#non conventional romcoms

[aromanticannibal]

mha characters that are aro for CANON reasons (read: in which I reach increasingly further for canon evidence):

(Disclaimer: some of these can be evidence of characters being something else than aro (or ace) but this is my post and I can do whatever I want + /hj to /j to everything on there, when I say I start reaching I start REACHING. These are headcanons!)

Aizawa Shouta doesn't ever show romantic (or sexual) interest in anyone and is actively put off by Ms Joke hitting on him and the idea of getting married to her

All Might has NO experience with women according to Horikoshi (could also mean he has experience with men but y'know)

Ashido Mina really wants to be in a relationship but never fell in love (cupioromantic moment)

Both Bakugou Katsuki and Todoroki Shouto hide from girls crushing on them near the end, don't ever show romantic interest in anyone or get anxious or flustered near girls, Katsuki especially apparently never cared about girls (and vice versa) before and and Shouto specifically doesn't notice when he's hit on.

Iida Tenya is never interested in girls or men and is significantly more focused on both his studies and his friendships

My favorite headcanon: Uraraka Ochako's love for Izuku seems founded more on her admiration and people telling her she must like him (because boy and girl etc) than in actual romantic love, and she connects a lot with Toga (who also loves people in a non-conventional way)

Midnight doesn't have a romantic partner or anyone she regularly flirts with despite being a very beautiful and desired woman, and doesn't seem to have had any kind of romantic relationship with the three boys more or less her age she hung out with a lot (the rooftop trio) (she can also be seen as a cliché of aroallo person who only cares about sex so I'm claiming her).

Pixie Bob's obsession with finding a partner is giving "I've been told all my life that I HAVE to get married and I don't want to so I keep looking for the perfect match and not finding it because the man I'm looking for doesn't exist because I won't ever fall in love". Because by god you can't tell me the cute blonde catgirl isn't finding a boyfriend.

All For One only cares about his brother, I'd even argue he's aromantic asexual aplatonic etc. a-everything except familial and idk. quirkic. attracted to quirks.

Mount Lady is aro for the same reason as Midnight but because I think it's implied or canon that she's dating Kamui Woods, she's lower.

Midoriya Izuku is green so he's obviously aromantic and most of his flustered reactions to girls seem based more on shyness (and an obvious reaction to getting boobs shoved in his face) and sexual or aesthetic attraction than romantic attraction (he also has a very romcom view of what being boyfriend girlfriend is, ie. his reaction to Toga's confession)

Aoyama Yuuga's definition of love (according to his comment on Ochako being in love with Izuku because she was thinking "what would Deku-kun do?") is very weird and seems based more in things he was told or saw in fiction than feelings he would have felt himself.

Yoarashi Inasa is just so fucking weird with friendships and social cues he looks like he's trying to navigate the world while making absolutely sure NO ONE misinterprets him, which makes him both very aro and very autistic in my book

Kurogiri is literally a bunch of mist with little free will whose purpose in life is protecting this one boy, he's all the As.

Endeavor married for insane reasons and never even cheated on Rei after he sent her to the hospital (which a lot of men his caliber would do)

Ms Joke makes the idea of dating Shouta a joke and I think that's great. She's also green.

Miruko's chill and doesn't give a fuck, she's a fighting person, very Katsuki-coded in that regard I fear. She also works alone without an agency, which is giving aromantic for no reason other than I Said So.

Toga Himiko is a queer allegory that is generally interpreted as bisexual and biromantic but I think she can be interpreted as aroallo as well (way to love that’s seen as impure and unholy etc etc, notions of consent – taking people’s blood and hurting them without their consent which is for her a way to show her love, most of her attraction seeming physical or aesthetic rather than romantic, her parents telling her to repress repress repress instead of satisfying her desires in a safe way, the scene where she’s biting her wrist in her sleep???? etc etc) 

Twice never had a lot of friends and never had a lot of female friends and when he feels gratefulness and care for Toga it outwardly seems romantic because he doesn’t know what’s romantic and what’s not and hasn’t had a lot of female friends 

Dabi is giving aromantic aplatonic who only really loves his family but due to circumstances can’t love them healthily and ends up just hating them (the most intense feelings of love he shows are always towards Enji or Natsuo, and his apology to Shouto makes me think Shouto is also included in this – no evidence for Fuyumi and Rei but I can do what I want. He clearly cares for Twice and Toga too but it presents very differently, even after he’s revealed himself and doesn’t need to be as secretive). 

Shigaraki Tomura probably just doesn’t give a shit I’d say. He’s pretty apathetic when he isn’t fighting or angry or like doing his hatred thing, but he clearly cares about his teammates. 

Fatgum is foodpilled and studentpilled. He really loves food and he really loves his students he doesn't need no romantic relationship.

Jirou Kyoka takes a bit to warm up to Denki so I think she's demiromantic actually

Bruce (the third user of One For All). He just has such third wheel vibes.

Intelli Saiko because why would she bother with romance, it's so unpractical and illogical

Despite asking for boys' numbers all the time and being very aware of romance, Utsushimi Camie looks like she could NOT CARE LESS. aro

The fact that Hawks plays up the flirting with his fans is giving aromantic to me – obviously heartbreaker aroallo stereotype but I think he could also be ace, the aroallo part isn’t that important, it’s just that he’s always pretending. It’s giving still in the closet. Also I know he’s young and busy and Horikoshi doesn’t really put that much casual romance in MHA but it’s so funny that there isn’t even a sliver of a girlfriend implied in his timeskip. Hawks is Married To His Job. 

Star and Stripe is also absolutely married to her job. Also, lots of guys around her, lots of important and admired male figures in her life, and yet not a single crush from her. Points. Aromantic lesbian 

Nezu is a fuckass mouse I highly doubt he's attracted to humans in any way

Gran Torino is a single old man which is enough for me (though because I hate that fucker I think it'd be funny if women just hated him)

Where Is Shimura Nana’s Husband. 

Muscular only likes to kill, he doesn’t need romance nor sex, his only desire is Killing People and fighting. Same thing for Moonfish, he only wants to eat people (mood my guy) 

Geten is very hyper focused on making his quirk stronger, he doesn’t seem to really have any relationships.

Overhaul just fucking hates people

Again, Kendo Rappa only cares about fighting.

So so sad because I like his girlfriend but Natsuo is giving marrying to get away from his father

Koda Koji just had the vibes. He's so aroace to me. (aro Koda brain vs kodajirou brain fight)

Monoma Neito is such a fucking hater he just has to be aromantic

Wash is a washing machine

Honorable mentions:

List of characters whose only argument is they never show romantic attraction and don't talk much about romance or get flustered: Shouji Mezo, Sato Rikido, Tokoyami Fumikage, Shinsou Hitoshi, Yaoyorozu Momo, Sero Hanta, Hado Nejire, Togata Mirio, Shirakumo Oboro, Present Mic, Seiji Shishikura, Ryukyu, Gang Orca, Shishido, Centipeder, Ectoplasm, Hound Dog, Thirteen, Vlad King, Mandalay, Tiger, Lady Nagant, Mr. Compress, Tsukauchi Naomasa, Todoroki Rei and Fuyumi, Melissa Shield.

List of characters whose only argument is "they're green so they're obviously aromantic": Asui Tsuyu, Ibara Shiozaki, Tokage Setsuna, Kamakiri Togaru, Midoriya Inko, Ragdoll, Burnin, the Sludge Villain (I’m taking all I can get), Mustard, Ordinary Woman.

Bonus: characters that I can't make aromantic no matter how hard I try under the cut:

Gentle and La Brava, for obvious reasons. I feel like making them not love each other is like illegal.

Kudo and Yoichi. By god my brain will not accept it they're in love.

Amajiki Tamaki. I'm sure he could be aromantic but I can't let go of the Mirio and Nejire crushes (which are so real and true to me)

Yuyu (Nejire's friend), she also looks way too much like she has a giant crush on Nejire. Lesbian moment.

Best Jeanist and Edgeshot, they're giving high school sweethearts.

I put them in honorable mentions but I just have to mention Gang Orca and Shishido somewhere because the one baseball OVA made me think they're like the pseudo-enemies/rivals who argue all the time but somehow fight extremely synchronized when needed and ONLY fight each other because they're the only ones Worth It etc which is. Y'know. eye emoji etc etc

Sir Nighteye is literally in love with All Might

David Shield is literally in love with All Might

No really did you see David's wife? This man went and found a blonde blue eyed wife when he couldn't marry his blonde blue eyed best friend. His daughter looks like an All Might secret love child. I know whenever Dave hears Melissa call All Might uncle he dies a little inside because he wishes she could call him Dad too and he could call Toshinori his darling husband and

Rock Lock is happily married and I could never take that away from him

Spinner is green so I can kind of see him as aro but he’s giving madly in love with Shigaraki so much

Magne has a crush on Dabi in one of the Smash strips which is too funny to ignore I think she’s madly in love with him. And she’s right

I like kirimina so fucking much I genuinely struggle to come up with aro Kirishima headcanons. I think he could be quoiromantic but I also think he’s madly in love with Mina so I don’t know. 

Stain is literally in love with All Might

Ending (guy who attacked Natsuo) is literally in love with Endeavor

Garaki Kyudai is literally in love with All For One (“I miss your eyes” guy is so fucking devoted. The true doomed yaoi of MHA)

I know Rody is in love with Izuku he just has to be. 

To me Shindo Yo also has a crush on Izuku but also he's canonically dating Nakagame Tatami which is also cute.

[vasito-de-leche]

Hello..... may I ask for more Horropedia romantic headcanons about his love languages in recieving and giving? 👉👈 I really like your Pavia headcanons about it. If it's too much, then may I ask for just Horropedia's love language in receiving? This man has been haunting me in my mind for a long time and I starve for more stuff about him. Thank you very much! 💖💖

;R1999 HORROPEDIA - Love Languages (receiving)

Headcanons and analysis on Horropedia's love languages and the way he likes to receive attention.

I miss doing love language stuff, so ty for the request! it's only receiving stuff for this post since it might've gotten too long if I did both, but feel free to drop by again!

This one is a little tricky for me! I know I have a lot to say about the way Horropedia shows affection, but when it comes to the way he likes to receive affection, I don't think I have a super solid grasp?

When it comes to love as a general feeling, I know that Horropedia isn't used to it. It's not due to a lack of receiving it, that's for sure. Horropedia knows how love is supposed to feel thanks to the loving grandfather that raised him - but genuine affection, whether platonic or romantic, and acts of kindness are extremely hard to come by in an environment as sterile and harsh as the Foundation. At worst, they come with an invisible compromise.

This, mixed with the fact that people tend to avoid him, has certainly led Horropedia not to expect anything when it comes to love as a concept. "It's not his genre", he says.

In the context of giving, it's easy for him to adapt to it because he just has to figure out the rules - the things he's comfortable with doing that feel good for you, the deal breakers, the clichés and so on and so forth, but when it comes to receiving? Horropedia is a little lost, almost like he's used to experiencing things as an outsider and a observer, rather than an active participant. It's especially difficult if the things that he wants are considered non-conventional, outside of the traditional scope of romance. Or if his partner misunderstands his eagerness to learn and the ways he engages with these new feelings as disinterest or aloofness.

Like I said in that previous post about Horropedia's relationship headcanons, it's easy to misinterpret him and his actions if they're only read at a surface level, and through the lenses of conventional displays of love. Him putting the effort into understanding the rules of romance, to figure out everything there is to know about love and the nuance of this relationship he's in... That's exactly how he shows his affections.

