#like this has happened to other people who consume way too much fan shit

[sgraffitobonito]

My toxic trait is entering a fandom and reading 20,000 fics and looking at tons of fan art and becoming invested in the characters and forming my own headcannons

But like before I’ve consumed most (or even any) of the cannon media

Hold on let me explain

Like this happened to me with stranger things

One day I was just minding my own business and scrolling through my recommended stuff

And then a picture of Joe Keery in that sailor suit had me actin slightly unwise

And then I saw fanart of Steve and of steddie ofc. And I was like “ooh gee golly look at that pretty metal head with long hair”

And then of the other characters

And by that point my dashboard was completely flooded

And then I knew that I was in too deep

Like after two months I already knew the plot of the entire show but had yet to watch a single episode of the series

[ehh-is-the-name]

TPOT 10 spoilers 'cause BH makes me insane

I mean, c'mon. You can't see this thumbnail and think things are gonna be ok for you mentally if you like blackhole. Like you know what's coming to you.

First things first, let me just scream into the void for a second-

HIS NIGHTMARE IS KILLING PEOPLE AND LETTING THAT CONSUME HIM?????!!?!?

AAAAAAAAAGUH MY HEART??!!???!?

Man- I love Blackhole and this episode just drove the stake into my heart. The fact that he, himself, is a being who causes death by getting too close to people made me writhe in BFB. But actively showing the extent of how it affects him—ack! He knows he causes death, which is why it's so important for him not to kill people, and why he's so strict about the pact rules!!

It makes so much sense... BFB 1 had it all laid out, and TPOT 10 sewed it together.

From the way he was hesitant about helping Flower!!! We know- he knows he's gonna end the world by getting closer, but he gives into it anyway. Instead of putting his foot down to Flower, he gives in to his feeling of wanting to be closer to people—from the way he's so happy about being shrunk—and more later. Then we get that whole thing with everyone about to die.

We know if Four never came, everyone would've died. Blackhole knows that too, from the end of his nightmare. More specific to this clip though, from the scene with Pie and LIY, since he literally just gave in to the urge to get closer and he wants that to never happen again. As a singularity in space, he could appreciate the planet, and life on it, more than other objects. He could see them all interact but never actually interact with them (besides talking), so at this chance of being beckoned, it makes sense that he'd just go "eh, fuck it, alright" then IMMEDIATELY regret his actions. Although his nightmare was about being afraid he'll "give into murderous urges", it can also be interpreted as him being afraid to let go. Something clearly stated in the last scene of his nightmare...

Queue TPOT 10 scene from clip above (I'm so mad that it's only 1 video per post on here)

Over the season we've seen him go from preventing death to just not killing people. It's morphed into his own cut-throat rule for the pact, which, in this context, is fair to see why. He joined the game via him not caring about the consequences, and it's stuck with him, so seeing everyone over and over get away with things made him HAVE to re-enforce to himself that he wasn't allowed. Death PACT doesn't kill people. HE doesn't kill people. He can't allow himself to let go of that regiment.

Obviously, this causes problems in the team- we see the clip. The thing that gets me the most is that this is bona fide trauma we're working with—Fanny telling him to #get-over-it kinda rubbed me the wrong way. And OK! I know- I know that's not exactly what she's saying but that's how it felt, and I know she has every right to be upset 'cause he was fuckin' over his team, but again that's just me! (The fact they got on the same page was enough for me anyway.) I digress, his "obsessive nature" was essentially just a response to everything that's happened to him—it's what makes him feel in control of himself. Poor BH's got trauma bad :(

I think what really twists that knife for me is that... the guy really just wants to connect with his peers normally- He wants everything to go back to normal, and that's one of the reasons he compromises with Fanny. On some level, he knows he's gone too far, but he's just afraid. Even at the end, he can't bring himself to kill Tree, even though he knows it'd be better with the new "focusing on life" angle. Did you hear that shakey exhale? Man's going through the wringer. Obviously, he won't overcome his trauma in an episode, but it's a good step to just playing and enjoying the game.

Anyway... There is probably a shitton of fans that are looking at this like "Yeah no shit Sherlock" but hey! Be nice. Some of us are slower than the others, and by some of us, I mean me. I needed this punch in the face to really see how death was impacting Blackhole's mental state and now I've word vomited my thoughts out.

[im-a-hoping-beetch]

In all honesty, idk what happened with the fandom recently for it to suddenly shit out a ton of crappy takes in ATLA most especially for Zutara. I often find myself defending Zutara because a lot of its antis say the most racist and sexist stuff against it. I'm not even a Zutara fan! I'm a rareshipper.

Can't just antis simply say they don't like Zutara and move on to enjoying their own ships instead? No more stupid holier art thou morality takes that just backfire on their faces.

If they want discourse, then use canon material NOT HEADCANONS, FANONS, OR FANFICS as "evidence" to back up their takes. Antis that do that makes my head spin in exasperation. Then you point that out they start whining how you hurt their feelibgs and get all offended as a "minority".

Actually, let's focus on that last bit. It's pretty rancid too how sometimes they pretend to be part of the "minority" so they can use it as a shield for themselves when their bad behavior gets called out. In fact, this tactic hurts the actual minorities who have valid concerns about Zutara. They get drowned out by all the insanity toxic shippers say and get lumped in with them.

Well, with the new live-action coming, there has obviously, been a revival, making the fandom way much more active. Which leads to people having more time to pay attention to the show and all its intricacies.

This is where ship wars come into play. And in all honesty, atla’s ship wars have definitely left a legacy in a way I don’t think we’ll have to ever witness. With the creators perpetuous jabs at zutara solidifying antis need to hate on it and the fans, fuelling the whole thing to another level. To this day whenever something avatar related gets announced or released you start to see a revival of a not so dead ship war. And while they (probably, not sure) aren’t as brutal as they used to be, they have took another turn, with this faux-progressivism being used to fear monger zutara shippers as well as casual listeners about the ship’s legitimacy. I recommend @i-d-e-g-a-f ‘s post about it to get more insight.

On my part, if I were to pin point the moment where this faux- progressivism started taking space in a lot of anti-zutara takes, I’d say that the atla renaissance isn’t innocent for this phenomenon happening. You need to understand the context in which atla’s release on Netflix took place in. One where the blm movement took the entire world by storm. Resulting in people not having the reservations they’ve probably had in the past when it came to talking about racial issues. This was followed by the emergence of numerous movements involving similar cases (not identical, tho). As well as media and the people consuming said media being ready to offer commentary on and call out harmful depictions of racial minorities as well as the rethorics they carried.

Suddenly, anyone and everyone could offer their piece of mind on harm being caused to racial minorities. And while good, it also came with its downside.

