked up. It was a very valuable experience.

As for the TV series, Zawa-nii has joined as BoonViolet, and the scenes and story are becoming alot more exciting. Please continue to support us from now on! _

Soma Satoru (Genba Bureki)

The scene where we confront the army of Used Kurumaju was the first thing we filmed for the movie. Simply put, it was spectacular. Given that there were that many Kurumajus lined up in a row, I couldn't help but suddenly exclaim, "Whoa!" Among them, I was personally happy to be reunited with Koinobori Grumer, who I fought in episode 10. Even in such a situation, Genba still shows a relaxed attitude, saying, "It's a revival festival, isn't it?" And even after the Change into BoonOrange, he always has a relaxed vibe to him. That was thanks to Ono Yukimasa-kun, his Suit Actor. There's also something sexy about how he handles his weapon. Since the movie will be shown on the big screen, I think you'll be able to see the differences in the actions of the six Boonboomers, the characteristics of each Suit Actor, the high level of their skills, and so on.

I was surprised at the development of the Boonboom Cars being controlled by Circuit Grumer. However, it's there that Genba shows his cleverness and creates an opportunity to turn the tables. There's a part where he holds up a pit board, but this one was surprisingly large and quite difficult (laughs). Also, since the Boonboom Cars would be added in later, I wasn't sure at the time of filming how the footage would turn out. After talking with Director Nakazawa and listening to his vision for the production, I tried to play the role while letting my imagination run wild. Director Nakazawa's direction was meticulous, and he would give me precise advice on Genba's facial expressions in each cut, such as, "It's like this now, but what will it be next time?"

As for memories of filming, I still really enjoyed being able to go to Fuji Speedway. Standing on a course isn't something you get to do very often, so it was a luxurious experience. After filming, we were able to observe a race, and every time a car passed in front of us at incredible speed, we all got excited and shouted, "Wow!"

Before filming for the movie began, we all used to talk about, "What kind of guests will be coming?" Sometimes, we'd also try to get the staff to spill (laughs). Then, to our surprise, it turned out to be HIKAKIN-san, and I was totally blown away (laughs). Furthermore, the setting of the film is that I, the "procurer," have procured him. I'm not sure what kind of negotiations he did, but……in any case, I think Genba's amazing (laughs).

Irei Himena-san, who plays Princess Nicola, was very lovely and was a healing presence to all the cast and staff members involved in the film. In the film, there's a scene where Genba sensed Princess Nicola's reluctance to discuss her situation, so he has to tell everyone. Genba's the type of person who acts by "anticipating" various things, so I performed this scene while thinking it was typical of Genba. I'd be happy if you pay attention to that. _

Miyazawa Yu (Sakito Homura)

It made me happy that Sakito Homura and BoonViolet could appear in the film (laughs). Originally, I wasn't informed on whether Sakito would be in the film or not, since I've only been in the TV series since June. When I received and read the script, the first thing I felt was the connection with the first episode and Mira's growth. Since I had watched the first episode as a viewer, I thought that Mira was trying to tell Princess Nicola what Taiya had told her back then. I think the real thrill of the Super Sentai series is that the character development is depicted over the long span of a year, and I thought that was exactly the theme of this year's film.

In this story, Sakito helps Mira and Princess Nicola. Since he works separately from the other five, his appearance is limited compared to them, but I feel that Sakito and Byundi were also able to commit themselves to the drama in a good way. For the scene with Mira, it had a more comedic "flavor" on set than what I had imagined in the script. It was also typical of "Boonboomger." On the other hand, I thought it depicted not only Mira's growth, but also the growth, or rather change, of Sakito, who gets up and says, "Let's do this" after hearing her story. And, there's also a moment of mutual understanding between himself and Byundi in the process of reaching that decision. I'm always conscious of expressing such scenes carefully and precisely.

In the scene where the six of them come together, Sakito's given the cool role of appearing while shooting at Circuit Grumer. It's not just that he's cool though. Sakito may appear to be full of himself on the surface, but I believe he's quite compassionate and loves people. I hope that you'll be able to feel the passionate feelings he has for his friends in this scene.

The weather wasn't very good when we were filming at Fuji Speedway, but when it came time to film the dance, the previously cloudy skies suddenly cleared up. No, it was because we're Boonboomger (laughs). The ending dance features myself trying to dance with the other five for the first time, as well as HIKAKIN-san, Princess Nicola, Boonboom, Byundi, and Shirabe-san, so please pay attention to it.

Thinking back on it again (after filming of the movie ended), when I was selected to appear in Boonboomger's TV show, I still didn't feel like a "hero" yet. When I did my first dub recording for BoonViolet, my feelings changed dramatically. Suit Actor Tsutamune Masato-san's actions were wonderful, and they helped me get my act together. And, of course, Byundi is indispensable for Sakito. With the character Byundi being created by Suit Actor Takada Masashi-san and Voice Actor Hanae Natsuki-san, I hope to express Sakito's relationship with him in an interesting way. _

Hashiyasume Atsuko (Saibu Shirabe)

I didn't know I was going to be in this film until I was given the script. Compared to everyone else in Boonboomger, I have a smaller role in each episode, so I just assumed that they had already finished filming (laughs). When I read the script, I found that Boon-chan (Bundorio) and I are quite close in some parts. When she's praised for her "good points" and becomes ecstatic, Director Nakazawa didn't give me any specific instructions, but I tried to come up with a pose on my own. After a cut was made and I received the OK, the Director copied my pose, so I'm glad I took a risk (laughs).

In the scene where I'm swayed by the vibrations, Boon-chan holds me as I'm about to fall, but at the moment I'm about to fall, I kept shaking my head back. Since my face wouldn't show up, we had to reshoot it multiple times. After that, Shirabe-san faints, but when she wakes up, she's leaning against Boon-chan. It made my heart race alittle (laughs).

Shirabe-san may come across as intimidating at first, but she also has a surprisingly cute side. In the film, ISA proposes a plan of "handing over Princess Nicola to the Hashiriyans," but Shirabe-san takes a stand against that plan. I struggled with how much emotion I should show here. I still didn't feel right as we went into filming the real thing, and Director Nakazawa seemed to feel the same way, as he asked me, "Want to do another take?" In the end, I feel that I was able to do a performance that I was satisfied with.

During filming, there were times when small children would peek over the fence at the site. Because of that, the cast members who had finished filming or who had time to spare took turns visiting them. Everyone was happy, and we had fun too. I thought maybe they wouldn't recognize me, but I was so thrilled when some of the children said, "It's Shirabe-san!"

The final part of the film really shows how close everyone is, and I thought it was a happy ending typical of Boonboomger. Shirabe-san was also in the swing of things, saying things like, "Boon-sama, you're wonderful!" I guess she must've felt a weight lifted off her shoulders after the incident was resolved (laughs). I was also happy that the three of us, Iuchi Haruhi, Boon-chan and I, were able to appear together in the final scene before the ending. I thought it'd be alright to look at the camera at that time, but then I thought it'd be more like Shirabe-san if it ended with her looking at Boon-chan. I discussed this with Fujita Yohei-san, who plays Boon-chan, and we tried to match it up.

It was also my first experience filming the ending dance. Although, I watch the broadcast every week, and I also checked the footage and tried dancing myself, so when I received the video to practice the choreography, I was able to dance to some extent (laughs). For filming, it was decided in detail who would dance each part, but no matter which part was mentioned, I was able to immediately respond with, "That's this one, right?" Please make sure to pay attention to us as we dance with overflowing smiles on our faces (laughs). _

Irei Himena (Nicola Keydoor)

So far, I've had little experience with productions aimed towards younger children. Given this, I was very happy to be able to perform in the Super Sentai series that my younger brother used to watch. Nicola's a kid who's unable to express herself properly, but through her encounter with the Boonboomgers, she's able to grow. I wanted to perform that process properly.

Wigs were prepared at costume fitting, and while it was available in pink and two other colors, among other things, I decided on pink based on the image I had of the role. The costume, which is reminiscent of a space suit, was also very cute. There was some talk along the lines of, "Will the heat be okay during filming?," but once filming actually began, it was neither too hot or too cold, and was very comfortable. That seems to be abit rare on site of productions like these (laughs). I feel that the role of Nicola Keydoor became more solidified in my mind through the costume fitting than the script reading stage.

I come from the same agency as Mira's Miu-chan, who I had many scenes together with in the film. This film was our first time working together, but it was fun that we shared alot of common ground, such as the fact that we had taken lessons from the same teacher when we were little (laughs). She also told me about the vibes on the set and the filming process, which was unique to tokusatsu productions. Miu-chan also had an action scene with Circuit Grumer, to which I thought, "Amazing!" Throughout filming, she watched out for me like a big sister.

Taiya's Iuchi Haruhi-kun was very calm. During the film, Nicola's at a loss when Taiya asks her, "Where do you want to deliver yourself?" That was a very important scene, and I could feel how serious Iuchi-kun was, so I naturally became more focused. After that, in the scene where Nicola makes up her mind, I acted it out after creating the flow in my mind leading up to her decision. In any case, everyone in the regular cast was always working hard. I was very impressed by that. Director Miyazawa's the type of person to ease your nerves, and he also explained to me in precise words the goals of his direction. Because of that, I was able to take on the daily filming without any fear.

One of the most memorable moments was riding in the Boonboom Super Car. We filmed the scene of my conversation with Miu-chan in the car, but the actual driving scenes were done by a professional driver. The location was also surrounded by nature, with scenery just as great, and the speed was fast and felt exhilarating, so I fully enjoyed the fun drive (laughs).

Performing in this film sort of reminded me of how I felt as a child. At the end, it seems that Nicola was given a Boonboom Changer (laughs), so if I get a chance someday, I'd like to Boonboom Change too! _

Director Nakazawa Shojiro

"This is the seventh Super Sentai series where Director Nakazawa was in charge of the first episode. What are your current impressions of Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger?"

Nakazawa: The characters on the hero side are each professionals with a rather mature image. In contrast, the bad guy's side is always developing some kind of ridiculous strategy every time……It's not that this is unusual to see in the Super Sentai series, as this kind of contrast has been around for a long time. However, from the point of view of a creator, there's no sense of "taking the high road" or "returning to basics." I'm not taking the approach that, "This is what Super Sentai's all about," rather, I'm working to create heroes in Boonboomger that are appropriate for this generation. The productions of the last few years have had strong personalities, and people may think that we've "gone back to the old days" if we do role calls every time, but we don't intend on trying to "go back" (laughs), we're trying to present new hero figures for the children of today's generation.

"The film has alot of content to take in, but one of the guest characters is a "space princess." Looking back on past Super Sentai series films, it would seem that this too is considered another "standard"……"

Nakazawa: There've been so many princesses, that I wonder how many there have been so far (laughs). Still, what I wanted to depict in this film was Mira's growth since the first episode. When princesses appear, they mostly interact with Red (laughs), but not this time. Mira, who was taught by Taiya the importance of "taking control of your own wheel" in the first episode, now conveys the same message to Princess Nicola, who's come from space. I wanted to create a character who's lost, who doesn't know where she belongs or what she should be doing, and as a result, she became a princess character, but she didn't have to be a princess. Such a character is changed through her encounter with the Boonboomgers. These days, I think there are many people in the world who are struggling with similar problems, so I hope that this film will give such people a supportive push. That in itself is one of the themes of Boonboomger, and as a movie, I wanted the story to appear as "Boonboomger" as possible

"When talking about "individuality," the film being shot on location at Fuji Speedway, the appearance of the peculiar Kurumaju known as Circuit Grumer, and the Boonboom Cars becoming the enemy, we thought that those ideas were interesting."

Nakazawa: Filming on location at Fuji Speedway was done around the time it had a tight schedule of races, so while we caused them an inconvenience, we managed to make it happen. To those who worked hard for us, I'd like to state my gratitude. We had a limited number of days, so we "targeted" that and went on location. Things were so tight, that if we didn't finish filming in 5 minutes, we wouldn't be able to wrap up in time (laughs). As for Circuit Grumer, since it's for a movie, we had the discussion of large scale Kurumaju, and so we thought, "If this is the case, why don't we make it a circuit monster?" It was unanimously agreed that it was "good," but I think it was such a grand idea, that we ended up restricting ourselves later (laughs). I think the conception for the Boonboom Cars to be the enemy initially came simply from the desire to see footage of the Boonboom Cars lined up at Fuji Speedway. Of course, with this being Boonboomger, I also wanted to do some car action, so I decided to have a setting where the Boonboom Cars are controlled by the enemy. The key point was how to intertwine footage of real cars and the CG Boonboom Cars. I hope you look forward to it.

"We were surprised by HIKAKIN-san's guest performance."

Nakazawa: While we received consent for him to perform in the film, we had a hard time deciding what kind of role we'd have him play. We thought about having him drive the Boonboom Cars in some way or another, but since he's not an actor in the first place, it was decided that him making an appearance as himself would be a better use of his talents than playing someone else. I was also grateful for his participation in the ending dance.

"Demon Thunder's voice is by Kishi Yuji-san, who was RedRacer in Gekisou Sentai Carranger (1996)."

Nakazawa: Kishi-san's been contacting me since the beginning of Boonboomger and asking me, "Call me in (for this series)" (laughs). However, I was trying to find the right role and right timing to call in Kishi-san. Then, since I also wanted Demon Thunder to have a profound feel in the film, I thought, "Let's ask for him here." It was as expected of him. He was a perfect fit.

"Seki Tomokazu-san is Circuit Grumer. He constantly says, "Vuuun! Vuuun!" (laughs)."

Nakazawa: Seki-san in particular was allowed to do whatever he wanted (laughs). On the other hand, due to the nature of his role, Kishi-san was often asked to hold back. However, there is one part where he messes around, so please try to find it (laughs).

"We heard that the voice of the "Large Planet Destroying Missile" was selected through auditions from among the main cast members."

Nakazawa: That's right. Originally, we had talks about whether the missile would speak, but then Scriptwriter Tomioka-san wrote in its dialog (laughs). We did an audition like event for the project through the TTFC. Watch the film to find out who was chosen.

"At the end, it seems that Princess Nicola's taken a Boonboom Changer back to her planet?"

Nakazawa: That was also Tomioka-san's idea. In Boonboomgers case, if Taiya makes a new one, it'll resolve that problem. Princess Nicola will surely be able to Change. However, we don't know whose Changer she ultimately took back. She may have gotten Mira's Changer and can Change into BoonPink, or maybe it'll be some other color (laughs).

"The army of Used Kurumaju also appear, but each and every Kurumaju is unique."

Nakazawa: The Voice Actors for both the Kurumaju and the Sanseaters have an amazing flow. That's how Seki-san was in this film, without fail, he always expands on the script. Of course, the script by Tomioka-san and his team, which were used as the basis, are also interesting, so everyone seemed to have enjoyed their performance.

"BoonViolet and Byun Diesel have also joined the series."

Nakazawa: In the film, Director Hayama, who shot the episode where Sakito Homura made his entrance, worked with me as Chief Assistant Director, and he helped me with the direction of Sakito and Byundi. Miyazawa-kun is very skilled at acting, and I hope that the original five members will become motivated by him. I'm sure that Sakito will stir things up in the film, and I'm looking forward to seeing the chemistry that's likely to occur on set with Miyazawa-kun's inclusion. Also, with the entrance of Byundi, I wondered if stuff like the relationship between Byundi and Boonboom will expand. From now on, the various rapid developments will continue, and I think it'll become harder to pass on. Without fail, please continue to support Boonboomger!

Motojima Junsei (Ichinose Houtaro)

-Towards the Future of Possibilities-

"Finally, the Summer film is here. How did you feel about the project?"

Motojima: The first thing I was conscious of was working together with DAIGO-san. He had already participated in the TV series as the voice of Kamen Rider Gotchard Daybreak, and when I heard that he'd not only be voicing, but also appearing in the film, I was thrilled to be able to work together with him. The first scene we filmed for this movie was the last scene. Houtaro's anxious about Future Houtaro parting ways on his own to defeat the Dark King, but he feels at ease after reading the picture book that Kudo showed him. I'd be happy if the audience could sense what happened to Future Houtaro, not from the dialogue, but from the expressions on Houtaro and Kudo's faces.

"The two major themes of this year's film are "the present" and "the future." Furthermore, the "future" is "another future" created by Houtaro's defeat in a past battle, and Houtaro's going to meet his future self there."

Motojima: The process of heading towards the future was very exciting. The scene where alchemy creates the Gigantliner was particularly impressive, and it features Kudo, Spanner, Sabimaru Senpai, Renge-neesan, Kyoka-san, Minato Sensei, and even Fuga-san. It's a scene that was truly created by "everyone's power," so I have a strong emotional attachment to it. I was also thrilled to perform the part where everyone shows their rings while standing in a circle, and after filming, we all took pictures of the rings together (laughs).

"However, the "other future" was already in a desperate situation."

Motojima: Kudo and the rest of his friends at the Alchemy Academy are no longer alive in that future. When I read the script, I was incredibly shocked. Furthermore, in the scene where Kudo loses her life, it's not Houtaro played by DAIGO-san, but me. During that shoot, Reiyo-chan was really crying as she played the role……Kudo always calls Houtaro "Ichinose," but only in that scene does she call him "Houtaro." I thought alot about what sort of feelings Kudo had put into that scene, and even I couldn't hold back my tears. We filmed that scene on the last day on location in Shimane, and we filmed it until the very last minute when we were getting ready to return to Tokyo.

-Two Houtaros, their motto is: Gotcha!-

"How was it filming on location in Shimane?"

Motojima: By being exposed to a new environment, I was able to approach the shoot with a fresh outlook. On the first day, we had time for sightseeing and went to the famous Izumo Grand Shrine. The soba we had for lunch was very tasty. The team participating in the "present" couldn't come to this location, so I bought matching necklaces for everyone at the shrine as souvenirs to take back.

"Please tell us about performing together with DAIGO-san."

Motojima: On set, we were together all the time. Whenever something happened, we would say "Gotcha!" to each other (laughs). When the first OK was given, DAIGO-san was the first to say "Gotcha!," and I responded with, "Gotcha!" That kind of exchange was very satisfying. This was also on location in Shimane, but I'll never forget the simultaneous transformation. The two of us discussed and coordinated the timing together. Through this process, I feel as if we've come together as one. Also, in the second half of the film, there's a solo transformation by DAIGO-san, and he did it by watching footage of me performing it, and then copying it perfectly. I feel somewhat grateful…….

-Bonds with our Friends-

"There's a scene where Houtaro and Rinne agitate Future Houtaro. We feel that this was one of the most important points in the film."

Motojima: That location is set up as the future Alchemy Academy. We actually used the same set, but in any case, the atmosphere is completely different. We're based there, and everyone's fighting, so among other things, weapons are placed there, and it's got a gory feel to it……However, that part also helped me to create the mood. As the weight of the past 20 years are weighing on his shoulders, Future Houtaro relentlessly says to him, "What do you know?!" Just imagining that, it makes me want to cry……But, as Houtaro, I can't afford to falter. Without hesitating, it's Houtaro who's able to say, "Let's fight together." I can only imagine the weight of those 20 years, but I don't understand it. No matter what kind of hell he's lived through, as Houtaro, I think he didn't want to give up on him, because it's the same "me" in front of him. I put those feelings into the dialogue in my own way.

"What about "Miracle Gotchard," the new form in the film?"

Motojima: It has a different feel from Rainbow Gotchard, which is all shiny, but I like the shimmer and the slightly extreme feel. Personally, I got the impression that this style is unlike anything that's been seen so far in Reiwa Rider. Furthermore, it's exciting that it'll evolve at the same time as Shining Daybreak. I was very enthusiastic about the recording session. As Platina Gotchard, I was conscious of creating a handsome, or rather, cool look, but this time, I mixed in some nuances of Steamhopper. I had the image of Houtaro, who's incredibly strong, but who also fights while having fun.

"Throughout the film, what message does Motojima-san wish to convey?"

Motojima: If you can feel the bonds he has with his friends, I'd be especially happy. In this film, for some reason, Kajiki also goes to the future with them (laughs), and in the future, he works with Clotho and Atropos. I think that such an unusual combination is one of the highlights of the film. In the future, Minato Sensei, Spanner and Lachesis are completely on the enemy side. Kumaki-san's performance as Alzard was intense. Fujibayashi-kun also told me that he put all his heart into playing Hellcrate. By having the usual enemies become allies, and allies become enemies, I believe that you'll feel the importance of "friends" even more. We're nearing the end of filming for the TV series, and we're taking it day by day, scene by scene, carefully savoring each shot we film. From now on, without fail, please continue to support Kamen Rider Gotchard! _

Matsumoto Reiyo (Kudo Rinne)

-Facing Rinne-

"In the "other future," it was shocking to find that the setting was that Rinne was already……."

Matsumoto: Rinne's final moments were very painful just from the script reading stage. Still, that's what I had to face. I think I was able to face it, but right before we started filming the scene, I couldn't stop crying. It was a scene where both Motojima-san and I were extremely focused. I think I was able to convey my feelings as Kudo Rinne during their final conversation before her passing.

"However, it seems that those words have been tormenting Future Houtaro for a long time."

Matsumoto: That's right. I was conscious of that, but during the actual shoot, my first priority was how directly I could express Rinne's emotions. I believe that because her feelings were conveyed to Houtaro, her words will remain in his heart forever. In that scene, Motojima-san was also completely immersed as "Houtaro," so it was easy for me to work with him. I once again admired Rinne's courage and ability to take action. Although it's the role I'm playing, I'd like to tell Rinne, "You did well."

-Future Houtaro-

"The role of the Future Houtaro was played by DAIGO-san."

Matsumoto: He was just as I'd imagined he'd be from hearing him in the TV series. He's very friendly and helps make his surroundings more exciting. During the filming period, it seems that he was also checking our SNS accounts closely, and when I posted about a local specialty called "akumaki," he asked me the next day, "What kind of food is it?" He said, "I'd like to try some." I was somewhat embarrassed, but I was glad to see such consideration.

"Unlike DAIGO-san's usual image, his role was quite serious."

Matsumoto: He shows a particularly relentless attitude toward Rinne. The weight of what he's carrying, the passionate heart in his chest…….I felt that DAIGO-san performed the role of "Future Houtaro" in a very deep way. It was easy for me to get into the role because there was a gap between when we were and weren't filming. During a test run, when Future Houtaro says, "What do you know?!" and grabs Houtaro by the chest, I cried even though I knew I shouldn't have. The Houtaro she knew wasn't someone who would raise his voice like that……As myself, I really felt that I couldn't control my emotions. Still, when I thought about it as Rinne, I thought she'd want to remind him of the old Houtaro. That's why the line, "I'll never give up or stand still," was said like it was bundled with kindness.

"What are your memories of filming on location in Shimane?"

Matsumoto: I got to ride on the back seat of Golddash during the scene where we're heading to the enemy's base! This was really fun! We also filmed along the coast of Shimane, and the scenery was beautiful. We also had a drone to take footage from above, so we had quite a long ride. I felt like I was on alittle tour (laughs). While I thought I was just acting, it seemed that my excitement came out on my face, and Director Tasaki said, "You were smiling so much!" It was a wide shot, and you can't see my expression, so it was okay……but now that I'm saying it here, you may see it (laughs).

"In the battle with Alzard, Rinne's "passion" could be felt."

Matsumoto: Kumaki-san played the role in a completely different manner from his usual performance as Minato Sensei, and it really moved me emotionally. Rinne must've felt that she and Minato Sensei had overcome many ordeals together, and that she couldn't forgive Alzard's words that trampled on that. What's more, Alzard tried to hurt Ichika-chan and her father. The line "I'm going to take you down!" was said in a rage. This time, there were many important lines spoken after the transformation into Kamen Rider Majade, so I hope that they'll reach everyone. In the final battle against the Dark King, there's a scene where Miracle Gotchard, Shining Daybreak, and Majade took turns saying their lines, and I think we were able to show our strong will to "unite together to defeat the Dark King." I was very particular to live up to the wonderful performance by Shimozono Ayumi-san, Majade's Suit Actor.

-Rinne's growth-

"What are your thoughts after looking back on filming?"

Matsumoto: The film deals with a heavy theme, but I believe I was able to give it my all. The atmosphere on set was great, and I was always able to relax. I even talked with Motojima-kun, who also said, "I'm glad it ended peacefully," (laughs).

"It really conveys the vibes that everyone's working together."

Matsumoto: Now that I think about it, we began filming with the final scene (laughs). I remember thinking about the scenes we were going to shoot, including the encounter with Future Houtaro, because it was the last of many experiences that we had yet to film. I was also happy to be able to film while in a yukata. It's hard to imagine this from Rinne in the very beginning, she was strict and stubborn, wasn't she? (laughs). I thought, "Oh, I see Rinne-chan has started wearing yukatas too."

"Please give a message to the fans."

Matsumoto: During filming of this movie, I always set the goal of, "Cherishing each and every scene while performing." The feelings she had during her final moments, the tolerance Rinne shows to Future Houtaro, and her anger at Alzard……..I also tried my best to play out the feelings of Rinne, who's been watching over Houtaro for a long time, even though she's no longer in his presence. If I was able to express even alittle bit of Rinne's growth, I'd be happy _

Fujibayashi Yasunari (Kurogane Spanner)

-Spanner & Kaguya-

In this film, I also play the role of Hellcrate on the enemy side. It was interesting that Spanner was the foundation of the role, not that he was completely different. I was also conscious of the contrast when transforming, for example, Spanner raises his right hand, while Hellcrate raises his left hand.

Unlike Houtaro and Rinne, Spanner himself doesn't go to the future. He and Kaguya are depicted as abit of a pair. Kaguya's the type that can be pushy, but Spanner's rather reserved. Maybe that's why they got along so well. The relationship between the two of them came about naturally in their own way. At the end of episode 35 of the TV series, Spanner says, "That should quiet things down for awhile," and for a moment, he glances at Kaguya with a smile. This was based on the development of the film. I think I was able to communicate well with Nagata Seiichiro-kun, who plays Kaguya. Coordinating the timing of the double transformation was also done by both of us. I wouldn't say those two are "best friends" (laughs), but it feels like they know each other's personalities very well, wouldn't you say? I hope you'll pay attention to our performance.

-Spanner & Hellcrate-

Director Tasaki told me, "I want you to play a classic villain," in regards to Hellcrate. I wanted to add something of my own, and after consulting with the Director, we decided to add abit of a narcissistic vibe. For example, when I first take off my mask, I was particular about the movements of my fingertips to express a narcissistic look. After that, we just pursued "the exact opposite of Spanner." Spanner learns to play chess from Kyoka-san to help keep his cool, but Hellcrate is the exact opposite. I also immediately imagined a scene where he loses his temper and yells while his face is scarred. The scar is something he feels inferior about, so I also included a gesture to try and hide it. The makeup artist was very particular about the scar itself, and went to the trouble of redoing the initial scar, saying that they weren't satisfied with it. I did my best to respond to their desires. As for the dialogue, I still like the part where I call out, "Kurogane Spanner!" It's not often that you get a chance to call out the name of the role you're playing.

