#i think imma make another post to go more into depth with this concept

[purpleshadow-star]

Not only is Mike a bad boyfriend to El, but El is a bad girlfriend to Mike.

Update: Here's the full analysis on this.

[lemonadehtwooh]

Can you tell more about your Fate redesigns? Like your Penth, Hektor, Paris/Apollo, and Astolfo?

*FOAMING AT MOUTH* YES I CAN.

WARNING FOR A SUPER LONG READ

OKAY so first Imma talk about Paris/Apollo because Alexander-Paris is one of my most in-depth designs ATM and also explains some of Hektor's concepts!

Ignore that all I can in find my camera roll are SUPER old doodles of him lmao XD this ask really making me go through doodles from last year

So firstly is the color symbolism! I noticed in FGO that his design is very light-colored, and while that's interesting, I thought it would be more symbolic to have the main colors be dark as to point towards how he inherently can't escape his fate and actions as an adult, even in a child/teenage body, and also as a sort of symbol of how dark his future is. Adding on, Paris is VERY SPECIFICALLY summoned as having a child's body but the memories of his entire life, and I had the idea that the darker colors also show that he knows more than he lets on/he isn't innocent. The gold and such are to point towards him being a prince and technical demigod, and the blues are just in general for color diversity

With his horns and wings: Both Hektor and Paris in my AU are biologically Apollo's children (reference to some versions of the Troy Boys actually being his biological children instead of Priam's), so the horns and wings symbolize that (which Hektor doesn't have, more on that later). Apollo-Sheep's "humanoid" design concept actually has the wings and horns too (just bigger and more fancy lmao). Another Fun Fact: Both Hektor and Paris have some sun/fire related abilities in my AU, although it's slight

Next Paris and Hektor's eyes! Yep! I put thought into eye color! Paris' eyes are orange, while Hektor's are black. HOWEVER, when they use their NPs, Paris's eyes darken to black and Hektor's glow orange! Prominently, I honestly just thought Hektor having glowing eyes when using his NP would be Fun and Sexy XD However then i was like "...Okay but what if... Paris had opposite? What if... Symbolism?" And this idea is so cool to me because of how they can connect!!!! Hektor's glow because he's deemed to be Troy's hope, while Paris's darken because he's deemed as Troy's downfall!!! Sorry I just love how I can make the brothers contrast each other and how they can be interpreted AAAAA

I also made Paris's hair darker while Hektor's hair lighter so that they would look more similar to each other/look more like brothers, same with them both having wavy hair and the eyelash part on the bottom eye (it's kinda hard to see in the pictures RIP). I just wanted them to be a lil match-y. They also both have beauty marks that mirror each other! I imagine both of the Troy Boys to have thicker bodies

I gave Paris some armor parts as well as to look more similar to Hektor, while I also kept the cute dress parts because the cute stuff just seem to be more of his own style and I think That's Neat. The symbol on his skirt piece is Romeo's command spell symbol, matching with a headcanon I had posted some time ago about the command spells appearing somewhere in a Servant's design

Paris also has these sorta long-sleeve glove things due to me originally adding it to my Jekyll/Hyde redesign (which I need to remake) and Paris, in my AU, is one of Hyde's best friends, so I thought it would be cute for them to have a lil match-y thing XD

With the black wool, I thought it would be interesting to show physically of Paris being more of the "black sheep" of his family, especially considering he wasn't raised as a prince, he was raised as a sheep herder. And how he was sorta cast aside as a baby due to the prophecy of him becoming Troy's downfall

This is my current concepts for Hektor (the graphite sketches are a lot older than the digital btw, but good a good idea about his arm and shoes design), but it needs some work XD I want to add a lot more later on, but this is a good start I think

with Hektor, color-wise I tried to make his pallette somewhat a mix between opposite and similar to Paris. For him, the dark colors represent more of his death. He doesn't have the horns or wings anymore due to Achilles dragging his corpse, too. I think I posted some old sketches before of the back of his head having the broken bases on his horns. I would imagine his back having scarring and some skin disfigurement where his wings once were as well

With the red, specifically the red wool and the red gradient in his hair, I wanted it to represent the blood that was shed during the Trojan War. Plus, it also contrasts against Paris's blue colors, pushing more of that contrast between the two

With Both the Troy Boys' personalities, Paris still has that childish demeanor about everything, but he's definitely fully Aware and could manipulate if he really wanted to. However he doesn't really, unless if he wants to get away with childish things (like sneaking candy). He's a bit cheeky at times, and in general is A Lot like his canon FGO self. He likes being helpful when he can. Although something I added is that he Hates romance/romantic things. He thinks it's gross, but also his view point is due to the Trojan War and his whole thing with Helen.

Hektor is a mix of things that's hard to explain. He's similar to his canon FGO self. The thing is that FGO itself states that he has a facade going on, which pretty much is what For Funsies AU also does, so there isn't much for me to add XD Although I think in my AU, his facade is a bit different. Other than that, he's silly goofy as usual

i could have sworn I had pictures of her that are more recent/go more in-depth with her design ideas, but I can't find any TwT I'll talk more about her personally redesign since there isn't much physically I can exactly say

Next with Beserker/Penth, her concepts are still definitely a WIP. The general idea I have for her is this 16 year old being very elegant yet absolutely able to kick your ass with the slightest provoke. She's beefy, I would imagine (I really wish I had better sketches of her). I kinda want her to lean more towards having a "royalty" look yet also young and armored up. Iirc in Canon FGO she literally has herself be summoned at a younger age so Achilles can't flirt with her, so I decided to lean on her looking young. I also gave her more furs and armor coverage since she's a warrior and also the whole thing with her fighting in a bikini just. Doesn't sit right with me.

Personality-wise, I think she would try to act very mature and serious, but she's Not immune to Acting Her Age. Aka being a goofy teenager. She definitely tends to butt heads with Paris because he keeps stealing her hair comb. I definitely think she's super smart though, considering the business she has going on in Canon FGO. However, even smart teenagers can be silly (as a treat). She's definitely still has that Extreme personality trait, like tending to take things too far and being rather hot-headed. I like her dynamic with Mr. Utterson because he'll be like "Thank God you're here. Maybe you can talk some sense into Paris" and immediately Penth is trying to knock Paris out with her fist because it's faster and more efficient XD (also as revenge for stealing her comb). She's wonderful, although I'm still working on her dynamic with others and how she generally acts

i can't find any of my Astolfo doodles other than this Really Old One TwT (HELP IM BEING SUBJECTED TO MY OWN DRAWINGS)

In general, color-wise I'm thinking of making their outfit+armor VERY vibrant with Many colors to the point it's gaudy and dramatic. I kinda still want a cutesy look with them, but also messy and disorganized to show more of the sorta "frantic" and "can't sit still" vibe they have. It's hard to change anything about Astolfo because they're already a pretty interesting character with a solid design and personality. Anyway, as you can see in the drawing, I tried making their hair Super Messy. I imagine them being so energetic that their hair is never done in a "proper" way

So yeah! Yippee! Thank you for the ask <3

[washymylifeaway]

MatsuHana fanfic recs

HI LOVES :D MatsuHana is one of my FAVORITE ships and I always love reading their fics! I’m procrastinating my other wips rn, so that do be why this is coming out rn LOL. Also that ask really made me get onto writing this, so anon thank you for sending it in LOL. There are some with VERY sensitive topics and they’re very BOLD, but I hope you all are safe while going through this list <3 (also matsuhana leans more to lots of drinking, spicy smut scenes, and teenage boy humor (like d*ck jokes and sexual innuendos) and sometimes I don’t remember to warn for that, so again CAUTION)

As always, pls check WARNINGS, TAGS, and SUMMARIES for fics before reading and make sure you’re taking care of yourselves (since mental health is key!) Stay healthy loves <3

CP:

plus one by orphan_account (G) 6.1k // this fic made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside LOL. It’s also hilarious and is definitely worth a read! When will I get to share a heart shaped bed with someone :( But I really love it when they just go with the flow of things, and other people are like,,, aren’t you already dating? BUT THEY’RE LIKE UMMM NO? HSAKJSH.

rated m for by orphan_account (T) 10.7k // I love this fic it made me laugh so much throughout the whole thing! The vibes in this fic are immaculate and give me life (we love a good reunion with mystery writers), it is SO good! That’s why you should never leave/stop listening prematurely (@ iwa when he was a single dad fic). 

