#i was like 8 when i watched the dub of the original

[starburstsobsessions]

Okay yugioh fans...

[wanghedi]

What is it about meteor garden/boys over flowers that makes every east asian country feel like they need to remake it three times

[gemsofgreece]

10 best animated movies to watch in Greek

One of the best ways to practice a language is by watching a movie. Even more so, watching an animated movie dubbed in your target language can be really fun and useful, as these movies tend to include jokes (even inside jokes specific to the language) and songs. So, without further ado, here is my personal list of 10 best animated movies to watch in Greek.

10. Shrek 2

The reason I am recommending Shrek 2 instead of Shrek is just because I have the - maybe not standard, but certainly not unpopular - opinion that Sherk 2 is overall a funnier movie than Shrek. The Greek dub maintains successfully all the witty and somewhat adult-oriented humour. The voice casting done for characters like Donkey, Puss in Boots and Gingy is memorable and accurate.

9. Lion King

The voice casting is really good. Adult Simba has a sympathetic voice, Mufasa has a superb kingly radio voice, the hyenas are hysterical, Zazu is funny too, Nala's voice is warm and womanly. I also love Scar's voice. Scar has a sinister voice but it's a weaker, not as “thick” a voice as Mufasa’s, just like Scar relied on the evilness of his mind and not his muscles. Timon and Pumba's dub is iconic. Greek Can you feel the love and Be Prepared are fantastic versions of the songs. And Greek Mufasa just steals every scene vocally, especially those when he appears in Simba's memory.

8. Monsters INC

Another amazing voice casting for all characters but we all (Greeks) know that this is one man's show. Christos Hatzipanayotis just KILLS it as Mike Wazowski. I believe Greek Wazowski is much funnier than the original. Also let's remember "Fovízume yatí sas frondízume" lol the Greek "We scare because we care (for you)"

7. Finding Nemo

This dub did something special with the casting. It casted as Marlin and Dory two actors that had already worked together in a super famous comedy series as a couple. As a result, their chemistry is off the roof and Dimitra Papadopoulou's voice is incredibly accurate for Dory's character. Dory's whale language is hysterical and I also love the incredibly relaxed voice actor they found for that turtle reincarnation of Bob Marley. All other casting is good too, except I want to slap the extremely nasal Nemo.

6. Sleeping Beauty

Although I love this movie dearly and I really like its Greek version, I actually place it that high because I have found it to be really popular with foreign people. Some say they like Aurora's song better in Greek, which I find interesting as I really love the original. It is surely a masterful work though. It is an old movie and the Greek actors speak more elegantly, more sophisticatedly like people tended to, back then. The voices suit properly an aethereal princess and her dreamy prince, the fairies have these warm, elderly, ladylike voices and Maleficent also is imposing and very cold.

5. Aristocats

This is a perfect example where it is clear that both the voice casting directors and the actors worked their asses off. Every actor chosen is simply ideal for their character, including the kittens, Edgar the evil servant, the diva, the super SUPER old lawyer, the tomcats, Lady is so prim and proper, Uncle Waldo and the goose nieces with their Britsh accent Greek lol BUT. I have no idea how it dawned on them to make the dog couple have a comedic Heptanesian island accent but whoever that was, they were a bloody genius. Not only it's impeccably performed, it's twice as hilarious when you see them in an old Parisian environment speaking some really strong Heptanesian out of nowhere. The dogs in the original do not have any particularly heavy accent to my understanding, so if you watch the original after you have watched the Greek, you won't even understand they are supposed to be funny. I love that the Greek directors took the uneventful speech of the dogs and were like "Clearly, we 're gonna make them speak extreme Heptanesian" XD

4. Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron

Spirit has mostly narration and songs, it has very few dialogues. Its songs are amazing though and they really make a difference in the movie. In the Greek dub, both the narrating and singing role was given to singer - actor Yannis Savvidakis who is very talented. Not only he performed those songs wonderfully but I liked how well it maintained the feel of rock ballads coming from America, despite being sung in a language from a place that has nothing to do with any of this.

3. The Emperor's New Groove

Okay, we reached the Golden Triad. The Emperor's New Groove is, simply put, the best Disney comedy to date. If we consider that the Greek version is funnier than the original, as I strongly believe, you get a comedy for the ages. The voice casting is PERFECT. Every voice chosen is like it was created for the character, the characters get life and personality through the vocal performances. Kuzco sounds blasé, egocentric, sarcastic and you want to slap him silly, Kronk sounds like a soft dumbass himbo which is what he is, Pacha is your everyday good-hearted peasant, Yzma is killing it as the old ambitious narcissist. The humour is awesome and tranferred ideally into Greek comedy. It just works on every level. I can't explain it more, it's just perfect. While this movie is unfairly obscure and underrated on a global level, in Greece it was a hit and people still remember quotes by heart, exactly beause the dub was so god-tier level.

2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Okay. The dub of dubs. The Dub of Notre Dame. Seriously, this is a masterpiece on every aspect. Again, this is better than the original. Esmeralda has a sensual, really beautiful speaking voice and an outstanding singing one (Alcestis Protopsalti y'all), Frollo has an ideal casting in that he sounds like a bad person but in a totally realistic way (as he is also a very realistic villain) and he sounds so very sophisticated, very elegant. Sinister and elegant, which makes total sense as in the Disney version he is the supreme justice minister of Paris. Quasimodo is voiced by Sakis Rouvas (a sexy singer with a soft voice), who a few found like a somewhat odd pairing but it works perfectly since Disney's Quasimodo is soft, sensitive and considerably sophisticated as well. Clopin's singing is done by tenor Konstantinos Paliatsaras. The songs in the Greek version are in my opinion better performed than in English. Hellfire is quite possibly the most loved villain song in Greece. A small example to understand the level of perfection; the intro song "Bells of Notre Dame" has an extremely difficult ending note that only a few versions globally managed to hit. Even the original singer struggles with the note, he hits it but a little weakly, he is very supported and almost covered by backing vocals. In other versions, even this is not possible at all and singers just skip the note. The Greek version by Paliatsaras is one of the very few where the note is hit correctly, he essentially rips it apart, but I think it is also the only version (unless something escapes me) where the lyrics were different in a way that it made a difference to the singing. All versions I have heard are a variation of the original "bells, bells, bells, bells" which prepares the crescendo / raise of the pitch and then, "of notre DAAAAAME". Greek is the only version I have listened to where a full sentence is delivered effortlessly, without a repetition of "bells". "Ke ihún pandú kambánes stin karthyá tis panaYAAAAAS". It's a full sentence instead of a convenient one-syllable word over and over. Of course, it had to be done because the word for bells in Greek (kambánes) wouldn't work but it still was a harder thing to deliver than the repetition and it was accomplished even better. Okay, in short, Oscar worthy dub. Perfect in every way. I am in love with it, you can tell. The only reason it is not first is because the first spot had to be saved for the obvious one.

1. Hercules

The obvious first spot. Of course, it doesn't take it without deserving it. Greeks really made sure to give this one even more attention to detail. So, it doesn't only feel like it's natural, it also IS the most natural one, as contemporary languages go. All voice casting is once more ideal. Hercules, or Heracles as he is of course in Greek, has a sensitive, warm, sympathetic voice. They did a great thing with Megara when they gave the role to Evridiki who has a more mature, seasoned voice which fits Megara's character and not like a girly, princessy, out-of-place voice. Famous comedian Lakis Lazopoulos steals the show in all his scenes and they are MANY, since he plays Philoktetes and Pain AND Panic, all three of them! But he can't steal the scenes where Hades is in, as Konstantinos Tzoumas is in reality the big star of the movie. First and foremost, you watch this movie for Hades. One more fantastic detail in my opinion is what they did with the Muses. So you know, the original movie Muses are singing a liberal style of American gospel. Instead of ditching it as unfitting and entirely inaccurate, the Greek directors played along with it. Most notably, one of the Muses is voiced by Julie Massino, a vocal coach and singer born and raised in the US (I don't know if she has Greek descent) who lives and works in Greece, so she has a natural and strong American accent in her Greek! I just found this so cool. It is a really cool dub. They knew the stakes were very high and they delivered down to the very last detail.

*We really had to title this: Heracles - Beyond the Myth...!

[hooked-on-elvis]

A filming day during the '68 Comeback Special production (June, 1968) 🎥⚡

— Recollections by ANN MOSES, editor of TIGER BEAT and NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS MAGAZINES, as published in her Facebook on January 8, 2024, Elvis' 89th birthday.

Happy Birthday in Heaven to ELVIS PRESLEY , born January 8, 1935. He would have been 89 today. I feel the best way to honor Elvis is to share some of my in-person memories from his incredible Comeback Special from 1968 — Ann Moses

THE CONTINUING STORY OF ELVIS AND ANN MOSES (EDITOR OF TIGER BEAT) FROM NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS:

ELVIS TAKES OFF TINY TIM AND RICHARD HARRIS

Last week I told you how I was chosen to sit on the steps of the stage when Elvis was performing before the tele-film camera in Burbank. They were recording the hour-long Spectacular to be seen in American on December 3. I promised to tell you about my further encounters with Elvis this week, so here goes: As Elvis left the stage, his face dripping with perspiration, his straight hair hanging over his eyes after such an energetic half-hour workout, everyone expected the end had – too soon – arrived. Wrong! After a few moments the executive producer appeared to inform us that this had been a dress rehearsal and Elvis would be back as soon as his leather suit dried out, and go through it all again.