Angel Malgam, transformed by Hellcrate, fights Kamen Rider Valvarad, so I had to do it in two separate recording sessions. What's more, there were also times in which Hellcrate was in a state of being masked, so it practically felt like I did three roles. This was quite a challenge…….I suggested Valvarad's catchphrase "Checkmate!" to Director Tasaki, and he made a place for me to include it. For Spanner, this line is essential. And then, the scream Angel Malgam makes when being defeated was also my doing (laughs). I wanted to express the unsightliness at the end of one's life as much as I could.

-Spanner & Gavv-

As Spanner, or rather, as Kamen Rider Valvarad, I was the only one who got to interact with Kamen Rider Gavv. In last year's Winter film, I also worked together with Kamen Rider Buffa, so the purple Riders seem to be connected (laughs). I was happy to be able to work with Director Sugihara again during the dub recording of Gavv's part. I've been calling myself a "Sugihara fan" ever since he filmed my first appearance as Kamen Rider Valvarad (episode 20 & 21). Oh, and during the Summer festival scene at the end, Spanner is seen eating gummies (laughs). Please make sure you pay attention to that. _

Nagata Seiichiro (Ho-Oh Kaguya Quartz)

-Beyond the Aurora-

Kaguya's first appearance was in an online spinoff, so at that point, I didn't think he'd be in the film (laughs). Later, when I appeared in the TV series, there was a scene where within the Aurora Curtain, I witnessed Kamen Rider Gotchard Daybreak. I wondered, "How is this going to link to the future?," and it turned out to be foreshadowing for the film.

I myself had a cheerful impression of Kamen Rider Gotchard's show. Of course, there are some heavy parts like Spanner's past, but I thought that things like the school story was overall fun. That's why I was excited by the "Future World" setting being depicted in this film. I couldn't believe that all of Houtaro's friends were gone……Still, I felt that it was definitely an exciting setting for a film. It's really hot to turn the tables on the worst situation. I couldn't wait to start filming

-Double Henshin with Spanner!-

In this film, Kaguya has alot of scenes with Spanner. He says, "You can also give me a hand," and I felt that their relationship had gotten closer throughout the TV series. They also do a double henshin, so please be sure to pay attention to it. Kamen Rider Legend has a simple transformation pose, but Valvarad has many movements. Therefore, for Kaguya's part, I tried to kiss my hand more slowly, and I also got the idea from Fujibayashi-kun to make up for the time difference by shaking my body alittle at the beginning (laughs).

Being on location in Shimane was also an unforgettable memory……I didn't have an appearance there though (laughs). However, I really wanted to visit, so I attended by paying out of my own pocket. The performance that was especially inspiring was the scene where Rinne faces her final moments. I could feel the sincerity in Motojima-kun and Reiyo-chan's approach. Fujibayashi-kun too, he played the role of Hellcrate in a lively manner. His performance was so passionate, that his voice echoed through the huge dome. Due to how the story develops, some other cast members were unable to come to this location, so they went to the Izumo Grand Shrine to buy matching necklaces as souvenirs to bring back. Shimane was a wonderful place. I'd definitely like to go back.

-Encountering Decade-

This film depicts not only the showy side, but also the sensitive side of Kaguya. This can be felt in the scenes with Kadoya Tsukasa. I performed with Inoue Masahiro-san before and was acquainted with him, but I've admired him since back in the day. There's certainly some parts that overlap with Kaguya's feelings for Tsukasa. I was impressed by the way Tsukasa recognized Kaguya's growth. That "chin grab" was improvised by Inoue-san. On set, the female staff members cheered (laughs).

That scene was carried by Inoue-san, but I was happy that Kaguya was finally able to call himself a Kamen Rider. Kaguya is originally an inhabitant of a different world from that of Houtaro and his friends, so he leaves everyone at the end of the film. I'm alittle sad about it, but I hope that I, as well as Kaguya, will have a chance to meet Houtaro and his friends again. The message of the film is that "the future can be changed." I think that Kaguya was also able to change through his encounter with Tsukasa. I'd be happy if people who see this film feel cheerful. _

Kabe Amon (Kajiki Ryo)

-To the Future World-

I didn't expect for Kajiki to go to the future with Houtaro and Rinne. Kajiki isn't often involved in the main story, but this time, he sneaks aboard the Gigantliner (laughs). The train scene to the Future World was made possible with the cooperation of Saitama Prefecture's Chichibu Railway, and along with Motojima-san and Reiyo-chan, the three of us were very excited to film it. Following that, the "Future World's Station" is at the site of the Former Taisha Station in Izumo City, located in Shimane Prefecture. This is the second time we've shot on location in a rural area, following Kyoto (episodes 9-10) for the TV series. The devastated world was ultimately created by 3D compositing, so while we were filming on site, we left it to our imaginations, wondering, "What kind of sight is unfolding out here?" I think one of the highlights is the numerous visuals that are different from usual. During our stay, we all visited the Izumo Grand Shrine and did sightseeing together, which was also a fun memory.

-Regarding the Guests-

There were scenes where I performed with DAIGO-san and Kojima Yoshio-san. DAIGO-san's character, "Future Houtaro," is still Houtaro from Kajiki's point of view, but there's still something mysterious about him. On set, when I was wondering how to communicate with DAIGO-san, he started talking to me. He's a very friendly person. Also, my waiting room at the studio this time was on the same floor as DAIGO-san's. When I left my room, I heard a singing voice and thought, "Huh?," and to my surprise, it was coming from DAIGO-san's room. I think I was probably the only one who heard it, so it was a precious experience (laughs). I also had fun filming with Kojima-san. When I arrived on set, he came out wearing those swim trunks (laughs). Of course, I knew that he was going to appear in the film, but the script described Kojima-san's Tajima as a "serious doctor," so to see him make his entrance looking like that……I was surprised.

Also, in the Future World, Clotho and Atropos are on our side. Kajiki's rarely involved in battle scenes, and even when he occasionally meets those on the enemy side, it's only to give a quick greeting, so it was abit strange to be in an environment like this, where we're always together. I remember talking to Clotho's Miyahara Kanon-san and saying, "It's weird for the two of you being together with us, isn't it?"

-Go for it, Riders!-

Normally, Kajiki gets "caught up in the middle of things," but in this film, he's present during important scenes. I also have the line, "As their best friend, it's my duty to help out Houtaro and Kudo." In the second half, I was also given the role of cheering on the Riders. In the script, we were all going to cheer, "Go for it, Kamen Riders!," but when I went to the set, it was changed to Kojima-san's, "Gan gan gan gan ganbare! Go for it, Riders!" (laughs). It seems that Director Tasaki and Kojima-san had a meeting beforehand and decided on that. I only learned about it on set, so I was also surprised. It was also alot of fun to cheer on the Kamen Riders with the children.

Over the past year, Motojima-kun's become a splendid "leader" who pulls everyone along. Reiyo-chan's acting was also wonderful……During the cheering scene, I felt those feelings rising up in me, and I did my best to shout them out with all of my voice. To all of you, I'd be happy if you could come and support us together in the film! _

Kamakari Kenta (Glion)

-How I should act to look scary-

Kamen Riders are figures children look up to. Therefore, I act as Glion with my first priority being to make him look scary so that children will think, "I hate him" or "I don't like him." Even with the way I look, I needed to plan on whether I'd stare coldly or look wide eyed, and after much research, including asking my own daughter, "Which eyes look scarier?," I decided to use the latter as the basis for my performance. I think the scarier Glion looks like that, the more the heroes will stand out.

For this film, when I heard that Glion was going to appear, my first reaction was, "Yes!" He made his "exit" during episode 27 of the TV series, so…..Whenever I heard rumors about the film, I always thought, "That sounds nice," but I never expected to actually appear (laughs). What's more, I was put into a good position again. I'm grateful for that.

-Glion's Secret?!-

I started filming for the movie with the beginning future scene. I haven't had much experience filming with a green screen before, but it was a big studio with alot of staff, so I was very excited about the large scale of the shoot, thinking, "We're filming in such an environment!" And, I was also able to work with our guest DAIGO-san from the first day. As Glion, I'm able to face off against DAIGO-san's "Future Houtaro." DAIGO-san's a very appealing actor as well. DAIGO-san was just as soft spoken as he was on TV.

In this film, I like the scene where I appear in front of the two Houtaros the most. I was excited about this part even from reading the script. On the actual set, I think it was even more impressive because of the added direction of "coming down the stairs." However, the stairs at the location were rather steep, and it was abit difficult to come down them in Glion's boots. Of course, I was concentrating on the performance, but I was alittle concerned while coming down, wondering, "Are my feet gonna get caught?" (laughs). I also felt that my "loud laugh" was increasing my "synchronization rate" with Glion, so in addition to that, when I tried to make facial expressions while feeling the vibes on set, that kind of laughter just came out naturally.

-Henshin! Kamen Rider Dorado!-

What made me most happy was my "transformation" into Kamen Rider Dorado. When I work on a film, I tend to value the atmosphere on set, and often won't make up much of my performance beforehand. That's why I tried not to think too much about the transformation until the day it was supposed to happen. Then, Action Director Fukuzawa Hirofumi-san came to me with the wonderful plan of, "Transform while avoiding the enemies attacks." I immediately went along with that plan (laughs). Also, I wondered how happy Glion would be when he got the card, since he said, "I'll become complete!" I tried to think about it and performed in my own way.

I also did the dub recording for Kamen Rider Dorado, which I tried to act out as if my emotions were exposed. I think that you'll feel a different side of Glion. When I was first shown the footage, I tried to voice it with an honest reaction and realized, "Ah, I can sound like this……" However, when we first tried the scene where Dorado torments Rinne, Director Tasaki told me, "It's way too scary, please try to hold back alittle more." Well, I understood that, but I wanted to completely go off (laughs).

This film is the story of Houtaro and his friend's efforts to change the worst future. The message is that no matter how hard it gets, it's important to have the courage and strength to take a step forward. As Glion, I played the "bad guy" role. If you have a child who says they prefer Glion or Kamen Rider Dorado more……I'll dye them gold! _

DAIGO (Future Houtaro)

-The Future of Kamen Rider-

"We were also shocked by your surprise "voice appearance" in the TV series, but this time, at long last, you're playing the role of Future Houtaro."

DAIGO: At my age, I never would've imagined that I'd become a Kamen Rider. What are the odds that this would happen, you know? I was happy when I heard about it, and responded with, "By all means, please let me do it."

"In the TV series, the true identity of Gotchard Daybreak was hinted at, but how did you feel when you finally read the script for the film?"

DAIGO: Since I had been following the developments of the TV show, first off, I was very shocked. I couldn't believe that Houtaro's defeat had actually led to the loss of his friends lives, including Rinne, Spanner, Sabimaru Senpai, Renge-neesan, and Minato Sensei. In addition, Houtaro continues to live, and even though he never gives up and continues to fight, he's incredibly burnt out. He's an almost completely different version of the Houtaro everyone knows. Speaking honestly, when I was wondering if I'd be able to play this role…..I was conflicted. However, in this film, Houtaro and Rinne, who come from 20 years in the past, remind Future Houtaro of what he's forgotten. I felt hope there, and as it's a film packed with charm, I decided to try my best to perform. I thought I could convey something that's valuable in life to all the children.

-On set with younger people-

"How were things on the actual film site?"

DAIGO: For me, Junsei-kun is the "Houtaro" I've always seen on TV. That impression didn't change when I came onto the set. Whether the cameras were rolling or not, "Houtaro" was always there. He's so much like Houtaro, that I think I'd be okay for him to change his name to "Ichinose Houtaro" (laughs). So, on the other hand, even though it's 20 years later, I wondered if I could play the role of Houtaro, who's actually 46 years old, but since the setting is that he's, "Burnt out from fighting so much," it was perfect (laughs). And then there's Rinne's Matsumoto Reiyo-chan. Rinne is also Future Houtaro's "hope." I thought she was no longer in this world anymore, and that he'd never see her again. She comes from the past and appears in front of him. That's why his feelings of "I don't want to lose her again" are so strong. Contrary to this, young Rinne's resolve is strong and firm. That's why eventually, Rinne's words will also move Future Houtaro's heart. Reiyo-chan herself is a very reliable and lovely person, and there are parts of her that overlap with Rinne. Even so…….they're both almost 30 years younger than me. They truly felt like the "new generation of young people." When you get to be my age, it's hard to only look straight ahead into the future, but I was under the impression that they were really moving forward with their eyes set on the future. I was able to gain lots of energy by spending time together with them.

-A "bond" with Director Tasaki Ryuta-

"There was also a transformation scene."

DAIGO: Ever since I did the dub recording for Gotchard Daybreak in the TV series, I thought, "I want to see myself transform." Speaking of transformation, it's been a dream of mine since I was a child. I wish I could tell this to my younger self (laughs). The Action Director came up with the transformation pose, and in the first transformation, the pose included my "One hand wish pose!" For a moment I thought, "Is that gonna be okay?" (laughs), but I was very happy to see it being incorporated in a natural way. I hope all the children will imitate it. Following the TV series, Gotchard Daybreak is being played by Asai Kosuke-san. Asai-san's movements and performance are truly amazing. I wanted to do the performance after transforming myself, but as expected, that wasn't possible, so I put alot of energy into the recording. Just watching the footage was hot, and as a result, I hurt my throat quite abit (laughs). After it was over, I sucked on a bunch of throat lozenges.

"Speaking of Directors, this film was by Director Tasaki Ryuta……"

DAIGO: That's right (laughs). 20 years ago, he was filming "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon," and my wife (Kitagawa Keiko) is very grateful for his help at the time. I never thought I'd be working together with him this time like this……it feels like fate. Having visited Toei's film studio this time, it was alot of fun talking about it with my wife at home (laughs). I always received precise directions from Director Tasaki on set, and he was very helpful in creating the character of "Future Houtaro." And then, I was also impressed by the way he directed the younger actors. By asking, "What were the feelings you felt in that moment?," and getting that person to think, he encourages them to grow. More than anything else, I was also inspired by his "human strength" that was used to powerfully lead the set.

"What are your thoughts looking back on filming?"

DAIGO: It's "SMG." That's "Super Miracle Gotcha." This personal experience was a series of precious "Gotchas" for me. I have a good feeling that I was able "Gotcha" with everyone I starred with and the staff, and personally, I was excited when I'd "Gotcha" in each and every scene. All that remains is to "Gotcha" with the fans. Let's share "SMG" this Summer without fail! _

Kojima Yoshio (Tajima Tetsuo)

-Memories of the Kamen Rider Series-

When I was a student, I vaguely remember that Kamen Rider Black (1987) was airing, and that everyone would play pretend henshin. My love for chameleons may have been influenced by the chameleon monster who appeared in Black's movie.

-Accepting the invitation to perform-

I was incredibly happy. When I started doing live performances for children, I used hero shows as one of my "templates," so I was overwhelmed with emotion. For this film, the character I was asked to play was as similar to me as possible, so it was easy to perform. However, Tajima Tetsuo's set up was that he was also a "brilliant alchemist," so that's where I tried to gather up all the intelligence I had inside me.

-The "That doesn't matter!" scene-

At the time of filming, I actually fractured the base of my right foot's pinky toe and it was still healing. However, I went ahead and did it with the mindset of "That doesn't matter!" Looking back, I thought that was a good thing to say (laughs).

-The "Gan gan gan gan ganbare!" scene-

With jokes, they can come back to life at the right time and place. This joke was created for use in a solo show 15 years ago, but I haven't used it much since then. I finally had the feeling of, "My turn has come." During filming, the "heat" on set rose dramatically. The response I got was satisfactory.

-Memories of Filming-

Since I was almost entirely in swim trunks, I was able to be completely open with everyone. I'm definitely "Piya" friends with all of them now. I didn't want the wrap up to come.

-If you had the chance to perform again?-

Next time, I'd like to play a role in which I was originally on the side of justice, but due to a certain event, I become evil. Through this role, I'd like to convey to children that "there's a fine line between good and evil."

-A Message to the Children-

To all the "Piyas" who came and watched! Thank you! Please "gan gan ganbare" with all your might at the theater! Even if you're worried about what people around you will think, remember, "That doesn't matter!" _

Tarumizu Ayane (Sakaki Ichika)

-Rising above Adversity-

For Ichika, the role I play, she's a very strong girl who loves her father, and who also has the ability to take action. Still, it's not simply about her strength, but the fact that she rose from adversity, and that gave me a sense of her unique strength. I also almost gave up on acting, so in bringing Ichika to life, I really empathized with her feelings. I was offered an audition to perform. I played the role of, "Someone who lashes out in anger towards the enemy who attacked her father." and the emotions naturally flowed out. It was the first time I had a response, or rather a feeling, that was different from the auditions that I attended before. That day just happened to be my actual father's birthday, so maybe it had something to do with that.

The first scene I performed on set was the one where I confront Alzard. Her father's been kidnapped, and Alzard speaks to her in a cruel way, and I was given acting guidance by Director Tasaki, who told me, "Raise the emotional levels like how the water levels in a dam rises." It seems that she didn't take Alzard's words at face value, and was instead trying to manage her emotions and make it work. Still, with that one word, I feel that I was able to erase Tarumizu Ayane and express my feelings as Ichika.

The real challenge was the action. I thought I'd be alright with the machine gun shooting scene since I like online shooters (laughs), but when I actually tried it, it was totally different. Also, there's some action scenes with Alzard, and Ichika's the one who gets beat up, but I learned kickboxing together with my father, so I think that helped. Furthermore, I couldn't believe that I had entered such a world when I saved Majade from fighting with Alzard. I was also given the opportunity to observe the filming of the Riders in action, and was overwhelmed by the speed, sharpness, and power of their movements.

-With my whole Heart and Soul-

In the scene where Ichika tells Rinne-san and the others of her determination of having them take her with them to Glion's stronghold, I received guidance from the Director that there "wasn't enough fuel." When I burned all the "fuel" in my performance, such as the weight of the mouth harp being handed to her, her hesitant state of mind right up to the last minute, and her anxiety about whether or not she'd be taken…….I felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Throughout filming, I became good friends with the lead actor, Motojima Junsei-san, and the heroine, Matsumoto Reiyo-san. Junsei-san was a hero on set as well. Once, during a lunch break, I spilled alittle of my bento on my costume. I was thinking, "What should I do……?," when Junsei-san followed up with me and said, "Ichika's costume is originally designed to be dirty, so I'm sure it'll be alright!" Not only that, he came with me when I went to apologize to the costume designer. I thought he was a really kind person. And now, for Reiyo-san……she's just a beautiful person! She's cute! She's pretty! I love her. I'll never forget the time when we were shooting the scene where I get drenched in the cold underground location, and she put a pocket warmer around my neck. I was also happy to find that we had many of the same tastes in terms of favorite games and music. She's like a big sister.

In my own way, I put my whole heart and soul into playing the role of Sakaki Ichika, who's trying her best to live in the future's devastated world. Please make sure you pay attention to the emotions that overflow when Ichika confronts Alzard, as well as the action scenes. After the battle's over, I'm sure that Ichika will be able to spend a happy life with her father! _

Inoue Masahiro (Kadoya Tsukasa)

-Expanding like the Universe-

For some reason, with the creation of Kamen Rider Legend, a sort of successor to Kamen Rider Decade, my fans were worried about me. They were like, "Inoue Masahiro must have some mixed feelings about this" (laughs). It's not like that at all, as I was actually rather happy about it. To begin with, I think it was the Decade project that led to the creation of Legend. I know Kaguya's Nagata-kun very well, and even though Decade and Legend, and Tsukasa and Kaguya all have similar abilities, everything else about them is completely different. What's more, it makes me happy that the world of Kamen Rider has expanded even further.

In this film, Tsukasa refers to Kaguya as "boy," and says, "You're still no match for me," but the amazing thing about Tsukasa is that that alone gives it a "story" feel. Although it's not depicted in detail, the story regarding Tsukasa and Kaguya alone could be made into a whole movie if it were. In the case of other past Riders, if they were to do a new film on the "XXth Anniversary," they'd first have to think, "I wonder what's going on now?," but in Decade's case, every time a new Kamen Rider is born, in a sense, the world of Decade expands on its own. Although the context is as grand as the universe itself, for this film as well, I only performed in it for a moment. As long as the Kamen Rider series continues, it might expand, but it'll never close.

……However, I only recently realized this (laughs). Producer Shirakura-san is amazing, as he came up with this structure 15 years ago. My comprehension is finally catching up to me 15 years later (laughs).

-Passion of the New Generation-

Similarly, I recently found out about Toei's amazing production capabilities. I painfully realized this when I tried to plan and produce a tokusatsu hero film on my own. It's already at a frightening level that they keep putting new works on the air at this quality, week after week, and for decades on end (laughs). When I went to this film's set, I noticed the rise of the new generation of staff. The Producers and on site staff have changed quite abit too. Still, the warmth with which I was greeted was unchanged. Within them were Director Tasaki and Cameraman Kurata-san, both of whom looked out for me 15 years ago. I was grateful for the opportunity to go back to basics every now and then. I could sense the passion of the young staff members to create something interesting going forward.

This time, I don't even transform into Decade (laughs), I only appear as Tsukasa and speak to Kaguya, but it makes me happy that having Tsukasa appear can be done without having him transform. It's a short scene, but it's one that allows you to imagine the relationship between Tsukasa and Kaguya, so please make sure to pay attention to it.

I also realized that I'm in my mid 30s, and I've begun to think more seriously than ever about how to live my life. These days, I believe that if you're in a public position and are superficial, people will immediately see right through you. From now on too, I'd be grateful if you'd continue to watch over me. When the time comes and you need me again, I'll always come through. _

Scriptwriter Hasegawa Keiichi

-Future Houtaro's "sense of loss"-

I saw the preview just now, and it had an incredibly "voluminous" feeling. There were parts of the script that were further developed on the set, and the results exceeded the imagination of what I wrote. I once again strongly felt that this film is about "combined strength." Houtaro's Motojima Junsei-kun and Rinne's Matsumoto Reiyo-san have grown remarkably compared to when we first started filming. Even when confronting Future Houtaro, played by DAIGO-san, they had a presence that was unrivaled. I felt their strength and resilience more than in the TV series, which really made me happy to watch. It was decided early on that the film would feature Gotchard Daybreak and Future Houtaro, so when writing the script, I started by imagining what Houtaro would be doing in the Future World.

For 20 years, Houtaro's endured loneliness and isolation, living in a devastated world while carrying his sins on his back. He has a great "sense of loss." Even though he's injured, he keeps fighting, almost as if he's torturing himself. The idea for the eye patch came from Director Tasaki. I wrote the scene where Houtaro loses Rinne with the assumption that Motojima-kun, not DAIGO-san, would play the role, since the scene takes place not far off from the present, but it was pointed out to me that this would make it difficult to distinguish between him and present Houtaro. The eye patch is a way to differentiate between the two, but it also instantly conveys that Houtaro's lost more "friends" than just Rinne and the others. It's a heavy setup, but that idea helped. While Future Houtaro's burdened with a sense of loss, Houtaro and Rinne, who have come to the future from the present time, confront Future Houtaro with their honest feelings, even though they face a hellish reality. And eventually, the three of them join forces to confront Glion.

-Both Gotchard's evolving at the same time-

I'm sure that everyone's looking forward to seeing the new film exclusive form in action, but as a Scriptwriter, I wanted to make sure that it made perfect sense. I'm very satisfied with the way we were able to depict both Gotchard's simultaneously evolving in this film, and that we were able to put the Chemies feelings into it as well. It was also difficult to create the climax. Simply fighting a giant enemy isn't enough. So I thought about it, and that's where the development of using the Gigantliner came in. One of the themes of this film is the "departure of young people." Just to clarify this, Producer Minato wanted to use an actual steam locomotive for filming, so we also tried to involve the Gigantliner in the last battle. I also made sure to express the importance of "supportive energy." In Gotchard, it's an element that's been built up from the TV series. In the film, Kojima Yoshio-san's impact was added (laughs), and I think it's the best "support" that says, "We can win this!" My goal was to make "a film that'll make you cry."

Even though I'm the one that wrote it, I cried almost five times during the preview (laughs), but I already can't wait to see what everyone who comes to the theater will think of the film. _

Action Director Fukuzawa Hirofumi

-Action to match the Drama-

As an Action Director, what's always important to me is to create action scenes that don't interfere with the story. I don't like when the flow of a story is broken as it progresses, and is like, "Yep, here's some action." Since action's part of the production, I think the emotions of the characters should be properly included within it. For example, I'm particular about each person's position. In this film, the three of them fight together, that being present Gotchard and Majade who go to the Future World, and Gotchard Daybreak. In such a case, who should be the first to come to the front in this scene? In fact, how will that change the timing? I think it's very important to think about that. To put it another way, instead of positioning the characters according to the action I want them to perform, the flow of the action is first created based on the context of their relationship and where they stand. Here, present Gotchard is the main character, so Daybreak's moving to support him…..among other things.

Even in everyday life, when taking a group photo for example, each person's personality comes out, right? There are some parts that are similar to that. I was always conscious of this when I was in charge of the Super Sentai series. However, in this case, what's difficult was that there are two Gotchards, one from the present and the other from the future. They're both the same person, but are different in age and experience. Still, I also wanted them to feel like they're the same person in some places. This kind of pattern isn't common, so this was one of the areas where I struggled. I also owe alot to Eitoku (Gotchard) and Asai-kun's (Daybreak) ability to play each of these roles. Also, Rinne and Majade are quite important in this film. When both Gotchards and Majade are standing side by side, I also thought alot about Majade, like where she should be and what she should do. On the other hand, Majade's solo fight against Alzard, an enemy with the same face as Minato Sensei, is also a major highlight. By doing it this way, Majade is now also seen as the main character for the entire film. Trying to find a sense of balance in this area was a constant struggle while filming.

-Realistic Battles-

The story of Glion's transformation into Kamen Rider Dorado involves Glion holding a flask, from which a card is produced, which he then uses to transform into a Kamen Rider……that's how the flow goes, but during that time, Gotchard Daybreak charges at Glion. I think this was in the script. I didn't want to stop the flow, so instead of showing the entire sequence of Glion's transformation, I included some action in the middle of it where Glion dodges Daybreak's attack. Since this is a film is aimed at children, I suppose there's a way to "lie" about it, and just show only Glion's transformation, but thinking about it realistically, the question arises as to whether Daybreak is just waiting on him. I'm always thinking about "whether it can be established or not." Of course, it's also important to make the transformation look cool and impressive, so I try to make it as compatible as possible. In the opening, we had Spanner suspended by a wire and made him hang and jump, but I really wanted to do more things like this. Action isn't just about fighting. It's cool to do it smoothly, not in an exaggerated or superficial way. If the height is too high, the realism will be lost, so if we can find a good place or location, we can do things like this.

In this kind of production, the most difficult part are fight scenes between non professionals, so I often have a stand in for one of them in order to keep the rhythm, but it was reassuring to have Clotho's Kanon. Of course, she's physically strong in her own right, but her ability to pull everyone along during one on one battles were very important. It makes a big difference if just one of them can perform action. This time, since Clotho's on the good guy's side, I was also aware of how she should fight. I hope you'll also pay attention to that. _

Director Tasaki Ryuta

"Please tell us what your goals were when taking charge of Kamen Rider Gotchard's film."