This gets annoying fast, Makki by Ink_stained_quills (G) 2.3k // IM IN LOVE WITH THIS FIC PLS I COULD NOT STOP CRYING TEARS OF LAUGHTER. This AU needs more fics PLEASE. It was SO freakin’ funny and the other teams KILLED ME. Like how they all approached the problem differently and how some of them (KUROO) asked for help LOL. Please this is so freaking funny go read it.

quidditch gloves, parchment, and custard cream by h_lovely (T) 12.4k // THIS IS SO GOOD, I love this fic. It really takes you through the emotions, and I love all the development in it!!!! Their relationship with one another (but only as homies right? ofc ofc), and even their families loving the other, this fic is so good! Read it even if you don’t like slow burn, you won’t even notice <3333

call me maybe by totooru (T) 33.6k // okay yea another (semi) chat fic,,, fight me. MatsuHana are just funny in general but throw some other characters (like Kuroo) into it and it turns into a comedy show. But the main point of this fic was like the near miss meetings and I think that the misunderstanding were hilarious (as much as I hate misunderstandings LOL).

Magical Mishaps and How to Deal by plumtrees (M) 10.9k // I lost this fic once and I searched for it FOR THE LONGEST TIME. But that’s cause I wanted to reread this masterpiece. IT’S SO FUNNY AND CUTE AND DOMESTIC AND UGH. Also the small angst made me SO SAD. But the ENDING? THE KISSES AHHHHHHH. (I’m yelling a lot BUT that’s cause I really love this fic <3333)

hang out fall in love by carafin (T) 8.6k // I love the Makki hates Mattsun initially but then falls for the irresistible charm he posses trope. It might be my favorite trope for MatsuHana specifically LOL. Like I really love this fic and it has MAGIC. It’s like a magical version of the VA one LOL. But like no radio shows or reunited best friends in this one :(

THESE ARE VERY ANGST!!!!!!!

boiled frogs by reginagalaxia (E) 91.5k // is it possible to hate a character this much? I never realized how much hate/rage I had in me. Really. Like. Imma boutta fight this MF LIKE SQUARE UP. The way I tried to manifest a fake characters death like,,,, Anyway. If my RAGE doesn’t explain how good of a freakin writer they are, then idk what will. PLEASE READ THE TAGS AND WARNINGS, THERE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TOPICS!!!!

Even Though it All Went Wrong by plumtrees (T) 9.2k // THIS IS THE REASON THIS POST CAME TO BE. I love this fic with all my heart (or what’s left of it). Like LOVE as in, this fic really broke me beyond just breaking me. Like. When Oikawa says what he says to Mattsun after the thing (you’re sorry __ _____ __ ____) and the Iwa right after (we know __’__ ___ ______ to make you ____ __ ____) (if you’re wondering wtf I’m putting here, just ctrl F you’re sorry and you’ll see), you cannot believe how hard that hit. GOD. (I am okay if you’re wondering :’)) This is my #1 favorite angst fic of all time and if you are okay mentally and have read the tags and warnings and are fine with them, then please read it. PLEASE READ THE TAGS AND WARNINGS, THERE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TOPICS!!!!

The Truth Comes Out by Your_Friendly_Neighborhood_Pigeon (T) 10.2k // this made me so sad and empty after I read it. Like I just sat there being like wtf did I just read I’m sad now. Again read the tags, there is a suicide attempt but there’s also some cheating in this one. This one also ends happy. PLEASE READ THE TAGS AND WARNINGS, THERE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TOPICS!!!!

New:

kiyala // this writer has a LOT of fluffy MatsuHana and I really love their works! It’s just all (for the most part) really cute and there’s a lotta blurred lines and boundaries that get cleared up (they define what their relationship is but with ~love~) in their fics :) My fav? Making Sense by kiyala (T) 1.5k // it’s very cute and I am one who loves when things just fall into place :D

tookumade // this writer has some of MY FAVORITE MatsuHana fics in it and I’m kinda really sad I don’t get to ramble on about them here :( (dw I will elsewhere LOL) If I had to choose, I would say Remind Me by tookumade (T) 28.6k and Zenith, Nadir by tookumade (T) 10.7k were my absolute favorites, but I cannot choose between them so don’t make me.

plumtrees // I LOVE THIS WRITER OMG. Again, someone who has written my all time FAVORITE fics (did I mention OF ALL TIME?) and I’ve obsessively read some of them too many times :’) Because I already recommended my other faves above, Captured Light by plumtrees (T) 3.5k will be my acting favorite rn. It’s really cute and depicts some really sweet moments between MatsuHana too!

h_lovely // this writer has SO MANY GOOD FICS! I really love their series and their getting together fics are all SO GOOD UGH. I recommended my favorite teen one above, but the other ones I loved are explicit so just check out this writer in general LOL. (I REALLY love mirror flower, water moon, it’s my favorite but it’s E cause some smexy scene happen, but it’s really SO good omfg. Also the roses series IS AMAZING as well!!!!)

cream puffs and carnations; by crossbelladonna (series) 11.6k // AU SERIES!!! I love the AU’s in this series and I really liked the prompts they chose for this MatsuHana week :D My favorite from this series might’ve been there he is again by crossbelladonna (T) 1.6k cause a) I love the mattsun hc in this (for his appearance) and b) IT’S CUTE :D I definitely related to Makki and his not very subtle crushing, and also I like the IwaOi + Makki as friends trope (and then they meet Mattsun), if you couldn’t tell yet LOL.

on the anatomy of crushes by carafin (T) 2.3k // (kinda cp but not LOL) it’s very short and cute and I love it a lot LOL. I love medical AU’s (even though it’s very back burner LOL), but also, like Mattsun saves the day is the move. Like the dedication he has even going on the bus? Especially for a guy? Amazing. I could never :’)

Parallel Lines by orphan_account (T) 16.3k // IN LOVE WITH THIS FIC LIVES IN MY MIND RENT FREE CONSTANTLY. I hate math. Just putting that out here. And while it’s a math fic, IT? IS? SO? GOOD???? And like I love it when characters are smart, like I love intelligent characters so like this was just ajndf. (also same Mattsun, I am allergic to normal math.) 

live it up, drink it in by punybastard (T) 2.1k // GAH this one! This is a pretty iconic fic in MatsuHana hell (in my personal opinion) and if I didn’t have that two fic limit on my staple fics, this would be there. I really loved the ending of it (v cute and v well done), but also the small side stories that were inserted made it all the more entertaining :D (aka the volleyball) But they are drinking underage, so if you’re not about that BE WARNED.

it's cold out here by bishounen_curious (M) 8.6k // PLEASE I LOVE THIS FIC. YES READ YESYESYES READ. OKAY FIRST check tags and warnings, there’s a lot going on in this fic. Like don’t be stupid like them, drinking underage, and don’t do drugs not a good idea very very bad. Aside from that, I am in love with sad sad sad Makki (along with stupid IwaOi) and him being a sad drunk made me ajhkjdfs. Just read it and feel the akfnakjs with me LMFAO.

poolside by tothemoon (T) 4.1k // I’m starting this out with I LOVE the ending and I REALLY LOVE the way this confession panned out. It’s such a great concept and it made me ajhfldshf inside!!! Also, recursive endings are some of my favorites (if you couldn’t already tell LOL), and I think it really makes something so nostalgic and adds depth to a fic.

The Courage of Stars by FairyLights101 (T) 7.1k // AHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE THIS FIC YES!!!! OKAY TW CANCER THERE’S CANCER IN THIS NO DEATH JUST PAIN and chemo (which basically is pain). Some controversy, but the angst part of me wanted him to die DONT GET ME WRONG, I’m glad he lived, but like imagine. I really love this fic, and his efforts in the bucket list were admirable :’)

we could be the greatest team by anyadisee (T) 5.7k // it’s my crack fic :D Yes, this is just Seijoh messing around, boys being boys, relationships being compared with other relationships. No pining, just me with my established relationships (and Iwa fanclubs cause those are a thing. ALWAYS).

Wet Your Whistle by darkmagicalgirl (E) 5.4k // SMUT ALERT okay but like while it’s a major plot point (lmfao I can’t believe myself), the storyline itself is good. Also, I’m all here for bartender Makki and tattoo Makki and not subtle at all Makki and basically everything Makki. I like banter and stupidity okay?

