#i finished howl's moving castle yesterday

[starrstained]

i'm here & queer today !! i'll be working on drafts after i finish some stuff for work

[sensitiveheartless]

I see your shot knocked you out 😆 I hope you’re doing okay! Just wanted to check in to see if the HMC update might still come this weekend, or the next. No problem either way, I just wanted to spare myself the trouble of refreshing your page every half hour 😂 Have a nice day!

Ahaha yeah it kinda did 😅 I’m okay, though! My brain is currently functional again so I’m working on the update, and I’m estimating (and I’ll update here if this changes lol) that I’ll be able to finish it around 8:30 PM GMT today. But yeah! Hope you have a nice day too!

[raccoonodysseus]

halloween was yesterday! which is also harry dresden's birthday, i wasnt able to finish the drawings i was doing for it on the day, so here's one of them i just finished!

Howl's Moving castle costumes for these brothers!

Thomas dressed as Howl, and Harry as Calcifer.

[hed-romancer]

the owl house is about being in fandom

i watched all of the owl house recently with a friend who isn't/has never been really in fandom and hasn't read fanfiction. and their reactions really made me realize, the owl house as a show is about being in fandom. it's about a fangirl and made for people in fandom and can't be fully understood if you aren't involved in fan culture.

from the start, our main-pov character luz is so obviously a fangirl. she loves azura, gets extremely into making her book report on it accurate, and refers to the boiling isles as being "not a g-rated fantasy world". she keeps referring to things as though they were from a story, which would come across as breaking the fourth wall if it weren't how any fan would be speaking in her shoes.

but then, not only does luz refer to the boiling isles like how she'd refer to fictional story, but the owl house itself clearly references other fictional fantasy worlds. Hexside references Hogwarts and winning a grudgy match is done by catching a "rusty smidge" (clearly parodying a golden snitch). Hooty's Moving Hassle is a direct play off of Howl's Moving Castle.

The show also deconstructs tropes in these other fantastical fictional worlds. In season 1 episode 2, Luz falls for a chosen one scam, and learns that destiny isn't something that can just be given, it has to be chosen. In the finale, Luz ends up dead/in-between worlds and is asked by the Titan whether she chooses herself to be the one to defeat Philip. This is the moral of the show- that no one is destined to do anything, that you just have to choose to do the right thing when you have the option to.

TOH also gets into some of the more social aspects of being a teenage fangirl. In episode one, Katya is imprisoned because she writes fanfiction about food falling in love, and that's not accepted by the rigid emperor, so she's sent to the conformatorium (and isn't that how it is- you write something fun that you enjoy and doesn't hurt anyone, and people call you weird and expect you to conform to what they think you should be?). Luz herself is also expected to conform when she's sent away to Reality Check Summer Camp.

Contrasting to that, at one point in season 2's Yesterday's Lie, Luz becomes worried as Vee goes up to other teenagers, afraid that she's going to get mocked for being strange, only to find out that Vee is friends with these kids and these kids are strange themselves. On one hand, Luz ditching summer camp and going to the boiling isles is how she finds friends; on the other, vee going to camp and interacting with other people who were also sent to camp is how she finds friends. (it reminds me of how in high school, i befriended all the other weirdos even when we were weird about completely different things, but when i went to college i found people who were more specifically like me, and both are amazing!)

to conclude, luz is a very amazing example of fangirl joy. she starts out the show as a fangirl, and ends the show as a fangirl with friends, and more family than she had before. she starts out falling for being called a chosen one, and ends up choosing herself. she starts preforming a monologue as the good witch azura, warrior of peace, and finishes with proclaiming herself the good witch luz, warrior of peace, and customizing the dialogue to fit her. still a fangirl through and through.

[literateowl]

Get to Know Me Better Tag Game

Thank you for the tags @lemonlyman-dotcom @bonheur-cafe @goldenskykaysani @nancys-braids 💖💖

Favorite color — Lavender or any shade of light purple

Last song — Simple season by Hippo Campus (it's paused in the middle actually from when I was in my car last)

Currently reading — I just finished a quick reread of Howl's Moving Castle yesterday. Next up is either The Enchanted Hacienda or The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches or You Can't Spell Treason Without Tea

Currently watching — last weekend my sister and I just finished Jane the Virgin (rewatch for me and a first for her) and other than a few random Olympic events I'm not watching much right now

currently craving — Thai food(I think I'm always craving Thai food) and I was out of Lavender Earl Grey tea this morning

coffee or tea - tea always and a coffee occasionally

hobby to try — I kinda want to learn to knit or sew more than mending a lost button back on

current au — I still have that historical au that I'm slowly working on. I'm not reading any AUs right now though I do like them

Spicy/sweet/savory - Savory with a little bit spicy?