When you take into account this context, I think it exacerbated the already existing phenomenon of people saying things in order to put on this front of being good and virtuous, yet failing or simply not wanting to realize how these things are perpetuating the very harm they claim they want to undo. You know, people perceiving and claiming zutara to be a colonized-colonizer ship. As well as comparing katara to Pocahontas, when talking about these two. Which, if these people actually cared about progress, they would know how incredibly racist and sexist it is to make that comparison.

When it comes to antis obsession with hating on zutara, I think it stems from a certain insecurity. You gotta understand that unlike any other non-canon ship, zutara could’ve legitimately been canon. It was constantly talked about in the writers room, many of the team members seriously considering it (head writers, voice actors etc..) Hence why, the creators felt the need to throw numerous jabs (ie. the ember island play, (2008) comic-con) at the ship and more specifically, its fans. Since they themselves were insecure. @burst-of-iridescent perfectly explains it in this post.

[dootznbootz]

Literally just found out about you today and I'm already follow in you. As fellow tele-GONE-y hater, I absolutely stan with all the hate we have for that stupid fan fiction. Circe used to be one of my favorite books, I still think the writing is good. But when you look at the original source material? Yikes- I don't get why Miller chose CIRCE out of everyone. If she wanted to write a feministic story that's fine. But why chose a female character whom you have to make better and corrupt all the other characters in the source material so that Circe is more sympathetic? Why couldn't she write a TRUE feministic story about some other character?? I personally would've loved a story about Nausikaa. Which would make more sense considering she is a character who is often forgotten in most retellings of the Odyssey.

Circe isn't a sympathetic character, she was never supposed to be one. To make her sympathetic is to make everyone around her terrible. I'm so angry when people use this book for insight on Circe character because it is so different to actual Circe.

I'm also so very salty about what she did to my boy Hermes because what.

Thank you so much!!! Sorry this took a while to answer! Thankfully most folks are not a fan of the Tele-GONE-y either :'D it's mostly the "well, actually" folks who talk about it. >:(

"If she wanted to write a feministic story that's fine. But why choose a female character whom you have to make better and corrupt all the other characters in the source material so that Circe is more sympathetic?"

This right here, is exactly how I feel with so many of these "feminist retellings". Feminism is about lifting each other up. If you have to make everybody else "worse" to make your main character better, then...that's just not good storytelling.

This goes along with the whole "all men are bad no matter what" that happens all the time and I hate it so much. Even if the system may be sexist, that does not mean that every single male agrees with it.

You put everything into words well but I like to ramble so Ima say shit too but it's basically the same thing lol

With the whole "every horrible thing Circe has done is done fo a reason. she's defending herself, she was wronged, men are so evil uwu" is just fucking lazy and SUCKS. >:( LET WOMEN BE FLAWED, COWARDS!

I actually really love Odyssey Circe as a character. She's morally gray and does whatever she wants as a goddess. Yes, she terrifies Odysseus but she's COMPLEX. Why does she need a reason to turn men into pigs? Why can't she just do it "for funsies"?

I think it takes away from her as a goddess to always have a reason for her to do the things she does, you know? Immortals are fickle and don't have the same morals as mortals. I think Miller changed so much as "to have a morally gray protagonist?? No, that's wrong!" which BORING!!!!!!!

I fucking love Penelope. But I still have her a lil mean and even a bit snooty sometimes as her and Odysseus are like-minded. Hubris would be her downfall as well. She is petty and holds grudges like no other. because she's a PERSON. Not "bland empowerment in a can for everyone to consume". Ofc, she has her wonderful qualities like her intelligence, devotion, determination, and yes, she does have her kind moments (she goes 0 to 100% real quick. She takes the "Do no harm, Take no shit" phrase to the extremes. lol)

But honestly? I think there's a real problem in writing in many YA books and especially in fandom where people treat female characters as goddesses (which yes, understandable) but then they can't...make her human you know? Almost like they cannot see any of the woman's flaws or even WANT her to have flaws because "woman doing a bad thing that isn't done 'cutely' ("endearingly clumsy", "quirky chatterbox", etc. traits that are usually not the greatest are "cute" now simply because she's a woman. Maybe a love interest sees her that way but those traits would probably be considered annoying to many others.) regardless is antifeminist"

And even then, so many things that I want to write about are what many would consider feminist when...She's just existing. And I'm getting silly with it. Penelope is athletic and a naiad (75% but you know. with her parentage) but I don't write her that way TO make it feminist. I'm not doing it for that. I just like tiny but mighty wife ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I don't plan to write other women as "lesser" for not being athletic for example. Anticlea doesn't understand why Penelope likes doing that stuff but she's still supportive and they enjoy weaving together. I am NEVER putting down another female character for not being "girlboss" enough.

I really hate that this book has made people constantly bring up the Tele-GONE-y AND Shittalking all of them. I don't like looking at retellings and seeing "a new feminist take". Usually goes against the entire story to begin with. Often portraying good male characters in the original as "bad and horrible".

Also no hate to those that enjoy Circe the Book, but to me, it sounds like trauma porn. adding rapes that were never there, making the victim of the situation the PERPATRATOR because, clearly, a man cannot be a victim. I heard about her hating being a mom despite her literally having servants and she's a GODDESS in the Odyssey. She could literally have a nanny/nurse if she wanted.

Fun fact: I was watching a video essay about villainesses and how to write them well and as soon as it started to talk about historical villainesses and how Circe was a "femme fatale", I exited the video. She's an "antagonist", she lets them stay there but she's still...Not GOOD. To be a femme fatale means to usually seduce. She does not seduce Odysseus. He was literally commanded to by Hermes and her.

[tortured-demigods-department]

an unhinged (and unofficial) dissertation on the pjo fandom

so i don't usually post anything that isn't my-works-related, but i had a...mildly heated discussion with a fellow film student tonight about the pjo show and it's got me thinking. bear with me, we'll be here awhile.

as we all know, the first season of pjo has ended. i've stayed relatively OFF tumblr and other social media during this time, but i know there are a lot of OG fans who are (in their words) "massively disappointed" in the show. most of the complaints i've heard have been during in person conversations though, so this post is mostly going to be referencing real complaints i've heard.

i've been a part of this fandom since i was thirteen. that's nearly eight fucking years of my life that i've devoted to the pjo universe. i have written and consumed YEARS' worth of fanfiction, i have read and reread every book so many times i can quote them forwards and backwards, and i went to the bookstore every single year on the new books' release dates to pick up my copies in-person. this fandom, these characters and this world have brought so much joy to my life, and i don't think i could ever fully articulate that in words. when i think of this series, i genuinely feel nothing but happiness.

but a few years ago—around the time i started college—i started distancing myself from the fandom for one glaring reason. this fandom can be such an...angry place? like, genuinely, i don't know how far it goes back—maybe all the way to the release of HoA, honestly—but i wasn't here pre-HoA, so all i know is that i very much remember how much people hated ToA when it came out.