But once again, what happens when it comes to Horropedia receiving love and affection? He likes when you're with him, but is that enough? Is there something deeper? Something he's missing?

I think it would be very cute if he tried to figure out which love languages he likes to receive, only to find out the answers were pretty obvious the whole time, much like the formula for every romcom out there.

Receiving: Quality Time, Words of Affirmation

[Quality Time]

Out of everyone I've written about so far in this blog, Horropedia would love quality time in it's purest form the most - getting to spend time with you all alone, focusing only on each other to catch up and bond sounds heavenly to him. The activity is the least of his concerns, he'd rather much focus on the fact that someone is going out of their way to make time for him, that they genuinely want him around and care about what he has to say.

Okay, bear with me for a moment. I like to think Horropedia is particular about his space and belongings, I definitely mentioned this a few times already throughout my posts, partially because of how cautious he had to be to keep the Foundation from taking away everything that made him feel safe and happy while growing up. And also because he's just wired like that, no other deep reasoning behind it. But once he grows comfortable, this sort of "stingy" and perhaps avoidant behaviour disappears almost entirely, because that's when he becomes eager to share his life in its entirety with those he cherishes.

The process of indulging in quality time with Horropedia, whether he's the one initiating or receiving, is actually just a very slow process of being welcomed into his life.

It starts very systematic and organized, I'd say - he would prefer to set up certain dates and times to hang out. For example, Sundays are special because they're the day you come around to hang out with him, so he can't have any other plans on Sundays and he'll certainly spend part of the week just anticipating this special day. But as he grows more comfortable, he would insist that you simply show up to his work station or room whenever you feel like it. That counts as quality time, right? You two are spending time together. Easy.

And this goes on and on, to the point where you're glued by the hip and that initial barrier is gone entirely - similar to Pavia, Horropedia would insist that you have permission to just wak into the places he considers a "safe space" from the world that keeps giving him weird looks or continues to chastise him for not adhering to the model of a Foundation member. He loves whenever you invite yourself to his movie marathons, when you just tag along to keep him company, or when you invite him to fun getaways, etc etc.

I know I said that Horropedia would enjoy quality time in the purest of its forms at the beginning of this entire section, but now I'm talking about how Horropedia considers quality time to every single second he spends with you. I have nothing to defend myself, so I'll just attribute that to his themes of redirection <3

[Words of Affirmation]

Horropedia likes when people are clear about their intentions and feelings the same way he is. Words of affirmation, to him, is intrinsically linked with understanding and transparent communication. Those are the things Horropedia seeks.

I think that questions are the easiest way to show this sort of love language to him. Yes, Horropedia would prefer to hear why you dislike a movie that he likes rather than hear you mindlessly praise it just to avoid upsetting him, he would rather be told that he's done a good job in his research, and all - but directly asking him for his thoughts and opinions, asking him to clarify or explain something in more detail... It makes Horropedia feel seen, finally heard, he's given the chance to unleash all of his intellect while knowing that someone is truly paying attention to him. You went out of our way to ask him, when you could've asked anyone else.

Not to say that compliments, declarations of love and sweet nothings are useless or unwanted! I do think that Horropedia is the type of guy who would love to be hyped up by his friends and loved ones, to have others tell him he's done a good job even if he already knows that, to have his partner tell him that they love him, even if he focuses more on actions rather than words. But it has to come hand in hand with that direct honesty, lest it come across as insincere or some back-handed comment.

I'm gonna go on another tangent here!

We've all talked about neurodivergency and Horropedia at some point or another, the idea of Horropedia masking is not strange or new at all. Him being aware of these invisible rules of conduct that others expect him to live up to exist out there, while also being unable to follow them or notice them right away at times - it's just the contradictory lifestyle us neurodivergent people have to lead.

I like to think that Horropedia has grown to be wary and cautious of acts of kindness around the Foundation staff because it's not something that he associates with a group like them. So being complimented out of the blue can give him pause. Something as small as telling him that his hair looks nice today, or that someone likes his clips and hair ties. Horropedia knows he must be on the look out for these double-edged words and back-handed compliments. Just look at the way other kids treated Vertin when they were all so young.

And yet, he feels so very happy and giddy when someone he trusts, who has proven that they're honest, gives him any sort of positive affirmations. Because he knows that these people mean what they say and say what they mean, as opposed to everyone else. This is when simple compliments can go a long way with him!

[performativezippers]

As a non writer I’m curious about something. Do you decide to write a specific genre and then work an idea into the genre or do you write the idea/story you want and then look to decide which genre it is? I guess I’m curious if the story or genre comes first?

Great question!

For fic: I write whatever the fuck I want and don't worry about it! I mostly write things that end happily because that's what makes me happy, but as long as I tag things appropriately (AU, platonic, IN SPACE, whatever), I don't let any of that bother me. Fic is so fun because it can so easily slide between genres. And most fic is romance AND something else; romance and crime/mystery, romance and scifi, romance and fantasy, or simply contemporary romance. There's a big thing in the publishing world right now where people are like "omg, ROMANTASY, aka fantasy with a primary romance, HOW THRILLING" and I'm like...dude...this not new! Welcome! Have you heard of a lil fandom by the name of XENA WARRIOR PRINCESS??? Do not cite the Deep Magic to me Witch. I was there when it was written.

For novels that you're trying to get published: I had to learn what book genres were! I queried my first novel—which is when you send it out to agents like a job application, with a cover letter and writing sample, and hope they want to represent you, aka help you sell it—being like THIS HAS NO GENRE and it turns out the genre was romcom with speculative elements. Aka low key romantasy, lol. Anyway, that book was Revelations and it didn't sell, I think primarily because the genre conventions were not met and it was confusing. It worked great as a fic, but required several big overhauls and ground-up rewrites to get it to place where it meets genre expectations and is maybe sell-able.

Usually the idea that comes to me is clear what genre it is, now that I know what they are. I primarily write romcoms, some speculative and some not, and so the ideas that percolate for me most are romcoms. However, my agent said recently a new idea I have might be more on the line of romcom and women's fiction* which surprised me. But that's fine! It doesn't change the book I write; it might change how we talk about it in the pitch process and, if it gets sold, how the marketing team frames it. But that won't change the story structure from a drafting perspective, I don't think.

Some genres are very close to each other (upmarket vs. book club fiction vs. women's fiction), while others are quite distinct (if you want it set in space, that's probably going to be sci fi). I think the main questions are:

(a) Setting: Is it on a space ship? (sci-fi) Are there dragons? (fantasy) Can people use magic? (fantasy or speculative) Is it in our world, in our time? (contemporary) In our world but in 1250? (historical)

(b) Character motivations (what do they NEED): To repopulate their planet? Save their mother from the evil magician? Fall in love? Save her bookstore from capitalism?

(c) Obstacle (why don't they have it ALREADY): If the obstacle is primarily internal, like she can't fall in love because she hates herself, then we're looking at a straight romance or literary fiction. If the obstacle is world-building related, like the spaceship is broken or the magician is too powerful, that's going to be firmly sci-fi or fantasy or whatever.

There should always be at least 2 obstacles: one internal and one external, but you should know which one is paramount, or which would win in an epic battle. And that will help you figure out if you're writing, say, romance with speculative elements (soulmates) or fantasy with a strong romantic element (fourth wing, i think, i haven't read it because it seems bad). Whichever you list first is your primary genre, aka which section of the bookstore it'll be in. Are you shelving this in fantasy (fourth wing) or romance (Revelations) or "fiction," and then the rest gets more specific from there.

*also, just like, FUCK the name "women's fiction." Men's fiction is called "fiction."

[animeomegas]

Hey Amy💓, I've been wondering about this lately... i love how we all have this community on tumblr where we enjoy the idea of top!/dom!/alpha!reader - especially as female or gender neutral reader. But sometimes I feel disheartened that we'll ever get to really have relationships like that in the real world - ya know conventional gender roles and all... do you have any thoughts on this🥺? Has anyone of the other followers or yourself been successful "in the real world"?

Hey <3

(I'm happy for any of my followers to chime in with their own experiences in my inbox, I'll post them :D)

THIS IS ALL MY OWN OPINION/EXPERIENCE, THANK YOU

I know a lot of people who prefer role reversal relationships feel anxious about finding a partner that wants the same, I remember that being brought up in the role reversal subreddit a lot, back when I still used the site.

My experiences with role reversal in real life have actually been very positive, I'm pleased to report!

I'll never forget my first proper boyfriend that I dated when I was 15-16, I think he was 17. We were discussing films, at the time I was big into horror films and hated romcoms, he loved rom coms and hated horror. I suggested we compromise with an action film or even a non-comedy romance, but he was weirdly insistent that we should watch a horror film and that I could introduce him to the genre properly. I agreed, letting him choose the horror movie so he could pick a chiller one if he wanted, and a week later, we were getting ready to watch one on his bed.

He did not pick a chill one, to my confusion. He picked a pretty intense one, although I can't remember which one now. At the first jump scare, he flinched and grabbed my arm before tucking his face into my neck to avoid looking at the screen. At the next scares, he shuffled closer until he was pretty much on my lap. Of course, as you're probably realising, I was played XD He was so insistent about watching a horror because he wanted an excuse for cuddling and for me to protect him and dote on him lol. He was very cute.

I don't really have any sexual experience, so I'll leave that part of role reversal for someone else to chime in on. Although, anecdotally, I will say that there are many men who lean submissive but aren't comfortable saying that in public.

Try to remember that a lot of men are touch starved and starved for positive affection (toxic masculinity hurts them a lot in this regard). They likely won't think to ask you to do things like stroke their hair, but if you do it, they'll hopefully respond positively and it can set the tone for the relationship. Insist on not following gender roles in a relationship, no one can make you. Be confident in what you want. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

Most people want to be spoilt and doted on, men included, they just aren't used to it.

I know some people find it hard to even find men that are just nice people and willing to be equal partners, let alone try to find someone who fits your lifestyle preference, but it is definitely possible, believe me. Where you live and who you are will impact how easy it will be to find these men too, but it's never impossible, I promise <3

Anyone else with any anecdotes, positive or negative, is welcome to chime in or ask some questions if they'd like to :D

[helenaheissner]

Love During Robot Fighting Time: Chapter 7

Hello, lovelies! Hope y'all are doing well :)

Don't forget you can read three chapters ahead on this story, twenty chapters ahead on "A Dream of Summer Rain", and two chapters ahead on "Magical Girl Exorcist Squad", by becoming a paid subscriber on my Substack or my Patreon!

Thank you so much for your continued support of my work! Every little bit helps me to keep going :)

And now, back to our regularly scheduled nerdy romcom shenanigans!

***

Faith

I kept time with the metronome as I pirouetted around my living room. I’d decided early on in my transition that I wanted to be more graceful, and ballet had seemed like a good way to accomplish that while staying in shape. Murder on the feet, but so worth it- I was, if nothing else, of a marginal amateur level of talent, which was all I was asking for. So, each night, I donned my workout garb, moved the orange couch and brown coffee table a few feet so they pressed against the back wall, rolled up the white carpet that normally covered the linoleum floor, and put on the metronome and danced around the living room.

The tumblers clicked on the lock, and my front door opened to reveal my handsome, dashing, wonderful roommate and best friend entering the apartment. 

I broke out of my pose and grabbed my towel off of the couch, blotting my sweaty face. “Hey!”

“Hi,” he said, taking off his suit jacket and sticking it in the coat closet that indented our apartment just to the left of the front door, hanging it alongside his leather jacket and my white overcoat.