Great News

It was great news because to have a small taste of greatness would have been cruel. The first set whet our appetites and the gathering was openly happy that the appetite might now be satisfied (if that’s possible)! During the half-hour break, Priscilla Presley, Elvis’ wife, descended from the seats where she was watching him and glided backstage to see her husband. She did not return. Meantime, the executive producer stayed on stage to entertain the audience by answering questions about El. I asked how much he had contributed to the creation of the TV Special. The producer said El had done about 75 per cent of the creating. He also said El was easy to work with and his professionalism had cut the time allowed for filming. To fill time and keep us occupied, as if we weren’t content to merely sit and wait for him to return, the producer called the Blossoms on stage to do a song. This Negro (remember this was 1968 and the correct way to describe the black girls) girl trio, who performed on the old “Shindig” show and have aided the Righteous Brothers on their tours, backed up Elvis vocally in the special. “We’d like to sing a gospel song for you,” one of the girls said. “You know, Elvis really loves gospel songs. Every time we’ve had a break in the past two weeks he drags us off to some corner to sing gospel tunes, isn’t that a groove?” she went on.

The Blossoms (American female group): Photo 1 from 1966 (left), clockwise from top: Fanita James, Jean King, and Darlene Love. The group's formation changed over the years but those are the female vocalists of the Blossoms that worked with Elvis.

On the '68 Comeback Special, the full group appear onscreen during the Gospel number (second picture from 1968 — from left to right, Jean King, Elvis, Fanita James and Darlene Love). Darlene Love also sings the female vocals for 'Let Yourself Go' song, used for the bordello scene.

The Blossoms also have uncredited roles on the film 'Change of Habit' (1969) on which they act as Elvis' character's neighbors performing as his backing vocals for the song "Rubberneckin'", right at the beginning of the movie, although the female backing vocals for the actual song was recorded by other female artists during the American Sound Studio sessions in January, 1969. I'm not sure if for the movie version they recorded the song again, with the Blossom's backing vocals, but probably no — if that's so, the girls participation on the "Rubberneckin'" scene is specifically with their acting, dubbing the original recorded song. The movie was filmed between March and April, 1969. Still for the "Change of Habit" movie, the Blossoms sing the female backing vocals for "Let Us Pray", song used during the closing scene in the church. The Blossoms recorded a few more songs with Elvis.

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Continuing Ann Moses' article:

Then they sang a gospel tune and it was a groove too. I would have loved to hear Elvis join with them, but anyway. . . A few more minutes, in which the executive producer introduced all of Elvis’ buddies and then HE was back. This time he was much more at ease in front of the audience. He began to joke with those of us close by, sitting on the platform. “I hope you don’t mind if we do a few of those numbers again,” he smiled, “I really goofed up some of them the last time.” The band was ready and it began again. But this time seemed even more exciting because it was likely we knew him better. That may seem hard to comprehend since we’d only been there a couple of hours, but that’s the way he makes you feel!

Some new twists

Some of the songs had been recorded previously and when he’d get to them in the medley he just cut up the original lyric. Like when “Love Me Tender” came around again he sang “. . .you have made my life a wreck and I hate you so. . .” then he’d laugh and go on to the next tune. Once through the whole medley and everything stopped for a prop change. A special set had to be set up for the finale. Instead of leaving this time, Elvis bent down to me (are you ready for that – me!) and said “What would you like to hear?” I blurted out, “Your Time Hasn’t Come yet, Baby.” * He gave me an inquisitive look and I said: “The new single.” “Right,” he said and started singing the song.

Movie soundtrack: "Speedway" (1968)

"Your Time Isn't Come Yet Baby" was released a few weeks before the movie, as a single, on May 21, 1968, with "Let Yourself Go" on the opposite side (the second song, is part of the '68 Comeback Special setlist, used during the bordello scene where Elvis acts opposite to Susan Henning). "Speedway" movie was released only a few weeks before the filming for Elvis' NBC TV Special had begin, on June 12, 1968 (although the film was completed in the early summer of 1967), while the videotaping for the "'68 Comeback Special" was filmed from June 27-30, 1968.

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Continuing Ann Moses' article:

The microphone was turned off. He called to have someone turn it on. Another girl said, “Sing ‘U.S. Male,’” and he said in a deep voice “I’m a U.S. Male. . ." but still the mic was off. Others ere calling out songs now and while he waited for someone to turn on the mic he bent down to sign some autographs. He got back up and strummed the electric guitar and tried again, but still no sound. So he left. It’s really awful to complain in light of what we were all experiencing, but to think we would have had private little 15-minute concert except for that rotten dead-mic, well. . . it would have been great. The set was ready. It was a black box some 25 feet long and as high and wide as a room. At one end there were flashing colored lights darting in all directions. At the open end was our platform and the microphone. Elvis returned, casually, but things were not quite ready. The mic was on now. Someone asked “How’s your daughter?” Elvis answered, “Oh, about this long,” he held his hands out about a foot apart as he smiled broadly.

I found this moment on Youtube Shorts (Elvis talks about baby Lisa Marie and also sings one verse of a song we'll talk about soon, recorded by Tiny Tim):

As we know, Lisa Marie Presley was born in February 1, 1968. By the time the '68 Special was being filmed, little Yisa was close to reach 5-months-old. An infant, the King's little Princess. ♥

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Continuing Ann Moses' article:

“How long have I got?” he questions the director, “I’m getting embarrassed.” There was no answer, so he began singing “Tiptoe through the tulips” in Tiny Tim style. It was hilarious and even he couldn’t help breaking into laughter.

“Tiptoe Through the Tulips” by Tiny Tim. Also known as "Tiptoe Thru’ the Tulips with Me", is a popular song published in 1929. Singer, Tiny Tim, release his version in April, 1968. It was a new tune when Elvis was singing it out of fun during the '68 Comeback Special filming, as Ann Moses remembered happening.

You can hear Elvis singing one verse of this song on the Youtube Shorts I shared previously when Ann Moses mentions Lisa Marie). What a funny guy, our Elvis. ♥

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Continuing Ann Moses' article:

“Well, how about. . .’someone left the cake out in the rain’. . .” He was now mimicking, in an extra-deep voice, Richard Harris’ hit record “MacArthur Park.” Again, he laughed.

You can listen to Richard Harris' song on Youtube, here.

Everything was ready now. He took that special stance and GLARED at the camera. The music started. . .”If you’re lookin’ for trouble. . .you’ve come to the right place.” Rough and tough, he was singing “Trouble,” twitching lip and all. But then he called, “wait, wait. . .” and the tape stopped. He looked at us and said: “Did you see that?” He was laughing again. “I got my lip caught on the microphone!”

This above isn't the take Ann is referring to (I didn't found it [:(], but one of the takes he sings "Trouble" during one of the '68 Comeback Special's stand up concerts). You got the picture.

Continuing Ann Moses' article:

He goofed the famous lip twitch. Of course, it had to be right. It all started again and this time it was perfect. In the middle of “Trouble” the tape broke into “Guitar Man” with Elvis singing “well, I’ve come a long way from the car wash. . .” and he sings about heading back down the road with a guitar slung over his back. He picks up his guitar, slings it over his back and walks off down the black corridor into the flashing lights symbolizing the future. The audience was hysterical and that’s good because the reaction is all on tape too. It was so spontaneous and so beautiful. What I gather the special is all about is sort of a life story of Elvis through his music, ending of course, with him walking into the unknown future, that for him can only get better. All I can say is I didn’t sleep for two nights and I’m still having dreams. I guess that’s what can happen when you’re touched by magic! — Recollections by ANN MOSES, editor of TIGER BEAT and NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS MAGAZINES, as published in her Facebook page on January 8, 2024.

Pictures 1-2: Elvis '68 Comeback Special. Picture 3: Ann Moses on "Elvis: That's The Way It Is" (1970, theatrical version).

ON ANN MOSES: Ann is one of the girls appearing on "Elvis: That's The Way It Is" (1970) documentary on the fan interviews portion of the film. In one of her interviews years later, Ann says that she was a fan of Elvis previous to the '68 Comeback Special but her love for him hibernated for a while during Elvis' Hollywood years (60s) due to all the new music for the youth that was happening at the time, but then ever since 1968 and Elvis' comeback to performing live in 1969, Ann was again a die hard fan, instantly — and that she is until today. Every now and then she talks about Elvis Presley on her Facebook page, sharing articles she wrote on him to the magazines she was an editor for back in the days, also about her experiences watching Elvis performing live, the time she visited him on a movie set in 1969, and so on. Ann Moses published a memoir book where she talks about her experiences as a young woman living among big stars in the 60s and 70s - obviously she mentions Elvis there. Her memoir book is entitled "Meow! My Groovy Life with Tiger Beat's Teen Idols", published in 2017.

Picture 1-2: Elvis and Ann Moses during and after his press conference at the International Hotel (August 1, 1969 - the press conference was held right after Elvis' opening night at the hotel's showroom). Pictures 3 and 5: Elvis performing at the International hotel on August 2, 1969, both photos by Ann Moses. Picture 4: Ann Moses.

