#its only been one episode so far and wow

[wherela]

I just watched the first episode of Loki and OH MY GOODNESS WHY DIDN'T I WATCH THIS SOONER

[fans4wga]

26 July update from WGA's Chris Keyser

From the WGA: With SAG-AFTRA now on strike and new levels of solidarity across all Hollywood unions, we are witnessing the spectacular failure of the AMPTP’s negotiating strategy. In this video, WGA Negotiating Committee Co-Chair Chris Keyser lays out what this moment means and how we move forward. To learn more about the WGA strike, visit https://www.wgastrike.org.

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Fellow members of the WGA East and West. It's been a while since our last video and quite a bit has happened in the meantime. So on behalf of the negotiating committee and leadership, I wanted to give you an update on where we are and what the near future at least is likely to bring.

We've been walking side by side on picket lines in New York and Los Angeles for a little over 12 weeks now. Only now we're joined by thousands upon thousands of members of SAG-AFTRA who, like us, have finally had enough.

This is the endpoint and the fruit of the AMPTP’s game plan. For 11 weeks, they negotiated with everyone but us. They claimed it was just practicality, that they could only do one thing at a time, which is not normally a point of pride. But events have made clear what we knew from the start: that not only was it a strategy, it was their only strategy. Negotiate a deal with a single guild and impose that deal on every other guild and union in Hollywood, whether it addresses the needs of those unions or not, all with the implicit threat: if you want more, strike for it.

Wow. It’s their 2007-8 playbook applied to 2023 as if nothing has changed, as if the accumulation of economic insults and injuries inflicted on us over the past decade would be borne in perpetual silence, as if the giant of labor had not awakened. But it has. And you only need to look as far as the front gates of every studio in LA and New York to see the evidence.

Two unions on strike willing to exercise their power, despite the pain, to ensure their members get the contract they deserve. For us, that means addressing the relentless mistreatment of screenwriters, which has only been exacerbated by the move to streaming; the continued denial of full MBA protection to comedy variety and other appendix A writers when they work in streaming; and the self-destructive unsustainable dismantling of the process by which episodic television is made and episodic television writers are paid.

It means addressing the existential threat of AI and the insufficiency of streaming residual formulas, including the need for transparency and a success-based component. All of these will need to be addressed for there to be a deal because in this strike it is our power and not their pattern that matters, not their strategy. Their strategy has failed them. Now they're in the midst of a streaming war with each other, an admittedly difficult transition. And as they face the future, their interests and business models could not be more different from Disney to Sony to Netflix to Amazon.

We root for their success, all of them. They root for each other's failure. We are the creative ammunition through which they will succeed. They are each other's apex predators. And yet, in a singular shared dedication to denying labor, they have shackled themselves together in what increasingly seems like a mutual suicide pact, as the 2023-24 broadcast season and the 2024-25 movie schedule and its streaming shows disappear, melt away week by week.

So what does this mean? What does it mean going forward? How do you play chess against an opponent who insists on screaming checkmate at every move regardless of how the board looks and the game is going?

You stay firm, you stay resolved, because our cause is no less existential than when we started and our leverage is increasing every day. Alone we withheld our labor with the support of our union siblings and the Teamsters and IATSE and the Crafts, we were able to delay the vast majority of production. Now with SAG-AFTRA on strike, those few studio projects that remained have also shut down. And it's not just the obvious delays. If this strike drags on, it's the actors with conflicting obligations and the directors and the double-booked studio facilities and release date chaos that the companies must now also contend with. Some of their most valuable product could well be delayed for years.

Add to that, no promotion of movies or television shows and famous faces on the picket lines and social media speaking directly to their customers. For the tech companies and the mega corporations, that should be their nightmare scenario: WGA and SAG-AFTRA side by side. Our bargaining agenda may not be identical, but our cause is the same. Our army of labor, defending labor has increased 17-fold in the past two weeks alone.

Even so, even with all this wind at our backs this negotiation won't happen overnight. It's not because the negotiations themselves are so complex. Once the companies fully engage, it could go very quickly, but because their strategy of many decades has just fallen apart and they didn't see it coming, and it's going to take them a minute to regroup, 'cause the companies have things to work out internally, and saying no to labor in unison is a lot easier than saying yes. So either together or separately, as their divergent interests might suggest, they will come back to us, despite their understandable concern about how they've navigated this transition to streaming, which is on their heads and not ours; and their worries about costs and their worries about Wall Street; despite this being a season of doom and gloom, none of them are walking away from the riches of this business, and certainly not over the equitable minimum compensation to writers.

They didn't get the deal they wanted; that's fine, it happens all the time. They're not taking their ball and going home over it. And since we know they come from union families themselves, and since they've denied that “even-in-Hollywood-you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me” ugliness of threatening to starve us out and leave us homeless (which we assume they understand also means making our children homeless,) they will come back to us. Although I will say they took a long time to deny that statement, longer than I would have had it been ascribed to me.

But what does it matter? You can starve a labor force slowly or quickly. The effect is the same. It's not like day rates for comedy variety writers and endless free drafts for screenwriters in exchange for a single paid one in four-week mini-rooms isn't cruelty. It's just cruelty written in contract language instead of a press quote.

So what can we expect from the companies as all of this plays itself out? They will try to convince Wall Street that taking a strike, prolonging it unnecessarily, losing their content stream in the process—that all of that is just smart business and no reason for investor concern. We will be talking to Wall Street too, and reminding them that for all these companies, all of 'em including Netflix, the bill, the price for making nothing, will eventually come due. And Wall Street is listening already. Here's Michael Pachter, managing director of equity research at Wedbush on Yahoo Finance the other day: “I think the studios are completely wrong on this one. Content is their lifeblood. They're feeling really foolish about this."

Wall Street isn't the only one listening. We've been talking to union pension funds too about the risks the companies are taking. We talked to CalPERS, the largest public pension plan in the country, talked about the loss of programming and the cost to the industry, and we heard strong support from its board for our struggle and the promise that the companies will be hearing from them, from CalPERS, and demanding answers on behalf of its 2 million members.

To us, of course, they will continue to plead temporary poverty, but we know the drill. These companies support billions into the streaming wars and taken short-term losses these past three years, because they know that to the winner will go the spoils. We're patient, will they share that with us when the time comes? What are the chances?

Since 2017, the last time the studios negotiated with us outside of COVID, the big six companies alone have made $150 billion in profits off our work, while they slashed our pay and degraded our working conditions. Maybe if they had shared a tiny piece of that then, made $1 billion or so less, this year wouldn't seem so costly. As it is, there is no iron law that these companies are entitled to record profits every year, and it isn't some great travesty if their shareholders or their CEOs get a slightly smaller slice of the massive profits we helped create if some balance is restored.

Look, no one denies that corporations exist to make a profit and no one wants our employers to be profitable more than we do, but the singular pursuit of corporate profits to the exclusion of their social and human cost is a real problem in this country—it’s a real problem. A corporation's bottom line is not the same as the world’s, and there is nothing in our studio's bottom lines today that accounts for the quality of our lives or for our dignity, for the comfort of our retirement or the security of our families. Their numbers have no conscience, but the people who report them as victories ought to.

In their refusal to recognize that, these companies have also extracted an awful price, which is laid at their feet and for which they are responsible. Losses to the economies of New York and Los Angeles and everywhere that film and television are made, terrible losses that mount every day, thousands of people out of work; not just us, all the crews, the crafts, the janitors, the drivers, the businesses that thrive when Hollywood thrives, the restaurants, the stores—for what? For nothing. So they could avoid coming to the table to negotiate the deal they will one day give us. Measured today that is the painfully mixed legacy of our employers, weighed against every beautiful piece of work we have made with them.

And if history is a guide, they have only temporary stewardship over a kind of national trust, which is Hollywood. Our story, our sometimes conscience, our public conversation, our diversion of the worst and best of times, our greatest export, the repository of our imagination. They have some obligation to more than just their shareholders to behave accordingly.

Unfortunately, it seems big tech, mega corporations, and some of the people who run them, as the saying goes know the price of everything and the value of nothing. So they have built a business model that no longer works for human beings who cannot be paid minimum for 10 to 20 weeks a year and make a career out of that, be paid for one draft of a screenplay that demands a year of labor, be paid a few episodic fees for a show about which to take years to decide be paid a daily rate.

And now we have a first glimpse of what they offered our actor colleagues. We are not 170,000 Willy Lomans to be used and then discarded. We know what the companies believe they have the power to do. We know what they think machines can do and do without any of us. Oh yeah, we've seen the writing on the wall and it's plagiarized.

The thing is this: the difference between what you CAN do and what you SHOULD do is the greatest single difference in the world. Knowing that is the only real protection we have against a dystopian future. And if the companies sometimes forget that, writers will do it for them.

I can't know exactly how long it will take this revolutionary moment, and you've heard again and again what is happening today has not happened in 63 years, but I know that's not always how it feels, revolutionary and defining, even though we celebrate that on picket lines together, which is the right thing to do. That's not always how it feels when you go home at night. I know how tough this is: to strike, to hold the line. I know it gets tougher every day even with SAG-AFTRA marching beside us, how hard it is to face the uncertainty of when it will end, when we'll get back to work, how we'll pay the bills. I know it's hardest for those who've just gotten started, for those for whom the world opens doors more reluctantly, battled their whole life just to get here; but hard too for those struggling to maintain their long careers, who find work tougher and tougher to come by, or those with families with children or parents to take care of.

These companies understand the cruelty of what they're doing. It's their plan to starve us just a little, to exact as much pain as they can so that we wish more for the pain to end than for the better life we dreamed up. That we're more afraid of the uncertainty of the present than the certain devastation of the future. It's societally acceptable economic torture inflicted by management on labor every day, then blamed on labor for daring to fight back, for refusing to be complicit in its own mistreatment.

Here's how I know that's not going to work. Not with us, not with the writers, because we haven't come all this way, fought to have these careers in the first place, all the adversity, and marched together for all these months, only to let it slip away on our watch—because there is no point in rushing back to jobs that may not be there in a year or two anyway. Because the business, as the companies have twisted it, is now untenable, unsurvivable for so many of us, because even success is not enough to keep going, because this guild is younger than it's ever been and more diverse. And this young diverse membership knows from hard personal experience the system is broken and that it will not be fixed unless they fix it. And those of us who came before them will not let them down, because we and the writer's guild are the beneficiaries of all those who came before us who gave up everything for us.

Like the writers of 1960, the year I was born, who struck for 22 weeks and who gave away all the TV residuals for all the movies they had ever written so that we could have a health insurance and pension plan and residuals from that date forward. $15 billion flowed to writers and their benefit plans because of that sacrifice. Because writers are brave, because now it's our turn.

So what's our job? Even as we welcome SAG-AFTRA to our side, we are still responsible for our own deal, and so we must remain focused and diligent. We must continue to march, picket signs in hand. But we should also remember this and with pride, that before there was SAG-AFTRA, before even the Teamsters and IATSE and the laborers and the electrical workers and the musicians and the plasterers came to our side, there was the writers. Alone then, we looked at the blank page and began to imagine the future. With no net but each other we typed the words, what if?

And then we took a step into the darkness and found that it was light. And then we were joined by the crews and the drivers and the actors. The actors got a bit more fanfare when they showed up, but that's okay, we wrote the script. The WGA, still small, not alone anymore after all these decades. Hollywood labor has finally linked arms and found its voice, and that voice says enough. There is no road to longterm prosperity that burns a path through your own workforce. We are not your enemies. We are not merely a cost to be borne. We are your partners and your greatest asset. And we are, as you acknowledge yourselves, irreplaceable, but by accident or design and it doesn't really matter anymore, the business you are running no longer works for those who work for you.

What is the point in continuing to deny that? Why deny it when everyone else in the business to a person tells you it's true? Do you think it's a coincidence that two unions are on strike against you for the first time since Eisenhower was president? You can't exactly accuse us of being quick on the trigger. The effect has a cause, it has a cause. And there is no profit in insisting on the answers to the past for the questions of the future.

But if you want instead to invest in something that will reap you fortunes, I have a tip. And if you are visionaries, envision a solution, not a stalemate. Because this isn't a war we're in, it's a negotiation, it's just a negotiation. There is no face-saving here for either side, because there is no winner or loser. It's just a deal. And when you come to remember that again we will be here as we have been here all along.

And at this point with 170,000 writers and actors aligned against your intransigence, that is as generous as I can be, as close to an olive branch as I can offer. But if you insist instead on the same threatening rhetoric, on saying you would rather starve us than pay us, I would remind you of this: You are fighting for a dollar, we are fighting for survival. We are fighting for our home: writing is where we live, and we will defend that home with a bravery and stamina and ferocity that you will come to understand someday, which is why you cannot break us. You cannot outlast us, you cannot.

And not just because we have the will, because we have power. Nothing in this business happens until we start to write. And we will not start to write until we are paid.

Union now. Union forever.

[ripplestitchskein]

The most compelling thing about this whole relationship, and I’d argue the show in general, and what the episode highlighted so exquisitely is that they are perfect for each other, they honestly are exactly what the other one needs but their individuals issues are preventing them from seeing and actualizing it. It’s a delicious character driven conflict. There is no big bad keeping them apart. There is no ill intentioned person pulling the strings and putting things in their head to foster this miscommunication. It is solely their own traumas and issues fucking them over in the most relatable ways. What is brilliant about it is that the entire linchpin of this, and the overarching theme is that this is all a circus show, that the root of it is that both of them have been putting on these acts their whole lives and if they would both just STOP performing they would get what they need. The conflict now is one of them is trying to stop acting altogether while the other is scrambling to stay on book.

Blitzø needs someone who will appreciate him, build him up, encourage him, love him without condition, obligation or most importantly, as merely the consequence of putting on a good performance. Stolas does that from the beginning, he sees and admires Blitz as he is, his problem is actually rooted in the act Blitz puts on. Even Blitz’s closest friends and family, and Blitz himself, can’t or won’t allow Blitz to stop the performance though.

Millie, Moxxie, and Loona all love him, but even they went into this episode putting pressure on Blitzø to perform even going so far as to follow him so he wouldn’t fuck it up. The sex toy shopping spree was just gathering props in service to that performance, to this show they are encouraging him not to bomb.

Fizz, who recently learned the lesson Blitzø needs to learn, who stopped performing for the benefit of others, is probably the only one approaching it from a “What kind of stuff do you guys actually like?” perspective, but because Blitzø is so focused on doing a good job he really doesn’t consider what he actually wants, he’s buying things he thinks will support the show. Lighting, costumes, props. Even the Stolas Sex Stuff box is basically just a prop comic box.

He needs to get his act just right and put on the best show he can so they can keep the book and to allow the show to go on.

But like his performances in the past, Blitz chokes. For the entire scene in the bedroom he is basically saying “Let me run that again, I’ll get the lines right this time!” And the reason it is so heartbreaking is that what Stolas wants, is just him, not the facade of a clown doing his best bits, just the person behind it. We see in The Circus Blitz has been told his whole life that not only does he need to keep putting on that show but that if he doesn’t he’s worthless. There’s always a better act waiting to take your spotlight, you can be bought and sold on a whim.

The Circus and its parallels in The Full Moon perfectly encapsulate this issue. He kept doing the same thing over and over, trying to make that balloon horse and it’s when he improvs and is himself that someone appreciates him, laughs with him and sees the value of him as Blitz not the clown, but because its not the audience as a whole it’s not worth anything and that’s when someone else swoops in to wow the crowd. We see this over and over in the show: he keeps trying the same schtick and when he flops he just gets more and more desperate to get his self assigned role right.

In Stolas’s case he was actually really good at his act when he followed the scripts he was given. Everyone around him seems shocked by his recent behavior, they really bought the happy family, regal prince play he’s been putting on all this time. Blitz comes back into his life and gives him a new script. In The Circus Stolas is himself at first, showing off his books and enthusiasm for knowledge but his audience isn’t responsive so he switches “What do you want to do? Give me the script for how you want me to act.” From when he first wakes up bouncing with enthusiasm and told “Stop being yourself, act like a Prince” he calms himself and tries to be what he’s supposed do be and he keeps doing that until Full Moon.

While Stolas enjoys their game and his new playmate he is pretty much putting on an act the entire time, looking to Blitz for cues over and over until they are under the tree. In this scene both Stolas and Blitzø are, in my opinion, both completely genuine and without artifice. Blitz expresses what he really wants, and Stolas is delighted and supportive of it, admiring him and expresses that he hopes he’ll do a good job with his grimoire and when Blitz says he’ll maybe hire him, Stolas is delighted but expresses that he hopes he’ll “qualify”. This shatters my heart into pieces, because even here while Blitz is dreaming his big dreams of being a boss Stolas is still “I hope I can learn how to do a good job with the role I’ve been given. I hope I can be what you want me to be.”