Tasaki: I received a variety of opinions and requests from all sides, and I had to select the best ones and give them shape as I went along, but first off, when I thought about the appeal of the main character Houtaro, and the Kamen Rider called Gotchard, there were many opinions that, "He's a hero you want to cheer for." I thought this was an asset of the show, and with that being the case, I decided to incorporate an element of "cheering." However, if we were going to go with that, I didn't want it to be some half baked, unexplainable production. I thought about how to do it in a way that would appropriately bring the film to its climax. And then, Producer Minato-san was particular about steam locomotives. Gotchard's standard form is "Steam" hopper, and we thought we could handle steam locomotives being on the big screen of this film. Regarding this as well, we felt that it would be a waste to have only a scene of the Gigantliner going to the future, so we decided to have the CG Gigantliner play an active role in the last battle as well.

"As for the filming structure, the fact that it was shot on location in Shimane is a major point."

Tasaki: One of the staff members in the production department is from Shimane, so he took charge in negotiating with the government and the film commission, and he was able to make things happen. The station where the Gigantliner arrives in the Future World is the Former Taisha Station, which used to be the nearest station to the Izumo Grand Shrine. Today, there's a private railway station nearby, and the "JR Taisha Line" itself, which used to end at the Former Taisha Station, has been closed for more than 30 years now, but it was great to be able to film the steam locomotive there. It didn't move, but we could get in and out of it without difficulty, and we also went to a place known as "Tatara Yamauchi." In the past, this area used to partake in iron manufacturing. Here, old tall buildings and tenements still remain, and they served as the exterior of the hideout for Houtaro and the others in the Future World. The take of both Houtaros transforming side by side was also done at this location. There was also bike riding in Shimane. The exterior of Glion's stronghold is the Izumo Dome. There was lots of scenery among other things that could only be filmed by going to Izumo, and it made this production more profound. The scenes of the steam locomotive moving was filmed with the cooperation of Chichibu Railway. We prepared 5-6 cameras and captured it from all different angles.

-The Impact of "Another History"-

"It was exciting to hear that, "Present Houtaro and Future Houtaro meet and fight together," but in reality, Future Houtaro's setting was that the past 20 years for him were extreme."

Tasaki: Since history has split off from Houtaro's defeat by Glion, there was a necessity to depict a clear distinction between the two. Also, we needed to depict a tragic element in the process of turning the tables on a hopeless situation. I believe that many of the visuals will shock those who are Gotchard fans. On the other hand, there are some redeeming features which create a sense of hope, such as Atropos and Clotho becoming allies, and a reliable friend named Tajima, played by Kojima Yoshio-san.

"Houtaro's eye patch, Rinne's final moments, and the three "Dark Death Masks"……Of these, Alzard, who has the same face as Minato, left the strongest impact."

Tasaki: Regarding Minato, he was on Glion's side for a long time in the TV show, and with that impression still remaining, if we did things normally, people would think, "Again, huh?" Besides, Kumaki-san's performance was important, as Alzard's insanity and cruelty draws out the rage of Rinne and the guest character Ichika. Actually, to that extent, I believe that Kumaki-san's efforts had created some positive effects.

"This was the first time for DAIGO-san, who plays Future Houtaro, to make a visible appearance. How did you feel?"

Tasaki: I could tell that he takes his work as an actor seriously. He would also read the book (script) in depth. I'm glad we cast him.

"When we think of DAIGO-san and Director Tasaki, we just can't help but think……"

Tasaki: I understand (laughs). It's because of "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon," right? Kamakari Kenta-san also appears as Glion in this. 20 years ago, I worked on "Kamen Rider Faiz" and "Sailor Moon" at the same time, and Kamakari-san's wife is Haga Yuria-san, who played the heroine in Faiz, and DAIGO-san's wife is Kitagawa Keiko-san, who played Sailor Mars. I thought it was a strange connection because in this film, there's a scene where Future Houtaro and Glion fight. Kamakari-san……Kenken-san's Glion is also wonderful. Not only is he cool, but he comes up with an interesting performance every time. It's also fun to film him.

"Speaking of those connected to Director Tasaki, Kadoya Tsukasa also makes an appearance."

Tasaki: While Decade is a special Rider who can commit to being in any Rider's world, I think it was inevitable since Kadoya's originally an eternal traveler, but now that Kaguya and Kamen Rider Legend, a kind of successor, has appeared, I think he may have finally found a place where he belongs. Kaguya's also a type of character that's never been seen in the Kamen Rider series so far, and Nagata-kun's got great style, so I think it'll be interesting if we can connect him to future productions. Oh yeah, speaking of Nagata-kun, he came to observe the Shimane location shoot at his own expense. He also helped the staff out with their work.

"We'd also like to ask about Kojima Yoshio-san."

Tasaki: As I stated in the beginning, I wanted the climax of the film to be the scene where everyone cheers for Gotchard and the others. To highlight this point, I approached Kojima-san with an offer, and he was very clever. He immediately understood what we were trying to aim for. We didn't do a costume fitting, mainly due to him wearing his "usual swim trunks" (laughs), but the main cheering scene was discussed remotely in advance. We asked Kojima-san to use his sense of language and rhythm to come up with phrases that would make children want to cheer along with him in the movie theater. Then, I was told that there was a joke he thought of from a long time ago that would fit this scene, and so, "Gan gan gan gan ganbare!" came about. He also did a demonstration on the spot, which I recorded and showed to the children who were going to perform it by saying, "I need you to do this," and they all immediately started imitating it. In Kojima-san's mind, I assume that he's developed a keen "sense of smell" for what kinds of things are popular with children. I'm sure he's had countless experiences doing this, so I'm glad we asked him to help us. I'm now looking forward to seeing the reactions of the children who will watch the film.

-A Glittering Moment-

"It's a film with many elements, but present Houtaro and Rinne are firmly at the center."

Tasaki: There's no doubt that both of them put alot of effort into this film. Before the film, the TV episodes I worked on were episodes 26 and 27, and 36 and 37, which were also stories about pushing Houtaro into a corner, but the film has a greater emphasis on Rinne than Houtaro. I thought the scene where she shows her anger at Alzard was especially good, both in her facial expressions and voice. Also, Tarumizu Ayane-chan's Ichika was great in that scene. In one cut, I felt that take 1 lacked alittle bit of her passion, so I stopped for a moment and explained again about Ichika's feelings at that time. Then, in take 2, her expression changed dramatically. Camera B's Sato-san was surprised when he saw her. He was like, "It's amazing how kids at that age can change so much in an instant." That makes us happy, but it also scares us. If we had compromised and said, "This is good enough," we wouldn't have been able to capture that expression. We would've let a great opportunity slip by. That's why it's important to believe and hang on. It wasn't just the actors, we were also constantly being tested. One difference between stage plays and film productions is that stage plays can be good or bad depending on the performance date, which isn't good, but in the case of film, young actors in particular may show a surprising brilliance only once in the production. For us however, we're very happy to be able to capture that moment.

Rinne's final moments were actually shot about an hour before our plane back to Tokyo from Izumo. The staff was naturally in a hurry (laughs), but both Motojima Junsei and Matsumoto Reiyo were so incredibly focused on their roles, that they didn't think about anything else. That is the wonderful thing about youth, don't you think? I felt it was a very effective scene.

[godsiero]

hello. i have just finished all of nightmare time. buckle up, i have thoughts and spoilers ahead.

just a general statement before opinions are shared: obviously some situations take place in different timelines (like the ape-man vs time bastard), but what do you think happens in the *same* timelines? obviously forever and always and time bastard are the same timeline, but do you think each episode is a different time line? do you think it depends? as i’m typing this, i think each episode of nightmare time is a different reality, let me know your thoughts!

okay, starting from the very beginning with ape-man:

i thought ape-man was a good intro to what should be expected of nightmare time. i thought the “ape-man” being a set-up between ted and hidges was funny. i loved that lucy ended up actually meeting the real ape-man in the end. i didn’t really care for the ape-man *song*, and after finishing the rest of the episodes, it was a forgettable episode as a whole, but again, great intro to the idea of what nightmare time is.

watcherworld:

i love alice and bill, so i enjoyed this. watching nightmare time *after* nerdy prudes must die helped me be more excited about the introduction of the rest of the lords in black (because i somehow avoided spoilers for THAT long). that father-daughter relationship was so well put together. i love the blinky song, didn’t care for snoozle town (however, it did sound like black friday, the song, which might not have been intentional, but i’m gonna pretend it was to appreciate jeff blim lmao), as i’m typing this i don’t really remember one thousand eyes, so…i guess it wasn’t memorable? overall, i liked the generally positive ending and bill and alice establishing they will change their ways to help their relationship. love love love.

forever & always:

loved this episode. paulkins till i die fr. i was damn near fucking crying during the opening scene, i shit you not. (side note: i have recently developed the biggest soft spot for paulkins after reading the most incredible fan fiction, probably ever, forelsket by gooddaysunshine on ao3, which i qualify as canon now.) the song forever & always is definitely in my top five nightmare time songs, i just love it. i was totally shocked when paul killed the real emma, up until he revealed he was also a clone/not the real paul, so respect ig. top tier nightmare time episode.

time bastard:

the song time bastard is also in my top five nightmare time songs. kim whalen plz sing me to sleep. the song really set my expectations high because of how good forever & always was, but i was really let down. the revelation of tinky wasn’t as direct or nuanced as blinky and i thought the plot was really slow UNTIL the last ten minutes when everything looped (i love a fuckin loop). making ted the homeless man was truly an incredible plot twist, which makes me sad that wasn’t reflected during the rest of the episode. also peanuts is hilarious.

jane’s a car:

i love tim and sue me for being a barneston shipper. did NOT like jane, did NOT like the plot of tom fucking a car, that got a little too unhinged for even me. the song jane’s a car has been stuck in my head since before i even saw the fucking episode, i could not tell you how many times i have just yelled “GOT MY FOOT ON THE GAS” in the middle of conversations. that being said, the rest of the song was forgettable which upset me! i didn’t enjoy this episode, aside from the mention of the black book on the radio and the twist at the end where it’s revealed jane did take over becky.

the witch in the web:

first of fucking all, kendall nicole is a gift to this earth. that child is incredible beyond compare. protect her forever. second of all, i can’t really remember the plot of this episode, but i do know that i liked the story? not enough to remember it though? this is definitely a middle ground episode for me. i didn’t particularly enjoy either song, but i didn’t hate them. i liked the plot of miss holloway taking hannah into the black and white and travelling through time (kinda), and i liked the overall theme of webs to introduce webby.

honey queen:

the song honey queen didn’t do much for me, neither did latte hatte, or nibbly ditty. if this was any other circumstance i would’ve also added queen b to the list, but i saw it in the jangle ball before this and that made me enjoy it, but if i hadn’t seen jangle ball, just know, i would not have liked queen b. that being said, i did like this episode. i am not a linda monroe stan (sorry), but i do think she’s funny. i thought the kids were funny, i wanted to punch zoey in the face, sam gave me the ick, gerald is a fucking freak, i have never wanted to throttle jon matteson until i watched this (i forgot his character’s name), so all in all, none of these characters are likable at all except for river, but that’s the monroe’s for you. the episode was slow, but in the way a slow burn in slow. once again, liked the introduction of nibbly, and i think having the first episode *be* the honey queen festival was super important to the rest of the season because they never shut the fuck up about it after this (this is another reason why i think each episode is it’s own universe but i disgress). if that confused you, i *did* enjoy the episode, but it was another middle-grounder for me.

perky’s buds:

liked that emma got to start her pot farm. overall have nothing of value to say about this one. joey as the bird was really fucking funny. i like jae. love emma forever, that freak. this episode was really slow and not at all in a good way. i did not like the song perky’s buds. just wanted the episode to end. sad face.

abstinence camp:

this is probably my favorite nightmare time story. the song axe-man is definitely number one on my list (we’ll talk more later). the plot of this one was SO good and funny and creepy and everything hatchetfield is about. my main love for this episode stems from the introduction of our three lead nerdy prudes must die characters. i love those three freaks. steph and peter almost getting in the same shower went fuckin crazy and i was kinda glad they got caught lmao. the plot of girl jeri and boy jerry was too fuckin good, and i will say, i was a little confused why the axe-man never showed up to kill them when they were very obviously horny, BUT IT’S ALMOST LIKE THAT WAS THE PLOT HAHAHAHAH. also, love the return of plot and lore about the woods, seriously, needed that. also also, jon matteson and kim whalen should be paired up more because they’re both so fucking funny and have the capability of being charming yet ever so slightly off-putting and i fucking love it. virginity rocks is a fuckin banger (heh), but the real star of the show is axe-man. let me tell you why axe-man is the best nightmare time song: not only does it introduce the axe-man (who we have been seeing and hearing THE ENTIRE SEASON, mind you), but bryce charles is singing?? i literally don’t know what else you need to hear from me?? corey dorris in a flannel will forever change my brain chemistry and they both sound so good together, truly, and corey dorris is a baritone legend (i’m looking at *you*, corey singing the hidden baseline in high school is killing me). “his blade is made of hate” sounds damn near EXACT to “you better hope you’re outta sight” (literal monster). “oh the pain” sounds damn near EXACT to “it ain’t great” (hatchet town). MOTHERFUCKERS. WHEN THE BRIDGE STARTS “these woods belong to him…” THE FUCKING HATCHET TOWN MOTIF IS LITERALLY FUCKING PLAYING LIKE ARE YOU KIDDING ME????? also, just the fucking end that proves ur dead?? please. jeff blim. here, have some flowers. i will do anything for you. anyway. great episode. love it. 10/10.

daddy:

i liked that we gave frank some backstory and gave him a little more humanity because i really did not like that motherfucker (heh) in black friday. the plot with sherman was VERY funny and him turning into a child is kinda cute tbh. sheila u bitch, u let barry swift out of there!! i will forever be a man in a hurry fan, even after death 😭. yes take this psycho’s money and make your family’s toy store better and pay your one employee a living wage!! we love to see it. i don’t even remember the song young at heart, so that should tell you enough about how much i didn’t like it lmao. i had been waiting to see those care bears because i fucking knew they were going to be the lords in black plushies after i saw what colors they were. nick lang, you sneaky bastard.

killer track:

finally learned the tea about miss holloway and yes it was worth it. yes, i do realize why everybody loves duke and miss holloway now, hell, i love em now. miss holloway’s plot is crazy and if there’s another nightmare time season i hope she gets another episode, honestly. i like run away with me as a song in general, but for the genre of artist miss holloway is painted to be, the song is lackluster. I DO LIKE IT THOUGH BUT I WAS EXPECTING IT TO BE MORE ROCK AND ROLL. i do realize it is a ballad, but even rock and roll ballads go harder than that did. killer track is a fucking rager???? jeff blim what are you doing writing musical theatre songs???? go write some fucking grunge shit???? killer track goes so fucking hard i really can’t explain it, jesus christ, also the video was sick as shit, do more!! (this really just proves jeff can write anything lmao) i thought the nightmare time remix was really funny and fun and just a good time, no notes, joey slayed the house down boots honey mama.

yellow jacket:

i liked the vibe of the song yellow jacket, very avril lavigne. loved the plot. loved the reprise of lex opening the wiggly box x opening the pokey box. i love the idea that there are multiple kids like hannah in hatchetfield and that would be a GREAT plot to expand upon more, however, i like that hannah and lex got out of there, but i felt so bad for ethan :( i wonder if he had proposed to lex that morning if she had said yes and not left or if she had taken them with him ugh i hate not knowing. my favorite thing about the hatchetfield universe is that they just keep pumping out these stories and plot lines that confirm these things are canon in at least one universe. i love knowing as much as possible and that’s what nightmare time has given me, ily girl. sorry went on a tagent and didn’t finish: didn’t like use it or lose it, i didn’t like next time, but i thought it was sweet 🥺 they’re all such cuties. ALSO!! the general john mcnamara cameo in this episodes them song KILLED ME i SCREAMED!! he’s literally my favorite. if they continue with a season 3 i hope to fucking god they give my man his episode god dammit. bonus, hey melissa: that shit was fucking weird and i hated that paul sided with her in the end that creep. anyway, thank you for coming on this journey with me, i hope you liked my notes, i love a discussion if you would like to comment. <3

[fzzr]

On Rating Anime, and "Perfection"

Starting in the back third of 2022 I caught up on or rewatched a lot of anime, so I'm probably going to be talking about anime a bunch. For future reference I'm going to write down how I approach rating anime.

Reducing any work of art to a simple score, whether number or letter, is unavoidably reductive and subjective. My scores will never match yours, and even the things I consider will never quite be the same as what others care about. I'm also not running a review column, so I don't have any obligation to be scientific about my scores. I'm not going to go bullet by bullet each (or any) time I talk about a specific show. Not every factor matters for every show (more on that below). In no particular order, here's what factors in:

Music. I care a LOT about music. This is inclusive of opening and ending themes, background music, and insert songs where applicable.

Story. Anime is almost always a narrative medium. A poorly communicated or confusing story is always going to be a downside. This also includes characters - if I don't like seeing the characters on screen, I'm probably not enjoying the show.

Pacing. I care about how you use the time you have. It's OK for a show to have 12 episodes, or 100... as long as the time used is justified, that's fine.

Art. Anime is a visual medium. If something is ugly, I'm not going to like it as much. I particularly like when something is distinct in its style, and I can forgive a lot if the show has a unique and memorable aesthetic.

Themes. Honestly, this is optional. Not everything needs to send a message. It's not a negative if it's missing, but it can be a big positive when well implemented and a big negative if awkward or poorly integrated.

Emotional resonance. Many of the best works of art are the ones that grab you and don't let go. On the other hand, if I don't care enough about something, I may not finish it at all regardless of quality. This factor is generally going to be derived from theme, story, or characters.

Accessibility. By this I mostly mean what "power level†" a show requires to enjoy fully. This only factors into scores if a show exceeds my power level. It's more important for recommendations.

Consistency. Anime is almost always a commercial product, so budget is always a concern. Limited animation is fundamental to the medium, but obvious dump episodes don't need to be. If I can tell that the show is sacrificing pacing or quality to save money constantly, it's going to be a demerit. Conversely, sufficiently consistent quality can be preferred over higher highs and lower lows.

Cohesion. This is where tone or "vibes" fit in. it's ok for a show's vibes to change. What's important is that the factors that matter are pulling in the same direction.

Delivery. I'm not sure if there's a better word for this. Basically, it's the answer to the question "does this show do what it sets out to do?" This is the handicap that lets a show opt out of some of the other factors. Pretty much any factor listed can be optional if the goal of the anime doesn't need it.

Now, let's talk about the ratings, with two examples for each.

Perfection: 10/10

There is no such thing as a truly perfect anything, and anime is no exception. When I say something is perfect, I mean "perfect in every way that matters". (That's where the delivery handicap comes in.) For an anime to be a 10, it needs to deliver on what it wants to do without compromise, and have no issues in the factors that matter which detract from that. Additionally, whichever factor is the most important needs to be 11/10 above and beyond excellent. I will recommend a 10/10 to anyone I think meets the power level requirement. I keep all my 10/10s on hand because I come back to them over and over.

Toradora is 10/10 for being the greatest romance of all time. The Bard himself never did better.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Lagann-hen is a 10/10 for showing exactly what a movie should be: the representation of the best a show has to offer, without sacrificing too much on the altar of time pressure.

Just Short of the Stars: 9/10

There are two main ways to be a 9/10. The first is to be good all around, but with a little something special. Often this will be one factor being disproportionately good compared to most of the others that matter. The second and more tragic is to fulfill the requirement of executing above and beyond on what the show wants to do, but falling short on lesser but still significant factors enough to detract just enough. This is the home of some of my hot takes, where you can find things I think are highly underrated. I will rarely hesitate to recommend a 9/10. I will re-watch any 9/10, often more than once.

Hyouka is a 9/10 for being an all around good show that has moments of total brilliance mixed in.

Promare is a 9/10 for very strong results in nearly every category, but lacking that one 11/10 to put it into the pantheon of the 10s.

Actually Good: 8/10

This is where you find things that deliver, but leave something on the table. Maybe they have pacing or quality issues partway through, or stumble a bit on bringing the intended themes into their full potential. It's also the home of the unambitious, those shows which deliver well on nothing in particular. If I finish a show and feel it was worth my time, this is where it's likely to end up. I will generally recommend an 8/10 in the context of what it's good at. An 8/10 has a better than even chance of being revisited some day.

Spy x Family is an 8/10 for consistent quality but glacial pacing and not fully bringing out the potential of all its characters.

Dog Days is an 8/10 for being an excellent execution of the extremely tired no-closure no-stakes harem show, but at least the characters are fun to be around.

Generally Good, Except: 7/10

There are many kinds of 7s. Some are like an 8, but with more major flaws. Some are things that are good in general, but don't hit with me in categories that matter. Generally, this is the home of the fine but forgettable. I will rarely recommend a 7/10, and if I do it's because I think a particular person will care about different factors than I do. I will not go back to most 7/10s, and the ones I do are generally the ones that I like in general but have flaws that make re-watching them a bit of a chore.

Genesis of Aquarion is a 7/10 for being good all around... except the five consecutive budget dump episodes that are a struggle to get through.

Shakugan no Shana is a 7/10 for being a show I really like, but which hurts me with its tone whiplash and some weird story incoherencies.

Watchable, but Only Just: 6/10

If I finished something but gave it a 6, it most likely got bad once I was too committed to drop the show, or simply doesn't hold up today. I also put things here if I personally enjoyed them, but I recognize that in absolute quality they don't make it in several ways. I might discuss a 6/10, but I won't recommend it. I will only revisit a 6/10 if I have a very specific reason, like wanting to give something a second chance if I feel I was too harsh in retrospect.

Mushishi is a 6/10 for being hypothetically good but not at the things I care about. I get the spiritual, slow-paced tone it's going for, but it didn't connect with me.

Shinkon Gattai Godannar!! is a 6/10 for being a fun time that in retrospect has a lot of weird glaring flaws.

The Bad Ones: 5/10 and below

I will rarely finish anything below a 6, so I don't have many ratings down here. Sometimes I watch something out of obligation, and very much feel like I was robbed of my time. Other times I re-watched something and felt it did not hold up. This is the other home of my hot takes, where the things I think really don't deserve the hype end up. I will never recommend nor revisit anything scoring below a 6.

Mirai Nikki is a 5/10 for being about an edgy death/mind game except you can get away with being stupid if the plot decides you need to stick around or your magic bullshit is strong enough. Also, most of the characters are just unpleasant to be around. I only managed to finish it on my third try and it was not worth the effort.

Toaru Majutsu no Index is a 5/10 for being simply a slog to watch, despite the flashes of brilliance to be found inside.

If you're still reading this, you have my condolences. I'm writing this mostly for me, because getting it out of my head makes it easier to think about.

† By "power level", I mean what amount of familiarity with and tolerance of anime tropes is required to appreciate a show. If a show is a parody of a very anime-specific genre, it requires an elevated power level. If it derives some of its appeal using hyperviolence or sexual fanservice, it will be require significantly more power level and I probably won't discuss it in polite company. If those things from the last sentence are being applied to underage characters... yeah you get the picture.

[bydesignmiral]

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While Far Cry’s emergent gameplay recipe remains addictive, there is a certain amount of sameness to it. It’s not The Witness, but these simple challenges allow for quiet moments of thought amidst all the chaos. The name of the quest is the clue, and after swimming to the other side of the lake you’ll find a sniper perch placed just right for peering through a back window in the shed at the lock which can be shot off, providing you access. On one of these sidequests, called Long Shot Lockpick, the goods are locked away in a shed high up on stilts overlooking a lake. To complement the combat, some light environmental puzzle solving is required to find lucrative treasure stashes. Hey, I tried.I like games with big possibility spaces. One of my funniest moments was when I rescued a woman being held hostage by the cult and, just as she was thanking me, a wolverine jumped on her face out of nowhere and mauled her to death. That’s not a complaint – I like games with big possibility spaces. That story takes place on an open-world map that, in true Ubisoft fashion, is packed with so much to find and so much happening at any given time it’s easy to get distracted from the mission at hand. Instead of leaning on stereotypes, the people you encounter are well-written, and most are charismatic and funny. Rural America isn’t being ridiculed or laughed at here.

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The vibe is more like an ‘80s action movie that happens to be set in a conservative state. But the story doesn’t seem to be making any grand statement about current events or political ideologies. There are a few things you can point to as commentary on rural America’s relationship with guns and the Second Amendment, and I’ve encountered one character who is a satire of a stereotypical Trump supporter (he has a mission called Make Hope Great Again). Now, is Far Cry 5 an especially political game? I don’t think so. There are also a few original gospel songs sung by the cult choir that are both catchy and creepy. While most of the original soundtrack is the pretty standard action movie stuff you might hear in an episode of 24, the menu music is a very pleasant bit of acoustic Americana that I would listen to even if I weren’t playing. unless you die a lot.The vibe is like an ‘80s action movie that happens to be set in a conservative state. But this being a first-person game, you won’t see much of yourself in the campaign anyway. The one exception is a Far Cry Primal-style caveman/woman outfit, which is fun – I wanted to see more of that. You unlock more as you progress, so it’s not as dire as it initially appears, but they are few and far between and rarely much more than a shirt or jeans.

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Alas, it’s merely a cosmetic decision, as either way your character will be mute (so there’s no custom voice acting) and most people will refer to you as “The Deputy.” And for a series as bonkers as Far Cry, the customization options here are a little conservative. I like that, for the first time in a Far Cry game, you can choose between a male or female protagonist and do some light customization. But the story ends up in an unforgettable place, making this an open-world adventure that is worth seeing through to completion. He doesn’t have any particularly memorable lines, and his motivation for wanting to end the world is murky. This dark corner of Montana is controlled by a man named Joseph Seed, a zealot leader who hasn’t left quite the same impression on me that Vaas or Pagan Min did in the previous two Far Cry games.

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Rounding out my technical complaints would be long load times – upwards of 60 seconds – on both PS4 and PS4 Pro, a couple glitched missions I had to restart, and the one time Far Cry 5 completely froze on me. You can also count the number of unique cultist goon faces on one hand, so expect to be shooting the same faces over and over.

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In fact, other than resolution on a 4K TV, there isn’t a stark difference between the PS4 and the Pro at all. Even on the PS4 Pro, it’s hard not to notice all the magically appearing trees as you stroll through the wilderness. It’s generally good enough, but I was sometimes distracted by the pop-in caused by the density of the landscape. Even comparing it to another recent open-world Ubisoft game, it’s not quite as attractive as Assassin’s Creed Origins. With all of that scenery and action, Far Cry 5 is a nice-looking game, but it isn’t on the same level as, say, Horizon: Zero Dawn. Being stranded and hunted by well-armed militia was a very cool moment.

[lavynrose]

- a oneshot for artem wing when he finally mustered up courage to ask out their s/o to hang out as friends (theme parks or just garden strolls, you can pick which type of place you want i won't mind!) to confess to them and when he confesses their s/o confesses at the same time too? and the s/o is kinda shy and awkward with him so he gets surprised and all flustered with them confessing at the same time?