[cerealforkart]

I made myself these little dress up dolls because everyone’s getting changed all the time, here’s the first batch, outfits pre-episode 13

Design notes under the cut

[part 2] [part 3]

Lincoln

* I would first of all like to thank Lincoln for being shaped like a model (long boy) and thus very easy to dress up

* I forgot that Link needed to tear off his sleeves to make Normal a diaper in lesson 14, so in lesson 11 he grabs a sweater when I assume he goes home between escaping the FBI and returning to school

* Lincoln is so comically tall the Teeny costume (which I just moved from Normal to Link and edited to match Link’s pose) only reaches his knees. It actually looked so stupid that I had to edit it to make the Teeny costume slightly longer in the legs

* Link has two roombas in his room, he’s a clean boy, he isn’t walking around Taylor’s house in his bare feet, he doesn’t trust like that, it’s sock time

Scary

* I actually originally planned for Scary to have more piercings, but I forgot to add them in lesson 1. Let’s just say her mom won’t let her go crazy on the piercings, from what we’ve heard in rad facts (wouldn’t let her get a tongue piercing or learn guitar) that sounds in character

* I wanted to do the Shit Garden logo on Scary’s shirt like one of those metal bands that only people who like metal can actually read, but I only have so much time and patience

* I want so badly to play with Scary’s hair more, but I haven’t really had the chance, I hope there will be more excuses to give her different styles in the future, I like the braided bun for fancy occasions a lot

* Big T-shirt and shorts are peak pyjamas, love it for her. Also, you don’t need to know how long I spent trying to come up with something for her shirt to say

Normal

* Don’t tell anyone but I kind of miss drawing Teeny’s big stupid head every day, it was easy comedy

* I did actually draw a Jimmy Buffet design on the shirt before scribbling over it, you can barely see if you look closely

* I don’t actually have anything to say about Normal’s dance outfit so I guess I’ll just take this opportunity to talk about my Normal design in general. He was the one it took me the longest to land on and I’m still unsure if I’m happy with him, I want his hair to be long enough to just sorta hang and be greasy, but not so long that it will get in his face too much and I still consistently fail on it

* Not much to say about his sleepover fit either. Froggy :)

Taylor

* I had originally planned for everyone to be wearing their bracelets on their left wrists but in episode 8 it’s mentioned that Taylor is wearing his on his right, at that point I think I had only drawn Taylor’s bracelet once so it was easier to just change his and let him be a special boy (also, they keep the bracelets on post-FBI because Taylor never really has an opportunity to take it off and the others wear theirs in solidarity)

*After Lesson 10, Taylor swaps out the crest of friendship from Digimon to wear his dad’s ring of swapping as a necklace, he tends to grab at it when his dad or the topic of betrayal comes up

* I hate Taylor for his dance fit. No longer my favourite son

* Not really a design note but I watched the Sailor Moon dub in three parts on youtube with my little sister huddled around our home computer after school, we’re real OGs

Hermie

* I finally decided to add the Joker makeup to my Hermie design, I found a powdery sorta brush to use for it so now he’s a true clown. Good for him I guess

* You may notice that I’ve tweaked my Hermie design and his colour scheme just a little bit. This is because white Hermie is dead and you know what? Good for him. I also made his hair a little wavier for Scam, you’ll start seeing the updated Hermie design (as if you can tell there’s a difference other than the very slight change in hairstyle) in lesson 16, because I drew the lesson 15 pages before episode 23 came out and I wasn’t going to go back and change them

* Stupid Joker tie. Hate it

* No sleepover fit for Hermie. Tragic. They need to have another sleepover and include him

[thelegend2t]

The Jregswap Explanation Post

Hello, it has come to my attention that a lot of people are finding out about this old Jreg AU called Jregswap. And, if you found out about it recently, you don't really have much to go off of for information of it's short lived existence, except for this post which I'm making because of said lack of information)

Before I say the rest I would like to give credit to the main artist of Jregswap, @snalz-artt . Not only did he create the art, without him some of the most important stuff wouldn't have been recovered.

The Jregswap Extremes:

Here we have the first Reddit post about the concept, posted by the creator. It shows who the four main extremes would be switched with: Extremes who share many characteristics with them but also characteristics of the opposite quadrant. We have:

The Communo-Capitalist: A communist who believes in the creation of Anarcho-Capitalist Free Cities, where the top 1% would be culled regularly. (Based on this video)

The Homo-Fascist: A fascist who believes very strongly in LGBTQ+ rights. (A Centricide character)

The Anarcho-Fascist: An anarchist with extremely rightist views on cultural homogeny, race and identities in general. (A Centricide character but was also conceived in this video)

The Moneytaker: A radical capitalist who corrupts the state to bend to his will. (Based on this video)

Here's the art of the Swapped Extremes. Again, all art drawn by the person I mentioned at the start.

Here's some art featuring the leader of these extremes, Guevara Jreg. Snalz sent this to me when I asked him to help with this post.

Here's a comic the Jregswap team made. A dub of it was also the first Jregswap video ever made so that's cool.

The Jregswap Centrists:

The centrists in the order of this image are:

The Social Democrat, The Populist, The Centrist, The Neoliberal and The Moderate Conservative.

We never really got to many details on these guys, they seem self-explanatory enough I guess. They also seem to be the ideologies in the most moderate positions of each compass quadrant. Socdem libleft, Populist authleft, Neolib libright and Modcon authright.

None of these characters are based on Jreg characters, except for The Centrist who appeared in The Political Compass Rap at the end.

Here's an image of Socdem buying a non-binary flag from Geuvara.

The Jregswap Wackies:

Here's the image the creator posted on Reddit explaining the wackies of this universe and the accompanying art.

Guntakers origin

Techprims origin

Ecofascist origin

Anarcho-Nazbol origin

Accelerationist origin (As a note, this idea was conceived before Accelerationism made an appearance in Centricide 8)

Here's an image of this AU's Nazbol equivalent, The Bleeding Heart Libertarian. Bleeding Heart Libertarians are economically right but culturally left, this idea was conceived of before Jreg had a Pink Capitalist character.

The Jregswap Overtons:

Here are the moderates, or as they were called in Jregswap, The Overtons!

The (Russian) Reactionary, The Classical Liberal, The Wobblie (Industrial Workers of the World) and the Democratic Confederalist.

Similar to the centrists we never got to much information on these guys, but they are all real movements so whatever.

And here's Wobblie telling you to join a union.

The Jregswap Videos:

JREGSWAP - ''Homophobic Problems'' [Pilot Episode] https://web.archive.org/web/20200628100030/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRi4sjPDRKU&gl=US&hl=en

JREGSWAP: Know Your Ideologies

Sadly, these are all the videos ever made for Jregswap, though creating an entire alternate history scenario is pretty cool I'd say.

I would again like to thank Snalz, without him I wouldn't have a link to the second Jregswap video.

[otakween]

Digimon Tamers - Volume 2

It turns out this series is super out of print and rare. My library only has the first 2 volumes, so I'll be reading the rest after this one online (if you want to buy it it's like $80-$100 per volume!) It's a little bit of a relief honestly, because the volume that I got from the library is pretty crusty and battered. I think I saw some dried shredded cheese on some of the pages 🤢 Really shows who the audience is.

Ch. 8

This manhua has really bad continuity and no sense of space. Characters will just pop out of nowhere. Culumon is the worst offender, but in this chapter there were a bunch of dramatic scenes between Rika and Renamon and then it just randomly turned out that Takato and Jian were watching the whole time but not saying anything? Riiiight.

I was really confused at the end and thought that Yamaki was saying he created a digimon but it was actually a really clumsy flashback to the original digimon programmers. Confusing panels...

Ch 9

Wow, the Devas arc already, it obviously felt like it took a lot longer to get here in the anime. I wonder if they'll do all the Devas or condense them/do some off screen?

At least one thing that's nice about this manga is that I can take in the Devas designs without them jumping around too much.

Ch. 10

Some of these jokes are flying over my head. Takato tries to name his group of friends "team rock" and he mentions "a skinny guy on TV who talks about the power of positive thinking." I wish they would cut out the unfunny, outdated material and just tell the damn story >:/

Worst boys Hirokazu and Kenta show up to reestablish themselves as part of the party...yaaay

Didn't realize that MegaloGrowmon was called WarGrowlmon in the dub. I guess it is kind of nice to keep the naming conventions more consistent. "Megalo" is sort of a weird prefix (megalomania?)

Ch. 11

I'm still obsessed with Jian's computer that can read trading cards as if they were CD-ROMs. I wish that technology existed!

Two perfect evolutions in one chapter? Pretty rushed but okay...they still looked cool. (Taomon and Rapidmon). I think the Wonderswan card game rot my brain a little cuz when I saw Rapidmon I was thinking about all the option cards I could use with him.

Ch. 12

Other than my fave Antylamon, I think Indramon is the most memorable of all the devas. His design is really unique, he's massive, and he kicks the shit outta Impmon. I like his emo hair too lol

When they realize that Hirokazu's homemade blue card works I'm surprised they didn't move onto a counterfeit card making scheme after that. I just it only works if it was made with pure intentions or something.

Ch. 13

Why is Juri's dub name "Jeri" when "Julie" was right there?

Damn, they really killed any suspense with Makuramon's intro there. In the anime he's presented as a kid at first but here they showed him as a kid but then slapped the name tag "Makuramon" right next to him...

They skipped a bunch because Juri just magically knows that Guilmon exists. They showed Hirokazu and Kenta meeting him, but not her. Oh well, I guess.

Ch. 14

Calling Juri, Hirokazu and Kenta "groupies" is pretty funny, not gonna lie. So accurate.