When they meet again 25 years later he looks to Blitz for the script again and fulfills the role Blitz more or less implies he wants to the best of his ability, if not over the top and over dramatized as it’s a new role for him. It still doesn’t fit quite right though. He’s still acting.

In The Full Moon Stolas is still following a script but one he’s at least written himself this time, no doubt influenced a bit by his romance novels and telenovellas. When Blitz approaches him and tries to seduce him again he flushes and wavers to go back to the character Blitz assigned him but he has a new script now and he gets back on task. He has a whole performance he is sticking to. He presents the crystal and has a little animation to explain it and everything.

But then we come to the moment when he isn’t acting anymore, when he genuinely tells Blitz this is how I feel, this is what I want, this is who I am. He even takes off his hat, you can hardly see his royal outfit, just his earnest face as he waits for the reaction of presenting himself as just Stolas saying what he wants and not Stolas the performer saying what everyone wants to hear.

Blitz is too caught up in trying to get them back on script, to keep up the show. He tries desperately to stick to the act, which Stolas is trying to break free from. This unfortunately confirms what Stolas suspected. It was always a play, it was always just a performance, like Stella and the other Ars Goetia, Stolas is only valuable if he says his lines right. Even his daughter lashes out when he starts breaking character. Those around him only value him if he is acting to type, he is not enough as just Stolas.

The horrible irony is he truly was awakened by Blitz. Hs stops acting because of him. He learns that he wants to be himself and not a scripted version designed to please others, but sadly it is Blitz, the catalyst for all of it, who is still stuck in performance mode. Stolas realizes because of Blitz something real, but during their conversation is shown that even Blitz just wants him to stay in character, that there is nothing real here, just more lines for him to say. So Stolas exits pursued by imp.

A lot of Blitz’s fury in this scene is because Stolas is not fulfilling his role any more. In this way he is no different than Stella or even Octavia. He is angry when Stolas stops saying his lines. He has gone off script. But where Stella is upset because it ruins her image, and Octavia is upset because it upset the fakery of her perfect family, Blitz is instead panicking because he NEEDS to get this performance just right. When he fails bad things happen, he is replaced, he is unloved, he is sold off, he is forced to do things he doesn’t want to do.

So he lashes out, he tries to FORCE Stolas back into the role he assigned him, to incite a confrontation from the character of pompous royal asshole stepping on the lower class and using them for their own gain instead of just a person earnestly trying to be genuine. Why is Stolas not saying his lines? Why isn’t he fulfilling his role? So he tells him what he is supposed to be. He yells at him to get back into character.

Stolas is devastated to realize the trope he’s been fulfilling in Blitzo’s life, he’s not the romantic love interest but rather the villain of the piece. He doesn’t even want to be in this show anymore, he wants to just be Stolas, and he is absolutely destroyed to learn that rather than just being himself, rather than even being the love interest, he is instead the antagonist in Blitz’s play. But he doesn’t want that role, or probably any role, any longer, he’s finally breaking out of these performances and being himself, so instead of reverting to type, Stolas sends Blitz off stage completely.

In this way it’s really beautiful for Stolas’s character growth, he could have just given in, stepped back on stage. He has so many opportunities to pick up these old characters he’s played, but instead Stolas follows through and just shuts the show down completely.

[bixels]

So i have a small nicpic i wanted to share with you about your interpretation of spike in the au and i want to make two things clear before i talk

1) i havent watch the series for a little while as of now so i might be misnterpreting a aspect of this chatacter that might have never been there and only apeared in fan content and personal interpretation (since that whats been keeping me on the fandom)

2) this is not a big problem about the au i matured enough to not get angry at a interpretation of a fictional charater

Now here i go

I feel spike being the same race as the rest of his familie makes him lose a part of his character that might have not been central but was still something interesting about him and is the idea of not mayhering how diferent he looked from his adoptive family (and his cominty as a whole) he was he was still seen as part of it

Again this isnt a big problem with the au as a whole its just a small nicpic that i have about the au and its not going to make me hate the au

This was just my opinion that i wanted to share and im interested to know your opinion about what i said

I understand this criticism and agree that having Simon/Spike be a different race than Thea could speak to their relationship in the original show.

My reasoning for designing them both to be African American is this. I believe Simon's adoption is enough to explore the feelings of separation and exclusion he may have with Thea and her family. The original show doesn't bring up Twilight and Spike's racial differences much because they originally didn't consider Spike to be a part of Twilight's family. As far as I know, there's no moment where someone says, "Wow! You're telling me you're related to Twilight Sparkle? But you look nothing alike!" because Spike was more so Twilights... familiar than anything.

Later episodes that explore their familial dynamic poses the conflict through Spike's adoption. There's one episode where Spike's "biological father" returns, and Spike accuses Twilight of not being his real family, which breaks her heart. There's another that delves deep into Spike's feelings of exclusion from Twilight and Shining Armor's siblinghood. Basically, in discussions of family dynamics, the show places more emphasis on Spike's identity as an adopted sibling rather than a dragon.

I really do believe a multiracial family would be good representation, but the racial dynamics would not be something I'd be interested in getting into. That's not to say I find real multiracial families problematic or uninteresting or unappealing or unimportant. I just wouldn't be interested in having to explain in-text that Simon (non-black) and Thea (black) are related over and over; it would grow tedious. It adds an extra level of writing complication and opens up racial discourse (discourse that I feel is unrelated to their relationship in the original show) that I don't want to concern myself with, especially because I have no experience in navigating such discourse.

[battlekidx2]

Hazbin Hotel Episodes 5 and 6 Thoughts

Wow. These two episodes of Hazbin Hotel were easily the best out of the series so far. They’re still working at a breakneck pace, but these episodes were so much more focused than the first 4 that it worked significantly better. The A and B plots of both these episodes were cleanly tied together so that no one part felt insignificant.

One of the biggest problems with the first four episodes was the fact that the split focus pulled the episode in different directions and made it so that reveals didn’t get the build up they needed to really feel impactful and pushed the Hazbin Hotel to the background so it felt insignificant in its own show. 

The second biggest problem in those episodes was that Charlie’s wish for her people, for redemption, and attempt to get into heaven to avoid extermination felt like it wasn’t the driving force it should have been. 

But these two episodes really fix that and expand on the characters really well. I’m just going to go through what I loved the most.

Alastor

I absolutely loved what we got from Alastor in episode 5. He really is the highlight of the show for me. There’s just so many layers to his character that the show isn’t rushing to peel back like it is with everyone else and it makes his character so intriguing.

I liked the fact that this episode hints that he truly does care about the hotel and wants it to succeed. It’s not only entertainment like he initially claimed. That moment where he sends Mimzy away was really telling. There isn’t even a hint of sinister subtext, sarcasm, or a joke in his voice or face when he tells her she can’t stay if she isn’t going to take redemption seriously.

The way his eyes twitch when she says he can’t seriously care about the hotel is such a great little detail.

I really like this point. The main theme of the show is redemption and showing that even someone like Alastor can care about the hotel is a direction I wanted the show to go in from the pilot, but something I wasn’t sure we would actually get. But I liked that it’s getting hinted at this early, especially since we now know there’s a season 2 and it can get fleshed out much more and can probably get to the point where he might grow into an actual mentor for Charlie instead of it being performative to spite Lucifer like it was in this episode.

(side note: I like that Charlie defends his actions against her father. She sees it as protecting the hotel, which we learn is the truth. He did do it for pride, but he also cares about the hotel and does want to protect it. I like to see that Charlie’s ability to see the best in people does pay off at least somewhat.)

That little hint of care to his actions with the hotel isn’t all we get to see of Alastor's layers. He is still the infamous Radio Demon after all, so we also get to see his pride at play.

It’s his pride being hurt by Lucifer that causes him to play up his role in Charlie’s life. It’s his pride being hurt that leads him to taking on the loan sharks alone both to remind everyone of his power and to show what else he brings to the hotel.

It’s also what causes him to go off on Husk. Husk is the only character willing to call Alastor out. He knows Alastor better than anyone else at the hotel because of their past and his ability to see through his facade. And he hurts Alastor's pride when he calls him out with the truth: That he's on a leash just like him.

The reveal that Alastor is also on someone’s leash was expected, but well executed.

This episode let Alastor’s mask slip a bit and we got to see more of his real emotions/feelings about things.

Alastor was the character I thought would have the most layers to them. Characters like Charlie, Angel Dust, and Vaggie wear what they feel a bit more openly than a character like Alastor (or at the very least their true feelings come out more frequently). There are motives and mysteries behind Alastor’s actions that aren’t clear with him like they are with everyone else and his demeanor, words, and actions can conflict with his true feelings and that’s what draws me to him so much. His usual (kinda) goofy and cavalier attitude, cold and ruthless demeanor that can come out at the flick of a switch, and infamous past make it so learning about Alastor's true intentions and introducing the idea of him changing and coming to care is very intriguing to me.

I just think that Alastor is the character that is working the best in the show right now because his plotline and development is not going at a breakneck pace. We’ve only gotten hints about why he was gone for seven years, who he sold his soul to, why he appeared to help with the hotel, etc. His character progression is also taking its time. This is the first real hint we get that he does genuinely care about the hotel in his own way and it’s 5 episodes in. This is the kind of pacing and development that the whole show would benefit from. 

This isn’t meant to be a shot at the show. I think it was put into a complicated situation because it was picked up initially for only 8 episodes (this is the type of show and large cast that needs at least twice as many) and was only renewed about halfway through the production of the first season, which I think explains why these episodes felt more coherent and fleshed out than the first four.

I really can’t wait to see where his character heads. He's still a walking question mark as of right now and every time we get a glimpse at his true intentions it's always fascinating because it's never clear cut where he stands.

Side note: I find it hilarious that Alastor created a rivalry between himself and Lucifer. The literal king of hell. Lucifer hurt Alastor’s pride and he immediately decided he would be as petty as possible towards him.

Charlie

I was always in the boat that Charlie was an interesting protagonist. The pilot set up a character that was very intriguing for the setting she was placed into. I didn’t think the three episodes necessarily handled her the best, but I think that was more a result of the rushed pacing and bloated plot. She’s handled significantly better from episode 4 on.

Episode 6 is where I think Charlie really came into her own as the protagonist of this series. The song where she stood up to heaven really sold me on her character. 

“If hell is forever then heaven must be a lie. If angels can do whatever and remain in the sky. The rules are shades gray when you don’t do as you say. And you make the wretched suffer just to kill them again.”

Up until this point Charlie felt a bit limited in her actions. It really amounted to trust exercises and the hotel residents acting out made up situations. She seemed naive and well meaning, but ill equipped to actually address the mental health issues her people had due to the fact her upbringing was so sheltered. There was the potential for more, but it wasn’t given the time I felt it deserved.

But this is where she really got to step up and call out the inequality and hypocrisy of heaven. This is where we got to see her backbone and the true extent of her care for her people. She won’t back down or accept the flimsy excuses they use to persecute the denizens of hell.

I also really liked her belief in Angel Dust. Yeah, he made some mistakes (at least from heaven’s point of view), but Charlie had complete faith in the fact that he would meet their requirements. It’s this characteristic of her’s that is intrinsic to bringing out the best in the residents of the hotel and before this point it was on the periphery (like with Angel Dust in episode 4) or implied. 

Episode 6 showed how important that characteristic is, especially to people who feel like they’re damned. (I like that Charlie is a good judge of character. It’s easy to take someone that’s privileged and naive and make them too trusting, but these two episodes show her belief in the best in the people at the hotel is founded.)

Another point I liked is that she was getting through to some of the angels. It’s a recurring gag that her presentations aren’t great. They’re written in crayon, flowery, and a little basic, but it’s the passion and critical thinking that she expresses in her presentations that shows that she can be a capable leader. 

She effectively poked holes in their argument that the sinners in hell deserve to be there and had their chance.

Her duet with Emily was really good. The way she brought back “Hell is Forever” to call the angels and exorcists out was the best (as you could probably tell from the fact that I quoted it). It also introduces a theme that the next generation will work to change things. Both Emily and Charlie want things to be different and clash with their parents who are both afraid that their child might end up like Lucifer. It’s a very clear parallel that sets up a lot of plot potential.

Charlie really was great in these episodes.

Angel Dust

I will admit I think aspects of Angel’s arc are rushed. Him standing up to Val is a big moment and I like the fact that it happened while Charlie is trying to show heaven that they are wrong about sinners, but I wish that we had gotten more time to build to Angel Dust being able to “stick it to the man” because of how powerful I think his arc is and the themes it deals with.

Episode 4 was the first time we really got to see beneath Angel’s mask and truly see the potential for change that Charlie does. We only really got hints that Angel wanted to change, but was scared to try in the first 3 episodes. We also know that he doesn’t feel safe even when he’s not around Valentino. 

Episode 4 is the turning point for him. When Val was abusing him he asked him not to hurt Charlie. His concern was solely for her in that moment despite the fact he was in the more tenuous position. He even forgives Charlie at the end because he knows her intentions are good. Plus his connection with Husk helped him find understanding so that he could come to feel like he could change. 

It was the real start of his growth and it was well done in my opinion. 

I just wish it had gotten a little more breathing room because while I do really like the plot points that occur in this episode I feel like they happened a bit too soon. (I know that it's been a few months in canon, but we didn't get to see that, so that slow progression doesn't have the impact it should)

I also liked that it called back to the pilot where she told the news that he was their patron and he ended up making them look bad because he was indulging in all his bad habits from before, but now it’s almost the opposite. Yeah, he drinks and does some drugs, but he shows his growth and proves Charlie’s point about sinners and it makes the angels argue among themselves.

Vaggie

The reveal that Vaggie was an ex-exorcist was something a lot of people made theories about. It was one that I wanted to be true because of what it would mean for Charlie and the dynamic of the hotel. I liked how it was revealed to Charlie.

This is another plot point that I think is rushed, but I think the execution is better than a lot of the other reveals that happened earlier in the series.

I feel like this reveal was a bit necessary for Vaggie’s character and the episode’s focus wasn’t split and I think that’s why I’m not as hard on it being rushed as I am on earlier plot points. Vaggie was the member of the hotel I thought suffered the most from the limited time/episode count.

The only focus she got was episode 3 and her arc in that episode was a bit clunky, which wasn’t helped by the fact that the other half of the episode with the overlords of hell was more interesting because it set up what looks like it will be a long term conflict and revealed a major plot point. 

The rest of the hotel residents got slower paced, less cluttered focus. Alastor has been subject to quite a few plot lines and is a slow burn mystery with a lot of potential for growth. Angel Dust is the hotel’s first patron and the character positioned to be the poster boy for redemption, so of course his development is given the spotlight. Husk has a unique dynamic with everyone (Alastor and Angel in particular) and is a foil to Angel Dust which makes him a central figure/mentor in Angel getting himself together. Etc.

I think this creates a lot of potential for her character leading into the last two episodes and gives her depth that I really want to see explored. I don’t really know what to say about the reveal beyond the fact that I’m really excited to see how this shakes Charlie and the hotel. How will this effect the other residents? Will Vaggie take a stand against the angels when they come for the hotel? Will we see her grief/conflict over her past actions now that they’ve been revealed?

There’s so many directions they can take this that I can’t wait for episode 7.

One smaller note is that I wish that the threat of Adam telling Charlie about Vaggie's secret had played more of a part in the episode and Vaggie actually had to choose between standing beside her girlfriend or stopping her. She just excuses herself to the restroom instead of making that choice and it felt like a missed opportunity.

Lucifer

Lucifer is a very interesting character in the limited screen time he’s had so far. The direction they took him is different from most of the other dads in Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss. The fact that he does care and was the person that was the original motivation for Charlie to open the Hazbin Hotel is a refreshing direction to take after all the bad dads this series has. 

He’s so afraid that Charlie will end up like him. That she’s putting her faith in the wrong people. That hell’s denizens aren’t capable of redemption. All these fears stem from his own crushed dreams from his fall at the hands of heaven. 

It’s a nice change of pace.

I also love how he’s just as petty as Alastor, taking any shot he can at the Radio Demon to one up him when it comes to their respective relationships to Charlie.

Extra Thoughts

Sir Pentious having a crush on Cherry Bomb, but being absolutely horrible at acting on it was really funny. Sir Pentious is such a fun character.

I love that the theory that Alastor made a deal with Lilith seems more and more plausible with every episode. It certainly would explain the fact that they were both gone for seven years and how Alastor was such a dominant force in hell from the start. I want Alastor’s backstory asap.

I like that Alastor’s overwhelming power among sinners is re-established here. He’s someone that you don’t mess with. And I like that the way that people don’t react to him as much as before is because of his 7 year absence. I did think it was strange that he’s so infamous for brutally toppling powerful overlords, but people don’t go running like you’d expect in the first few episodes.

