#non spoiler review: look I don't know ok

[annon-secretcave]

Sonadow, Sonamy...

OK so we all know that there's a civil mid-joke war inside the Sonic Fandom about preferences between Sonadow and Sonamy, right?

And yeah I don't care barely at all about ships or ship wars and stuff, and everyone can have their opinion! But as someone who loves to relate the lore to everything because autism I really like analyzing things and it helps me understand everything better, I thought to maybe give all the canon/non-emotions related stuff to explain how these relationships, friends or something more (spoiler alert, something more does not exist in canon), work inside canon and how they would work in the far future.

REMINDER THAT THIS WILL NOT SIDE WITH EITHER SIDE MUCH UNTIL THE END ("In my humble opinion..." part)

THERE'S ALSO AN ANALYSIS! But at the end, since it's more of a personal analysis that is not fully factual, just a study of the characters.

Yeah so here it goes...

(Everything with a "*" means that it will be explained at the end with the more "sonic" stuff, less related to the ship.)

Sonamy

Realistically, Amy was created to be more of "just an addition to the Sonic team" with more female representation. She started off as just Sonic's girlfriend or love interest, even though he never showed as much interest for her as she did for him. In short, her interest in him did show since she made her first appearance, clearly showing that that would be the main or most shown romantic relationship in the franchise.

At the beginning, she was completely a Sonic fangirl and had much interest in him, specifically shown in shows or some comics... but as they realized the potential of the character, they stopped making her whole reason to be there sonic, changing it slightly, but still firing the character. This also meant that they stopped making her be "madly in love" or that interested in sonic, who was never interested in the first place. This, outside of the franchise is clearly the creators noticing the potential of a character with a heart as big as Amy's, but inside of the franchise it was probably her maturing (going from typical teenage romance-obsessed phase to just a normal crush), which was (ok this one thing is my opinion, yeah...) a big improvement to the character, to give her a story, more personality...

Now, about the ship itself... Sonamy has always been one-sided, or at least in most cases. And this had been stated and was seen clearly throughout the franchise (ok realistically I did not watch sonic boom but that one is not really canon in the main story which is the one that I am talking about). At first, maybe it was not shown in a very modern or uh... less obvious way... but listen the 90's are the 90's ok. but they showed it nonetheless. So, respectfully, Sonamy has not been canon from both sides clearly in most of the canon storyline.

Sorry Sonamy shippers...

(further study of this ship is after Sonadow, but that is a more personal review so I understand if you are not so interested)

(I'd add a single picture of these two but all I can find is FANART...)

Sonadow

So yeah I think we can all accept that no matter how gay it looks we have no proof that they are canon with facts and from a less biased point of view...

We have Sonic's line "I heart you too, Shadow" hope that's enough to feed ya xd

Nah but seriously there is an analysis to these two, it's just not that based in facts and hints like Sonamy had.

The analysis...

Now that the factual part has been explained, let's see this from a more Sonic POV, okay?

Sonic

Sonic is a character that likes to do everything, achieve everything, and be the fastest. His quote is quite literally "Gotta go fast". Of course, in a relationship, he would, not only be interested in, but also need, someone who can "keep up", as toxic as that sounds. He does not really need someone as fast as him, just someone that he can trust to be there by his side at every fight (or most of them), someone who will be at his level enough to fight by his side, otherwise it would be too dangerous. Something else that I've noticed is that the ones he is closest with, or has shown more attachment towards, are also people that can keep him with his feet on the ground, people that know when and how to say "You are not going to do this" and convince him, or, people to just keep him company and remind him who he is when he forgets (and, hey, it's Sonic, he also likes to have a few laughs).

As coincidental as that sounds, being able to both keep up and slow him down are traits that both characters mentioned earlier fulfil (yeah maybe Shadow more specifically... but shut up this is also supportive for Sonamy shippers ok LET THEM BE HAPPY LET THEM ALL BE HAPPY)

In any case, Sonic is a free-spirited supersonic hedgehog that will go wherever he wants whenever he wants, he helps people that are in trouble if he has the chance, and will fight and laugh alongside people who were once, currently are, or have tried to keep up. But being in a relationship itself is more effort than occasional visits, and Sonic knows that; he will be in a relationship with someone that can "keep up" and stand by him for the good of both of them. Obviously, he will also give, put in the effort to make the relationship work, but he knows who, when he gives 50, can give back 50, and those are people that will keep up with his adventures.

In my opinion... (the logic of the analysis applied to my train of thought, this is more biased from now on)

Sonamy

I understand why people see these two as a cute couple. Honestly, it makes sense. She does fulfil most of the traits and he does fulfil many of her expectations, from what I have seen of her...

But it's the keeping up part. Amy is a kind, warm hedgehog who loves nature and loves protecting nature. I have always had the feeling that, at some point (when she's a young adult probably), she would get a small house, near a natural area, where all her friends are, and stay there to protect them in that area. She would stay in one place that would fully grow on her and she would spend all her life there, protecting what she wishes to fight for and taking care of nature, as well as some visits every now and then to her friends if they are far away.

Sonic does not seem to like physical affection too much, except for certain moments with certain people, and the way Amy keeps asking for affection might make him uncomfortable or even bore him most of the time. In a relationship? It might just bore Sonic too much, and Amy would not change to much anyway...

I have never been a fan of the concept of a one-sided ship, due to how toxic it can be. But there is something about the way that Amy, even with her crush, respects Sonic's boundaries, that makes me feel like this is the one single one-sided ship I find interesting and perfect as it is. Sonic is not uncomfortable with her, on the contrary, he enjoys spending time with her a lot, but when she goes to a more romantic mode, he does seem more uncomfortable in most cases.

Plus... this one small part is way more of a personal opinion, but Amy staying single and possibly being a single mother feels very in-character and sweet.

Sonadow

Shadow. As cryptic as he chooses to be at times, he has shown that he cares about Sonic before, which for the character, someone who lost everything in a person who meant the universe to him, is quite a lot. He has been open- or as open as he can be- with Sonic before, which clearly makes their friendship-rivalry slightly more different that his relationship with other people. Shadow's only "problem" is that at times he cannot express himself well.

They respect each other, even if they don't always show it. They care about each other, and even admire some actions the other does. Their rivalry is not toxic, it's just competitive.

Shadow does have the traits that Sonic would be most interested in, like Amy, but in his case, he is less feeling, but he can definitely keep up and even slow Sonic down. He has followed him when he thought he could put the world or himself in dagger multiple times, but he has not shown that well his ability to encourage Sonic (yeah no he has his own way with words and that way is not saying anything, much less to someone with Sonic's high self-esteem)

Sonic loves excitement and enjoying life to the last minute, doing everything that might sound extreme just for fun. He has always admired Shadow's power and angry determination, and found him and his powers amazing, even if he won't admit it. Shadow doesn't mind living extreme situations at all, apparently even enjoying certain activities that involve the excitement of a battle of any kind. Sonic finds that part of Shadow fun to mess with, and Shadow either doesn't care or is barely angry, but actually, in a way, enjoys having someone to fight or just spend time with that won't push any emotional talk or physical signs of affection too much.

Apart from that, my pov again for the future, both of them could make great parents, and their relationship in a family could be interesting since they already act like a married couple xd but then again, Sonic does not seem like the kind of person who will just have a kid unless something "eye-opening" or lifechanging happens to him.