I like that they're clearly ID-ing each deva as its corresponding zodiac animal. I think there was a little bit of that in the anime, but not as spelled out as it is here. Usually I don't like to be spoon fed, but there's something satisfying about them saying "that's the boar, that's the monkey, etc."

[crowsoundsonly]

rachel's "i'm on winter break and have time to write" sleepover !!

hi everyone !! i am so excited to actually have time to sit down and write without university looming over me like storm clouds. there won't be a lot of rules, just a lot of fics and fun.

a few things to know:

send requests !!

no limit on asks or prompts requested !! i'm taking requests through jan 31, 2024.

if you have an original idea, send it my way !! it doesn't have to be from the prompt list.

if you want to join, please do !! write something !! tag me !!

i don't write super explicit smut. but i will def write some light smut and kissing and whatnot if requested.

no dub/con, no incest, no ultra-kinky stuff. sorry guys.

people i write for...

bucky barnes

ben barnes characters (the darkling, billy russo, caspian)

loki

will graham (hannibal)

cillian murphy characters (thomas shelby, jonathan crane, robert fischer)

tangerine (bullet train)

bruce wayne

geralt of rivia (the witcher)

prompts:

plot:

1. touch starved 2. hurt/comfort 3. holding onto the other’s shoulders for support 4. putting a hand over the other’s mouth to shut them up 5. showing up at each other’s house late at night 6. washing the other’s body 7. kissing their bruises and scars 8. sitting close and knees touching 9. meeting the family 10. teaching the other to… 11. watching the other when they are in their element 12. comfort kisses, goodbye kisses, first kisses, etc. 13. oral fixation 14. hand fetish

quotes:

1. "You know you’re pretty much the worst. In the best way possible." 2. "You smell good." 3. "You said I love you too fast." 4. "You were not supposed to find out about it." 5. "How long has it been since someone touched you like this?" 6. "Even if you don’t feel the same… I just wanted to tell you." 7. "Can you stay with me?"/"Don't go. Please." 8. "I say I’m over it but I still imagine it’s his hands in my hair when I’m alone.” 9. "I'm anything you want me to be." 10. "How can you be so smart, yet so stupid?" 11. "You’re dead to me." 12. "I thought it was just a silly crush, but it turned into more. I’m sorry, I know you don’t feel the same about me." 13. "Why are you staring at me?" 14. "I never thought this would happen." 15. "I am a god." 16. "Where did you go?" 17. "You were in my dream last night." 18. "Please don’t look (at me)…" 19. "I know I should be happy with friendship. So is it wrong of me to not be satisfied?" 20. "Stop worrying." 21. "So you've fantasized about me?" 22. "Why are you unbuttoning your pants?" 23. "You're shivering."

au’s:

1. babysitter 2. soulmates 3. flower/coffee/book shop 4. time travel 5. neighbors 6. coworkers 7. teachers 8. royalty 9. historical 10. fairytale 11. wedding 12. fake dating

happy asking and happy holidays ! - rachel

my masterlist :)

[obscure-song-tournament]

Obscure Song Tournament Masterpost - Round One!

Bracket images + list below the cut. (Long post)

Extremely apologies for that fucked up formatting, it was the easiest way for me to set it up & now I don’t feel like redoing it <3

BRACKETS

Matches will be updated with links when the posts go up :-) (links removed when votes finished. Link link whyyyyy </3)

A

虚に産まれた毒蟲達の選択 - Haint VS. Keep Away - Insane Driver

Manchester - Lana Wild VS. Pulp Friction - Fool Heavy

Scatterbrain - Casual Tees VS. Dopamine - The Fundementals

Angelic 2 the Core - Corey Feldman VS. Sad Hit Song - V is for Villains

Cosmos - Jawbreaker Reunion VS. Patches - Jawbreaker Reunion

John Congleton & The Nighty Nites VS. Away From You - Nicole

New Dance - DEERPEOPLE VS. Not My Good Side - Deafpony

Maple Leaf Etc. - Maxshh VS. Give Me a Moment - 2far2jump

B

Goodbye Goodnight - Eudora June VS. Mama - Eudora June

The Helper - Giannah Noelle VS. The Hummingbird - Miss E

Worm Song - Sunny Side Down VS. Victim of a Siren - Seraph Siege

There’s a Darkness (but There’s also a Light) - The Wild VS. Ray - Dylans TIE

Alive - GON VS. Red - Oh Dorian

You are Loved - David Lamotte VS. Getting Around to it(Maybe) - Ollie Oxyn

Timed Out - blockkids VS. Where U Goin? - Half In the Bag

All That I Am - Maia Grandy VS. For Me - Dearlie

C

The Hidden Word - Noe Venable VS. Echo in the Hills - Carrie Elkin TIE

Hold Onto Myself - Yendawg VS. YOUR GALAXY - ROZLYN PELL

critter song - tidepooler VS. Juliet and Juliet - Kactus Kid

Low Rent Truman Show - Marc with a C VS. Body Heat - Guard Petal

Pub Money - Bag of Cans VS. Take a Peek - Heat Above

Daddy Daedalus watched me GO DOWN IN FLAMES! - lonely carp VS. The Danger - Patricia Wallinga(twt: @ pwallinga)

Call Me Captain - Emrys Layne (tumblr: @ callmecapt) VS. Insecurity Impermanence - Ian Woodside

Deep Blue - Grapefruit VS. You’re So Hot To Me - Commuted

D

Fly Octo Fly Piano Arrangement - Original - ButterShutter VS. PIANO GAMES - Hazma Notes

Devil’s Game - Lonovve VS. Worst in the World - Uncle Outrage

Cheese (Original Mix) - Cheese VS. The Best Poop of Your Life - Squatty Potty

Сопряжение сфер - Ясвена VS. Hokutoshichisei no Ichiya - Akiko Ikuina

Pink Clouds - Sammy J VS. There Will be Someone at My Funeral Who Doesn’t Want to be There - Sammy J

The Crayon Song - Class of 3000 VS. Eco - Jim Valley

Kinky Murder Machine - Slav the Dog VS. TECVM CIRCVMAMBVLARE NOLO - John Linnel

Imagination - Niel Innes VS. Me & Nikolai - Pale Young Gentlemen TIE

E

Checking My Pulse - Alix Olsen VS. Eat Your Heart Out, Sigmund Freud - Mollie Maxwell

Pink Lemonade - Kristi Krause VS. Don’t Want You - Carpark

Home(Here) - Big Tree VS. Runaways - Big Tree

Przyszłam do miasta - Ballady I Romanse VS. 10,000 Days - OK Glass

Cross My Heart - Richard Myhill VS. Hurricane - My Cat Umi

Bitches (Do as Bitches Are) - Brain’s All Gone VS. Rotten - Missouri Surf Club

Born To It - Freefonix VS. No Place Like Home - Freefonix

8:15 - 3:30 VS. last week/month/year - rain

F

Pointillize - Raccoon Fink VS. Tokyo Koya - Van

execute - ninty VS. Bloodlust - ninty

Better Red than Dead - KELChip VS. Bloodbird - KELChip

EGO - Powderpaint VS. Tax Evasion Scheme Artist - Golden Line

.. - subeteanatanoseidesu VS. Fictional Girl - cindersnow

Nighttime (I fall asleep) - SamX VS. No Time at All - MORE

GOTH BITCH DUB - 621 gecs VS. BORKYCORE - ida deerz (ft. kaj strife)

To.Get.Her - Nixis VS. Hyper Arcade - Glass Daydreams

G

Dusk and Dawn - Das Fi VS. Full of Light - Le Professeur

Between You and Me - Clementine Werchola VS. Digital Love - SilverTunes

I Wish Was Dead - Cherry and the Other People VS. Monmon_Fanmoran - Mochitsune

Splitter Girl - Weevildoing VS. Can Graze the Roof bring you back to childhood? - Anomaly Vector

Moongrains - Anomaly Vector (ft Gumi Ai) VS. Memories - Jens East (Ft Lotta Rasva) TIE

Black Plate - Profilgate VS. Ode to Janey Lou - FOE

It’s Murder - Skeleton Staff VS. The Dreaming - Marquis of Vaudeville

Best Friend - Taitoki VS. Chakra - Marnage

H

Rusalka and The Shepherd Girl - The Forgetmenauts VS. Minesweepers - Peter Bellamy

Four Tall Trees - Leslie Fish VS. Carmen Miranda’s Ghost - Leslie Fish

Butterfly/Drowsy Maggie - Double Indemnity VS. Captain Ward - Tempest

The Finchley Waltz - Robin Grey VS. The Trials Of Oscar Wilde - Alan John

Blood and Passion - Alexander James Adam VS. Winter’s Tooth - Alexander James Adam