Current obsession — for media it's Lone Star. For life in general it's my plants! I grew cucumbers and made a jar of fridge pickles yesterday

Relationship status - Single and very content with that.

An open tag 💖 since I don't know who did this yet

[lamphoera]

i read howl's moving castle yesterday and i was like oh i understand everything now. yeah i would also fuck off to become a wizard if i was a grad student and also welsh. anyway i decided to rewatch the movie immediately after i finished the book because i hadnt watched it in a long time and the whiplash i experienced going from book howl straight into movie howl's introduction is so indescribably funny i really recommend you all just try it for yourselves

[bluejellyfishxx]

yesterday i finished the fisrt the witcher book and...

IT. WAS. SO. GOOD.

it's my second favorite book now, right after the howl's moving castle

if be more serious, i love the format of short stories and yennefer. i just really love yennefer in the game... and in the books now too

[the-algebra-thing]

I finished rereading howl's moving castle before the left hand of darkness, like I read the second half of it on monday or something. and then all tuesday I kept thinking omg I gotta keep reading howl's moving castle! and then I would remember it was over and I left it at home and be like damn. what do I do now. but I finished the left hand of darkness yesterday, like the last two thirds of it, and having woken up the next day I do actually feel like I don't even know what to do with my entire life. it was like a hard reset. factory reset I'm starting all over now

[nerdalmighty]

People I'd Like to Know Better!

Thanks for the tags @okthisway and @khywren!

Last Song: I think it was "MacArthur Park" by Richard Harris - it's been stuck in my head ever since I saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice two weeks ago!!

Favorite Color: Pink! 🌸🌷🎀

Currently Watching: At this literal moment in time, a Game Grumps compilation on YouTube (I adore those guys), but as for shows, my roommate and I are in the process of finishing Never Stop Blowing Up from Dimension 20 on @dropoutdottv and the Time Quangle series they just released. And then yesterday I casually restarted Schitt's Creek while working because the Emmy's reminded me how silly it is - I LOVE Catherine O'Hara.

Last Movie: I think it was Blink Twice? The new Channing Tatum movie? It was.........fine. A friend dragged me to it because she recently got broken up with and I felt like I couldn't say no 😅 Ah well! It was nice to spend time with her and get out of the house. But maybe the last movie I watched was Howl's Moving Castle? I can't remember which one I watched the more recently. Howl is a comfort movie for me and I needed a pick me up :)

Sweet/Spicy/Savory?: Sweet!! I LOOOOOOVE a dessert like nobody's biz. Ice cream is my fave. I will eat it at any time of the year.

Current Obsessions: Baldur's Gate 3 (DUH DOY, that one is NEVER leaving my brain, nor do I want it to), Dimension 20, and Game Grumps. Specifically, I've been rewatching the Game Grumps' playthrough of Danganronpa 2 with my sister and having a blast. Gundham Tanaka, the man that you are.......

Last Thing You Googled?: I wish I had a funnier answer, but myself, actually. NOT because I'm incredibly vain or anything, but because I was updating my IMDb page and googling my name brings it up fastest 😅 Watch Young Jedi Adventures on Disney+!

No pressure tagging: @taborrvaldorn, @arzen9, @the-pale-elfs-love, @ampersandnotdash, and @astarioffsimpmain!

[darktrainer]

Get to know game!

Tagged by @itsphillipbitch

Tag people you'd like to get to know better!

Last song: I've been listening to a lot of the Hadestown sound track since seeing it on Thursday...

Currently watching: at this moment, the Evil Dead remake

Last movie watched: Barbie, went to cinema yesterday :)

Currently reading: Just finished Howl's Moving Castle, and constantly reading the web serial The Wandering Inn. It's the best

Sweet, spicy, or savory: probably sweet? Especially if pastry is involved

Current obsession: Baldur's Gate 3 has me so hooked. Was on holiday for a week and thought about it very often. Also Hadestown cos that shoe rocked

Relationship status: Married 2 years now!

Last google search: Anaïs Mitchell - cos of the whole Hadestown thing

Currently procrastinating on: Unpacking. And responding to messages now I don't have being on holiday as an excuse

Tagging: anyone who wants to do it!