“How’s it going?” I asked, switching off my metronome and pushing the couch and coffee table back into their normal positions in front of the plasma screen television.

“Oh, you know, it’s going,” Zeke said. “You have a good workout?”

“Yeah!” I said, trying my best to show off my winning smile. My orange sports bra and black tutu may not have been the most conventional ballet attire, but it did show off my abs, something I was very eager to do now that I had them. 

Dancing didn’t just help me get in shape and feel that sweet, sweet gender euphoria, either- it gave me a great opportunity to be alone with my thoughts and actually THINK them. And that evening, I’d come to two conclusions: one, my friendship and working relationship with Zeke was too important to risk destroying by asking him to be my boyfriend out of the blue, at least not when I had no idea if he felt the same way as I did; two, I wanted him to make the first move. Maybe I was old-fashioned, but the idea of the guy being the one to escalate the relationship from non-romantic to romantic really appealed to me. Plus, if I put out hints that I liked him, was a bit more flirty and forward than usual, and he slowly cottoned on to what I was getting at and then asked me out, then it would all be perfect. And if he didn’t pick up on the hints, or just wasn’t interested, I had plausible deniability. It was an immaculate plan, totally fool-proof. 

I put a hand on my hip and leaned forward to show off my modest boobs and toned abs and smooth legs. “How do I look?”

“Like you just worked out?” Zeke said, aiming for the fridge and retrieving his jug of cranberry juice. He reached into the liquor cabinet after that and pulled out the flask of vodka, then poured himself a shot of it mixed with a glass of cranberry juice. 

‘ Oh. Right. I was sweaty and gross. “Good point. I should hit the shower. After that, wanna hang out?”

“Sure, sure,” he said, nursing his drink, swirling it around in his hands, staring at the wall. 

“You okay, Zeke?” I asked, tilting my head. 

“Hm? Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, looked at the screen, and chuckled. 

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” he said. “Sorry, I’m just a little tired.”

“Oh?” I said. “What were you off doing? I never got a chance to ask you before you left.”

“Oh, just hanging out with a friend.”

“Who?”

“Calloway,” he said. 

My eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, what?”

He took a long sip of his drink. “What?”

“Why were you hanging out with him?” I said, folding my arms over my chest and shrinking in on myself a bit. 

“Calloway texted me asking if I wanted to watch Gundam. I said yes, because I’m tired of all the weird hostility between us. And because I like Gundam,” Zeke said simply. “Honestly, Calloway is pretty cool outside of the ring.”

“Oh,” I said, taking a step back. “Fair enough. I… You can do what you want, but I’m probably not gonna hang out with him any time soon. You know that, right?”

“I mean, you two actually have more in common then you might think-”

“I… Am not crazy about that comparison, but if you say so, sure,” I said, taking another step back, pivoting left from the kitchen towards the hallway that led to the rest of our apartment. Finally, I turned around and went for the bathroom. “Glad you had fun, though. Seriously. You can never have too many friends. I’m gonna hop in the shower now.”

“Sounds good, Faithy,” he said, and he flashed that smile, and for a second everything was fine.

Everything was fine, fine, fine, fine, FINE. 

I showered, put my hair up in a towel, and wrapped a bathrobe around myself as I stepped out into the living room, where I found Zeke texting again while smiling that smile of his. The one that I knew wasn’t for me and me alone, but that I… 

No, stop that, Faith, he doesn’t owe you anything, I thought. He’s a person, and he can make his own decisions about what he does with his free time. 

Zeke and I wound up watching an old film noir that night, but I barely paid attention, and he was texting the entire time, smiling and chuckling every time his phone buzzed from a new message. I didn’t need to ask who it was.

***

The week went by normally, all things considered. Zeke and I worked on Dai Guren during the days, hung out and watched movies at night. Nothing was wrong, per se, but he was just always texting, and whenever I asked who he was talking to, he had the same answer:

Calloway. 

The one thing I found odd was that, despite the two clearly being close friends now (apparently), he always referred to Calloway by his last name. Never his first. And yeah, sometimes guys just did that, even with close friends, but even when he’d thought I was a guy Zeke called me by my first name. 

I tried to just keep it, keep him, out of my mind. Who Zeke spent his free time with was his business, and everyone needs more than one friend. I mean, I only needed one, but other people, yeah, they require multiple outlets for social engagement. And if Zeke and I were gonna start dating- which was not a guarantee, obviously, just something I’d really really really like to happen- then he would need a new platonic best friend. And I may not have been crazy about Keith Calloway, but hey, Zeke could do worse. Could be Olivia. 

Olivia. I had to go up against her in less than a week. I wasn’t crazy about that, but if nothing else, it might be a bit cathartic to defeat her. 

On Thursday morning, the day before our match, I decided to do a bit of shopping. I’d just gotten my monthly stipend from my parents- they were still a little iffy on the whole trans thing, still occasionally misgendered me and then immediately corrected themselves but got annoyed at me when I tired to correct them. But they were trying, and that was the important part. And hey, when both your folks are in the Army Corps of Engineers, wanting to build fighting robots for money is far from the worst thing you can do with your early twenties. I’ll get a real job someday- right now, though, I’m still figuring myself out. No reason I can’t do something I love while I do that. 

Zeke was passed out on the living room couch clutching his beloved baby seal plushie, Lacus. I jotted down where I was going and when I intended to be back on a sticky note and put it on his forehead. He didn’t wake up- the man slept like a rock, it was almost impressive- and I headed out. 

I cruised down Lincoln in the Star-Rocket Racer, weaving in and out of traffic as I headed for Venice. The best shops were in Santa Monica, but the more affordable and more trans-friendly ones tended to be in Venice. The air was warm with early-summer heat, the sky was clear and blue for miles, and the narrow street was uncrowded thanks to the just-shy-of-midday hours. The salty smell of the nearby ocean wafted through the air on a gentle, cooling seabreeze, and the clean street packed with shops and storefronts nearly sparkled in the sunlight. I wore my favorite off-white sleeveless sundress with a sunflower pattern, along with strappy wedge-heel sandals, a wide-brimmed black sun-hat, and a string of pearls around my neck that my mom had gifted me as a coming out present. I’d gone for a natural makeup look that day, subtle eyes and pink lipstick and just enough foundation to cover up my razor burn. My black cat purse was slung over my shoulder as I sauntered down the street, humming an Olivia Rodrigo song as I looked in the store windows. 

At the end of the street, I found a shop called ‘Surf Turf Apparel.’ Palm trees enclosed both sides of the brick store, and in the window was the most adorable green swing dress with white polka dots I’d ever seen. It looked a bit big for me (pros and cons of being hilariously short- thanks, hilariously short parents), but I could at least ask if they had anything more in my size. If not… I dunno, I could try shortening it myself. I’d always wanted to learn how to sew. 

I stepped inside and looked around- they had a lot of great dresses in here! Every style and color and fabric I could name, and plenty I couldn’t, hung from mannequins, harkening to eras as far back as the 1950s. At least one dress was there to represent each decade in the history of American fashion, standing proudly amidst the more standard beach apparel and SO MANY GORGEOUS HATS! I’d never been more in love with a shop this quickly! They had everything!

From the back of the store came an unnaturally high voice, what sounded like someone putting on a traditional female tone, perhaps someone, like me, who didn’t naturally speak in a feminine register. “Hi there!”

Poor thing- I’d gotten a bit better since I’d started doing vocal exercises on the daily. Maybe I could give her a few pointers. 

I looked at the source of the voice as she continued speaking, “Welcome to Surf Turf Apparel! How may I…”

The voice trailed off as I looked at the person behind the counter. We made eye contact. Prolonged eye contact. Prolonged, unblinking, silent eye contact. It was incredibly awkward. But when someone you low-key hated surprised you in a manner this thorough, it was hard not to be speechless and equally hard to look away. 

Calloway stood behind the wooden counter wearing a short-sleeved v-neck burgundy blouse, a golden butterfly necklace, and a full face of makeup- dark eyeshadow and red lipstick and very bold mascara. Her light brown hair was put up in a high but loose ponytail, with freshly-curled ringlets dancing about loosely on the sides of her face. Her eyebrows looked like they’d been freshly tweezed that very morning. It made her face look… Softer. Less aggressive. All of it together honestly made her look like a totally different person.

Was it ‘her?’ Should I be using ‘her’ for her? I should ask. 

But that would require me to do something with my mouth besides let it hang open in shock. Calloway, for her part, still wasn’t saying anything or blinking either. I think I understood now why Zeke had been exclusively using her last name around me. 

A tall, middle-aged woman (MILF, my brain automatically screamed) with long platinum hair, clad in a yellow A-line maxi-dress and flat white sandals, walked out from the back of the shop and said, “Close your mouth, Katie. Flies will nest. Also, you have a customer.”

“Hey, Mom, can I take my ten?” Calloway asked. 

“Sure. You want me to handle this one?” her evident mother asked. 

“Actually, Faith and I know each other, and we need to have a little talk.”

I was too shocked to react to this, too shocked to even do anything when Calloway… Katie, apparently… Grabbed me by the arm and shepherded me outside and into the alleyway next to what was APPARENTLY her family’s shop. Because of course it freaking was. 

“Okay,” I started, “So-”

“I’m not trans!” Calloway said, in that practiced high pitched voice of hers. 

I blinked. “Uh-huh. Right.”

“You don’t believe me.”

“I shouldn’t say.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not something you should have other people confirm for you,” I said. “And because I think all this speaks for itself, so if you’re too blind to see it, then that ain’t my fault.”

She raised a finger, then lowered it and looked at the ground. “That’s a fair point.”

“So,” I said, arms folded together. Her eyes were instantly drawn to my chest, at which point I looked down and realized the fold was putting my cleavage on display. I tucked my arms away behind my back hurriedly. “Anyway. Was there anything else you wanted to say to me, or was it really just that?”

Calloway… Katie, or maybe it was still Keith on some level (hard to say with eggs this dense), exhaled audibly and said, “I need you to keep this to yourself.”

“Yeah, of course,” I said with a nonchalant shrug. 

“I mean it, Watanabe! I- wait, seriously, just like that?”

“Yeah, just like that,” I said, struggling to keep the monotone out of my voice. “Look, everything else that’s happened between us aside, I am not just gonna out somebody because of spite. I mean seriously, what kind of asshole do you take me for?”

She looked at me blankly, unblinking once more. 

My eyes narrowed. “Oh my God, what kind of asshole do you take me for?!”

She let her mouth hang open for ten agonizingly long seconds before saying, “Is that a rhetorical question?”

“It was, yeah. But now it’s not!” 

“I don’t think you’re an asshole! Okay, there! I said it. I just… Didn’t think you were gonna do me any favors because… Last time we talked, I… And you…”

I heaved a beleaguered sigh. “I… Uh, so about that-”

“I’m sorry for antagonizing you last season!” she suddenly shouted, stepping forward, grabbing my hands and squeezing them inside her own. 

My pulse quickened and my jaw dropped. What the heck was going on?

She kept going: “I just… I liked playing to the crowd. I get way too into it, though, and I forgot what’s fun and hammy for me might be obnoxious and overbearing to other people. I’m sorry. I should have talked to you about this, to your whole team about this, last year, instead of going after you every time I was on camera. I’m sorry.” 

She looked like she was on the verge of tears, sincerity and hope and despair radiating out from her very soul. Her blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, her long lashes mesmerizing as she opened and closed her eyes rapidly. I could feel my face going red. Was I… 

No, no. She was cute in a freshly-hatched way, sure, but I wasn’t attracted to her- it was just aesthetic appreciation. 