Alastor and Husk have such a complicated dynamic. I really want to learn more about their history. Alastor has no problems tearing overlords that come across him apart, but Husk ended up with a deal to keep his power. Why is that? And while Alastor does own his soul Husk will call him out on things and can read him so much better than anyone else. Alastor lets these slide until he points out that Alastor is also on a leash like him. And Alastor had to have told Husk that he sold his soul because how else would Husk know that. All these things make for one of the most interesting and complicated dynamics of the show.

I do want to make clear that I think Alastor is a character of duality and contradiction. There's a hint that he does care about the hotel and the possibility of him growing to care for the residents, but he's still the sadistic and cruel Radio Demon. There's just a glimpse of change there now.

I really like the parallels between Emily and Charlie. I really like the idea that this seems to set up that the next generation is going to step up and take a stand against the mistakes of the previous generation. This one episode set the groundwork for a really interesting arc for Emily and her potential dynamic with Charlie.

I love Angel Dust. That's it. I just wanted to say that.

[happypotato48]

We Are: Fighting Toxic Masculinity With The Power Of Friendship

Wow, who would have thought that it We Are of all things that make me write this, i really need to expand my horizons.

I will mostly be talking about Phum and Toey in this post, on how i feel related to certain aspects of their characters that related to toxic masculinity and how that ties in to the overarching theme of this show, Friendships.

So i've mentioned before that the way Toey talks is very noticeable, let me elaborate that further. both the way Toey use his name as a first person pronoun and his mannerism are very childish but its not just that. becuse of toxic masculinity and societal norms in thailand it's more acceptable for women to talks like that and use childish pronouns than men. for an example the pronoun Nu. boys are expected to drops that when they reach certain age (some don't and continuing to use it exclusively with their parents especially their mothers, including your truly.) cause of that the way Toey talks also can be read as feminine + satang performance made him feels like a very visibly queer character to me.

And here i think We Are strength come in cause the show never break its bubble but alluded that Toey had been bullied in highschool. and it so heartwarming to me knowing that Phum and Fang stood up and protect him then, and now with this current friends group who never one even remotely mentioned or tease him in anyways and ready to protect and fight for Toey's happiness, its give me all the feels. Toey can be himself and never felt like he needs to change and conform to the standard of masculinity because he have men in his life whose said no you are perfect the way you are.

Now Phum oh my dear baby boy. as first i was not vibing at all with PhumPeem as main couple but after the slow burn of 11 episodes they had won me over wholeheartedly. first thing first though i don't know anyone mentioned this before but the word that got translate as "slave" is เบ๊ *Be which in this school context have more of a bullying vibe and feel less harsh than the word slave. anyways we learned that Phum had a lonely childhood abroad far aways from his family and how stuffed toys are his only comfort at the time. as the start of the show Phum because of his childhood had walls up around himself manifested as toxic asshole exterior. and i loved that it not just only because of Peem that those walls came down, the show made the point again and again by having Phum said that he loves spending time with Peem and his friends that being with them makes him feels at ease.

And that why i think this show is goodish (it still a bit trash but hey i love it anyway.) and not a show that has nothing to say because how much it give important to the friendships. the show clearly stated that friends are as important as lovers and through friendship us queer guys can protect and better ourselves with each other. that male friendships can be more then what the world told us to be.

These are the reasons why i think We Are is one of my favorite BLs this year. because the nature of it never breaking the bubble its, for one hour made me feel like i can breathe, that for one hour i don't have to think about queer truth that hurts sometime and live in this queer fantasy. and i appreciated that eminently when i have to leave that bubble and face the music.

tagging for reasons >.> @bengiyo

[do-not-resuscikate]

A long, slight critical, rant about The Bad Batch.

Let me preface this by saying, I love this show, I think it has been one of the best animated shows to ever come out of Disney or Star Wars. This rant comes from a place of love.

-------------------------------------------------------

I think it's pretty clear at this stage that The Bad Batch Season 3, while excellent in so many ways, is not quite sticking the landing when it comes to human moments.

There's a reason The Outpost is a fan favorite ep.

There's a reason a lot of people resonate with The Crossing.

And the reason is not action or setpieces, it's the human moments. The emotional moments.

The moments where characters stop and react.

I always thought it was an odd choice to bring back Echo but then have him not even mention Fives, nevermind not giving us any insight into Echos feelings about the circumstances surrounding his death. Rex even talks about how Fives tried to warn him about the chips, in front of Echo, and nothing!

Maybe it's a fluke, an oversight, I thought? Maybe, a story arc they had to trim so they could better explore the new characters!? 

And wow, did the writers do some amazing character work in season 2! I mean, chef's kiss, 10 outta 10. Gorgeous. Give me more of that.

But then, season 3 came.

Do we see proper conversation about the loss of Tech? No.

Do we see Crosshairs reaction to learning of his death? No.

Do we see Phees reaction to his death? No.

Do we see the groups immediate interaction after Crosshair returns. No.

Hells, Omega is taken AGAIN and Hunter doesn't even blink.

We maybe get a token mention here or there, and then on to the next copy/paste rescue/escape.

The writing team leave these beautiful breadcrumbs for us, we're dying to know how X will react to Y next week, and then they just never follow through.

I love this show, I really do, but I can only excuse this so many times.

With the series almost at its end, I think it's becoming increasingly clear that the writers think action setpieces, and escape plans, and heists are what the fans want. 

Don't get me wrong, the setpieces are great. But action is a dime a dozen these days. Plenty of shows and movies give us awesome explosions and shoot outs.

Far rarer are shows, and especially animated "childrens" shows, that give us genuine, gut-punching, emotional moments.

With so little time left, I'm doubtful of a truly satisfying finale to the Batches story. 

So many threads are still dangling, and we're all dying for answers. But we'll spend the next precious few episodes watch Omega break out of Tantiss AGAIN.

Whoever's under CX-2s mask might be significant, but will we see anyone's reaction to it? Will we have time to explore it's impact? Would they explore it even if they had the time?!

The thing many fans fell in love with about the clones is not that they're badass soldiers blowing up droids, it's how they behaved as people. 

How they interacted with each other, defined themselves, pushed their individuality, morality, and goodness to forefront despite being told they are only weapons.

 It's how they reacted to the world around them and their place in it.

The point of the clones stories is not action, it's reaction.

[pjisskullourful]

ᴅɪʀᴛʏ ʟᴀᴜɴᴅʀʏ

👙Ethan/reader

NSFW🚨 nasty smutterific filth ° Ethan Torchio/female reader insert ° If you like my dirty laundry, There's no need for you to clean me- your boyfriend definitely doesnt hate it when you leave your dirty panties lying around the house wordcount::: 5,444 ° commissioned by my baby jace (@wow-ihateithere) 💋 another super fun idea, its always great breaking new ground with you! [requests are open] [but commissions are priority! snatch up the 7th spot in my cue!] ° lyrics stolen from adore delano ° [ITA:] cazzo: fuck

Dustin' off my dirty laundry Get to work if you want wet dreams

That post workout flow of endorphins was gone. You weren’t feeling very energised as you got out of your car, heading for the front door of your flat. The only thing you were interested in was a shower, so ready to get all traces of the sweat accumulated at the gym off of your body.

You were expecting to find Ethan in a similar low-energy mood - your boyfriend had been struggling with jet-lag since getting home from tour last night. You anticipated a night of nothing more adventurous than snuggling, and maybe catching up on the new episodes of Futurama. And you didn’t need anything more than that to be happy.

You unlocked the front door and stepped inside to find only one lamp switched on in the living room. This, coupled with the general absence of noise in your home, led you to thinking that Ethan was asleep. You imagined curling up in the bed beside him, lying your head on his chest because it was far superior to the pillows that had been your only option these past weeks. Your cat, Pluto, was asleep in his typical spot on the coffee table, not even turning his head in your direction.

By the door, you removed your sneakers. Then you set off in the direction of the bedroom. You could see its door was shut, but around its edges a source of light was visible. This didn’t strike you as odd, you figured the door was shut to keep Ethan from being bothered by any potential burst of energy from Pluto (wanting to avoid him tearing into the room with a case of the zoomies).

Before turning the knob, you heard some noises coming from the other side of the door. They were so muffled that you almost didn’t notice them. They were both out of place and familiar at the same time. Your first thought for the source was that Ethan was talking in his sleep (something you had witnessed a couple of times in the year since the beginning of your relationship).

But when you turned the knob and opened the door, you found that Ethan wasn’t asleep. He was sitting upright on your bed, with two parts of his body in motion.

You could now identify those noises as moans, even though they were still somewhat muffled. They were muffled by the piece of fabric that covered his mouth.

He was masturbating - his hand jerking his dick as his pants and briefs sat bunched up around his ankles. With his eyes shut, you were unnoticed as you took a couple of silent steps into the room. You took in all of the details of this scene you had stumbled upon, fascinated in a way that made your cheeks fill with heat. The speed that he was working his dick at made you think that he hadn’t just begun, he was clearly very warmed up (potentially close to his orgasm). Viewing his pure and unashamed arousal was stirring something inside of you, you were no longer only thinking about taking that shower.

Looking at what he held to his nose, you thought there was something familiar about that particular shade of lilac. He kept his nose buried in it, his hand holding steady even through the shaking of his limbs.

You almost gasped when you recognised that piece of material - it was a section of your panties. Specifically, the pair of underwear that you had taken off your body this morning. After removing them you must have left them on the ground by your side of the bed, where the lingerie had gotten Ethan’s attention, as well as getting him hard.

You were thoroughly surprised and you couldn’t tear your eyes off of him. You weren’t sure how to react, but you knew that you didn’t want to do anything to discourage him.

You licked your lips, questioning if now was the right time to speak, even as you began to talk. “Sweetheart?”

His reaction was immediate, he ripped the underwear away from his face and curled them up tightly in his fist, almost as if he was trying to make them disappear. His hand swiftly left his cock as he scooted across the bed, moving away from you. His face was bright pink, it looked to be hot enough to instantaneously melt an ice-cube. His eyes were wild and you noticed the way he only briefly looked at your face, proceeding to look anywhere but.

“Cazzo, I’m sorry, I’m really- I- shit.” He said breathlessly.

“You don’t have to apologise.” You soothed. “I feel like I should be the one apologising, ‘cause I interrupted.”

He hadn’t yet decided how he wanted to sit, squirming as he tried to reposition so as to somewhat conceal his cock. “No, it’s fine, it’s- I guess I just lost track of time. I didn’t even hear you come in.”

You keenly smiled at him as you made your way over to the bed. “So, what’cha doin’?”

He looked down, his eyes on the nightstand. “I got a little horny.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” He repeated hollowly, he had moved the hand holding the underwear behind himself. But you weren’t about to forget that they were there.

You stopped at the side of the bed. “You decided to have a different kind of workout while I was at the gym, huh?”

“Something like that.”

“Hey, what’s going on?” You asked, you were trying to coax him into looking up at you. You stroked your fingers through the loose strands of hair that were threatening to fall in front of his face. “Are you alright?”

“I’m embarrassed here, love.” He told you. “Look at what you walked in on me doing.”

“So? You’ve walked in on me playing with myself before.”

He shook his head, which he was still holding down. “That’s totally different. You knew that I was coming in. It was part of the seduction, it was planned, it was…” He trailed off with a huff. “And you didn’t just walk in on me masturbating, I was sniffing your dirty panties.”

That made everything crystal clear in your head. There had been a secondary scenario that you had been putting together, seeking out the less obvious explanation. You had wondered if he had taken it upon himself to do some laundry, resulting in the clean lingerie being close at hand when he had needed something to muffle his enthusiastic reactions to the masturbating.

But the situation was exactly as it had first appeared - he had sought out the worn garment, sought out the smell of your cunt as he got himself off.

“And that’s fine.” You said simply.

He looked up at you, an expression of incredulity on his face. “What?”

“What?”

This only served to deepen the furrow in his brow. “No, that’s what I said, you can’t just repeat what I say, that’s not how conversations work.”

“Right.” You said, slowly beginning to make the moves to sit in his lap. When he didn’t deter you in any way, you lowered yourself down and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. You were trying your best to make eye contact, even as he continued to act very shy. “It’s okay, really. You have nothing to apologise for and I don’t want you to be embarrassed. I know that it’s easier said than done, but could you give not being embarrassed a try…” You swooped in to give him a kiss on the cheek. “...for me?”

“I guess.” He said. “Truly, you don’t have a problem with this?”

“Why would I?”

“It’s a perverted thing to do, there’s a reason why I was doing it in secret. It’s nasty, it’s- it’s…”

You had taken to stroking your fingers along the back of his neck as you listened to him gathering his thoughts. “Oh, sweetheart, I would have thought that you knew me well enough by now to know that nastiness is fine with me. I’m a fan of it, in fact.”

This earned you what felt like the first substantial eye contact since you had arrived home. You savoured it, the smile that you had been wearing broadened.

“You promise that you’re not repulsed?” He asked earnestly.

“I promise.” You told him immediately. “I’m just surprised and kind of curious.”

He had placed one of his arms around your waist, happy to keep sharing this closeness with you. You were glad that he was no longer trying to run, he had become present and it brought warmth to your heart.

He leaned in a little closer and you could see those hints of stress were gone from his handsome face. “What are you curious about?”

“I can ask…?”

He nodded as he rested his hand high up on your thigh. “You can. I’ll tell you when I don’t wanna answer.”

You nibbled on your bottom lip as you put extra consideration into what words you were picking. This moment felt fragile and you handled it as such, not wanting to disrespect him in any way. You wanted only positive things to come from this conversation.

“Were you horny before you picked the panties up? Or were they the catalyst?” You asked.

“Catalyst.” He said. “I was getting back into bed from the bathroom and I didn’t even see them, I just stood on them. When I saw what it was, I picked them up. And before I knew what I was doing, I was sniffing them. Then one sniff turned into another, and another and, well you saw how that ended up. The aforementioned nastiness.”

“Wow.” It was all that you could manage to say while your mind was rushed with so many thoughts, and fantasies. You were getting back some of that energy that had dwindled following your workout.

“Yeah, it’s dirty, I know.” He said.

“It’s hot.” You said, asserting what you had been thinking. “You’re saying that I don’t even have to be in the same room as you to get you so turned on that you have to touch yourself… That’s crazy hot, love.”

“Do you think so?”

“Fuck yes!”

He was wearing a small smile and all of his issues with eye contact were seemingly behind him. “What would you think if I told you that this wasn’t my first time doing this?”

“Really?” You asked, your heart beating faster.

“Yeah. It’s not, like, a regular habit or anything. But a couple of times in the past- one time, before we were living together, you left a pair at my place, and smelling them just got me feeling this undeniable way.” He said, with his hand rubbing your thigh. “I don’t know what other questions you have, but what it basically boils down to is I like your scent, like, a lot.”

This was a compliment that you hadn’t realised you needed to hear.

One of your greatest insecurities was how much you sweated. The excessive sweating had come on as a side effect of anxiety meds, prescribed two years ago, and it wasn’t just uncomfortable. It had spurred worries regarding your appearance (you were often regarding yourself as a sweaty mess), especially the way it could disrupt your applied makeup.

Then there were the fears of carrying a terrible odour with you. You had tried every deodorant that promised to stop sweat. You kept a travel-size bottle of perfume in your backpack at all times. You were vigilant, never leaving the house without first taking a thorough shower.

Some people feared public speaking, you were scared to be perceived as smelling bad by anyone at any time. It was like you were always waiting to be ashamed.

You were the one who did the laundry, rejecting Ethan’s offers to take on the chore. Because your dirty clothes were gross. You didn’t want him to have to deal with the unintentionally filthy part of your existence, you always wanted to give him only your best and the embarrassment of your sweating was your secret to keep.

But he had shattered that belief, revealing to you just how much time had been wasted on insecurities. He loved you, even those parts of you that you wished away.

“I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure of mine.” He said.

You turned your body to face his, repositioning a little in his lap. “Maybe my post-gym shower can wait.”

“It definitely can wait.”

You had moved to bring both of your knees to the mattress, resting on either side of him. “Yeah, you can get your fix straight from the source.”

You tilted your head to the side, watching his eyes flutter shut as you leaned in closer. Your lips met, a sharp inhale from him indicating his excitement. You wrapped your arms snugly around him as your mouths worked together, finding the pace to match your desires.

He placed his hands firmly to your back, bringing your chest flush to his. There wasn’t any room for worries, you were too busy sinking into this embrace, with all of its enticing potential.

He manoeuvred his mouth, closing his lips around your lower lip. He gently began to suck on this and you responded by grinding in his lap a little. Moving your hips in a slow circle allowed you to gain the knowledge that he was still erect. This gave you a swell of endorphins, a rush powerful enough to block everything else out.