[obnoxious clucking noises] by parenthetic (renaissance) (T) 3.4k // some more crack fic for you <3333 Literally, just idiots being idiots. That’s the fic. LMFAO but seriously, I would like to participate as well,,,,, I have yet to lose a game of gay chicken cause of my lack of fear akdjaslk.

that's what you get (for waking up in vegas) by skittidyne (T) 4.2k // THIS IS SO FUNNY. I love Elvis cause he’s always officiating marriages in my fics LMFAO. But also IwaOi in this added some real nice comedy, and overall another crack fic but I really liked this one (AGAIN LMFAO).

A Bouquet of Flours by guyfierimpreg (G) 5.2k // first I want to know how they got the flour to scream, I just can’t figure it out so if anyone would like to send me pictures that’d be great. Second, they would do this bs and this is all canon. I said what I said, and I don’t take criticism. Like, matsuhana best parents proven by the magical mishaps fic (LMAO).

texting (with a capital S) by parenthetic (renaissance) (M) 2.1k // okay I just wanted to say that the accuracy in the math stuff being mentioned makes me feel like this writer was in calc ab or something and that’s trauma right there. Anyways, it’s a texting fic kinda sorta getting together kinda sorta not? Idk how to explain it, but it was funny and then smut LMFOAJIAHFSJS (the derail was just like IwaOi in gay chicken, someone call the police LMFAO).

nebulas by tothemoon (T) 10.8k // I like the casualness of it. Like the confession was just so casual (smooth Mattsun) and like the progression was GOOD. Like, it’s a very poetic fic and there’s lots of thinking of deeper meaning, but its still got some comedy sprinkled throughout. I really loved the flow of it!!!!

my heart beats for contract law by orphan_account (T) 4.4k // I too would have a breakdown over school (me pretending like I haven’t already done that ahaha), but I really love so many things about this fic! Everything was just so ajsdfljdsn and I really love the 3 part plan Mattsun comes up with :DDDD (esp pt 3). Also, to propose while having an emotional breakdown at 3am in a McDonalds drive through. A mf dream.

Reflex by hiuythn (T) 2.3k // PLEASE IF THEY DIDN’T MEET AT HS THIS WOULD BE CANON ASF. You cannot tell me you don’t think this would not be cannon asf. They would meet like this. Also poor Teuchi stuck in the middle of all of this. I haven’t watched naruto, but it doesn’t really matter. What matters is random emotional sexual bonding over something. That is important. (THE ENDING AJKFHKJ)

You're in Pink (and I'm in blue) by Hyeyu (T) 4.4k // whooooo Hanahaki whooo anyway, despite how it seems, I like the hanahaki trope. I don’t fully understand it sometimes (most of the time tbh), but it adds some nice angst and desperate confessions, and I do appreciate those :D Honestly, I really liked the way this fic panned out, and I felt really bad for Iwa LOL.

stranger things by tinypersonhotel (G) 10.2k // I really like this one :D:D:D I love Makki + Oikawa friendship and they’re really the best to each other :’) The ending was satisfying, and the PLOT omg. It was SO good. I feel like I say this a lot though LOL, but I’m just really into fics with good plot progression (or else I don’t read them OOPS).

something of a disaster by latenights (T) 1.4k // chaos ahahhaha. Another crack fic? I hope no one is surprised LOL. It’s just a really short and simple, cute getting together fic with a LOT of insults LOL. I love this one in particular, “Tooru’s dinner special”.

snakes, meth labs and something like love by orphan_account (G) 3.6k // THE ROOMMATE AD PLEASE. I honestly would never think Oikawa would get a snake, but that doesn’t matter LOL. This was me indulging myself in the makki IwaOi best friends and mattsun stranger agenda but it’s a great agenda okay? It’s a good fic and there’s a microwaved fish :D

Lemonade by carriecmoney (T) 4.1k // okay once again, responsible drinking and don’t drink underage bad idea smh. But MatsuHana just making out where they want? I could see that. Yeah. Anyway, as much as public make out seshes make me *gag* feel embarrassed, what made me feel more *gag* embarrassed was the fact that the girls? just? stood? there? Like why are you watching this. Is that just me? I feel like they should’ve left smh.

surprise, surprise by airblends (T) 7.6k // some more pining and dancing around the issue whoooo. As much as I hate them not getting to the point (almost as much as I hate misunderstandings), it was a great fic. This is nosebleed c*ck block (idk if I needed to censor that but I did fight me).

A God for Every Season by timkons (T) 18.4k // I love the Hades and Persephone trope! Okay, I just love mythology leave me be, but anyway I really love a lot of this fic. Like how Mattsun thinks it’s a little brighter with Makki? CUTE I LOVE. But also, the fish funeral is ridiculous but also very on brand for Oikawa. And some BokuKuroo (idk is that their ship) in here as well :DDD

The Best/Worst Places to Cry in the City by AngryKitten (T) 4.4k // literally it is the title. Just you know, looking for the best place to cry in the city,,,, I’d like to say, don’t cat call people cause we’re not about that here. Even if it worked out for them, just don’t do it :/ Also don’t follow strangers. I feel like that’s a given but jic ya know?

this isn't exactly how i thought i'd be spending my adult years by jadedpearl (NR) 7.5k // okay petty Makki is yes and so is my Makki + IwaOi agenda LOL. (I’m thriving here can’t you tell? Yes regular skype/phone calls constantly) Anyway, blackouts and sickness really be here getting people together. (I’m asking nicely, nike.) And Makki is smooth with his words. (SHORTER MEN MADE ME LAUGH)

chocolate by tellalie (T) 3.6k // the dedication in this fic was amazing. Like making a whole a cake? Someone go do that for me. (For mankind.) Fake dating is really something else, but fake dating to out gag your best friends? Seems like I need to step up my game (but no seriously, my best friends are PDA monsters I hate it here). Also practice confessions are wack.

FINALLY I MADE IT. You don’t know how many times I almost gave up on finishing LMFAO. Is this my longest list? Idk. But I just know that I would’ve finished faster if I didn’t end up rereading almost every fic on this list LMFAO. Like no seriously I almost had to make a post saying this wouldn’t be coming out cause I got distracted by one of the longer fics (I’m blaming Mirror Flower, Water Moon specifically). But I hope you enjoyed this, and once again go thank that anon for spurring me into finishing this list LMFAO (am I a horse? Yea, probably but if one thing, I’m not sturdy).

[elliotapricot]

Reviewing My Anime 10/10's *Relatively* Spoiler-Free

Note: What I rank a 10/10 is very specific and obviously very subjective to my own. Something can only be a 10/10 if I already consider it a 9/10 AND I must have rewatched it. I am someone who typically does not rewatch/reread anything, unless it's something I truly absolutely enjoy. With that being said, because of the requirements, I only have 4 animes that I rank 10/10, and tbh only one of those animes would get that ranking from the general anime audience. The rest are SO SO SO specific to my particular tastes that I would be absolutely stunned if someone also had the same four as me, because the requirement is so specific. Imma make another post eventually for my 9/10's because I think that list makes a lot more sense for a general anime audience lmaooo.

Soooo, in order of least personal to most personal (although obviously they're all personal to me lol) we have:

1. Psycho-Pass

Recommended for people who: are really into that dark dystopian future society vibes, are fans of Ghost in the Shell, like detective/crime stories

Okay, for a few people, this one actually probably makes some sense. At the moment, it has an 8.37 on myanimelist which means this anime is super well liked. I've watched this anime twice, first the original and then the second time I watched the director's cut (yes that exists lol). Overall, I'm a huge fan of the entire Psycho-Pass anime series as a whole. I've watched all three seasons, as well as two of the movies. I didn't watch any of the Sinners of the System ones cuz tbh I literally couldn't find an english sub of that anywhere, it just doesn't exist lol. I think it's okay cuz the ratings for the Sinners of the System trio of movies seems meh. I've actually watched Psycho-Pass the Movie like three/four times LMAO but that's simply cuz a movie is obviously much quicker to watch than an entire anime season. Like just objectively, the Psycho Pass series as a whole is very inconsistent in quality due to the fact that it's all original, so they do technically just make up everything as they go lol. Season two is all right (I think it gets more hate than it should), three is good but season one by far is the absolute best in the entire series. I'd argue the movie is technically my absolute favorite out of the whole IP, but I actually give the movie an 8/10. The movie, because of being obviously way shorter, simply does not have the deep controversial and philosophical lines of thought that season one has. It lacks that extra depth that would make me put it anything higher than an 8. The two main characters have good chemistry as a crime-fighting duo and the main villain's rivalry/relationship with the male lead is super compelling. The female lead is meant to be relatively naive/more on the innocent side which works with the plot as it allows the show to naturally explain and give more exposition as to the actual world and rules of Psycho-Pass without having it seem so ham-fisted or just throwing info to the audience.

