#janai rambles on

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

There is so much airing right now. It's insane. July is already crazy but with more coming in August I'll probably do a shorter version of this mid august to kinda keep all the shows straight in my head. And I know we still have a couple of days left this month but I wanted to do this to close the weekend. Also because I'm watching a lot this is gonna be long. And also. Spoilers and opinions below, read at your own risk.

QL - Currently Watching

🇹🇭 4 Minutes [1/8] - Living for the visuals in this show. Just like with DFF, I feel the framing is very intentional. Only one episode so, for now, I'm very intrigued by the premise and the characters and will be looking forward to the meta that will no doubt be a big part of watching this show for me, as with dff. Also, is it just me or is Jes just ridiculously handsome?

🇯🇵 Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko! [4/8] - I love it here. I'm having such a good time with this show. Hiroko is the master of selective perception even when Ayaka is trying so hard to make her see. I'm looking forward to see what happens next. Also we had a small moment of running to the beloved!!!

🇹🇭 Century of Love [5/10] - Did not see this coming. After The Trainee this is the thai bl I look forward to the most weekly. Daou is doing excellent work, even as he's softening because he's in looooove, I can still see the demeanour of the 100 years old man. Love reading all the theories after the last episode. I'm on team Vee is Vad, and the girl is an imposter with sinister intent.

🇯🇵 I Hear the Sunspot [5/12] - It's excellent. I love Taichi, he doesn't always understand Kohei, or himself, but he will stay by his side regardless. That moment in the stairs was probably my favourite so far. I'm expecting this show to break my heart again.

🇹🇭 I Saw You In My Dream [2/12] - It's cute. I like the premise but I've been burned by Thailand when they venture a bit into high concept so we'll see. I like the characters and the actors so far. At least there seems to be communication between the leads which for me is already a win.

🇹🇭 Knock Knock, Boys! [10/12] - Latte and Almond are great in their boyfriend era. They seem comfortable with each other without being way too cutesy which honestly would feel kinda weird for them, especially Latte. Poor Thanwa though. Look I feel for Peak. He lost his mum and so not wanting to disappoint the remaining parent is completely understandable but damn, I wish he got some nerve and spoke for himself. I really hope the boys visit will give him the support he needs to finally do what he needs to do.

🇹🇭🇨🇳 Meet You At the Blossom [6/12] - I'm watching because it's kinda historic but I'm not enjoying it as much as other people so I'll just say there are some funny bits and some cute moments.

🇯🇵 Mitsuya Sensei no Keikakutekina Ezuke [1/10] - Oh Japan how you spoil me. Chaotic boy✔ Older openly queer man✔ Food✔ Dog✔. I'm in jbl heaven.

🇹🇭Love Sea [8/12] - I'm watching.

🇹🇭My Love Mix-Up! [7/12] -I'm stopping the weekly viewing of this one and probably binge it when it's over. I probably shouldn't but I know myself and my curiosity will win in the end. I've said a couple of things what bugged me about this show and this thread started by @twig-tea and all the reblogs [@bengiyo @hallowpen @silviakundera @doublel27] are an excellent read and the reason this last episode finally made me drop my weekly viewing. It was bad before but now it makes me too angry and there's a lot airing atm, so I'm choosing joy.

🇹🇭 SunsetxVibes [6/12] - It's just fun for the most part. I'm honestly trying not to think too hard about this one because there are some things that just make no sense. Also I keep getting confused by the time on this show. The editing is weird. But like I said, I'm trying not to think about it and just enjoy the ridiculousness. Definitely more into the side couple's dynamic.