(ackk this has been stuck in my head for a while, sorry if there are any grammar mistakes since english isn't my first language! i hope u have a great day!! :D <3)

- coomkie anon ♡

Artem Wing and his s/o confessing at the same time pt. 1

Title: Dedicated

Pairing/s: Artem Wing X Reader

Pronouns: Gender Neutral

Genre: Fluff

Warning/s: Grammatical errors probably

Notes: blushy artem is best artem, and we have celestine being the best wingwoman again

enjoy an amusement park date with Artem <3

Artem Wing is a dedicated man.

If it had been any other person, they would be home right now.

but not him.

Even now, as the looming hours of the night began to tick, he sits at his swivel chair, busied with the love of his life called paperwork.

"Aren't you overworking yourself?" He looked up from his papers to see Celestine waltzing inside his office with documents in hand.

The question should've made him stop and think to at least consider getting rest, but no, we're talking about Artem the workaholic here.

He has heard Celestine's question directed at him for the past few days, and from different people at that.

"Overworking means I have more time to double-check these documents," Artem said as he reached out for the folder that Celestine brought over, "Don't you think it's pretty convenient?"

"Artem," She started with concern in her blue-green eyes, "I know you're trying to distract yourself."

Artem was silent for a few moments before coughing, "Whatever do you mean? There's nothing I have to distract myself from." He said with complete calmness in his voice that he could even fool himself.

"You don't have to hide it, you know? I see the way you look at them," She smiled as she recalled the lingering stares and soft smiles setting display into Artem's face when he's around his colleague "The way you act around Y/N." she added with a hint of teasing.

The mention of your name seemed to short-circuit Artem's brain, Celestine took advantage of this with delight.

"Also... They've been getting friendly and close with that new employee.." She puts her hands on her chin, thinking.

Earlier today, she caught Artem's looks of distraught while his eyes were on you and the new guy. You were having a friendly conversation.

Too friendly.

After that, The youngest senior attorney even requested you to work with him at his desk, claiming that he, quote "needs to keep close tabs on the files that Y/N is handling." end quote.

but Celestine knew better.

Jealous is the only word that can describe how Artem was acting. She decided she will push his buttons tonight.

"Aren't you... threatened?" She beamed at him, waiting for his reaction.

"..."

"They've been on your mind lately, I reckon."

"..."

"They're getting closer with each other, don't you think?"

"..."

Hopeless. Celestine thought.

To say that she's frustrated with this whole situation surrounding the two of you is an understatement. Everyone in your circle clearly sees it - you and Artem like each other.

In the way he bought cake for the whole office that one afternoon the day after an episode of an office drama aired, or in the way that he went out of his way to take care of you in the hospital when you overworked yourself to sickness, or in the way you blushed around each other, the lingering touches, oh the lingering touches. It was all obvious.

The both of you spend your time together more than anyone else, everyone thinks your blooming affections were inevitable at this point. Solving controversial cases meant having the mental and emotional intimacy to get to know each other better compared to your average professional relationship.

You don't see each other as "working partners" anymore, it's clear that you guys want each other as a different kind of partner.

It was known to everyone except for the two of you, apparantly.

Celestine sighed before rummaging through the magazine shelf in the office, grinning when she found what she's looking for.

Artem shot her a look of suspicion. He has a bad feeling about this.

"There." She said with satisfaction before dropping the magazine into his desk.

The magazine lays there, with an eye-catching font and colorful cover page, Artem blushes as his eyes read, 100 cute date ideas...

Judging from the cover, the magazine might actually be useful when giving date suggestions. Under the big font however, there was a smaller text that read, Your significant other is waiting!

What is this...

"I'm sorry but I have work to finish." He tried his best to unsee what he just saw, and decided to turn his focus on the headache of workload in front of him instead.

Celestine raised her eyebrows at him with a frown, "Don't be stubborn now, I'm your boss, I'm giving you both a day-off tomorrow. I mean, you haven't used your day-off at all ever since you started working here. So please. " Her voice is laced with concern.

He looked away with a sentimental look in his eyes, "You don't have to do this for me. I'm fine with... Giving them affection without them realizing it."

Celestine just frowns deeper.

"Come on now Artem, doesn't it sound tempting to you?" She clasped her hands and continued a little too excitedly like a schoolgirl in love, "Having alone time with Y/N, finally asking them out on the date so the other guys threatening your future can back off."

It does sound tempting, Artem admits.

He looked away with reddened cheeks, "I'll think about it."

He doesn't need to look at Celestine to know she's sporting a big grin right now.

Later that night on his bed, his mind keeps flashing images of you. You, wearing a big, warm smile on your face. You, with your little mannerisms that he came to memorize from hours of being with you. Every little thing, every moment, as long as it's with you, he cherishes it.

Oops. The butterflies are starting.

He didn't mind.

You looked stunning today, but then again, he finds you stunning everyday.

When was I this cheesy? He thought to himself.

His thoughts kept racing with reveries about you when a new image interrupted every nice thought.

It was of you and the new employee laughing together.

He frowned and his stomach churns.

"Are they interested in each other?" He finds himself asking the wind. His mind was reeling.

He thinks about the time when he first heard you say that you were married to your work. Surely, you aren't interested in being in a relationship with some guy, right?

Right?

Groaning, he then realized that he needs to make a move now before it's too late.

To him, you're the loveliest person he's ever met, your kindness, your welcoming smile, the passion that you present when you're in the court, the way you always remain headstrong no matter how many people clash with you and try to break your principles.

The only one that occupies his heart, you.

Artem is sure he won't regret giving you his feelings, and eventually, reveal them.

He got up from his bed and sent a glare at the magazine that is now resting on the lamp table beside his bed, mocking him. He picked it up with less hesitation than before.

'What should I choose?' Artem asked himself before flipping the pages, a faint blush adorning his cheeks.

This is a big step for him, and he wants to make sure that he's going to do it right.

7:00am

You rubbed your eyes and stretched your limbs as the sunlight permeated through your bedroom window, the yellow glow giving you a peaceful feeling, a new day is about to start.

A new day without work at that.

You had been ecstatic when Celestine called you to inform you last night of your long awaited day-off, you smiled at the memory as you stand up to brush your teeth.

"You deserve it for all your hardwork!" Even through the phone, you heard the smile in her voice.

Soon, your thoughts drifted to a certain raven-haired man.

'How about Artem? I'm his assistant, does he get a day-off too?' You wondered as you finished washing your mouth, finally heading off to the kitchen to prepare for breakfast.

You were about to choose what to eat from the fridge when you hear a song play from your phone in your room.

You hurriedly went back as you recognized that ringtone - that ringtone you had set for a particular contact.

There on the screen, displays the name of the object of your affections.

Mr. Wing.

'Why is he calling this early? What could he possibly need?' you thought to yourself before pressing the green button.

"Good morning Artem, what is it?" you didn't even try to hide the happiness from your voice, Artem calling you this early doesn't happen often, after all.

"Good morning. Do you have plans for today?" His morning voice echoed through your ears. It was husky and rough, filling all of your senses.

Realizing that he just woke up, you can't help but blush at the thought of being the first person to talk to him today.

He thought of you first thing in the morning!

You tried to control the lingering heat in your face as you replied, "Uhm, yes uhh- none. I have no plans for today, Artem. I'll be thinking of what to do though. Why did you ask? " You hoped he didn't mind the sttuttering mess presented to him this early in the morning.

You wondered if there's an emergency case needed to be taken care of, he rarely ever calls outside of work.

Then again, you're always at work.

"That's good," the other line was silent for a bit. As your anticipation for his reply grew, he finally said, "A new amusement park is going be opened today. I heard they'll be having a fireworks display tonight to celebrate the opening."

You've heard about the said amusement park from your coworkers yesterday, you even heard that it was a project from PAX.

Marius' wealth truly knows no bounds, you thought.

Kiki even invited you to come with her this sunday, as it's the only freetime the both of you had before Celestine's sudden news of a day-off.

Is Artem coming there today? He doesn't seem like the type to go to amusement parks, but now you know that he likes them, or at least he didn't mind going, you added this info to your list of things about Artem that make you fall in love with him more and more. Because let's be honest, what's there not to like about the man?

He's handsome, sweet, a good cook, a senior attorney you can look up to, and he always makes sure to reassure you that you're doing well, that he's proud of you.

He cleared his throat, breaking you out of your thoughts, "Do you want to go there..." He paused, his nerves getting the better of him, unbeknownst to you, "With me? I have two tickets, and I wanted to invite a close friend. Is that alright with you? "

What?

'Is he asking me out on a date!?' you were practically screaming internally as you paced frantically in your room.

No. No way. This isn't a date. Not until he says so.

He said 'close friend' so you shouldn't overthink this. You were partners, after all!

At least you try to convince yourself.

"Of course Artem. I'm glad you invited me, I'm really happy." You weren't lying, his invite was the most unexpected thing that happened to you this week.

He hummed, "I'm happy, too. I'll be there at 2:30pm to fetch you, they'll open around 3pm. " He said in a gentle voice before hanging up.

You pumped your fist in the air. You have plenty of time to prepare.

2:30pm

Among all of the outfits that you could've worn today, you decided to wear a cute, beige, knitted sweater. A pair of faded ripped jeans, white sneakers, and a beanie to top it all off.

The amusement park being your destination, you decided to wear casual clothing since you'd be hopping on rides left and right.

You wouldn't want to wear a skirt just for it to blow on the wind while you're in the air, screaming for dear life.

Nope. You definitely don't want that.

You're now waiting outside your apartment after Artem sent you a text 5 minutes ago that he's on his way.

Your head is plagued with expectations on how this friendly date is going to go. You've never felt as giddy as this before.

It's understandable, right? The person you like asked you out to go with him to an amusement park - using his morning voice, nonetheless, so it wouldn't be strange for you to think that this is like an actual date.

You bonked yourself mentally.

You keep reminding yourself that it's just a friendly date. It's just a friendly date. You believe in the power of your mind, it's a friendly date. He even said so himself.

Artem's going to think you're weird. It's not like you're going to hold hands or anything...

Yet, you didn't even try to stop the daydream clouding your mind.

While you were busy indulging yourself in your fantasies, your eyes caught a familiar spot of black in the parking lot. Artem's car!

That's your cue. When his car stopped, you made your way over to him with a small smile on your face.

His black car opened, spilling out Artem clad in his casual clothing.

You scanned his appearance, taking in those breath-taking, familiar eyes. Taking in the beige, knitted sweater he's wearing, paired with slacks and black shoes.

Wait.

You did a double take- beige, knitted sweater?

You looked at his clothes, then looked down at your own, then back at his again.

Red and warmth crept up to your cheeks as realization hits you.

You kind of looked like a couple.

"What's wrong?" Artem inquired with concern as he stepped closer and reached out his hands to your flustered form.

He even placed his hand on your forehead to check your temperature.

Yes, you think you have a fever.

It's only when he got to take a good look at you when realization hits him the way it hit you.

He retreated his hand and looked away, face as warm as yours.

"Uhh..."

"..."

Why are you acting like a highschooler!? You're better than this, getting flustered just because you wore identical clothes.

With the person you like, you added.

The both of you stayed silent for a few seconds before you spoke up with a grin, thankful that the pink that dusted your cheeks is now cooling down a bit, "We should get going now."

You expected the ride to be as awkward as earlier, but to your relief, that wasn't the case at all.

Artem played the radio on your drive to the amusement park, and even asked you about how you're feeling lately and whatnot.

Honestly, with how he's always so concerned about your well-being, you're doomed to fall even harder.

"What are your favorite rides, Artem?" You decided to talk about something connected to where you're going to go.

"Hmm," as he hummed, you looked in front of the car to see the gates of the amusement park came into view. You can even see the familiar structure of a rollercoaster and a really grand ferris wheel turning slowly.

Majestic.

Is the motif for this amusement park golden!? The railings are shimmering with gold, some parts of the rides are adorned with gold, wherever you look, gold!

PAX outdid themselves with this one, definitely took "shining, shimmering, splendid" to a whole new level. Too much for the word grandeur, you think.

You can't even imagine how wide the place must be. You haven't even stepped foot inside, yet your eyes were oogling as some more rides were seen from outside the gates.

"We're here Artem! Look!" From your side, Artem turns to take a look from the road to the park, his eyes screaming nothing but amusement.

"It's beautiful," He breathed while you nodded furiously with agreement. He shot you a look, "I'm glad I get to spend my first time here with you." The softness is his eyes is blinding as you stared at him and processed his words.

"Me too..." you managed to choke out, turning away to hide your blush.

While you were taming your flushed cheeks, Artem had parked the car already.

He opened the doors for the both of you as he offered you his arm. Confusion takes over your features.

"So you wouldn't get lost, it's a big crowd out here, " He tilted his head to have a better look at your still sitting form inside the car, "Let's go?" He said with that gentle smile, as comforting as ever.

You stood up and linked your arm with his and suggested, "How about the bumpy car first?" excitement was evident in your voice.

He shook his head and chuckled, "Whatever you wish." He said as he locked the car doors with a click. You both headed to check in and do the formalities first. After all that, with a skip to your step, you pulled Artem to the bumpy car's ticket booth, and went inside.

You're elated.

"I can't believe the Artem Wing, the youngest senior attorney, is losing to me!" You sound hysterical as you bumped Artem's car with yours over and over, your bumpy car dominating his.

This is fun! Just minutes earlier, the atmosphere between you and Artem seemed a little tight because of the matching clothing incident. Just a little. However, the laughter of everyone playing in this space is infectious, it leaves you in a really good and playful mood.

It makes you feel like you were a kid again. You hope Artem feels the same.

Before playing, you made a bet with him earlier that whoever bumps the other the most, wins.

"Y/N. I think this car is defective." He said with a frown, his eyebrows furrowing as his hands tinker whatever there was in the steering wheel.

You looked over to him and replied, "We can switch cars, let me see." The two of you switched from each other's bumpy ride and you assessed the supposedly 'broken' car.

You realized he didn't push the right buttons to ride the bumper properly.

"Artem..." You looked at him blankly and said, "Have you ever been to bumpy cars before?"

He was silent before replying with darting eyes, "No, I haven't," He cleared his throat, "I have only been to the ferris wheel and escape rooms, I haven't been to bumpy rides before. Sorry."

You beamed at him.

"Don't be sorry!" You flail your arms to disagree, "There's nothing wrong with that. I'm actually happy that you allowed me to drag you here despite you not having played it before." You flashed him a thankful smile.

He looked a little surprised at first, but then that warm smile of his came back, "Thank you." You stared at each other's eyes for a few beats in time, his ocean eyes containing a sparkle you rarely see them hold. It looks so gentle, so welcoming.

So fond.

You stared at each other for a while, his deep eyes were enough to drown out the crowd. To drown out everything that existed but him.

Blinking, you snapped out of it to teach him how to drive the car.

The cars were booster types, different from the old models wherein you just turn the wheels and you'll be good. In this specific model, commands are needed to be performed in order for the car to execute it's special feature.

"You turn it like this..." Artem is a fast-learner, so the both you were back on track as soon as you guided him the directions.

In the end, you were tied, the bumper time limit resulting the draw.

"I'm definitely beating you next time!" you declared with a smug look, hands on your waist.

After the bumper, a receptionist from what seemed like a family raft ride made his way to invite the two of you.

"You guys look like you're having fun!" He then pointed at the paper he's holding and said with persuasion, "You're going to have even more fun here! The family raft ride is the only free ride we're offering in the park for it's first day, be sure not to miss out on this special bonus!" He then turned his heel to find more costumers.

You blinked, "Too bad we don't have extra clothes..." You hung your head low and you sighed as your mind thinks of a different ride to enjoy.

"Well, he did say it's a special bonus," Artem pondered, "They sell clothes here anyway, and there are restrooms we can change on," you wondered if this is going the way you think it's going, "I can see no harm in trying this free ride." He finished with the corners of his lips turned upwards.

Your eyes sparkled with so much joy that he's glad he suggested this.

"Then what are we waiting for!?" You squeal and jump from where you stand and Artem could only shake his head at you with an adoring look in his ocean eyes.

You both headed to the line of people waiting to get their tickets for the raft.

"That's a long line..." You're already mentally tired as you stared at the single file of people in front of you.

"There's still plenty of time before the fireworks at 7pm, I can go and buy us ice cream. Do you want some? "

You're face fell, remembering you were on a diet, "I appreciate the offer, but no thanks, I'm on a diet." An ice cream sounds really tempting right now, but you must resist.

"I heard they sell low-fat ice cream in here. How about that?" He proposed as his eyes glinted with satisfaction.

He knew this would do you in, sure enough, you gave him the biggest grin you could muster.

"You're the best, Artem! Any flavor is fine, by the way. " You beamed as he turned his heel to the ice cream stall, you just stared at his back the whole time he was away.

A minute later, the man wearing a cozy beige sweater that matches yours turned around and went over to you, two chocolate chip ice cream in hand. You reached out to take your ice cream, your fingers brushing.

You ignored the tingling feeling and the chills. He looked away.

While eating, you talked about how the line for the rollercoaster was two times longer than the raft's even though it's literally free.

"I believe they added a new feature to the coaster." Artem reasoned.

"You bet. The rides' golden theme is already impressive enough," You eyed the unbelievably long line from the coaster's ticket booth, "We can go back here some time to see that feature for ourselves." your face heated as you realized the implications in your words.

His eyes widened for a single moment and then looked at you with such intensity you can't bring yourself to look away, "I'd love that." a gentle look worms it's way in his features once again.

Comfortable silence dawns on your own, little world while you both busied yourselves in your ice cream.

The two of you were thrilled as it was your turn to ride the raft, ice cream long gone, replaced by the life-vest in your hands.

"Ah," you sighed, fumbling with the vest a little longer than you should have.

Artem, of course, noticed your movements. He was kind enough to help you adjust the vest.

Of course.

"Come here." He said as his arms finds it's way to your waist, pulling you towards his stature. His hot breath hitting your face while he circled his arms around you to wrap the vest securely.

This is not good for your heart...

He's so close, you could kiss him if you wanted...

He pulled away, his warmth lingering still.

Even when the both of you sat down on the raft. The ride is going to start in a few and here you are, lost in the feeling of Artem being near you.

"Y/N," You abruptly turned your head to him when he suddenly called you, "are you nervous?"

You blushed so hard you wanted to evaporate with the water, 'Yes. You make me nervous.' you're tempted to respond.

"Yes, but don't worry about me." was your reply instead, and you smiled awkwardly and stared at his blue eyes, blue eyes laced with concern.

He leaned closer, probably so that the other people within your raft wouldn't hear, "I care about you and I want you to feel as comfortable as possible," he whispered in your ear, sending chills to your spine.

This is definitely not comfortable, Mr. Wing.

Your heart is doing flips, this isn't normal!

"Please tell me if you need something." The gentleness in his voice took your breath away the way it did as the first time.

The fact that he's unaware of his effect on you angered you so much. You scanned his face for signs of teasing. Smirk, maybe a playful glint, anything.

Yet you found none.

The raft began to move, a perfect timing to change the subject!

You leaned on him, but not too close, and whispered, "It's starting."

Water began to splash, as the raft moved with the current.

The track was smooth at first, you getting small splashes here and there.

Until a bumpy track decided to present itself.

Like before, the raft went with the flow of the water, except that it bounced and rotated harshly that one particular splash of water was enough to wet you and your clothes completely.

"OH MY G-" you exclaimed when the raft hit a rough spot again, soaking everyone wet.

You were making a surprised pikachu face as the water seeped into your clothes.

You turned to look at Artem to see his state and you suppressed a giggle with how he's making the same face as you did earlier.

Never in your life you thought you'd see Artem with the surprised pikachu face.

You took pride in knowing that you're one of the very few people who gets to see this side of him.

"Artem!" you shouted through the noisy stream of water. "We look silly!" you laughed as the water rocked everyone in the raft as harsh as it possibly can. Round and round, back and forth.

"We do!" his laughed mingled with yours even when the water relentlessly kept soaking your already wet bodies.

You smiled once again, gazing at his form with profound fondness longer than just a friend would've done.

6:00pm

"That was really fun!" You shouted to the air while Artem scooted beside you, offering his arm like he did earlier, which you eagerly took.

The both of you went for another round on the raft after the first round, not caring about the long waiting line. The ride was worth it!

All you ever did was scream and laugh at each other's state, but it was the most enjoyment you've ever had in years.

You were completely dry now, changed into fresh clothes that were sold as the park's merchandise.

Even with the change of clothes, the clothes you were wearing right now still matched Artem's.

You weren't complaining.

The crowd continues to enjoy themselves, all while the sunset was making everything in the theme park look like a fairytale.

"Yes, it was. I enjoyed it very much." Artem flashed a smile so genuine, you wanted to see this sight a thousand times more. The orange glow of the sunset gives his raven hair a golden shade, light reflecting on his blue eyes, making him look so bewitching. So you carved it to your memory, not knowing how to elicit that same image from him once again.

Looking up at him, and looking back at the things that happened today, you realized something.

You couldn't take this silent pining anymore, you wanted to tell him how precious his smile is to you, to tell him you're glad he's spending his time with you, to tell him to make more memories with you.

To tell him he's the reason of the warmth flooding your whole being right now.

'I'm in love with you' is what you first thought of saying. No matter how cliche that may be, you wanted to let him know, that you're in love with him.

"Uhh, Artem, I-" You were about to spill your feelings then and there when a voice boomed the speakers of the park.

"Everyone! One hour more to go for the fireworks! Please look forward to it!"

Your confession's gonna have to wait for later.

part 2 here

do not repost © lavynrose 08/15/21.

[love-takes-work]

Notes on SU Commentary Tracks

I watched the commentary tracks on the Complete Steven Universe DVD Set and I took some nerd notes.

The episodes with commentary tracks are “Reunited,” “Change Your Mind,” and “The Future.”

I’ll bold stuff that was maybe bigger news or more surprising for easier reading. And yes, some of this was already known from podcasts, other Q&As, or interviews, but I listed it if they said it again here.

Read on after the jump to read these and other highlights:

Steven’s original wedding speech

Older ideas on dialogue for Lapis when she came back to the beach

Scrapped concepts for the scene that ultimately included Steven communicating with the others in a mindscape

Discussions of earlier concepts for White Diamond having a power to “freeze” Gems into statues to make them perfect and having a gallery of them on Homeworld

Pink Pearl’s original fate

The translation of the writing on Obsidian’s sword

The origin of Pink Steven’s design

What Rebecca did to pitch the “SHE’S GONE” scene

Earlier plans to include Shep in “Change Your Mind”

An unused concept of how Steven feels about Biggs

The inspiration for the Heaven and Earth Beetles’ healed design

How Volleyball/Pink Pearl was almost a mini-villain

Discussion of how they did not get to share the origin of the Diamonds

Jasper’s scrapped participation in the movie

“Reunited” - 

Commentary with Rebecca Sugar, Ben Levin, Matt Burnett, Hilary Florido, Joe Johnston, Ian Jones-Quartey, and Kat Morris.

In 2015, an episode idea called “If You Love Yourself So Much” was discussed but rejected. It included some early ideas that ended up getting incorporated into “Reunited,” most notably Garnet marrying herself and putting rings on both hands.

The idea of the Cluster arm wrestling was planned for a long time. A scrapped idea of Steven banging his fist on a vending machine to get some Chaaaaps was supposed to visually parallel some of that scene, but it was axed.

When they got pushback on the wedding idea, they kept adding more and more “high entertainment value” items like a big musical number so the episode would be absolutely unmissable and appealing to everyone.

The song at the beginning of the episode was meant to check in with the entire cast and sort of remind you they exist and what their state of mind is going into the wedding.

Ian made a comment joking about “All 15 people in Beach City” being in the audience.

Just about everyone on the Crew touched this episode, despite that there are four main storyboarders credited for “Reunited.”

In 2016 Ian Jones-Quartey proposed marriage to Rebecca Sugar. They felt like the characters based on them (Sapphire and Ruby) HAD to get married in the show now because otherwise it wouldn’t be honest. But then their characters got married before they did.

They really love the idea of having characters get married who have known each other for a really long time, versus the fairy tale trope of movies ending with weddings between people who have met very recently.

Steven’s speech as officiator at the wedding used to be longer in its first draft--it was described as being weird and full of jokes, and there would have been a scene with Pearl getting weepy and pulling tissues out of her pearl.

Ian mentions loving a joke Jeff came up with having Greg play one chord to make Steven fall asleep--it’s sort of a “dream” chord you hear in cartoons a lot before a dream sequence.

The Crew discussed what it might be like if someone had never seen the show before and started with this episode.

Ian really wanted Steven’s psychic powers to figure into the episode.

Blue using a sadness wave to attack the Gems was a very old idea they’d planned for a long time. So was Lapis’s arrival.

There was a discussion of having Lisa Hannigan performing her lines as Blue VERY early in the morning.

Ian was happy the sword got broken because it was so momentous but it was just a sword. And later appeared on a shelf in the house as an artifact.

Miki had drawn a torn dress for Garnet at one point so she could be shown fighting and moving around more accurately, and this led to a long discussion of whether Gem clothing can even actually get torn the way human clothes can. They concluded that no, it shouldn’t be torn, so they backed up and gave Garnet an open-front dress from the beginning so the fighting version would make more sense.

Lapis originally might have had a longer speech upon arriving back on the beach. They eventually decided to just have her say “Hey.”

The barn falling on Blue Diamond was an intentional Wizard of Oz reference.

They point out that Steven even once said “drop the barn on the beach” (in a previous episode, “Can’t Go Back,” which was also a Miki episode).

Destroying the house was a big deal, and they always thought they’d end up doing it but backed away from it until “Reunited.” They almost even did it back in “Coach Steven”! But it just ended up with a little damage to the porch.

The Crew thinks Miki is really good at drawing ensemble shots.

Rebecca was always overwhelmed whenever she got to have Patti LuPone record for Yellow.

Originally the giant figures of everyone’s statue bodies in the mindscape were too dark and had to be revamped so they could be seen.

An earlier idea of Steven’s “psychic-ghost-situation” had him as a ghost actually trying to interact with the other characters during fighting action, but it was pulled back to this mindscape so there wouldn’t be as much confusing action to keep track of and more focus on what Steven was doing to encourage his teammates and contact the Diamonds.

Hilary was glad not to have to block out a fight.

Ian mentions loving having Bismuth back in the group.

They originally wanted the “Diamonds sensing Pink’s energy” plot to happen when Steven was in the palace somehow, but everything got moved to this scene--which the Crew all agrees turned out incredible, like how cool it was to have Steven essentially reminding each character why they fight and summing up their whole arc in a sentence.

“Change Your Mind”

Commentary with Rebecca Sugar, Ben Levin, Matt Burnett, Hilary Florido, Joe Johnston, Ian Jones-Quartey, and Kat Morris.

They like to refer to this episode as “The movie before the movie.”