Conclusion

But then again this is just an analysis that would be in case he would settle with either of them for life, so it might not be the best if we are just keeping them with their current age or a bit older xd

Plus, this is more related to their personalities, facts and lore... since I'm not the most adequate to judge how romantic and other kinds of attraction work haha (aroace nation rISE)

Also, as un-biased as this is, this still has a bit of personal opinion, so don't take it too canon and stuff

And remember everyone had the right to have their own opinions, even if we don't like them. Respect everyone and their opinions! They aren't hurting anyone anyway, right? (unless it's something highly immoral or just straight up not legal worldwide)

So yeah, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if you ship Sonamy, Sonadow or something else, we're all just having fun after all, and if you insult people's opinion you're just being the angry bully in the playground who steals toys and breaks them because it's fun for them, a bitch.

Sonic's got 2 hands after all, ammaright

(this is totally official art trust not al all made in 2 minutes in board with a mouse)

[6ad6ro]

ok. i finally finished final fantasy vii rebirth. and i wanna talk about it. i guess you could call this my "review". this post will be vague and spoiler-free unless you click on the "read more".

i do love this game, but it's an absolute mixed bag: story: 10/10 combat mechanics: 9/10 music: 9/10 art direction: 10/10 voice acting (jp): 10/10 open world (non-quest stuff): 4/10 sidequests: 6/10 minigames: 3/10 pacing: 1/10 does this game have flaws? yes. is it as good as the og ff7? no. but is it worth playing? absolutely. i almost feel like this game needs a "cheat sheet" in order to know what parts to play and what parts to avoid. but the good parts (mostly the linear main story stuff) is SO gd good that it's still a must-play game. ok but now i'm gonna go into details (and spoilers) under the rm cut.

so i'll go over some of my scores. firstly, the story is the main reason to play this. they def fuck around a lot, maybe they bait and switch a bit too often, but in the end it makes for a very compelling (or at least interesting) narrative. at first, i was REALLY worried that this game was gonna turn into just some "fan pandering nightmare". and it felt like it was "ff7 without it's claws". esp when everybody was dancing like pop stars and aerith and tifa kept high fiving. but... it def got into that good ff7 trauma we know and love later on. and respect to them for following through with killing aerith. yes, they did what i sorta expected. they teased tifa dying instead, teased aerith NOT dying, and then killed aerith anyway. they EASILY could have left her alive, but they didn't. they kept in the loss angle, which imo is what makes ff7 "ff7". i kinda LOVE that now you have a batshit cloud "seeing" aerith's ghost like it's star wars. and everyone else seems almost... afraid of him. and rightfully so. also i LOVED the zack stuff, even though it was absolutely confusing. i like that they're hinting at zack somehow breaking through his reality into the rm universe. i also like the tease that... idk... will there be another "party" involving zack, kyrie, biggs (if he's still alive or not)? regardless, a great story!

the combat feels mostly improved over rm. the gameplay is fantastic with very few flaws. difficulty is way more balanced than rm, with easy feeling a bit harder and normal feeling less unfair. the only times i felt frustrated by the gameplay was when they laid the "stone" status effect on too thick in parts bc it felt cheap. is it as good as the og combat? no. it still def has the unfun "you desperately need to heal but don't have a charge and the enemy is immune to everything so you just die" thing. but credit where its due, the "free item a few times per battle" materia fixes a lotta those issues.

the music is incredible. the remakes of old songs generally kick ass. some of the new music was pretty good, too. though it gets a point off because a lot of the open world stuff music felt... generic? this is just a situation where the og game's music is TOO GOOD, so the new music will always be fighting this sort of uphill battle.

the art was perfect. just the shading alone... like jesus this game is absolutely beautiful. i took so many goddamn screenshots in game, and they'd often end up looking like key renders, even tho it'd just be a random ss i could take at any angle. this game went above and beyond all expectations.

the voice acting... there was SO MUCH and it was all SO GOOD. tho i did switch to jp voices. bc... in this sorta storytelling, eng just sounds like "drama club"? idk there's a reason the language of origin cast is usually better and that's just how it is. it was perfect.

ok now we're gonna get into some of my issues, starting with the open world. it's not ENTIRELY awful? some was genuinely fun and exciting. but the majority was busywork. like it's so weird when the mainline stuff was so good that this would feel like a shitty ubisoft game. and chadley... fuck that dude. worst character in the series. but for SOME gd reason he ends up talking to you nonstop! i hit the point where i'd wince any time i heard his "radio" turn on. he took an already mediocre open world and made it way worse. fuckin chudly.

the sidequests that weren't just repeated busywork were usually neat. tho some were bad, and others withstood their welcome. the cutscenes/dialogue were usually fun or genuinely great, but they too often came at the cost of wasting your time. they often had shit rewards. and they often incorporated the shittiest "minigames" ever (i'll go into this more in a minute). example: you gotta find ingredients for a character who is learning to cook. but it isn't just going out to find them in the world. no no no. you gotta follow a dog (ftr i love the song) as they slowly meander through a jungle, running into every mob they see. and when you finally get to where the "salt" is, there's a dumb scavenger hunt minigame where you need to find only the 5(?) salt piles that look like the photo. THEN you gotta get on your chocobo and look for mushrooms in a confusing, puzzle-like terrain. which also involves a smelling/follow the direction minigame, which always leads you into mobs. and once you get to each mushroom? there's this STUPID picking minigame. after all that, what reward do you get? an accessory that functions like maybe the worst materia in the game, but also takes up the accessory slot, making it even more unusable. FUCK this game sometimes, lol.

speakin of "fuck this game", the minigames. the 200 minigames (exaggeration, but it really feels like that many). some are genuinely incredible, like the piano minigame? which might be one of my favorite minigames of all time, it's legit THAT good. or "red xiii rocket league". but for every good minigame, there was a mediocre one. and then a terrible one. or one that gets WAY too hard in higher difficulties, like the mog game which starts fun but ends up dogshit and unplayable a few levels in. even tho the good and passable minigames are the majority, the bad minigames? they're maybe some of the worst minigames i've ever played in my goddamn life. like, by design, they're almost anti-fun. i genuinely believe some of the people in charge of the bad minigames should be blackballed from the industry. it's bewildering.

and finally that brings us to the pacing. if you play the game the way they seemingly expect you to play, getting to each new area and sidequesting a bit before continuing on with the story? then you'll spend five hours of mediocre/bad sidequest for each hour of good story. that's even worst if you're a "completionist" at all, you can triple or quadruple that number. we all loved remake because it "expanded the midgar section". we were all hoping they'd do the same with the og open world. the very idea of "big open world, but so much bigger" seemed incredible. but they certainly gave it to us! like they gave us exactly what we said we wanted, lol. when i first started playing rb, i was mostly completing each area. by the second or third area, i was more than 50 hours in. "burnout" is a gross understatement. all the mediocre sidequests combined with the sometimes unplayable minigames ALSO COMBINED with fuckin chudly? and i actually started to hate this game. it made me miserable. i'd get to a new area and just roll my eyes. i'd see a new minigame tutorial pop up and i'd mash "cancel". but wouldn't you know it, once i started skipping most minigames/sidequests? i started havin a ton of fun. turns out this pacing issue can be mitigated a lot. straight up you can ignore most of the open world, and i would actually strongly recommend it. if you DO wanna sidequest a bit between story, i'd say put on a podcast, set the difficulty to easy, and turn the voices down (bc chudly). and don't do everything. oh no. just do enough to unlock the chocobo, to buy the best materia chudly has from that area, and maybe get the summoning. even THAT is probably too much. bc near the end of the game, you get the opportunity to go back and finish a bunch of the stuff you missed the first time. and i actually enjoyed a lotta that stuff then! it was almost like a period of rest and relaxation before the end story stuff.