🇯🇵 Takara No Vidro [4/11] - What an excellent time it is for jqls. I'm fascinated by Takara and desperately need to know more about him and it seems I'm gonna get my wish next episode. Maybe it's the hole Hayama left in me, but for some reason I find some similarities between them. Something about people liking them on a surface level, and isolating themselves and encountering someone who sees them in a different way and being drawn to that. I also like how the show is using the episode storylines. The creep episode was interesting given that Taishin was called a creep early on, for following Takara to uni, so the contrast worked well in establishing that Taishin motivations are completely different. And then the stan episode was really interesting not only in reinforcing the idea that Taishin was really sheltered growing up but also he's so lost and confused so he's just looking for clues as to what he's feeling for Takara. 🇹🇭 This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans [4/8] . I'm watching for the sides.

🇹🇭 The Rebound [10/12] - I guess the crazy ended with a bang, or several, and now we're back to our regularly scheduled programming with a very average high school bl. Also, can we stop having sick grandmas drive the narrative?

🇹🇭 The Trainee [3/10] - I love everything about it. First of all, Jane. Look, I've loved Off since my first OffGun show, which was Theory of Love, and every character since then has only increased my devotion. Him and Mix had me weekly watching a show (The Jungle) that in normal circumstances I wouldn't waste a day one let alone 16 whole episodes. I have a problem. And I thought Ten was the ceiling honestly but Jane is just another level. Not only is he, oh so pretty in this, but his character is just perfection. He's tough but reasonably so, will give credit where it's due, notices the people around him and will apologize if he's in the wrong. And yes, that hand gesture have me fanning myself. Ryan has no business being in that company honestly, but I'm a sucker for an underdog that tries and improves and is genuinely a good human for the people around him. Oh and also, this show is funny. I'm having a great time and I'm always excited for the next episode. Please be... nope, I won't go there. It's great.

QL - Finished

🇯🇵A Man Who Defies the World of BL 3 - First of all massive thanks to @ikeoji-subs for making it possible to finally watch this season. I think this is my favourite season so far. I love Mob's and Hatano storyline and would very much like a fourth season to see what happens next. @emotionallychargedtowel wrote here and here some of the reasons why this character is so different from all the ones we've seen so far and I also speculated in the tags about how he could connect to the mangaka and that's why he can hear some of Mob's thoughts and see him breaking the fourth wall. Either way there's not enough information. I need more. I definitely think Mob is struggling more to keep his secondary characters status this season. I adore Ayato and Toujou. So many couples and so many tropes, I was in heaven. I still need to rewatch all of it.

🇯🇵Ossan no Pants ga Nandatte Ii Janai ka! - Fansubbers are angels and deserve the world, so once again, massive thanks to @isaksbestpillow for allowing me the privilege to watch this show. And what a privilege it was. I'm gonna miss this family so much. The kindness and empathy of these characters will stay with me for a long time. I wish everyone would watch this show and I can't really find the words to talk about this show but this post by @lurkingshan explains way better than I ever could all the reasons this show is an incredible watch, as does this spoiler free pitch by @twig-tea. So do yourself a favor and go watch it. 🇹🇭 Wandee Goodday - I love Cher and Oyei.

🇹🇭 We Are - Final thoughts here.

Rose Watches OJBL

Nothing to report this month. The obvious reason being the absolutely insane number of shows in the currently watching list.

Others - Watched

BL Metamorphosis (2022) Kashimashi Meshi (2023) Second Chance (2021)

As usual my ask box is open for questions or requests. Have a wonderful week💜

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

The season is kind of a blur for me at the moment, and I'm sure I'll have a lot more to talk about as I rewatch it more slowly and with less hysteria, but here are my current overall thoughts! Under the cut for spoilers

Beginning with the things I liked, because there were many of them:

The voice acting was phenomenal. Everything with Claudia? Soren's tirade at Viren? Every single speech of Janai's? Top tier. I've rarely been moved by a performance as much as I was this season

Additionally: the music was on another level, especially in the final episodes. It made already-breathtaking scenes absolutely haunting, and I'm praying they do another soundtrack release soon

I adored everything about the janaya wedding. Their outfits were so good, their expressions were so full of love, and their speeches were absolutely adorable. I also loved Kasi and Gren as officiants, Gren's little "what are they going to do? Come with an army?" joke made me cackle. (Also: hearing "and her wife, Queen Amaya" made me cheer so loudly my throat still hurts a day later)