“Dirty boy…” You moaned, your words only slightly impeded by having him still attached to your lip.

He leaned back with a sigh. “I know.”

You moved your hands to the top of his covered pectorals. “You’re, like, the dirtiest boy.”

“I am.” He said, going along with your teasing.

You pushed, putting some distance between the two of you in favour of getting him flat on his back. Your hands went to the hem of the old T-shirt he had been wearing, you lifted it away from his skin and he assisted in taking it off. You ran your hands along the ridges of his torso as you leaned down. You covered his mouth in kisses, hearing his breathy moans in between.

“You don’t have to hide it from me. Let me get dirty with you.” You said, looking into his soulful eyes.

After stealing another kiss from him, you got up. From a drawer of his bedside table, you pulled out a condom and handed this over to him.

Instead of assisting in its application, you remained standing off to the side of the bed. You started to remove the stretchy clothes that you had worn to the gym, too curious, too turned on to not watch his progress as you did so. You left your clothes on the floor and he got his legs free from the pants and underwear he had still been wearing.

Once naked, he repositioned, moving up to lay his head on the pillow. Expectantly, he kept his eyes on you, waiting for your next move. He was allowing you to set the tone.

And you had plenty of things in mind.

You climbed back onto the bed to climb on top of him. His eyes explored your nakedness as you straddled his hips. His hands caressed up-and-down your sides as you settled on top of him.

“I love you, sweetheart.” He said.

You had been expecting only dirty talk from here on. But this wasn’t an unwelcome thing to hear, it brought a smile to your face as you leaned down, getting more kisses from him. “I love you too.”

His hands stroked across your cheeks as he reached up for your hair. “I just want you to know how appreciative I am…” He had that trademark ‘serious Ethan’ look on his face as he looked into your eyes. “You took a moment that I thought was bad, really bad, I felt terrible. But now you’ve totally turned it around, you’ve made it so much better.”

“And I’m not done making it better.” You said.

You kissed him with your heart fluttering in your chest. You were feeling a different kind of motivation, inspired by the collision of lust and love. It was an irresistible cocktail that you indulged in, seeking a deeper kiss.

As your mouths moved together, you sought to satisfy the other desires in you, beginning to work your hips. You kept your thighs tensed as you rolled your hips back, bringing your wet slit to his erection. You shared your arousal with him in this new way, stroking him with your cunt.

He was already so eager and it wasn’t long before he started to move beneath you. His arms were wound so tightly around you as he squirmed, seeking to create friction between you.

You whined on his lips as you began to stretch yourself open on his tip. You eased yourself down and he remained still, allowing you to be in charge of this moment. You moved one of your hands into his hair, wrapping your fingers around some strands as the pressure built up inside of you.

Your pussy gripped him as you got yourself lower, your hips getting closer to his. You swiped your tongue back-and-forth along his upper lip, feeling that familiar shape before you pushed inside. You massaged across the roof of his mouth, experiencing more of his taste.

He was breathless as you pulled away. You shifted your body weight to your knees as you sat up, his arms slipping from around you. He put his hands to your waist as he stared at you. You could see the wildness in his eyes, so much passion waiting to be set free as you steadied yourself.

His hands gripped down, squeezing your ample hips when you started to thrust your hips into him. His mouth fell open and you could feel how much his shaft was throbbing inside of you. More excitement rushed into you with each rock in your developing rhythm.

Unsurprisingly, his sense of restraint wasn’t as prominent as was typical, leading him to moving you into a faster tempo. He didn’t hold back from snapping his hips into you, his swollen balls slapping on your ass as he strived to satisfy the desperation built up inside of him. You squeezed your thighs tighter against him, intending to stick with him as you reached that next level of pleasure.

The sensations swarming your body only grew more powerful, infusing your movements with a sense of greed as you continued to meet his every jerk. Shutting your eyes, you listened to his every failed attempt to catch his breath punctuated by his ecstatic whimpers.

His hands squeezed you tighter, trimmed fingernails digging into your skin as he got faster again. His hungry pumps came in, getting you closer to the peak with this exciting massage.

As his hips stuttered and moved unpredictably, you knew that he was on the verge of capturing his climax. You writhed with him, trying to stay as consistent as possible. His whines were getting louder, and with absolutely nothing to cover his mouth this time around, you were able to hear exactly what you were doing to him.

With his back arched, he could stroke deeper into you. You were getting short on breath and in the darkness of your shut eyes, you were seeing stars blooming to life.

“Oh, love- ah, unf…” He moaned in response to your continued grinding.

His tensed body shot up, recklessly colliding into you one final time. Your nerves were on fire at the feeling of having him at your sweet spot. But the delicious pressure here was short-lived.

He rocked back as he began to disappear into his orgasm. His hands released on you and he was falling out of anything that resembled a rhythm. Gasping for air, he got lost in it all.

Despite the tension that possessed your body, begging to be resolved, you stilled yourself. You gave him a pause to come back from that intense high. You looked down to where he lay, one arm placed over his eyes as he worked at catching his breath. He had unravelled for you, stuck with the after-effects of that for the moment.

You waited, your eyes on him as you remained committed to this elevated state. You watched the rhythmic, predictable rise-and-fall of his chest.

You didn’t know how much time had passed. But you knew that you were ready to go when he uncovered his eyes, looking at you. You licked your lips and ran one of your hands up his torso. Eagerly, your inner-walls fluttered as you amused yourself by drawing a circle around one of his nipples.

You tested what he would let you get away with, giving your hips a little roll. He didn’t give any indication that your energy was in the wrong place, tilting his pelvis for you as a determined look came onto his face. He picked up your hand and brought it up to his face. He started to tenderly place kisses upon each fingertip as you moved in another experimental rock. Then another, and another, and another, all the while his lips moved across your fingers.

With each thrust feeling better than the last, you were soon finding your rhythm again. It felt so good to get back to moving properly and from your pussy, new sensitivities were stroked to life.

He began to suck on two of your fingers as you drove into him harder. You were holding back less as you enjoyed the way that your body was reacting more.

Losing your composure was absolutely effortless and you slumped forward, more of your body weight crashing down onto him. You grabbed for the head of the bed for some more support as you kept the power in your thrusts.

“Fuck, yes.” You moaned, delighted by the increase of friction between your bodies.

“You feel so incredible.” He said of your keenly-clenching walls.

He put a hand to the small of your back, moving his body with you to increase the impact of every collision. The two of you worked for that mutual goal and you could feel that spectacular peak getting closer.

You plunged yourself down harder and felt the reward of him at your sweet spot. Your body tensed as your heart launched itself into your throat. You reached your hand into his hair, grasping some of the long strands to your sweaty palm as you craved more of that magic.

“Make me come, slut.” You ordered him, giving his hair a little tug.

You fucked into him quicker, bouncing yourself into a frenzy as you lost yourself in the need. Your heart pounded as the intensity only grew, overwhelming everything else.

Short on breath again, he let out a loud moan. “Fuck. I think- oh, you’re gonna make me come again.”

“Yes.” You were thrilled by the idea of it.

Your gut tightened and there were even more stars in your eyes now. You gave him your best jolts as your inner-walls spasmed wildly.

Your jaw dropped open as the magnificent climax took you over. You rode him through the peak, with him following you into his own orgasm. You savoured the feeling of becoming complete with him.

The adrenaline couldn’t get any higher and your body went limp, crumpling in the aftermath. You splayed out on the bed with him. His hand grabbed for yours, the connection remaining intact as your fingers interlaced.

He rolled over until he was close enough to wrap his arms around you. He pressed his face against the side of your neck as you each quietly moved through your states of afterglow.

“Oh, love.” You said with a sigh. “Don’t you see how much better it is when we get dirty together?”

He chuckled. “Truly superior. You’re so right.”

“Ooh, I do love it when you say that.” You said, rolling onto your side so that you could be face-to-face. “But do you know what I love hearing even more?”

His eyes were sparkling as they looked into yours. “I love you.”

“That’s right.” You said. “And I love you too.”

As he began to kiss you, you draped your arms around him. Your bodies moved closer and your limbs slipped into those familiar holds - the perfect embrace coming to the two of you naturally after so much practice. This moment was blissful in its simplicity.

“You really have no idea how relieved I am.” He said. “I thought this would be a secret I would just always have to hide from you, like a kid sneaking out to try booze behind their parents’ back.”

You had begun to push his hair back from his face. “I don’t know why you were so worried. Have I ever done anything to make you feel like I’m some sort of prude?”

“No, no way. But you never know how well someone is gonna respond to those kinkier, dirtier parts of you. I don’t think that’s the kind of thing many people would be happy to come home to.” He said.

“Well I’m happy to come home to it, very happy.” You said. “Imagine if you were the opposite and you had a bitch fit over me leaving my clothes everywhere. But you want them all over the place.”

“Damn straight.”

You sat up out of the embrace, moving until you could reach over the side of the bed. “What about these?” You asked as you picked up the pair of underwear that you had worn to the gym. They had been selected for comfort, far from the cutest pair that you owned. “Are they to your liking?”

He chuckled, taking the underwear from you. “It’s hardly a sophisticated palate that I’ve got. If it smells like your pussy then I’ll like it.”

You noticed that he wasn’t raising the lingerie to his nose, instead holding it at a respectful distance. “Sniff them.”

“Huh?”

You laid down, nice and close to him again. “Show me how you do it, dirty boy.”

“You want me to just…? Alright.”

His eyes left your face, going to the black underwear as he moved them around in his hands, seemingly looking for the section he wanted to smell first. He got to the crotch and spread it out with his index fingers. With the fabric pulled taut, he now lifted it up to his nostrils. He took a deep inhale, getting a proper sample.

“Yeah, that’s the good pussy.” He said, wearing a cheeky smile.

“I’m glad you like them.”

“No. It’s not just like, it’s love.” He said, giving the garment more sniffs.

You were rubbing his ankle with your foot. “I still feel bad for interrupting because you clearly weren’t finished.”

“Oh, I’ve definitely forgiven you.” He said.

“You should keep sniffing, get your fix.” You encouraged. “Enjoy it while it’s hot off the press.”

The look on his face hinted at him knowing that you were up to something. But he went along with your suggestion instead of raising any questions. He kept the underwear close to his face, the tip of his nose almost touching the fabric.

You put your hand to the centre of his chest, feeling how warm his skin was. At first, you were just stroking your hand up-and-down, letting your fingers trail. Then you were applying pressure, giving him a push until he got the hint and rolled onto his back.

Above your underwear, his eyes were sparkling as he watched you. You sought out a new position, placing yourself on top of him, but lower down now. His legs were covered by your body and you started to trace your fingertips along the ridges of his Adonis belt.

“Are you getting all worked up over those panties?” You asked.

“It’s hard not to.” He said. “Your panties are inherently great. They’re so cute and sexy. You look fantastic in them and when you take them off, you leave behind the best scent, without even trying. They’re really unmatched.”

You peeled the sleeve of latex off his cock, seeing the skin glisten in the light cast by the lamp. Looking up at him, you found that his eyes were still glued to you, not wanting to miss a single thing.

“Maybe next time you’re getting ready to go out on tour, I should take a more active role in helping you pack.” You said and you could see how tightly he had begun to hold the underwear. You got your mouth right up next to his dick, letting him feel the warm air that came with your every word. “I could sneak in my dirty panties and give my boy something to remind him of me when he jerks off.”

“Please.” It seemed that he couldn’t get his voice above a strained whisper.

“Sniffing my panties while we’re having phone sex, that would be the next best thing to having me there to fuck.” You said.

He didn’t have anything to say in response to this. His chest was rising-and-falling quicker than before as he watched. You brought your lips to the tensed tip of his cock, placing a kiss here.

But you didn’t let this become the centre of your focus. You moved towards the base of his shaft and used your tongue to clean up some of the expelled cum. You saw him twitch as you moved your tongue, collecting more of his essence. His unique taste coated your tongue as you worked slowly and thoroughly.

You stroked your way up, saving his head for once the rest of the shaft had been cleaned. You paused to take a breath, your eyes moving back up to his face. He had lifted his head from the pillow in his eagerness to see what you would do next. His nose and mouth had disappeared as he continued to grasp the panties to his face.

You trained the tip of your tongue down to his cock’s head, hearing his sharp inhale as contact was made. You flitted your tongue quickly back-and-forth, stimulating him at this sensitive point, amused by the way this made him squirm under you.

Then you placed your lips around the head and used your tongue in longer swipes, properly collecting the moisture beaded here. You felt his legs shift, potentially a symptom of him trying to hold back. You began to swirl your tongue.

You relaxed your lips to move down lower, his cock rubbing against your tongue as you took more of him into your mouth.

“Oh, sweetheart.” His words were thoroughly muffled by the panties as he readjusted under you, starting to arch his back.

Setting your lips in position, you worked yourself up-and-down his shaft. You applied your tongue to him as well, using this as the chaser to your strokes. You wrapped your fingers around his thigh, helping to brace yourself as you set into a rhythm.

“Please don’t stop.” He said in a little whine.

You moved quicker, taking him deeper in the process. You used your free hand to steady him, holding him close to the base. Your pacing was consistent as you anticipated that feeling of him unloading in your mouth, that feeling of his cum surging to splash into your mouth.

His shifting and squirming developed into jerking, with him no longer holding back. He began to match your speed, letting you feel just how hungry you had gotten him. His chest swelled as he glided against your firm tongue. You shut your eyes as you concentrated on the task of keeping up with him.

With a whimper, he rocked up, then froze, launched into the warmth of your mouth. Then you gained your reward, ropes of his cum shooting out to coat the inside of your mouth. He was breathless as he captured this brand new orgasm and you kept sucking, letting him fully enjoy this triumph.

Slowly, he peeled back from you, his cock sliding over your slicked lips. He returned his body to the bed, weakened by this latest release. You were swallowing as you sat up. You noticed that the panties remained over his nose, despite how he had moved his hands away.

“Fuck…” He gasped before he began to laugh breathlessly. “That was so much, so much. Literally, I think I’m gonna need to pass out for about a day to recover from all of that.”

“I hope you remember this the next time you think of keeping any kind of secret from me, love.” You said.

»»————-　♡　————-««

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[galvanizedfriend]

do you recommend watching The Originals?

Nonnie, you're out with the tough questions 😂

I've been here thinking about this for a few minutes. The answer is... depends? lol I know some people who really like The Originals, so it's hard to say that you should or shouldn't watch it. It really depends on what kind of thing you're looking for and where do you draw a line.

Personally, I have a lot of issues with TO lol And back when it was still airing and I was watching it as the episodes came out, I abandoned it halfway through S3 because I got to a point where the very far and few good parts were no longer making it worth my while. A lot of people think S3 is the best season, I think it's by far the worst one lol So you see how it really depends.

But I do like it that I watched it in end, even though it took me a few years. It gives me authority that I know exactly what I'm talking about when I shit talk it lol also whenever people who can't stand the show have a canon-related question, they come to me because I watched it some 200 times so other people don't have to suffer through it, and I think that's beautiful 😂😂

Here's a simple pros vs cons list *in my opinion*: Pros: it's more Mikaelson screen time, so there's that. That are some plot lines that had potential, although almost none of them are well executed. Seasons 1 and 2 are actually kind of ok. S3 and 4 Klaus hair is 🤌🤌🤌 The WILD CURLS ERA! I'm a simple girl, you give me Klaus in tight Henley shirts with curly curls, I'm in. There are some great family moments scattered throughout the seasons, some really cool scenes that make you think 'wow, this could've been a great show' (right before you get pissed off that it wasn't). Daniel Sharman's Kol is, IMHO, the superior Kol (I don't like Nate Buzz's acting). Jomo really delivers as Klaus regardless the whole bullshittery around him and gets some great chances to just be a little shit, which I love. There are some great Klaroline moments (and not just in S5). And in spite of my overall feelings for TO, one of my favorite all-time TVDverse characters is from there: Vincent Griffith. I love him to bits. I also really like Marcel, even though he becomes a glorified extra after S1, and Jackson. Also, if you're really into werewolves, this is really the show where they get any screen time. I'm not saying it's good, but at least it's there (and no, Klaus never turns into a wolf, it makes no sense).

Cons: Really bad, inconsistent writing. Some seasons have storylines that just die out of nowhere for no reason (*cough*season 3*cough*). The whole premise of the show is insane (there was absolutely no need for Hope when Marcel is right there). The crossovers with TVD are very poorly done and very glaring opportunities go unexplored (like at the end of S1). Rebekah drops out pretty soon into the show. Elijah changes personality at least once every season to the point where, by the end of the show, they just retcon him completely. The finale is RIDICULOUS. Season 4 was written by someone on a wild acid trip, season 5 is really not worth your time AT ALL (except for the Klaroline moments). Female characters are very badly treated (pretty standard in the TVDverse, but anyway). Klamille is a thing, although, as with everything else, it's so badly done it's only marginally there. There are a lot of retcons and rewritings of the show's own mythology, which is annoying. And it's just... Bad. I don't know what to say, it just never lived up to the hype of what a show about the Original family could've been or what TVD had been at its peak. It's never, ever even remotely as good as TVD was around S2-3, not even at its best moments.