2. Violet Evergarden

Recommended for people who: cry to sad movies, like gorgeous animation, are very empathetic, like vignette-esque storytelling

All right if you even remotely consider yourself an avid anime fan, then this anime is probably also somewhere on your 10/10 list or at least an anime you consider to be "very good." That is, unless you are that very vocal minority who simply really just REALLY do not like this anime for some god forsaken reason. However, in my honest opinion, I think an anime like this just really doesn't sit well with ... how do I put this blunty ... people who do not give a fuck about other people or anyone else's feelings but their own. Basically, IF YOU ARE SELFISH, A NARCISSIST, EGOTISTICAL, OR ANY SORT OF COMBO OF THOSE THREE, YOU WILL NOT LIKE THIS ANIME. And if you do, you probably don't think you're any of those things. Because of the anime's very premise, I find it very difficult to see a very self-centered/heartless person particularly enjoying this anime. The whole premise of this anime is that the main character who, because of her upbringing, doesn't understand feelings/emotions, especially the concept of love, grows as a human and slowly begins to learn what love is. The show does this by showing multiple sets of characters meant to represent different types of love (romantic, familial, platonic, etc). The vocal minority of people I've seen give Violet Evergarden bad ratings all typically argue that although beautiful, the anime doesn't have any substance/doesn't really mean anything. If that's honestly all you got after watching the entire show, then you deadass just don't get it, and you probably will never ever get it. If you've seen or heard of Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song, than just know that these two animes are VERY very similar in vibe despite being technically different genres. However, I personally found the themes and concepts in Vivy are done much more masterfully in Violet Evergarden which I think is due to Vivy's heavier focus on a story-driven overarching plot/action as opposed to Violet Evergarden's focus more on emotional impact/an episodic format. I've watched the entire series and I've rewatched the main show twice. TBH you can probably skip the gaiden movie AKA the one set at the girl's academy it was highkey pointless. Compared to the opera episode they added as a "special", the gaiden movie was still good but I wish resources were dedicated to something that actually added to the story. ALSO YES I KNOW ITS A GAIDEN AKA A SIDE STORY AKA FILLER SO YES NO DUH IT DIDNT ADD ANYTHING, BUT STILL. As for the main show, I think I cried for three episodes (the one about the playwright/author I forgot lol, the mother and daughter, and the soldier). On my rewatch, I didn't cry but I still deeply cared for and related to the characters. Violet Evergarden is a beautiful anime with a beautiful story.

3. ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu Ka

Recommended for people who: like bread and bakeries, don't mind a very chill and slow-paced story, like stories about political intrigue and hidden agendas

Based on a relatively short manga, ACCA: 13 follows the main character Jean Otus as he performs his job of auditing the 13 districts of his country Dowa, while rumors and politics brew in the background that threaten to entangle Jean into a complicated plot. To be honest, I think properly reviewing this anime is impossible for me, because I just can't really explain the vibes of this anime besides "chill" and "intriguing." I think trying to explain anything more than the basic premise I just wrote would spoil a lot of what ACCA is, because it's plot is actually relatively quite simple and straightforward. Compared to Psycho-Pass which has a relatively good cult following, and Violet Evergarden which is universally praised, ACCA is an anime that I've yet to personally meet anyone who has ever even heard of it LMAOO. And almost everyone I know watches anime, so that's saying something oof. ACCA is made by Madhouse, which if you don't know, is a super well known anime studio, producing big hits such as Death Note, Hunter x Hunter, One Punch Man, etc. That's why I'm surprised that ACCA has flown just SO under the radar, but that may be due to the overalls nature of the anime itself. ACCA is an anime where all the characters hold their card close and no one seems to really share their real thoughts. One main criticism the anime has is the lack of deeper connections to characters and that for a main character, Jean Otus is very bland. To be honest, I think that's a very fair criticism and I can understand why this would prevent people from rating this anime higher than an 8 or 7. Due to the very nature of the anime and its plot, I do agree that there is a huge cast of colorful characters that we unfortunately don't really get to know more about. To be honest though, I don't mind this because I feel that's honestly quite realistic, especially factoring in Jean's job. All these places he's going and all these people he's meeting, it's literally just his job. He's not on vacation, these people aren't his friends, so the anime has no real reason to dwell much longer on places past its specific episode. Just like in real life, you encounter so many people and go past so many places that you probably won't ever see again. So for me personally, I didn't mind that the anime didn't explicitly show much about the backstories or lives of the cast, save for the very main characters (as their backstories were plot relevant). I think as viewers of not simply an anime, but a whole other world, I think it should be satisfactory to inherently understand that these are whole "people" who have entire lives that we are not exactly privy to. So although admittedly our understanding of many of the characters was all around quite shallow, I think that works for the scope of the anime, which was relatively simple and focused on just Jean living his life and the political plot stirring in the background until it was brought forward in the second half of the anime. Also I love Jean Otus. I actually completely absolutely adore him. He is literally my profile pic for myanimelist LMAO. I think calling him "bland" is fair from other people's perspectives, especially as the supposed main character of an ANIME, but I feel that if ACCA was in a different format like a novel, I think his personality would have been less criticized. Like I said, I love him soo much. I don't find him bland at all, but actually very interesting and highkey attractive LOL (if only he'd quit smoking but it's part of his charm 😞). Yes for an anime "protagonist," he is quite underwhelming especially compared to others, but I think that makes him very charming!!! Like all he wants to do is just chill, vibe, and do his job lmaooo. I think as a person, he’s very charismatic, and in the world of ACCA the rest of the characters see that as well. Because like, if he really were such a bland person, why would so many people like him and actually trust him lol? As for why it’s technically my favorite anime of all time (my ultimate one is a movie), I can’t give super detailed reasons why to be honest. I just really like the overall vibes of the anime itself, and I think the anime is just super unique and original. I’ve watched a ton of anime over the years, but I’ve genuinely seen nothing like ACCA in the slightest. I mean, just look at the recommended animes on the myanimelist. The recommended animes are all stuff I’ve also personally really liked (like fugou keiji unlimited and the great pretender) but yeah there’s just truly nothing that’s close to what ACCA is, and because of that, it reminds my absolute favorite anime show. I’ve seen the dub and the sub, even though I am a vehement dub hater lmaooo (except for very few circumstances, and this also applies to all non-English media, not just anime). There was only one thing in the entire show that slightly confused me/ seemed slightly unbelievable and I won’t spoil but it had something to do with the overall timeline of some events, but it doesn’t detract from the story at all. Oh and the art style! I really love the art style of the anime. It stays pretty true to the manga, but is also just an overall kind of art style I really like. I really enjoy the more like 2d/flat/drawn art style versus really clean and really detailed stuff, and I’m typically not a big fan of very obvious use of CGI (unless done tastefully like in Demon Slayer). All the backgrounds in ACCA have this painted/drawn style and the anime itself has this like muted(?) filter over it that makes the anime seem like someone’s drawings just put up on display in a way that’s really refreshing and nice. I highly recommend this story for anyone who wants a breath of fresh air and to get away from the typical action-packed high energy of big name anime.

4. From Up on Poppy Hill

Imma make a whole separate post JUST for this movie so I can explain why I love this movie so so much. And honestly, Imma need a whole separate post in the first place to address the elephant in the room when it comes to this movie (if you’ve seen it, then you know what I’m talking about). And if you’ve haven’t seen the movie, maybe you’ve heard about one of its controversial themes. I’m not gonna say what it is, cuz I KNOW it’ll be super off-putting for a lot of people, but please omg just hear me out. I just love this movie so so much. I’ve seen it like 7 times and counting. I have it downloaded on my computer and on a flash drive. I’ve watched the sub AND the dub however I’ve stopped watching the dub because it makes me sad every time I hear Shun’s voice actor ;-; This movie is legit an honest-to-god comfort movie for me that I could watch over and over and I’ll fall in love with it again each and every time. And once again IMMA MAKE A WHOLE SEPARATE POST BECAUSE I SWEAR PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE LIKE “Yo ain’t this the movie with the -----” and it’s like PLEASE LET ME EXPLAIN. The vibes of this movie, the themes it addresses (yes even THAT theme), the music, the art, the characters, is perfectly presented in a way that I will never stop watching this movie. The only other film that has come close to the amount of times I’ve watched From Up on Poppy Hill would be Legally Blonde lmaooooo. 