I've been a passive sorvus shipper since season 4, but episode 2 ratcheted that up about ten levels. Every one of their interactions was so good, I love how they have the stoic/silly dynamic but also establish that Soren understands Corvus's sense of duty and Corvus has just as much of a ridiculous streak as Soren. They have to get together next season, please please please

Rayla and Callum! Back together at last!! And we have (hopefully) a full season of them being together to look forward to after this. It was really nice to see them fully on the same page at last, and the mix of ease and nervousness in their affection felt really cute and authentic

Speaking of things I've been waiting for forever: RUNAAN IS FINALLY FREE. I'm so happy that plotline was finally resolved, and I'm very intrigued about where he's going to go from here in regards to his relationships with Ethari, Rayla, and Callum. I really like that they addressed how he treated Rayla during their last encounter and established how deeply he regrets it

In general, I really liked how many loose ends we came back to this season. It was great to get the whole story of Viren, Lissa, Soren, and Kpp'Ar, especially for people who haven't read the comics or novelizations. I was thrilled to see Aanya again and loved her prowess in battle and her friendship with Ezran

I love that Claudia's hair actually looks like it got cut by a knife. No magically even cut for her. Somehow she really pulls it off, though, so good for her

Things I wasn't as much of a fan of:

I wish we had gotten to see Callum and Rayla actually talk the whole leaving-for-two-years thing out. Callum seems to think he was in the wrong for giving Rayla the cold shoulder when she first came back, but in my eyes he did have a right to be upset, and I wish they would acknowledge that. I was thrilled when they got back together, but I think it would have landed a little better for me if I felt like their "breakup" had been fully resolved

Has Sol Regem's mate ever been brought up before? It felt like a weird thing to pull up in the middle of the climax. His scene with Aaravos was written and presented very powerfully, but I didn't really feel the impact of it because I was busy going "where did this come from?"

And finally, this is really just a nitpick, but if you wear a blindfold for your entire life, you will not be able to suddenly see when you take it off because your brain doesn't know how to translate the shapes and light around you into cognitive images. I know I can suspend my disbelief, it just kind of bugged me

Overall, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I think it was the most completely engrossed by a season so far. I'm begging and pleading for season 7 to be released sooner rather than later, because I need more and I need it now

[sunfire-shield]

Rewatching season 4 and thinking about how you’ve got the bit with Janai having her crisis and the whole “At least Karim would lead the people with some sense of certainty” thing, how Karim and Janai work so well as foils for each other, and this thing the Sunfire elves have going on about certainty and strength, and the penchant Karim (who is a character fixated on and representing the conservative traditional) has for strong decisive gestures over even carefully considered plans, like how he steamrollers Miyana when she tells him that while some Sunfire elves are unhappy with Janai’s progressive attitude and policies, they aren’t ready for open revolt, and throws down a flashy and dramatic challenge to his sister, the way he demands “Fight me! Defeat me! Prove the throne should be yours!” during his duel with Janai, as if that kind of attitude proves the virtues of a leader, when in reality it is Janai’s mercy, something Karim no doubt considers weak, and a demonstration of her uncertainties and doubts that he would think makes her a weak ruler, when in reality her ability to stop and think and consider and show mercy makes her a far better leader than he could ever be. It all reminded me in an odd way of how when Viren didn’t like the idea of Ezran being king in season one and set Soren the task of killing the princes, he says to Soren “But if we are led by a child king . . .” and Soren questioningly goes “He will make bad choices?” and Viren’s response is “He will make weak choices.” The emphasis is on weak, not bad, being such an interesting moment. And when Ezran does take the throne, he refuses to wage war on Xadia, exactly what Viren wanted to do, was willing to kill a child and seize the throne to do. Because that’s what Viren considers the ‘strong’ choice. But Opeli points out “Peace will require just as much strength as war” something Viren could never see. The way the villains in this show keep putting emphasis on the ways they consider the protagonists weak and themselves strong, and how that plays into Harrow’s thesis of “these moments of purest strength appear as weakness to those who don’t know better”, inverting it, so that the ways that the shows antagonists think they are proving themselves strong are in fact proving the opposite