“I forgive you,” I said, squeezing her hands back. “And I’m sorry for blowing up at you. I was… In a bad place. I’d just come out, and my girlfriend dumped me on the spot because of it.”

“Oh my God!” she said, finally releasing my hands from her grasp and putting them on her hips. Outraged painted over her face. “That’s horrible! That’s why she’s on a different team this year?!”

“Yup.”

“What a bitch!”

“Please don’t say that about my ex, I still care about her,” I said flatly. 

“Right! Right, sorry. I just…”

“You get carried away sometimes. I get it.”

“And you’re going up against her this week?” 

“Yup,” I said. “First match of the night, no less.”

“Ooof,” Katie said. I figured I should just call her that- seemed safest. “I’m going up against Haverfield and Ansible.”

“Ugh, I hate that guy,” I said. 

“Big same.”

“Kick his ass for me?” I asked.

She stood at attention and gave a salute, of the kind so formal it would make my parents proud. “Gotta make things up to you somehow.”

“Hey come on, I didn’t mean it like that-”

“Yeah, but I do,” Katie said. “I’m tired of being the jerk. But if I’m going up against another jerk… Well, I’ll feel less bad about it. Also, I… I wanna be friends with Zeke. And since you two are besties… Well, you and I should probably learn to coexist.”

I smiled. She was so… Sincere, so earnest. It was really surprising. She was also much cuter like this, so that probably helped disarm me a bit. “Fair enough! To co-existence.”

“Here, here!” she said, extending a hand. 

We shook, and I’ll admit, I was taken aback by how firm her grip was. She was definitely intense, definitely a lot, but… Maybe she and I could be friends.

***

Buy my ebooks here:

[ryansjane]

axelle judges non bl shows > The Jungle

summary: The Jungle are a group of good-looking men that meet regularly in the secret bar Rendezvous owned by the mysterious bartender Hunter. When certain special women approach them, their whole self-built image shatters.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 7/10

pros:

the cast is awesome!

the acting was good from everyone, though the ones who impressed me the most were my already faves off, pat, nanon, mild & lookjun, who especially slayed considering it was her first main role! they didn't have to go that hard for this show lol

the aesthetics of this show are beautiful, be it the lighting, locations and especially the outfits! each girl's wardrobe was incredibly gorgeous!

cons:

GIRLLLLLLLLLLL. the writing!!! this is one of the worst writings from gmmtv, like... ever bruh! let's analyse everything that's wrong with it:

this show is some of the worst marketing failure ever. they really done advertised a silly 6-stories romcom like a dark, mysterious murder drama bruh!!! so when the viewers started watching the show, obviously we were not gonna like it & feel like it's super surface-level & dumb, bc they had built up our expectations for a completely different show. if this show has been advertised to be in the same vain as the three gentlebros for example, we would've have accepted its three gentlebros writing. but the issue is that we expected something on the level of ps: I hate you & we didn't get anything near that.

focusing on each story one after the other impacted everything badly in this show. first of all, it makes it so every ship (except pineaugust bc they got the most screentime) looks rushed AS HELL, especially the earlier ones like lee & mook, so the romance that we were supposed to feel? isn't here babes. secondly, bc each story is so separated, the link between them feels close to non-existent and the friendship between the jungle guys feel stick thin. MOREOVER!!! since each story is so separate, once a ship get together we barely ever see them on the show again, and the later characters like nathee, hack & pine, whose stories only start by ep 8 feel non-existent during the first part of the show! you literally cannot win with this way of doing the show lol. ALSO!!! bc each story is separate, every viewer had their favorite and the one they don't care about, which means that some entire eps were super boring & people got mad some ships got better development & screentime than others.

they made their female characters look so fucking dumb & useless, oh my lord. honestly it's even more insulting considering the same team created some of the most interesting & complex female characters ever in ps: I hate you, like... makes me wonder what they were on for this. only august is written with layers & an interesting storyline, and florence is alright since she flips the usual conventions of the male lead pursuing the female lead relentlessly on its head.

the male characters aren't much better, there's so many cringy parts where they try to look cool & be defenders of women but it doesn't work at all when they've been established as players who don't respect women. btw they look pathetic bc we are TOLD that they are players but never SHOWN so they have no credibility, also I love the boys & they're all good looking or whatever but idk they weren't emanating this cool, badass energy the showrunners wanted us to feel lol.

leemook's story gave me nothing. it was the most disappointing bc it was the first so that's when I realized my expectations of a gritty series wouldn't happen, but even then not only is their story basic but there's nothing to it, it's so basic & forgettable.

the nanonpunpun story was alright, imo naanfah was probably the most interesting male character in the show (he's black from not me but in a different font lmao), but their story was rushed & didn't have a satisfying conclusion at all. also they didn't really have much chemistry compared to nanonmild imo. lastly, bc their story is so early in the show but contains what was set up as the center of the show, kaewta's murder... once it's done & we know the truth we're just left like... alright there's 8 eps left, what's even the point lol. their story should've been done differently & solved at the end imo.

the plot twist of nanon playing twins... could've been good if it was actually a plot twist??? bc the viewer is aware there's two nanon characters it just fell so flat, the reveal to punpun's character seems so ridiculous & straight out of a low-tier lakorn from 50 years ago bc the viewer is not surprised one bit bruh.

hack's character is so icky & terrible. not only is he INTRODUCED into the show using his power imbalance to fuck a student's mother, but then he has sex with irin while she's blackout drunk & thinks he's pine, which is... r*pe obviously. but then he keeps playing these games & he's just fucking terrible & icky and made me feel so gross while watching this, which is such wasted potential since he actually had really great chemistry with lookjun. but yeah throw his whole character in the trash!

nathee & florence's story is so rushed & underdeveloped, which is kinda sad bc they had good chemistry & also were very fun together. but also tbh florence's insistance on having sex with nathee when he said no 500 times is literally coercion babes, if florence was a man doing this to a girl we wouldn't find it cute.

also please for the love of god luke I'm rooting for you, but why did you have to growl like a werewolf everything you wanted to look hot & angry 😭 this man is so unserious as an actor, wishing him luck in getting better lmao

as for the augustpine storyline, imo it should've started and ended the show. the "past" should've been at the beginning of the show so that 1) we immediately get context of what brought the jungle guys together and 2) we actually FEEL the 10 years wait that pine had to feel on the show for august to come back. it would've given so much more weight to the show imo.

would I rewatch it: only the offpat parts

This was in my top 5 shows I was the most looking forward to watch this year, and goddamn did it disappoint all of my expectations except for offpat being one of the best ships ever. I would not recommend this show except for the pineaugust storyline, honestly don't bother.

[koinomegaluvr]

UNATAETOS (UNA) Concept Designs:

some concept sketches of an otherworldly cosmic traveler named Una who becomes Ulysses’ companion. She is ultimately the catalyst for the conflict of the story, in which Ulysses must make a choice between losing his friendship with her or preserving his sanctuary. More details under the cut.

Una is a cosmic entity known as a traveller. She belongs to a category of entity that is capable of transporting to different realities and dimensions.

By chance, she finds herself blipped into Ulysses’ pocket dimension and quickly learns that she can’t leave it because of how strong the gravity surrounding the pocket dimension is—she cannot create her own portal as passage, and must wait for a golden opportunity in which a wormhole, a cosmic phenomenon much more powerful than Ulysses’ stubborn creation… passes by. But the chances of that happening are one in a million.

So her and ulysses must learn to co-exist with one another! And they have all the time in the world to do so. and they do so much more than coexist…

Their friendship becomes unmatched. Una learns more about ulysses and why he created his “sanctuary”, and ulysses learns what it means to open up and connect with others.

They eventually fall in love with each other—but in a very non-conventional way. i personally don’t want their love for one another and the way they express it to resemble something out of a hollywood blockbuster or a romcom, but the way the feel about each other and how they grow to understand each other deeply is very necessary for plot.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hi! I work in a bookshop that is not in America and the romance section in our stores tends to be pretty pitiful. Other than Julia Quinn, historical romance is non-existent. We have finally put in a romance bay and I’ve been asked to recommend some books. My colleague is handling contemporary romance but I was hoping to push for historical and possibly paranormal! I have several books in mind but as my favourite go to reviewer, I was wondering if you had any books that you think we should focus on, especially if we’re introducing a local area to historical romance? Thanks!

Oh, thanks so much for thinking of me! And thank you for repping romance in you bookshop; it's getting hard to get a selection in American stores too, and I can't imagine the book bannings will help.

So I'm thinking that because recency bias is a thing, you're sticking to recent releases? I would definitely, if possible, recommend including a bit of diversity. Some recent books I've enjoyed and seen a great reader reaction to:

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, Adriana Herrera--Afro-Latina heroine and Scottish hero, jet sets from Paris to Scotland which is really fun, it's sexy, it's smart, there's fingering on the Eiffel Tower... Hot.

To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins--Ms. Bev's most recent release, may be a challenge because it's very American (they're trying to catch someone who stole the Declaration of Independence, sorta lol) but it's a really fun heist/fake marrieds romance.

Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall--A m/m romcom, hilarious, and benefits from Alexis's cross-brand name recognition (his Boyfriend Material books are really popular contemporaries, and his ability to cross genres is amazing). Very modern and approachable for newbs to HR. The sequel, Something Spectacular, is out soon and is excellent.

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian--A delicious m/m heist romance, very emotional and funny and sexy. There's sword fighting! (Not that kind, but also yes that kind.) The sequel, The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes, is a m/f book with bi leads that is also so good.

For more conventional historicals, I'd recommend:

Sarah MacLean--her new releases, I imagine, would sell well with people who are less familiar to the genre because she has name recognition and is known for writing great heroines with a feminist streak. I looooove Heartbreaker.

Julie Anne Long--her Palace of Rogues series has been a real joy, and she writes such a funny, romantic historical

Lorraine Heath--her next book, The Notorious Lord Knightly, is out this summer and it is SUCH A BANGER. Lorraine is one of those hidden gem authors where I feel like she's not super known outside of historical romance circles, but anyone who reads her books gets sucked in.

A Rogue's Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh is out next month and it's so, so hot. I'm gonna post my review for it soon. It's also really lovely and Eva always has a very modern sensibility that I love.

[newsintheshell]

📢 LA MOLE 2024: CRUNCHYROLL HA PORTATO ALTRI ANNUNCI ALLA CONVENTION MESSICANA

Confermate altre quattro serie per aprile e già due anime estivi: A Journey Through Another World e Wistoria!

Pensavate che l'aver svelato ufficialmente il pannello generale con il palinsesto primaverile (che ho già aggiornato peraltro) appena da un paio di giorni, potesse veramente mettere un freno alla tendenza compulsiva di Crunchyroll di dispensare annunci a più non posso? Ah, sweet summer child! Qua di seguito trovate le novità rivelate all'edizione 2024 della convention messicana La Mole 😎

���� PRIMAVERA

🔶🔸ROOT/ROUTE OF ODDTAXI - Dal 2 aprile

Dopo l'anime e il film, sta per arrivare in catalogo anche la serie live action tratta dallo spinoff dell'interessante pulp mystery ideato da Kazuya Konomoto!

Trama: La serie televisiva RoOT è una storia originale basata sulle vicissitudini della coppia di giovani investigatori del manga RoOT/Route of OddTaxi, pubblicato sul sito web Darupanada Big Comic Superior. La serie dipana il mistero "umano" che circonda Sato, una sfortunata e ottimista recluta che lavora per Reina.