He of Sidhe - Alexander James Adam VS. Curiosity - JTSteam

they say you see the sparrow fall - pabrizzer VS. Labyrinth - Madeline S

Star Fire - Julia Ecklar and Cynthia McQuillin VS. The Phoenix - Julia Ecklar

I

Liar and the Hound - Beneath Eden VS. Song For Sandy - Thirsty Moon

Snake in the Grass - Couch Slut VS. Bodysuit - FlooringCo

On a Walk - Fort Womb VS. Pause Button - Particle Devotion TIE

Death is a Girl - Skippocalyptic VS. Sea ll - Momoi ALLU

52 Pickup - Z. VS. Are You Underwater - The Gerbils

山谷澗 - Mysterain小雨樂隊 VS. Lately - Strip the Image

J

613 - FC the Kid VS. Never Be Famous - Hussalonia TIE

Too Hot - Jay Safari VS. Lhasa -Shapaley

We Made it - JAMIEvx VS. Collide - Harold J TIE

412 (coffin built for two) - Mollie Maxwell VS. Vampire Bop - Feel Spectres

No Bird Sing - Plastic Lines VS. Unretractable Fact - Second Person

SCARY* - EXIT ONLY VS. THREATS - ILLFIGHTYOU

Real Woman - comfort VS. Preserve - PETROLEUM! GENDERLOSS

See You in The Pit - Rotten Youth VS. No Proposals - Physical Plant

K

Rebels - Old Death Whisper VS. Maneater - Blue Eved Blondes

Candy - Joe Mama VS. la somnambule - La Femme Pendu & Damien Done

Center Stage - Howard Martin VS. Lethal Temptress - The Mendoza Line (COVER)

Gears of the Atom Man - Angels of Liberty VS. Inhuman Liberty - Dr. Arthur Krause

Wake Up Girl - Skeeter Truck VS. Pennies in my Pocket - Stamen and Pistols

Flower Gurl - Ronen VS. Dark Rip - Teen Girl Scientist Monthly

Heart of the TARDIS - Time Crash VS. Trust Me - Time Crash

The Machine - Asta Wylie VS. Not Yet - Leo and the Little Things

L

Grace - Raelle VS. Transfixed - Joss Smith, NUYD

Animal - Xisco Feijoó VS. No Me Lames - Natalia Cassis

Hyperphantasia - Fearful Earful VS. We Who Are About To Live - Le Professeur

Tonight Eternity Alone - Rene Claus VS. HEAD OF HOLOFERNES - lonely carp

Milá má - Nahore VS. Cardigan Sweater - Jasmine Kennedy TIE

Side B - Alohaha VS. Side A - Alohaha

The Binding Of Isaac - Schmekel VS. the man who wasn't there - A Fictitious Band

Let It Go - The Murder of Crows VS. Slip! - Bright Orange

M

Boy who Blocked the Sun - Demi the Daredevil VS. Rainy Day Georgia - Jayne Trimble TIE

Burn it Down with Math - Deuce of Gears VS. Camouflage - Ed's Redeeming Qualities

Reach - Rachel West VS. Haircut Song - Shannon Moser

BurnerPhone - Dirty Heathen (ft. Bittersweet Evergreen) VS. Reunion - Brent Spiner & Maude Maggart

Deadname Birthday - The Timewasters VS. Small Parts of Something Much Larger - Suns

STILL FEEL IT - caseJackal VS. Sunshine and Lollipops 2020 - Sad Snack

Smooth Operator - Supernothing VS. Say What You Want - Growth Spurt

Бетонные блоки - Truckdrivers VS. Mirèmèngies - Edona Vatoc

N

Have You Ever Seen a Duck, Like, in Real Life? - lisa the beauty queen VS. Zip Ties and SSRIs-Dinosawh

Housekeeper- Faun Fables VS. Kill the King - Rabbit Rabbit Radio

Caroline - Espers VS. Mega Mouse - Putrid Shark

Whiskey and Water - Parader VS. Tales of the Phantom Ship - Nathan

Raising the Dead! - Jessica Law VS. Lotus Eaters - Jessica Law TIE

Autism Murder Memorial- Fit to Work VS. All Cats are Beautful - Fit to Work

Moon - Feel Spectres VS. Blow Up the Moon - Feel Spectres

All For Me Grog! - Spud Bugs VS. A Place We Could Call Home (Turncoat Collective) - Spud Bugs

O

Reclaim - Porch Cat VS. Perspectives - The Cast Before the Break

Orpheus on Ice - The Small Calamities VS. Violin Concerto in the Key of Crippling Regret - The Small Calamities TIE

Paint By Numbers - From Fragile Seeds VS. Homme Offer Knee - Ben Below

Tomb Song - Nora Keyes VS. Hold My Heart - The Dune Sea

Each Time She Calls - Jessie Goslin VS. Daisies - Heather and Hay

A Catalyst - Blood Crying Twinks VS. flexible guy - clown residue

Howard - Demo - Mother Aiden VS. going thru it - teamonade

Blooming Strangely - Ginger & Pear VS. Pressed - Ginger & Pear

P

Alright! Heartcatch Precure! - Aya Ikeda VS. 恐竜あげみざわ★ - Kyouruu Friends

星の旅人 - Sayaka Senbongi & Yumiri Hanamori VS. Gyokuza no GEMINI - Eclipse

The End of the World - Fred Deakin VS. Weekend Anarchist - MEMODEMO

運命は “I" Love You - チームDEKAI VS. Endure Emptiness - Kain Vinosec

Heritage of Sampled Electronic World - KR. Palto47 VS. Ultimate Performance of Abandoned Magic Boxes ~Rack of Junks - KR. Palto47

Liminal Spaces - Logan Fredricks VS. 薔薇は美しく散る × 輪舞-revolution - okurigi66

297回の試行 - Image44 VS. 川のそばで - Image44

DiViNE - EXiNA VS. We'll make a monster of you - Freefonix

[satirates]

I decided to watch Ninjago from the beginning again since it's being a while. Some of these episodes I haven't watched since 2012, but most of them I haven't watched since 2019 when I had my big Ninjago phase. Here's my thought on each season's from what I remember (I'm curious to see how it will change): Season 1: Good season with good characters. The final was PHENOMENAL and I watched it, like, 20 times. Baby me absolutely loved Zane and Hated Lloyd for some reason (I think it's because he was a brat) 9/10 Season 2 : I was not a big fan of the first couple of episodes or the city setting, but I again loved the final. It was so awesome! Still hated Lloyd for no reason, even has a teenager. 7/10

Season 3 (Rebooted): I strongly disliked that season, but for an excellent reason. I waited so long for season 3 that I couldn't wait any longer to watch it when it's release... in English... A language I didn't speak at the time. So my entire season 3 experience was trying and failing to understand the plot of a very confusing scenario that ended in my favourite character dying. I must tell that I wasn't a fan at the time, lol. 2/10

Season 4( ToE): I did wait for the French dub to watch season 4 and 5 so at least I could understand what's happening. I really liked season 4. Discovering new elemental masters was really fun, and they really nailed the tournament aspect of it all. 8/10

Season 5 (Possession): I didn't like this season when I watched it in 2015, but I loved it when I rewatched it in 2019. I think it's because I don't like scary things, so the ghost theming was too spooky for me when I was a baby. Strangely enough, this is the season that made me like Lloyd. I just needed him to be menacing, apparently. 9/10

Season 6 (Skybound): First season I watched in 2019 after giving up on Ninjago mid-possession in 2015. I knew at the time it was a very controversial season, but I LOVED it. It was my favourite so far. Not only did this season had very high stake, the Djin was also a very interesting villain. 10/10

Season 7 (HoT) : I'm not going to lie, I barely remember anything about the Hands of times other than it being focus on Kai and Nya and their parents. I don't remember disliking it, but it was clearly not my favourite. I don't remember/10

Season 8 (SoG): I'm going to say the same things for every season of this trilogy: I loved it! I liked the new design a lot, the animation looked amazing, and the scenario was the best we ever had. This was so cool. 10/10

Season 9 (Hunted): Same has the precedent season, but even better! Definitely the best season from what I could remember. I still own so many Lego sets from this era of Ninjago haha. 12/10

Season 10 (MotO) : I don't dislike this season, but it felt too short. I was really disappointed to see how the stake rise in the last episode without the emotions really landing that well. A miss in my opinion. But that final with the tornado of creation ? Fire! 6/10

Season 11 ( SFS) : I have weird feelings about this one. I do like what they did with the 11 minutes format in some cases (especially in the more humorous episodes), but it also felt like it prevent the episodes from reaching their true potential (haha). Everything has to start and end way too fast. I did like the Fire and Ice theming and both Asphera and the forgotten realm. If entertaining, this season was a bit underwhelming. 7/10

Season 12 (Prime Empire): Same critiques for the 11min format with this season (and onward). But I did like this one way more! The video game theme was really well-made and discovering the universe was really the selling point of season 12 for me. My biggest problem with it was that they just copied the scenario of Skybound which wasn't really original. 8/10

Season 13 ( MotM) : A Cole season! Yeah! This is the last season I remember really liking . The setting and scenario were fascinating, but a bit too simple for my taste. I think I was just happy to see my boy get a season to himself after 10 years . 7/10

Season 14 (The Island) : I don't really remember anything about this one. It was okay, I guess? It was just a really weird release. 5/10

Season 15 (Seabound: I officially dropped Ninjago after the first 10 episodes of Seabound or so. Not necessary because they were boring, but I wasn't invested in Ninjago anymore. I know Nya became the ocean since I was spoiled, but I need to watch this season to make my own decisions about it. 6/10

Season 16 (Crystallize): Haven't watched it, but oh boy did I heard bad things about it. This is on my list of new content to consume for a while now, so I need to watch it sooner than later. One day I will know/10

So yeah, wish me good luck! I hope I don't end up disliking things I loved as a baby, that would suck.

[a-forbidden-detective]

Meisterdetektiv Ron Kamonohashi, Episodes 6, 7 & 8: Toto curses! OMG!