They loved incorporating “princess tropes” into Steven’s time on Homeworld, which is why there were so many references to “mice” (well, Pebbles) making clothes, being locked in a tower, being reminded of his manners, loving animals and freeing imprisoned pets, etc. 

Deedee did the voice of the rainbow worm pet. She apparently didn’t find it memorable and was surprised when she was reminded she did the voice.

Rebecca was super excited for the confrontation with Blue.

There was some discussion of how Steven would have died of starvation if he didn’t have someone practical like Connie to remember to bring food.

They love working with the huge scale the Diamonds present.

The Crew always wanted to put someone in Blue’s hair loop. Originally they wanted Blue to tuck Greg in there when she kidnapped him, but they didn’t end up being able to do any hair-loop-carrying until this episode.

The Crew bantered back and forth about what the heck those Pebbles’ names were and how hard it was to track them.

They agreed that Paul draws the best Yellow Diamond, which makes sense since he also drew the first episode with Yellow (and her stink face). 

The scene where Yellow asks Blue to stop using her powers on her and then realizing she’s crying on her own was one of Rebecca’s favorite scenes to get to finally.

Steven Sugar thought Gems would spend a lot of time in their own chambers/rooms just not really doing much of anything unless they had to fulfill their purpose.

Some of the Homeworld ideas were based on a Soviet artist’s concepts, Boris Artzybasheff, and also many ideas were inspired by Busby Berkeley regarding how people were objects and furniture.

The mech was an old idea. Once they had the hand ship from “Jailbreak,” they knew there had to be bodies somewhere.

They focused a lot about what could be the coolest and funniest way for something to happen. The concept of the yellow and blue spaceship arms appearing out of the sky to smack the White Diamond mech around was one of those.

Rebecca really wanted things to look more and more cartoony and bizarre as you get deeper into Homeworld.

They spent a very long time trying to decide on characters’ new outfits.

The trash can lid is said to be a reference to “a flying bear cartoon” and they dance around speaking a direct reference because they’re not sure they’re allowed to say its name.

In discussing the powers of the Diamonds, there were debates on what White’s power would be; with Yellow being physicality-based and Blue being emotion-based, they thought White as identity-based made the most sense.

Different ways to express this were played with before settling on the idea that she thinks she’s perfect and others’ colors make them less like her and less perfect. But then she becomes a hostage to her own beliefs about herself because if she does anything that reflects on everyone else, so it’s best to do nothing.

They had some cool earlier ideas of White’s powers making statues out of other Gems and having a gallery full of frozen Gems, frozen by White to make them perfect.

They also weren’t sure what fate befell the original Pink Pearl and discussed whether she might have been destroyed. 

Rebecca discussed how creepy it was to have White Pearl speaking in Christine’s voice and not Deedee’s--that we should find it fundamentally disturbing at this point.

Tom Herpich came up with the crack on White Pearl’s face.

In real life, pink diamonds aren’t understood as well as yellows and blues. It’s more known what makes a diamond yellow or blue, and some of those facts Rebecca researched were originally woven into the speech White gave about their “impurities.” But it turned out to be too dry and most of it got cut.

Rebecca loves having Lapis with pants and sandals for easier cosplay.

Ian had to draw the scene where Steven is falling and fusing with inert characters--he wasn’t able to properly explain it to Rebecca so she had him draw it.

They really wanted Rainbow Quartz 2.0 to have a scarf, but they couldn’t figure out how to get that into Pearl’s design. They miss the scarf.

It was really important to have these Fusions display call-forwards of the Gems’ new outfits which we hadn’t yet seen.

Rebecca points out that Sunstone’s design breaks a design rule and she feels like Sunstone should have Garnet’s pant leg colors on their legs, but at the same time she understands the rule of cool and likes it like this.

It’s discussed how none of Steven’s fusion weapons are exclusively offensive weapons either.

Rebecca still really wants a suction cup Sunstone toy.

Sunstone’s ability to transcend reality and break the fourth wall was a joke that exploded in the discussion room among the Crew. As soon as the idea was pitched everyone kept coming up with ideas. Sardonyx’s fourth-wall-breaking is more snarky, but Sunstone’s is helpful.

Rebecca was disappointed that the rule about Steven’s clothes wasn’t always followed with having his clothes appear on Obsidian’s hand, but she was delighted that you could see them in one scene.

They spent a lot of discussion time on making sure Steven-Obsidian was different somehow from Rose-Obsidian. The hair is different.

Old versions of Obsidian were drawn with wrapped-together Twizzlers legs, which sort of is reflected in the present design.

The sword had been planned forever--and it first appeared in “Bubble Buddies.”

Miki worked on the Ninja Turtles show so Rebecca was really excited to see her depictions of Bismuth and Sunstone.

An early plan to have Obsidian draw the sword from their mouth was complicated because fusion weapons should be combinations, so they finally reached the solution of having them combine to make the hilt, then get the blade out of Obsidian’s mouth.

The blade of the sword is thought to say “We’ll always save the day,” but you’d have to ask Steven Sugar.

Another really old idea was climbing into the White Diamond mech eye.

Rebecca was disappointed that some of the merch made of White Diamond did not feature her cape sparkles.

There were many debates early on about where Rose might “actually” be. There were tons of references to this fundamental question throughout the show--introducing Lapis as a Gem trapped in an object, having Pearl ponder pulling Steven’s Gem out as a baby, straight-up wondering what would happen to him in “Bubbled” when Eyeball was trying to take his Gem, etc. They all decided Rose was definitely gone but that the idea of her possibly being inside him should be on his mind a lot, leading to disturbing images like dreaming about coughing up her hair.

Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond both challenged Steven about things he was very confident about, but White’s question of his identity got to him because he in fact is not confident about that.

The black and white eeriness of the fuzzy background and the other characters having their colors washed out helped make the scene in White Diamond’s head so disturbing and creepy.

The split screen showing Steven’s two perspectives was exciting to Rebecca, and was a pretty old idea. And she points out it sort of “breaks the show.”

The Gem Steven, Pink Steven, was represented by a slightly modified version of his model sheet. Everyone laughed when they saw what was getting used.

They decided that an earlier idea of Pink Steven looking angry should be replaced by an emotionless version of him. All the emotion should be with Organic Steven.

In the pitch meeting for this episode, Rebecca herself screamed “SHE’S GONE!!” and shocked the hell out of everyone. She pointed out how no one expected this of her because she’s pretty quiet, but she just wanted to shock everyone the way Steven would in the show.

They point out this is the first appearance of the geometric shield that got so much use in Future.

The fact that Steven is Steven is the ultimate reveal of the show. Usually in fantasy shows there’s some other kind of revelation, but Steven just being amazingly human and amazingly Gem and amazingly himself is wonderful here.

They like having the pilot reference with “What’s your excuse?”

If Rose had somehow still been alive in him, all of this would have been cheapened.

Ian loves that you can faintly hear Sadie’s concert from way out in space as the camera approaches Earth.

They got a lot more use out of the Beach-A-Palooza stage than they thought they would when it had to be designed for “Steven and the Stevens.” There was a joke about how at one of the conventions a real Beach-A-Palooza stage was constructed and they had a thought about how oh good, it’s getting reused.

Sadie having green hair in the finale was a late change but they liked showing her progression. 

They had originally kicked around the idea of Sadie already having her new partner Shep at this point, but decided to develop that in Future instead.

They compare White Diamond’s stepping gingerly into the fountain to skeptically getting into a public pool.

Some silliness they didn’t get to use was that Biggs would be “beloved by everyone” except Steven. They never got to cover it, but originally Steven was just going to not really understand why everyone loves her so much and doesn’t personally much care for her.

The Heaven and Earth Beetles are based on the Mothra Ladies.

The healed Gems’ horns are supposed to be side effects of the corruption that they continue to bear in the present.

Larimar and Orange Spodumene ended up different in the ending scene than they became in Future. Many of the designs were retroactively pulled into this scene after being designed for the movie.

Rebecca wrote “Change Your Mind” as a personal song to express her feelings surrounding her fight for the wedding.

“The Future”

Commentary with Rebecca Sugar, Kat Morris, Alonso Ramirez Ramos, Hilary Florido, Joe Johnston, and Ian Jones-Quartey.

The animatic for this episode ran SO long--they’re supposed to be just over 11 minutes but this one was 17 minutes.

Steven’s calisthenics routine, a callback to “Future Vision,” was on the chopping block to make the episode shorter but Rebecca wouldn’t allow it to be cut because she wanted to show that Steven’s been taking care of himself.

They were very excited to get a chance to cover some of the things in Future that they couldn’t squeeze into the original show, like the unbubbled Rose Quartzes, Volleyball, etc.

The new writers on the show also helped bring forward the idea of Steven finally making some of his OWN mistakes to fix.

This also helped construct the idea of Steven essentially being the “final boss” of his own battle.

Usually stories that involve someone being in a fight and winning don’t explore the effect just being in a fight has on a person, regardless of whether you won. 

Rebecca really wanted to play Ocarina of Time after beating it so she could go back to all the places and see how people were doing. She wanted this epilogue series to explore that a little too.

Little Homeschool is sort of a Tiny Toons reference--older cartoons teach younger cartoons how to be cartoons, and this is Gems teaching other Gems how to be Gems on Earth. 

Lamar came up with the silly joke about receiving that art set with all the different media types in it--the one artists are always getting from a well-meaning relative at holiday time.

A scrapped plot idea involved Volleyball/Pink Pearl as a sort of “mini-villain,” with a focus on her activating the un-activated Pearls.

There’s discussion of how victimization turns people into villains sometimes. But since showing that happening with Volleyball wouldn’t have served the interests of Steven’s arc, they couldn’t fit it in.

There was also a “very specific” Gem origin and Diamond origin story that’s quasi-religious in nature--it’s very cool and complicated. But they do not tell us what it is.

Ian and Joe both really wanted to have Jasper living alone in the woods and stacking rocks. They’re glad they got this series to do that with her.

There was originally an idea for a B-plot involving Jasper in the movie. They don’t discuss the specifics.

There were many ideas they didn’t get to work on because they would have started new arcs and Future was not about kicking new plots into gear.

“Mr. Universe” was the last episode they wrote/finished.

Miki really wanted to include a kiss between Connie and Steven to show their relationship was okay. Among the Crew everyone knew their relationship was basically eternal but Miki wanted to make sure WE knew that.

Steven driving conveyed momentum for Future; in the original show, we always came back to the laundry hand, back to home, but in Future that’s changed and home isn’t what it was. 

They were really excited that a gourd family made it to the crowd scene in Future.

Thanks for reading!

Note: The movie had some commentary tracks too, but the one on this DVD set is the same as the one released on the original standalone movie DVD, so I did not outline it here. Here is my post about the DVD commentary from the movie.

[lansyuan]

do you love fics where wei wuxian and lan wangji parent the crap out of lan sizhui? do you want to read accidental baby acquisition fics until your eyes bleed? would you die as your heart slowly turns to mush from the softness of this family? bitch the fuck, me too. here are some of my personal favourite fics of wangxian ft their turnip son a-yuan. its a range of canon divergence, post canon, thirteen years of inquiry, raising a-yuan at the burial mounds au etc - there’ll be something for literally everyone. enjoy!

the kite string and the anchor rope by fleurdeliser (38k+)

When A-Yuan gets sick and Wen Qing doesn't have the supplies she needs to properly treat him, Wei Wuxian can only think of one place to go for help. 

a crying shame by thunderwear (16k+)

Lan Wangji gets emotionally blackmailed by a toddler. It somehow fixes everything.

to recollect and long for by wonderlands (22k+) *2/3 works posted at time of posting this rec list.

a 3-part series about best boy lan sizhui and his wonderful dads who love him and each other very much.

forgetting envies, remembering your loving hold by cosmicfuss (3k+)

The first time Zewu-jun plays for him he is five and the man is trying to comfort him, playing soft songs good for soothing children. It works to a degree but he wants his gege, he wants his gege to play his lullaby. Zewu-jun apologizes and tells him that his gege is hurting right now, and needs to be alone to get better.

When he plays the xiao, A-Yuan says, "you're holding it wrong!" When he turns fourteen, he learns to play guqin, and is many years ahead of his classmates in that regard. A large factor in that is how much he has practiced Inquiry. He has grown up hearing snippets from the jingshi, of Wangji attempting to reach a spirit that never answers.

When he's sixteen, he hears a familiar tune played in the forest, he and his fellow juniors battling a stone god. It's been years since he's heard it, and he wonders why this man, Mo Xuanyu, knows it so well.

Or, Lan Sizhui grows up and learns, and remembers.

five times wei wuxian tried to embarrass lan sizhui by blackelement7 (6k+)

(and one time he realized just how badly he'd played himself)

or: In which Wei Wuxian starts a fight but Lan Sizhui (with some meddling from Lan Jingyi) ends it.

inquiry by incendir (10k+)

Sizhui cannot fall asleep for a long, long time that night. He hears the ever-familiar melody again. He thinks perhaps he has memorized it by now.

storge by respira (9k+)

Lan Sizhui is a lake.

as the warren grows in number by kore_fics (3k+)

Before Sizhui could take another step he was surrounded by black and red, loud laughter in his ears and warm fingers running through his hair, messing it up. Palms squished both his cheeks together and Lan Sizhui let out a laugh.

Lan Sizhui was home.

tell some storm* by qurbat (31k+) *the moments with Sizhui are in chapter 2, however I highly recommend reading the whole fic, it’s adorable.

"We were raised as a generation of war, A-Yuan," Xian-gege said to him. "If your generation choses to be one of love - well, I don't think any of us would be opposed to that."

In the aftermath of the events at the Guanyin temple, the cultivation world scrambles to understand their current reality. A man roams the countryside with a string of white in his hair. Another sits on the highest seat of power with a ribbon of red around his forehead. The younger generation turns out to be full of romantics. Nie Huaisang is to blame for everything, always. Jiang Cheng realizes that happiness has been more that 16 years overdue.

Wei Wuxian declares that it's time that bitch pays up.

After a generation of war - much to the consternation of the elders, much to the delight of the young, much to the pleased shock of the subjects of the tale - the world welcomes a love story with open arms.

guess we're not eating leaves today by missingnarwhal (2k+)

Baby A-Yuan has cooked up a feast, but only one lucky gege will actually get to taste it!

Set in an alternate timeline where everything is okay after Wei Ying + Wens started living in the Burial Mounds.

response by aki_no_hikari (12k+)

What if Wei Wuxian hadn't been silent to Lan Wangji's Inquiry?

love, in all its small pieces by ynvel (4k+)

Ah Yuan is brought to the Cloud Recesses and exchanges the sun and its ashes for the clouds. Lan Wangji brings a boy home, calls him his son, and renews the promises he made.

Or: Lan Sizhui is adopted by Lan Wangji and learns about his new life. Lan Wangji in turn learns about hope and living again.

child surprise by ariaste (4k+)

He huffs a sigh. “Fine. Just - let’s just make it the law of surprise, shall we? That’s nice and simple, eh? Leave it up to destiny what will bring us back in balance. Let it drop something of yours into my lap, something small, and we’ll call the debt paid.”

Three debts, three repayments.

there's a lunatic in mo village by bastetcg (11k+)

There's a lunatic in Mo Village! And to Lan Sizhui's surprise, Hanguang-Jun has decided to bring the madman back to the Cloud Recesses! How embarrassing!

A mostly canon-compliant look into Lan Sizhui's thoughts and childhood.

on being a big boy by emberloey (1k+)

“My little A-Yuan,” Dad had said the next morning, kneeling down to A-Yuan’s height with a smile, “all grown up now. Soon you’ll be hunting without your poor old dads.”

“Never!” A-Yuan shook his head and latched onto Father’s leg. He smiled up at Father, who smiled back and nodded his head. “A-Yuan always needs Dad and Father!”

in all these shades of blue (i think we found you) by fleetling (5k+)

5 times Sizhui thought about his father's white robes, and 1 time Lan Wangji wore blue.

(Or: Lan Sizhui had never seen his father in anything other than white robes.)

this is when the feeling sinks in, i don't want to miss you like this (come back, be here) by mischievousmurmurs (6k+)

Just now… the butterflies’ conversation. Where did you learn that from, Ah-Yuan?

Ah-Yuan pats his chest. In here, shushu. I feel it in here. And in here, too, he adds, pointing to his head.

Sizhui has never quite been able to remember nor forget the memory of seeing people who he knows loved each other, loved him, and whom he loved in return.

or - a wangxian story, as told by their adopted son.

yours, mine, and ours by casecous (2k+)

When they have both mostly recovered, and A-Yuan is back to his smiling, playful self, Lan Wangji presents him with a forehead ribbon. A-Yuan’s little fingers bump into Lan Wangji’s thumbs as he traces the cloud motif along it.

“You are Lan now. This is very important,” Lan Wangji tells him and A-Yuan looks away from the ribbon to meet his eyes. “You must not take it off as you please. Only family may touch it.”

A series of wangxian family moments.

innocence by snowberryrose (8k+)

In which Wei WuXian gets to raise A-Yuan.

Canon divergence from episode 31.

to recollect and long for by mme_anxious (4k+)

Lan Xichen is there when his brother becomes a father. Lan Sizhui is there when his father's heart breaks, again. Wei Wuxian is there when his son gets drunk for the first time.

Or, the GusuLan forehead ribbon, in three parts.

our little one by writedeku (6k+)

A-Yuan is here. A-Yuan, who Wei Ying loved so much. A-Yuan, who was taught to laugh just like him. Wangji hugs him to his chest and curls over him, ignoring the way the wounds on his back pull and tear. “I have to take care of you,” he says. “I will not leave you.”

(Or: Lan Wangji comes back from Yiling with a child he does not know how to care for and a black hole in his chest. Somehow, he makes it work.)

gathered herbs & sweet grasses by hansbekhart (19k+)

Later, when he’s older, it’s this that A-Yuan will remember most: the stretch of silence, the two of them both dirty and shaking with fever, as he looked at Brother Rich, and Brother Rich looked back at him.

the sacred homeland by particulate (8k+)

He has many names, and some are mouthfuls of blood.

[Or; a chronology of Sizhui, in which he does not forget.]

to the act of making noise by words-writ-in-starlight (19k+)

His father in white plays the song late into the night, and when A-Yuan wakes up confused and afraid, the guqin lulls him back to sleep.

Lan Sizhui hears his father play the same song every night for his whole life, and never, ever get an answer.

when he comes home to you by kika988 (2k+)

Home is Cloud Recesses now, and that's a thing Wei Wuxian is still getting used to. He still feels like a guest here, most days, though Lan Wangji has done everything to make him feel at home. He stands out like a sore thumb amongst the serene disciples and flowing white fabric.

Cloud Recesses has been home to Lan Wangji and Sizhui for years. It is their home, where they've built their family.

The thought warms Wei Wuxian even as it sits a little ill with him. He's an intruder here, in their homes, in their lives, the same way he had been in Lotus Pier.

five times people didn’t know sizhui is lan zhan’s son and one time they did by trilliastra (3k+)

“A-Yuan.” He repeats, reaching out for the boy, growing restless when he can’t touch him. “A-Yuan.”

Oh. Lan Xichen closes his eyes as the tears start to fall. Oh, Wangji.

Carefully, Lan Xichen takes the boy and lays him next to his brother on the bed, Wangji holds him protectively against his chest and A-Yuan stops his little cries immediately.

“Wangji,” Lan Xichen tries again, running a hand through his brother’s hair softly, “who is he?”

“He’s my son.”

5 times the lan head disciple broke the rules by liji (6k+)

“I am not aware of any rule forbidding falling in love,” Hanguang-Jun said at last. There was a quiet sadness in his eye, like he was watching a scene from far away. The novelty of it gave Sizhui the courage to ask his next question.

“Have you ever been in love, Father?” he asked.

(or, five times that Sizhui broke the Lan sect's rules growing up)

the seasons change (but i love you the same) by kdkdkd (7k+)

"Hanguang-jun!"

When did you stop calling me Bàba, A-Yuan?

Lan Wangji had always promised himself that he would never become a poor father like his own had been.

Unfortunately, it feels like he has failed to keep that promise.

✨ bonus round ✨ uncle jiang cheng and nephew lan sizhui

tintinnabulum by respira (8k+)

A small bell chimes, the sound soft and pleasant like the water crashing against a pier, like low whistles in an empty cave, like a guqin playing a lullaby.

[nautiscarader]

2020 in animation - recap

So, 2020. 

Yeah, I have to say I’m not entirely satisfied. Would not recommend, 1 star. 

But I would be willing to bump it to 1.5, if only because of one factor: the animation. 

Because I have to say, this was the best animated end of the world so far! And if there was something that kept our spirits up, it was the cartoon industry!

Just like last year, I should preface this by saying that this is highly subjective selection. Even when one is confined to their Hobbit holes for better part of the year because of *waves hands* everything around, 

day still only has 24 hours, so I have missed a few shows. (I should also apologise for omitting a few major ones last year, like Milo Murphy’s Law S2, Ducktales, or She-Ra. This is why I started keeping a track this year). I’m sure I will catch up with those I missed this year some time in the future, but for now, let’s see what this year has gifted us with.

And right from the start, January opens the race with very interesting propositions. We were still riding on an incredibly high wave from last year, with Infinity Train season 2.

This one focused on Tulip’s mirror, and pushed the season towards a much darker and complex story, diving deep into one’s personal journey and identity. There were tears, math, deer, and cops being murdered. Brutally. 

t was followed by two newcomers: The Owl House and first season of Kipo and The Age of the Wonderbeast. Both of them would dominate first half of the year, with The Owl House’s traditional, week-to-week airings, and Kipo's seasons appearing in  June and October.

The Owl House, a strong contender in "What will be the Next Gravity Falls?" contest, invited us to a world full of magic, mystery, elongated owl demons and some dark secrets. It has also created a milestone for Disney, introducing an LGBT couple with characters of bisexual Luz Noceda and lesbian Amity Blight. Their Grom dance has risen to the top of my animates scenes, polling very closely to the unforgettable Kataango.

On the other hand, Kipo has taken us to the post-apocalyptic world filled with mutant animals, revealing that despite the end of the world, our old vices and animosities have survived in underground burrows, and we have infected the overworld of giant doggos and suit-wearing frogs with them. 

Kipo did not pull any punches regarding commentary about our society, at the same time giving us hope in the form of the main protagonist, who was able to spread friendship and understanding amongst the mutes, as well as the humans that had to survive. And in the world that we have found ourselves in, it was a pretty darn good lesson.

February would bring end to two seasons of airing cartoons, Big Hero Six season 2 and Miraculous season 3, as well as another newcomer that won the hearts of fans: Glitch Techs, with its "second" season arriving in August. And while in my opinion he show wasn't as good as the other two new titles, I am clearly in minority, as the show about Ghostbuters-like team of game console technicians gained huge popularity... though not enough to keep the show afloat. As of writing this, it is currently in limbo, which is a shame, as the second set of 10 episodes finally added some much needed ongoing story.  

in March, another show from last year ended - Steven Universe Future. As we have expected, it tackled slightly more mature themes, showing how much Steven needed that therapy we have wished him, telling an important tale of finding one's worth and one's self. its ending might not have been as explosive as those of the original show, or the movie, but it left Steven’s story as open as an open road, and deep in our hearts, we all knew it would look like this.   

March was also the time when majority of western world caught the coronavirus, and that caused quite a turmoil with the movie and animation industry. One of the first victim of changed schedule was Disney's Onward, which was released on-line on Disney+ quickly after its theatrical release.

I have mixed feelings towards “Onward”. For such interesting promise, I think it made a few questionable and down right boring turns, though the unorthodox message at the end of it was its strongest point, and it was one I haven’t seen in a while, so it was worth watching just for that.  

April was relatively quiet (aside from more end of the world stuff); brought us third season of Ducktales that spread throughout the year, while May gave us final, fifth season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. 

To my eternal shame, I missed on this show when it premiered, and due to the lockdown, I binge-watched the previous four right in time for powerful and explosive season 5. And even though Catra and Adora finally gave us exactly what we needed, some fans felt slightly unsatisfied, calling for a movie, like the Steven Universe one to be made. And I’d be all for it, the rest of universe needs saving from the Horde! Also, cats in space - hilarious. 

May also revealed a new player on the streaming field: HBO Max, who surprised us with new Looney Tunes Cartoons, much more in the spirit of the legendary originals than the often-criticised Looney Tunes Show from 2011-2014. And in my opinion, it did; one could feel the same fluidity in animation, dedication to slapstick, and synchronisation with music than in the very first cartoons with Bugs and Daffy.

HBO Max would, however, return in June with first of series of Adventure Time original movies called "Distant Lands". The first centred around BMO, with second one - Obsidian giving us a glimpse into Bonnibel and Marceline's lives.

Distant Lands allowed people to revisit the odd, odd world of Ooo and learn about its colourful inhabitants, taking turns to seeing their past and the future, an, as usual, showing us that post-apocalyptic world can teach us valuable and meaningful lessons.   

Just in time for full lockdown in our burrows, aforementioned Kipo season 2 premiered in June, together with another cartoon movie, this time featuring We Bare Bears. While their movie wasn't anything to write songs about, it was exactly like the show, providing some wholesome content right when we needed it.

And just in case you needed more wholesome adventures, Craig of the Creek's second season ended, and its third season began, reminding us of HOW COOL LIFE WAS WHEN OUTERNET WASN’T SCARY AND WE COULD STILL WALK OUTSIDE FOR FUN AND NOT TO HUNT TOILET PAPER.

Just like last year, July was not dogs' days, but frogs'. Amphibia season 2 started raining on our heads, but unlike last year, its schedule wasn't a daily one, spreading the episodes throughout the Summer and early Autumn, with its second part arriving in February of 2021. There were more roadtrips, more mysteries and MORE MARCY.

August was equally strong: aforementioned Glitch Techs "season 2" premiered, offering better and more plot-heavy episodes than the first ten episodes. Unfortunately, the show's future is unclear; the uneven divide of plot between the seasons probably contributed to the show not being renewed. 10 new episodes apparently are written, but await in sleep mode, until Nickelodeon remembers about it.

HBO MAX picked up Infinity Train for its third season, after being derailed by Cartoon Network. And if you thought that killing a mirror cop was shocking... then this season has pushed the limit of what can be shown in modern children's cartoon to a frightening degree. The schedule was once again, weirder, with first five episodes airing on the day of the premiere, ending with a cliffhanger (literally) that only contributed to the shock factor and made us wait anxiously for its conclusion. It was bold, it was dark, it was memorable. 

And just like Glitch Techs, Infinity Train waits on a side track, unsure if it will be picked up, or will it be abandoned and left as a canvas for graffiti artists.

However, to end the Summer, a truly amazing TV movie has arrived on Disney Plus, where we came back to good, old Danville and could witness Candace against the universe. The new Phineas and Ferb movie brought back the glorious memories of this fantastic show, with the same humour, writing, abundance of catchy songs and a surprisingly deep moral.

In September we have seen the start of Big Hero 6 season 3 and a odd change of format. Instead of standalone 22-minute episodes, the show now consists of two 11-minute segments. In opinion of many, this weakened the stories, forcing them to be more comedy-oriented, and shortening the potential emotional drama. Still, it gave us funny, short stories, but they did clash with the two previous season, not to mention the movie.