here i was, having the TIME of my life with apollo and his silly little haikus, and people are going to war over how the series' writing quality has gone to shit and how everything was better before, blah, blah, blah. IN SPITE of everything that series gave us—discussion of the repercussions of child abuse and ptsd, representation of lgbtqa+ characters, and deep psychological messages that really teach young readers, i think, how to better understand themselves and their emotions and deal with them in healthy ways. and it just wasn't fun to be in a fandom where, as soon as you go "hey, did you read the new book?" they scoff and roll their eyes and only want to talk about how terrible it is. (i also missed all the discourse on the sun and the star when it came out—PHENOMENAL read, btw—but i've read some things that lead me to believe that it wasn't well received either, in spite of how lovely it was.)

so...it's dramatic to say i "left" the fandom, but i certainly withdrew from it. deleted my pjo ao3 and tumblr, started over with a different fandom. but the love has always been there, and the show starting really helped spark it fully back to life.

but now, the same thing is happening again, i'm noticing. remember back in the day, when we only had the shitty fucking movies, and we were like "man, ANYTHING would be better than this garbage. literally just give us actors who are the right age and we'll be happy." well, now we have PHENOMENAL kid actors who genuinely are having a good time playing our beloved characters, and instead of supporting them, we're STILL complaining about them not being "portrayed correctly"?

i've talked to so many people who complain that percy is "too smart," which is kind of a bullshit insult to percy's canon character. in the books (at least the first five) we're seeing things ONLY from percy's pov. he's a kid who's struggled with learning disabilities and been told he's an idiot all his life by everyone except his mom—but as others have pointed out way more eloquently than i could, percy is a very intelligent and powerful individual while maintaining his goofy fun personality, which is WHY so many people love him so much. he's complex, and i think they managed to capture that really well in the show even amidst all the changes.

don't get me started on the fucking racism towards leah sava jeffries—i'm honest to gods ashamed that there are racists who call themselves pjo fans. she is so talented, and everything we ever could have hoped for in an on-screen annabeth. ALL of the kids are—there's literally no argument to be had there.

and then, if people aren't complaining about the casting, it's the series' writing. or there's too much exposition. rick is changing too many things. the directors don't know what they're doing. it's not a TRUE book adaptation. (someone said that to me, and i genuinely laughed because i thought they were joking. when the MOVIES exist, they wanted to make that comment about the show.)

are there some things i would change about the show, given the opportunity? god, yes. the set design for the underworld was horrendous. (in my opinion, of course.) but here's the thing. i have spent eight years of my life waiting for this show to happen, and in that time, i've learned a lot about how much goes into successfully producing such a complex series. how much money and time is spent, and how many people have to be on board to make it happen. it's genuinely kind of miraculous that we're even getting this show at all, considering all the ways it could have failed before it even made it out of pre-production.

and i think we, as fans, sometimes forget that we aren't owed this. we don't own the percy jackson franchise. it makes me so sick and tired when authors or artists in any capacity feel like they have to cater their works to the masses, because they know they'll get thrown into the fucking fire if they don't. rick and becky riordan didn't have to got to the trouble of producing this show for us. they chose to—everyone involved chose to—because they wanted to make something fun and enjoyable not only for the fans, but everyone who chose to be a part of it.

do you know how insane it is that, when you read pretty much any interview of pjo bts, everyone talks about how fun the production was? i've been on film sets. they can be ABSOLUTELY miserable when they're not done right. but eight months into production, the kids were still laughing and having a good time, everyone's still giving 100%, they're excited, it's fun. walker was willing to go into a diving tank for a full fucking day in order to get one scene—i know i would never have that kind of dedication, and i bet 99% of you wouldn't either.

i know this has gotten really long-winded, but i've said all of that to say that...i'm kind of tired of fans trying to bring down the show, and more than that, trying to bring down each other for having a good time. as i've said before (many times, i'm sure), i waited eight years for this, and i have had SUCH a fun time watching it. assuming we get a season 2 renewal, there are going to be even more new fans coming in than we've already gotten from season 1, and i want this fandom to be a fun and positive place for them. for all of us. we don't have to miserable and angry all time. we can critique the show, sure—it's not perfect, and it was never going to be—but we have to remember that television is an art form, and that art is subjective even when it involves our favorite characters. and we can accept that and still have a good time, because it's just more fun to have fun, you know?

this fandom has always had so much potential to be the BIGGEST, most supportive and kind and loving fandom. with how much representation this series has, with how much content we've been given, with the SHEER massive number of us...i've always thought we could be a really, really great community. maybe it's impossible to hope that we could be the best fandom on earth, but if nothing else...could we all try to just be a little bit kinder? genuinely, as cheesy as it may sound...it's just nicer when we're nice to each other. and when there's so many real things in the world to be mad about...i would much rather this be a place where we can come to at the end of a long day and just...feel at home. personally, i just think that would be really, really nice.

[hondacivicbrain]

One thing I've been thinking a lot about amid the argument over the Barbie movie's lack of nominations is the aggressive level of hate it gets.

FYI, this is not about whether I think the Barbie movie deserved more nominations or not because it doesn't matter. It doesn't even matter if it was a good movie or not. It doesn't matter that it was about feminism either. What matters — and what is at the core of all the hate — is that it's a movie for women. For girls.

Anything whose target audience is young women and teenage girls is inevitably slammed with hate.

It will be called overrated. It will be called basic. It will be shit on. The comments and reviews will be FULL of people saying how stupid or terrible it is, how they've always hated it, and how anyone who watches or listens or consumes it is too.

Again, it does not matter whether x product or y performer is overrated, or not talented, or a thousand other insults people (mostly men, but anyone seeking to set themselves, even subtly, apart from people who like popular, feminine things). What matters is the alarming level to which we've normalized the hate that gets thrown at young women — and especially at teenage girls — for daring to like something popular.

Since when has popular become a bad word? Products that are marketed towards women are hugely profitable, and yet critically shamed. Remember pumpkin spice lattes? I've never seen one girl fawn over them as much as I've seen 100 grownass men spew nonsense about how silly and childish and girly a flavor is. A flavor.

It doesn't matter what Taylor Swift's most adoring fans are like, even the ones who are over the top, because no one attacks men who get too enthusiastic about their favorite sports teams or fantasy football the way people attack her fans for being excited to see her in concerts. It's because her fanbase is predominantly young girls, and anything young women are into must be shamed.

The relative anonymity — or at least, the safety — of the internet has enabled people to be harsher than they might in real life, but bullying young women and girls for their interests is not a new phenomenon.

Romance has occupied the lowest rung of the genre ladder for arguably hundreds of years. Wholly romantic movies (meaning movies in which romance is the primary drama, rather than a subplot within another genre) must be *exemplary* to get critical praise. More male-centric genres like dramas or any movie seen as "intellectual" often only have to be *good* to get the same kind of attention. This is not a dig at Oppenheimer or any of the other movies nominated (nor am I saying Barbie is a romance). The point is that romance is held to a significantly higher critical standard because it is largely not for a male audience.