there are ways, intentional or not, to make this game feel even BETTER than remake. when you skip most of the side stuff, it's paced incredibly well. so it's hard to say it's a bad game. it's actually a really GOOD game with "too much side content". if you treat the open world stuff as just like, a living, detailed world you glance at as you zoom by? it's actually really cool that it's there. i have a couple more pros/cons that i wanna mention, but i don't know where else to put em. like the end fights. thematically, i adored em. in execution, it went on for way way WAY too long. it was like a 15 (yes FIFTEEN) phase fight. on normal, i swear it felt like it took close to two hours, full of unskippable cutscenes and only like one checkpoint. it also takes away al of your team composition too, consistently forcing you to use characters you don't wanna use in the hardest fights in the game. first time, i got through to the very last sliver of final sephiroth's health, only for him to cast some dogshit unblockable "everyone is at 1hp" move at the end. it was ok bc "i'd prepared for this". so i instantly had one character use a gigapotion on the other, who i switched to so they could dodge just to be extra safe. the potion... missed? how? and then before i had a chance to use another, he killed the remaining character. bad game. shit game. but whatever, i hit retry. and i couldn't believe it. it sent me back 7 phases. i was livid. it had sucked the air outta the room. so i said fuck it and restarted the whole fight from the start on easy, because i can't tolerate that kind of scumbag game design that wastes a player's time. and wouldn't you know it, turns out i'd been at the very end of the fight when i died. if the potion had gone off like it shoulda, i would have won, no question. ironically even on easy, that trash situation happened again, but the potion actually went off this time, that was the only difference. but yeah. fuck that fight. it was cooler thematically than the final fight in rm, but it was three times as long, and three times more unfair. fuck whoever designed this fight, they too should be blackballed from the industry, lol.

the last thing i wanna talk about is queens blood. bc my feelings on it are sorta all over. so it starts out kinda boring, like as basic as ff8 triple triad, but wayyy less fun. and you're very limited in who you can play and what cards you can add to your deck. the ai seemingly "cheats", but it's so "linear" that you can win anyhow. and they musta known they'd lose most players, so they legit give you the ability to "flip the game board" at any point in the match and start over with zero punishment. they knew the game wasn't rly fair by design. but it's still good they had the easy retry feature, or they woulda lost me too. the qb experience sorta continues this way until you get to the latter junon area, where suddenly you run into... idk what to call it. intense difficulty spikes? like this dickwad who's playin a rockabilly guitar. FUCK that dude's deck and FUCK his ai. almost single-handedly got me to drop qb altogether. i was absolutely done, had decided qb was just a poorly designed game. thankfully, right after junon they have this big tournament on the boat to costa del sol and it's really fun. you suddenly are getting cards that have actual strategy. and suddenly qb opens up. there was a slight misstep after the boat where they make you play these stupid "puzzle" versions of qb, but you can look up guides and, even if they aren't fun, they help teach you about the game. anyways, i cautiously started playin more matches in later areas (skippin fights that seemed too lame), and before i knew it, i'd kinda fallen in love w the game. it also helped that they started incorporating this fun n bizarre story, too. so idk. i'd say play qb the same way you play the side content, skip a lot of it until you get to the end game? and then go back with cards you bought or won and finish the ones u missed. it's so weird that so much of this game works this way. and i could see someone arguing that "it's just a bad game". because when most games hand you content, even side content, most players expect they should at least give the content a fair shot. it really is kinda poorly executed. but! there are so any ways to mitigate the bad and focus on the good. knowing what i know now, i like this game even more than remake (which i really REALLY love). rebirth was fuckin great. and thank fuck i didn't get spoiled, tho i never wanna hafta try n rush through a 100+ hour open world ever again. i'm really excited for part three, just hopin i can remember to skip over a lotta the optional stuff. also hoping i won't have to buy a fuckin ps6 or whatever just to play it.

[frances-baby-houseman]

I saw All of Us Strangers, the sad sexy gay movie, and it's very sad, it's very sexy, it's very gay, and it's very, very, very weird.

I will put anything spoilery below the cut but my only non spoilery thought is... that sure was based on a japanese book.

Ok read below at your own peril. ALSO if you have somehow avoided seeing the trailer for this movie, PLEASE DO NOT SEE THE TRAILER. Go in as absolutely blind as you possibly can. DO NOT LEARN A SINGLE THING!

Ok spoilers below the cut.

I have seen many mixed reviews of this movie, and my review is also mixed! Did it devastate me? It did not! It did devastate my friend who was like, do not see this alone you will need emotional support! But she has lost a parent, which I definitely think will influence your thinking about this movie! I found it very sad and moving AS a parent, but not like, devastating.

I think the twist of the movie is not that there's one twist, but two. Unfortunately, the first twist is given away in the marketing-- you know he visits his parents, but you also know his parents are dead. So right away you're trying to figure out are they ghosts? is it real? is he just imagining it? So you're primed to be like, wtf is going on. I wish I hadn't been like that, bc that had me looking for the catch the whole time!

The SECOND twist is that Harry --Paul Mescal -- is also dead. But I like, also knew that? I knew the whole time that there would be a catch with his character too, I guess, even if I didn't know if he was dead. Bc I was primed to look for a twist! I think my thought the whole time was that he was screenwriting the visions with his parents, and then ALSO screenwriting the parts with Harry. The first encounter with harry was real, and then after that was invented. I wish that had been real, actually. I think mescal being dead put too much of a pin on it. He sees dead people!

There is some good sexy parts if you find either of the leads hot, and surely everyone on earth must find at least one of them hot! Great year for Ireland babes!

Claire Foy is so so so good and I hope she has more parts soon. Jamie Bell was also good! This was just a four hander so I can confidently say everyone was good!

I just really wish Harry hadn't been dead. That was just too clear cut in a movie that was otherwise extremely not clear cut. It did lead to the beautiful closing shot, which I LOVED. I guess maybe if he was alive then there would still have been some hope for Adam (andrew scott).

OK ALL THE MECHANICS ASIDE, I loved so much of this! I loved the foggy structure, I loved the way it was filmed, I loved the way Adam used memory and I guess imagination to give himself the love he never otherwise got. He was so generous to himself when he was otherwise so isolated from the world. That's the saddest part! I think I'd like to see it again so I can just let myself slip through it and not be so caught up on how it works.

I'm also sad bc I would like to talk about this movie but I don't think anyone has seen it!!

[teddybeartoji]

dune part two babyy!!!!

i'll try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. as possible as a review can go i guess..... and as always this was a ramble and it's not really proofread my apologies my loves it's kinda late and my head hurts so this'll have to do!