[raayllum]

5x03 / 2x09 / 2x07

+ Bonus:

[lemoncholy-stars]

the dragon prince is actually such a show. like i’m convinced it has some of the best most nuanced takes on emotions and relationships that i’ve seen out of any show ever and i have so many thoughts but i can articulate none of them

[mynameisnotthepoint]

Ossan no pantsu EP 3

Disclaimer: I had already watched this drama with subs that were mostly machine translated, so this is less of a first time reaction and more of an "i finally have the whole picture now". This will contain spoilers, so be warned!

As always: thank you to @isaksbestpillow for continuing to provide us with excellent subs to this drama!!

Quote (translation by isaksbestpillow) I believe that Kakeru is thinking of a way to connect with the rest of the world right now. Maybe you could start with supporting him on that journey. (Daichi to Makoto)

My jumbled thoughts/recap I love this building up frustration Kakeru and Makoto have with getting ready/rehearsing to get ready. I think this is also where I really noticed that Kakeru has grown out his hair, it has that choppy look of going from a few milimetres to like 10 cm (same length everywhere, which is what I have been doing for the past year, Kakeru's hair grows fast!). Kakeru seems to really be shedding his old life of baseball and typical boy stuff, but his room has this contrast between his bed, little table and coat rack with a few things that are really to his taste, while the rest of the room still holds the old "boyish" stuff from his childhood.

Makoto's style is truly that one from the "just own the same pants and shirt and jacket in several colors, that way you can mix and match!" videos. Him keeping the leather jacket from his youth, such a thing my stepdad did! (his jacket is still in good shape, though).

Kakeru's story of slowly inching back to the outside world and being percieved by people (especially people his age) is told with such care. Never is he made fun by the narrative, nor are his choice of clothing style or his interests ridiculed. (BTW, a few days ago i watched a fansub of 0.5 no Otoko about a reclusive gamer uncle who is forced to live with his sibling's family after living with his parents for a long time, it was really good!!).

I also love his outfits so much!!! (and look!! he made it outside!!)

From looking at Daichi and his interests, he doesn't seem the one to be most hellbent on following trends. Yet, because he is young, Makoto thinks he will know everything about the popular things with the youth. Later, he also has to call his wife to find a present that Daichi could give to his boyfriend's family. Makoto doesn't really trust his own judgement, is quick to try and help but never thinks if he actually knows how to. It also shows that he doesn't consider his wife's job that important, because he calls Mika several times during her shift for something he could have asked beforehand i.e. help w the present. He didn't even seem to know that she had returned to work after taking time off to look after their son. Mika is always holding back, stowing more sorrow and hurt away so she can serve people (at work, and at home...) with a smile on her face.

Daichi also never says his boyfriend's name, I've noticed. And the fact that he wants to make a good impression on parents that he might never get to meet is something that a lot of queer people have to deal with. Daichi knows what it is like to grow up different, knows what being queer means but also how it keeps you from doing certain things society expect you to do. I am so so glad that Kakeru has someone like Daichi in his life, and honestly also that Makoto can discuss things with Daichi, who has already faced the hurt but also experienced the joy of being queer (he has other queer friends! his mom accepts him!).

Makoto and Daichi talk about being transgender and the difference between men who like to wear women's clothes and who are attracted to women. Which, interestingly enough, Makoto knows someone! Harinishi also gives him a perspective on truly embracing who you are and wearing what you want, even buying it yourself because you want to know what the fabric feels like. Which makes me wonder - where did Kakeru get the clothes from? Did Mika or Moe buy them for him?