Episode 6: The Live Broadcast Murder

“Shit! Hast du eine Bindehautentzündung?” (Do you have conjunctivitis?) Toto exclaimed as he saw again his friend with pink red eyes at the opening of episode 6.

I was a bit taken aback with German-dubbed Toto Isshiki. He’s so generous using cuss words. It feels like he’s used to it when he’s in a pinch or in an unpleasant situation that it comes out from his mouth automatically. What would his Oma say?

There’s a particular reason why it made me 100 per cent convinced that Youhei Azakami truly embodies Ron’s voice. Not only he was playful when he sang his daba-daba-du, but during the Live Broadcast Murder arc, Azakami’s rendition—the way he gasped and then called out Toto’s name—is more dramatic, pronounced, and dare I say, erotic that reminds me more of the voice he uses when he does his BL CDs. I love it. I love, love, love it! There is a desperate ring to it, as if half of him had died.

However, Ron’s German dub is urgent, a matter of fact, very surprised, alarmed.

I guess, it helps when one is a singer, which Azakami is.

Yet, overall, German-dub Ron’s delivery of his incoming depression at the tail end of the case is almost the same like the original JP version.

“Toto, ich kann nicht.”

When Ron DE dub replied to Toto’s declaration that they shouldn’t stop doing it because they are doing the right thing, I felt that. Then Toto showed the invitation that made me think, “is the anime really setting up something different from the manga?”!

Toto: Die lag in meinem Briefkasten. Es steht LEIDER keinen Absender dabei aber es macht ja nichts. (I found the invitation in my post box. Unfortunately there’s no sender’s name. But that doesn’t matter.)

ES MACHT NICHTS???

Toto, wouldn’t you feel a bit suspicious? Were you part of this conspiracy?

Toto again: Wir brauchen einen Tapetenwechsel, ja. Natürlich werde ich dich begleiten. (We need a change of scenes. Of course, I am going to accompany you.)

Natürlich.

Ron: Wir beide werden zuckersüße Träume haben. (We are going to have sweet dreams.)

It really sounded as if they spent somewhere for a getaway for the two of them alone.

Episode 7

I realised that upon watching the anime again, there is this part where Toto was so taken of Princess Ori that Ron’s opening the dome’s roof was intentional. Toto was so mesmerised of the Orion Constellation idol that Onadera then said after seeing Toto’s face that just by watching Princess Ori he became an astronomy fan and Ron found a way to interrupt it.

Anyway, did I say that I am loving the fact that this Toto is fond of cursing.

Fuck ! Said Toto upon seeing what transpired inside the dome and thinking that Ron was hurt or worse dead.

RonToto called Orihime as Vega in German dub.

When Toto ran outside to begin searching for evidence to exonerate Ron, instead of “to investigate of course!” Toto’s reply was a resolute “Dir dein arsch (zu) retten!”! (To save your ass!)

Episode 8

I cannot believe that German dub Ron really said: “No shit Sherlock !” We know this moniker, but Ron sounded as if he was making fun of his ancestor. 😼

It is very noticeable how the silence in between the conversation of John Grizzly and Toto dominated the scenes. Grizzly tried to scrutinise RonToto’s relationship that took Toto by surprise because what could he say he didn’t know this person much.

All in all it was a decent German dub.

PS:

I forgot to add that during the second episode, when Ron assured Amamiya that Toto would solve the Piggybank murder case, he told Toto’s boss :

“You can go home, Frau Amamiya!”

Proof that Ron in the anime doesn’t have any interest on the female police officer.

[gallavichthings]

Writer's Spotlight - Rita

This interview is long overdue and has been long in the making! I'm super pleased and excited to finally present a friend and my right arm on this blog, Rita aka @sickness-health-all-that-shit aka whatyouandihave on AO3, author of Lifeline, Possiblities, Short&sweet and several other fics, and some great gifs too!

R: I grew up in a small-ish town, dreaming about going to university, finding a job I loved, and living on my own with a cat as my companion. I'd say my 13-year-old self would be pretty happy with how my life turned out! I've always been into tv shows and films, plus languages and literature (that's what I mainly studied at uni) and I've managed to find a job that combines those things, which is the absolute dream! I translate and adapt lines into Italian so that dubbing actors can replace the original dialogues of movies, tv shows, documentaries and the like. Besides reading and writing and watching shows, I love travelling, enjoying good food and spending time with my family.

GT: Oh, that's a great job! It looks like you're living your dream, and I'm very happy for you! I assume you must watch all kinds of shows for your job, but what do you watch in your leisure time?

R: Yeah, for work I've had to watch plenty of children's cartoons, anime and lots of unscripted programs like reality television, cooking competitions and things like that. All stuff I would not watch in my spare time 😁 Some of my favourite shows are Btvs, Doctor Who, Breaking Bad, The Office, Outlander, Derry Girls, Peaky Blinders, Dexter and Shameless. I also watch a lot of British comedy panel shows (Taskmaster, QI, Big fat quiz of the year etc) and stand up comedy.

GT: Oh, some of my favorites on this list! Do you read/write fics for these other fandoms as well?

R: Nope! I actually came to fanfic pretty late, despite all the years spent lurking in fandom spaces. I only really started reading fics about 4 years ago, and that was after the Ian and Mickey prison reunion, having binged the first 8 seasons of Shameless a few months before that. I had read a couple fics for other fandoms over the years, but I honestly wasn't that interested. I was content with just rewatching the shows I loved and maybe making up my own headcanons, but nothing more. I guess you could say Ian and Mickey have made a fanfiction convert out of me!

GT: What was it about them that you think made you want to write your own fics, especially coming into the fandom late, as you said yourself, when there were already a lot of fics written.

R: Honestly, it just looked like so much fun to play around with them and all the themes you could explore through their story. When I first started reading fics, it opened so many avenues in my mind (I was so convinced I wouldn't be into AUs at first. Wrong!) and I was also reading tons of meta that had been posted on Tumblr over the years, which I had a lot of thoughts about. I think part of it was about needing a creative outlet at that point. I hadn't really written fiction before, and definitely not in English, but I think I'd always wanted to try and write stories. Building a world and creating characters from scratch would have been way too daunting, but playing around with my Ian and Mickey 'dolls' was instant, cathartic fun. There's just so much potential there, so much history and emotional depth to these characters and their love story that keep me coming back to them over and over.

GT: Do you tend to write more from Ian's or Mikey's pov?

R: I alternate a lot depending on the vibe of fic, but I guess maybe Ian's? The longest multichapter I have up is almost entirely written in Ian's pov, and one fic I'm writing at the moment that's gonna be longer than my usual is also from his pov. I have a lot of fun with Mickey's, but I really love exploring Ian's inner world in depth.

GT: What do you consider your forte when writing fic, the thing that comes to you more easily? And what do you struggle with sometimes?

R: I love writing dialogue the most, and I think I'm pretty good at making it sound in character for them and nailing their voice. I definitely struggle with descriptions and maybe pacing. I'd love to write a slow burn but I don't think they're for me. I get too impatient lol

GT: What kind of fics do you write the most? 

R: I mostly write one-shots, but hope to work on more multichapters in the future. I've also posted a series of short ficlets. Lots of fluff, some angst, though always with a happy or at least hopeful ending. Maybe someday I'll try my hand at some smut? Who knows. A lot of my fics tend to be either canon compliant fill-ins that expand on canon scenes or different first meeting AUs, especially meet-uglies. I also like including Mandy and exploring her friendship with Ian and sibling relationship with Mickey. I love writing banter and sprinkling in humour in my fics.

GT: I'm a huge sucker for meet-uglies! Which of your fics are you the proudest of?

R: Oh, the one I'm most proud of has got to be The stranger in my brother's bed. It was my first stab at a multi-chapter, my first AU and a chance to play around with different POVs and an unfolding plot. It's also still my most popular fic to date. It's very sweet and fluffy and warm. When it comes to one-shots my favourite I've written is probably Unexpected, a dialog-heavy meet-ugly with lots of banter and flirting. And then there's Caught me by surprise, my second attempt at a multi-chapter that's still currently a WIP. I do hope to finish those last two chapters someday, but I'm proud of it all the same. It's the longest thing I've written and I got to have fun with tropes like Fake dating, Secret relationship and Bed sharing.

GT: Are there any tropes or ideas you haven't had a chance to explore yet but you'd like to someday?

R: I'd like to write some fill-ins for the early seasons, especially exploring Mickey's pov. Of course a lot of amazing fics like that exist already, but it'd be a chance to expand on my headcanons and do some interesting character studies. Other than that, I have a few ideas for plot-heavy stories that sometimes I think might be too ambitious for me but also can't get out of my head. If I ever write them, they may feature tropes such as Childhood friends, Soulmate AU, Private investigator AU, and even a Genie AU, though fantasy is definitely not my go-to genre. I'd also love to write an angsty Enemies to lovers or a classic Roommates AU. And maybe some canon divergent stuff.

GT: Where do you get inspiration from?

R: Movies and tv shows I watch, stories I read or random posts I see on Tumblr are all potential sources of inspiration for me. Sometimes I'll get particularly obsessed with a line a character said in canon or a certain scene and a story just forms in my head around it. And when all else fails, I go looking for a prompt that speaks to me to get things going.

GT:What about motivation? Do you force yourself to take time to write or do you wait for motivation to strike randomly?