[weuschoiceheart]

Theory: Drunk-Dazed + Connections to Gfriend and TXT Universe

Based on this theory by @soyatenada + my own connections to Gfriend’s mv

Because my big brain has finally been activated (thank you soy bene) and I’m obsessed with analyzing pieces of music, here we go:

Last chorus of “Apple” —

“Dream the red dream, endless and deep Let rise the shimmering light of destruction Don’t agonize, let go the timid child Take me, the endless witching hour descends”

The “red dream” = blood, a.k.a taking vampire blood. We’ll come back to the dream part later, because that’s important. But the red here, in my opinion, represents both blood and the apple, saying “temptation can lead to consequences.” Or if you want to be simple, it can just mean blood as in vampires. And this is also the color of the drink that Sunoo is holding in the teaser...

“shimmering light of destruction” - leading Enhypen to their destruction

“Don’t agonize, let go of the timid child”- this can symbolize them telling Enhypen to let go of their old selves, surrender themselves to another being that’s more powerful and controlling. They were scared before, trapped as children in the orphanage, but having trust in their friends (if we’re going with evil Sunoo and protective Jake theory) and following this temptation of theirs gives them a chance to shed that timid self and become confident and powerful. The “don’t agonize” part is kind of ironic, since it’s a contrast to how they will feel pain after getting bitten. Of course, it can just be false words to tempt them to become vampires.

“Take me, the endless witching hour descends” - I can see it from two perspectives: Enhypen as in them saying “take us, take everything (*cough* familiar lyrics anyone?) OR it can represent the apple/Gfriend telling them to take the path to destruction. And as I mentioned before in Bene’s post, the witching hour is when they finally crossed the line to vampire land (and yes, pun very much intended).

So....you might be wondering, well ok, that’s Gfriend’s pov, but how about Enhypen’s? And why do they use the “dream” and why does that even matter? How does it all come together?

*takes a deep breath* Grab a bucket of popcorn, because this is gonna be hella long, and I might be stretching some points, but I think this goes beyond bigger than just the Enhypen universe. It connects to both Gfriend’s and Txt’s as well (and possibly BTS’, though I need more information and research on that).

Firstly, let’s look at the lyrics from the drunk-dazed teaser (This is just a rough translation from what I’ve learned in Korean, with a little help from Google Translate. I’m not fluent in Korean, so please correct me if the translations are wrong!):

“Dazed, dazed, dazed / Dance, dance, dance / Eh, I wake you up / Eh, burn my heart / Eh, fill up my dream”

Ok, let’s break it down. There’s two main points in these lyrics alone that I feel is crucial to understanding the whole universe in general.

“Dance, dance, dance” are lyrics that also appear repeatedly in the pre-chorus and post-chorus of Gfriend’s “Apple,” further strengthening my point about the link between the two songs/groups. In this context, it can illustrate the carnival itself — a huge event meant to conceal a darker secret. The sirens, or Gfriend, want the boys to keep dancing, having fun, slowly pulling them into their trap. Again, another example of temptation luring them in.

Also, in Gfriend “Mago” they also talk about “dancing in this moment” and “my life has been waiting for you”....I have a feeling that this somehow connects to Enhypen’s next comeback...but for now, let’s just leave it here because I don’t have enough evidence to support my reasoning yet.

“I wake you up / burn my heart / fill up my dream” — In a broader sense, this can be Enhypen waking up their “other half,” a side they never shown before, as they transition to vampires. But let’s delve deeper into the last line “fill up my dream” because that’s where everything sort of fall into place (it’s more of a jumble of puzzle piece that clashes and mashed up, but I’m going to try to piece it out).

Enhypen has mentioned this “dream” before, in “Cross the Line” - “If I wake from dreamless sleep. May tomorrow begin like a dream.”

This “dream” is also referenced in one of Shakespeare sonnets, whose lines are used in “Outro: Wormhole.” The lyrics are “And yet when most I wink / Then do mine eyes best see.”  I’m not going to paste the whole sonnet here, but in short, the sonnet talks about longing and dreaming. This line in colloquial terms means “But when I’m asleep / I see the best.” This can illustrate how they see the best when dreaming, and relating to the sonnet, they see “you” in their dreams. Whoever this “you” is, it’s important to them.

(Oh my god, I just got an idea of how this can also connect to their idol life as well, but Imma make that into another post instead because my brain is about to explode.)

(I got these lyrics from Genius, and some engenes there also analyze the Shakespeare language that Enhypen used in Intro: The Invitation. I might make another theory about how the sonnet in that song connects to the Outro, but I don’t want to confuse y’all so I’m sticking to the “dream” aspect in this post. If you want to see the translation and the theory, here you go)

So this dream of Enhypen’s is important to them, and the carnival seem to trigger the dream again for them. As we can see from “Cross the Line,” they want their tomorrow to be dreamlike, because their today was dull. I feel like their journey can be divided into two parts: the dull, gray, timid life of theirs in the orphanage, where they’re under the control of someone else. And then there’s the wild, fantasy-like, vampire transition, where they’re thrown into this dream-like atmosphere, and they are still being controlled, but they can’t resist it.

Now let’s go back to the line in Gfriend’s song, “Dream the red dream, endless and deep.” They want Enhypen to keep dreaming. And them becoming vampires represent that they are currently in that dream of blood.

So, ok, they’re happily living this dream of theirs. But a dream is still fake, a false distortion of reality. So...what’s reality?

Here’s where I’m kind of stretching it a bit, and this might even sound crazy (I’m already crazy so it doesn’t matter). I got this idea from @hseungsteeth, when Beanie mentioned how even it’s a prince concept, it looks futuristic. And the Down and Hype versions of the concept photos....I think they represent the reality, the opposite of this dream of theirs. We see the car crash, the red lights and gangster like outfits, so it makes me wonder: what if they want to live in this dream to escape reality? Are they living in a dystopian world where people get hurt constantly and are attacked by creepy clowns and skulls (objects from the Hype teaser videos)? I don’t have a solid claim for this yet, but I like the idea of dream and reality, two things that we also see in TXT’s videos.

Alright, this is where I try my best to link this to TXT. I think TXT has their own storyline, that differs from Enhypen, but the part where the two meet is in their depictions of dream and reality. I’m not going to go in depth into TXT’s theories, but we can see how Soobin can hear the calling of danger in magic island, how Beomgyu (I think it was Beomgyu? Or it was Soobin again) saw the images through the practice mirror, their dream of “running away” portrayed by the concept of Harry Potter. TXT also want to escape reality, because in their dream, they’re with their friends again, they’re are accepted for who they are (ex: in Crown, they realize they are not a monster just because they have horns on their head. They accept it as their “crown” and will wear it like the kings they are), and they can just be themselves. But these dreams are short, as we can see from “Blue Hour,” where Beomgyu is once again left alone after that blissful hour passes.

And these dreams come with danger too. In both Enhypen’s and TXT’s universes, we see the danger of getting marked and transition into vampires, we see the fires that can burn down that magic island. So, how can they save their dream, and confront reality?

[hellyeahheroes]

Dylan is a Mary Sue

*look I know that the symbiote has a name and Venom is both it and Eddie. So I hope you don’t get annoyed when I refer to the symbiote as Venom because writing symbiote 100 times gets annoying and I hope you get what I mean when I call it that.

I’ve been trying to write this like nine times because I don’t want to bash this character. When I wrote the post about how I didn’t want Dylan Brock near Miles, I intentionally left out the reason why because I like the character. I hate the purpose and narrative mind behind him. And plus I don’t want to seem like I bash white cis het male characters when the characters I do trash on are bad because writers tend to make them intentionally bratty. I don’t like Spider-kid, Damian Wayne when written without consequence(he is white passing), Jason Todd,or Alpha. Like giving a character a shitty attitude doesn’t make him endearing especially on a male, I’m sorry. Characters like Tim Drake, Alex Power, and Dick Grayson work because there is something genuine in them that they want to be the good of the world.