🔶🔸SOUND! EUPHONIUM (Stagione 3) - Dal 7 aprile

Il magistrale musical drama di Kyoto Animation (Tsurune, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid), ispirato all'originale romanzo firmato Ayano Takeda, sta finalmente per tornare!

Le prime due stagioni dell'anime sono entrambe già su Crunchyroll, mentre il film spinoff intitolato Liz e l’Uccellino Azzurro è stato distribuito da Anime Factory, sia in streaming che in home video.

Purtroppo, rimangono ancora inediti il film Our Promise: A Brand New Day e l'OAV sull’Ensemble Contest Arc.

Trama: Eupho raggiunge finalmente l'arco narrativo del terzo anno! L'attesa stagione 3 di Sound! Euphonium inizierà in primavera. La banda de liceo Kitauji ha più di novanta musicisti. Oumae Kumiko ora è la presidentessa e fa il suo meglio per la riuscita delle ultime attività del club della sua scuola, tentando di vincere il suo a lungo agognato oro ai nazionali.

🔶🔸UNNAMED MEMORY - Dal 9 aprile

Si aggiunge al palinsesto primaverile anche la serie animata basata sull’adventure fantasy romance novel di Kuji Furumiya, in produzione presso lo studio ENGI (Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai!, La novella alchimista apre bottega).

L'adattamento televisivo è diretto da Kazuya Miura (Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs, KanColle: See You Again on Another Quiet Blue Sea).

Trama: Nel tentativo di rompere una maledizione che affligge la sua casata, il principe Oscar inizia un viaggio che lo conduce da una potente e stupenda strega, Tinasha, e le chiede un accordo: un matrimonio. Anche se la proposta non la entusiasma, lei accetta di restare nel castello per un anno, mentre cerca di capire l'incantesimo che ha colpito il principe. Ma dietro la sua bellezza si nasconde una vita di oscuri segreti che presto verranno alla luce.

🔶🔸DATE A LIVE (Stagione 5) - Dal 10 aprile

Confermato l'arrivo dell'attesa quinta stagione della popolare action sci-fantasy romcom tratta dalla novel di Koushi Tachibana.

Come vi avevo anticipato, sta venendo realizzata dallo studio Geek Toys (Migi & Dali, Dead Mount Death Play), sempre dietro alla regia di Jun Nakagawa (Date A Bullet, Date A Live IV). 

Vorrei potervi dire che ora è possibile fare un mega rewatch dall'inizio, ma in catalogo continuano ancora oggi a latitare le prime due stagioni della serie e i sottotitoli in italiano per tutto il resto, eccezion fatta per la quarta stagione... 🥲

Trama: Ragazze graziose con poteri catastrofici? Sembra un macello! Questi Spiriti generano terremoti spaziali. La soluzione? Sconfiggerle… o sedurle. Shido Itsuka ha il fascino singolare necessario per far innamorare di lui gli Spiriti. Ma anche se Shido vuole solo salvare l'umanità, le industrie DEM vogliono solo sfruttare i poteri degli Spiriti. Riuscirà l'amore a vincere contro tutto? O la missione di Shido avrà un epilogo disastroso?

🏖️ ESTATE

🔶🔸WISTORIA: WAND AND SWORD - Da luglio

Come era prevedibile, è arrivato con largo anticipo l'annuncio della trasmissione in simulcast della nuova serie action fantasy firmata dall'autore di DanMachi.

Con un epico primo teaser è stato annunciato ufficialmente che il manga, firmato da , ispirerà una serie il cui debutto è fissato per luglio.

L'adattamento del manga creato da Fujino Omori, assieme a Toshi Aoi, è affidato ad Actas (Princess Principal, Girls und Panzer) e Bandai Namco Pictures (Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari, Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun).

La serie è scritta e diretta da Tatsuya Yoshihara (Black Clover, Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls).

Trama: Uno stacanovista ragazzo chiamato Will si iscrive in un'accademia di magia perché vuole diventare un grande stregone. Sfortunatamente, c'è un dettaglio alquanto fatale per il suo piano: non ha l'abilità di usare la magia. Tra le occhiatacce dei suoi compagni di classe e dei professori, Will si sente spesso scoraggiato, ma continua per la sua strada con determinazione incrollabile Non può usare le bacchette magiche, ma è abile con la spada e con essa dovrà farsi largo in un mondo dominato dalla magia. Deve solo credere nelle sue capacità e la promessa fatta a qualcuno di molto importante per lui…

🔶🔸A JOURNEY THROUGH ANOTHER WORLD: RAISING KIDS WHILE ADVENTURING - Da luglio

Gli annunci si chiudono, per ora, con la serie dell'isekai fantasy slice of life comedy di Shizuru Minazuki.

A portare la storia della light novel in tv troviamo Atsushi Nigorikawa (Beast Tamer, Genie Family - Il ritorno del Mago Pancione), che sta dirigendo il progetto presso lo studio EMT Squared (Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, Fluffy Paradise), ormai specializzato in pucciosità seriale!

Trama: Kayano Takumi viene ucciso casualmente da un dio e si reincarna. Gli vengono concesse molte abilità e si ritrova in una pericolosa foresta infestata da mostri in un altro mondo. Nel fitto della foresta, Takumi incontra una ragazzina e un ragazzino che gli ricordano i suoi due gemelli, decide così di prendersi cura di loro e li chiama Allen ed Elena. Sorpreso della facilità con cui sconfiggono i mostri con le loro abilità combattive, Takumi va in città e si registra nella gilda degli avventurieri, per poterli crescere. Iniziano così le sue tranquille avventure, mentre guarda Allen ed Elena che crescono!

⫸ NON VUOI PERDERTI NEANCHE UN POST? ENTRA NEL CANALE TELEGRAM!⫷

Autore: SilenziO))) Se usate Twitter, mi trovate lì! 

blogger // anime enthusiast // twitch addict // unorthodox blackster - synthwave lover // penniless gamer // INFJ-T magus

[FONTE]

[perryhedge]

Call of the Night and the anime Zeitgeist

When I started watching Call of the Night, something struck me about its aesthetic. Yes, there’s the bright flashy neon colors and bold direction, but there’s something else in there too, a style that comes through in everything from the music to the way the characters talk. I am coming at this from the perspective of a non-Japanese person obviously, and I’m not even that educated on anime. I also have been learning Japanese so this has a big impact on how I view this show and what stood out to me.

First, the way the characters talk is, for lack of a better word, modern. There’s lots of slang and internet terminology, and in general the characters have this kind of deadpan nonchalance and down-to-earth attitude that I think is kind of characteristic of younger generations. If you watch a lot of Youtube or variety shows, or even something like Terrace House, you’ll hear this kind of speech, but hearing it in an anime immediately struck me as unusual, and on that same note this more “realistic” speech (over-exaggerated, sure, but aiming for some imitation of real everyday speech in a way that most anime don’t) also resonated with me.

Anime has always struck me as kind of a conservative medium, in the sense that it’s rarely (if ever) ahead of the times, and most of the time it doesn’t even really reflect pop culture as it is. At least, I can say this to the extent that I am someone who started watching anime (the early 2010s) based halfway across the world from where most of it’s produced. That said, in today’s environment you can follow animators and communicate with Japanese people on social media, and as global culture converges anime’s strange stagnation (as I perceive it) only seems to get more pronounced.

Part of this is its long production. It takes months to make an anime, and the vast majority are adaptation which puts an even greater limit on how “current” seasonal anime can really be. Notably Matt Stone and Trey Parker from South Park for example credit the show’s ability to stay relevant (well, when it was) to its extremely quick production times, sometimes commenting on current events just weeks after they happened. By contrast, something like the Simpsons very quickly felt like it was completely out of step with pop culture. So, animation as a whole has a limited capability to do that kind of explicit commentary, but even taking that into account something is off to me.

When I think of the way people talk in anime, what themes most shows speak to, and what kinds of aesthetics you see explored, it all just feels years and years behind. I can think of a lot of anime that I enjoy because it speaks to something timeless or even because it conveys the spirit of a certain bygone time period in appealing way, but I can’t think of any anime that really feel like they’re about the world we live in right now (I do think there are tons of manga that do, and maybe I can talk more about it later but even something like Ruri Dragon I think you can attribute a good part of its success to the fact that it appeals to contemporary sensibilities in a way that feels if not novel, then at least uncommon).

Maybe a part of it is the fact that a lot of anime is metacommentary on extremely fossilized, codified, satirized, and re-codified genres (a lot of people have complained about this, I’m not making a value judgment but it is definitely true to an extent). But when I think of isekai, or your typical modern romcom, or cute girls doing cute things, or idol shows, I don’t think of those as particularly contemporary. These are just continuations of genres that have been in anime for a long time, and it feels like a lot of them are mostly concerned with grappling with those genre conventions rather than saying anything about where culture is at right now. I hope I don’t have to elaborate more and you get what I’m going for here. I’m not trying to rehash the same “anime is bad now because it’s meta” angle here, but rather just point out that a lot of them feel completely displaced from time.

Now granted, [massive generalization based on my consumption of otaku media for the last 10 years and nothing else] maybe Japanese culture is just pretty nostalgic in general. In terms of what’s popular they’re still watching the new Detective Conan and Tora San and One Piece movies every year (and they still top the charts). The most popular game series over there appears to be Dragon Quest which is intentionally and proudly a very conservative game. I mean we’re talking about the country that still uses fax machines. Again, not trying to caricaturize or exoticize, but I still marvel at the fact that Japanese people care about tradition and formality enough to use keigo and mind their greetings, coming from a country where the last time someone asked me to say grace before a meal I genuinely almost started with “itadakimasu”.

All this is to say that’s why Call of the Night stands out because it’s at least a little bit about contemporary issues; it’s about being young and cool (or a vampire) and listening to hip hop (musical shorthand for youth, rebellion, and such). Yeah, the main characters go to maid cafes and play Dragon Quest on their Playstations. You’ve seen all this stuff a billion times in anime. But the whole show looks like a Lil Uzi Vert music video. The main girl is twerking in the ED and imitating a gun shot. Everyone’s constantly on their phones and on social media. It’s not exactly revolutionary, it’s not reporting from the ground in Tokyo or anything, but I just think it’s pretty funny that the one show that has the pulse on pop culture more than any anime I’ve seen in years is the show about vampires hanging out in the middle of the night. Yes I wrote all this JUST for that pun fuck you

[insanely-lovely-and-random]

So this is my rant about Shallow Hal, I recently rewatched it because the song "Love Grows" is on the radio again (which also yay) and I've always loved the movie and I didn't even realise people found the movie problematic.

Ya know what I get that people find issues with things that came out years ago and some are valid but when people try to tell me I'm literally wrong for liking something, THAT I have a problem with.

Fats suits and fat jokes are a problem and the early 2000s were full of those jokes but honestly I have a much greater issue when I see them in current media than old because yeah they probably should know better now but I don't really want to talk about its problems I want to say why I love it.

The fact that Jack Black was a leading man on a romcom is fantastic, he's a very attractive man but lets not lie hes not Hollywood's version of one and I LOVE that they made a movie like that. I also like the fact that he starts off like the name says shallow, he's a dick at first and he goes through actual growth which is honestly amazing because usually when the main characters not conventionally attractive they make the character too nice and honestly boring this movie feels honest with his flaws.

Yes Gwyneth Paltrow is wearing a fatsuit and most of the movie she's just herself but this was 2001 how many movies since have actually had an overweight woman as the love interest? I mean actually overweight and not Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones? Cause I could count em on one hand.