(As a side note, plenty of romance is genderless the way many other genres' audiences are, but as a society we've boxed it into a 'feminine' box and decided feminine=bad. I could write a whole essay as to why.)

I am absolutely not saying Barbie deserved or didn't deserve this or that, or that Taylor Swift should never be criticized, or that romance is a perfect genre. I am not saying these examples are the most important of their kind.

What I am saying is that anything that is both popular and centered around women is always, inevitably, and extremely harshly attacked by people who do not like it, and this has the potential to be incredibly damaging to teenage girls, especially in an age where social media use starts younger and younger.

What happened to, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all? Or, let people like what they like? You don't have to like something, but you don't always have to voice your hate for it either.

[scorbleeo]

Drama Gossip: The Spirealm (致命游戏)

Source: Google Images

It started off peculiarly; first, his domestic cat refused to let him cuddle it. Lin Qiushi soon found that a sense of disharmony and incongruity began to pervade everything around him. Then, one odd day, he pushed open a door, and he discovered that the hallway he was familiar with turned into a boundless corridor. At both ends of this corridor were twelve, identical iron gates. Thus, the story began.

Source: MyDramaList (2024)

Action, Adventure, Augmented Reality? Sign Me Up!

I do not consume everything that has the 'entering a virtual game with real life consequences' plot-line but when I do, I more or less will enjoy them. The Spirealm is exactly that plot-line and after just finishing 19th Floor (another Chinese drama with similar concept), I was expecting more and hoping for lesser disappointment.

This drama did not disappoint at all. Lets first talk about the roles and the cast. Brilliant job on the casting, everybody pulled off their role so wonderfully, it felt like they were made for their roles. As for the characters these actors portrayed, wow. I haven't been obsessed with a fictional Chinese character in such a long time but Ruan Lan Zhu is so easy to be obsessed with. The writing was brilliant because I very quickly grew attached to the main people and when shit hit the fan, yeah, I felt everything as if I was a part of them.

Spoilers going on from here so if you haven't watched the show, go and watch it now, please?

As I was saying, I was so attached to some of the characters, I really, wow... Say Li Dong Yuan first. I actually already was spoiled with his death, I even knew which door was going to cause his death yet when it happened, I physically gasped. Then his farewell scene came about and goodness gracious, Xiao Zhuang's reaction was absolutely heart-wrenching. It really did not help that right before getting stabbed, the door Dong Yuan went through for Ling Ling was one of the most entertaining and comedic doors.

After that Zao Zao's death? She was already trying her best in the real world, she tried her best in the spirealm. She gave one of the best speeches ever. Yet that chandelier... I never hated chandeliers as much as I do now.

That's the thing about The Spirealm. This show has plenty of heartbreaking scenes but at the same time, it has a bunch of hilarious scenes too. You really can go from laughing one second and then depressed the next. Exactly like when Cheng Yi Xie sacrificed himself for his brother? One second I was laughing at Lan Zhu begging for Ling Ling's forgiveness and suddenly I was pissed but before I could even get real mad, I was hit with a broken heart. This may sound like a complain but the roller coaster of emotions made this drama ten times more interesting than other dramas.

Moving on to the game or doors or levels (however you want to call them). I really, really enjoy shows with this concept but many a times, the stakes just aren't high enough. Not The Spirealm though. I mean, look at Dong Yuan, Zao Zao and Yi Xie. They are part of the main leads and that world did not go easy on them. As much as I hate that they died, I really appreciated the high stakes in this drama. It made watching the show so much more worth it.

Anyhow, despite thoroughly enjoying this drama, I have so many questions. First things first, did I miss the significance of the necklace Lan Zhu gave Ling Ling during the first door?

Also (this is not that important by the way), when the time comes, the players have no choice but through the door. We've watched Ling Ling enter his doors plenty a time. Now tell me how did Wu Qi survive?

I may be someone who loves an ambiguous ending but if the theory that everything was not real is in fact real, I hate it. Yet, everything being a part of Ling Ling's dream or "hallucination" does make sense, as much as I hate it. Remember where Ling Ling walked into upon completing the first door? He entered the door in the middle of the road and exited it into his house? The discrepancies started right from the beginning. Which (if I did not miss anything) might explain the lack of significance behind the necklace. It will also explain why Ling Ling's time between each door is never long yet Wu Qi's not worried about his next door when he witnessed Dong Yuan's death? Or that Chen Fei's advancement is so much slower than Ling Ling. Furthermore, I'm supposed to believe the crew learnt about a mysterious man who helped Xiong Qi reunite with Xiao Ke in the spirealm and they did not investigate more?

I really do hate the everything was not real theory but I also cannot deny it's the most reasonable one. There was another theory I chanced upon on Douyin a while back and have since forgotten most of the information. However, I like that theory a lot even though it was quite farfetched. Long story short, the user theorised that after Lan Zhu walked into the portal and cleaned the program, Ling Ling woke up and regained consciousness after being hit, right? That's not reality but the 12th door and the door god for this last door is Lan Zhu. That was all I remember but the user did provide explanations and timestamps for their theory and upon reading it, it did make sense too. Therefore, if I ever come across that video again, I will link it here.

In the meantime, let's wallow in the conclusion of The Spirealm. It was a quick and short ride but an extremely memorable one.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

More productions from China here: 19th Floor (19层) | Under the Skin (猎罪图鉴)

[biolizardboils]

Hey again.

I was saving this for when I'd wrapped some other stuff up, but it's taking too long. I'm just gonna say it while the words are fresh in my head.

The two-month break I've been on? I think I'm gonna stay on it. As in, stay logged off except on special occasions.

There's still things I want to finish here. I will answer what's left at @ask-the-all-consuming-void and bring it to a proper ending; The Secret Thing it was gonna segue into will go up, even if only as sketches and drafts; And there's another project I'm still helping with behind the scenes. But aside from those… I want to maintain my internet presence a lot less.

I've learned a lot about myself since I left: most importantly the hyper-empathy, compassion fatigue thing, and that being terminally online probably does more harm than help. There's trying to be a good, vigilant person, and then there's overwhelming oneself about things they can't control, with info that isn't always accurate. I've been doing the latter in different ways for years; late April/early May was a big wake-up call. Lesson learned: I've got to find balance, and I won't find it here.

The second-most important thing I learned is that… the reason I "joined" the internet in the first place? It's pretty much been fulfilled. Has been for a few years now, actually.

I made this tumblr in 2015, but I got my real start on deviantART and WordPress in 2011. Don't expect links; what people post in their preteens can stay between them and God lol. But I'll tell you what got me to make accounts: my confusion as a new Sonic fan. The way people talked about them, the way they talked to each other… it hurt to see.