In the shop with Daichi, Makoto finds something that would fit Kakeru's current interests, but refrains from buying it after the shop assistant asks him if it's for his daughter. He is shown later in the episode buying it with pride for his son. Just like with the cakes in the first episode, if it is something Makoto can make someone else happy with and is made aware of, he can do it with pride. I think that is his strength, to realize that something is truly not working, find the better option, and change so he uses that option. He of course has huge foot in mouth syndrome, like when he tells Daichi's mom her son is wonderful and then adds it's almost a shame that he's gay...

But here lies the crux of Makoto's problems: He wants to help now, make decisions now. But that is just not possible when you don't know who you are and what you want! So the most important thing he has to learn is patience to let other figure it out and patience to listen when they eventually tell them their findings.

I love this loaf. (Also, i love that the TV program that is on is about Mika's favourite idol group).

[bionic-penis]

If I can be pawfectly honest? "Evil" runaan is hotter than regular runaan

[tai-janai]

i hate to be that guy but i cannot get behind the idea of the Hero being LQ's "agency" or "will"

[self-spaghettification]

thinking about how sunfire elves reveal things under the light of justice but their arrogance has blinded them aghhjfghfjhgghghghg Post Now

(actually on further thought i was thinking. janai, khessa, and karim are just all on 3 points in a spectrum, if that makes sense. janai is more grounded (haha ground... earth arcanum…)& patient, she even comes more with the fear of the sun dimming and blinking out? khessa falls more in the middle i suppose, and karim is intensely blinded, going for more light to fix things)

janai also seems more grounded. and you know what else is grounded? the sunfire seed. that time taken away, that time in earth, gives it the time necessary to grow into something even more beautiful and bright. things grow under the light of the sun, of justice. 

(oh plus. bright future for humanity...)

[doodle-bug-nightmares]

i'm insanely excited for season 6 of tdp so i'm gonna make my very own predictions of what i think is gonna happen and if i'm right then all of you can suck it (contains spoilers for the previous seasons so y'know proceed with caution i guess)

1: something is gonna happen to Callum and Rayla's gonna cry again

2: they're going to find a way to get Runaan and Rayla's parents souls out of the coins but it's gonna require dark magic

3: Zubeia is either going to die or Janai is gonna reveal some secret way to un-corrupt people

i'm totally gonna be wrong about all of these but it was fun <3

[rainwalker-dragonblade29]

I don't know if I have said this before on my blog... but now that janaya will get married I FEEL THIS EVEN MORE! Remember that scene where Amaya's brought I'm front of the Sunfire Queen in book three and they test her with the LIGHT☀️ and she's "a human with a pure heart" so Khessa just let's Janai take Amaya back to the ring of fire...

And there she says "Enjoy your pet".

Enjoy your pet?

ENJOY YOUR PET?

Khessa!? You can't just —

And guess which ship will get married?

KHESSA YOU GENIUS—

I mean Khessa wouldn't have said it with a shipping context, she is arrogant, she looks down on humans. Amaya despite the "pure heart" is a surprise. But still, no different to her... so she is less and therefore, bit janai insists on treating Amaya with comparing but in Khessa's eyes, Amaya is still reducable to something insignificant. It's only that she somewhat matters to Janai that she considered calling Amaya "her pet" instead of "her prisoner". Is it flirty? Maybe not? Is it to tease Janai a lil bit cuz she's her lil sister and she's being naughty? Perhaps? Is it out of mercy for Amaya that she calls her something nicer than a prisoner? I suppose...

(I mean she wasn't wrong Amaya could might as well be Janai's pet on a few days if she so feels to be the softie u know what I mean? But still—)

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

My memory is terrible so I wanted to do a breakdown of my stuff every once in a while. Might be monthly, might be whenever I feel like it. And also. Spoilers and opinions below, read at your own risk.