Those are my personal opinions, anyway. I'm sure others might feel different, but each to their own. It's really about you considering whether or not that's something you might enjoy or if it will at least be worth your time. Maybe start it and see how you feel? Worst case scenario, at least you get to see more of Klaus prancing around New Orleans.

Also, the first episode of TO is different from the backdoor pilot in TVD. That's more of a Klaus POV one, while the one in TO is more an Elijah POV.

hope my TED Talk helps you! 😂

[eemoo1o-animoo]

10 Grelle-based paraphernalia that I found on eBay, in no particular order but my subjective deeming of relevance or importance

Possibly part one of a series? Perhaps?

If so, then I probably won’t contain it to only eBay, and I’m going off of what comes up for someone who’s based in the UK, so maybe there’s more or less stuff available if you’re in other countries due to shipping limitations, etc.? But eBay at the moment is my main source, and I’m only doing this — work that anyone can do, nothing exceptionally thorough or insightful — because I’m just a little bored, and I know Grelle is the most valued in the fandom and TSOGTR hasn’t been writing itself for the past year and a quarter, so why would it start now?

This is written at 3AM-6AM on 29/8/2024, so if this is found long after this date then there’s a chance my sources have already been bought out or deleted for whatever reason.

1.

Grell Sutcliff Funko Pop 18 Kuroshitsuji Black Butler POP! Vinyl Anime Figure

At the time of writing this, there are no bids for this and so the price remains at £21.99 (item and shipping). The current bid is due to end on ≈1/9/2024. Wait for the last second to bid one pence higher than the asking price and you’re golden.

I actually have one of these, but it was gifted to me, and so I don’t know how much mine was sold for, but seeing as the four Black Butler Funko Pops have been vaulted and are sold for way higher in other places online, I think this is a pretty good deal.

(Fun fact, the person who gifted her to me as well as tracked down other cheap listings for the other three called her Greta. Consistently. So. Greta. Greta Sutcliff.)

As we can see from the item’s pictures, the figure has been taken out of its box, at the very least just to be show-cased or inspected, but it does appear to come with the box. Here is a listing on Amazon (9.99 GBP, excluding shipping) for 10 Funko Pop display sleeves that should match the item’s measurements.

The current conversions for this item’s price (18.99 GBP) are as follow:

25.06 USD

36.91 AUD

33.77 CAD

22.52 Euro

2,103.26 INR

855,31 Turkish Lira

39.92 NZD

3,623.33 Yen

Obviously I’m not including every conversion in here, only the most obvious/prevalent. If your country’s currency isn’t here, then my apologies, and feel free to bring it to my attention (with currency named) so that I may add it to any future episodes to this possible series, or to edit this post back with the conversions of that time.

2.

Black Butler PVC Keychain Grell

The description of this listing says that this is officially licensed and from one reverse image search to find a bunch of listings across several websites for it, I’m inclined to believe that this is actually an official piece of merch and not a fan-made item that is being resold as I had originally thought it to be. (Wow, I’m such a knowledgable Black Butler fan. I know, I know.)

There’s not much to say on this other than the fact that it’s cute and I think a few pence has been shaved off from the original selling price, though I’m not too sure. I imagine it would have easily gone for 8.99 GBP, but again I’m not too sure; it’s 3AM after all and this isn’t a serious project for me.

The current conversions go as followed:

11.87 USD

17.47 AUD

15.99 CAD

10.66 Euro

996.15 INR

405,49 Turkish Lira

18.90 NZD

1,715.62 Yen

3.

Grelle Black Butler manga plushie Anime Soft Toy

It’s not the best price, I admit. If you’re looking for something cheaper then maybe go for the 5" plush, and there’s another listing on AnimeWare, but once tax and shipping get evolved it ends up being more or less the same price, anyway.

I think this is under the same line as Plushlois comes from, and to that I say: if someone buys her, will that come back? Will Grelle’s face be remade by @fancymeatcomputers, as @nullbutler’s Plushlois once had?

Anyway, she’s super cute. Her hair is a bit too saturated, but that’s not much to lament over, and she’s pricey, but is still far less expensive than any available Plushlois listing I could find (£52!! Usually!!).

Here are the current conversions:

39.61 USD

58.30 AUD

53.35 CAD

35.58 Euro

3,323.16 INR

1,351.58 Turkish Lira

63.01 NZD

5,727.47 Yen

4.

Black Butler Kuroshitsuji Grell Undertaker Anime two sided Pillow Case Cover 250

I’d originally listed another pillow for listing number four, which goes for the same price, but decided not to as Grelle is more prominent on this one.

Not much to say about this other than as far as I can tell it’s just the pillowcase and not a case and a pillow, but if you want to add a lil extra something to your Grelle shrine or limit your chances of finding a normie partner by having this as the centrepiece to your 20-something pillow statement on your romantic four-post bed.

Here are the current conversions:

7.91 USD

11.64 AUD

10.65 CAD

7.10 Euro

663.67 INR

269.94 Turkish Lira

12.58 NZD

1,143.54 Yen

5.

Black butler Grell Sutcliffe figure Kuroshitsuji SEGA PVC Scale Anime s01

Another shambolic price, I know. But out of all the non-Funko Pop Grelle figures listed, this is definitely the cheapest.

Out of all of the non-Funko Pop Black Butler figures, it’s far from it. I think the cheapest figures went to Ciel and Sebastian, but with a massive gap between the cheapest Ciel figure versus the cheapest Sebastian figure (there’s a lot of listings for this particular figure, all with free shipping and of similar prices). There’s also a listing that sells Sebastian and Grelle together with free postage, which would value each figure as far less than what this one figure is being sold for.

The current conversions (of 130.22 GBP) go as follows:

172.00 USD

252.73 AUD

231.50 CAD

154.48 Euro

14,430.37 INR

5,874.98 Turkish Lira

273.31 NZD

24,865.90 Yen

6.

Black Butler Grell Sutcliff Cosplay Costume Red Death Men Full Set Outfits New

I’m not much of cosplayer or a cosplay fan, but from the few full cosplays I found that range from £40-50, this seems like a good price.

There’s also a good few listings for Grelle-style shoes? The cheapest of which would be here. And both the shoes and the clothing come in men’s sizes, so it’s a match if you ask me.

The current conversions of the cosplay’s price are:

23.76 USD

34.92 AUD

31.98 CAD

21.34 Euro

1,993.77 INR

811.52 Turkish Lira

37.76 NZD

3,435.09 Yen

7.

Kuroshitsuji Black Butler Madam Red Angelina Dalles Anime Figurine - Play Arts

Look. I know this isn’t a Grelle figure, but I assume that most if not all Grelle fans are also Madame Red fans. And you have to admit that this is a damn good price for a figure of this type. In fact, I’d say this figure is the second cheapest, right behind the aforementioned Ciel figure.

Also the seller has the username “welsh lady”. Surely it’d basically be treason if I didn’t promote it.

The conversions of the item price (6.99 GBP) go as follows:

9.23 USD

13.57 AUD

12.43 CAD

8.29 Euro

774.85 INR

315.29 Turkish Lira

14.68 NZD

1,336.09 Yen

8.

USED Dolk Black Butler Book of Circus Grell Sutcliff Cast Doll 700mm Japan RARE

This is a fucking awful price. It hurts just to imagine buying this. However, it seems like a rare or custom-made doll, in a fancy box, and it was the only listing I could find of it, meaning it’s not a re-sell.

There’s not much to say — as you can see I ranked it pretty low on the relevancy scale, but I don’t know: maybe someone’s into this sort of thing, especially if it comes to Grelle.

The item prices are converted as follows:

2,805.52 USD

4,123.16 AUD

3,776.66 CAD

2,519.24 Euro

235,385.31 INR

95,779.75 Turkish Lira

4,458.47 NZD

405,826.75 Yen

9.

1 x playing card Black Butler Anime Sebastian Michaelis - Jack of Hearts ZT 85

For one playing card, to me this price seems ghastly. There’s also a Sebastian variant for the exact same price, but that’s all I can find in this style. The other listings for Black Butler playing cards aren’t in this style, coming wholly in colour with patterned frames. As far as I can see, on eBay there are only two listings for this type of playing card, and I’ve already linked them both to this post.

The current conversions of the item price (2.49 GBP) are:

3.29 USD

4.83 AUD

4.43 CAD

2.95 Euro

276.04 INR

112,34 Turkish Lira

5.23 NZD

476.23 Yen

10.

Black Butler Ceramic Mug Grell, Sebastian

There’s a more expensive mug with just Grelle on it that I’d contemplated listing here instead. (And, hey! From Germany, too. The TSOGTR imagery just won’t quit.) But this one is cheaper.

Besides, enough scrubbing with some iron wool will get rid of that ugly demon mug (no pun intended) in no time, surely!

The current conversions go as follows:

19.62 USD

28.84 AUD

26.41 CAD

17.62 Euro

1,646.22 INR

669,76 Turkish Lira

31.17 NZD

2,841.32 Yen

[querade]

Doctor who's season 13?? ESPECIALLY the Yaz Hug moment

So with the new specials coming out I thought I'd post my thoughts on the season 13 finale

The doctor breaks herself into three different versions ,three different pieces overwhelmed by solving three equally pressing problems. I hear everyone’s issues with the 13th doctor etc etc but this was the PERFECT finale to her character--the entire arc is so chock-full of different problems EVERYWHERE that the doctor is squashing out.

I didn't realize it until then but the entire point of the Flux and the doctor closing herself off and not telling yaz and dan anything--AHH such a good idea!! It's the perfect way to represent everything as her arc comes to its climax.

Also just. The 13th doctor doesn't want to worry people so she doesn't tell her companions squat and just constantly deflects. you know how Clara uses the TARDIS and pseudoscience as a coping mechanism to get away from the Bad Things she has to eventually deal with?? YEA. NOW THE DOCTOR IS DOING IT.

in a way you see she's kind of grateful that she's in the middle of all this, because then she doesn't have to face anything :3—which is terrible and awful, but easy to rationalize because 'people's lives are on the line and she has to save them'!!

Naturally the doctor has always had a problem with being far too selfless. and while this arc doesn't state it directly, the acting and the camera work and the situation all state it indirectly enough. And Yaz is kind of the only one who notices cause she's the only one who's been there long enough?? anyways ahhhh when the companions finally reunite after like two episodes of being apart, its just. the doctor forces herself to stop the 'how do we fix this' brain and she makes herself pause and just goes "wait" and she stops and HUGS YAZ for like three seconds. It's the first break, the first silent, not-really-tense moment you get in an EXTREMELY long time. And even then it doesn't feel like long enough.

THE YAZ HUG MOMENT IS SO GOOD: I guess I noticed it was weird that it lasted so long but I couldn't exactly figure out why it was such a good choice. And then. In that whole meet-up scene, the cuts are SO very well done. You have the camera circling her, spinning, and the Doctor sees someone, says their name—

"Yaz! Dan! Kate Stewart, Kate Sewart! Jericho! Victorian-looking bloke!"

With every new bit of information, in a row, it jumps to a new cut, a new angle, with no continuity of the Doctor's previous pose—and i mean no continuity, from one cut to the next she is 180 degrees with completely different hands and head positions— but with possibly MORE stuff that she has to cram into this situation and spread herself even thinner--and it feels kind of like she's losing her mind.

(She kind of was.)

But she doesn't realize it yet or want to face it or can't face it or whatever, just keeps going, and then forces herself to pause. and to stop.

After all the losses, loss after loss after loss after loss in this arc, after making an extremely difficult, selfless decision, after all it cost her, she takes just a little selfish moment for herself to say, "Wait." and she chooses to not do anything. she chooses to take three long seconds to turn and hug yaz. not anyone else.

Of course, once she does, the camera stops spinning and idk i was just like 'WOW we really have been going nonstop for just a ridiculous amount of time haven't we.' and that was kinda when i realized that yea, I am gonna miss season 13's version of jodie whittaker.

[darknebula85]

14/3/2024, Log of DARKNEBULA85, 3:58 PM...

Jojos bizarre adventure part 1-3...

I don't know where to start with this, hahaha, wow. I only knew about Jojo's anime from the memes and shitposts, but now that I've decided to watch it, I must say it's very, very exciting. It's been a long time since I've had an anime marathon almost non-stop. Lately, I've been watching all the series calmly and patiently, but the urge to watch Jojo's has made me watch 74 episodes in 4 days. Honestly, I don't have much to say; I'm enjoying it so much, and just knowing that this series had the guts to kill off 3 characters from its main cast makes the situations really tense. For example, I suffered a lot during Polnareff's fight against Vanilla Ice; I was so tense watching that fight, and Jojo's managed to do what only very few anime have been able to do... make me cry. Yes, I cried at Iggy and Avdol's deaths. And don't even get me started on the fight against Dio; I practically lost all my nails there, hahaha. I'm finding it really good, and the best part is now I know that the shitpost scenes floating around the internet actually have a relatively logical context; I finally understand why they say breathing is a Jojo reference. Oh, one more thing, Part 1 didn't seem bad to me at all, and so far my favorite moments of the whole series are: Caesar's death and his entire fight against Wamuu, Iggy's fight against Petshop, Polnareff's fight against Vanilla Ice, and consequently Avdol and Iggy's deaths, and lastly, Dio's defeat.

[hispieceofcake]

🕸️My thoughts and feelings on Beetlejuice 🪲 (at least for a while)

I know a lot of people probably won't care but I really want to share my thoughts and talk about this character and that's what I'm going to do, There are a lot of thoughts and feelings accumulated inside my head and I need to get them out, it's a little mess but I think it will be fun to read.

I've had this on my mind for a while, which has finally become one of my biggest, if not the biggest, hyperfocuses for now and I'm going to share a little bit of it now >:)

I really didn't think I would have the courage to post this because I'm not that confident in sharing my things but I CAN'T TAKE THIS GREEN DEMON GHOST MAN OFF MY MIND😫‼️

The beginning of this happened when I was already in another hyperfocus on the character Adam from the series Hazbin hotel on Amazon(I was already a fan since the pilot on YouTube), and then a slight curiosity hit me..."Who is his voice actor?"

So I went looking for who he was and I ended up being so interested in the actor, who is Alex Brightman (I love him a lot by the way and I can't wait to go see the musical and see him in person) and also in the characters he played and voiced, and in particular one of them won my heart.😔🩷

That's exactly what you're thinking, it was Beetlejuice.

For some reason he caught my attention and over time I ended up becoming quite fond of the character, even more so when I remembered that my parents watched the character's film when I was a child, which made me even more eager to research and look for any possible bit of information on the internet that I could find.

AND YES !

I actually achieved a lot and I'm going to share it <3

Firstly, the 1988 film, which was one of the first pieces of information I found about it, after all, it was in it that the character made his debut (apart from the story of its creator Tim Burton). And I know Beetlejuice is a pervert in this movie, but I try to ignore that and try to just look at the good side of him being a good character.

Secondly, and I think this is what caught my attention the most, is the cartoon of 1989 with the same name as the character called Beetlejuice where the character acted as the protagonist alongside Lidya (In this one there's nothing about him wanting to force her to marry him like in the movie, it's just a cartoon of them having a good friendship and being best friends).

And man, the way I was happy when found out that the cartoon had 4 seasons and about 68 episodes, I was almost like that kitten TikTok meme ✨ HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY ✨

Like, wow, a source of potential Gifs, icons, dividers, photos, edits, there was so much I could do that I didn't even know where to start because of all the hustle and bustle and animation I had (And of course I spent the next few weeks pestering my friends about it during class with every little bit of information I found🤓👆).

At the moment I'm trying to look for a website that has all the episodes together or just some, but so far I've only been able to find them on old DVDs. When I can find a website I will gather all the links and post them, so that more people can watch.

And one of the best parts...I FOUND A WHOLE COLLECTION OF 🩷VALENTINES' DAY CARDS🩷 and I'll probably make another post later to post all of them or at least their links, they're all official. This made me even more excited because I love all that romantic and cute aesthetic of the Valentine's Day season, hearts, red and pink decorations, heart-shaped candy boxes, love letters, Decorated store windows, stuffed animals, I just love everything (even though I don't have a valentine, and I don't want to🙃).