[redheadgleek]

April books

I read a lot of romance novels this month. I think I may need a break as none of them have really grabbed me. 

What I Read: 

Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones (audiobook). I had forgotten how hysterical Howl is as a character. A fun story, but. Even with me trying actively to be less judgemental about the ending... the ending still doesn't make sense and was the weakest part of the story. 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Book club book and friend recommendation. Overall enjoyed it, certainly more than @ckerouac did (you're more than welcome to go off if you like!). The dog and kid were too precocious to be believable. 

Bride by Ali Hazelwood. Who knew that you could write mainstream novels and still bring in your knotting kinks from your fanfic days? Again, I liked it more than @darriness did, but it was far from my favorite.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. I have this one and Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, both written about the women in the Appalacian mountains who delivered books in the 1940s, both published around the same time (apparently there's controversy). It felt very light on tone for the seriousness of the issues (such as racism, sexism, rape, alcohol use, murder). The friendships were the best part. 

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. I could have used a little less of the infantilizing of the main female character (she's a bodyguard - she can take you down) and I didn't really like the coded "change from a hardened city girl to a sweet country lass" but they were minor quibbles.

Funny Story by Emily Henry. So much better than Happy Place and full of her witty humor. I consumed it in a day. It unfortunately was released when I was in the middle of the Bodyguard so the two books are blended together in my head. 

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang. It was fine. I liked the first half better than the second, both of the protagonists definitely need a therapist and I'm really not sure I like this trend of trauma bonding romances. Also the unemotional Asian woman. And how everybody has panic attacks. And what is with men carrying women everywhere??

 Counting Descent by Clint Smith. I realized yesterday that I hadn't read any poetry to National Poetry month. Luckily my library had this one available. It's my 3rd book of his and his writing is so so good. The way he can turn a phrase so it buries into your soul. I put a hold on the audiobook.

What I'm Reading: 

Tom Lake by Ann Pratchet. Audiobook (read by Meryl Streep). 

Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne. A Pride and Prejudice retelling. I'm only a chapter into it and it may be going into the DNF pile (so! much! telling!) - but I'm trying to give it a chance. 

Teach the Torches to Burn by Caleb Roehrig. A Romeo and Juliet retelling. Also only a chapter in.

Still trying to finish A Short History of Nearly Everything...

What I'm Planning on Reading: 

I don't know. I feel like I haven't read anything that has been all captivating for a while and I miss that. So if you have any recommendations, let me know.

[crynwr-drwg]

finished reading Howl's moving castle for the first time yesterday, and can someone explain why they changed Howl in the movie to be some birdman or something instead of a Welsh lad. I'm rewatching to movie tonight btw 'cuz I can't remember the differences exactly, but I'm SURE I remember that being a thing

[lindensea]

Finished Wolf Star by Tanith Lee and it's so different from Wolf Tower but still a lot of fun, with a sort of 3rd act DWJ twist I'm coming to expect. I think I prefer the overall plot and themes of Wolf Tower but I like the writing/descriptions/characterizations better in Wolf Star. Also, Venn. :(((( Argul who?

Side note, I rewatched Howl's Moving Castle yesterday, and I could see Wolf Star being adapted by Miyazaki. The natural beauty of the jungle, automatons, strange hybrid creatures, a huge castle-like structure built into a cliff, complete with rooms that move around at will and steampunk elements, multiple flying scenes...I kinda think he'd eat it up.

[olivers-cocoapuffs]

Good morning

I read most of the second Howl's Moving Castle today, started it yesterday and finished it.

I loved it, to be honest.

I don't know if I can write or if I can do anything

Mid-term. Yay

You have three wishes.

What're you wishing for?

I remember discussing this with someone and afterwards just feeling sick because I am really that selfish.