QL - Currently Watching

🇯🇵I Hear the Sunspot [1/12] - I'm so grateful that I get a new jbl just as I'm mourning the end of the last one. I didn't read this manga but I've watched the film, and I really liked it even if it felt unfinished. Hopefully with 12 episodes it means we get the full story. This was a very good first episode, I feel like we established the main relationships dynamics and got a good insight into the main characters core. Taichi is my new child.

🇹🇭 Knock Knock, Boys! [6/12] - I continue to enjoy this group. Jane turned out to be a great addition instead of what I feared, but Peak really needs to step up so I can keep rooting for him and Thanwa, cause I'm also not a huge fan of the ex coming back as an obstacle for the couple. Latte and Almond are really great together and I'm curious how Almond will deal with his feelings for Latte, when he actually realizes he's having them.

🇹🇭Love Sea [4/12] - Before anything else, I love the ocean and I love when shows get out of the city. Also I like Mut. Now. I'm not a Mame hater. I'm a 'trauma is the only way to write deep characters' hater. I'm also a 'trauma gives you an excuse to be an asshole' hater. But most of all, I'm very much a 'love will fix you' hater. So just don't give me 3 out of 3 and it's fine. Also this last episode, all the talk about money and contracts made me feel some kind of way, although it doesn't seem to bother Mut so... And as much I like having Aya on my screen, Mook is really testing that line between cute and incredibly annoying. I'm not sure how long I'm staying with this one.

🇹🇭My Love Mix-Up! [4/12] - So... this is not good. The technical aspects of this are actually bad. Considering the number of sponsors is actually kinda incredible that it's so badly put together. The sound, the lighting, the editing, overall just... not good. Now, the rest. Look I don't want to ruin anybody's fun, so I'll keep watching this one quietly, unless something outrageous happens. But for the record, and this is all I'm gonna say, they are ruining the best parts of these characters and this story, and even if I ignore that (which I can't because it's an adaptation), it's pandering and it's a lazy attempt at recapturing the magic of msp, with a worse script and recycled material. Also I cannot believe they didn't put Atom in a trashing bag.

🇹🇭 My Stand-In [1/12] - For a number of reasons I'm waiting to binge this one. I do love watching the gifs on my dash though, pretty is pretty.

🇯🇵Ossan no Pants ga Nandatte Ii Janai ka! [9/11] - It's so good. I love them all. This last episode I was close to tears in several parts but the street proposal ended me. It's definitely one of those shows that I'm grateful that I get to watch even if I can't always find the words to talk about it. These characters have my whole heart. [everyone should be watching this and the wonderful @isaksbestpillow has made that possible with her subs. Here is the post with the latest episode. ]

🇹🇭SunsetxVibes [3/12] - It's ridiculous, it's fun, it's cute. Sun is such a simp. Man basically proposed before they were even dating. And yeah the way it started was not amazing, with the lying, but these two actually communicate about their expectations and what they're feeling which is better than a lot of shows right now. And I adore the sides.

🇹🇭The Rebound [2/12] - Everyone is gay and naked. And they play a sport of some kind.

🇹🇭The Trainee [1/12] - OffGun are back! I really liked the set up for this. It's only the first episode but I really like how they are walking the line between the comedy and the seriousness of the workplace. I love a good friend group so I'm looking forward to seeing how the relationships between all the interns grow. Poon is once again playing the silly brainless child of the pack but I don't care, I adore that kid for some reason. And next week we already got Gun crying so what's not to like?

🇹🇭 Wandee Goodday [10/12] - I already talked about my feelings regarding the last episode. I'm here for Oyei/Cher and Plakao. I love Inn and Great, they deliver with the chemistry but the DeeYak storyline is just a mess for me right now. I am also not looking forward to the inevitable redemption of the terrible parental figure.