R: I'm still trying to find a balance that works when it comes to motivation, to be honest. I've gone many months waiting for motivation to strike, and getting more and more frustrated and disappointed the longer I waited in vain for it to come. Other times I'll try to force it, but end up convincing myself I have lost any ability to write I once had 😅 I definitely work better with some sort of deadline and 'peer pressure'. That's why I'm trying to participate in as many fandom events as I can at the moment. I struggle with anxiety, so I used to think it would be too stressful for me, but I need some structure in order to be productive. And sometimes it is a matter of getting yourself to write a little bit (almost) every day, just to move things along and keep the momentum going.

GT: What's your writing process like?

R: If it's something long or plot heavy I'll prepare a bit of an outline first, but I'm not generally big on outlines. When I go to write, I'm usually sitting on my bed or couch with my laptop. I tried having music on or ambient sounds, but honestly I work better in silence. I think of the scene I want to describe and the thoughts and feelings I want to convey and watch it as a film in my head, hearing the characters voice the dialogue. Then I put it all into words, if they behave that day and just come to me 😁 I first do a rough draft, trying not to edit too much as I go but just keeping going until I reach either the end of the story (in the case of a short-ish one-shot) or a good stopping point. Then once it's done I start editing, filling in details I left out, double checking things online and making various changes until I'm reasonably satisfied with it. At that point I'll send it over to my beta reader.

GT: Do you write about other characters or ships as well? If not, would you someday?

R: No, not really. Even if I include other Shameless characters, the focus is always on Ian and Mickey and their relationship. And I don't think I'll ever write about anyone else. I have a bit of a one-track mind when it comes to ships and fandoms. I can only really focus on one at a time, and even if I love lots of other shows and media, I don't feel the need to create for them, or be all that involved. I think that, beyond my fascination with Ian and Mickey as characters and as my all-time favourite ship, this fandom space and the community I share this passion with has a lot to do with my continued participation in it. I don't think I'd be still writing and posting fic if it wasn't for all the wonderful people that create and enjoy fanworks about Ian and Mickey alongside me. They're a huge part of what inspires me and motivates me to keep creating.

GT: Definitely. It's incredible to me how much the fandom has grown and changed, while still being welcoming.

What about OCs, do you have any? Do you create them based on real people or just whatever you need them for?

R: I only occasionally create OCs for specific purposes, though most often I try to cast other Shameless characters in the roles I need if possible. I had fun with Mr. Binckley in my most recent fic for GGE, The Ghost of Christmas Fuck You, and last year, again for GGE, I created two OC children for How I met your dad. I don't see myself using them for other fics in the future, though I really admire writers who can create fully fleshed out OCs and have them recur in more than one of their stories.

GT: What about reading fics, what makes you choose something to read (and what would make you give up on reading something)?

R: I usually trust authors I already know and love, and who tend to write the sort of fics I go for anyway. But I'll give any story a chance if the premise sounds intriguing. So a good summary will draw me in, for sure. I love any kind of meet-cute or meet-ugly, and enemies or friends-to-lovers. I'll read fluff, smut or angst depending on my mood, but always with a happy ending. I like any sort of AU, but I steer away from fantasy in general, and prefer things set in the present day (though I do enjoy science fiction as a genre so space, time travel, etc. might attract me to a fic). I don't read a/b/o, mpreg or mcd. I'll give up on reading something if it's just a wall of text or riddled (and I do mean riddled) with typos. Also if I feel that something is written way too out of character to the point where I barely recognise them as Ian and Mickey.

GT: Can you name some of those authors you already know and love?

R: Sure! @goodkwuestion, @beckyharvey29, @damnnmilkovich, @gallavichy, @jellovich, devovitsuasartes and @crazynadine are some of my all-time favourites.

GT: What about some favorite fics?

R: You can bite me by Shamelessquestions, all comes down to you by BeckyHarvey29, Bad Date by @thevioletjones, the Southside Forever series by proval, You make me feel human by Dragona, Two of your earth minutes by @the-rat-wins, So Sleeping fucking Beauty, right? by @cjmarlowe, sideways by @whaticameherefor, Maintenance by devovitsuasartes, Love is a ballfield by and_i_take_it. There are many others, but these are some of the ones that have really stayed with me.

GT: Do you ever reread fics?

R: Oh yeah, I've definitely reread some of the ones above. I've been in a reading slump for a long while now though, which is why the fics I've mentioned are almost all older ones, and a lot of those writers aren't active anymore. There are so many amazing new authors writing brilliant fics at the moment, but often I end up just reading snippets of their work or their drabbles on Tumblr, so that's why I haven't mentioned them here. I've got so many incredible fics to catch up on! But brains are weird like that, you know?

GT: Oh, I totally get that! What about your own, do you reread those?

R: Not often. I tend to publish something and then not look at it again, focusing on the next project instead. There's a little bit of a cringey feeling for me when I think about rereading my own fics, but then when I do happen to read a bit of one I'm like 'Hey. This is good, actually. I do not remember writing this, but wow. Good job, me.' 😆

GT: You make gifs too, right? Have you ever made a gifset for a fic, yours or someone else's?

R: Yep! I've made a single gif for my most recent fic, The Ghost of Christmas Fuck You, and also for an older one, Ready to do this. I really want to make gifs/graphics for my fics more often in the future, actually. And I once made a gifset inspired by a quote from Cooperative gameplay by grayola.

GT: Do you make moodboards or playlists when planning a fic?

R: Hmm not really. I sometimes look up images to help me visualise a particular scene, but it's not a regular habit of mine.

GT: Let's talk about Shameless. You said you binged the first 8 seasons? That must have been a wild ride.

R: Haha oh, yeah. I remember watching the first 5 seasons in just one week, then slowing down considerably for s6 and s7, and I think season 8 took me a full month to get through. At that point s9 was a couple of months away, and I alternated between a faint hope for some kind of reunion between Ian and Mickey and just bitter disappointment for the state of the show such as it was at that stage. I absolutely died when the prison reunion happened. I watched that scene on a loop for days, and when I came back up for air I went looking for all the fics I could find. Especially ones set in prison or detailing their life after prison, since I was so convinced they were off the show for good. But of course that's not how it went. What a wild ride indeed! Those days were so crazy for me lol

GT: How did it feel to come into such a large, albeit somewhat asleep at the time, fandom?

R: It was weird because I wasn't on Tumblr at the time. I'd had a blog before but then left for a few years and once I got into Shameless I didn't immediately come back to it. I looked up news about the show on Reddit of all places. Then around the time I started reading fic, I found a little blog called gallavichthings ❤️ where I caught up on all the meta that had been written over the years (and gifsets and art and everything else). I only made my new blog when s10 was about to start, right around the time I posted my first fic on AO3. And at that point the fandom was being revived by I&M being on the show again and by the news that they'd be getting married by the end of season 10. It was my first real experience of being active in a fandom like this, so it was pretty wild for me. It was definitely not as nice and chill as it is nowadays, that's for sure.

GT: Awn, I'm glad to be part of your Gallavich journey. 

Are you able to select a favorite season, seeing as you saw them kind of all together?

R: Oof the earlier seasons are all so special in their own ways. But when I got to season 4, the grip this show had on me had reached the highest levels. Despite Ian being gone for so much of it, or maybe because of it, since his absence was so deeply felt and instrumental for us to see sides of Mickey we hadn't seen before. I'm a sucker for some good pining. And then the second half of the season was such a rollercoaster of emotions... Ugh. Plus it was also an amazing season for the other characters (Fiona especially, who I love so much). So dark and intense, and it felt like a more 'adult' season than previous ones. It just hurt so good.

GT: What's your favorite episode overall?

R: It's hard to choose a favourite, but I think ep 4x11, Emily.

GT: Oh, that's a fantastic one! What about a favorite scene?

R: Maybe the s5 dugouts scene in 5x10. The way it's filmed, the lighting, the music, the rawness of the emotions... it hurts like hell to watch them hurt each other, but then there's that sense of release, and of new hope when they're finally on the same page again and happy... and then it gets taken away from them, because we can't have nice things. But that scene is such a little gem, and it never fails to make me feel all the feels.

GT: If you could go back and change only one thing about the show, what would you change?

R: The quality drop in the later seasons? lol. Honestly, as happy as I am that we got to see Ian and Mickey get married and be husbands, the show was just unrecognisable by the end. So I'd have it end sooner. Have the s7 finale be the final episode of the show, but with a happy ending for Ian and Mickey, obviously.

GT: Speaking of, what did you think of the ending?

R: I wish I could say I was satisfied with it, but yeah, no. It was way too open ended, I only liked where they left things for Ian and Mickey, and I should count myself lucky for that, really. The parallels they tried to do with the pilot and season 1 mostly fell flat for me, but then, like I said, the show was a shadow of its former self by that point. There was too little left to enjoy for me. I don't think I would've watched s10 and 11 at all if it wasn't for Ian and Mickey.

GT: How do you headcanon Ian and Mickey's life together after the ending?

R: I think they live in that apartment for a couple years, then get a house closer to where they grew up. They keep in touch with family and spend holidays with the other Gallaghers. They get a pet or two, and eventually adopt or foster kids, a few years down the line. Mickey takes over the security business, while Ian finds a way to use his medical training again to help the community. They'll be happy, safe and in love for the rest of their lives. ❤️

The happily ever after they deserve.

GT: Well, that's it from me. Thank you so much for your time! Now leave a message to those reading this.

R: This was great, thank you! And thanks to everyone in this little corner of the Internet. Whether you create or simply enjoy creations and support them, you are a vital part of something really special. Thank you for being on this ride with me, and here's to another year full of ideas, events, collaborations, and lots and lots of fun!