To give you an idea of how focused I was on this little green-haired corpse demon ghost man, everywhere I have the opportunity I make doodles or drawings of him all over the places, walls, notebooks, tests, napkins, classroom board, and in my sketchbook, in which I'm making an entire page dedicated just to him and Lidya, which maybe later I'll post too. Even more so after I managed to find several official reference sheets from the studio that designed and animated the cartoon, so now the drawings will be much better.💋

There is so much information that I managed to find that I am having to organize my thoughts because unfortunately I am very agitated and anything takes my focus easily, but as soon as I can really focus on that, it feels like I'm somewhere else.

But now talking about the Broadway musical, (which as said before has my beloved Alex Brightman as the main actor), I've always liked the idea of musicals, and even more so when his story is about my favorite character, and speaking of musicals, I REALLY WAS OBSESSED WITH THE SONG "SAY MY NAME" 😫🩷

And oh boy, I spend almost all day singing it or with it resonating in my mind, whenever I read, write, draw or do anything to do with Beetlejuice, I put on my headphones and listen this song as if it were the greatest masterpiece made in history.

AND I'M SORRY BUT I NEED TO SHARE THIS SONG WITH YOU GUYS

Leaving the character a little, and going to the actor...he is simply the SWEETEST AND CUTEST MAN I'VE EVER SEEN!!

After I discovered that he voiced the characters that I like most in the Hazbin Hotel fandom and played the character that I like so much, I developed a huge affection for him, not just for his work, but because he is so sweet, fun and funny that I can't help but love everything and everything I find about this man online.

Alex Brightman bringing the character Beetlejuice to life and voicing Adam, Fizzarolli and Sir Pentious

That's it for now ,folks, that's all I have stuck in my mind for now or at least what I can remember

I apologize if this isn't so good, I'm writing this while I'm at school at 7am after waking up at 5am while my body is sore after a presentation.

So, thank you for reading 💞

[hallowpen]

The plan was to start watching The Sign by divvying up the series into two episodes per day until I could finish. Well…that plan went completely out the window and I ended up binge watching the entire thing in one go. So, as I try to gather my thoughts, I wanted to sort of get my feelings out there on what I thought was an incredible show before I finally unfilter the tags (as to avoid any outside influence on my opinion).

Let me preface this by saying that this is going to be an incredibly bias opinion given my cultural upbringing and background (I'm half-Thai and I've spent almost half of my life living in Thailand), so please take that into account before reading any further. I metaphorically removed my western-lensed glasses while watching this series and preferred to watch as a Thai viewer, which probably made the more confusing or difficult parts of the show a lot easier to swallow. So, yes, I will admit that the show was not perfect by any means, but I was able to overlook a lot of its shortcomings given the parts that had been done so well and what this series could mean for Thai QL media going forward.

My goddess, where do I even start…

I'm a sucker for the reincarnated/fated lovers trope, so the show had me before it even started. What I absolutely loved the most about the romance and the A+ chemistry was that it didn't dominate or singularly drive the story, which was refreshing to see. It gave room to explore the fantasy/mythological elements of the show, the investigatory plotlines (which we'll get to later), and the relationships of the characters surrounding the "main leads".

Episode 3, my beloved, was what solidified my trust in this series and served as the foundation for the personalized experience I curated in my continued viewing. First off (and a bit of a side note), seeing Yoshi show up as Sand just made my heart super happy. I've been following her off and on since 2018, and she was one of the only things I actually liked about หมอ มือ ใหม่… but I digress. Behind the main story (and maybe even because of it), this episode was, for all intents and purposes, a love letter to Thai culture and its religious mythology. Which, when you consider how much international draw a BL series can hold, is truly momentous. International viewers got to experience the Bang Fai Phayanak (the naga fireball festival) that occurs every Wan Ok Phansa (the last day of what is considered Buddhist Lent) and the significance it holds over Thai history and culture. Using this as the stepping stone to establish the importance of the series' reliance on naga folklore…brilliant! The episode was also the viewers' introduction to the Buddhist idea of the cyclical intermingling of karmic fates. How the implications of an interdependence on one fate more than the others would later define the relationship between Phaya, Tharn, and Chalothorn…genius! All of this!? In one episode…of a BL!? I was overwhelmed by a sense of cultural gratitude and pride, that I still can't quite shake. I think Saint knew exactly what he was doing when he chose to adapt this series and I love him even more for it.

Aside from the cultural dependency and relevance, the show delivered so much beyond that as well. The production quality sailed high above previous BL standards and, in turn, lent itself to beautiful visuals and cinematography.

The casting! Billy and Babe's chemistry was just so *chef's kiss*. I knew Billy would absolutely smash it in the role of Phaya, but I often forgot that this was Babe's first ever acting role. It was an undertaking, that you could tell, he did not take lightly. Heng!? Wow! What a performance! He's been a staple in every Idol Factory series thus far, but he really nailed the purely villainous role of Chalothorn. Gap as Yai? No notes. He was able to flesh out what could have been a very one-dimensional character. Tack and Poom as Khem and Thongtai were a welcome levity inbetween, what was otherwise, a more weighty plot.

If I had to address any gripes I had with the series, there were only two that really stood out:

1) I wish the moments/conversations between Tharn and Chalothorn that eventually led to Tharn's return hadn't happened off-screen. There was a lot left to be resolved that could have been explored in that instance. But using my own inference based on Tharn as a character, his relationship with Chalothorn, and the core of his personality, I could kind of piece together how that ending came to be.

2)The lesser intriguing elements of the investigation storylines were shaky, at best. (If you were looking for the show to have a firm western-influenced ACAB agenda, then I'm sorry to say you were setting yourself up for disappointment. As much as I selfishly wanted it to be, this series was never going to be that show, it's a Thai drama.) From a Thai perspective, it made sense that the "copaganda" aspect of the series focused on the incompetency and inefficiency of a police force where justice is often informed by wealth and greed. I got an idea of what the show's stance on the matter was supposed to be but the overall plot and its consistency got lost somewhere within the final execution.

Other than that, I was left feeling satisfyingly content with where the series landed and I will continue to highly recommend it. It's easily one on my top five favorite Thai BL dramas and just Thai dramas in general! And…

There is such a rich history of mythology and folklore left for the show to still sink its teeth into: the garuda of it all, the pre-existing feud between the naga and garuda and why that is… Aside from a few minor specificities that were missing from naga folklore (their exclusion didn't really detract from anything, but it could have served to benefit non-Thai viewers), all of that could be addressed in a second season. Which, at this point, seems pretty likely 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾 and would be HUGE in the BL world.

PLEASE, LET IT HAPPEN! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x15 - Etemon! Grand Entrance of Evil / The Dark Network of Etemon

Previously on Digimon Adventure: On their way to Server Continent, the kids had a cleaning day after discovering Devimon's been dumping used Black Gears and old lanyards in the ocean. During clean-up, Gomamon got excited and nearly killed everyone.

Drake, meanwhile, regretted blowing that "They completed the tutorial level" crack on the episode's proper rundown. Should'a saved that.

Now, they're about to make landfall and meet the most iconic vocal performance in the entirety of the Adventure 01 dub.

It's been five days since the kids set sail. Now we open on Taichi bristling with anticipation on Whamon's back while the others snooze.

(This would be about Day 12, I believe, since they've been here. The timescale of Day 6 was a little confusing in both versions, but the kids ended Day 6 fighting Devimon. Then they had dinner and a night-time discussion about coming to Server, before building the raft in the daylight of Day 7. Five days later would put us at 12.)

He's so excited, he wakes everyone up even though they're probably still a ways out given how far that appears to be. Rude.

Taichi: Hey! Everyone wake up! It's the tairiku (continent)! We've reached Server Tairiku! Yamato: (waking) What's all the racket? Jou: (waking) What's this about about taiyaki (tasty fish-shaped pastry)? Taichi: Not taiyaki, tairiku! Look! It's Server Tairiku!

That's another one for the untranslatable wordplay pile, so the dub plays it this way.

Tai: Alright, everybody, wake up! Rise and shine! We're landing at Server! Matt: (waking) ...I was only resting my eyes. Joe: (waking) Well, your eyes were snoring pretty loudly. Tai: Come on, we're gonna be there in a few minutes! Gotta make sure we have everything we'll need!

Matt tries to play too cool dude for sleep only for Joe to swiftly undercut him. Hey, look at that; Joe got to be the deliverer of a joke instead of its target!

Not sure what Tai thinks they need to grab, though. I'm not even sure what they've been eating or drinking on this trip, since none of the shots of them riding Whamon have suggested that their oil drum filled with potable water or crates of food survived the raft's destruction. They were last seen floating in the debris, so I guess we'll just have to assume they fished those out offscreen.

(Maybe they've been fishing, providing a supply of tasty fish to both eat and drink somehow like Taichi suggested earlier.)

As they approach, Agumon demonstrates the limits of his worldly knowledge.

Agumon: Wow, what a huge island! Piyomon: It's not an island, it's a continent! Tentomon: This is my first time ever seeing so much land on the horizon!

Sadly, even getting involved with Agumon's ignorance gets Piyomon in trouble with the dub team, who blame her for it.

Agumon: Wow, that island's huge! Biyomon: I've never seen an island so big! Tentomon: It's not an island; It's the continent of Server.

Guess they didn't like the choice to have someone other than Exposition Guy correct Agumon.

Meanwhile, not everyone is quite up and at 'em yet. Palmon eagerly tries to rouse Mimi from a deep slumber.

Palmon: Wake up, Mimi! You can see Server Tairiku from here! It's the Tairiku! TAIRIKU!!! Mimi: (muttering, half-asleep) I prefer keki (cake) to taiyaki.... (rolls over and goes back to sleep) Palmon: (sigh) Oh, Mimi.

Alright, that one got me. I was not prepared for Taiyaki Wordplay 2: The Reckoning. XD

Needing a replacement joke here, the dub goes for the Valley Girl bit.

Palmon: Mimi, you've just gotta wake up and look at this! We're going to land on a BIG CONTINENT!!! Mimi: (muttering, half-asleep) Nooo... I'm getting a pedicure.... (rolls over and goes back to sleep) Palmon: (sigh) Oh, Mimi.

This is a good use for it. We've come a long way from the first couple episodes, where the show would get mad at Mimi over a character trait they made up to have something to get mad at her about. Switching "Mimi won't get up because she likes cake more than continent" to "Mimi won't get up because she's at the dream spa" is a lateral shift. Having her say this retains the goofiness of the moment as best they can and doesn't make her look any worse in the process.

Pulling up to Server, the kids disembark. It's a dangerous process; There's no docking mechanism for a whale, so everyone has to slide down Whamon's side and then kick off and jump to the cliff before they slide too far and fall into the ocean. But they make it. All but one, who remains up top paralyzed with fear.

Sora: Come on, Mimi-chan! Be brave! Mimi: Why do we have to get off here? Aren't there better places to land!? Koushiro: In fact, there is an inlet up north where it would have been easier for us to get off. Jou: That's why we had a group discussion, but decided to land here. You slept through it, though! Mimi: Don't make important decisions like that without me!

I want to feel bad for her, but honestly! Keki over taiyaki? Mimi deserves this.

(I'm really more of a pie person, myself; I can't stand the frosting on cake. I've never actually had taiyaki but I've always been curious. It sounds kinda like a cream-filled donut but made from waffle instead of cake.)

Meanwhile, in the dub:

Sora: Come on, Mimi! Mimi: Uhh, this is a little too extreme sports for me. Is there some way I can be airlifted onto the island? Izzy: Sorry we can't just move the continent for you, Mimi. Now, according to the map, this is the best beach to come ashore. Joe: Just put one foot in front of the other and you'll be fine! Really! It's as easy as falling off a log, Mimi! Mimi: Yeah? Well, I've fallen off plenty of logs and believe me, it's not as easy as it looks!

They cut the context that Mimi could have had a voice in this discussion had she not refused to wake up. That the group settled on a suboptimal landing spot is replaced by an insistence that this was the best place possible, forcing Joe and Mimi to spend their last two lines bantering.

Izzy also calls this cliffside a "beach" for some reason.

In the end, Whamon ends up being the deciding factor here. He sinks suddenly, unbalancing Mimi and sending her tumbling down his side before giving her a bump to throw her up onto the cliff. Trusting one of these lunkheads to break her fall for him.

BAM. Fall broken. Hope his computer's okay; This was probably the worst option for Mimi to land on.

His task complete, Whamon says his farewells and returns to the ocean, leaving the kids on a whole new continent. Fortunately, they're not entirely directionless.

Mimi: Where do we go from here? Palmon: Whamon said that if we continue on, we'll reach a Koromon village in the forests within half a day. Mimi: Koromon? I think I've heard that name before.... Agumon: I used to be a Koromon! Mimi: That's right! Tentomon: The Koromon should be willing to help us. Taichi: Alright! Let's go!

Taichi's so eager to go, he turns away from Agumon to address the group at warp speed. Flipping instantly from one pose to the other with no transitional animation frames between. Super jarring.

Not sure how Whamon knows much about the continent's geography past its edges. Nonetheless, it seems implied that this came up during the talk about where to land. Proximity to the Koromon village may have been the deciding factor in choosing Perilous Cliffside over Easier Inlet.

In the dub:

Mimi: So what are we going to do now? Palmon: While you were asleep, Whamon told us where to go. In the forest, a few miles from here, there's a Koromon village! Mimi: Koromon? Why, that somehow sounds familiar! Agumon: I was a Koromon the day you got here. Mimi: I forgot! Tentomon: The Koromon are a group of Digimon always willing to help out those in need! Tai: Okay, gang! Let's move out!

Tentomon's a bit more verbose and seems to be basing his idea off the biology of Koromon or something rather than a general hope that a kindly village will assist travelers.

But the bigger shift is in Palmon's line. Human walking pace generally averages about 2-4 mph. "A few miles from here" is a much shorter distance than half a day's journey.

The kids set off into Server. We join up with them trudging through the desert.

Jou: This really is a continent.... Gomamon: Why are you stating the obvious? Jou: Because we've been walking for so long and the scenery hasn't even changed a single bit! Mimi: I thought, once we reached the shore, I could take a bath.... Palmon: You can, once we reach the village! Mimi: When will we get there, then!? What hour, minute, and second? Palmon: ...uhhh....

Jou calls out that the biomes of Server are significantly larger than the ones on File Island. They've been walking for a good 8-12 hours through dry, dry desert and nothing looks any different from where they started.

In the dub:

Sora: This place is bigger than I thought. Izzy: It's simple physics. The universe is expanding! Joe: I think my feet are expanding. We have been walking all day long and there's no sign of the village yet! Mimi: Oh, I'd give anything to be in a nice clean bathtub with lots of bubble bath in it! Palmon: You can do that once we get to the village. Mimi: You honestly think they have bathtubs, Palmon!? Palmon: ...uhhh....

So much for "a few miles". Sora and Izzy's lines here are delivered in completely casual tones, which makes Joe and Mimi come off more whiny. In the original, everyone just sounds tired and frustrated by their trek.

We lose Jou's point about the size difference between Server and File, and replace it with Izzy's... random derailment? Cosmic expansion has nothing to do with why Server's desert is bigger than the Gear Savannah.

Mimi's bit is also shifted, and in a way that makes Mimi look better. We've come a long ways from changing her lines to give the others reasons to yell at her in the first few episodes. In the original, she's just talking about bathing in general; Palmon tries to be helpful and Mimi snaps at her. In the dub, she's fantasizing about a luxurious bathtub experience, making Palmon's attempt at encouragement more unreasonable.

Suddenly, Agumon smells something. Getting a sniff of Koromon in the distance, he calls Taichi's attention. Through his mini-telescope, Taichi spots the forest they've been looking for in the distance, and the group races off towards salvation.

Following a short march into the woods, they find their destination.

Eager for a chance to take a bath, Mimi races down the hill ahead of the others. While Palmon chases after her, Agumon hesitates. After a moment, he drops a bombshell.

Agumon: This isn't the place.

Dub Agumon isn't quite as certain.

Agumon: Something doesn't feel right.

Reaching the bottom of the hill, Mimi races into the village to find... Koromon?

Mimi: Hey, where are your baths? Koromon?: (They all turn around to face her at once, saying nothing.) Mimi: Huh? Did Koromon always look like this? Palmon: No, these are Pagumon.

Just so we're all on the same page about the chill running down Agumon's spine right now, the narrator cuts in with the rundown. Pagumon is a Baby-stage Virus-type Digimon. They get their names from "pagu", the Japanese word for the "pug" breed of dog. Pugmon.

Narrator: Pagumon. A Baby Digimon who loves to bully the weak and make fools out of others.

For his part, Tentomon seems at a loss for what he can say here.

Tentomon: Hmm, Pagumon. There are[sic] more to them than meets the eye.

Tentomon's rundown is a shrug emoji followed by "IDK Maybe they're Decepticons. Is that the right toy franchise?" He's so utterly at a loss, he even screws up his grammar.