THE SOUND WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOD OH MY FUCKING GOD MY EYES WERE ROLLING BACK INSIDE MY HEAD AFTER LIKE 10 SECONDS ALREADY that was great i loved it

but overall.... i definitely preferred the first one. i don't know maybe it was my own fault - that i was so excited and i might've gotten my hopes so far up but then again i really wasn't expecting anything......... i haven't read the book so i don't know the story and i avoided clips and trailers as much as i could. i guess the only expectation i had that it was gonna be mindblowing. it was okay. and it feels so weird to say it when all of the other reviews are so good lmao so yk i'm reminding us all that i am a simple Movie Watcher And I Know Nothing.

the difference between a good movie or a bad one for me is really simple for me. whether it makes me Feel something. anything. ok, not anything - boredom and annoyance don't really count here. dune part two kind of left me cold. yes, i got chills every once in a while but that was mostly because of the sound design and not because of whatever was happening on the screen.

chalamet had his moments. at the end at least. i thought he was great in the first one but this was kinda just meh. for the most part it just felt like he was there.... but he's literally the main character so that's not good lmao.

another thing that really threw me off was the non-existent chemistry between chalamet and zendaya. it's simply not there. but it's such a big part of the movie??????????? their first kiss was the biggest Meh of all time??????? well, actually pretty much all of their scenes were like that. "meh" isn't even a proper word but idk what else to use here i apologize. now that i'm thinking about it - i can't really give you an example of a good scene of theirs........ boo!

rebecca ferguson is great i love her but her part in this one wasn't too exciting either................... there really wasn't a single performance i feel like i should pluck out bc they were all just very mid. nothing special caught my eye and it's disappointing bc in the first one it's the complete opposite? oscar isaac is there, stellan skarsgård, dave bautista, jason mamoa???????, chalamet obviously, ferguson obviously - so where did all of that go in this one???

now i have two things that i wish had been a little different BUT but but there's a massive but here. neither of those things are villeneuve things. at all. so it's kind of stupid for me to even be bringing them up but am anyway. i wish there was more blood. sigh. pretty sure everyone that follows me already knows of my Bloodlust lmao but i really do think a few scenes would've been better, more effective with it. i'm not talking about blood splatter - it's not some crazy horror movie. i just wanted to see more of it. a pool of blood here and there. i mean the dead bodies were there. is that too much to ask for? maybe villeneuve is just going for the more realistic look...... but ahhh. there was a scene (not a big spoiler i promise) where a person is stabbed in the neck and even though the knife is left in there, there would still be blood coming out of it, no? or idk if he was a weirdo and his blood wouldn't have been red i just wanted SOMETHING to come out from there. it just looked kinda bland.

but since i am a villeneuve doesn't really do blood. in any of his films. it's always very little - mostly only the main characters get to have blood on them. paul (dune's mc) certainly had some on him in the end but LOOK IT JUST DIDN'T SATIATE MY THIRST AAAAAAAAAA it's whatever i guess i can't stay mad at him he's a god i love him

and the second thing, another thing he doesn't really do - fight scenes. here's a reminder that i very much love action movies and so i've seen enough of fight scenes to understand what makes one good and what makes one bad.... i wish he'd show the fights more. if a fight is all cut up - it feels incredibly fake. and that's exactly how the one-on-one fights were like in dune part two. very close-up and cut up. you can't see what's happening so it doesn't matter to you. if you can see more of their moves, you can kind of get more into it yourself but alas only seeing their upper bodies and their unamused faces doesn't really do that. scruntched eyebrows "grr i'm so angry". yeah, okay. show me your moves bitch boy i don't care about your face!!

perhaps i simply need to watch it again. maybe it'll be better the second time around but for now - it was a big big meh. it does feel weird to not be as not into it as everyone else seems to be. the good old rottentomatoes puts this on a whopping 95% while the first sits at a 83% and yk it just makes it seems that i'm really missing out on something lmao. if i do see it again and if the second watch actually changes something i will let you all know i can promise you that!!

very long story short - as an action buff and a villeneuve lover... this was kind of boring. sad emoji face. three stars out of five.

[deadaccount1211]

TD 2023 Review: The Final Chapter

Spoilers Down Below.

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Episode 9: I ain't gonna lie from the way they structured this episode in the beginning. I already knew Caleb was winning immunity.

Funny screenshot I grabbed ^.

I started off this season liking Mkulia because I saw it as an alliance between two equals. But ever since the cheating plotline, they've only ever used MK as a punching bag. And then the cherry on top is Julia eliminating her for a second time.

Left a sour taste in my mouth tbh. And I can believe the hockey bros were dumb enough to vote her off. But you're telling me that Julia somehow convinced Priya and Damien that MK is the bigger threat between the two? She literally told you guys she eliminated Nichelle. But consistency be damned I guess.

Episode 10: I kinda wish the memory game was more about remembering events that happened through the season and less press a button on a ipad.

This julia vs damien rivalry is cooking. It's about time Julia faced some opposition in this competition.

A bit ironic considering they're athletes but I don't think Wayne and Raj have done well in a single competition this season.

Priya admitting she knows Julia is manipulative and then proceeding to get manipulated by Julia. ://////////

Me going into the elimination scene: Oh so the praleb drama is resolved! Priya or Caleb is going home right?

??

??

???

WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN DAMIEN GOT ELIMINATED? WHAT THE FUCK???

Ok Julia shared her immunity with Caleb. Vote off Priya? She won last season??? It's not that hard???

"Sorry bro we can't vote off Priya because she's in love with Caleb" WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT LOGIC? That's exactly why you should vote her off!

Damien running around the island looking for his idol and then getting dragged away screaming is legitimately pitiful to watch.

This season loves giving ppl undignified exits but this was the worst one of all.

I want to add on that I knew there was a very low chance Damien was gonna win given how his arc was structured. But this elim was bullshit, should've been Priya.

Episode 11:

Starting off the episode with the hockey bros saying they miss Damien is lame. Ya'll never interacted and you voted him off. Fuck off.

Julia starting an off screen alliance with Caleb is lame. I don't want to hear the excuse "They can only fit so much into 22 minutes." They did perfectly fine in S1? Why the steep downgrade in quality?

We finally get a non gen 1 cameo and it's fucking McArthur. God I hate this season.

This is the worst challenge of the season. This is the third time ya'll have done run around and be chased by animals challenge. At least nobody is farting this time around.

Maturing is realizing Raj was never gonna get a character arc and he's only here to be comedic relief. Sigh..

Julia being a challenge beast doesn't feel as fun as it did in S1. Probably because she's casually steamrolling the game rn.

They waited way too long to boot off one of the hockey bros. We literally only have two episodes left. How are they gonna be able to make wayne idependent and stand out on his own?

Episode 12:

Why is Julia so insistent on gaining Wayne's vote when she has the immunity idol?

Caleb really is whatever the plot demands him to be. He spent the first half of the season being a wannabe f boy. Now he wants to act all sweet n shit and say he don't wanna lie on Total Drama. Like please get the fuck out of here. Not even Millie was this annoying. Steroid ass freak.

Maybe it's the inner fanfic writer inside of me. But imagine if Damien was in this fear challenge and his final fear to overcome was Scary Girl. Would've been peak imo.

They're really giving Wayne a last minute character arc about learning how to be himself without Raj around.

Tennis Rivals cameo? Isn't RR supposed to be an in universe spinoff? Why are there more RR references than like Revenge or Pahkitew? Are those seasons getting swept under the rug?