[makoami]

Since I November I have been trying to watch as many magical anime as a can from oldest to newest because I'm obsessed with evolution. That and I want to do an analysis on how magical anime went from Sally the Witch, to Sailor Moon, to Precure and so on. In addition I' also give my opinion on which ones I enjoyed the most or least. For this post though I'll just go over the 60s and 70s magical girls I've seen. Some elements I'm looking out for in the "magical girl formula" are: 1. Animal Sidekick, 2. Transformation sequence, 3. main romance subplot, 4 saving the day, 5. Special Attacks, 6. Becomes someone older, 7. Becomes an Idol, 8. Magical powers.

First is Sally the Witch - 1966

Sally the Witch fits into both 4 and 8. She has magical powers, she does end up using them to both pull pranks, make life easier, or save the day. As a show it's pretty good. It reminds me a lot of Bewitched and seemed to be a huge influence. There's a crow character who pretends to be her younger brother in human form but I'm not sure if he counts as an animal sidekick. The anime has a lot dated moments and some I wasn't a fan of. I alsp had a hard time getting used to some of the 60s designs of characters. Unfortunately, I was not able to watch all episodes in order so that was a bummer. Other than that, Sally was a pioneer for more magical girls to come.

I was not able to finds episodes of Himitsu no Akko-chan, Mako-chan or Majokko Tickle but if anyone knows how I could watch some episodes lmk.

Princess Knight - 1967

I really liked this one and I think this is my favorite 60s anime. The manga is from 1953 so this technically might be the first magical girl. It doesn't follow a whole lot of the magical girl formula but she does save the day. The main character, Sapphire, has a guardian angel name Tink who could sort count as the animal side kick and she has a horse that helps her out on her quest. Sadly I was not able to see the entire subbed series and I am considering just watching the dub to finish the series off. Overall though, this show was very girl boss for the 60s and was genuinely entertaining.

Marvelous Melmo - 1971

Marvelous Melmo is another show I really enjoyed and made me emotional at times. After Melmo's mom dies in a car accident, she gives her red and blue candy to tranform into someone younger or older. It also gives her the ability to transform into animal. And she does use said powers from the candy to save the day. The show itself was very educational on evolution and human development. I was several episodes in when I realized I was watching a version that was redubbed by a whole new cast of voice actors in Japan, back in 1998. I'm curious to see how the original 70s version was. Aside from that, I highly recommend this one.

Next is Cutie Honey 1973

Okay, I will be honest, I haven't seen Cutie Honey in a long time and need to re-watch it. If I find anymore elements to the magical girl formula for Cutie Honey, I'll make another post about it. What I do remember is that she does have a transformation sequence, she saves the day, and can also transform into someone older. I think their is an episode where she shape shifts into an old lady. In some ways, her heroic and fearless character reminds me of Princess Knight and I look forward to rewatching the series.

Majokko Meg-Chan - 1974

Majokko Meg-chan had a lot of similarities to Sally the Witch. Meg is a witch in training, she wants to get better at her magic. In terms of the magical girl formula, she has magical powers and does use them in scenarios to save the day or make life easier. In all honesty this was my least favorite and I couldn't finish the series. The show tries to teach Meg that family is important and that her family in the human world really loves her. But then Meg's younger siblings pull pranks on her...I don't want to go on a tangent because I'm sure there are people who really enjoyed it. It just wasn't for me. I did love the theme songthough, it's so damn catchy.

Hana no Lun Lun - 1979

Only 3 or 4 episodes were available for me to watch but I really wish I could finish the series. Lun Lun has two animal sidekicks, a talking cat and dog. Due to being the flower child, she is able to use flowers to change into different outfits. I can't remember many episodes where she saves the day but the show does follow the trope of Lun Lun having a kind heart forming friendships with the people she meets.

[rainestorm05]

Sonic The Hedgehog Ship Teir List

No one ask for this, but I might as well share this since a lot of you guys like my sonic art, so here we go.

1. Sonadow

I’m gonna be honest, I originally checked this ship out as a joke. I saw a funny reaction video with Youtube Shadow and Sonic, looking up Sonadow on Deviant Art. (If you know, you know) So, looked up the ship on Youtube, as in comic dubs and animatics, and eventually Tumblr fanart, and got really into it. The chemistry on these two can be very fun with some good writing, and they can look really cute together. Also, it’s enemies to lovers, which is one of my favorite ship dynamics, so that’s a plus.

2. Knuxouge

Once again, enemies to lovers, it’s just the straight version. I find both these two very amusing when they’re on screen together. Especially whenever Knuckles becomes and angary red face mess. ‘What’s not to love with these two’ is the real question.

3. Tailsmo

Sometimes canon ships could be all you need. I never really watched Sonic X, but I’m definitely grateful for it to bring Cosmo to the fandom. Their relationship is so pure, I melt out of cuteness. It’s basic, but very fitting.

4. Blazamy

Just got into this ship, and I like it. No further explanation there.

5. Tailream

Since Cosmo is gone, I don’t mind Cream being the new girl in Tails life.

6. Espilver

Love their friendship

7. Vectilla

Simple, but still very cute.

8. Whispangle

They’re just a furry version of Lumity, and I love it to death. And until I see them have this much chemistry with other people, they are endgame for each other.

9. Scorge x Fiona (Couldn’t find the ship name)

They are literally made for each other. End of story

And that’s all the ships I like to be canon, I might make a part 2, but we’ll see.

[isleofsodora]

✨💙 HEAD CANNON TIME! 💙✨

If you are a fan of Wakfu/Dofus you may recall a foreign race of demons known as Shushu’s, but if you are not I will try my best to explain!

Shushu’s are devious, selfish, and plainly evil, they love nothing more than to cause destruction and havoc. There are certain rankings of these demons such as Rubilax (a character from Wakfu and is one of my favs) is a level 4 Shushu, and is watched over by Sir Percedal of Sadlygrove. (My favorite Iop-brain!)

Then I got thinking, how can I tie this in with my AU, then it hit me, the troublesome trucks love to cause confusion and delay, they love nothing more than to cause chaos for the steam engines, kinda like ShuShu’s!

So, I’m planning on making the troublesome trucks (aka Dæmmöns) for my AU!

And you remember Hector the Horrid? How absolutely H U G E he is compared to the other trucks/cars? Well, he’s gonna be a level 4 Dæmmön like Rubi, but with a few twists! Which I hope you’ll all like!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Shushu’s have the ability to possess people/objects, which I absolutely love! So here’s what Thomas will look like when Hector possess him in the later chapters coming in the near future!

(I apologize for the little side notes, they’re kinda for me so I don’t forget anything!) 😅

And if you’re wondering where to watch Wakfu it is on Netflix! (So far it’s the only streaming service I know of that has it and I HIGHLY recommend to check it out!)

Here’s a link to help further explain how Shushu’s possess things https://youtu.be/3rpWmi-gFg0

This is from Season 1 ep. 19 of Wakfu, the video is the original French dubbed with Spanish subtitles, I like to watch the whole thing but if you want to cut to the chase and see Percedal being possessed, jump to timestamp 8:10!

[gravitydefyingtears]

(Justice in the Dark / Guang Yuan / Mo Du Live Action first impression…)

I was planning to wait for more episodes to air before binging but alas my self-control is non-existent so I’ve watched all 8 eps that are out. Disclaimer, I only listened to the audio drama and haven’t read the novel yet which I hope to correct sometime in the future. And obviously these are my own personal opinions.

Pros

Good acting! Good chemistry between main cast!

I like the aesthetics! (and I know nothing about cinematography etc. but I have nothing bad to say about this aspect)

Is following the original plot MUCH closer than I expected!

Lang Qiao (now Lan Qiao)! I love her.

Tao Ran (now Tao Ze)! Cute!

Cons…?

So that whole thing about genetic predisposition for crime…when that intro popped up, I was like “oh NO” buuut so far, I think I see what they’re trying to do with that and hope they can pull it off well.

The name changes. I guess it was for c*nsorship reasons that I don’t fully understand. I’m conflicted about this but it’s not preventing me from enjoying the show.

Weird inconsistent audio quality, i.e., you can hear when they dubbed over some parts and there is an obvious change between one line and the next. Not uncommon in cdramas but ugh. Though I do appreciate the main actors using their own voices.

So far, I like the dynamic between the main pair. However, I am not feeling any romantic chemistry and don’t feel any urge to ship them. Will have to wait and see if this changes as their relationship also develops.

Yeah, so I saw mostly negative reactions from both the EN and CN fandoms which is not surprising. After watching, I hope minds are changed? People were joking/complaining about it turning into a “sci-fi” but this is not the case?? There are no sci-fi elements…unless I’m missing something… It’s just that they’ve done that AU thing a la Guardian but it’s much more innocuous than Guardian’s fantasy to sci-fi lol.

And the name change thing… On one side, you might consider this disrespectful to the author and original material. On the other hand, if novel fans prefer more separation between the novel and drama, this may be a good thing? Like if someone says Pei Su and Luo Weizhao, you know they’re talking about the drama and not the novel. Tbh I see the benefit of that, especially if there are some more major changes in plot later on…

Anyway, I hope the drama can keep up a good quality so I can enjoy it as a crime mystery show, at the very least. It probably helps that I have low expectations for the romance aspects so I will just wait and see how far they will go with that.