As soon as the rundown's complete, the Pagumon gently knock Palmon over and run off with Mimi.

Great job, Palmon! Solid 10/10 bodyguarding happening right now!

The rest of the group arrives too late to stop them from taking Mimi. Following the sound of her screams, they make their way to a luxurious hut. A trail left behind by her discarded hat and bag lead them to the chamber she's been taken to.

The dub takes this as a perfect opportunity to add some jokes. When they find her hat, Sora picks it up and inspects it.

Sora: There's Mimi's hat! (snatches it up) It's definitely hers.

For the dub, she says:

Sora: Hey, look up there! That's Mimi's hat! (snatches it up) There's the price tag; It's Mimi's.

XD Solid. That got me.

Then, when they find the bag, we get:

Jou: Hey, isn't that Mimi-kun's bag? Koushiro: You're right. That can't be anyone else's but hers. Taichi: Okay, then! (angrily throws back the curtain) She must be in here!

The dub makes this into:

Joe: That's Mimi's purse. She never goes anywhere without! Izzy: Logically, that can mean only one thing: She's missing. Tai: (angrily throws back the front curtain) That's it!

Helpful, Izzy.

However, as Taichi approaches the rear curtain to enter the chamber beyond, Sora makes an alarming discovery.

It's a bath. The Pagumon brought her to the bath she asked for. A revelation that comes much too late for both Taichi and Koushiro, who are swiftly and furiously taken out by a thrown wash basin and shampoo bottle respectively.

Once the two intruders have been slain, Sora closes the curtain to preserve what's left of Mimi's privacy.

(Koushiro is having the worst day. XD This is the second time he's been laid out by Mimi-related projectile attacks.)

The Pagumon lay out a feast and formally welcome everyone to the Pagumon village. Singing a welcoming anthem in the background while the kids discuss.

Gabumon: Apparently this was a Pagumon village. Agumon: That's weird. I'm sure I smelled Koromon here.... Mimi: I feel like Otohime-sama when she arrived at Ryugu-jou! Jou: You're mixing up characters. You mean Urashima. Sora: (picking out apples with Taichi) You don't think these are fake, do you? Taichi: As if something like that would happen twice! (bite) Tasty! It's real!

Mimi and Jou are talking about a Japanese folk tale. The protagonist, a fisherman named Urashima, rescues a turtle. The turtle turns out to be the princess Otohime, daughter of the sea's ruler Ryujin. To repay his kindness, Ryujin grants him an audience in his great palace of Ryugu-jou at the bottom of the ocean. There's a lot more to it than that but the important thing is, as Jou states, Mimi mixed up which one was the main character.

(Imagine that, Mimi likes and relates to the cool sea princess more than the everyman protag. Representation matters, folks.)

In the dub:

Gabumon: This is definitely a Pagumon village. Agumon: Something's wrong here, Gabumon. I know what I smelt was Koromon. I'd bet my nose on it! Mimi: I feel just like a princess in a big, beautiful palace! Joe: I once had a chihuahua named Princess. Sora: Listen, Tai; You don't suppose this could be some kind of trick? Tai: 'Course not! You think I don't know a good Digimon from a bad one?

As far as compensating for untranslatable gags go, "chihuahua named Princess" is one of their weaker attempts. Don't know why they removed the callback to Devimon's feast, though.

In any case, the Digimon from there agree that the Pagumon are much nicer than their reputation.

They're right, too. The Pagumon are eerily nice. Like, they're too nice. They're clearly trying too hard to be accommodating. Comparing to the Pyocomon feast, the Pagumon have their entire population out here practically worshipping the passing travelers. It's weird.

They've crossed the line from "hospitality" to "trying to sell something". It's super suspicious if you're not eleven.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a long-awaited event finally happens.

Poyomon evolves, once more becoming Tokomon. He's back to where he was when he and Takeru met. The kids and Pagumon all applaud, celebrating his achievement.

But then, as Day 12 comes to a close and the kids go to bed inside one of the huts, this happy occasion becomes markedly less so.

The Pagumon kidnap Tokomon, tying him up and jabbing him with sticks.

Tokomon: W-Why are you doing this!? Pagumon: Because you evolved! Tokomon: You aren't nice Digimon!? Pagumon 1: It was an act! Pagumon 2: You're all so stupid for falling for it!

The dub edits the footage to cut out all shots of the Pagumon jabbing sticks into Tokomon. This means Pagumon's first line and Tokomon's second are all cut out.

Tokomon: What'd I do!? Why are you picking on me!? Pagumon 1: Because you Digi-volved! Pagumon 2: You were so easy to fool! What a bunch of losers!

Now, I enjoy beating babies with sticks as much as the next person so obviously the censoring makes me sad. But the dialogue still flows smoothly and hits all the key points. It's a simple enough exchange that it can be easily covered in three lines.

They don't get very far into Tokomon's bullying, however; A trio of Digimon call out to them, demanding to know what's happening here.

These are Gazimon, a Child-stage Virus-type Mammal Digimon. Their name comes from gazigazi, the onomotapoeia for eating.

Narrator: Gazimon. They have a vicious and aggressive temperament. Their special attack, Paralyze Breath, is a mass of electricity that numbs their opponents.

Paralyzing lightning breath. Well, that's fucking ominous. This is not the cavalry here to save Tokomon; These are very bad bunnies.

Tokomon handles the diegetic rundown himself.

Tokomon: Look! Those are Gazimon! On the evil scale of 1 to 10, 10 being bad, these Digimon are 12!

Really? Where would Devimon rank on that scale? Because the Gazimon have steep competition if they're going to trump him in badness. I agree with the sentiment but you may be overselling it a little.

The Gazimon promptly question the Pagumon about all this.

Gazimon: Where'd that Tokomon come from? Pagumon: H-He came with a bunch of humans.... Gazimon: Humans?

They weren't prepared for that answer, exchanging looks among themselves.

The Gazimon have the Pagumon bring Tokomon to a cave behind a waterfall. There, they lock him in a cage.

Pagumon: Stay quiet in here, you!

The dub Pagumon express jealousy for earlier.

Pagumon: Not so special now, are you?

From the cage, Tokomon sees many red eyes light up from deeper within. The sight of it frightens him, but we move perspective to the Gazimon watching from outside.

Gazimon 1: Who would have guessed the Chosen Children would show up here? Gazimon 2: I'll go tell Etemon-sama about this. You guys take care of the rest!

After torturing and imprisoning Tokomon, now seems like a good time for the dub to drop in a tension-lightening gag.

Gazimon 1: One of us has to tell Etemon that the DigiDestined humans are here! Gazimon 2: I'll go. I gotta ask him for time off for a harecut anyway!

While the Pagumon are instructed to keep an eye on the kids and not to let them leave.

We follow that Gazimon as he races across the landscape. On the dawn of Day 13, he reaches his destination. Spotting a Monochromon hauling Etemon's trailer around, he approaches the trailer and we are introduced to this piece of work!

Introducing Etemon-sama! Perfect-stage Virus-type Puppet Digimon and pop star extraordinaire. This guy turns in the single most memorable vocal performance of the entire dub by being a major villain voiced entirely and unapologetically as a full-blown Elvis Impersonator.

For the next season or whatever, we are going to be fighting Evil Monkey J-Pop Elvis. That is the plot. Digimon is wild.

Etemon: YEAH YEAH!!! Who is the strongest in the world!? That's me, ETEMOOOOOOOON!!!

Two things to note here: First, "YEAH YEAH" is in English for added stylishness. Second and more importantly, when Etemon says "strongest in the world", he specifically says "Konoyo de saikyou". That's an interesting choice of words: Konoyo.

We've previously seen the world referred to as Digimon Kai and Digital Sekai. The words there, kai and sekai, are ways of referring to the physical reality around us. It doesn't necessarily mean "Earth", mind you; Dragon Ball for instance uses kaio, "World-King", to refer to godly beings who govern the entire universe. "World" is different from "planet".

Konoyo is more of a spiritual term; It exists in opposition to anoyo, the other world beyond death. Etemon proclaims up-front that he is the strongest Digimon in the world of mortal life. He's our Frieza, um... according to him, anyway.

Meanwhile, the dub gives us our first impression of his Elvis tones.

Etemon: Yeah! The concert sensation of the Server Continent is back! ALRIGHT, it's Etemon the King!

I like that he calls himself "the King" right up front. Not even pretending. Uh-huh-huh.

Yeah, there's no way to actually make his voice come across through text. But if you know it, y'know. In any case, that's not really added; Gazimon calls him King of Digimon right after the narrator's rundown, which is probably where the inspiration to make him Elvis came from. I mean. He's a music sensation called the King, there's only so many directions you can go with that.

Narrator: Etemon. A Digimon who claims to be the strongest. His two powerful attacks, Dark Spirits and Love Serenade, support that claim.

For the rundown, the narrator even centers on the fact that Etemon's status as Strongest in Konoyo cites only a source of like, your opinion, man. While nonetheless stressing that he has the might to back it up.

Tentomon has to warp over to handle the diegetic rundown, because we're now officially at the point where doing it diegetically doesn't always work anymore.

Tentomon: There is nothing entertaining about Etemon. He has the power to control anything electronic through his Dark Network.

Spoilers, Tentomon!

Though, in a rare twist, the dub's rundown is more informative and useful than the original's, giving us an early explanation of the way Etemon's abilities work.

Hard disagree about that first line, though. Dub Etemon is amazing.

Once Etemon's intro is out of the way, Gazimon attempts to broach the topic of the kids with him.

Gazimon: HAIL ETEMON-SAMA!!! King of Digimon! Etemon: (punches Gazimon in the skull) Shut up! You're too loud for this early in the morning! Gazimon: ...maybe you should take your own advice.... Etemon: SHUT UP!!! SILENCE!!! According to my calculations, the Chosen Children will be landing here soon. I'll ambush them here and crush them all! A fine plan, if I do say so myself. But if you're too loud, the children will hear you!

He gestures to a map, where a blinking blue light indicates the kids' location. As a nice detail, you can also see the inlet further up north that Mimi would have preferred to disembark at.

(You can see the gears turning in his head here if you think about it. That spot on the map is probably the jagged cliffside. If the GPS places them there and they're on a raft, they're going to need to find somewhere nearby that their raft can actually come aground at. So Etemon's waiting at the nearest beach.)

This is a good plan, thwarted by the circumstances of the sea voyage. The Whamon encounter was a fucking miracle. Due to how much faster he was than the raft, we arrived a full day sooner than expected. And we were able to disembark directly onto the jagged cliff (or inlet) rather than this raft-accessible beach. Whamon single-finnedly made the entire rest of this series possible.

This also sets the tone for the kind of villain Etemon is going to be. Devimon had to be cautious and calculating because a 6v1 Adult-stage dogpile intimidated him. He wasn't confident he could win that.

Etemon is Perfect-stage and allegedly Strongest in Konoyo so his plan is to just tear these kids apart with his bare hands. There is nothing he can throw at them that will be more effective than himself.

Over in the dub, he continues to Elvis.

Gazimon: EVERYONE HAIL ETEMON, THE TRUE KI-- Etemon: (punches Gazimon in the skull) Now, son, you're way too loud for an early morning time like this, understand? Gazimon: But you're the one using the amplifier, sir.... Etemon: Now let's get something straight, sonny-boy; I'm the Monarch of Rock and Roll. Your jives make me happy! The humans will be here soon! You see now, once I start making my fabulous music? Well, those kids are gonna be mine! They'll just have to come over and see what great star is singin' like that!

Without mentioning that they're coming ashore here, it's less clear why he expects them to show up at this spot. I think you can still put it together from context - we got a big shot of the beach on Gazimon's approach - but that threw me as a kid.

I do, however, like the dub's addition to his plan: He was going to rock out and bait them into coming to their doom of their own free will. History suggests this would have gone off without a hitch; Children are gullible and our kids have proven to be no exception.

Overall, Etemon has a solid plan. There's just one problem with it.

Gazimon: The children won't be here. Etemon: Hm!? Gazimon: The Chosen Children arrived yesterday and landed somewhere else. They're at the Pagumon village right now. Etemon: W-What!? HOW!? WHY!? Gazimon: (points to the map) That's not up-to-date.

Etemon slams his fists down on the console, causing the data to refresh. The blinking GPS light changes to a new location on the map. Devimon lets out a hysterical shriek at the sight of it.

Etemon: AHHHHHHH IT'S TRUE!!! My plan is ruined! I'll never forgive them for this! Remember that!

Etemon releases the Monochromon and detaches the harness from his trailer. He then summons his Dark Network, causing a set of cables to emerge from the earth for his trailer to drive along.

Gazimon asks Etemon about his intentions.

Gazimon: Will you gather your subordinates? Etemon: I'll be more than enough for Chosen Children on my own.

But Etemon has no intention of leaving this task to others.

In the dub:

Gazimon: There's just one thing wrong. Etemon: Huh!? Gazimon: Just that those seven kids are already here. They've been at the Pagumon village since yesterday. Etemon: What!? Just what are you saying!? I had it all worked out, kid! My whole plan's flawless! Gazimon: Well, somebody forgot to tell those humans! Etemon: No! It's just not fair! (Etemon slams his fists on the console, causing the light to move) Etemon: I am the King here! They gotta learn the hard way what you already know: They can't be messin' with the royal one! I expect my plans to be followed, uh-huh-huh!

Once he gets his trailer moving, the exchange is:

Gazimon: This will be your greatest performance yet, boss! Etemon: It's not easy being a superstar, little bunny, but somebody's gotta do it!

This exchange conveys so much less information. Etemon doesn't even bring up the movement of the blinking light, and he seems to pound the console out of frustration rather than to refresh the data. Combined with him failing to mention the kids' landing, it's not super clear in the dub what that light even represents.

They also cut the explanation that he a) has subordinates he can bring against the kids but b) is choosing to do this himself. Entertaining as the Elvis persona is, it's replaced much of the plot laid out in this scene.

On the plus side, Etemon being furious with the kids for not following his plan to murder them is a great extrapolation from the original "I'll never forgive them!" moment.

Back at the Pagumon village, the kids search frantically for Takeru's missing Partner.

Mimi: I thought I could finally take a break. I wish he wouldn't make us go to so much trouble! Gomamon: And who do you think's given us the most trouble all this time? Mimi: Jou-senpai. Jou: Ack! He means you! Mimi: EHHHH!?!?

Honestly, I'm with Mimi. I mean, Mimi once threw a tantrum because Koushiro was ignoring her for a long time, but Jou once melted down at the entire group over how they season their eggs. Jou's dogged insistence that there's humans to take care of us just around the next corner has also landed us in trouble multiple times, including being the reason the kids fell for Devimon's trap.

Gomamon's Partner biases are showing. I love Jou, and the way he behaves makes perfect sense when you consider the pressures he's under. But if we're gonna talk "Who keeps getting us into jams?" and "Who's the hardest to be around sometimes?" then the finger should be pointed that-a-way.

The dub takes this as an opportunity for a Valley Girl joke.

Mimi: Can we hurry this up? I'm scheduled for a mud pack and a facial in half an hour. Gomamon: Tokomon should know better than to interrupt your beauty treatments. Mimi: You're so right. Joe: Huh? He's being sarcastic. Mimi: WHA--!?!?

I think the dub version of this flows better because Mimi's the butt of both jokes but here it feels more deserved. There's no ambiguity here; Mimi's being shallow and Gomamon gently ribs her for it.

With everyone searching for Tokomon, Koushiro draws a map of the village in the dirt with a stick so he can mark everywhere they've looked. While the kids are searching the village, the Pagumon check the waterfall and report back that he wasn't there.

However, while everyone else is checking the village, Agumon returns to the forest. He's interested in pursuing that Koromon scent that did not lead in the village's direction earlier.

He follows that smell all the way to the waterfall, where he finds not only Tokomon in a cage but something else.

Agumon: Koromon! Why are you all locked up in here? Koromon 1: This is our home! Koromon 2: Two or three days ago, the Pagumon came here and took over our homes! Agumon: Then those guys are-- Tokomon: Wicked liars! You have to tell everyone!

Over in the dub, Agumon's kneejerk reaction to seeing Koromon in cages is to quip about it.

Agumon: Koromon! Boy, you guys gotta get a bigger apartment; Maybe some place with a few more bedrooms. Koromon 1: The Pagumon came and locked us in these cages! Koromon 2: About three days ago, they came in and took over our whole village. Agumon: Then we were really right after all! Tokomon: I appreciate chatting as much as the next guy, but if you untie me, we could go warn the others.

Dub Agumon and Tokomon are both unsettlingly casual about this predicament. Though the Koromon don't seem amused by any of this.

Agumon tries to free the Koromon, but he doesn't get very far before he's interrupted.

It's the two Gazimon who stayed behind while the third went for Etemon. They've been guarding this waterfall cave.