Anyways, Dylan is fun to me because he has this precocious roguishness that isn’t malevolent nor out of place. His abuse is actually abuse that isn’t made to serve as his training or whatever nor does it warps his views. And his fandom in Eddie/Venom actually makes sense because he is a kid that was abandoned by his mother and left with an emotionally and physically abusive man who would cut him down. A dark passenger like Venom appeals to him because Venom is like the codifier of misguided anger for misguided teens.

But there is a reason why he is written that way: he is a Mary-Sue. Now I don’t care about the gender preconceptions of Mary Sue vs Gary Stu nor do I try to prescribe to reclaiming Mary Sue in some vain attempt at liberal feminism. Mary Sue is bad writing unless everyone gets to play(Mary Sues work in video games). Mary Sue is something writers in most mediums that tell stories should avoid if they want said character to succeed or evoke if you want said character to be disliked. And Dylan Brock is an example that doesn’t work and is largely getting away with it because he is cute.

1. The Immaculate Conception of Dylan Brock

This is when I knew some Sue shit was unleashed on Venom fans. I don’t have to google it but I can guess that Cates has a Catholic background. Whether he is one or raised one, it is apparent in whatever meaningful writing depth he provides outside of meaningless action. And it works because Eddie Brock, being anti-Peter Parker, is Catholic. Hence the brooding and self-loathing and abusive paternity and motifs of redemption and suffering and shit. But this was not only fucked up, but a little too on the nose.

Dylan wasn’t conceived naturally. In fact, Anne Weying was raped by the symbiote and impregnated with Eddie’s DNA. So Dylan is actually the child of the Venom and Eddie Brock. “But Anne is his mother.” Look, Cates didn’t actually consider Anne so I won’t either. Outside of the fact that it doesn’t make sense chronologically since Peter was like in his early 20s when he had the Symbiote and is at most 29 now, Anne is just a vehicle for Cates’ to necessitate the purity of Dylan Brock. Dylan is the pure child of Venom, born from the womb of Eddie’s first girlfriend/fiancé/wife/whatever and the first human woman to wear a symbiote, I think. I mean she didn’t even have sex with Eddie and boom, mini Eddie Brock is wrapped in cloth and left at the meager doorstep at the sacred house of Eddie. Praise Venom, y’all.

Jokes aside, I don’t know how Venom fans just didn’t go, “Iight, Imma head out” after reading this page. Just shows the conviction of fandom.

But I digress. Now let me regale you just how improbable this is which again only serves to ordain Dylan is the truest son of Venom in all the ways possible and also highlight the very unfortunate implications of this fuckery. Symbiotes bond is how they reproduce. When they reproduce with their host, the end result up to this point has always been a symbiote. For Mass Effect fans, it’s the Asari thing except with goo. Before you ask, yes Symbiotes sexually satisfy their hosts unlike the majority of human men*cough*. Point is that Dylan should be biologically impossible but somehow he is a human symbiote hybrid. And the unfortunate implications of such of incident shouldn’t go unnoticed either. Venom and Eddie have several children and prior to this, all of them have been symbiote. Cletus and Red also have children too and again symbiote. In fact, all symbiote bonds produce symbiotes as far as male hosts are concerned...except for the brief bond of Ann Weying and Venom Symbiote. Gee I wonder why she got a different result? Well there are a few female hosts and surprising none of them have spawned a symbiote child. So logically it can be assumed that woman + symbiote = forced impregnation of symbiote. Well this shit got dark. The symbiotes just became the Jeffrey Epstein alien species. But since Cates swears up and down that is not what is happening, he is going for the God/Virgin Mary angle for some reason.

It’s almost like he is the descendent of the Symbiote God. If only there was such a thing.

Welllllll shit.

2. Dylan is incorruptible and all-powerful without knowing why or how

Okay, backstory time because I never properly explained Knull, another of Cates shoddy creations. Knull is the galactic god emperor of the Symbiotes who created the Symbiotes as a weapon to rule the galaxy. Aside of the fact that his existence retconned the previous backstories of the symbiote, he has the ability to domesticate the symbiotes and make them subservient to him.

Guess who else has this ability.

Dylan is symbiote Jesus, hallelujah. This explains the Church of Carnage/Knull/Grendel/who gives a shit. He is the true son of Abraham and Carnage is the false prophet of Venom. It’s what Christianity considers Islam to be or some shit and both Dylan and Sleeper are about to nail the 95 thesis on the door of Carnage in the form of the greatest mixtape you ever heard.

Look, I too am astounded of the sentences my mind comes up with when I so thoroughly hate a writing like I hate Donnie Cates’ Venom.

Dylan goes beyond being just a special snowflake that was forcefully and crudely implemented. He is the pre-ordained established opposite of the nature of corruption that Knull created the symbiotes for. To Knull, the symbiotes are his thralls. To Dylan, the symbiotes are his pets. To Knull, the symbiotes are a tool to become omnipresent. To Dylan, the symbiotes are individuals who need to be liberated if good. To Knull, there is no such thing as a good symbiote. To Dylan, there is and it’s Venom or sleeper or what have you. Dylan is the forgotten son and the New Testament for symbiote kind.

And he doesn’t know yet.

Okay, this is a common Mary Sue trait to absolve culpability of a Mary Sue character. It’s to say that they are not to blame for being special. It’s like the writing form of don’t hate me because I’m beautiful except somehow more obnoxious. Dylan’s obliviousness to this what is essentially an entire alien species religious revelation is like trivialized because their prophet is a 12 year old. It’s like waiting for a savior only to be told he is a carpenter.

Imma let that last one just marinate for a minute.

Look, Cates did a lot of rewriting and retconning just for his self-insert to become his favorite series and hero to be the second coming. He created this lore for Venom only for his avatar to be the prophet. The intentionality of his obliviousness to how important this is just glazed over the fact like it isn’t a big deal. Just like Cates glazed over the whole rape and forced impregnation thing because somehow that doesn’t warrant a follow up.

3. Dylan Brock is fanboy Cates

Okay before I begin, self-inserts aren’t bad nor are they inherently Mary-Sues. Kong from Ultimate Spider-Man is Bendis’ self-insert. Boomerang from Amazing Spider-Man was rewritten to be Spencer’s self-insert. JJJ is a self insert for Stan fucking Lee like...self-inserts are great. To the degree that they aren’t unnatural to the narrative or overbearing.

Dylan Brock’s previously stated precociousness comes from the idea that Donnie is writing the inner teenager that he was as a kid reading Maximum Carnage for the first time. And I get it, man, live your truth and all. Like yeah, force and subjugate other fans of this series to your childlike inquiries like how Symbiotes poop, I mean it’s not like their fandom is important or anything.

First Dylan is a fanboy of Venom just like he is. And while that makes sense meta-wise, in-narrative it doesn’t because...okay Venom fans are about to tear me apart for this but it’s like someone being a fan of Ted Bundy. His heroics usually came with a body count is all I’m saying and I doubt it would be praised but then again Wolverine has an in-universe fandom so what do I know. Back on topic, Dylan’s fandom and praise of Venom to get him out of the dark place that is his father’s abusive household.

And this is why it’s so hard to hate him because of all the fucked up shit Cates put in this book, Dylan feels like the one character that is genuine and pure in that innocent kind of way. No one hates Dylan and how could you? We all get it. And it helps that Dylan has a completely different voice than every other Cates has written from every other character. Like I can hear the excitement in his voice when he pesters his hero for questions and I’m reading his words. The idolization is pure when he meets Normie, the god son of Spider-Man, and it creates this dynamic of Spider-Man fans vs Venom fans. It’s fun in a way.

But it’s just that. When Cates writes Eddie, he is not only writing to retell Cates own personal past demons but also in the lens of how he viewed Eddie as this tortured soul who just got the wrong interview from a copycat that costs his job. The second banana of a greater and more prominent hero. Born to the wrong person. That none of what happened to Eddie was his fault or really his doing even when he was at his worst wearing Venom, it was Venom who tempted him.

Dylan is that pre-teen who sees the best in everything Venom is: The dark avenger of the abused and neglected. And I don’t want to speculate whether Cates fits the category or not because that ain’t my business, I can see why Dylan would be a compelling self-insert if it weren’t compounded on top of Cates’ forceful insertion into Venom and subsequently Spider-Man lore.