I got it in my preteen head to set a better example. To not let my love for something become disdain for others of its kind. To explain instead of assume. And to assure anyone who'd listen that it's not shameful to like Sonic, that those who do deserve better, and that they could still have it better someday.

And now, 13 years later… we do. The hurtful stuff I saw back then is nearly gone now. When it does pop up, it's easier to counteract than ever. People realize how silly and petty and wrong it was, and can call it out accordingly. People can live a little truer to themselves, now that that shit isn't everywhere anymore.

I think that, specifically, is all I really wanted. Everything else—the reinvigoration of the characters and their world, the downpour in avenues once closed off by "cringe" and "not enough interest"—have been wonderful byproducts. I've been gassing up Sonic Movie 3 as the final step, but it's really more of a victory lap.

After realizing that, I just… don't feel the need to post so much here anymore. My self-worth and sense of morality shouldn't rely on what I do or don't type. I don't need to document every thought or choice I make and why.

The cause I've performed for since middle school no longer needs my time and energy, if it ever even did. I can just enjoy things in relative silence, and spend myself in other ways. Ways I've taken too long to get around.

Sonic Unleashed is what set me down this path. I watched it go from rejected at launch, to just divisive, to respected and beloved. I still wonder if, had it gotten a fairer chance, the current Sonic renaissance could've happened sooner.

But dwelling on that won't change anything. I'd rather dwell on how, this year, I got to scream Endless Possibility with hundreds of other people, loudly and proudly. No fear of who's watching, no need to self-sabotage. It meant the world to me.

There was a con in my area on June 23rd. I wasn't planning on doing anything that day until I heard about it. There was someone in attendance who helped me put a symbolic bow on this part of my life.

I think he did a wonderful job :)

I have one last thing to say before I go. That'll be its own post, so I can put it in the public Sonic tags.

Again, the stuff I've left hanging here will get finished eventually. But for now, this is goodbye.

Moots, followers: thank you so much. I will quite literally remember you all in therapy.

--BiolizardBoils

[genuflectx]

I've been thinking a lot again about being an artist online since I've been taking a break from things, and about the eternal struggle between wanting art to be seen vs. wanting art to satisfy you without external validation. Mostly because negative thoughts remind me of when I stopped posting on my old SFW account, specifically the DeviantART.

A handful of years ago, not too long after leaving college, I got frustrated with the lack of results I was seeing on my SFW account despite the increased efforts placed towards my art. I felt bitter, and missed the old DA days of having a small but vocal community of artists who interacted with each other. I got so frustrated that I posted a journal asking if anybody would even notice if I just stopped, and when nobody replied (despite the 200+ watchers) I felt so discouraged I hid the large majority of my work and did just that. Stop. Of course, I was still active as Genuflect making NSFW art, but I had been on my SFW pseudonym for I'm guessing about 8-9 years at that point. So that stung.

Sometimes I think about if a similar thing might happen with "Genuflect." Art online is a game of who can post the most frequently, be the most personable, be the most relatable. When you stop, you fade out of the memory of people who have a world of other "content" to consume. It's just how things are. I've forgotten plenty of artists who disappeared off the face of the internet, only to remember them when I see I'm still following them years later. I always wonder what happened to them, if they're alive, if they moved accounts, if they just gave up.

Anyways. "Parasocial" goes both ways, I think, where artists can put too much stake into the opinions/attention of fans who they... don't really know. Does it hurt when familiar names disappear? Or when you take a break and they hop over to somebody else then just never come back? Yeah, but... it's not as if you really knew them, you never had a conversation, never did art exchanges, never roleplayed or hung out or mutually hype each other up. They're just... little numbers that give you a bit of validation for your hard work. Not friends. Isn't that what parasocial means?

But that is easier thought than practiced, it's still going to feel bad when you think nobody really cares if you stop or disappear online. I didn't know those 200 people watching me on my SFW DA in any personal capacity, but it still hurt like a bitch when not a one wanted me to stay. Because really... 8-9 years online and not one liked the art enough to leave a comment saying "wait, no, don't go?" Youch!!

I guess flipping the hurt feelings around into positives is the only way to go, if you want to find more satisfaction in creation without the opinions of strangers. That the opinions of friends/family is ultimately more valuable, that learning new things is fun and worthwhile on its own, that if nobody cares if you disappear then nobody really cares if your art ends up being "shit," either, so go wild. It removes a lot of pressure to try and think that way instead, while still acknowledging the hurt feelings are natural, especially in the modern online landscape.

One of the most treasured accounts I have is my VRC account, full of silly pictures with friends and little WIPs of 3D art and avatars. Know how many followers it has? 8. And it's the one that makes me smile the most. Being a nobody, or being forgettable, isn't so bad.

[panda-puma]

(I am sorry in advance, because you unlocked a ramble I've had in me since I saw Zoro and realised that Oda looked at the Cool Manga Dude Archetype and said "no" and made our Mossball capable of wide, wide smiles (which are apparently lost post-timeskip but that I ignore, I am not looking, I am still pre-timeskip, I am soaking every smile and grin) 300+ chapters in and I still am riding the high of love at first sight, when it comes to OP. one day I might find flaws but for now it is perfection incarnate 😂😂😂)

aw, it's sad hearing how the anime kills characterizations. especially with core characters. Nami disgusted by Sanji!? c'mon, why would you do that, anime-writers 😭

to taint any relationship in OP, where the relationships are what makes it such a good read 😭

it's true that when Sanji gets more spicy, what makes his reaction tolerable is how the girls just shrug it off. they care not! they feel safe around him! Nami pranced around him in bikini, and our boy was more interested at first in flowers 😭

thank you so much for movie recommendations! ❤❤❤

I absolutely adore the story and the characters! and the writing! I've cried like a baby while reading OP more times than I've had while consuming any other media. it just hits you in the heart with sniper accuracy ❤😭 and then makes you cackle like a witch. rinse and repeat. i love it.

(reactions still dictated by the story up to the very start of Impel Down) I'm still trying to fully put my finger on what exactly makes me love OP that much but I think that what gets is how much trust there is between the characters. how easy they love each other. (Zoro and Luffy? dear god, they are so good. 100% trust.) and how silly they can get. It's rare that I love absolutely everybody, yet here I am: I'm collecting my silly little boys and girls like pokemon. I will catch em all. gimme more.

I cannot get enough how emotive the characters are. when they smile it lits up the sky. when they cry I cry with them. when they goof off I watch them fondly but when shit hits the fan, I read with baited breath how my silly little goobers get serious. there is a whole rainbow of emotions and I adore it.

(Sorry for taking so long to answer! this month went by extremely fast ;v;UUu if i take too long to reply you can talk to me privately too, i don't mind!)