🇹🇭 We Are [13/16] - The friendships are still great and mainly why I'm watching. I have a really good time watching those scenes. Only 3 episodes left and ChainPun continue to be the tinniest of crumbs. I don't expect much from this couple at this point and I'm a bit disappointed. FangTan are so cute and such good communicators. They are my favourites. QToey are cute. Now, Phum and Peem. Look PondPhuwin are really good at looking at each other like they're the only person in the universe. However. There's only so many times I can enjoy them staring at each other in slow mo. Once per episode oughta be enough I think. Hopefully now that they're actual boyfriends it gets a little less annoying.

QL - Finished

🇯🇵25 Ji, Akasaka de - What an incredible journey. I have to say it has been a while since a show surprised me this much, for the positive. For most of it I wasn't sure where it was gonna go or how it would end or who would be doing the running. The way they played with the show within a show was so well done. I loved the change in pov, which I always love in jbls, but it not only gave us the opportunity to see how Hayama's crush started but also we were allowed to see behind the mask that Hayama had been keeping up. Speaking of. I love him, one of my favourite characters of the year. And Komagine Kiita did an incredible job. I can't wait to watch him again when Tengu returns. If I had to say, the one thing I wish I had was more of Shirasaki's backstory. I wanted to understand better why his self-esteem got that bad. But that ending was great and honestly, I earned it.

🇵🇭Marahuyo Project - Well that was excellent. This show is beautiful. I want to hug them all and walk next to them. I really don't have the words for it right now so just go watch it. Because these characters are incredible and the visuals are stunning. All episodes here.

🇹🇭 Only Boo! - This is getting tiresome. Here it goes. Why? It was so great. They were the cutest shit and I had a smile on my face the entire episode. Even with the singing. It was wholesome and the mains delightful. And then... Heartbreak, time skip, no consequences, unearned happy ending. I mean Moo is a great character still, and Kang is the best boy, but I'm tired.

Rose Watches OJBL

Mood Indigo (2019) - I liked this one slightly better than the first. I think the visuals are stronger and there are some incredible shots throughout. The sex scenes are some of the best shot that I've ever seen. I love Kijima so even though I'm not always on board with prequels, it was great that we got more insight into him. Obviously we know this relationship was doomed from the start, and Kido has a lot to do with how we find Kijima in the beginning of The Novelist, but I can't help but feel for Kido. He is a mess that is struggling between the expectations that are on him (put there by others but also himself) and the affection and desire he feels for Kijima. And even without watching The Novelist there is always an air that this will not end well. For lack of a better phrase, it just wasn't meant to be. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this series.

Dangerous Drugs of Sex (2020) - One of my first thoughts when I was watching this was 'we are using the word unhinged too freely'. Cause Ryoji has little competition on that score. This is not an easy watch. I really liked the way it was shot even if at times that meant my view was too narrow so I couldn't look anywhere else but the 'uglier' parts. In completely different ways they were both stuck in an uncomfortable (yeah that's not really the best word but I can't think of another) place and I could feel that throughout. I'm not sure about the ending but they look happy, so what do I know?

Other - Watched

There's a lot airing so I didn't watch much outside ql. I finished Under the Skin and rewatched a couple of things. My watchlist got longer and I have a bunch of shows that I'll hopefully tackle during my summer holiday in July. Speaking of...

There is a lot coming next month, so here is a post with all the shows that have been announced for July that I updated to include Meet You at the Blossom that was recently announced. New jbl starts tomorrow!!!!

As usual my ask box is open for questions or requests. Have a wonderful week💜

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

Full Thoughts on TDP Season 5

Under the cut, because there are many of them!

Starting off with things I liked:

Rayllum! It was so good to see them on the same page again, and they have a perfect balance between deep, romantic devotion and the shared laughter and gestures of best friends. Their dynamic this season was my favorite iteration of them so far

Janai and Amaya were wonderful as well. I was really bracing for Amaya to leave for Lux Area without telling Janai and a whole bunch of drama to ensue, but no! They communicate! They trust each other! It's so refreshing!