Like you remember Carly Cooper? Dylan is exactly like Carly Cooper. And this is why I like to think of Cates’ run as the equivalent of One More Day. Cates’ retconned a crucial element of Venom to make Dylan necessary to the core of Venom. He retconned the one thing that made Venom and subsequently Eddie go beyond just being a twisted revenge story.

The erasure of Mary Brock, Eddie’s sister and Eddie’s cancer. One is the motivation and the sole good Eddie has ever known. It’s his motivation to move past is mistakes. And Cates then turns the one bond in the series into something...horrific.

Okay, Dylan replaced his sister and Venom itself. His being becomes Eddie’s motivation to be a better person rather the struggle to see himself as more than his upbringing. It’s like reading Spider-Man and finding out Uncle Ben was on crack. Uncle Ben didn’t die. He faked his death. Yeah, that is what this was. So he could evade taxes or some shit. This is exonerated Eddie in the worst way and turned him into a manipulated pawn of Venom. Let’s completely retcon the marriage of MJ and PeterVenom and Eddie, Cates pitches to editorial.

Dylan becomes more than just some kid who idolizes Eddie. He becomes the sole motivation of Eddie himself now. Eddie’s past is now completely erased or made irrelevant to uplift Dylan’s importance to Eddie. It’s too a point that the Symbiote kids of Venom aren’t Eddie’s kids anymore. It’s like Eddie was in an interracial relationship and the one non-brown baby with blue eyes is his one true kid and others are mulatto chocolate eugenic mishaps or some shit that his ass don’t want to deal with anymore. I mean disowning Carnage I understand but come on?

Cates’ self insert changed the entire nature of the series. And for what purpose? To give Venom a legacy just as Peter has one. And that is the problem with Dylan.

@ubernegro

[koiandjelly]

So Fila’s actual past isn’t very detailed, because she’s not a main OC, and I haven’t spent a ton of time actually thinking about her as a character lol. 98% of my Creativity goes to my original content characters, cuz someday when I finish actually crafting my worlds, I’m gonna write a book. I’m aiming for the lofty goals of making a full, fleshed out, intricate— just fuckin’... a whole ass Multiverse system comparable to the Lore content of Tolkien’s works, or The Elder Scrolls— gah fuck y’know what, I’m changing this post from being about my Fantasy Life OC to being about my creation baby, the effort of about 6 years (I am 20 years old, and although I didn’t know it at the time I started, I was 14 when I made the shitty Fire Emblem Manakete rip-off race that I’m gonna actually now talk about, because holy fuck this ain’t gonna fit in a parenthesis “btw have some info” bubble)

A’ight so I have a hard time keeping track of time, especially in a large scale across years. Apparently it’s related to being severely depressed without medication (communication error on my part, my parents are very lovely and helped me ASAP when I spilled the beans) while also having moderate to severe ADD. So, ya know, keep in mind that I was yet another terribly depressed 8th grader when I talk about my creation’s early days. I wouldn’t experience that time of my life for any sort of payment ever. It was goddamn miserable, because when I was midway through the age of 14, not only did the aforementioned depression spring up, but I also realized I was bisexual (And I live in the infamous state of Alabama, for reference. Don’t fear for me though, I was too unnoticeable to be bullied if anyone did know, and my wonderful mother, whom I love and cherish with all of my heart, is one of the few Christians that actually... like... do what their own God tells em to. That is, Jesus. I’m an atheist and have a general discomfort about the idea of super powerful entities actually existing irl, but I do agree with the stuff I’ve heard and remember from a decade ago in Church about Jesus. Good guy. But yeah my mom not only accepted me and reassured me when I came out, but she’s gone even further and is of the opinion/fact that lgbt folks are, really, good and normal and that God created them, so she really genuinely just... loves and accepts me. There’s no “I love you despite of this” in the equation and I am so grateful. But again. I digress)

Pause after that sidetrack, to recap, all of my medical issues began to emerge about 6 months before I turned 15. Including what I hate most, the emergence of my Fibromyalgia and Sjogren’s Syndrome, and for an added kick to the flesh, an undifferentiated connective tissue disorder. Meaning, as what I understand it to be, a nameless chimaera of many symptoms in a way that the disorder either is it’s own thing, or just can’t easily be recognized as any one disorder. And I had anxiety. If I recall correctly on *that*, forgive me cuz it’s been a while since it’s been diagnosed/brought up in a significant way, I have or had either general anxiety *and* social anxiety, or just lightweight versions of both, or something, but at the time I was horribly shy and I couldn’t even talk to the teacher after class about schoolwork, even though I tried rationalizing it to hell and back that I shouldn’t be scared— as you’ll guess, shit didn’t work out til I got medicine for it, because no amount of logic and rational thought will change the fact that I was struggling because of a literal disorder, an error of the brain, and as with that walking with two shattered femurs ain’t gonna work, trying to talk when the talk machine broke... ain’t going to goddamn work.

God. I am rambling a lot. But anyway, shit fucking sucked as a teen for me, because I got that wombo combo, prepare for trouble, make it double, precision strike at my existence as a person during fucking already difficult puberty— I am rambling. It’s 4:55am as of this sentence lmao. I had a nasty cocktail of both mental illness and physical disorders pop up once puberty hit me, so I, through many events starting from loving to draw as a toddler, to play pretend stories of heartbreak, betrayal, and death as best an 8 year old could understand via playing with Polly Pockets, and all the creative power I inherited from my Dad, plus the motivation borne through a need to escape, I started making my own characters.

So, to return to the present state of my creations, which will now be referred to as Bounding Beyond the Stars, or BBtS, I’m gonna get some things out of the way. Just to clarify, yeah? I have created my worlds in a way that is specifically meant to stand apart from the irl universe as we know it. I’m certainly not a knowledgeable researcher with any level of comprehension on Spacial law and quantum physics and shit like that. So hey, if something ever seems... like, off, or wrong? Unless it’s pretty obviously wrong in the “hey you just googled how a thing works, and misunderstood it, and made a detail based on a failure to understand stuff and that’s dumb in a catastrophic way that even a high school level viewer would notice...” kind of mistake, then hey, shoot me a message. But if some sort of universal rule seems fucky in the way that it doesn’t make sense, but isn’t a catastrophic structural error... well, Imma use that sentence to start a better one. For an example of a catastrophic error, perhaps... this: “This planet has no seasons cuz of its shape and axis! And it is also like twice as big as Earth!” That would be catastrophic alone because anyone with a grasp on planetary gravity or something, may go and think “if it’s that big, gravity’s gonna be way more intense”. And you’d be right! Which is why I usually account for those things with... *Magic*.

Before I split this post for Length reasons, and I’m sorry the majority of this was me rambling about how my general experience with life sucked from ages 14-17, I’mma state something very important about all my creations.

Magic, which will be explained in depth at a later point, is a fundamental, essential, and omnipresent force of not just any one universe in my Multiversal Trio. It is a key piece of Reality itself, as magic is the flow of many multiples of millions of unique and mysterious energies, concepts, and laws existing anywhere that Is.

To end this post, I’m going to put a quick summary and explanation why I’m rambling about any of this: The rant about my age and circumstances at the start are relevant because it’s necessary context for the tone and type of writing my creations are built upon. The foundations of BBtS are borne from a sometimes angsty, sometimes genuinely upset 14 year old who found escape in the art of Creation. There have been many, many, many heavy edits, rewrites, scrapped info and ideas, and even more info built upon it. It used to be pretty pointlessly edgy in a lot of ways, and redundant in grimdark, morphing into *grimderp* plot devices and character traits. The way it’s written today, I like to think the lore of my many high fantasy-alien societies, and all its denizens and creators and whatever else, are still written to be dark, be dangerous, even angsty... but more skillfully so, with the sort of nuance a 14 year old wouldn’t really even begin to understand. Cuz I still like high stakes stories with real consequences and character deaths when appropriate. And I enjoy characters who have tragic pasts, but now that I’m older and I’ve seen and read about and done so much more— I can write that stuff *better*. And more over, what I’m most satisfied with, is that I’m more in touch with myself as a person, and I’ve evolved many of my personal beliefs and ideals and all the things of the world I can have opinions on. But most of all, I’ve reached a point where I have consumed enough content from others to where I have figured out how to write something that should be interesting, and maybe a bit new, because I put a looot of Damn focus on identifying, and understanding, writing structure, cliches, plot holes to avoid, character traits to handle differently, and just generally making something that’ll appeal to both me, and my audience, should I get that far.