They really tried to make this elimination suspenseful when we already know Julia has the idol.

I still like Priya overall. But i'd be lying if I said Season 2 makes it hard to do so. Besides a few mentions from Chris, her being a canonical winner has no effect on the story. Her storyline is a near identical repeat of last season but worse. Just change the genre from friendship to romance. And replace Millie with Caleb. It naturally ended in episode 10 but the writers wanted to stretch this shit as long as humanely possible so here's more problems for the two to overcome. I could go on and on but to sum it up, priya x caleb is ass.

The Finale:

Hmm. Who should I root for?

The guy who just became relevant last episode?

Generic romance plotline guy?

Overpowered villainess?

I like Julia the most out of these three. But a complete Julia steamroll would be mid. Like if she won S1, I'd be cool with that. Because she fought tooth and nail to get into the final 4.

First boot to winner is a neat idea but I don't want it wasted on a bad character like Caleb.

Wayne exists.

Wait so Ripaxel is still together? Why was she so distant towards him in their elimination episode? So Ripper legitimately quit for no reason then? And didn't Chris say last season if you quit then you owe him a million bucks? Is that never coming back up?

Say it with me everyone, "This season is ass!"

Team Caleb not giving a shit about him is so real.

Why is Julia surprised that only MK wants to be on her team?

I don't know how many of you have seen it. But there's this fanmade show called Disventure Camp. And the finale challenge for that show is almost identical to this one. Not accusing anyone of copyright.

I just thought it was interesting to point out.

Considering Chase's pizza obsession that got him eliminated in season one. Shouldn't he have been the one to go back for pizza? This season can't even remember the minor details.

I thought they were gonna do bald julia for a second lol. Mullet Julia looks cool though.

Wayne won. My honest reaction: :/

I can't be the only person who thinks it's sus that Terry McGurrin. The white straight ally who likes hockey. Wrote the final episode where the white straight ally who likes hockey wins. :/

People have been comparing his win to TDI Owen.

Owen was a goofball but at least he had a S Tier social game and interacted with loads of ppl (cody, gwen, trent, heather, duncan, izzy, noah)

And he was decent at the challenges. (dodgeball challenge, eating challenge)

Wayne sucked in every challenge and only talked to Raj and sometimes Julia.

Honestly might be the 2nd worst winner this series has ever had. Mike still holds the crown for worst winner.

If they really wanted an underdog finalist they should've went with Damien. He was an underdog and actually did shit in the game. And they built a rivalry for him and Julia. Only to throw it away immediately.

Kinda wish these were the two pairings instead of Ripaxel and Praleb.

I know they teased a S3. But if it's the same level of quality as S2, I don't want it.

[hellcatinnc]

Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie Review

Will Include Spoilers So Be Warned!

Where do I start there is so many conflictions in this movie for me. First being could have sworn last year was called the awakening but when you look it up I swear it is listed as above "The Movie" well that was plain lame. Anyways lets see if I can break this down into parts might be a better thing.

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Ladybug/Marinette

I honestly missed her clumsiness around Adrien it was weird not having it. She was able to walk right up to him and ask him out and just spend time practically falling in love with him and even touching his hand thanks to tikki's help yet she didn't freak out and pull away. The closest clumsy scene you get is the day she meets him and she fumbles on to the bookcase. The way she led cat noir on with the song and sounding like she was in love with him up until he confessed his feelings and then she shut him down WTF how cruel even for ladybug that was wrong. Soon as she saw how he felt in the show she turned him down telling him that there was another but not build him up than crush him. I didn't even much care for her singing voice either she really was more of a disappointment and I didn't love her as much as the original Marinette we have all grown to love.

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Cat Noir/Adrien

Ok don't mess with the kitty, like seriously he was like a whole different person from the Cat Noir flirty type we have grown to love. I mean Adrien was more flirtier and that was in his actions that cat noir like WHAT? Anyways the Ma'lady being cut from his vocabulary irritated me. He even came off as obnoxious as cat noir in the beginning with the whole side kick bullshit like cat noir has never been so cocky that I wanted to slap him before. Not only that but he really looked like a little kid and acted as one and yet the real cat noir is pretty sexy in how he comes off you forget his age :D He does have a good singing voice though I will give him that.

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Luka

Practically was non existent and didn't have any lines like seriously even pain in the ass Chloe got lines but we didn't get luka WTF. Plus all his uniqueness drained away like he is just some little boy who decided to have blue hair for no freakin reason when it was always his identity, his personality, and who he was to the core which is why he had the whole rocker feel to him but not in this movie. Like look at this stupid difference and yes I chose mad Luka cause thats how I feel about this change.

Don't let me stop there go look up luka on sites for this movie and this is what you will see Are You Fucking Kidding Me!!

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Ladynoir/Adrienette

So I have always thought they were perfect together this movie gave me that at least but in such a weird rushed way I could barely enjoy it. Whether it was as ladynoir or adrienette either way we just didn't get to enjoy the ride. Not to mention the fact that they stole the kiss in the end and didn't even let us end with that being the ending. The fact that they changed how she fell for Adrien as well when we are so used to the umbrella being iconic just made me mad who cares about the stupid library. These scenes are iconic and can not be just changed the way they were.

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Kwami's

Nooroo seemed nothing like he did on the show like he seemed over sophisticated for a kwami and I don't know just didn't care for it.

Tikki - I will say this much she was pretty much like she was in the show I can't say I saw too many differences which I was thankful for. However was kinda blah when she showed up as an actual ladybug in the beginning.

Plagg - Ok this is normally my favorite kwami but let me tell you what I was irritated at how they portrayed him. First he shows up as a regular cat that felt off. After he spends the whole first part of meeting Adrien sitting around farting everywhere and eating molded cheese. Ok Camembert cheese does not look like food that has gone bad WTF.

Anyways on with my rant on plagg it says everywhere its the same voice actor but I swear it sounded nothing like Plagg like even his actions really irritated me too. I don't know but I missed my old Plagg I just missed his nasally sound when he talked.

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Hawk Moth/Gabriel Agreste

So as far as his personality as Gabriel he seemed to actually love his son in the ending and stopped his bullshit the moment he realized it was Adrien. However we know in the show this wasn't even a thing because the alternate that happened and you saw him find out his son was Cat Noir he exploited him took how ring and used it to get to Ladybug showing not a damn bit of care for his son. Also they got him wrong making it seem like his love for his wife was everything and that he was doing it just to get her back yet in the show its the same but when Nathalie helps him and he has a way to do it he chooses to try to destroy ladybug and cat noir instead of saving the woman he supposedly loves. You get a father who cares in the movie but it just feels weird when its not real its almost like its fake.

Hawk Moth himself was ok I guess nothing really different the wings was kinda cool when was akumitized but thats all I got for him.

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Also last but not least the transitioning effects I want to mention. So first being you see her guess in her mind with tikki when she first transforms however in the world she was standing on the street so technically wouldn't that mean she changed into ladybug in front of everyone or is that just over looked. Cat Noir his transition was so fast I barely knew it even happened like the transitions on the show are so cool and they just dropped like they were nothing. You only saw the lucky charm used once and it wasn't anything like were used too. Not to mention the fact that I waited for the whole saying she gives when she throws up and grabs the butterfly saying de-akumatize anyways that was lost as well as the throwing her lucky charm into the air and cleaning up the city another thing taken out. Also the repeat villians at a time instead of one at a time pushed this to also feel rushed.