Side note: Lux Area was gorgeous the detail in every shot of the city and Bookery was so good. I want to live there. I will take on the night creatures if need be

I hoped we'd get an apology from Amaya for Rayla, and I'm really glad they took the time to put it in the show instead of a short story or anything like that. It was also cool to see Amaya recognizing the similarities she and Rayla share and acting as more of a mentor to her, I hope we see more of them together later on

The reoccurring message that oftentimes the best way to be strong is by going to other people for help- first Amaya's story, then Rayla trusting Callum, then Zubeia's talk with Avizandum. It's a very good moral

That whole thing with Soren and Elmer! Breaking the cycle of cruelty! I love Soren so much

Callum using dark magic again. I thought I would hate it if that happened, since we've seen a corruption plotline with him and with Claudia already, but the way it was done sort of added a good sense of realism. I like that Callum isn't a Perfectly Moral Mage just because he can do primal magic; it feels deeper and more complicated if he has to recognize that the easier, darker choice is always there, and sometimes he won't be able to resist it, but he has to try each time anyway

So many little moments that I'll probably be going into in separate posts because the dynamic between the characters was on fire. It was so good to see the team really working together, their chemistry was so good

Things I wasn't as much of a fan of:

The problem with the show really relying on people to read all the supplementary material is still present. I was pretty confused about who Kpp'Ar was until I looked him up on the wiki, and again, people who didn't know about Soren getting sick as a kid from the Book 2 novelization really wouldn't have gotten his part of the dream sequence. It doesn't ruin the show or anything but it does make it a little confusing at times

The plotline with the coins is starting to feel a little drawn-out. Runaan's presence would bring up enough complications between Rayla and the rest of the group that he needs enough time out of the coin to give that the weight it deserves, and I'm really hoping he gets out next season so we can have at least season 7 to go into that. Also, Ethari needs his husband back

As good as it was to see rayllum back together, I do still think we needed a scene of them actually talking things through. I'm sure it'll appear in a Reflections story at some point, but again, you don't want your show to lean that heavily on the bonus material

This is more of a nitpick than anything else, but the characters' faces in the early episodes felt really stiff. They'd be having a monologue where you could really hear the emotion in their voices, but their faces just... didn't really move

And finally: too many crabs. This is not a flaw with the season this is just because I personally am freaked out by crabs and I've never been so horrified in all my life as when the true nature of Finnegrin's ship was revealed. It'll haunt me forever

Overall I liked it a lot, and I'm really excited to see where it goes next! Claudia feels like she's on the very edge of the point of no return, if she hasn't already crossed it, and it'll be very interesting to see how she reacts to the loss of her leg and (most likely) the loss of her father next season. I'm also very excited for the nova blade, that sounds like a gorgeous piece of weaponry and seeing whoever wields it (my money's on Rayla) fighting Aaravos is going to be epic. This season has definitely ratcheted up my investment in the show, which I'm very excited about

[mogai-sunflowers]

the dragon prince 🤝 she-ra

making me ducking cry with joy because representation go brrrrrr

[raayllum]

i love my top 5 tdp characters. rayla, callum, ezran, claudia, and cube. i love cube

[racoonincrisis]

Starting season 4 of the dragon prince!

If Janai and Amaya are together long enough that shes proposing and known eachother for 2 years you'd think she'd know sign by now, or at least like conversational sign.

Also I hate that we the audiance need a translator charater to know what the sign says. I want subtitles!

I love these two, just needs a few adjustments

Claudia's kinda scaring me tbh 😅

her Aaravos impression!!😂😂

Soren is so hopeless lol

Poor Callum i wanna talk about your special intrest! Magic is cool! 😭

!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE TERRY SO MUCH!

Trees to meet you 😂

I love how Callums stupid impression was kinda right too lol

Why would Reyla leave on his b-day tho thats a bit messed up, like it ruins a usually really happy day i get she was probably on a time crunch but still!

EPISODE 1 FINISHED!

Love it a lot the visuals are always so pretty in this show! I might keep doing this or i might forget anyway thank you for reading my ramblings!

~Racoon