However, if that wasn't up to your taste, Ducktales season 3 also started airing, and continued its first part up until December with more action- and plot-driven episodes, including the Darkwing Duck crossover, serving as a pilot of the spin-off. 

Later in December fans have learned that Season 3 will be its last, which broke the hearts of many duck fans; however, it seems that the season has been written as the last one in mind, and the news of the ending was known to the creators, which gives us hope for a kick-ass finale somewhere in 2021.

Miraculous New York, telling arguably one of the most mature storylines, opened the "Heroez" world to some new characters and new opportunities, with two more specials, taking place in Shanghai and Brazil, meant to air somewhere next year. AND I DO HOPE WE WILL SEE MORE LOCAL FOOD VENDOR SUPERHEROES LIKE HOT DOG DAN. 

October was the month of two season 3's: Carmen Sandiego and Kipo. In case of Carmen, as it is usual with Netflix, the "season" was only a half-one, with just a handful standalone episodes, and just a dash of more ongoing plot. 

For Kipo, however, season 3 was the end, and what a glorious one it was. Fans were saddened to learn of it, but Kipo was always imagined as a 3-part story, and it showed. The finale proved more than satisfying ending to the plot, elevating Kipo to one of the smartest cartoon characters we should all try to aspire to.

In November, Distant Lands: Obsidian aired, focusing on everyone’s favourite candy/vampire couple, and the long and complicated love between Bonnibel and Marceline. And as usual, it showed us that relationships are not always as straightforward as we would like them to be, but with enough music and teamwork, no enemy is big enough. 

For the next new show, I’ve waited with the most amount of excitement and anxiety. Because while I was completely fine with other reboots and re-imaginings to take creative takes, new Animaniacs, (airing on Hulu) had to be perfect and had to be the lightning that struck twice. 

And sadly... it wasn’t. It was still good, but some people criticised (incorrectly imho) the amount of political topics, while I mourned almost total cast-ration of additional characters, aside from Pinky and the Brain. This truly weakened the possibilities it could have had. It was still very good, but you can feel that some of the original charm was lost, due to these odd, odd limitations. 

December brought us a new original Apple TV movie, Wolfwalkers. A beautifully animated folk tale of friendship and social divides, and how short-sight can cause the collapse of both arguing sides, reminding me very much of the intelligence and heart of original “How to Train Your Dragon”.  

We’ve had to wait two years for the return of arguably one of the most wholesome shows out there: Hilda. Second season dived into deeper mysteries that permeate the rich and colourful troll-ridden land, we saw the return of some familiar characters, and introduced a whole new storyline, that ended with a surprising cliffhanger. Still as wholesome, but now with a tiny bit of Police incompetence. Also Twig, lots of Twig.   

Just like Onward, Pixar’s highly anticipated Soul aired on Disney+, telling a very mature story about finding one’s purpose in life, what that purpose actually means, and whether it exists at all. Beautifully animated, with fantastic soundtrack, it was a stunning tribute to creativity, and it never dumbed down its profound, open message about following your dream.   

And just if you thought that Soul was going to be 2020′s last note (pun very much intended), right before the year ended, DC Super Hero Girls concluded its first season on a rather anti-climactic two-parter. That being said, the season, running from March of last year, was packed with short, bite-sized, funny stories, taking interesting spins on existing comic book characters. For a comic book noob like me, it was perfectly fine, and I can’t wait for the second season next year. 

And so, we have reached the series finale of humanity. 

2020 ends in just under a day. What will 2021 bring us? I do not know, and if the animated shows of this year have taught me anything, is that the future is an always open book, full of worries and challenges, but also opportunities and possibilities. 

...

And in reality I was too lazy to check any news sites about upcoming projects.

[yuta-nakamots]

baby don’t like it - j.jh

Pairings - Idol!Jaehyun x Idol!Reader, Idol!Yuta x Idol!Reader

Genre - Idol!AU, Smut, Fluff, Slight Angst

Warnings - y/n is a cheater, phone sex/sexting, unprotected sex, cumshot

Summary - Relationships can get messy as seen by the way you’ve managed to fuck up one that you weren’t even officially in to begin with but at least your boyfriend seems pretty supportive of it all.

Word Count - 9.8k

A/N - Tagging @hunjins​ and @spookyhyuck​ who make their own guest appearances. This was originally supposed to be strictly a Jaehyun fic but then things got out of hand when I was writing for Yuta ahaha never trust me and Yuta like this.

Part of the 23 Days of Christmas Event hosted by @neosmutcollective​. Check out the masterlist here. 

After becoming an idol, there was a part of you that thought that you’d never find love and end up settling with raising a bunch of cats instead but somehow you had the luck of catching the eye of none other than Nakamoto Yuta when both of your groups were promoting alongside each other.

He had approached you first and blatantly told you that he would like to get to know you better and things quickly progressed from there. He took you on dates to so many nice places and it was like you had found your kindred spirit in him. It only felt right when he asked you to be his girlfriend.

In a little under a year, you found that the only drawback from dating him was that he was always busy. It may not seem that way to the public but he was constantly at work preparing things for future releases and you made sure to praise him for how well he dealt with the sheer amount of content he had to put out. Such situations led to a decrease in time for dates and having to settle for late night phone calls instead.

“I forgot to tell you that me and some of my other group mates were asked to be on a variety cooking show this week,” you excitedly told Yuta over the call, “it’s the one where the two groups compete against each other and do challenges periodically.”

You heard the familiar beep of Yuta’s water dispenser as he filled up yet another cup, clueless as to where his original cup went. “I think Jaehyun mentioned something about going on the show. Are you guys filming tomorrow?” Unsure of your schedule you checked your messages with your manager and confirmed with Yuta that you were indeed filming with his members. “I don’t know which other members are going but I can ask and let you know.”

“Oh, it’s okay, you don’t have to.” You told him, not wanting him to go out of the way for you.

Yuta chuckled on the other end of the line. “Just trying to make sure you’re prepared for whoever you’ll be working with.”

You shook your head though you realized he couldn’t see you anyways. “I don’t think they’ll be able to tell that we’re together from just seeing me cook, you know. It’s not like you’re there for me to stare at.”

“I’m flattered to know that you’d stare at me if I were there,” you heard him pick up his cup and open the refrigerator, most likely looking for a snack, “but keep your guard up anyways. You never know if they’ll mention my name or something like that.”

“If they mention your name it’s probably to tease your cooking abilities-”

“Are you saying I’m a bad cook? Because I can assure you that I am not.” Yuta defended with a huff as he closed the refrigerator, a telltale sign that he could not find anything of interest in there.

“I didn’t say that but if that’s what you think I was saying then sure.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” you could practically see him rolling his eyes, “I have to sleep soon since we have some photo shoot tomorrow and they didn’t like it when I came in all tired-looking last time.” He mumbled something about his dark circles starting to show more as he’s getting older. “Make sure you do some cooking research though,” he advises, “Jaehyun’s a really good cook so you’ll have some competition tomorrow.”

“Mmm okay, whatever you say,” sass evident in your voice, “I have faith in my members though so prepare to watch your own groupmates get shut down.”

Yuta quietly chuckled and you heard him flop into his bed. “Alright, love, I’ll get ready to see that,” he paused to adjust himself under his covers, “but no matter the result I’m sure the episode will come out okay because you’re there and I know you’ll do great.”

You smiled at his sweet comment. “Thank you, I trust that your other members will take good care of us too.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” Yuta jokes, “but again, I know you’ll do a good job on the show, have fun at filming tomorrow, I love you.”

“Good luck at the photo shoot, I love you too, goodnight.” With that, you hung up, already halfway to sleep yourself since you were only really safe to talk to Yuta at late hours of the night, not wanting to alert any of yours or his group mates to the status of your relationship together.

In the waiting room on set, you finally had some time to check your phone after a hectic morning of mapping out with your groupmates, Ivet and Liv, your game plan for the show. It was decided that the three of you would be making a type of mixed ramen with whatever spices and other ingredients you were able to win though you’d have to be careful and keep enough stuff in reserve to make side dishes. Looking at your phone, you saw that Yuta had sent you a few messages in the midst of all the chaos.

Yuta > y/n

8:23am: jaehyun said it’s him, johnny, doyoung, and haechan filming today

8:24am: i hope you prepared well because they certainly did

8:24am: i’d spoil their plans but that wouldn’t be as fun haha

8:25am: watch out for haechan and jaehyun though, they’re planning on distracting you guys

8:25am: i have to leave for my shoot now but keep me updated on how it goes!

y/n > Yuta

9:16am: i’m in the waiting room right now, sorry it took so long to reply

9:17am: but really? They just had to send the most competitive guys huh?

9:17am: i’m not gonna spoil our plans either so you’re gonna have to watch the episode to see what we came up with ;)

You group mate Ivet called out your name from the doorway, “we’re starting soon, you better come join us on set.”

“Coming.” You shouted back as you tucked your phone away into your bag and made sure your microphone pack was wired up correctly.

Once you were out on set, Yuta’s members came out shortly after and filming started. Everything was going smoothly, the group introductions went nicely and it was finally time for the starting challenge. All seven of you were on edge since this was one of the most important parts of creating a successful main dish.

“First on the table, we have udon noodles, salmon, and a loaf of bread.” The host announced, pulling the cloth off the table on the side in the middle of where all the rest of the cooking ingredients were.

“Oh my god we have to get the noodles.” Liv whispered to you, gripping your forearm as the challenge was about to be revealed.

“In order to win these, the challenger must do a dance from the opposing group and be deemed successful by at least two members. The first person to yell out their name may challenge on the count of 3. 1, 2 ,3.”

You shot up from your seat as soon as possible, yelling your name and shouting over Haechan calling out his own, confident in your abilities to dance an NCT song after watching fancams of your boyfriend a little too much. “I’ll dance to Work It.” You stated, mentally going over the choreography in your head.

The music began playing from a little before the chorus and you turned to face the cameras in the front, winking at the most centered one as you mouthed ‘work it’ and started dancing. You heard your groupmates erupt in screams from behind you along with side comments from the guys of ‘oh, she’s pretty good’ and ‘not bad, not bad’.

You ended the dance with a cute pose before returning to your seat next to your members. “Y/n how do you even know the dance to that song?” Ivet asked, totally in shock.

Shrugging your shoulders you replied, “it’s a cool song so I watched their videos a couple times and just picked up the dance along the way.”

“Nah, there’s no way you learned it just like that,” Liv interjected, “you’re so slow at picking up choreo, I know you must have purposely learned this.” Again, you shrugged your shoulders, readjusting the wire of the microphone that got jostled around while you were dancing.

“Johnny, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Haechan, what do you think?” The host prompted.

Johnny was the first to speak up. “I’m in the unit that promoted this song so I know the choreo the best out of us here today,” he stated to the host, “so personally, I’ll be a little more strict about details since the others don’t know the dance that well.”

He looked over at you as he began critiquing your performance. “You had good energy but you were putting emphasis on the wrong parts. It’s the second half of the phrase that should look more cool and chic rather than the first half.” He danced it himself to show you what he meant before turning back to the host. “I do not deem it as a pass but I liked her energy as she was doing it.”

“He’s so annoying.” Liv muttered under her breath. You put a hand on her knee in an attempt to calm her down.

Doyoung spoke up next as Johnny was sitting down. “She’s not a member of our group so we shouldn’t expect her to know all the little things. I think she should pass.”

“I don’t think she should,” Haechan interrupted, “the detail is what makes the dance memorable and unique from other dances like it and since that’s how our members performed it, if she’s supposed to be similar then she should do it the same way.”

“Ah, it’s a pity that we don’t have someone else from the unit here who could offer a more fair vote,” Doyoung commented, “Yuta would be better at this.” You felt your heart stop for a split second at the mention of your boyfriend.

“That’s one vote for pass and two votes for fail. Jaehyun, what is your vote?” The host doled out.

Jaehyun cleared his throat before speaking, looking over at you with a shy smile. “I think y/n did good, actually-” Ivet let out a shout of joy, since that meant you won the first batch of ingredients, before quickly covering her mouth out of embarrassment. “Like Doyoung said, she’s not a member of our group so she wouldn’t know the details. Y/n had the same energy and feel that our members did and I think that’s the most important part.”

“Alright, so with that, the members of NCT have deemed this challenge as a success. Congratulations to y/n for winning the first ingredients, you may all start preparing your dishes.” You smiled over to the four of them, thanking them as you collected your prize.

As you set down the large packages on the counter, Ivet nudges you with her elbow. “Hey, Jaehyun keeps looking over here. Should we give him something? I feel kind of bad since he basically allowed us to win.”  

You looked up and sure enough, Jaehyun was staring right at you. He smiled at you as the two of you made eye contact before shyly turning away and busying himself in conversation with his members on what spices were available and what their best options were. “Should we give them the salmon? We really only need the noodles and we can save the bread to make a small desert.” You proposed to your groupmates.

“Wait, why are we giving them our prize?” Liv questioned as she started opening up the udon noodles.

“I’m just trying to be nice.” You mumbled, grabbing a bowl for the noodles. “I don’t want us to look mean if we just hog everything and let them suffer, you know?”

Liv shook her head, “ugh, fine. Give them the salmon but tell them not to expect any more help from us. This is a competition, y/n.”

You roll your eyes at her before picking up the slab of salmon, telling her “it’s not like we know how to prepare fish anyways” as you leave to hand it over.

As you approach them, Johnny notices you first. “Hey hey hey, no stealing our ideas.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” you tell him, “I just came over to give this to you guys since we don’t plan on using it.”

“Thank you-” Doyoung began, only to get cut off by Haechan.

“Don’t accept help from the enemy!” He exclaimed.

You raised an eyebrow at them. “Take it or leave it.”

Haechan opened his mouth to speak but Jaehyun beat him to it. “We’ll take it. Thank you, y/n.” The smile he gave you was so cute, you couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit charmed by him and his dimples.

After a few more challenges, both teams had a pretty even amount of supplies and your groups’ preparations for the soup broth and impromptu chocolate bread pudding desert are underway. As for the opposing team, they had decided on making salmon rolls along with a fruit parfait using the other ingredients they had won.

While you were breaking apart the bread into smaller pieces for the pudding and your members gathered the necessary baking ingredients, Jaehyun stopped by on his way to the pantry area where your members currently were. “Need any help?” His low voice coming from behind you causing you to jump.

“N-no, I’m fine,” you stuttered, trying to calm your now racing pulse though you’re not sure if it was because he scared you or from how close he was to you, “shouldn’t you be helping your own team?”

“Yeah but there’s four of us and three of you, it’s a little unfair to you guys.” He nodded his head over to where Ivet and Liv were arguing about whether to use white or brown sugar.

You scoffed at him. “Excuse me, but we are fully capable of pulling off this win. Thank you for the offer, but no, I do not want your help.” You noticed the slight smile he had on his face as he backed away and you realized that you had stopped tearing apart the bread while you were talking to him.

“Hey! I know your plan,” you called out, “I won’t be distracted by you again so watch it.” He giggled as he returned to his members, your own giving him death stares after hearing your exchange with him.

Not much else happened after the final challenges and as both teams approached the final stages of preparation, you noticed the glances going back and forth between both groups and they observed the activity and progress of the opponent. You caught Jaehyun looking at you a couple times and made faces at him to mock him, which he made back.

“Stop flirting with him, you guys are so obvious oh my gosh.” Ivet muttered.

You let out a gasp of shock. “What do you mean flirting? I am not flirting with him at all.”

“Yes you are,” she rolls her eyes in irritation, “I see all the faces you guys are making at each other and I’m pretty sure the other guys noticed it too.”

“Well then that means you’re distracted too if you’re watching us.” You shot back.

“Oh, just shut up and get back to work.” Liv huffed. “If you’re dating him you can just tell us, you know.”

You froze as you thought of Yuta. “I am not dating Jaehyun.” You said through gritted teeth.

“It sure seems like it thought.” Ivet retorted.

Once time ran out, both teams presented their dishes to the production staff who would be voting on the winner for today. Your team presented first as per Johnny’s request of ‘ladies first’. They seemed to like your dishes so you were fairly confident in your chances of winning.

When the boys came to present their dishes you were honestly shocked at how good the food looked. You had to give credit to Doyoung who took charge of most of it. “Johnny and Haechan worked on the fruit parfait while Jaehyun and I made the salmon rolls from our memory of making it with our member Yuta back when he shared his mother’s techniques with us.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Yuta trying to direct his members around in the kitchen since he rarely ever cooks in the first place. “Why are you smiling like that?” Ivet asks, snapping you out of your imagination. “Are you looking at Jaehyun again?” You reach over and pinch her side, effectively shutting her up.

As the production staff gathers up their votes, both teams are given time to make their closing comments. Liv spoke for your group since she was the oldest out of the three of you. “We had a lot of fun today getting to cook with each other and we would like to thank all the members of NCT and all the staff who worked with us today. It was a pleasure to be able to come on to this show and we hope to be back again soon.”

Haechan stepped forward to speak for his members. “We too enjoyed being on the show today and we would also like to thank our competitors and the staff for taking such good care of us. It was a new experience to get to do something like this and I hope NCT can come on again with and show the talents of the rest of our members.”

“Any other closing comments?” The host asked.

“As a fan of NCT, it was an honor to work with you guys today and I hope we will get to work together again in the future.” Ivet blurted out, making the studio burst out in laughter from how quick she spoke and the way she covered her face again.

“I really enjoyed getting to know y/n, Ivet, and Liv today and I look forward to working with you guys again no matter what it may be.” Jaehyun quickly said, taking the attention off of Ivet.

“I think the staff have counted up their votes and are ready to announce the winner for today.” The host announced, wrapping up the conversation. “And now, the dishes that won the hearts of the staff are…”

You reached to hold the hands of your group mates as the director wrote on a whiteboard. When they flipped it around, you let out a breath of relief as you read the winning dish. “The udon and the bread pudding! Congratulations to Liv, y/n, and Ivet for being the champions of this episode.”

Liv pulled the two of you in for a hug as you all celebrated your victory meanwhile Haechan came to the front and was asking the staff if they’re sure they counted the votes correctly as his older members laughed behind him.

Filming ends and both teams head back to their respective waiting rooms. You stopped by the bathroom first before joining your members but on your way out you ran straight into Jaehyun. “Sorry, I wasn’t being careful.” You apologize, moving out of his way and continuing on your path.

“Oh, it’s okay, and actually, I was looking for you so it’s more than okay. I mean not more than okay but I mean that it’s-”

“Jaehyun, why were you looking for me?” You ask, successfully saving him from his rambling and future embarrassment.

He reaches a hand behind his neck as the other goes inside his back pocket while his eyes flit around nervously. “I, um, I was going to ask you for your number if that’s okay with you.”

Your brain went into overdrive as you thought about your options. You could say no to be safe though it might draw suspicion since everyone saw how the two of you were interacting earlier. Or you could give it to him and tell him to keep things on the low though it makes another opening for someone to find out about you and Yuta.

“Yeah, sure.” You tell him and you watch as he breaks into a smile, his dimples showing once again. The two of you quickly exchanged numbers before heading off to your own members. On the way back to your dorm, you received a message from an unknown number.

Unknown > y/n

5:58pm: hi, this is jaehyun :)

y/n > unknown

5:59pm: hey, it’s y/n

You saw him start typing but you exited his chat to send a message to your boyfriend instead telling him how your day went.

y/n > Yuta

6:00pm: i beat your members just like i said i would ;)

Yuta > y/n

6:00pm: haha congratulations!

6:00pm: I’ll look forward to watching the episode when it comes out

6:00pm: I paused my anime episode just for you, consider yourself blessed

y/n > Yuta

6:01pm: yeah okay, i’m blessed by nakamoto yuta or whatever lol

6:01pm: did you want to call tonight?

Yuta > y/n

6:01pm: no, i got a headache during the shoot so I’m gonna sleep early tonight

6:01pm: tomorrow we can. I don’t think I have anything

y/n > Yuta

6:02pm: awwww, my baby

6:02pm: i hope you feel better soon <3

6:02pm: get some sleep and we can figure it out when you wake up

6:02pm: i love you

Yuta > y/n

6:03pm: don’t call me that

6:03pm: but thank you love you too

Jaehyun had been sending you messages while you were texting Yuta so you finally went back to your chat with him, feeling the excitement of talking to your boyfriend leave you.

Jaehyun > y/n

6:01pm: i just wanted to say that i thought you looked really pretty today

6:01pm: not that you don’t look pretty everyday but you know what I mean

6:02pm: i’m actually a fan of your group so today was really fun for me

6:03pm: did you maybe want to meet up sometime and get lunch?

y/n > Jaehyun

6:04pm: thank you, you’re quite handsome yourself

6:05pm: we’re actually working on a comeback so i don’t really have too much time these days

Jaehyun > y/n

6:06pm: oh? What’s the album like?

y/n > Jaehyun

6:08pm: we’re going for a darker concept this time

Jaehyun > y/n

6:09pm: that sounds fun!

When you didn’t see him typing again, you closed out the app and went to watch an episode of the anime Yuta had recommended to you a while ago. Jaehyun didn’t text you back for the rest of the night.

You went for the next day without texting your boyfriend but since you didn’t have any activities scheduled for the day, you binge watched nearly a whole season of the anime he had recommended to you until he finally texted you in the evening.

Yuta > y/n

7:16pm: i don’t think i can call tonight. I didn’t finish my chinese homework sorry

7:17pm: i want to talk to you so fucking bad though

7:17pm: i really miss seeing you and getting to touch you

y/n > Yuta

7:18pm: wait hold on

7:18pm: how do you go from talking about learning chinese to being all whiny

Yuta > y/n

7:19pm: it’s because

7:20pm: i miss you

7:20pm: and i’m horny

You were glad you were just lying down in bed because you weren’t expecting him to send you a picture of his bulge, the outline of his hard cock obvious in the soccer shorts he was wearing.

y/n > Yuta

7:23pm: you can’t just send that without a warning!

7:23pm: what if i was doing something huh?

7:23pm: are you even wearing underwear??

Yuta > y/n

7:24pm: no heehee

7:24pm: wanna see?

7:24pm: i know the answer is yes ;)

He sent you another picture that looked almost entirely black but when you opened it, you were greeted with the sight of your boyfriend seated at his desk with his legs open and facing towards the mirror by his closet. He had pulled the fabric of one leg of his shorts over his dick, exposing it to you with his free hand wrapped around the middle of it.

y/n > Yuta

7:28pm: what if the answer was no

Yuta > y/n

7:28pm: well you took an awfully long time to respond so i know you like it

y/n > Yuta

7:29pm: shut up or you’re not getting one back

You smiled to yourself as you saw the typing bubble disappear before sitting up and pulling your shirt off. You held your phone up and covered your nipples with your free arm, effectively pushing your breasts up as you bit your lip seductively.

Taking a couple with a variation of angles, poses, and facial expression, you sent the first one and waited for a response. He didn’t respond when you thought he would so you cleared the app and reopened it again realizing that the picture didn’t send so you sent it again.

Yuta > y/n

7:36pm: you’re so fucking hot

7:36pm: i can’t believe i get to call you mine

7:37pm: you’re literally a goddess

7:37pm: fuck can you send another one. I’ll send a voice recording

You sent him the rest of the ones you took and within a minute he sent you another picture of him accompanied by an audio message. Opening the picture first, you noticed how much more red his cock was, the veins more prominent than before. Your mouth watered at the sight of his length and the shine of precum at his tip. He had pulled up his shirt, revealing his abs and navel piercing, his hand tight around the base of his cock.

Making sure your earbuds were connected, you hit play on the voice message. “Y/n, baby, I miss you so fucking much. I wish we were together right now. I’d fuck you so hard that you’d only be able to say my name.” You reached a hand into your underwear as you heard him start moving his hand on his dick.

You inserted two digits in and started fingering yourself to his words. “I miss how warm your pussy is around me. I miss the way you moan when I fuck you just the way you like it. I miss feeling you cum on my cock and the way you take me so well.” Your fingers were in no way close in length or thickness to his cock but you hadn’t gotten off in so long that it wasn’t hard to get yourself worked up.

Yuta’s voice choked up in the recording for a bit and he let out a moan. “I-I miss seeing you so full and dripping with my cum. Fuck, I need to cum so badly.” You pressed your fingers as deep as they could go and you felt your pleasure starting to build.

You opened your camera and recorded yourself with your fingers deep inside of your pussy, you hand getting covered with your juices. “My fingers aren’t anything like your cock. I miss how good you fuck me and how deep your reach inside of me.” You paused as you brought your phone closer to your glistening folds.

“I love the way you make me cum and the way you fill me up so good.” You brought your phone back up, to get your face and naked torso in view. “Cum for me, Yuta.”

You continued fingering yourself to the voice recording he sent until you received a video from him. As soon as you opened it, his hand was already picking up speed on his length. “You miss my cock, baby? You miss cumming on it?” He let out a groan as he played with the tip of his length, his hand becoming slick with his own precum.

“Fuck, I’m so hard right now and it’s all because of you. I can’t wait to fuck you senseless the next time I see you. I-Fuck,” he started rapidly jerking himself off, “I want you to cum for me. I want to fill you up with my cum and watch it drip out of you. Ah fuck-” you watched as he covered himself in his own cum. On his abs, his hand, his thighs, and you felt a surge of arousal as you watched it drip down over his body, making his skin glow.

You dropped your phone in your haste to record yourself cumming for him and when you picked it up, you saw the picture that you sent earlier but not the video and previous messages from Yuta. Looking up at the name at the top of your screen, you broke out into a state of panicking realizing it wasn’t Yuta that you had sent the picture to. It was Jaehyun.

Jaehyun > y/n

7:37pm: damn. I didn’t know you were so sexy

7:38pm: i also didn’t know you were one to send nudes but i’m not one to say anything

y/n > Jaehyun

7:38pm: oh? You don’t seem like it either

Jaehyun > y/n

7:38pm: want proof?

y/n > Jaehyun

7:38pm: sure

You went back into your chat with Yuta, not wanting him to worry about you or question why you were taking so long to respond to him.

y/n > Yuta

7:39pm: fuck i thought i recorded myself cumming for you but i guess i didn’t hit record

7:40pm: i’m sorry :’(

Yuta > y/n

7:40pm: ah, it’s okay, as long as i know you came, I'm satisfied

7:41pm: besides, i have like four more pictures to look at when I feel lonely now

y/n > Yuta

7:41pm: ugh you’re so weird

7:42pm: but i kind of have a headache now so i think i’m gonna go to sleep soon

Yuta > y/n

7:43pm: i’m weird and you like it

7:43pm: go to sleep if you’re not feeling good though. Text me when you wake up

7:43pm: sleep well, i love you <3

y/n > Yuta

7:44pm: thanks, love you too

Checking back in on your chat with Jaehyun, you were surprised to see that he had actually sent you a photo. He was only in his underwear as he stood in front of his mirror in a similar setup to that of your boyfriend’s. He had raised one eyebrow and his tongue poked the inside of his cheek while he grabbed at the outline of his clothed cock.

y/n > Jaehyun

7:46pm: you’re pretty sexy too, i must admit

Jaehyun > y/n

7:46pm: like what you see?

y/n > Jaehyun

7:47pm: hell yeah i do

You felt a sudden rush of anxiety and worried about what Yuta would think if he found out about you and Jaehyun so you muted your notifications from Jaehyun and left your phone to charge as you took a shower.