[sailor-freak]

Lady Gaga: Chromatica - Album Review

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Forgive me if I don’t sound as smart in this one as other reviews I’ve done but it’s literally only because idk terms in pop music I know way more about heavy music even if I enjoy it all lmao.

Chromatica I - This honestly felt like the opening to a Disney film or something it was awesome 😂. Obviously these and the other 2 Chromaticas are instrumentals used in sort of concept albums so for that purpose it works well 😂.

Alice - Man this immediately reminded me of ALICE by Traci Hines but obviously less Disney and more of the concept of the story 😂. I really like the rhythm of this song and how high Gaga’s vocals go in the chorus especially from the start it really gives the song a lot of power immediately 😂. Obviously the idea of Alice in Wonderland is an idea of mystery and being lost, which for the start of this album is a really nice thing 😂.

Stupid Love - K I’ll just talk about the song here and EVENTUALLY do a separate post on the music video 😂. I absolutely love this song omg it’s got such an upbeat party vibe to it yet the lyrics still have some depth behind them 😂. The sort of depth of this song comes in at the pre-choruses when she sings “all I ever wanted was love”, it slows down, not dramatically, it doesn’t throw off the tempo of the song, but her voice becomes more raw and the music almost sits down for a bit until it’s brought back up in the chorus 😂. Idk I just love that cos it’s not just a fun pop song it’s got some deeper meaning behind it 😂.

Rain On Me (with Ariana Grande) - It’s literally just occurred to me that I didn’t actually talk about the song in that post cos it was released while I was really ill lmao so I’ll probably amend that at some point 😂. I really love the lyrics of this song, of course the main part of the chorus “I’d rather be dry but at least I’m alive, rain on me” it’s like saying “It’d be nice if I was okay but hey I’m still here”, it’s got such a weight behind it which I love. All throughout the song uses the metaphor of rain and how it’s linked to misery and sadness, but here it’s almost being celebrated that emotion is a part of being a human so let’s just all embrace it together. And in terms of vocals I’m not a fan of Ariana Grande but her vocal contribution is great here lmao, cos her voice contrasts a lot with Gaga’s (especially in the bridge) it gives almost a second tone to the song which is nice. Sorry I really like this song I’ll talk about it more when I amend that post cos I could go on forever 😂.

Free Woman - Fade in vocals make me WEAK just saying. I love the power of these lyrics, it’s such a strong song for women and the power that they can hold (I say they like I’m not one lmao), it’s just about owning EVERYTHING and like YES QUEEN 😂. I also love how the music is used throughout this song, it builds and drops just around the place which gives a different tone to the lyrics she’s singing, and also makes it a really nice listen for relaxing 😂. Idk I just love that 😂.

Fun Tonight - Now this was one that I didn’t actually like a lot. Usually if I don’t like a song it’s in the music rather than the lyrics, lyrics don’t usually bother me but if the music doesn’t slap I’m not crazy 😂. I think it’s something in the melody that doesn’t sit with me, it can feel a bit random to me sometimes? But that’s me being picky 😂. The music doesn’t stand out to me, it doesn’t do the dreaded “chorus-drop” but it just never builds up? I mean, it does, but not enough 😂. Idk with the music and the beat it just doesn’t agree with me 😂.

Chromatica II - Second instrumental, this gives me an almost haunting vibe? Like, not creepy ghost scary, but eerie mysterious scary 😂. Like shit’s about to go down 😂. I like it lol 😂.

911 - Nice transition 😂. Lol anyway I fucking LOVE this song, I don’t know what it is but I just really jammed to it first listen 😂. The vocals have a very robotic sound to them (possibly autotune mixed with voice alterations), like it sounds non-linear, idk some bits don’t sound like they were sang together 😂. Which I like, it adds to the concept of the song 😂. For a casual listen it works really well with the music, but the lyrics again have a nice depth about human emotions and how they can be perceived by others that give it something else 😂. Love this one so much omg 😂.

Plastic Doll - This was another one I didn’t really like eek. This section of the album is very much about personal image and human perception and trying to please others/removing yourself from how others want you to be, which the lyrics of this song really shows. I mean, for a lot of it she refers to herself as a Barbie doll, obviously using the metaphor of how dolls look perfect and are used by people, but the chorus says “hey fuck you don’t do that” which is cool 😂. Also it claps back when she sings “if you’re a real boy”, idk the depth of that it just sounds cool 😂. But again what I don’t like is in the rhythm, it’s like there’s not enough there for me to hold on to. Love the lyrics and the meaning but again if it don’t bop it don’t bop 😂.

Sour Candy (with BLACKPINK) - I won’t go into too much detail on this one considering my post on it is like a novel long 😂. But ngl if this song didn’t have Blackpink featured idk if I’d like it as much as I do 😂. It’s definitely a good song! Easy listen, simple bop with nice lyrics again linking to the human image section of this album, but if it was either just Gaga or an artist other than Blackpink idk if I’d like it as much 😂.

Enigma - Oooo love this one too 😂. Most of the power of the song is in Gaga’s vocals, she really goes for it in the chorus even when the music isn’t quite up there with her but it makes her stand out, which actually adds to the meaning of the song 😂. I don’t actually know what else to say I might make a post on it at some point so I can really get into it cos I feel like lyrically there’s a lot for me to dive into 😂. But it fucking slaps 😂.

Replay - Lol I’m one of those people who always says Replay is a song by Iyaz but this song is so good it could change my mind 😂. For the bop this is the lyrics have SUCH a depth to them, possibly more than the other songs so far cos holy crap there’s such a power and almost pain behind this song. I feel like she really conveys that in her vocals, there’s a lot of emotion in her performance that really add to the power and the feeling this song gives you. Musically it’s a jam but wow the lyrics just stand out so much about pain and trauma, it’s just so powerful to me omg.

Chromatica III - Final instrumental, idk what this sounds like to me but there’s definitely a lot of power in it which gives you a strong emotional response, like you do in film scores 😂. Idk instrumentals aren’t my strong post but... yeah 😂.

Sine From Above (with Elton John) - Man Elton John SLAY 😂. I really feel like I need to look in my old high school science books and look at the qualities of sine waves so I can go into that further but let’s just say for now I know a sine wave has something to do with weather and the earth and shit 😂. I won’t dwell on that too much cos I don’t wanna sound more stupid than I already do, but the feeling of hope is so strong here 😂. I’ve actually forgotten everything I wanted to say cos I’m so caught up on remembering all the scientific facts about fucking sine waves so I may have to do a separate post at some point but it bops and wow I didn’t know Elton John could sound like that I’m so used to him in Save Rock and Roll 😂.

1000 Doves - K I know this one lol 😂. Doves are a symbol of peace, so having 1000 of them is like... really peaceful 😂. Coming at this section of the album it comes in with the “humans stick together and help each other” idea, and the lyrics says stuff about “flying with broken arms” or whatever it is idk it doesn’t sound grammatically correct ANYWAY, it’s got that and asking for help, then it also got parts about helping others and being there for others, like it’s a two-way thing. Idk what I’m going on about but that’s it 😂. The music also helps with the peace thing, it’s calming but there’s still substance behind it and there’s something to it for me, a bop seeker, to hold on to, but it isn’t overwhelming or overpowering, it’s good 😂.

Babylon - I feel so bad that the final song on this album I don’t really like either 😂. Again it’s a music thing, I think for this one it doesn’t flow very well for me so it just doesn’t sit right with me 😂. I might just be being dumb but I’m gonna be honest with you lads I feel like this song needs research 😂. So imma just say it’s here and it’s closing the album 😂.

K overall, this album SLAPPED. It was SO GOOD. Since I’ve mostly listened to older Lady Gaga (mostly from The Fame and Born This Way but some from ARTPOP) I wasn’t expecting a 2020 pop album to be SO GOOD 😂. I can definitely feel the journey and the story Gaga was telling in this album, and it’s clear she put so much emotion and effort into this so like applause to her come on 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏. Idk what else to say haha it’s just really fucking good, you can always tell when an artist has put a lot of emotion into a release and I REALLY feel it here, again well done Gaga fucking love it 😂.