Don't apologize for passionately loving things! It's the best way of living! ❤

Oda writes characters so well, that even in their comical exaggeration, still feel like real people to me. Everything is for a reason, even the dumbness (that i absolutely love xD it's just amazing to me that even that has its reasons and wraps so well with everything)

And yes, sadly the Anime really kills characterization... Nami and Sanji's relationship is completely changed. They are not really friends in the Anime. Nami is not kind, ever, and Sanji is just interested in her as a sexy object. They are not friendly with each other... when in the Manga is obvious that they are friendly and chill most of the time.

Sanji adores her, yes, but in the Manga he is not just there to be her slave and please her. He has dreams and a beautiful relationship with Luffy too, something that the Anime decides to completely erase from existence...

The Anime transforms all the characters into one note (the one that they decide is funny for children or to sell merch): Nami is the girl who only screams and hits the others, Sanji is just the pervert idiot who fights all the time, Luffy is just an ugly goofball with nothing between his ears, Zoro is serious guy who is the comical relief and screams all the time, Chopper is a baby, Robin is a mysterious woman (who gets jealous of Chopper paying attention to other women)... etc etc etc

They are so reduced to this roles, that when something they can not edit out of the original story (because it's an pivot point in the story) happens, it even looks out of character!

Of course a lot of this is also amped up by the amount of continuous filler the Anime has, where they just butcher the characters even more...

It's a lot of work and as you see I am a slow writer xDu but I really want to get deeper into writing about how the differences matter a lot.

I hope you've continued with your reading and have even more to share! OvO please feel free to talk to me again

Again: very sorry for taking so long to answer ;v;U my audhd threw me off everything very hard this past month

And finally I don't really agree with what people say about Zoro losing his smile post time-skip... at least in the Manga! The Anime can look like he doesn't smile so much anymore, i guess...

I feel like Zoro's default expression is calmer after the time-skip ^^ you can see how he is not frowning all the time like before, and he still has his cool smiles!

Beware a bit of Spoiler ahead!

Have some non-very-spoilerish images of him smiling post-time skip, just in the first arc post time-skip:

[saezurumurmurs]

Hey!!...how are you??. I just wanted to ask you about what do you think about Alice Osman words about bl/yaoi. From my point of view, she sounds quite pretencious, because I dont feel "heartstoppers" is that great , and she just from be british she has the opprtunity a big plattaform as netflix oppen their doors, so she cant imagine what is been an asian author and how actually his work is BL.

Taking Advantage of A Fandom

I watched the show, and haven’t read the comic. However @absolutebl posted a terrific commentary on this issue a while back:

From my perspective, BL and by extension, yaoi, is a uniquely Asian sub genre of erotic romance.

Alice Osman is a British creator who wrote a young adult LGBT+ romance comic. So the comparisons made seem ‘convenient’ for ‘marketing purposes’.

I personally resent the accusations lobbed against fujoshi of fetishisation, because it’s rooted in anti-woman rhetoric and I won’t have my tastes dictated to me. Everybody has opinions, but not all of them are valid.

BL is full of problematic tropes, just like regular M/F romance… and I’ve been reading romance and erotica for forty odd years. But these tropes are part of romance as a genre, and these tropes reflect our lived context. To single out BL/Yaoi as unique is nonsense. The tropes exist because the reality exists. Storytelling exists to allow us to find empathy for one another.

There are some good academic pieces out there, that debate this far better than I can. What I can tell you is that the internalised and externalised misogyny regarding BL content, is quite painful to me. Somebody always gotta rush on to tell women what they can and cannot enjoy. Dictate their sexuality and shame them for their pleasures.

We literally can’t have a damn thing nice, without some bozo trying to make us feel bad because we like it. Chile, I’m too old for that shit. We are allowed to like what we like, and enjoy problematic media just like anyone else. We are people too!

And lest you think otherwise: homophobia and transphobia’s roots are in anti-woman thinking and policies. That women do it to other women… well, it’s nice to be somebody’s favourite pet isn’t it. You get a padded cage, and the best kibble.

Osman benefits from the BL label, even though her story isn’t in my opinion BL. But criticising and alienating potential readers within the BL fandom seems to be a bit of a sport across ‘BL’ as it’s being broadly defined here. Because throwing shade on fans happens too much… by too many creators both Asian and Western.

Which is interesting, because the global market consuming this content is HUGE. You don’t understand the numbers of people reading Painter of The Night. I believe last year, it was more than all the people who bought romance novels in the West COMBINED. So if you think the Western authors don’t know the market for their stories are pale compared to what BL is doing on a global level, I should encourage you all to get interested in the business of BL. There is a lot of money and soft power in it.

But because it’s a FEMALE audience interested in SMUTTY stories, well… it’s a PROBLEM. Even in the countries of origin.

I get that we should analyze the problematic tropes in BL/Yaoi, but that’s what storytelling is for. I’m not for false equivalencies, because I personally disdain most Western content… and where do you see these types of stories in profusion from Western creators? No place. That’s where.

Maybe Osman has feelings because her story is no Painter of The Night. Maybe somebody asked her one too many times about our smutty stories… and what we got was shade and salt.

I did watch Heartbreaker on Netflix, and it was cute but I don’t feel compelled to rewatch it, the way I do say KinnPorsche or Love In The Air. I haven’t been moved to hunt down the comic to find out what happens next, the way I did when I watched that last scene of Twittering Birds Never Fly: The Clouds Gather.

Chile… Osman could NEVA.

[vampirenaomi]

Fic author interview! Tagged by @lynne-monstr

Tagging @pengychan @geminiartemis @dandunn @bookshop-cryptid @flo-nelja and honestly whoever sees this and wants to do it. I just tagged the first few people who came to mind when I tried to remember who writes fic.

1 How many works do you have on AO3?

96, but there's a lot on Fanfiction.Net that I haven't double posted, so the number could be a lot bigger.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,513,727, which is honestly more than I expected.

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Universal Measure (Lupin polygang)

Fates Entwined (Lupin/Zenigata)

Adjusting Our Course (Lupin/Zenigata)

Nobody Fulfils a Fantasy Like Prussia (Prussia/Romano)

Mortal Sin (Prussia/Romano)

Here you can see the power of writing popular ships because while Lupin fandom is so much smaller than Hetalia, Prussia/Romano was always kind of a niche ship. I think Adjusting Our Course probably got a boost from being a Yuletide exchange fic. I was going to say I'm glad Mortal Sin made it since it's one of my favourites, but it turns out I got it mixed with another porn comedy about this ship. I wrote too many of those, I guess.

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try, even if I don't always have more to say than thanks. But sometimes I forget and then feel awkward replying months later.

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I almost never write stories where there's an unexpected angsty ending. If the ending is angsty, the whole story is. So maybe I Count the Hours Without You in which Prussia jerks off while thinking about Romano, who's dead.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

There are a lot of happy endings in my stories because my favourite kind of fic is one where there's lots of angst and suffering first, and then a happy ending. I don't know if I can pick one that somehow stands out.