The fact that it ended the way it did I honestly think it was ahead of it's time. This and Shrek came out the same year and both have very touching endings with Shrek loving Fiona even with her being an Ogre and in this movie he comes to love Rosemary for the person she is and appearances really don't matter to him anymore. He loves an overweight woman and neither of them change to become more attractive by societies standards , that's fricking cool as hell!!! I don't know how many other movies I know that do that even today and let me say the fact that HE IS A MAN.

Before anyone gets angry at me what I mean is just think about how many movies have a woman loving a man who starts as a monster or scarred or considered ugly by the movies world. There's hundreds, recently we had Shape of Water where as nice twist yes the man remains a fish man and she loves him anyways. But movies where the man loves a woman who's considered unattractive? Far fewer and of those movies 9 outta 10 the womans just tall, clumsy, not a size 6 or something else completely ridiculous. She's almost never scarred or a frightening creature or genuinely over weight.

Beauty and the Beast has always confused me because the Beast is bad and can't see past an outer appearance but the solution isn't to have him fall for a woman with an ugly outer appearance it's to give him one and have a woman have to fall for him despite it.... but why?? Why should a woman have to learn to love him when it should clearly be him who has to learn that, I never got it but Shallow Hal did. Shallow Hal a movie from over two decades ago did that. It had a man learn that he is cruel, obnoxious and shallow and only by growing as person and saying a big old Fuck you to society's standards could he become incredibly happy with the woman he loves. Because Hal isn't the only bad guy in the movie, the whole world is. As shown by how embarrassed his friend is when he finds out Hals with Rosemary, so self concious just because of what other people would think?!

Hal changed by the end of the movie but people haven't changed a goddamn bit and that's sad. People seem to fat shame and look down on others more than ever and yes it has problems and it's just a goofy romcom from two decades ago but I swear to God I was genuinely changed by seeing it when I was 10. I felt empathy and shame for how I'd looked at other people who were bigger than me and it was thanks to this movie and so I still love it. Peace out ✌✌

[punkcornzero]

Ok I have to talk about something

[SPOILERs for Our Flag Means Death and kinda for Good Omens ahead]

Some people in both the GO and the OFMD fandom are happy for the canonization of like every hinted couple in OFMD and for Mary being supportive etc., but they criticize GO because they never romantically touch on screen or express their feelings for each other.

Like, I get it. But. But (regarding GO):

1. The ship is clearly a slow burn (with them getting to know each other in thousands of years and everything...)

2. We haven't watched the second (and hopefully third) season yet, maybe there they'll get to be vocal about their feelings or just consider themselves married (because let's be honest here, they are an old couple and have been for some time)

3. I know that could be sound like an excuse but they actually are angels (or former angels) and clearly not really interested in gender, as well as others angels, and sexuality. Yes, they are non conventional ones in their world, considering they like human stuff, but sex doesn't seem one of the things they're interested in. And yes, I would have liked them to have closer hands in the last scene at the restaurant but I'll just wait and see and hope for some handholding in the next series.

Also, Aziraphale and Crowley are complete dorks and I don't think they know much about relationships or whatever, they just enjoy each other company and they're okay with that. At the end of season one they pair up against Hell and Heaven and maybe they are also starting to realize they have feelings they might want to discuss. But they already are a couple.

4. In the interviews actors and producers always confirmed that that is indeed a love story, Neil Gaiman and Michael Sheen in particular support this concept on social media too.

5. The focus of the story is stopping the Apocalypse - while OFMD is a romcom, so I'm okay with Neil wanting to unfold their relationship more slowly.

So please stop putting Sherlock obvious queerbating at the same level of GO non-queerbating. In GO the love is subtle, yes, but the story is not finished yet and you never feel like "Yes but they could've kissed in this scene" or shit like that. GO is a good story and I don't know how it will end, but forcing things just may be worse than "canonizing" their relationship in the first episodes. Their relationship makes sense this way and I'm sure they will acknowledge it in the show, somehow. Also this has the potential to be some nice asexual representation.

Let me know if you agree or not, I may have explained some things poorly because I don't speak English frequently, sorry.

Edit:

I forgot the most important thing, that should be enough to close this case, and Neil himself told us...

Really, I know that this man has done an excellent work for the second season and the first is perfect as it is.

Whatever kind of love they share is still love, and it's valid, and it's sweet and well-written.

[usergreenpixel]

MALMAISON MEDIA SALON SOIRÉE 6: HUSSAR BALLAD (1962)

1. The Introduction

Greetings, dear Neighbors. Welcome back to Malmaison Media Salon, where we review Napoleonic era - related media, have a good time and even joke every so often!

So, Soviet media. I suppose it was only a matter of time before it would pop up on my Napoleonic radar, as I have already talked about Flames of Paris (a ballet originally created in the USSR) in one of the Jacobin Fiction Convention reviews and also because the Russian Empire did play an important role in the time period.

Of course, when it comes to the history of the Russian Empire, the Russian Campaign of 1812 pops up the most before, during and after the Soviet era.

When it comes to this particular campaign, War and Peace (and its numerous adaptations) comes to mind very often, but today I would like to review something different. Hussar Ballad!

This movie was quite popular when it came out in 1962 and it was actually one of my favorite Soviet movies when I was a kid, so it’s safe to say I’m very nostalgic. I’ll still try to be objective though.

Anyway, before we proceed, I should warn you that I was unable to find any dubs for the movie but a version with English subtitles is available on YouTube so most people who don’t speak Russian will, hopefully, be able to enjoy it regardless.

Alright, let’s go!

2. The Summary

Alexandra (or Shurochka) Azarova is the only niece of Major Azarov. A tomboy who is good at fighting and horse riding, she joins the Russian army during the Patriotic War (that’s how that campaign is called in Russia) while disguised as a boy.

Oh, and there are also elements of a romcom involved.

Let’s see how the results have turned out now, shall we?

3. The Story

Okay, so I actually feel really bored when I see romantic subplots in media and don’t care about them much, but here it’s actually funny. Let me explain.

(Spoilers ahead!)

Shurochka is betrothed to one Poruchik Rzhevsky, who has never seen her before and imagines her as a stereotypical ingénue.

Thing is, that couldn’t be further from the truth, but Shurochka does play this role in order to prank her betrothed. However, she also serves with him side by side in the army (disguised, of course) so the revelation of how he got tricked comes off as pretty funny in the end, when she drops the charade.

The heroine’s banter with the poruchik is also quite hilarious and makes their subplot entertaining to watch. That being said, I much preferred other aspects of the plot, like the battle scenes, but that’s just me.

I also like the fact that at first Kutuzov wanted to kick the heroine out of the army upon finding out that she is not a man, and only changed his mind when a Russian general (who was saved by her) recognizes his rescuer.

Army was no place for a woman (not in combat roles at least) at the time, so it does make sense that the main character would only be allowed to stay in her disguise if she really proved her worth as a soldier.

Another detail I liked is that one of the major characters (Vincento) is Spanish, so there’s a historically accurate acknowledgment that the Grande Armée didn’t consist just of Frenchmen. There were plenty of people from other parts of the empire (the Russian army didn’t have only Russians in it either by the way ), so I’m glad that the creators included a non-French character.

There are filler scenes to balance out the action, but they’re usually the ones where the songs and comedy spice things up, plus those scenes also show how the characters bond, so I’m glad they’re included in the story.

All in all, I don’t have that many major complaints. For some the “woman disguised as a man” trope might be boring, but I think it works here, especially since the main character has a prototype who was a real cavalryman, Alexander Alexandrov (assigned female at birth and known as Nadezhda Durova before his service).

A friend of mine, @tairin , made a post about Alexandrov, so check it out if you haven’t already!

Okay, moving on. Let’s take a look at the characters.

4. The Characters

Shurochka is awesome! Witty, brave, with a mischievous side and also noble in character. For example, she gives her coat to an imprisoned enemy to warm him up and acknowledges that he is a good fighter, so she can definitely respect her enemies and show them kindness.

She isn’t devoid of a softer side though, and it shows when she sings a lullaby to one of her dolls before departing to join the army.

Poruchik Rzhevsky is a bit less interesting in my opinion, but still has his moments. Fun cultural tidbit: Actually there are plenty of jokes about him in Russia, so in a sense he is an iconic character, even if it’s mostly for comedic reasons.

The male character I like the most, however, is Vincento. Although they’re on opposite sides, he respects Shurochka (it’s mutual) and even fights with her at one point, so they do develop something of a camaraderie. It helps that he has a noble character as well.

Louise Jermon, a French singer and actress, is pretty cool as well. I like her singing and how she doesn’t want duels to happen because of her (at one point she thinks that two characters are about to duel because they’re competing for her affection).

Kutuzov is pretty cool here. He is a reasonable commander and keeps the heroine’s secret after allowing her to stay when it becomes clear that she is a capable soldier.

There are almost no historical figures in the movie. Naps and Murat are mentioned a few times but don’t show up personally, so it doesn’t really count, but I’d argue that it’s a good thing.

The focus is on original characters, after all, not historical figures, so the former should be in the spotlight.

5. The Setting

The backgrounds are fucking gorgeous! Apparently the movie was shot near Moscow, which is where I’m from, so that’s nice.

The costumes seem to be pretty accurate and colorful, so maybe it’s a good thing Murat’s fashion choices stay offscreen along with The Dandy Gascon himself.

6. The Music

The music is pretty iconic and catchy (when it comes to songs). It’s a musical movie, after all! 😉

7. The Acting

Larisa Golubkina (Shurochka) is my favorite here, but I’d say almost every actor is wonderful and knocks it out of the park.

8. The Subtitles

Okay, just a heads up. Like most things Soviet, the movie is in Russian. I already said that there’s a version with English subtitles and they’re good for the most part, but some things understandably get lost in translation (for example, all the lines in the movie are spoken in rhymes, while the subtitles are not rhymed).

But I personally know that translation is fucking hard so I’m glad that the subtitles are even a thing, because it’s miles better than nothing.

9. The Conclusion

Definitely recommend this movie as a classic. More lighthearted than most war movies and Romcoms definitely aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but feel free to check it out if you are interested.

With that, let us conclude our little soirée. As always, stay tuned for updates and stay safe!

Love,

- Citizen Green Pixel

[earlgraytay]

@sophia-epistemia - yes I know that plots without conflict can and do exist. I think they can be really neat- though the examples of those story structures I like best do tend to hybridize with western storytelling; probably my favourite is Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, to give you an idea.

(Night Is Short, Walk On Girl definitely uses a lot of kishōtenketsu conventions- it's a story in four acts, with setup, development, an action-heavy non-sequitur of a third act, and a resolution that ties everything together. It's a bunch of small stories about the people Our College Girl Protagonist meets while she's out drinking over a night that lasts four seasons, with heavy themes of human connection and the virtues of partying and community. There's a figure that's an antagonistic force through three of the four acts, and a Boy Meets Girl story that serves as the throughline, but it's definitely drawing a lot more from kishōtenketsu than the Western romcom.)

but I find it very very curious that the only time anyone ever brings up these story structures is when they are OMG DEPLORING ALL THE VIOLENCE IN THE WESTERN KYRIARCHIAL STORYTELLING SYSTEM OMG.

it's never "here are some stories that do this thing in interesting ways". (and for the love of god, it could be! I just described an actual extant story in the genre in more detail than the OP you're quoting did and that's not even the point of my post!) it's always "WESTERN CULTURE BAD. THIS THING [defined, but never given any examples of works in the genre] GOOD."