Whatever

Sorry

Have a wonderful day, better than any of the previous days x

hello

i had a mental breakdown over my maths homework and my uncle had to write out the formula for me (and explained it better in five minutes than my teacher has the last four weeks)

i’m about to go to bed. Ash Wednesday tomorrow (the catholics got me)

Give me a magic understanding of all maths, or get rid of the need for it to be taught after grade nine

money

mental stability

love u

[miidnighters]

TAG PEOPLE YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW BETTER!

favorite color(s): I'm such a hoe for a pastel. soft yellow especially, but blue; pink, anything in that sort of range. Plus teal, which has been deemed as my colour by anybody buying me Christmas gifts.

favorite flavor(s): I love strawberry flavoured stuff- strawberry ice cream is one of my faves. Unless it's a drink, in which case chocolate is king.

favorite music: what a loaded question uh. I don't have a particular genre i listen to but I'll always either circle back to something i can move to or something i can sing in the car

favorite movie(s): i have answered this question so often lately it feels lmao but Howls Moving Castle, Tangled, Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away (I actually can;t overstate how much I love this movie. Isaw it in cinema in 3D and it just. Blew my mind).

favorite series: Leverage

last song: The Blue by ISHAN (an Aussie!)

last series: my husband just made me watch the office for the first time and, contriversial opinion on main, i don't like it

last movie: uh. actually it was Fast n Furious: Tokyo Drift and my husband sat there and quoted almost the entire thing word for word inc the background music

currently reading: Inheritance by Nora Roberts (which like. i am not loving for the most stupid reason but will finish)

currently watching: i don't watch a lot of ongoing series tbh. i am waiting for the new season of Bridgerton. We do make sure to catch Dash Cams Australia on YT every week tho (which, if you want prime examples of our accent and reckless disregard for swearing i cannot recommend it enough)

currently working on: client emails tbh and some website updates for a client who is "ready to go live in the next two months" vs our dev who was ready to go live like, yesterday lmao.

tagged by @fangmother <3

tagging: @draconisa | @starlyht | @fuckedcowboy | @hidefire | @soulmissed |

[saint--claire]

Tagged by @blackidyll - thank you! (◕‿◕✿)*:･ﾟ✧ I had fun with this, this was a good one.

10 Films I Love: (not in order, because jesus, I can’t pick that)

1. The Little Mermaid.  Little me was obsessed with it, adult me still loves it, and all versions of me can still sing it (badly). 

2. Top Gun Maverick - MY BELOVEDS.  Something that (for me) the sequel was even better than the original.  TGM was such a brilliant sandpit to fic writers that I got back from my 2.5yr year writing slump, and got to get back the joy of that as a hobby.  Watched the ending in awe, having completely lost track of time in the cinema and with no idea about whether they were going to kill of Tom Cruise in a blaze of glory.  (For the record I am glad they did not).

3. Now You See Me - the ending to this day delights me.  I caught the movie by accident right at the start cooking dinner at uni one night, with the movie on the communal TV. 

4. The Old Guard - undying found family.  Beautiful dynamics between everybody.  Sweet romance.  Insane anti-hero who you know is going to stir some shit up.  Very hot woman swinging deadly weapons around.  Also love that.

5. Howl’s Moving Castle - Restful.  Old Sophie has the attitude on life that I want.  This movie is calm-down-and-drop-off-to-sleep - everything’s safe watching.

6. Glass Onion - A Knives Out Movie.  Just delightful.  The main thing I enjoy about this movie (apart from all of it) is how very obviously each actor is having the time of their lives.  They all look like they are having fun.  I also suck at murder mysteries and the endings are complete surprises to me every time, which is great fun.

7. Fast & Furious - I saw the trailer for FX yesterday and I am WILDLY excited.  It looks absolutely batshit insane and I nearly cried when Paul Walker came on. Another movie where the actors are all having the time of their lives.  Fast cars go zoom, cool stunts, great actors, a movie that understands exactly how far outside the bounds of reality and physics it is and still doesn’t give a shit.  Inspirational.

8. Pirates of the Caribbean - Boats!  Swords!  More cool stunts and pretty people!  Everything about the series.  I was about to say my favourite was the third, but then I remember the fountain of youth and curse of the black pearl and couldn’t commit.  Still absolutely obsessed with the King of the Brethren Court, and her hat.

9. Skyfall - I’m with blackidyll here, this was the best.  We were given so much - Q, James & Q, everything that happened with Skyfall manor, and James and M.  I will say Eva Green as Vespa remains my second favourite Bond Girl, as the first, clearly, is Q.

10. The Martian - Maybe I was lying when I said I couldn’t pick a favourite movie.  I adore this movie.  I watched it for the first time with my Dad, not having read the book, and then twenty minutes after it finished I found and read the book and loved that even more.  The love, emotions, desperation, and humanity gets me every time.  “Houston, 6 crew safely aboard”.

I am going to tag @milestaller @luddycris @glitterisblue - if you have the time and spoons xx.  Anyone else following me - also feel free to complete!