Ever since that night where you accidentally sent Jaehyun a picture of yourself, the two of you have been texting on the down low. You hadn’t told Yuta because you were afraid of ruining your relationship with him or getting in the way of his relationship with Jaehyun.

Honestly, you just hoped Jaehyun would lose interest in you and find a new girl so you could let this whole thing be put to rest and tell Yuta once you were ready. But for now you entertained Jaehyun because you didn’t want things to be awkward the next time you saw him, especially now that the end of year award shows were approaching and you’d probably run into him somewhere at an event like that.

One of the award shows your group was set to attend was in Tokyo and Yuta had informed you that NCT would also be attending. “You know, since we’ll both be in Japan soon, how about I take you out on a date after the festival ends?” He proposed over another late night call.

“I like the sound of that,” a smile on your face as you spoke, “when are you leaving?”

“I leave the day after tomorrow. How about you?”

“I leave tomorrow so I guess I’ll be getting to the hotel before you.”

“Are you sharing a room with anyone?”

“Yeah, probably. You?”

“No, they gave us our own rooms this time around,” Yuta paused as he giggled, “you know what that means?”

You let out a similar giggle at how cute your boyfriend was. “Sexy time?”

“You know it.” You swore you could see him smirking through the phone. “But I’ll text you my room number once I get there so you can come by and we can plan out a day for me to take you out.”

“Sounds good-”

“Hey Yuta- oh, sorry. Are you talking to someone?” You heard the unmistakable sound of Jaehyun’s voice.

“Uh, yeah,” Yuta started, his voice showing how unsure he was, “just talking to a friend in Japan that I’m thinking of meeting while we’re there.”

Jaehyun let out what sounded like a noise of approval. “Oh, okay. I needed to ask you something but I’ll come back later.” You heard the door close as he left.

“Gosh, that guy,” Yuta breathed out once he was gone, “he’s been acting differently lately. I just don’t know what’s up with him. He’s always on his phone these days.”

You let out a light laugh. “You sound like an old man, Yuta. Though I should get going now in case he comes back.”

“Yes, you’re right. But, don’t forget, Japan, room number, then come over. Okay?”

“Okay, love you.”

“Love you too. Can’t wait to be with you again.”

Currently, you were dressed in sweats and one of Yuta’s shirts, even though you’ve had it for nearly four months now, after a day of just touring the hotel and performance venue as other idols began arriving. You were sure Yuta’s plane landed two hours ago so he should be at the hotel already but he hadn’t texted yet and you had started dozing off which made you worried that you’d fall asleep without seeing him. Just in case he forgot, you decided to send him a message asking what room he’s in.

You felt your phone vibrate after what felt like a minute but when you saw the time, you realized you had fallen asleep for about an hour. Reading the message on the screen, you saw the room number 412 and pulled yourself out of bed, making sure to grab your key card before you left.

When you arrived at room 412, you knocked on the door excitedly knowing that Yuta was waiting on the other side and you were more than ready to tackle him in a hug after not seeing him for nearly three months because of his own group promotions. What you didn’t expect was for Jaehyun to appear instead, shirtless with only a pair of sweatpants on.

You both stared at each other in shock before Jaehyun pulled you in, looking both ways to make sure no one saw the two of you. Once the door was shut he stepped away and asked “so, why exactly did you ask for my room number and come over this late at night?”

“I-uh, hm.” You didn’t know how to get yourself out of this but the way Jaehyun was looking at you told you that you wouldn’t be able to leave until both of you were exhausted.

“I take it that you were tired of just looking at a screen and wanted to experience the real thing in person.” He looked at you with an eyebrow raised. “Because I sure do.”

You saw the opportunity he was giving you and took it. “I like the way you think,” you closed the distance between both of you, “just don’t you dare tell anyone we’re doing this and I won’t either.”

“My lips are sealed,” he promised, giving you a playful smile, “with yours!” His arms wrapped around you as he pulled you in, greeting your lips with a warm kiss. You quickly melted into his kiss, one of your hands coming to rest on his firm chest. “Bed?” You nod and let him lead you to his queen sized bed.

He sits and falls backward on the side of his bed, pulling you to rest over him before kissing you once more. Your hands tangle themselves in his soft hair while his hands make their way to your ass, gripping your cheeks firmly before gently kneading at them. You shift your thigh to rest comfortably between his and that’s when you feel his length, already hot and hard beneath you. “You’re this worked up already?”

“I could see the outline of your nipples through your shirt and I just couldn’t stop my mind, sorry.” His cheeks started turning pink as you gave him an accusatory glare.

You shook your head before sliding a hand down over his chest, stopping at his solid abs. “I’m only forgiving you because you’re cute and sexy, but look at my eyes next time you pervert.”

“Yes ma’am oh-” He gasped when your hand went under the waistband of his sweatpants and started playing with the head of his cock. “Fuck that feels so good.”

You felt him twitch under your grasp and you realized just how large he was. “You’re fucking huge.” Your hand traveled further down his length. “I knew you were big but I didn’t know you were this big.”

“You wanna see it?” He teased though he threw his head back and moaned when you rubbed the tip of his cock.

Satisfied with his reaction, you pulled his sweats down and he lifted his hips to help you, his hard length hitting his chiseled body as he sunk back into the bed. Jaehyun let out a sigh of relief as your hand wrapped around his member and you felt it twitch within your grasp, causing you to meet his eyes with a smile.

You noticed his ears turning a light shade of pink as you sat back on your knees to pull off your own shirt, which you remembered actually belonged to your loving boyfriend, throwing it to the side and nodding at the man in front of you as an invitation from the way his eyes were suddenly glued to your breasts.  

He sat up and pulled you into his lap, attaching his lips to your sensitive buds, alternating between kissing them and gently sucking on them as he teased them with his tongue. Your arm came to rest around his broad shoulders and you rested your cheek against his soft hair. You reached down to tease at the tip of his cock once more, letting out a noise of surprise as Jaehyun lightly bit into the skin of your breast. “What was that for?”

“It’s sensitive, you know.” He looked up at you, his hair falling into his eyes as he left kisses up your chest and neck while cupping and kneading at your breasts.

Brushing his hair away from his face, you told him “yes I do know, but I can’t do much else when you’ve got me stuck like this.”

His lips pulled away from your breast with a pop and he slid down beneath you so that he was laying down once again, his aching length practically begging for attention. “Here, ride me then.”

Giving him a devilish smile, you leaned off to the side to slide your own sweats and underwear off before seating yourself mere inches above his warm pulsing cock, lining it up with your entrance and slowly sinking down on it. You nearly got goosebumps from the way he filled you, the stretch stinging in the most pleasurable way.

You let out a moan as you fell forward, your hands landing upon his firm chest, bracing you as you began slowly moving on his length. Jaehyun groaned as you rose up to the point where only the head of his member was inside of you before lowering yourself back down, sheathing his cock in your warmth.

His hands found their way to your hips and he helped to guide your movements as you began to speed up, enjoying the way his length seemed to hit all the right spots. You threw your head back as Jaehyun began meeting your movements, his hips thrusting up from below you, pushing himself even deeper into your core.

Even when it was reaching the edge of being too much, causing you to stop your motions, he continued rocking his hips into you and went even harder when he noticed your still frame above him with your eyes shut in pleasure. “Babygirl enjoying my cock that much?”

“Shut up and just fuck me, Jaehyun.” Had your eyes been open, you would’ve seen the shit-eating grin that appeared on his face before he caged you in his arms and flipped the two of you over, his length never once leaving your warm walls.

You gasped as your back fell onto the bed, your legs unintentionally wrapping around his waist, bringing him even closer to you and burying his cock even deeper inside of you. Jaehyun braced himself on his forearms as he began thrusting into you, his face nuzzled into the crook of your neck, his breath tickling your shoulder with every exhale.

The new position allowed him to adjust the speed to his liking, which was considerably faster than before, leaving you a moaning mess with one hand gripping onto his bicep and the other on his abs. The room was filled with the sounds of skin against skin and his lips on yours, the latter effectively muting the noises that either of you made.

When Jaehyun thrusted particularly hard, you accidentally bit into his plump bottom lip, causing him to let out a grunt before he pulled away and slowed down his movements. “You good?”

“Yeah, sorry, didn’t mean to bite you.” You apologized, your eyes falling from his face down to where his member was still dipping inside of you.

“Guess we’re even then.” He remarked playfully as he grabbed your calves from around his waist and brought them to rest upon his shoulder.

You breathed out a single “fuck” from the way the new angle allowed him to hit different spots in you. You were just about nearing your orgasm and could tell Jaehyun was too from the way you could feel his length twitching within your walls when your phone suddenly rang.

Jaehyun paused as you reached over to grab your phone from the nightstand, only gently pushing into you as you read the caller ID. “Who is it?” He asked, a slight smile appearing on his face.

“My, -uh, roommate,” you tell him, instead of reading Yuta’s name that was currently lighting up the screen, still fighting to keep your volume down as he continues rolling his hips into you.

“Answer it.”

“What? No way.”

“Go ahead, answer it.”

You shoot him a look and he pulls out nearly all the way with an eyebrow raised at you, threatening to answer the call. Huffing out of indignance, you accept the call and raise the phone to your ear after making sure the volume was as low as possible.

“He-hello?”

You hear Yuta’s voice over the line as Jaehyun starts to slowly rut into you once more. “Where are you?”

“I’m with my manager right now-” you nearly moan from Jaehyun purposely thrusting long and hard into you, but cover it by clearing your throat, “talking about the schedule for tomorrow.” Your voice raised at the end as Jaehyun delivered another powerful stroke.

“Are you okay?” Yuta questioned upon hearing your intonation.

“Yeah, um, I’m just not feeling all that good from the uh, fuck-” you glared at Jaehyun and placed a hand on his pelvis to soften his movements, “the traveling and activity.”

Yuta hummed in understanding and you felt bad for lying to him like this. “We can figure out another time to meet up and plan our date. You should go to sleep and get some rest, I don’t want you getting any worse.”

“Okay, I will. Thank you-” you pull the phone away from you as Jaehyun starts to speed up again and you cover your mouth with your free hand, letting out a muffled groan.

You brought the phone back to your ear to hear the tail end of Yuta’s “I love you” before telling him the same and quickly hanging up.

“You tell your groupmates ‘I love you?’” Jaehyun asked, not even bothering to slow down.

“Yes, and you don’t?” He rolled his eyes at you, only leaning down further, making his cock brush against your most sensitive areas. “Fuck, right there!”

Your walls flutter around his length as he begins mercilessly pounding into you, seeking his own release while you bring a hand down to rub at your clit, sending yourself into an orgasm. The spasming and clenching of your walls around his cock eventually pushes Jaehyun to his end as well though he quickly pulls out and cums onto your stomach instead, the warm strings of white coating your skin.

He lets out a string of groans and curses as he continues jerking himself until the last drops of cum are dripping from the tip of his length. He reaches over to the nightstand, grabbing a tissue and hastily cleaning off both of you before he collapses into the bed next to you.

“I’m gonna go wash up in the bathroom.” You inform him, sliding out of bed as he pulls the covers over his large frame.

“Mmm, alright, don’t take too long.” You could tell he was already getting drowsy from the way he drew out his words.

You picked up your clothes from the floor and took a quick shower in the bathroom but by the time you came back out, you knew Jaehyun was knocked out from the way you could hear his faint snores. Checking your phone on the nightstand, you saw two messages from Yuta and you knew you couldn’t keep this going any longer.

Yuta > y/n

11:43pm: text me how you’re feeling when you wake up

11:43pm: I can go run and get stuff for you at a convenience store before rehearsals

As much as you enjoyed the mindblowing sex that Jaehyun gave you, you knew that your heart laid with Yuta. You picked up the pen and notepad resting on the desk in the corner of the room, writing Jaehyun a note before quietly leaving the room.

Jaehyun, Thanks for everything but I can’t continue our relationship like this. I feel that we are best off as friends and I hope you can understand and respect my wishes. I’m sorry. -y/n

You made sure to text Yuta that you were feeling fine, still just a little bit tired but you weren’t sick, much to his relief. During stage rehearsals later that day, your group just so happened to pass by him and his members as they waited for their turn.

Yuta’s hand brushed against yours and you quickly apologized, matching the smile on his face as the two of you finally saw each other in person for the first time in months. You continued past the other members in an elated state, not even realizing the way Jaehyun had been staring at you.

“Did you see how Jaehyun was staring at you?” Ivet questioned, excitement written all over her face. “What if he has a crush on you, oh my gosh-”

“Yeah, did you guys ever talk to each other again after the show?” Liv added.

You shook your head, making a face of disgust. “Him? He’s not my type. We talked and I got his number but nothing happened.”

“You got his-” You covered Ivet’s mouth with your hand, noticing the way people around you were starting to look at you and your group as you all headed back to the waiting rooms.

You were glad that your members quickly dropped the topic once back in the waiting room, opting to play games on their phone or someone’s Switch instead while biding time as your managers came to pick you guys up. You decided to leave Yuta a message to make yourself feel better though you made sure that you were texting the right person this time.

y/n > Yuta

3:27pm: what’s your room number? Sorry I forgot to ask last night

3:27pm: I’ll be over once you guys are done

You didn’t expect him to respond for a while, especially since he just went on and you knew he had to stay later that day to record interviews and other content in Japanese. Time couldn’t go by any slower as you laid in bed and switched through apps, waiting for Yuta to be done with rehearsals. Your excitement couldn’t be hidden when you finally received his message later in the evening.

Yuta > y/n

8:32pm: just got back. 417 i left the door slightly open

y/n > Yuta

8:33pm: coming

8:33pm: that’s dangerous you know. Someone can just walk in

Yuta > y/n

8:34pm: then you better hurry ;)

It felt as if you were a little kid again, the way you could barely control your pace as you walked throughout the hotel, your body itching to sprint through the halls to get to your boyfriend sooner. When you quietly entered his room, you saw him standing by his bed with his back towards the wall, probably organizing his backpack out of boredom.

Rushing up behind him once you were close enough, you wrapped your arms around his waist and began tickling him, causing him to erupt in his infectious laughter as he squirmed around in your arms. He eventually freed himself, only to turn around and come right back into your arms. “My love, I’ve missed you so much. I can’t believe you’re actually in my arms right now.”

You allowed yourself to sink into his hold and inhale the scent of him that you missed having on all of the shirts you’ve stolen from him. “Can we just lie down together and go to sleep instead?”

“I wish, but you know we can’t,” he sighed, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t cuddle for now.” Yuta pushed you onto the bed, jumping on after you and rolling around with you in his arms. Once the two of you were comfortably tangled with the other, Yuta began pulling up places to go, showing you pictures and talking about things to do there.

“So at Harajuku there’s tons of clothing stores and really good food vendors too. There’s even some cat cafes we could go to and then-”

“Okay, I get it, we’re going to Harajuku, calm down.” You laughed, seeing how excited he became. True to your boyfriend’s nature, he quickly gave up trying to plan out a whole day of activities and choosing to simply make a list of places to go like Yoyogi Park, or the Yayoi Kusama Museum, and the previously agreed upon Harajuku.

After compiling the list, you were calculating how much time you had left before your roommate would question your whereabouts when Yuta suddenly turned to you. “So tomorrow, some of the members were thinking of going out to get lunch and I was thinking that maybe I could bring you along…” His voice trailed off as he looked at you for your opinion.

“You want to introduce me to your members?” Your eyes were wide at the thought of having to talk to Taeyong, who you absolutely looked up to or Johnny, who just scared you from his appearance alone. But most of all, Jaehyun.

Yuta nodded his head, his earrings making the faintest jingling sounds. “Not all of them will be there but I think we’ve been together long enough, right? It’s like meeting your in-laws kind of.” You weren’t too keen on the idea of seeing Jaehyun so soon, especially after what happened earlier today with him but you agreed anyway, not wanting to let Yuta down.

All throughout the morning, you were filled with anxiety as you thought about going to lunch with Yuta and his members but you followed through regardless because if Yuta was ready to make this next step in your relationship then you should take it with him. You met him in his room and went down to the parking garage with him, only reaching out for his hand once you were sure there was no one else around.

As you approached his members, Yuta called out to them. “Guys, this is y/n,” you suddenly felt nervous at the way all three men turned to look at you, “I’ve been dating her for about a year now and I felt that this would be the right time to finally introduce her.”

The end of Yuta’s sentence was cut off as Jaehyun suddenly began coughing and pulled out his phone, looking anywhere but at you though you didn’t have much time to dwell on it. “Hi y/n, I’m Taeyong, nice to meet you,“ you and Taeyong both laughed from his cheery attitude as you shook his hand, “I hope Yuta has been treating you well though I’m sure you wouldn’t have stayed with him for so long if he didn’t.”

“She actually idolizes you,” Yuta quickly interjected with a chuckle, “she probably wants to date you more than she wants to date me.”

You looked at him in disbelief though you were torn out of it by Haechan who commented, “we all do, she’s not special.”

“Hey, behave,” your boyfriend scolded, “that’s Haechan, the idiot,” Haechan was about to open his mouth to complain but was stopped by Yuta’s finger on his lips as he shushed him, “and over there is Jaehyun.” He looked up and gave a quick wave with an expressionless face before staring back at his phone.

Once you were all seated at the restaurant and waiting for the food, Taeyong began asking more about you and your relationship with Yuta who was currently sandwiched in between the two of you. “So how did the two of you actually meet?”

“She came up to me-”

“He told me that he-”

You both turned to each other with the same scowl adorning your faces. Placing a hand on his thigh you raised an eyebrow at him. He did the same to you before giving in. “Alright fine, I went up to her first because I thought she was cute,” Yuta explained, “remember that one episode on Music Bank or something when I said the girl in the green dress was cute? That was her.”

Taeyong and Haechan both seemed to have a moment of realization meanwhile Jaehyun was busy staring daggers into Yuta’s hand on your thigh. You could see him out of the corner of your eyes because he was seated right in front of you though you pretend as if you didn’t.

“What’s Yuta like as a boyfriend?” Haechan asked, a mischievous look on his face.

Yuta turned to you, his signature Chesire cat grin appearing. “I couldn’t ask for anyone better than him,” you state simply while maintaining eye contact with him, “he always does his best to take care of me even when you guys are really busy and he gives some of the best advice whenever I need help with something work-related. I genuinely feel that I want to be with him for as long as possible.”

“Yikes, get a room,” Haechan joked after seeing the way you smiled at his fellow member while talking about him.

“Jaehyun, are you okay?” Taeyong looked over at the said member with worry. You did as well and the look he gave you could only be described as one of pain. He nodded his head and flashed a quick smile at everyone else before his gaze lingered back on you and then back to his phone.

Only when Yuta was wrapped up in conversation with the other two did you nudge Jaehyun’s foot across from you. He did not react so you did it again and he looked up at you with the same emotionless stare. You didn’t even get the chance to do anything because at that moment, the food for your table arrived. Everyone lets out remarks at how good the food looks and you begin eating after warning your boyfriend not to inhale his food, much to Taeyong and Haechan’s amusement.

Later on, Taeyong brings up something about their performance, bringing Haechan and Jaehyun into the conversation but Yuta leans over and whispers, “I know about you and Jaehyun,” you momentarily freeze though you give him a look of confusion, “I’m not stupid, you know. I know you two were talking.”

You all but choked on the mouthful of noodles you were chewing but you brushed it off as Yuta telling you a funny joke. The others ask to hear it too and you were glad Yuta was a quick thinker and was able to make one up on the spot. You were surprised that Yuta claimed he knew about your relationship with Jaehyun but didn’t seem to be upset. It was honestly scaring you at this point.

Once the bill was paid and the group of you were in the car heading back to the hotel, Yuta starts up the conversation again as you were both in the back row of the van. “I wouldn’t have minded if you wanted to have fun with Jaehyun for a bit, you could have just told me.”

“Okay, how much do you actually know?”

“I know that you were in his room getting the sense fucked out of you when you should have been with me, if that’s what you’re asking about,” you felt yourself go into a state of panic though really, you were just confused about this whole thing, “you know, I wouldn’t mind including him in our relationship sexually. You just had to ask.”

Your eyes go wide at his words, unsure if this was all really happening or if it was just a dream. “Are you actually being serious right now?”

Yuta shrugged his shoulders and giggled, “I don’t know. Am I?”

[pipes-loves-writing]

second fic I’ve posted! I’m so sorry for being so inactive… with no new content I’m feeling very unmotivated. Thanks for everyone who stuck around and support me! I’m here if you ever need to talk. I love you all! :)

There is absolutely no problem with Seb and Carlos working together.

Nope.

No problem at all.

Oh, except for the fact that Seb has been in love with Carlos since before he even met him.

But that’s not important.

Not at all.

He didn’t mean to fall in love with Carlos, truly he didn’t. But, honestly, how couldn’t you?

Mr. Cilli clapped his hands together rhythmically. “Alright everyone, today we’ll be ending our civil war unit. We’re going to be doing a project, it being the end of the year and all. You will work with a partner to create a fake episode of a tv show based around the idea of the civil war. Any questions?”

`Natalie Bagley shot her hand into the air. “Will we get to pick our partners?”

“Unfortunately not. You’ll work with whoever is sitting next to you.”

Seb turned his head to the side and realized that no one was sitting next to him. How had he not noticed that earlier?

Carlos Rodriguez came running through the history door and dropped a few pieces of paper and pencils.

Every other group had started working on the project already. No one even noticed that Carlos was here.

Well, almost no one.

“Mr. Rodriguez, that’s the third time this week. Next time I have to write you a detention slip.”

“I’m sorry! It won’t happen again!”

Seb’s legs started moving before his mind did, and before he noticed, he had gotten up to help Carlos.

“Here. You dropped a few things.” Seb handed Carlos a pencil from the ground.

“Thank you,” Carlos paused for a second before saying, “Pencils, you know? They’re slippery.”

Seb smiled at Carlos. “Yeah, I guess.”

Carlos quickly nodded and went to sit down in the chair next to Seb’s.

Mr. Cilli scribbled something down in his notebook and said, “Carlos, I assume that means you and Seb are working together.”

Seb’s eyes widened. Carlos? Working with him? He had to stop himself from smiling too wide.

“I mean,” Carlos started, “is that okay? With you I mean?”

Seb allowed himself to smile. “Yeah that’d be great.”

Carlos took a notebook out of his backpack and set it in front of him. “I’m Carlos. By the way.”

Seb smiled a little wider. “Oh I know. I’m Seb!”

“You.. know?” Seb couldn’t entirely read Carlos’s expression.

Seb widened his eyes. “I meant,” he searched his mind for an excuse, “I know your name. Like the name Carlos. It’s a- it’s a pretty name.” Well played. That didn’t sound too creepy. Probably.

Carlos looked almost flattered? Seb still couldn’t entirely understand. He could definitely understand the blush running to his face right now though.

“Thank you.” Carlos hesitated for a moment. “You have a pretty name too.”

Seb finally broke free from eye contact. Wow. Carlos had really pretty eyes. They were almost… distracting?

“But also,” Seb started, “I’ve seen you on the color guard. You’re really good!”

Carlos didn’t answer for a moment. “You really think so?”

Seb was surprised that Carlos would doubt his talent even for a second. “I know so. My older sister was the captain of the color guard before you, and she’s very impressed with their new leader.”

Carlos furrowed his eyebrows. Then he lightly gasped. “Your sister is Georgie Matthew-Smith?”

Seb thought Carlos looked like a lost puppy when he looked confused. It was so cute, that he almost forgot to answer the question. “The one and only! I’m not as talented in the dance department though.”

Carlos laughed, “Maybe you’ve just never had the right teacher.”

Seb just hummed in response. “So what are we thinking for this tv episode project?”

“Hmm.” Carlos thought for a moment. Then he gasped, “We should do something similar to a Glee episode! Like maybe they have to do a week where they have to sing songs that talk about the civil war? Or something similar to that?” He looked over at Seb, who was looking at him in a way he couldn’t exactly place. Carlos blushed and looked away. “Sorry. I was just being a gleek. Please ignore the last 30 seconds of your life.”

“I love glee. It’s my favorite show.”

Carlos smiled wider.

“That’s a great idea, Carlos. Let’s do it.”

..

The next day, Seb walked into the classroom with a smile on his face. He had spent his entire class time with Carlos yesterday, and he couldn’t be happier about it. Sure, they were both a little awkward, but Seb found it almost endearing.

Carlos ran into the classroom again and put his papers on the desk next to Seb. The bell rang and Carlos texted something to someone. Seb got a glimpse of his wallpaper before he closed his phone.

“Hey. I like your wallpaper on your phone!”

Carlos looked at him. “You like Broadway?”

Seb scoffed, “Are you kidding? Who doesn’t?”

Carlos rolled his eyes. “You’d be surprised to know how many people did ‘Brigadoon’ and didn’t actually care for theatre.”

Seb pretended to look surprised, “You were in ‘Brigadoon’?” Of course he knew that Carlos was in this year’s spring show. He had been dying for a chance to have just one scene with him so they could talk.

“Yeah! I was ensemble.”

Seb smiled and said, “I was ensemble too! And I totally agree. If you don’t like theatre, why do the shows?”

Carlos smiled. “I didn’t even want to be in the show either. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love performing. But,” he trailed off for a second. “I actually wanted to be choreographer.” Carlos squeezed his eyes shut, fully prepared for Seb to start laughing.

“And they didn’t let you be one? That’s awful. You’re the best dancer in this school. In this city even! Anyone would be crazy not to make you a choreographer.”

Carlos looked at Seb for a second. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted.

“Okay everyone! You did some brainstorming yesterday. Today you’ll start the slideshow for the project. Then tomorrow we’ll present to the class.”

Carlos finally broke eye contact with Seb and looked down at his paper.

“So? What about you?” Carlos asked subtly.

Seb raised an eyebrow. “What about me?”

“Do you have a dream role?”

Seb hesitated. “Don’t laugh.”

“Seb. I’m not going to laugh at you.”

Seb looked up at Carlos. “Sharpay,” he says quietly.

“Sharpay? Like from High School Musical?”

Seb couldn’t look at Carlos. He was too scared to see his reaction. Would he change his mind and laugh at Seb?

“Wow. You’d be great as Sharpay!”

Seb listened for sarcasm, but he didn’t seem to hear any. He looked at Carlos.

Seb didn’t really know what to say, so he just blushed and hoped Carlos didn’t notice.

Carlos was too busy blushing to notice the other boy’s red face.

…

Today was the big presentation day. Seb was a little nervous, but he was a performer! He could do anything.

Mostly anything that is.

“Okay,” Mr. Cilli announced, “Today is presentation day! I’ll give you guys 10 minutes to review, and then we’ll start with Natalie and Kaden, Ashlyn and Steph, Seb and Carlos,” the teacher went on and on about the order of groups presenting, but Seb had been distracted. Carlos still wasn’t in class. He wouldn’t ditch on the day of presenting.