It feels like the worst kind of culture war bullshit. it's not about lifting up things you see as good; it's about tearing things you dislike down.

moreover, it's a kind that annoys me, because I do not agree with the postulate that solving a problem is inherently an act of aggression against the thing causing the problem. to take the most cartoonishly exaggerated example: in what universe is "the baby bird asks members of their community for help finding their lost mama" an inherently aggressive or antagonistic plotline?

like, fuck, I am not married to the idea that all stories need to Save The Cat. for that matter, fuck, I'm a pacifist to the point where I think I've annoyed you over it in the past. I think you absolutely can tell interesting stories without conflict being the major focus. (or, for that matter, without characters, without dialogue, without description, without exposition... maybe don't try all of those at once, though.)

But I'm so goddamn tired of hearing "this thing you do is fundamentally bad, because uhhhh REASONS" from people who don't even have the goddamn grace to tell me how they want me to do it right. And when you pair it with "parents wanting to enforce their values on their kids", I go fucking mental, even if I happen to agree with those parents' values on some level.

[rabbitindisguise]

I keep seeing posts talking about art and people seem to have a very limited understanding of why they hate art . . . which is making art really confusing to talk about on Tumblr. So I made a post to show the most common things people hate in modern art, and their similarities and differences to other artistic concepts people also commonly hate.

So, here's basic modern art 101 they might never cover in highschool

I often see people say modern art is the problem. Modern art includes impressionism, post-impressionism, expressionism, Art Nouveau, cubism, pop art, performance art, photorealism, neo-expressionism, conceptualism, hard edge painting, op art, minimal art, fauvism, photography, etc etc etc

Most people don't typically have a problem with photorealism (self explanatory), op art (art that is an optical illusion), impressionism and post impressionism (think Van Gogh starry night)- even art nouveau (1920s fancy swirly art). I especially rarely see a genuine problem with photography from non-artists, which is classified as a modern art. It's all the other stuff that don't look enough like other things they like that bother people. These things are still modern art though, so if you like them, there's something more specific you're thinking about when you think "I hate modern art."

Something that you might be more familiar with, to ground these concepts better is movies. There are romcoms, documentaries, family movies, etc. We call those genres. Each subset of modern art is basically all genres of the same general concept, which is summed up by Wikipedia as throwing traditions aside for experimentation. By throwing traditions aside, modern artists are seeing what can still be art without using fundamental concepts, so modern art as a whole is challenging by betraying "the old masters" (Romans), not by conformity as people often suggest. You might say to that "then why do they all look the same?"

A couple reasons:

A cubist painting will look like another cubist painting because they are being dismissive of the same traditions and employing the same basic rules and you don't know enough about cubism to play spot the difference in a small art gallery (totally reasonable!). They asked the question "what's art?" and said "shapes obviously." (Now you might disagree and think it looks like aesthetic garbage. Still, it can be helpful to understand they're using form to convey image because that lets you know that form is not enough for you. Color, composition, proportion, etc might all be more important or equally important to form.)

Some movements inspired one another, much like romance and romantic comedies are heavily intertwined. Impressionism and post impressionism are closer, cubism and impressionism are less similar. They're all modern art.

Three things to understand before getting into modern art more specifically. There's a couple of ways to generally define art that might impact taste more than other aspects of art. These things are the amount of abstraction vs representation, conceptualism vs formalism, and art vs anti-art. The last is taste vs skill.

Art vs anti-art

There's a group of art movements called anti-art. Dada is one example of anti-art movements, and it is also modern art. Anti-art movements do not just question traditions, like modern art, but question art itself by refusing to engage in expected ways with art. (People who reject anti-art due to it being now accepted as art and see it as too conventional are called anti-anti-art.) There's a misconception that all anti-art IS art, was always supposed to be art, or always gets the artist lots of money. Some anti-art follows form of other art movements but is evidently not art, to mock other artists- many started out this way and are now called art against the artist's wishes. Confusingly, there's also anti art that is art, like monochrome paintings, or silence as music, that brands itself as art but is made to ask what the limits of art is (sometimes with the focus on "what is high art?" to specifically criticize the corruption in the art world). What makes up the bulk of anti-art is how they reject art itself in the things they're making (regardless of if it's considered art or not). Some areas of dispute include rejecting ideas of taste, not signing their name, avoiding showing it publicly, and destroying their own art. If you don't like anti-art, this is not the same as not liking modern art, since modern art has many movements that aren't anti-art (i.e. impressionism). You might also like some anti art, and hate others, since the qualities in anti art can be a spectrum.

Abstract vs figurative

Another important thing to understand is not liking abstraction is not the same as not liking modern art, or subsets (movements) within modern art.

This is an early abstract piece that people who don't like some modern art might still appreciate:

The title is "the falling rocket." It was created by James McNeill Whistler.

If this doesn't look dumb to you, the use of color, more than form, might be valuable to your taste in art. Other abstract art may still be unappealing, from the lack of representational qualities in geometric paintings, to the the lack of stable perspective in Picasso's paintings. However you can appreciate the use of abstract qualities in representational art to convey emotion or other qualities.

If this looks dumb to you, Ruskin (art critic) accused Whistler (artist) of "ask[ing] two hundred guineas for throwing a pot of paint in the public's face." So you're in good company. You probably don't like any abstract art. If you would like to see modern art you DO like, "representational modern art" or "figurative modern art" is a good place to start.

Conceptualism vs representationalism

Representationalism

Conceptualism

There's a common disagreement with art museums often mentioned on Tumblr that art should be contained in the frame or explained thoroughly. This is actually a dispute within art, as representationalism is much more closely on the side of "everything in the frame, no exceptions" while conceptualism is about art that focuses on the importance of ideas in art rather than representation. This necessarily entails lack of a priority on making it legible to the viewer in conceptualism, but is not necessarily always a part of conceptualism. If you dislike art that isn't immediately obvious by looking at it, then it's not modern art that's the problem, it's the level of formalism that's acceptable for your taste.

Taste vs skill

I keep saying "taste" because liking it doesn't mean it's good (like cheesy comfort movies), and not liking it doesn't mean it's bad (some people don't like Romeo and Juliet because it's a tragedy). Artistic skill is about doing the thing they set out to do rather than being pleasing because you can be pleasing and make bad art still. When people say "it doesn't have to look good to be good art" it's a reflection that blood and guts don't necessarily look nice but people still appreciate realistic blood and guts in horror movies. Everything in art has a time and place- and on top of that, your preferences might mean you never watch horror movies at all, and never learn to appreciate realistic blood and guts! This post is trying to help you figure out for yourself what is a criticism of skill, vs a criticism of taste, since many artists view criticism of taste as essentially your approval. (Remember anti-art? If you say "no this isn't art!" you are answering a question of taste, rather than skill, which would be "This doesn't effectively challenge the status quo." If you're reading this post you probably don't even know what the status quo is so just changing how you say it isn't going to convince them it's not a matter of taste either.)

Unskilled art is generally disliked regardless of what skills being tested and across art. It's just that you might also dislike something that's skilled because it doesn't fulfill the requirements for you to see it as something beautiful (taste).

Okay, now to the specifics.

[This is in chronological order.]

Romanticism focuses on emotions, individualism, suspicion of science and industrialization, idealization of nature, and glorification of the (medieval) past. It was heavily influenced by the political landscape of the time. It is very representational, with lots of people lying around dramatically or holding flags and stuff. The huge oil paintings of George Washington are romanticism, like Washington crossing the Delaware.

Realism is art that focuses on everyday people doing regular things. You might have seen a parody of the guy with a pitchfork and his wife, called American Gothic. The original work is an example of realism.

Impressionism is painting with a focus on light and color. That's why lots of impressionism was painted outside. The theory was that we don't see objects but rather the light reflected off of them, so that's how people should paint as well.. Many expressionist focus on portable mediums so it may not even be paint. Post Impressionism includes more abstraction, like geometric shapes, with the same theories of color and light. Van Gogh's starry night is the most iconic example.

Pointillism is more or less a focus on impressionist theory using dots of color.

Divisionism is focused on color theory. It used the theories of impressionism and added to them further with new scientific discoveries on how the human eye process color.

Symbolism has a focus on representing absolute truths through symbolism. The art movement primarily objects to realism and naturalism. One thing said about it is that the art is meant to "depict not the thing but the effect it produces." The art tends to be representational of something, yet metaphorical for the concept it's trying to express. Example:

Art Nouveau is art with a focus on organic forms and asymmetry. It includes inspiration from the arts and crafts movement and was primarily in response to industrialization. Most known examples are actually architecture, because much of it was designed to uplift residents.

Abstract art is art independent of reference. This reflected changes in science and philosophy and politics. This encompasses cubism, expressionism, and surrealism. At this point, the groundwork for these things starts to get put down.

Fauvism prioritizes painterly qualities and strong color. This is also inspired by impressionism.

Expressionism is art made with subjectivity in mind. Think of it as the visual art equivalent of stream of consciousness writing. This is done by focusing on what someone sees (filtered through their experience and emotions) rather than what really is. This is art made without considering photorealistic form and trying to convey what we really, truly see especially in the hopes of conveying strong emotions. It's stylized to emphasize reality. An iconic example is the scream.

Cubism, at its core, basically is made with shapes in mind. Cubists think that .all natural forms can be conveyed with the basic forms (cube, cone, cylinder). This means that perspective and color are not used as a method of representation in cubist art. An iconic example is the girl with the mandolin.

Futurism is art made with a focus on modernity. Originality, science, and individualism we're all heavy focuses.

Photorealism and photography focus on accuracy.

[break for WWII]

Dadaism is probably familiar but basically they reject logic, reason, and aestheticism, and instead favor nonsense and irrationality. It was mainly a reaction to the war.

Surrealism is responsible for "this is not a pipe." It was influenced by the dada movement. This art is focused on what is real as well as using dreams to combine with reality to make a "super reality." (Says Wikipedia anyways.) Basically trying it make the illogical logical.

Figurative art is representational and depicts things as they are but in a more idealized form. They can be landscapes, people, still life's, etc. It has influences from Greek sculpture which mixes the memorizable shapes of Egyptian art with the natural form to depict a natural form in its idealized geometric shape.

Conceptualism is art made with the focus not on medium but with ideas. It argues that all art is fundamentally ideas, regardless of medium, and the ideas take precedence over their portrayal. Many conceptual artists create art by leaving a set of instructions to be followed. An example would be the pile of candy (Untitled, portrait of Ross).

Geometric abstraction uses 2D shapes. It basically says you can make art just out of some squares and lines and triangles, and often has the inclusion of color and juxtaposition.

Hard edge painting focuses on abrupt color changes between (usually) flat colors. It's related to geometric art.

Op art is art with a focus on optical illusion.

Pop art is using common every day items as the subject of fine art. This includes ads, comic book panels, and soup cans.

[End]

The important takeaway I think is that there's a lot of modern art that is praised unknowingly as Old Stuff that actually is recently created, while the other things that don't valorize the past like with romanticism are dismissed because they don't readily look like anything. I think regardless of your tastes and preferences in art, it might be worth asking yourself: is art something that has to look like anything to be pretty?

Which is to say, you have more tools to participate in conversations about art in depth now. There's no right answer, politically/ethically/morally. Hope this helps you more easily find the art you like and avoid the art you don't ^^

[ggukkieland]

📕CURRENT READS (2020 October)

🌹 Fics I’ve enjoyed reading this October, with some few unread ones (still have 4 to 5 days to finish!). Waah I have read a lot 😲 I can’t believe I’m almost complete with this list 🥳. Usually when I post and organize the list, half of it are still on #toread status. I thought of curating Halloween-themed fics 🎃 but I ended up reading any genre anyway😁.