This movie is really a hit or miss with me and I would just rather go watch season 5 the rest of it than watch this movie ever again. Also the one song I loved in the movie that I waited for when I first heard about it last year was cut from the movie since the french girl left its like are you kidding me they didn't think to lock that shit in so even if she left she couldn't take the song with her. It was a perfect song as well like seriously if you haven't heard it go listen it fits our wonderful couple so well. I will leave you with one last thing if you remember the movie being called the awakening its because it was but was dropped not long before the movie went live for some damn reason. Honestly I was really disappointed in this movie. I will tell you if this movie was how I had been introduced to Miraculous I would have turned it off and never watched it again.

This is the one that was done around the ones we know but still was supposed to be in the new movie so screw it this fits our ladybug and cat noir more anyways.

[notallwonder]

Okeydoke. CM 16x09 "Memento Mori". What delights and disappointments do you have in store for me...

Spoilers etc etc etc under the cut.

I've been rewatching season 3. It feels like such a different show. I think the impact of the shake up of producers and cast that happened in season 5/6 cannot be overestimated. And of course with this new season they've actively tried to make it a different iteration. But yeah...the creative vision or whatever shifted a lot over its original run.

Anyway.....back to the matter at hand...

oh no...Rossi flashback. :/ oh buddy. ngl hearing Rossi break up like that makes me very sad.

(Emily you look fabulous in your funeral dress)

I do appreciate the time they've given to Rossi & Emily's relationship

also it just makes me uncomfy that Rossi's doing his canvassing all alone. Even the Mormons don't do that.

OH SHIT is going down!

Emily is your blazer sparkly? no no it's like some kinda tufted wool pattern. (Cute)

JJ your hair looks great

Tara you must be right, "it's hard to be a new dad and a psychopath at the same time" (also you look great bb)

OH SNAP he walked right in??!! with a lil smirk??!!

Okay okay okay TARA / REBECCA FLASHBACK. Aw, Tara that look on your gorgeous face. 🥰 I am not intimately familiar with Al-Anon but I can see how Rebecca's history might influence her tendency to go scorched earth/go to extremes in her reactions.

I wish the flashbacks were in color though. The black & white photography is pretty I suppose, but I wanna see their beautiful faces in full color.

Urgency!! Rebecca coming thru!! (in her fire burgundy suit btw)

this Sacramento offer is all she's got?? I know she's under review, whatever that entails, and presumably thus no longer in line for an associate atty general job (is that actually a thing??) but she's... still actively working in the DOJ in Washington DC hence why she's even plausibly (lol) in this room. Why would this Sacramento job be the only option left to her? This does not make sense.

Tara looks so beautiful, GOD. but also too sad.

Ugh back to this bitch (Elias)

This little tete-a-tete w/ Rossi is...intruiging. Ooh twist that knife sir.

LOL the very subtle sound cue/background music they put on Rossi's grin after he says "Almost." God that was perfect. Like the cartoon sparkle on a smile. Like the Schitt's Creek chime.

Wow this guy has plans on plans on cojones. I like him. He's bad news.

Side note: it annoys me that they keep calling Sicarius the "most prolific" killer they've ever seen. Didn't they estimate Frank's body count in the 80s or 90s?

Oh....our favorite asshole Tyler Green. Oh and our other favorite ah Will - here in an official non-husband capacity. Neato.

The question remains....is Tyler Green a bad guy? He's clearly taking PG for a ride, but what that fully means I don't know.

OOooooh big drama betw Tyler & Luke. That stare down!

Does PG see it now? She might.

F U C K. Suspicions (Apparently!) confirmed ! !

Rossi you in danger girl.

this could still be a vigilante type situation...but they're leaning hard on making Green seem sus and at the very least he's an uncontrolled quantity. He's gonna get in the way.

ok another flashback. this one im categorizing as dumb bc it's about Tyler. Honestly I'd rather have an Emily flashback. Even if it's just her like...loading her dishwasher. God, what I wouldn't give.

cute baby tho. Tyler has baby-related ptsd

This angst filled grocery shopping RULES!!!!! Rolling Stones babey!!!

Rossi, stalking people while they are grocery shopping is not nice. I get it, you have a job to do blah blah. But coming up on ladies in the cereal aisle is just annoying as hell.

OH MY GAWD. Rossi talking serial killer with the wife in the CEREAL AISLE?!?!?!!!!! only god above and people I'll never speak to know if this was by design but I am LOSING it over this stupid visual pun.

Sydney! You left your toilet paper! Don't you remember how hard it was to get toilet paper just a few short years ago?!

LMAO Rossi you got played buddy.

It does feel odd given recent episodes that Bailey isn't in the middle of this fray, but I'm so not mad he's not there.

Emily's "yes ma'am" reminds me of her very flat "ma'am" to Strauss in "100". Very different (this one contains no venom), but I just have not been able to get Strauss out of my head while watching Prentiss this season.

ZOMG LUKE & PENELOPE. Pen, why are you oversharing with him???!!!! Oh honey. You really think he's just your friend. Can't talk to Prentiss bc you already fucked that up, can't talk to JJ bc JJ will call you out on your shit, can't talk to Tara bc she's in her own world of hurt... you friend zoned Luke and are about to find Out!

Oh GOd PG! Like... I know you sometimes lack a filter but c'mon. 😬

FUCK Rossi WHAT are you DOING. This man who has been marinating in grief for years is about to lose it all

The only one who we know knows where he is is Tyler Green (awful sentence so sorry)

I'm getting tense

The Two Devolvers

AAAGH I just LOVE when an intense moment goes straight to psoriasis drug commercials!!! Fuck!

Is the Dan & Sheila thing a reference to a real podcast of some sort? Who are Dan and Sheila.

I do like when the show seems to acknowledge the shortcomings of profiling as an endeavor

Rossi rounding out the Brown Jacket Brigade

Oh. Emily.

Oh. GARCIA. Chickens....roosting....etc

i am just dying, Dying for Emily to completely Lose Her Shit. i doubt she will get the opportunity. But I want it.

JJ getting the lay of the land watching Emily's reaction. Tara getting the lay of the land watching Penelope.

I want Rossi to pee in the car, and then say "it's just a rental".

A favor from DC Metro? For when they are in the field in SEATTLE? I know this is just to get Will into the mix but it's annoying.

Garcia! Um, the implication that you think avoidant-attachment style folks are like...better at or predisposed to lying? Fucked up. I think you have not been getting an A+ in therapy (thing that's normal to want, etc...). All this "Penelope has thrived during the pando / been getting so great at self care etc" seems to be revealing itself as a front of sorts. Kinda feels like a third, smaller, devolution.

The Will stans of the world will rejoice - he's on the jet

For the record, I think Emily made a calculated risk/decision to send PG into the field with the rest. Perhaps thinking she would be uniquely situated to convince/keep Tyler out of the way. Meta-wise, it was necessary to then place JJ/Will and Luke/Garcia in the same frame on the jet. I'm sure that was no accident.

Ugh. Do we think Rossi's out? Is he gonna be dead when this is all said and done? I hope not. He's still got lots of grandparenting to do. But he really should fucken retire.