Agumon: I'll get you out of here quick! Gazimon: Oh, you're not allowed to do that. Agumon: You guys are... Gazimon! Gazimon: We'll be offering the Chosen Children to Etemon-sama! Agumon: Etemon? Gazimon: We'll dispose of you here!

Agumon barely has a chance to defend himself. The Gazimon lunge for him together, shoving him to the ground and raining punches down on him.

In the dub:

Agumon: I'll have you out in just a minute. Gazimon: I really don't think so! Agumon: Hmm? But you're Gazimon! Gazimon: Exactly right. And we're going to be giving those humans of yours to King Etemon. Agumon: No, you're not! Not quite! Gazimon: Why don't we teach the little lizard a lesson?

Between this and the last bit, I think Dub Agumon's high. His lines throughout this waterfall cave scene are atrocious. My favorite part is the way he delivers, "But you're Gazimon!" as if it's abnormal for Gazimon to behave this way.

Back in the village, the kids confer about the disappearances, but one person hasn't shown up to regroup.

Koushiro: Tokomon is still a baby, so he shouldn't have been able to go far.... Taichi: He's late... Where is Agumon searching?

Which the dub plays straight.

Back in the cave, the two Gazimon nail Agumon with their Paralyze Breath. He collapses to the ground, seeming to lose muscle control as we've been told the attack does.

Koromon 1: Two against one isn't fair! Koromon 2: You've got this, Agumon! Agumon: Taichi... let me evolve.... Gazimon: It's useless! No one outside can hear you! Agumon: Damn, if only this waterfall wasn't here... Waterfall... That's it!

The dub calls the Gazimon's move "Electric Stun Blast". Otherwise this is unchanged.

Suddenly, Agumon stands up again and lets off a Baby Flame. The Gazimon sidestep his shot, but he wasn't aiming for him; He hits the waterfall behind them. Then he shoots another Baby Flame. And another. Letting off shot after shot while the Gazimon ridicule him for his bad aim. Sending up steam into the air, which Taichi sees and points out from his scouting position with his mini-telescope.

Seeing the steam in the distance, the kids decide Tokomon must be over there. This sends the Pagumon into a panic.

Taichi: That's weird.... Yamato: What do you see, Taichi? Taichi: (points) I see smoke over there. Jou: What's that? Takeru: It's Tokomon! (All of the Pagumon collectively flinch) Pagumon 1: That can't be true! We just searched that waterfall! Pagumon Group: WE SEARCHED!!! WE SEARCHED!!! Koushiro: But he might have shown up after you finished searching. Taichi: I'll go take a look. Pagumon Group: YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!! Sora: Why not? We're just taking a look. Pagumon: Uhh... Because....

Suddenly, Mimi lets out a horrified scream, pulling everyone's attention away from the rising steam.

Somehow a Botamon has made its way into Mimi's lap.

Mimi: W-What is this thing!? Tentomon: It's a Botamon. Palmon: How would a Botamon be here? Yamato: What do you mean? Gabumon: Botamon is the Digimon that evolves into Koromon. There shouldn't be one in a Pagumon village. Taichi: Then this place is really....

The Pagumon launch into a reprise of their Welcome song, welcoming the kids to Not the Pagumon Village while scurrying away.

Over in the dub:

Mimi: Eww, what is this thing!? Tentomon: It's a Botamon. Palmon: Why would there be a Botamon here? Yamato: What do you mean? Gabumon: Botamon is the small egg form that Digivolves into Koromon and then into Agumon. Taichi: Then the Pagumon lied to us!

The only noteworthy thing is that Gabumon calls Botamon a "small egg form", which is an odd choice of descriptors, and adds that Koromon evolves into Agumon. Technically, due to branching evolution paths, not necessarily always the case. But it's not wrong either, and branching evolutions aren't a thing that's been introduced to the show anyways.

Yet.

Putting those soccer legs to work, Taichi sprints full-speed to the waterfall cave. He arrives much sooner than the rest of his group and their various levels of athleticism, giving Agumon what he needs to fight.

(Sometimes it's nice to sit back and appreciate how big Adult-stage Digimon are. Good news is that the rushing sounds of the waterfall will drown out the Gazimon pissing themselves.)

Sweeping the Gazimon into the river with a single shot of Mega Flame, Greymon quickly puts an end to this. The kids enter the cage, releasing Tokomon and the Koromon from their cages.

Takeru: Thank goodness you're safe! Tokomon: I'm sorry for worrying you, Takeru!

The dub calls back to Tokomon's recent reincarnation.

T.K.: Tokomon! I thought I lost you again! Tokomon: I'm like a boomerang; I keep coming back!

Aww, that's sweet. So far, the original's been unclear about whether Tokomon remembers his past life with Takeru or not. We haven't spent enough time with him yet to know. But the dub's putting it all up-front that this is the same guy and he was just resting. He speaks in longer and more complicated sentences, and now he's quipping about his revival.

But then an ominous voice calls out over loudspeaker.

Etemon: Chosen Children, can you hear me? Koromon Group: IT'S ETEMON!!! Etemon: How dare you make a fool of me!? Since you pissed me off, I'm going to destroy everything in this village! Taichi: Everything in the village!? Koushiro: There's no way he can do that!

In the dub:

Etemon: You measly little DigiDestined humans, thank-you-very-much! Hello! Koromon Group: IT'S ETEMON!!! OH NO!!! Etemon: You little bratty kids messed up all my big, beautiful plans so now I'm gonna have to punish you all by playing a little number that I just wrote. It's called "Wrecking the Whole Place". Taichi: "Wrecking the Whole Place"!? Izzy: Do you think he can actually do that?

What, play the song? Sure, he seems talented eno-- OH, you mean, can he wreck the place? Dunno. We just met him right now, and the nature of his threat's a bit harder to follow than when he said in no uncertain terms, "I'm going to destroy this village."

Etemon puts his Dark Network where his mouth is, raising cables from the ground to form a network in the sky above the Koromon village.

The Network sends jolts of destructive energy down into the various huts, obliterating them one by one. In the original, he simply calls out "Dark Network!" to summon the cables, but the dub calls it Dark Network Concert Crush.

The Digimon evolve to resist Etemon, but he's ready for them.

Etemon: I won't let you do that! LOVE SERENADE!!!

Jamming on his guitar, Etemon plays a killer beat that forces the Digimon back into their Child-states. As long as he's playing his Love Serenade, evolution is impossible.

In the dub:

Etemon: Well, you say you want a Digivolution? Guess what, the answer's ~noooooo! Dark Network Concert Crush!

I guess this, too, is Dark Network Concert Crush. Versatile move, that.

Taichi: What's wrong with you guys!? Agumon: I-I can't feel any power! Tentomon: His Love Serenade drains you of your abililty to fight! Koushiro: Is there any other way to fight against him? Tentomon: Not while we're in this state. If we could evolve to a higher level.... Yamato: If Garurumon evolved to a higher level, it would be possible? Sora: So this is why Gennai-san told us to find the Tags and Crests. Jou: It's too late to realize that now!

Tentomon speculates that evolving to Perfect-stage would give them the ability to fight back against Love Serenade, but as Jou points out, it's a little late to start looking for Crests now.

The dub needs to squeeze a commercial break here, so they cut up the footage just a bit. The commercial lands after Tai's initial line, at which point they splice in footage of Etemon's Concert Crush to re-establish context upon return.

Tai: Something strange is going on! (Commercial) Etemon: Dark Network, YEAH!!! (A bolt of dark energy blasts the river just outside the cave) Agumon: Concert Crush took our power! Tentomon: Does rock and roll have that effect in your world? Sora: Only on our parents. Izzy: So there's no way for us to fight this monster? Tentomon: As we are? No. If only we could Digivolve a step further. Matt: A step further? Sora: That must be what Gennai was referring to when he told us about finding the Crests and Tags! Joe: I think it's just a little late for that now, Sora.

Nice rock & roll quip, Sora. Hahaha we're going to die in here.

Out of options, the Koromon lead the kids deeper into the cave. Unfortunately, they run right into a dead end.

Taichi: What's this? Koromon: There's a legend that says if anything were to happen to our village, we should escape from here!

In the dub, it's more of a hidey-hole.

Taichi: Huh!? What's this? Koromon: This is a safe place where we hide when anything bad happens to our village!

Oh, y'all get attacked a lot, I take it?

This wall presents a problem for our escape. Fortunately, Taichi's Tag begins to react to it. A bright orange light surrounds everyone, and the wall with the symbol shrinks, forming into a Crest to slot into Taichi's Tag.

Taichi: This is a Crest! Yamato: What? Taichi: I have a Crest! Yamato: Alright!

The dub delivers the same idea, but is slightly awkward in its delivery.

Tai: I think I know what this is! Matt: Okay, what? Tai: A Crest! Sora: A Crest? Tai: Exactly! Now we've got a Crest! Matt: How awesome!

The way Tai delivers "Now we've got a Crest!" makes it sound like Etemon's drowning in Crests and we're just now picking up our first to even the playing field. We are, and it is to even the playing field, but not because we're trying to match Etemon in Crest count.

Not only do we acquire a Crest, but when the glow recedes, we're in a different cave entirely.

Jou: Th-This is.... Koromon: We're in the mountains far, far away from where our village is. Jou: Then we're saved! Yamato: Looks that way. Mimi: I'm so glad! Taichi: A Crest... I finally have one! As long as I have this, Etemon is no threat at all!

Careful of that cockiness, Taichi. It might lead you into trouble.

In the dub:

Joe: ...didn't this used to be a wall? Koromon: Yeah, but the Crest must have brought us here! These mountains are a long way from our village! Joe: Alright! Frequent flier miles! Matt: This place is the bomb! Mimi: It's beautiful! Tai: Hmm... With this Crest, we can do anything we want! You know, guys, I think this is the first step on our trip home!

I like how Tai is overselling the Crest's capabilities but in a completely different way. Ironically, he'll actually be right about that prediction while Taichi's in for a rude awakening.

This is the second time frequent flier miles have been brought up. These preteens care an awful lot about thrifty cross-country transit. It's almost like middle-aged adults are writing their dialogue or something.

(Back in the 90's, frequent flier miles were all over cartoons and sitcoms. Writers were certain that worrying about thrifty cross-country transit was a universal concern. I knew that frequent flier miles were desirable before I even knew what planes were.)

However, as the kids discuss their newfound safety, a cable of Etemon's Dark Network feeds their location back to Etemon's trailer.

Gazimon: AUGH!!! Etemon-sama, the Chosen Children-- Etemon: The Chosen Children have been torn to pieces by now. Gazimon: They were suddenly sent somewhere else. Etemon: WHAT!?!? (Etemon turns and looks at the map) Etemon: You're right... How strange to see them over there. I'll need to stay on my guard with these children. But that's what makes defeating them worthwhile!

Etemon is surprisingly chill about the kids' teleportation. At least, after the initial shock, anyways.

In the dub:

Gazimon: Um, Etemon? About the human children-- Etemon: Yes, little bunny, trapping them all in that cave is more fun than learning how to lip sync! Gazimon: Maybe not, boss; They're missing! Etemon: HOW COULD YOU LOSE THEM!?!? Let me see! (Etemon turns and looks at the map) Etemon: They got away! This bunch is a whole lot more clever than I thought they were. I'm gonna have to think about this one, then defeatin' those kids is gonna earn me a standin' ovation!

Etemon was trying to blast them into bits and pieces? Nuh nuh nuh, the plan was to trap them in the cave the whole time. Nobody ever went in after them and it's not like there's any bars to prevent them from leaving, but he's still shocked they left the cave.

We close here, with Etemon plotting his next move against the Chosen Children while they flee into the mountains of Server. Both Etemon and Taichi anticipating a chance to meet again.

Assessment: This is a strong intro for Etemon. Like Devimon and the mansion trick, Etemon is given a powerful introduction to set him up as a force to be reckoned with. He brings tremendous peril to the table, which the kids only narrowly escape with their lives.

There but for the grace of Whamon, he would have had them. He nearly did anyway; Much of the back half of this epsiode is spent showing off what his pet project the Dark Network can do. Its effects are creatively distinct from Devimon's Black Gears, and menacing in a variety of ways.

And yet Etemon himself is a lovable goofball. Rather than trying to match Devimon in calculating chessmaster menace, Etemon keeps things light and fun. He's a silly villain with big reactions who is no less threatening for it, and he makes this section of the show a lot of fun.

The dub, unfortunately, cuts a lot of the Why's in this episode. Context is being stripped away left and right from various scenes which is a hard negative. Their jokes are hit-or-miss, but there's a higher saturation of jokes that work than ones that don't. And Etemon... is Etemon. So the dub of this one is lesser, but entertainingly so.

[mrs-monaghan]

My ask is! What is your fav trait or habits or like one thing which is particular to jikook which u adore or makes ur heart all mushy? It could be a moment or like particulr thing .

For me it is the way JK takes care of JM. In one run episode he puts the socks on JM. It was a simple gesture but damn that one moment made my heart melt, jimin sitting cutely like a baby while jk put on the socks . I repeatedly watched that clip, it is one of my fav jikook moments.

Thanks for this question anon. Here is something that makes me all mushy. This behaviour from JK makes me believe we have lost him and he ain't never coming back to us. He's too far gone... fr.

Jeon Jungkook is a man whipped.

Exhibit a) BTS at Atomix. It's a good restaurant, right? And I'm sure they had fun. Ate good food and what not? We know JK loves to eat, so I'm sure it was a good time. But when the infamous tkk photo was brought up months later JK only remembers that day because Jimin said "I'm sorry"

Umm... okay. Moving on.

Exhibit b) Run BTS episode 10. It was a continuation of several episodes where they rode on ATVs, did a bunch of shit, among them, bungee jumping and we know how much JK loves that. But his favourite thing about all of that when asked, JK said;

Again, what?

Exhibit c) When JK was asked what his most memorable thing about the Tokyo trip with Jimin was he says 😬😬😬

I mean....

For me this is the cringiest Jikook moment of all fucking time. I cannot watch this. I just can't. And if it comes up I watch with one eye closed because it's painful AF to witness. Especially members' reactions. Even they know JK is whipped. So Jikook go to Tokyo. Beautiful city, they moved around, they explored, even had fun on Halloween with Scream costumes and everything. They were there several days and even went to Disney where it looks like they had a blast. But this, this? Is JK's most memorable moment?! Are u kidding me? Unless "playing on his phone" is code for something else, this is whipped behaviour right there. And look how proud he is while recounting this. W.H.I.P.P.E.D i say!!

(Sidebar: JK is wearing Jimin's photocards as earrings. ☺)

Exhibit d) JK's reaction to Jimin sneezing.

That's it.

Exhibit e) JK reacting to Jimin slurping noodles

Tweet

He is adorable. Fr fr. But listen, Vhope DGAF but here JK is being endeared AF by Jimin's simple act of eating noodles. I mean... come on dude, really? I mean I get it, its Jimin. But really? 🤭

Exhibit f) JK's reaction to Jimin's pinky. The absolute cutest. He's so whipped y'all

Exhibit g) "You owned Run Bts"

First of all, JK sounds adorable when he says this. I just wanna put him in my pocket he's so cute 🥺 But also really? I mean okay. If someone held a gun to my head and told me to prove I was Army of course I will go "lagibolala!" It's one of the most iconic BTS quotes right up there with "party party yeah, niagara popo, listen boy, etcetera" But still... Jimin owned ALL of Run Bts because of this? Really JK? Tell us you're whipped without telling us you're whipped. I can't with this guy.

Exhibit h) One of my favourite JK moments of all time. When he was asking Jimin for pork. Gosh, how is this man so macho and yet so adorable at the same time??? Istg I could listen to this all day. Someone make it my ringtone already!

Anyway, the thing that is easily missed is the fact that Jhope who was next to JK offered his pork. But JK didn't want that one. Nope. He wanted the one from Jimin who was allllllllll the way on the other side

Exhibit i) Last but not least. I already brought this up but it deserves to be brought up again. BV season 4 members in New Zealand enjoying the beautiful view. They've never been there before. Its their first time. They're all in awe. Its amazing, incredible and they all pretty much "wow" the entire time. But JK, JK is like fuck the view. Staring at my boyfriend is all the view I need

The camera keeps panning out. And JK keeps staring. What did I say? JK my dude, you are

So yes, anon JK is a man in love and he makes me go all mushy when I see him get amused by the most mundane things as long as they're coming from Jimin.

A member will do one thing and JK won't care. Won't even notice sometimes. But as soon as Jimin does that same thing, suddenly its the funniest thing JK has ever seen. Or the cutest, or whatever. To JK, certain things are "meh" until Jimin does them. Then he absolutely loves it.

When I tell you Jungkook is a man in love, I mean it.