Again, credit goes to these awesome writers! Sending them lots of love and virtual hugs 🥰🤗💜🥰🤗💜🥰🤗 .

✅ -  done reading   | S (smut) F (fluff) A (angst) 

🥕[Ongoing Series - to check weekly] 

Still reading the ongoing series from last month’s reading list, whenever there is an update 😊

I Feel You in my Heart by @purpletaecup - MYG |  exes au, second chances, some chapters have smau elements | A, S, F (really good story development 😭)

[7/?] nearly 2 months after their divorce, yoongi and y/n wade through the aftermath of the fallout by themselves. yoongi is moving on with someone else while y/n finds herself stuck in waves of anxiety and depression. soon enough, they are brought together again by an unfortunate accident

If it Harms None, Do What You Will by purpletaecup - JJK | smau, comedy, supernatural au, fantasy au, witch!reader, demon!jungkook | F, S  🎃

[6/?] it’s the beginning of October and green witch y/n has been preparing for all of the spooky activities she needs to do for all hallow’s eve. one of her older friends gives her a ritual candle for protection. a couple of drops of blood and a wonky magic circle later, there is a high level demon sitting on the floor of her living room.

We Live with a Ghost by @smaubts - JJK | smau, comedy, ghost au, roommates au | F  🎃

[6/13] when jungkook convinces his roommate, y/n, that their house is haunted by an evil ghost, they decide their best option is to contact with it and make it leave but end up summoning an actual ghost by accident.

Swan Black by CharWrites [AO3] - JJK | fantasy, supernatural, enemies to lovers, dark fantasy, apocalypse, Fae!Jungkook, Fae!Yoongi, Fae!Taehyung,  LOTR/Mortal Instruments/Labyrinth vibes | A, S (I love this! It’s like watching LOTR 😍)  🎃

[10/?] So's twin brother, Jimin, has been kissed by darkness: an evil that has spread across the land and has claimed many souls. They only have weeks until the darkness consumes him. Once consumed, he will be governed by the unsullied: a powerful race of Dark Fae that has overtaken the world.

So seeks out a rogue Fae Prince, Kook, who is her only hope, if she can survive his deadly charms and irresistible lure especially when he is much more interested in possessing her, mind body and soul.

Third Wheeling by @taetaewonderland - MYG |  strangers to lovers au, ceo!yoongi | A, F, S 🥰

[1/?] Min Yoongi is a strict man. Time is money to the CEO of Kisung Connected. He isn’t interested in conventional things or wastes of time. He’s an asshole. But, you didn’t realize until it was too late. Until you met him at the club and it changed your life forever.  

Bad Friends by @hollyxqx- MYG | friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, neighbor au, college au, fwb au | A, S, F (what a good angst 😥)

[1/3] hooking up with your childhood best friend was never your plan, but neither was falling in love with him either. he’s troubled but his heart is gold. when you move away for college, things start to take a turn.

House of Lilies by @suqakoo​ - JJK | mafia au, arranged marriage au | A, F, S

[3/?] Jeon Jungkook is the only heir to Dal Gurimja. He is the poster child for mafia bosses. He’s a feared hit-man among the underground world, and a successful CEO among the socialites of Seoul. Pair him with a castaway girl who’s been out of society for twelve years, and… what do you get?

Your Eyes Tell  by @njkbangtan - JJK | soulmate au, enemies to lovers au, roommates au, sugar baby (but not really), slow burn | A, F

[5/?] You live in a world where people see in black and white. The solution to finally see the colors? It’s simple. You need to meet your soulmate and look at him in the eyes, but what if the person bound to you is already contented with the monochromatic world? What if…Jeongguk, your soulmate, is already in love with someone else?  

I hate u, I love u by @bbangpanmen - JJK | fwb au, friends to lovers au, smau | A

[17/23] he uses you to forget her; you let him because you love him.

Puzzle by @kimvvantae - JJK | fwb au, friends to lovers au, college au | A, S, F (I’ve read this before, around 2018-19 and I thought it was discontinued. Glad there’s an update ^_^)

[7/?] the line between friendship and something more has never been crossed  - but that changes after a break up and a drunken night, when you not-so-accidentally cross this line to something much more. what happens when after this accident your non-matching puzzle pieces seem to match in a way you’ve never imagined?

The Lesson/Min Boy by @adventuresinwonderlust - MYG | bad boy!yoongi, dom-sub elements, enemies to lovers, brat!reader | S, A, F

[6/8] No summary provided but it’s the twisted story between bad boy Yoongi with angsty backstory and this brat/rich kid. I really liked how it was written though.  I made a mistake of reading part 4:  Two Months Too Long, which should’ve been the 6th story to read if you follow the author’s sequence. 

Popular-ish by @hansolmates - JJK | popular!jungkook, college au, fwb to lovers, shy!oc | F, S, A

[9/?] drabble series: you are way out of jungkook’s league. Or is it the other way around?

Date Me by @latetaektalk - JJK | enemies to lovers, fake dating au, rich kid au | A, F,

[prologue + 1/?] when obnoxiously rich and spoiled frat boy jeon jungkook comes up to you one day and asks you to fake date him for money, you definitely should have said no. because before you knew it, you were going on insta dates with him and having lunch with his equally obnoxiously rich and spoiled friends.

All Over You by @zibermuda - JJK | enemies to lovers, nerd!jk, fuckgirl!reader | S, F 

[2/?] you don’t usually go for the quiet, nerdy type, but Jungkook’s by far the best looking guy in your year. You just can’t help yourself. You have to have him. Small hiccup; he hates you

Effortlessly by @gyukult - JJK | friends to lovers, neighbors au, 

[8/?] “Reciprocate feelings?” Jungkook crosses his arms before he continues, “They should know that you’re the only girl in my life.“ Jungkook has been your best friend and neighbor since you could remember, but what you can’t recall is when your feelings began develop for him. 

HEI$T: A JJK Fic by lucidly [AO3] - JJK | heist au, action, bangtan are thieves, vigilante au | A, S

[3/?] Six years after being thrown into the world of forgery, espionage, and heists, Mona and her team face competition like never before: The Bulletproof Boy Scouts, a fabled Korean gang of thieves that everybody seems to know, but no one has seen. When she comes face to face with all 7 of them, Mona knows: they're real, and this job won't be like the others. For years she has followed the money, but could it be time that she follow her heart instead?

🥕[Completed AUs/Series-  to read]

✅  - done reading (also there seems to be a lot of JJK fics)

Creep @xjoonchildx - MYG | S, pwp, yandere ✅

Guilty @xjoonchildx - KNJ | A, S, mafia au, second part of Guarded AU (an awesome JHS series) 

Chapter One: How Odd  Chapter Two: Incheon Mall Tube Tops  Final Chapter: Is Something Burning?  Epilogue: Better Than Okay

Paddle with Me @yoongs-jeontae - JJK | A, S, enemies to lovers, camp counselor au, pwp   ✅

Hate Me @themfchase - JJK | S, collegel!au, enemies to lovers au, fuckboy!jk, pwp  ✅

Devil in a Blue Suit @yeojaa - JJK | F, S, idiots to lovers, established au, good boy!jungkook  

main story  ✅ + drabbles  ✅

Sweetest Crush @minjoonalist - JHS | F, S, brother’s best friend au 

Fake Love @aquaminwrites - JHS | F, S, A, fake dating au, enemies to lovers  ✅

Faded Love @jamaisjoons - PJM | A, S, marriage au, infidelity ✅

Brown-Eyed Baby @vinterjeon - JJK | A, S, F, exes to lovers, single dad!jk 

01 02  ✅

Why We Got Married @ktheist - KTH | F, S, arranged marriage au, slow burn ✅

Lonely Hearts Club @dovechim - JJK | S, F, enemies to lovers, wedding au  ✅

Come to Me @jeonsweetpea - JJK | S, A, F ,friends to lovers, college au  ✅

Satan on the Strip @noir0neko - JJK | S, A, demon!jungkook  ✅  🎃

No Face @seokoloqy - MYG | A, S, F, demon au, supernatural au  ✅  🎃

Take a Chance @crystaljins - JJK | A, Hanahaki au, co-workers, very angsty but Seokjin provides comic relief

01 02 03 04 05 06 07  ✅

The Lottery Offering @skswriting - JJK | A, F, S, werewolf au, sort-of arranged marriage au  ✅

A Beautiful Epiphany @onherwings - JJK | A, S, F, friends to lovers, unrequited love, artist!jungkook  ✅

Au Naturel (sequel) - drabble, established au  ✅

Broken Dreams @ddaenysus - JJK | A, soulmate au, unrequited  ✅

And Mended Hearts (sequel) - A, S, soulmate au, college au   ✅

Coin Toss @yoondoze - JJK | A, mafia au, detective au, exes au, plot twist 👀  ✅

I Knew It Was You @hoseokmylovesworld - JJK | S, F, werewolf au, college au  ✅ 🎃

Little Blue @pars-ley - JJK | F, S, friends to lovers, college au, with TW   ✅

Little Blue Pill @dreamescapeswriting  - JJK | S, pwp, friends to lovers ✅ 

Smitten @megahwn - JJK | F, S, arranged marriage au, strangers to lovers au   ✅

Hit Me with Your Best Shot @namfine - JJK | S, pwp, martial arts, friends to lovers  ✅

Slow and Steady @yoonia - JJK | S, A, artist!jungkook, infidelity, established au   ✅

Cockblocked @mercurygguk - JJK | A, S, F, friends to lovers, roommates au  ✅

 everything I ever wanted (drabble) - morning after  ✅

What are you Afraid Of? @cupofteaguk - JJK | F, avatar the last bender au 

Part 2 (prompt: if you keep looking at me like that we won’t make it to a bed) - avatar au, F, S

demon-etized @jungkxook - KNJ | S, youtube au, ghost hunter au  🎃

Spellbound @jeonseok - JJK |  F, slight S, demon au, crack, romcom  ✅ 🎃

Raising Demons (sequel) - fluffy, smut, established au, crack  ✅ 🎃

What’s in a Name? @minsimagines - JJK | A, F, demon au, soul selling scenario, romance  

01 02 03 ✅  🎃

The Big Yellow School Bus  [15k] fringesofsanity [AO3] - JJK | S, A, F, noona, fwb au  ✅

once bitten, twice shy [5.6k] obiwrites [AO3] - JJK | A, F, implied S, exes au, parents au   ✅

Lose Somebody [26k] @kooala - JJK | A, F, slight S, exes au, camping au  ✅

Oh What a World [100k] @taestybae - PJM | A, S, F, fake marriage au, fallen idol au (been wanting to read this since July (!), will finally get to reading this 🥰)

series masterlist [18 chapters + epilogue]

🥕[Drabbles]

okay I just realized they’re all JJK drabbles 😅

Incandesce @eunoiabliss - 544 words | JJK | fantasy au, fluff  ✅

Forgetful Confession  @suhdays - 991 words | JJK |  fluff, slight angst, college au, friends to ???  ✅

Club @taleasnewastime - 2k | JJK | fluff, bestfriends  ✅

JJK Reincarnation drabble @ktheist - 571 words | JJK | F, reincarnation (?) | love love this 🥰  ✅

Pup @whipped-for-kpop-fics​ - 1.5k | JJK | F, humour, werewolf au, established au | this is cute and funny 🤣  ✅

A Line Crossed @underthejoon - 723 words | JJK | A, bodyguard au ✅

Rousing Rendezvous @rookiegukie - 1.5k | JJK |  smut, frenemies with benefits, modern royalty au  ✅