7. Do you write crossovers?

Not usually, but there's Hsi Wu Visits the Land of the Dead, which is a Jackie Chan Adventures/Grim Fandango crossover written because I was madly in love with both canons back then. This is over 20 years old (holy shit...) so I honestly don't remember what even happens in it. Reading it would be like reading a stranger's fic.

I'm not much of a crossover fan, but if I had to write one today, it'd be with Jackie Chan Adventures and Kim Possible because I'd love to explore the idea of Jackie and Monkey Fist knowing each other as archeological colleagues.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I don't think so.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Sometimes, but it's not really something I set out to do. I like using smut as a plot device, like having sex as a way for the characters to express what is going on with them. But I also like funny sex where lots of things go wrong and the characters talk shit to each other the whole way through.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah, a few have been translated. One of my longest friendships actually started when @geminiartemis wanted to translate a long fic of mine into Portuguese.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, @geminiartemis and I wrote some fics together here and I also wrote a fic with Snakelady Frohike1 here. I don't normally like to write with other people because I'm too much of a control freak, but these stories were mostly just fooling around with friends.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

It keeps changing. I can really, truly love only a few things at a time and when I move on, my feelings about previous ships fade, though never fully disappear. But I think nothing has inspired me as much as Prumano did.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

The Right Turn of the Road which is a massive Kaiketsu Zorro AU. I got 2/3 of it done, but then I got into Hetalia and it consumed my fannish life for years.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm pretty good at dialogue and banter. Also set-up. The start is usually the best part in anything I write, especially multi-chapter fics.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

I overwrite, especially when it comes to characters' feelings. My editing process is usually deleting multiple paragraphs where I say the same thing over and over, and my fics still feel a little bloated sometimes. Also endings because I can rarely wrap up all the loose ends.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

A few phrases here and there, sure, but if it gets to a point where I have to open a translator in another tab to understand what's going on in the story, I'm out. Uncharitable, perhaps, but I usually end up feeling like the author wants to show off that they know the language.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Pokémon. This was before we had good Internet at home, so I wrote stories for myself and saved them on floppy disks.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

I have an outline for a Pycal/Kyosuke Mamo fic that I think would be really cool, funny, and emotional, but who knows if I ever get it off the ground.

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I've been at this for so long that you can't make me choose.

[taeiris]

hey! idk how to really ask this... i was a big fan of st, my fav character was will since 2016 but, with everything that happened with noah and other cast members, every time i see his character or I think about the show, i feel bad and I don't enjoy the content how i used to before, and i don't know if im the only one feeling this way? its like, if i try to enjoy the show, im also kind of ignoring the whole problem, and i know its just media and by consuming it (like just being here on Tumblr) im not actually doing something bad, but that's how i feel. idk i just needed to tell someone, i have been out of the fandom since everything happened, but i really miss the joy this show and characters gave me :( maybe you or someone you know feels the same way? i just think i will watch the show from another platform and during the season i might not think about it and just enjoy the show itself, but who knows....

sorry for just venting, i just don't know if what I'm feeling is normal, feel free to ignore me if u don't wanna answer <3 hope u are having a great day, i hope i make sense lol

hi!!! well i personally dont feel that way, i dont agree with what noah has done, i have my own opinions abt him too, and i know a lot of people who feel the way you do

but for me, im a big film, music and art enjoyer and i separate the art from the artist. its easier for some people, but for me, i simply can’t completely ignore the art created by artists with passion just bc a few cast members are dumb as fuck… if it was that way with EVERYTHING trust we wont ever be able to enjoy shit

i fell in love with the show, the story, the characters and their dynamics, that wont go away bc some actors wont stfu and do research on things

also at the end of the day, they’re celebrities, if they dont gaf… then they dont gaf. and we cant make them care as much as we want to, everyone just has to redirect their energy to people who are actively worsening the situation like politicians or other ppl in bigger power

you cant make people who dont care, care

you have to form your own opinions based on your own reasoning, separated from the wave of the people on the internet who are fighting a moral war with eachother to inflate their ego, instead of directly helping the people affected

hope that helps even if its a little bit🙏

[dootznbootz]

hello, sorry it's me again, you've basically become my comfort blog-

I was on reddit and out of curiosity typed in "Circe rant" because idk, I was feeling salty about the book.

I saw a post that had some legitimately good reasons and indicated that this is all just the person's opinion.

But when I checked the replies everyone was just disagreeing with them and being very rude?

Like, they complained about how the book doesn't feel feministic because Circe isn't that likable of a character? And then half the replies were "Uhh she's supposed to be morally gray" "I disagree, Madeline told her story very well." "What gave you the impression this book was supposed to be feministic??"

(Disregarding half the reviews on the cover are calling it a "great feministic piece")

I was kinda pissed so I went to post my own thought about why I really dislike Miller's take on Circe. And 80 present of the replies were just flaming me-

Some guy said people can interpret her anyway they want because she's not real. Someone said I should be more humble and that I just don't like Circe as a character (which is not true). And so on.

Something I've seen is that the Circe book fans are so sensitive good god- Whenever someone criticizes their book they go full defensive mode. Trying to reason with you when most of the time you're the one who actually knows more about the actual character-

They act like all of our concerns on the book actually have a reason and make sense? Honestly, props to us for being bold enough to voice our concerns on a book that basically has a cult following-

Again, really sorry for coming here to bother you. I'm just salty and I genuinely really like your takes

That's really sweet that you feel safe and comfy on my blog. That's what I'm trying to be. Thank you 🥹

You're not bothering me <3 I can understand being salty about the book. It makes me salty too. It's why it's honestly good to block the tags and avoid most of that stuff. Make friends and find the community that actually understand what actually went down in the Odyssey and what happened to Odysseus. There are plenty on here! :D Also quite a few who have really neat and fun stuff about Odyssey Circe while still being respectful of Odysseus!

I don't recommend trying to fight with these folks. It's frustrating but they're not gonna change their mind. As they don't want to. Inform and educate sometimes especially if people ask but don't waste so much energy on it. It's not good for you. It's okay to vent and rant but I don't recommend searching it out. <3 You'll just stress yourself out :D

I think the book is almost like, the most "basic angry feminist shlock in a bland and easy to consume can for pre-teens" book, you know? And that's why so many people cling to it. I can see SOME people taking comfort in the anger maybe?? But idk. Anyways it has so many classic "YA shit". Girlboss who has "no flaws and can do no wrong" who actually isn't a very nice person (what's with so many characters being so mean and moody???), the mean, MEAN men who are just soooo awful to her and try to push her down. The other women who are just slutty and so dumb. They don't get it. etc. etc.

I think it's a lot of younger fans who are JUST starting to see a lot of "adult shit" and it's scary so it's nice to have...idk this?? I don't understand it. As I was never really one to be into that or really even behave that way. Odysseus is much relatable and hopeful as insane as that is.