Right?

Seb took out his phone and texted Carlos.

‘Hey is everything okay?’ He sent the message and waited for a response. He checked his phone after two minutes. No response.

Seb shot up his hand and asked to go to the bathroom.

He ran out the door and speed-walked down the hall.

When he threw open the bathroom door, he saw Carlos pacing back and forth across the small space. He looked so panicked, it made Seb kind of want to cry.

Carlos heard Seb open the door and looked over at him. Seb’s eyes were filled with so much worry and another emotion Carlos couldn’t quite put his finger on.

Carlos stopped against the wall and slid down to sit. He could feel his breathing getting faster, and he tried to slow it down.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Seb said in a hushed voice. He walked over next to him. “What’s wrong ‘Los? Why are you pacing?”

Carlos threw his head back. He was so scared that he didn’t comment on the cute nickname. “I’m scared, Seb. The last thing I read in front of people was a report in February. And it was a group project with four people. I barely had to talk.”

Carlos’s hands were fidgeting so much that Seb reached over and grabbed both of them with his own.

Carlos was so nervous that he barely noticed.

Okay, that was a complete lie.

Seb’s hands holding Carlos’s and his pretty blue eyes made Carlos forget all his worries. Seb’s hands were warm and soft. You would think they’d be rough from all the farm work, but they weren’t for some reason. Carlos would have to ask him about them one day.

“That’s not true Carlos. You memorized all the songs in Brigadoon in under a week. You were the first one in the cast who was off book.” Seb thought for a moment. “Just imagine it being a performance. You’re really good at those.”

Carlos looks at Seb. But this time, he really looks at him.

Seb has a bit of acne. His eyes are a little darker blue than he’d noticed before. His hands are a little sweaty. And his hair is messed up a little.

And honestly?

Carlos thinks he’s so beautiful.

Before either of them notice, about 15 seconds has passed.

Carlos is about to say something, but Seb speaks up instead.

“We should probably get back to class. Our project isn’t going to present itself.”

When they get back in the classroom, they’ve been gone about 6 minutes. Mr. Cilli has always been lenient towards his students, so they only get a warning.

When it’s their turn to present, Carlos can’t stop looking at Seb. All he can think about is what he said earlier. And also, just him in general.

Seb isn’t looking at Carlos. He’s too worried that he’ll get lost in Carlos’s eyes, so he just avoids eye contact. Which pains him a little bit, but it’s alright.

In the end, their presentation gets a B.

They get points off for being distracted during the presentation.

And they’re both more than okay with that.

-pipes 🤍

[jisungsmochi]

valentine’s day with the dreamies ❤️

hella belated valentine’s day scenarios / dates with ot7 dream hehe <3 

mark lee:

took a while for him to decide on a plan for the day

didn’t want to disappoint you )):

settled with a nice trip to the beach, waiting to watch the sunset as you both had a nice dinner together

he wanted to take you away from the chaos of both your busy lives and just have time to relax with each other

he knows how tired you’ve been lately and just wants to give you some healing time

and he also wanted to profess his love for you on the beach

listening to the waves crash on the sand, the calling of seagulls, the laughter of other couples and families around you

as the sun started setting, you were leaning into mark’s side, his arm draped around your shoulders

he wrapped the both of you in a blanket as you reminisced about your relationship

“remember how you were scared shitless to ask me out? i thought you were going to faint”

“i was not scared! i just ate a bad sandwich that day” mark grumbled, hiding his face in your shoulder

you gently stroked his hair as you continued the trip down memory lane

the sky was now a mix of purple and pink hues

you immediately jumped up, pulling out your phone, to snap a picture of the gorgeous scenery

mark slowly met you, pulling your phone down, holding his hands in yours

he leant down to place a soft kiss on your lips, causing you to smile in between the pecks

“i love you” he mumbled, barely loud enough for you to hear

“i love you too”

he ended up pulling out his own fancy camera, taking quick snaps of you being silly infront of the sunset

he eventually asked a nice lady to take some photos for the both of you in which she couldn’t help but coo

“you two make a beautiful couple”

heat rose to both your cheeks, too flustered by the compliment of a stranger

you spent to the rest of night chatting, too caught up endless conversations

huang renjun:

“hey, if your cute ass isn’t here in 10 minutes i’m packing up all the paints and sulking in my room for the rest of the day”

renjun texted you the morning of valentine’s day

you were already on your way to surprise him with your own small gift, having him rush you was adding to your nerves

this would be be first official valentine’s day you’d be spending together so you wanted everything to be perfect

you enthusiastically knock on his door, in which he opened instantly

he pulled you inside, dragging you to the backyard where he set up a nice picnic blanket with paints and canvases on a small table

you couldn’t help but admire all the effort he put in

you gave him a quick hug, your hold lingering on him for longer than he thought

you handed him your gift bag, filled with snacks he loved and a panda plushie with a heart attached to it

he pouted at how adorable your gift was, pulling you down to sit with him

“thank you for the gifts, babe! i hope you also like out little painting date!”

he queued up a tutorial video as you both started recreating the beautiful landscape shown

although you weren’t the best artist he had ever met

renjun couldn’t stop giggling at how concentrated you were with every stroke

“something funny?”

“nah you’re just the cutest”

subtle compliments like that was his specialty

you continued to paint as you snacked on various fruits and biscuits as well as caught up on current events in your lives

it was now time for the big reveal of your artworks...

renjun obviously outshone you but he still insisted you hang both paintings in his room for the memories 

he’d take lots of polaroids to put into his photo album of your memories 

huang renjun didn’t see the big deal in grand gestures for valentine’s day, as he saw every day, as a day to treat you well

lee jeno:

this boy would wake you up at the crack of dawn, practically jumping on you to go biking with him

you had flashbacks to the previous night where you agreed to go with him but immediately regretted staying up to watch new episodes of your favourite drama

jeno dragged you around your shared apartment like a rag doll, helping you change and stay awake

you knew how excited he was to take you biking for the first time, you didn’t want to crush his spirit

so you started slapping your cheeks and jumping up and down to remain awake, which jeno found amusing

you followed closely behind him as he led you through the trail

his initial idea was to get to the top before sunrise so you both could watch it together

but once he reached half way, jeno had an inkling that you were way behind

he was right

he stopped completely to wait for you, more concerned about how you were holding up rather than getting to the top

you were huffing and puffing

“why’d you stop? we have to get to the top!”

“have a sip first, babe” he pats your back as he hands you his water bottle

you felt bad for holding him back, but his concerned expression eased your mind

“we don’t have to get to the top, the sun will rise either way! who says we can’t just watch it from here?” he smiles widely at you

what did you do to deserve him?

you both stood with each other, his arm draped around your waist

the sun slowly started rising, your tired eyes glimmering in admiration

jeno’s eyes were fixed on you tho,, so proud that you attempted to bike with him

he was usually the one who always wanted to do things you liked

but when you agreed to go on this date with him, it just about made him pass out

he felt on top of the world with you by his side

this was a date he will never forget

lee donghyuck:

“really? a couple’s cooking class?” your boyfriend whined (he really loved doing that)

“yes! renjun suggested it to me, it will be fun, i promise!” you plead

as much as he loved to bicker with you, he saw how excited you were to participate in this class for valentine’s day

“do you know what we’re cooking at least?”

“i think we’re baking a cake, actually”

shouldn’t be too bad...he thought to himself

but boy was he WRONG

you both came to realise that you were not the best cooking duo in your friend group

but it didn’t mean you were gonna give up, after all, having donghyuck as your boyfriend made you as competitive as him (if that’s even possible)

he read the instructions as you grabbed the ingredients and threw them in a bowl

he would hype you up from the side like

“that’s my baby, you beat those eggs!” “our cake is gonna look so freaking good”

you would get flustered, earning a smile from the chef teaching the class

once the decoration stage came along, donghyuck insisted he do it on his own

he refused to let you watch him as he did the finishing touches

the chef revealed each cake one by one, when he got to yours, he gave you both a soft smile

“you two make such a sweet couple”

you looked down at the cake, the words

“i love you always and forever” were written on the surface

you were about to burst into tears at how sweet your boyfriend was

when you got home, after taking hundreds of photos with the beautifully decorated cake

you both devoured it like animals while watching tv together 

a simple, yet memorable valentine’s day date — you couldn’t wait to tell your friends all about it

na jaemin:

as some of y’all know, jaemin used to be a short speed track racer

so naturally he was down for your idea of going ice skating for valentine’s day

you weren’t aware of how skilled he was at skating — as you yourself were merely a beginner

so when you saw how knowledgeable jaemin was when you entered the ice skating rink, you started feeling nervous 

jaemin helped strap your skates on, carefully guiding you to the rink

you were still under the impression he was just as bad as you, but once you both stepped on the ice, he was immediately stable

god, he could even skate backwards 

this must be so embarrassing for him to see 

you started pouting,

“what’s wrong, baby?”

“i didn’t know you could skate so well! i’m so embarrassed, i can barely skate two metres!”

“i can teach you, don’t worry so much” he smiled softly at you, hands gripping yourself tightly

you couldn’t stay mad at him, immediately following his instructions

thirty minutes later, one really bruised butt cheek and some elbow bruises from falling down so much, you started getting the hang of it

jaemin let go of your hands and let you skate towards him, once you reached him, he wrapped you in his arms tightly, still gliding on the ice

your faces were so close, you could feel his breath fan your cheeks

you gave him a quick peck, mumbling a quiet ‘i love you’

jaemin couldn’t contain how adorable you were, giving you another quick kiss before telling you he loved you more than life itself

you both skated for a while, listening to throwback love songs playing over the speakers

he rarely let go of your hand, even when you insisted you were getting the hang of skating alone 

he treated you to some french fries and ice cream after you finished skating 

you laughed and chatted the day away, without a care in the world 

being inlove with jaemin was something you would never trade for anything else in the world

zhong chenle:

a homemade dinner was always something you raved about to chenle

so once valentine’s day approached,, he made sure to give you the best dinner you could have ever imagined

he was on a call with his mum, following her instructions for the most perfect creamy pasta

you on the other hand, decided to make chocolate covered strawberries to have after dinner

you asked jaemin for help but then he just screamed he hates strawberries and left

you were placing the finishing touches on the desserts when your phone dings that chenle was ready for you to come over

you dropped everything, rushing to find the outfit you had picked earlier that day

you carefully wrapped the box of strawberries before making your way to his place

he practically swung the door open for you, pulling you to the dining table

he was hella dramatic and had those fancy covers for the food,, so he could surprise you

you just chuckled at his antics, placing a soft kiss to his cheek which made him heat up

he slowly revealed the meal he worked hard on the entire afternoon

your eyes glimmered at the sight, your mouth beginning to water

“how’d you know i love creamy pasta?”

“i listen to you when you talk, ya know”

you both enjoyed a pleasant dinner, chatting all about recent events in your life

the meal was delicious,, but it was now time for dessert

chenle practically ripped open the box, devouring one strawberry before you could even show off your creations

“you animal” you softly shove him, taking one for yourself

the rest of the night was filled with commentating cheesy romance movies and snacking on the desserts

once you finished eating, chenle handed you a small box

you opened it slowly, your jaw dropping at the gorgeous ring he had bought for you

he bought you both promise rings oop 

you squealed before tackling him in a warm embrace

nothing felt better than being wrapped in his arms

park jisung:

sungie: meet me on the rooftop at 8:30

you: uhhh you’re not gonna fight me, are you?

sungie: shut up and get ready

you giggled at his response, giddy about seeing your boyfriend on valentine’s day

you weren’t sure what he had planned, but you were sure he put a lot of thought into it

even tho jisung doesn’t voice his thoughts, something is always going on with that boy

you made your way to the said rooftop he referred to, cautiously walking over to him

he set up two beach chairs with a small table filled with both of your favourite snacks

you also noticed two telescopes placed in front of the chairs, smiling widely to yourself

“is this what i think it is?”

“yes! we’re stargazing tonight! i know how much you’ve been wanting to do so”

you sat down next to him, taking your own telescope in your hands

you couldn’t believe he organised this date, from the fairy lights around the railing of the rooftop to the soft r&b playlist playing in the background

it was perfect

jisung couldn’t take his eyes off you, too eager to determine if you truly liked the idea

when your eyes met, you couldn’t help but lean closer to him

jisung didn’t pull away, smirking to himself before suddenly pecking your lips

jisung also wasn’t usually the one to initiate affection, so this was just another surprise you could never get over

you both giggled, pointing out the different constellations you could make out

you chatted about random things, from video games to school, to when jaemin yelled at chenle’s s/o for making chocolate covered strawberries

everything felt at ease when you were with jisung

he knew you didn’t want such a big fuss for valentine’s day, but you could have never suspected he’d do this all for you

“thankyou for all of this”

“anything for my baby”

and in that moment, you knew, you were falling inlove with park jisung.

[moviemunchies]

I would have put this up earlier last weekend, but I thought that I had already written a review of this movie somewhere and posted it, either on the blog or on the old Facebook page, and that all I’d have to do is go reblog it or copy and paste it or something. Nope! It’s not there. Or if it is, I can’t find it.

So here we go.

The Greatest Showman is a musical about the life and career of P.T. Barnum starring Hugh Jackman. Even from his humble beginning as the son of a lowly tailor, young Phineas has always been dreaming big. As an adult, after losing another  job he decides to open a museum of oddities and weird things. But that doesn’t prove to be successful, and before long he decides to request “unique individuals” to feature in his show, which soon becomes a circus. And though he provides a place where these people are accepted, soon the need for fame and the approval of the elites consume Barnum, and he has to decide what it is he really wants.

To start with: yes, it’s very weird that the story of the guy who basically invented the modern circus and basically set up a “freak show” is made  into a feel good musical. Let’s not be silly, P.T. Barnum was exploiting the idea of the Other. He wasn’t that great a guy in that way. Mind you, he was also a campaigner for an end to slavery and universal suffrage, and a lot of the people featured in his shows (who do appear as characters in the movie) actually become celebrities. When “Tom Thumb” got hitched, this was headline news.

[Random nitpick: the movie’s not clear when this is going on? I was under the impression that this was in the last half of the 19th century, if not later, but I looked it up and this is all before the Civil War? You wouldn’t think that slavery is still a Thing in the US at this point from watching the movie, though it DOES take place in New York, where it wouldn’t have been legal at this point (I think).]

So yes, I know I’ve probably rammed into your head that expecting historical accuracy in popular film is silly, but this does seem more than a little off. By today’s standards you’d expect Barnum to be a villain, or at least some kind of antihero, rather than the star of a musical about the importance of being yourself. He actually WAS the villain of an episode of DC’S Legends of  Tomorrow if I remember correctly.

The CGI is also… not fantastic. Most of the animals you see on screen are very obviously CGI, and I get with the reputation around circus animals that you have today why they’d do that. But really? The horses? Almost all of them? And there’s a CGI shot of Barnum getting onto a train towards the end of the movie that looks pretty bad.

And I’m going to be real with you: it’s not that deep of a story. It doesn’t challenge your expectations in really significant ways. And as a musical, the songs are often accused of being a bunch of generic feel-good anthems about self-confidence and love, and I can definitely see where that criticism is coming from.

But–

–okay, in the same year that the more subdued La La Land came out, there was THIS musical. This wasn’t a subtle, low-key thing. This was a musical that relished in the fact that it had singing in it. Like, okay, the songs are mostly generically uplifting ballads, but they’re also REALLY catchy, and so many of them come with spectacular dance numbers.  Look, the bartender in the scene with “The Other Side”? That’s good stuff!

And is it really that bad if the story is generically “Love and be true to yourself”? I mean yes, obviously if the music had been better, and the lyrics had been more memorable, that would have been better. But what we have from this movie isn’t bad. 

No, this movie isn’t going to blow your mind. But if you like big, loud musicals, and ones that are unapologetically about having fun, then you’ll probably have some fun with this movie. I don’t know how much will really stick with you, though, other than the really catchy songs.

[phanique]

Arsenal Military Academy 烈火军校 Review

So after watching Ancient Love Poetry, I wanted to check out more of Xu Kai's work and I came across this drama and as before, I started this drama without looking into anything other than the fact that Xu Kai is in the cast.

I'm not a professional critic, just a casual drama watcher.

I subscribed to iQiYi so I was able to watch it without ads and stuff but I am not sure of the English translation as iQiYi only allows you to show one language subtitle at a time.

Onto the review.

Plot

I would say that the plot is using a classic concept but turning it into its own plot. So Xie Xiang decided to crossdress and become her brother Xie Liang Chen and join the Arsenal Military Academy. She joins the 7th batch of students and become roommates with playboy Gu Yan Zhen, friends with Huang Song, Shen Jun Shan, Zhu Yan Lin and Ji Jin. She endures the challenges of a military school while trying to survive as the Japanese want to take over the territory.

Okay, so the actual plot is more complicated than this but I think it is also because there is a lot of back story of other characters. You could even say that the actual couple do not have so much screen on time which I do feel that they need. (But given that they deleted the kiss scenes for whatever reason, I do think more of them might have been edited out. If you don't know what I am talking about, go search it on YouTube.)

I would say the biggest plot gap for the drama is how Xie Xiang manage to even become her brother. So her brother actually died in a car crash which is not like s super secret thing but the academy did not know about it? I find it extremely weird that they do not know about it honestly. Secondly, how she managed to get past the body checks. I have no idea how she can just scrape pass the first one. Thirdly, does no one suspect her? To me the fact that she did not use the public bath is a big sign since I can tell you that most military guys are like free with their body in a sense and only a few people suspected her.

On the other hand, I also like that there is no big reveal of her identity that just lead her to dismiss and such, the plot took advantage of her reveal which I really think was good.

Also, it was only pretty late in the show where they actually 'finalised' the couple because I would say that any episode before 34, the couple was actually not even there I would say. Like yes Gu Yan Zhen liked her from the beginning but Xie Xiang actually only realised her feelings pretty late which I do think is another good point because most shows like this also show the female falling in love too fast almost. And Gu Yan Zhen has so much of the second male lead syndrome that he might actually be the second male lead.

Commenting on one part where Qu Man Ting receives an invitation for the auction for the golden seal, I do think that they should have portrayed Xie Liang Chen to be more confident as in the scene, Gu Yan Zhen, Huang Song and Shen Jun Shan were like smiling/smirking but he was the only one frowning which made the scene feel disconnected. If they portrayed him to be more confident in a sense I do believe that it would be more thrilling.

Acting

Bai Lu who plays Xie Xiang/Xie Liang Chen is a pretty famous actor. I actually have seen one of her dramas (Love Is Sweet) but I really could not tell that it was her. It might also be because of the fact that I actually am like okay with the drama that I watch that is why I did not have an impression of her. Anyway, she does act like a male pretty well, I would say that she looks most like a male with her hair down but since they had to gel up their hair, she actually looks more feminine. Her voice got dubbed and I can honestly see why because her voice naturally is quite feminine so it is pretty obvious that Xie Xiang is a female if they did not dub her.

Xu Kai plays Gu Yan Zhen in the drama. Firstly, he looks SO GOOD dressed in Min Guo period setting (like Hu Yi Tian so maybe Min Guo period dramas are my weakness). His acting here is also pretty good but also definitely different from the dramas that I have seen him in. He is a playboy here but is actually quite a soft person on the inside and the acting does him justice.

Gao Yu Er who portrays Xian Rong in the drama is also such a good actor. I think it is easier to act as a good person than an evil person but she does it with no guilt in a sense(?) Like most dramas would show that the evil would die regretting what they have done/have some guilt at the end but for this drama no. Like I would say Xian Rong as also given up on Shen Jun Shan at the end where she was willing to kill him too and I really appreciate that. She is like the perfect evil. (This is unrelated to AMS but I just finished There Was Once A Lingjian Mountain and she portrayed the Lady Boss and I really like her acting even more so I do hope to watch more of her dramas in the future.)

I do not really want to talk about the other characters since I do not really have the time but here are some notes on them.

The voice of Qu Man Ting is actually the actress herself.

I really like the way of Shen Ting Bai loves Qu Man Ting, you can see that he is more mature(?) in a way and it really is like the perfect example of selfless love/unreciprocated love/liking your childhood friend.

The scene where Gu Yan Zhen and Shen Jun Shan is competing to drink, they did actually drink real beer since they did not know (but they spat it out immediately so the scene in the drama might have used fake ones).

Spoiler here. I am glad that Huang Song died without knowing that Xie Liang Chen is Xie Xiang because Huang Song would be a character to me that should be kept pure almost.

There is only technically 8 people who knew that Liang Chen was a female before the great reveal but I do suspect that 1 more person knew but did not say it out. They are Tan Xiao Jun, Gu Yan Zhen, Shen Jun Shan, Shen Jun Shan's helper/friend, Guo Shu Ting, Xian Rong, Xian Rong's bodyguard, Li Wen Zhong. I do think Yu Jie actually knows but did not say anything. I also think Qu Man Ting was sort of suspicious but was not a firm I believe that he is a she kind of thing.

Setting/Clothes

I think the budget that went into filming in adequate as the clothes, scenes, gunfire and stuff are well portrayed.

OST

Not bad, the opening song and the song sang by Bai Lu and Xu Kai was the most memorable.

Overall, I would give it a 8.5/10. I can see why some people would avoid it but I do think that they should give it a try. Also it made me notice two more actors Meng En (Zhu Yan Lin) and Ji Jin (Wang Yi Zhe) which I am glad to know more about.

[kpopmakesmequestionmylifechoices]

Kingdom Round 3, pt. 2: How to discourage idols and kill versatility in K-pop - a guide by "experts".

As in my last post I'll talk about my thoughts on the performances, but mostly I'll question the freaking ranking because wth those experts should really reveal themselves at this point (I'm salty). Anyways, let's get into it.

1. A small "disappointment" and two big surprises.

ATEEZ: Oh guys the beginning made me emotional because it reminded me hardcore of Block B Very Good hahaha. Generally I must say, ATEEZ rearrangements are always good. It just sounded very ATEEZ-ish, and that's cool. I personally prefer the original Rhythm Ta over the rearrangement tho. About the performance, I don't have any criticism I think. I personally found that rope scene a bit strange tho, and overall I just wasn't impressed by that stage. Possibly because nothing can top the Symphony Nr.9 for me hahaha.

BTOB: First of all, SKZ X BTOB interactions are peak comedy I loved this so much. Minhyuk fangirling on SKZ back door stage is me tho. And "Kingdom is 15+ right?" Oh man I love those dudes.

About the concept, totally loved it because it was super fun to watch. I was worried beforehand because I couldn't imagine anyone pulling off SKZ' powerful rap. They didn't tho. They did it their own way and I was surprised. The meaning change to a more uh...mature sorta concept was also quite interesting. The moment Eunkwang knocked and opened the door: chefkiss. Those lyrics? Rude but chefkiss. I in general really liked the rearrangement, but in the end it lost its power a bit. Maybe also because I have the original Back Door burned into my brain and the ending just rocks af. But honestly, my brain also was fried by THIS:

[*my edit/gif - I made a full gifset in that style now]

Stray Kids: I must say, I was a bit scared before because anyone having to do a BTOB cover must have absolutely stable vocals. This was the stage I was most concerned about when I heard about the song choices. Without a reason. Because SKZ absolutely killed it. Sure, I.N didn't hit that note as it was planned but let me tell you, it didn't affect my enjoyment of this stage at all. The stage setting? Fantastic. Changbin's rap sounded as if he's in utter pain and despair, Felix added to that with his hyper low tone part which was ABSOLUTELY cool. This was just great, full of feels, and I have NO criticism, bye.

Recap: When thinking about the past 6 performances, I feel that ATEEZ and iKON did the best job with making the others' song their own. In my eyes, SF9 and TBZ both stayed in their comfort zone with their song choices, while BTOB and SKZ took on the extreme challenge to pick songs that are basically the opposite of what they usually do. As I Iove versatility and surprises, SKZ and BTOB have a special place in my heart with those two stages.

Hence, my personal ranking looks as follows:

1. BTOB & SKZ (tied): For me those were the biggest surprises and caused the biggest enjoyment and entertainment for me. If I HAD TO choose a first place, I'd pick BTOB - because Back Door is one of my FAVOURITE songs of all time, and solely evaluating the songs, I heavily prefer Back Door over I'll be your man. Anyways, with that ranking, SKZ jumped from my personal lowest rank in the first round to my personal highest rank.

2. SF9: After seeing SF9's stage last week, I was sure that I'll have them as #1 in today's post. I loved everything about the performance (besides the weird gun dance sry), and I especially loved how they stepped up their game without making the perfomance too huge and too overwhelming. Nevertheless, due to the fact they stayed pretty close to their usual style, I'll rank them 2nd because I was more impressed by the others' style change.

3. iKON / ATEEZ: The performances were good, but to me personally they were absolutely not memorable. It's a matter of taste after all.

4. TBZ: I know, I again rank them last. And again, no I don't hate them. I simply neither am touched by their stages, nor do I understand their plots. So I once again rank them last. I don't find their performances bad tho, because as all groups, they're doing an amazing job. The stages are simply not my cup of tea.

2. Oh you prove that you're a versatile artist? That must be punished!

↑ That's how I imagine the experts' thoughts. Expert ranking was as follows: ATEEZ / TBZ / iKON / SF9 / BTOB / SKZ.

Okay I must say. Which freaking expert would place SKZ last??? I'm not biased in the slightest, if I'm biased then for SF9 and BTOB, but bruh. SKZ last? That's like, ridiculous. Considering the immense challenge SKZ had from switching from their usual style to freaking I'll be your man?

I don't know man, I can't take this ranking seriously. I really wish we'd know what the criteria is...It's a mystery to me how this could happen. Those boys get punished for stepping out of their comfort zone and doing an amazing job? Literally same story with BTOB. Both groups completely stepped outta their comfort zone and that's what they got for it...Well done, experts, well done. This is how you destroy versatility in K-pop, but sure, go on.

Honestly at this point I hope stays and melodies work together to catapult both groups up in the ranking because this is just utter nonsense...

3. Ya all groups, why don't you support your exchange partners :')))))))

↑ This is me hysterically laughing and crying at the same time at the fact that they don't vote for each other. Groups' ranking was as follows: ATEEZ / SF9 / BTOB / iKON / SKZ / TBZ.

Honestly my only explanation for this result is that the groups don't vote for those people they see as their biggest opponents? It's weird man. I personally for example don't understand why the groups which exchange songs don't vote for each other? None of the performances was bad, and I think it's low-key a matter of respect to give the group you exchanged songs with one of your votes? Because after all they tried their best to present your song in a presentable way even tho it's not their own? Idk man. I don't like this weird feeling of "hostility". But might only be my own feeling idk hahahahaha.

Honestly I wish we'd get to see the groups' evaluation and reasoning behind their choices...

That was it from my side this week...As always, thanks for reading! As for next episode, I'm super excited to see proper interactions and them finally having fun...ouf and after all those years Minhyuk going back to vault jumping I'm hyped hahahah. And now I'll go rewatch SKZ and BTOB lol.