[lunar-years]

is there any flavor of TS criticism that DOESNT piss you off? like her neglecting to speak out against palestine, her private jet use, etc? no hate btw, I just feel like your prev post was really well thought out and made sense, so I just was wondering your opinion on criticism against her in general.

hi! Yeah, there is plenty of Taylor criticism that doesn't piss me off! stuff like the jet use, not speaking up about Palestine, not being more politically outspoken in general (especially taken in contrast to the activism she professed in Miss Americana, lol), the questionable people she's associated with (on a deeper level than taking a picture with them or being surface-level cordial, I'm talking like...dating the disgusting likes of ratty heely and some such, here).

For me, that type of criticism is based on where people draw their own personal moral boundaries and what they expect out of the celebrities they enjoy or the art they consume. If someone's hard line is Taylor not speaking out on xyz issue or her taking unnecessary flights and causing harm to the environment, I can completely understand and respect that! It's an individual choice and it’s fair game to have differing opinions on where that line is.

For me personally, I guess I just don't expect my favorite singers to also be my favorite activists, and I don't look to celebrities to be my political mouthpiece or tell me how to vote or what have you. We have politicians and actual activists for that. Quite frankly, I think a lot of people with platforms ought to step back from the incessant urge and demand to comment on everything happening everywhere, because it leads to a lot of people offering up a lot of thoughts and opinions (and rampant misinformation) about issues they really haven't got the first clue about or may not fully understand.

Do I think Taylor could (and should) do better in some areas? Absolutely! I think it would be great if she spoke up more, but I also want her to be informed before she does. At the same time, I like to think I mostly recognize she's a human being and human beings are hypocritical and imperfect on occasion. She is going to make mistakes. In the end, I can still feel that she is a good person, and that is okay. But if someone else's hardline is different than mine, that's also okay!

I am also under absolutely zero illusions that Taylor, in addition to doing a lot of good, is also an extraordinarily rich white woman with a lot of privilege, who is going to at times behave in a very out-of-touch, rich white person with a lot of privilege type of way. I don't expect her to represent me. Hell, she is paying more right now to stay two nights in a Sydney hotel room than I make in an entire year. I'm here because I think she writes cool songs lmao. Idk.

Lastly, obviously I am a fan who is biased in that sense. I'm not going to pretend I don't find criticism of any kind much more palatable when it comes from fans, to fans. If it's swifties talking on tumblr i am always up for dissenting opinions and discussion about pretty much any issue (as a goofy example, in terms of the "taylor swift writes immature music" comment, I couldn't give a single shit if a fan comes on here and posts about how they think ME! is an immature stupid song. It's a lot different when it's fans voicing opinions they recognize as just that, an opinion.)

When you get outside the fan community, it gets dicey, because people lob valid Taylor criticism around losey-goosey to mask the fact that they actually hated her to begin with and are grasping at the first thing in sight to get other people to hate her, too. It's very...transparent at times. Like, the people who incessantly complain about her jet usage whilst not talking about other celebrities who do the exact same shit, let alone the massive corporations systematically killing our planet, or who blatantly ignore things like the fact Taylor has actually cut down her jet usage substantially in the last year. They just pretend to care when it can knock the celebrity they already hate down a peg amongst twitter users, lmao.

Criticism is fine. I don't worship her! I just think, there's valid criticism and there isn't, you know?

[silviakundera]

Empresses in the Palace ep 20 - 21

I've consumed too many chinese dramas and novels not to expect that a triumphant general celebrated throughout the nation is gonna eventually end up headless. Emperors who rose to power by quelling a rebellion are not a big fan of competition.

But for now, Hua Fei is at the height of her power. She's not even needing to scheme & throw petulant tantrums much, which is unfortunately reducing her hottness quotient for me.

And with all of the toxicity.... Real sibling love, who truly seem to like and support each other? That's so nice for them fr. Amid all the dirt & layers of masks in the palace, it's a bit refreshing that Hua Fei and General Nian have each other's backs. Her family has been funding her to be glamorous in the palace and (from what we can tell) aren't hounding her & guilting her & implying she's worthless for not having a baby yet. Almost wholesome compared to the typical noble family members I see in dramas.

Ling Rong and Zhen Huan in their besties era. I don't ship them, but ok girls have a good time. 👌

Baby concubine in waiting Chun has such a strange life. Just hanging out in the palace, playing with the servants, but she's 16 now. danger 🚨danger 🚨

Such a brilliant move to juxtapose a domestic, charming scene of the emperor and Zhen Huan play-acting as a typical married couple with darling Chun'er bursting into the room for added cheer. And then cutting to still childish Chun being carried to the emperor's bed. Masterful followup to that sweet family-like scene that reveals the rot beneath. As childishly innocent and cossetted as she is... She is doomed to be just more meat for the machine.

Ep 22

Death flags right & left for my darling Hua Fei.

Prince Guo: "Unobtrusiveness and self-restraint is the way to survive in His Majesty's court."

If General Nian is as fantastic in battle as he is in digging his own grave, no wonder the whole nation has been kissing his ass.

It's opera night in the harem and none of these bitches knows how watch a drama. Timed comments ON but can't hold a candle to Viki posters. Girls, this is your first opportunity in 2 years to enjoy something that's not getting banged by a fugly monarch, poetry duels, or flower & tea appreciation. Maybe stop grandstanding and enjoy it?

Ep 23

PLAGUE !!!

I've watched The Tudors. I'm ready for shit to go down.

Oh look, my beloved Hua Fei is already scheming to infect her enemies. Honestly shocked that new baby momma what's her face hasn't been given toxic incense yet.

Ling Rong irriates the fuck out of me these days. 2 things that I can't stand: [1] UGH ambitious people in the workplace who don't put themselves out there and do the work to advance, but then are bitter & resentful when their proactive peers succeed (LR is so entitled, she wants to sit back and be rewarded; resents not having everything ZH has when her friend is grinding full-time to protect herself and their lil faction) [2] misrepresents friends' actions, interpreting everything in the light that they are using or mocking her, when the friend is just going about their day to day and isn't intending anything malicious.

Zhen Huan conveniently capturing & presenting key witness Liu Ben wasn't satisfying. I understand that, ok, maybe her runners could catch him now because there are limited places to avoid the plague. But it doesn't feel right. The first time in the drama that things felt too easy to escape a huge dilemma. Mei Zihuang has the plague! She's secluded and no doctors will see her! 😱 .... oh, ZH now a dozen episodes later happens to have found some flimsy evidence to release her. (seriously, she just brings in a villian to say stuff. he could be bribed? lying to protect a loved one? any number of things?) (this goes back to the whole theory, 'emperor never REALLY thought Mei'er was faking, he just didn't care and it was easier to go with it)

And then Hua Fei gets out of HER predicament also with hilarious convenience. Oh, it just so happens that her stooges found a plague cure? Right now? 🤔