OOOOHHHHH. THE GARVEZ DATE. Again...I wish they gave us these flashbacks in color.

Oh, handholding!!!!!!!!!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 it's not the specific handholding I wished for, but it's the handholding I absolutely needed!!!!!!

Luke, my man. I love ya. I feel for ya. God. I'm sorry things went this way. Honestly, PG, if you have trouble conversing in a non-dunking way with someone you consider a friend...like maybe I'm being judgmental here but that sounds like a you problem that you might want to figure out babe.

Thinking about Luke compared with Derek. Derek would have pushed back on a statement like that from PG. Luke, bless him, does not push back because he's got more at stake emotionally / is wounded by it. But a statement like that from PG needs pushback, especially if you're trying to redefine the relationship.

I feel so bad for Emily. She has to keep it together but you know she's furious and deeply worried about her kidnapped work wife

Now we've come back around to Rossi's flashback pain. He didn't want to watch his wife be closed up underground. I see.

Zomg. I wonder if they are gonna cliffhanger the season with Rossi still trapped underground.

AAAAAAAAAAAH

I quite enjoyed this episode. I liked the directing, though I would have preferred the flashbacks in color. There were some really nice shots in there. A lot of backstory snippets. I wanna know more about Tara. What prompted her to go to Al-Anon, years after her marriage broke up? Does that have anything to do with the toning down/disappearance of her swagger? As for Garvez - I don't feel the same level of upset over how this has played out, but I think we're headed toward a reveal of Luke's deeper feelings and some kind of reckoning. And while it's not necessarily *fun* to watch Garcia make these choices, I am not convinced this was a completely bad decision storytelling-wise. I know, I'm in the minority there. Let her fuck up! Let her be unlikable, selfish, blind. I guess what would disappoint me the most is if there's no turn in this story, no real consequences or accountability. We'll see.

Favorite scene hands down was the angsty grocery shopping. What can I say, it gave me life.

[goblin-enjoyer]

recently got friendsim because it is on sale [LIKE 2 DOLLARS STEAM MONEY]. my thoughts.

probably spoilers idk what registers as that for this game idk its late and I am making a post on tumblr.com, hold on to your socks folks, its going to get rambly. (probably, I do this as I go)

Game was nice, short and sweet. wasn't too short to where you were left wanting more as well as a refund, not to long where you would start getting tired and start wishing it would end. almost got to that at the end for me but that's mostly because it went annoyingly meta/romancey. Most of the characters are nice and enjoyable and the ones that aren't usually either acknowledged as annoying/obnoxious by the game and/or get comeuppance at some point for being gits. Favorites had to be the jades, the big purple longhorn and either some teal or olive(?) blood that i cant quite remember because there's quite a few characters, I suck at remembering names and faces(even with fictional characters, what can I say, brain just doesn't like storing that info) and its almost 3 am and despite saying "oh I should probably stop posting stuff that I want read at late times of night, I get rather rambly and nonsensical at night." here I am making a review for a game(?) I liked and would recommend. but I think ii have gotten ahead of myself. not to worry I will probably forget this later and go over the topic again, as I do at these hours. but yeah the writing was witty, fun and most of the time knew when to joke and when to evoke emotions. nice exploration of alterna troll civilization as well as a nice break from the grand stakes and threats of homestuck proper. sure got a wee bit meta at the end but it didn't overstay its welcome. the ending did make me wish there was an epilogue for the characters that tied up loose ends and sent the game off better than mr ball head spouting off some meta "pawn, scheme, blah blah blah, not real, using you, yatta yatta, etc, etc.." but eh I'm used to good stories made by people who don't know how to write endings (I'm looking at you primal). oh yeah almost forgot one of my favorite parts of the game! The FRIEND part of friendsim. Its not a dating simulator despite the look of it! my aro/ace arse could not be happier that pretty much all the "romance-like" stuff was reserved for optional paths. especially glad there was no dating stuff because all the characters were minors. hate that I have to say it but I keep my distance from dating sims and visual novels for that reason. apologies anime fans, I know there's a lot of good anime out there, without that weird wishy-washy stuff, but I don't know enough about tropes and visual tells from trailers and stuff to personally discern the weirdly hornys from the not hornys. I'm just not good at detecting that stuff without heavy research first. ok random somewhat off topic ramble about horny blindness done, this post is getting way too long I should not have made it this late at night, I had one baja blast and it is keeping me up with sudo energy. hate having to spin the "Soda Wheel of Energy Based Side Effects!" every time i want a nice carbonated sugar beverage. is that an autistic thing or just me?

anyways, friendsim is a good read for both homestuck fans and non fans alike(however it may be more likely to get enjoyment from the former). with mostly great characters, a fun, if dark sometimes story and great art and music, this NOTdating sim is overall a great to good experience with a few bumps in the road. Wish there was a sequel or dlc or something for story continuations for all the characters but that's just me. its currently cheap on steam so get it if you want it or might want to give a few chapters a read threw on a boring day.

[phrootsnacks]

📖 What I Read in 2023 📖

I finished a total of 8 books this year, which is 8 more than I did last year!! :D

(ok yeah the number of books I read in a year is not impressive, but cut me some slack I'm a slow reader, ok??)

this year I read mostly non-fiction, specifically about languages, linguistics, D/deaf culture, science, technology, etc so if those categories interest you, keep reading! Also let me know if you have any recommendations!

here are my recommendations:

Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch

Made to Break by Giles Slade

Translanguaging by Ofelia García and Li Wei

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below are my reviews of all the books I read this year!

Short Stories in Spanish by Olly Richards

For Beginners, Volume One

One of the few fiction books! I can tolerate fiction if it’s in one of my TLs lol

If you read my language studying post from last year, you know I started reading this book in December of last year and my opinions on it are still the same. It was a bit easy for me, but still an enjoyable and relaxing read. The stories are short, light, and straightforward. I found it really helpful that the stories were broken up into chapters and that there were summaries and review questions after each chapter. As a resource for Spanish, it’s pretty good. As for actual stories, however, it’s ehhh. Oftentimes the plot seems to go in random directions, completely unmotivated. Or much time is spent on a specific scene, for it to have no importance whatsoever. And like, I get why it is this way-- it’s to provide as much interesting vocab as possible. 

If you’re learning Spanish and want to improve your reading, I’d recommend it. If you’re looking for good stories, there’s better.

The Art of Language Invention by David J. Peterson

From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves, the Words Behind World-Building

ok first I have beef with DJP because ACTUALLY verbs are the best part of language and onions are good

fr, this book taught me so much about so many different language concepts. It starts small and then gets bigger, which as a result often reinforces the ideas from previous chapters. I also enjoyed learning about all the linguistic variety there is in the world! The discussion of each concept is brief but thorough enough to get the gist, and is often supported by an example. I go absolutely feral for random language facts, so I greatly enjoyed learning so many tidbits about my own languages and others.

This is a great resource if you’re interested in conlangs or in languages generally, and want a little taste of the possible ways and shapes a language could be. Do not read if you don’t want language spoilers!!

Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch

Understanding the New Rules of Language

this book is ,-~^*`*^~-,wonderful,-~^*`*^~-,

It was so interesting to learn about something I do so unconsciously. I grew up with the internet: talking to strangers on Webkinz, looking at i can has cheezburger memes, texting my friends on an iPod Touch. Reading this book was like reading a history I relate to, a history I have experienced and continue to experience (even if I wasn’t or am not personally there)

This book is also very inspiring and... validating? Like, lil ol’ me can be a linguist? just a little guy on the internet?? can do linguistics??? And the new words and phrases I come across on the internet, and the way I see my own brand of internet speak change, all that is worthy of thought and analysis? Yes, absolutely yes. Studying linguistics always ends up with me seeing everyday interactions thru a new lens, and this book definitely encouraged this lens to point at my own interactions on the internet.

Introduction to American Deaf Culture by Thomas K. Holcomb

I really enjoyed learning about Deaf culture-- the art, the language, the solutions for effective living, the community, etc. Because I'm hearing and don't personally know any D/deaf people, it was very eyeopening to learn about this community and its history.

Before I read this book, I would have logically assumed that of course, D/deaf people have their own way of interacting with the world, their own culture, their own perspectives. Like, obviously, yeah. But it's a whole other thing to actually learn about it and read about it and see evidence of it!!

Overall, this book covers a lot of ground, but still remains quite surface level and doesn't get too into the weeds-- it really is an introduction. But, it provides some interesting frameworks, which I find useful when thinking about other marginalized groups and their unique cultures and struggles-- especially as it concerns disability. So even if you don't have any particular ties to the Deaf community or Deaf culture, this book is still an interesting and informative read.

It is... it is a textbook, tho.

Seeing Voices by Oliver Sacks

Another book about D/deafness! this one is a short read but still goes into depth in a few topics. specifically, about how important language is neurologically (of which unfortunately some D/deaf people are deprived,) the effect of sign language on the capabilities and structure of the brain, and the change over time in the recognition of Deaf culture and Deaf identity.

Being a language nerd, I especially enjoyed learning about how revolutionary language is for thought and about how the brain adapts and changes due to the use of sign language.

Overall this book is pretty good, tho there are some... weird things that I didn't like about it: a few ableist slurs, maintaining a medical model of deafness, a fascination with D/deaf people and culture in a way that feels exoticizing... this book was published in 1989, whereas Introduction to American Deaf Culture was published in 2012, so maybe this weirdness is just ~of that time~ but also Sacks was hearing. there are probably things about Deaf culture Sacks just couldn't understand because he wasn't deaf himself. All this said, I'm also hearing so take my opinion of these books with a grain of salt. Maybe the weirdness in Seeing Voices isn't so bad and I'm overreacting, maybe it's a lot worse than I realize. If you've read it, let me know what you thought!

Made to Break by Giles Slade

Technology and Obsolescence in America

I really liked this book. the first eight chapters are all just the history of obsolescence in America, and it was super interesting to learn about how this idea applied to so many different products and various time periods. admittedly, I struggle to read / learn history, but because the topic is centered around something I'm already interested in it wasn't a drag. I also like how it was written-- I think focusing on stories about individual people and cultural trends kept it from being too dry or impersonal. at some points I would wonder "how does this connect to obsolescence?" but then there would be a reveal! like wow! I did not see that coming!

(also super interesting learning about the history of FM radio vs TV and computers and chips as an electrical engineer bc it's like hey! I know that guy! he was in my textbook! oh shit how did he die? oh god that's fucked up wow)

the last chapter focuses on electronic waste and makes some predictions about the future, and since this book was published in 2006, I'm really interested in looking into what the status of this problem is now. obviously, the themes of obsolescence are still prevalent today in various markets and products and it's... frustrating but necessary to learn about. you have to learn about it to know that it's a problem, and to know how to move forward.

(also also, the physical quality of the book is really nice. like very often I turned the page and had to check I didn't accidentally turn two pages, because the paper is nice and thick. idk I think that's very fitting for the themes of the book lol)

Chaos by James Gleick

Making a New Science

I liked this book? it simultaneously feels like this book is for laypeople (ie people who have not studied systems and higher level math and whatnot) but also like I am not smart enough for this book (despite having studied systems and higher level math and whatnot.) I don't know, it hit a weird balance of not explaining too much so you don't get overwhelmed by information, but also it doesn't explain enough for you to really fully get it.

I think I liked this book. like it's interesting and I enjoyed learning about all the different fields this... chaos math... applies to... but also? this book was published in 1987 so idk if it's really all that applicable to systems / models / various fields today. like I haven't studied it in any of my classes, but also all my classes have focused on linear systems and have hand waved non-linear systems. so like, either I haven't studied it yet, or chaos really isn't that important of a field?

idk I like the pure math aspects of it, and this book has some really nice visuals. like the color pages of the Mandelbrot set! I liked that! besides that maybe I should read some more recent chaos literature lol lmk if you have suggestions

Translanguaging by Ofelia García and Li Wei

Language, Bilingualism and Education

I really enjoyed this book! it's short but insightful and (I would say) a thorough read about translanguaging. the first part discusses theories about language and bilingualism, and explains what translanguaging is and how it's distinct from other terms. from my understanding, here is what translanguaging is: while specific features may be defined as belonging to one Language or another (ie "table" belongs to English and "mesa" belongs to Spanish,) for a bilingual / multilingual speaker these features all constitute one linguistic repertoire. then, translanguaging is to use all of one's linguistic repertoire, crossing the imaginary boundaries between Languages in order to facilitate or do (something)

that something can be education, as described in part two! i think education is really important, so I was very interested to learn more about bilingual / multilingual education. this part gives a lot of examples of translanguaging in practice in the classroom, whether intentionally or unintentionally. I think the fact that people translanguage, in contexts where it isn't encouraged to contexts where it's explicitly discouraged, indicates that Languages are not really separate or distinct in people's minds, despite the labels we give them and how we talk about them.

neurolinguistic speculation aside, it was really interesting to see how translanguaging was used to achieve a variety of goals-- learning content, developing new language features, maintaining old language features, developing critical thinking, etc etc. it made me reflect on my own language education experiences and how I've used (or failed to use) translanguaging to learn and to teach. seriously-- how many classes have I been in where there is a strict target-language only policy? I get the motivation, but as evidenced by the book it can restrict a student's ability to ask questions and think critically if they can't use their entire linguistic repertoire.

overall I liked this book a lot! it gave me a lot of new ways of thinking on some of my favorite subjects-- specifically languages, linguistics, and education.

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Books I'll keep reading in 2024

these are some of the books I started but did not finish this year, however I plan to keep reading them next year! I have a bad habit of reading way too many books at one time, but then the books I'm borrowing from the library get prioritized so I end up not finishing some stuff,,,, so here are those books too! :D

Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom by bell hooks

New Penguin Parallel Texts: Short Stories in Spanish edited by John R. King

Anarchy Works by Peter Gelderloos

Exploring Language (Third Edition) edited by Gary Goshgarian

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Whoa! A DNF list too!

this is the one book I read but did not finish and currently do not plan to finish; Exploring Language (Third Edition) might end up here too because I did not realize how dated it was until I started reading it lol

Tubes by Andrew Blum

A journey to the Center of the Internet

I really wanted to like this book! I'm actually really interested in the topic, about internet history and internet infrastructure and how it all works (and especially, how this technology tends to only benefit the most privileged at the expense of those less privileged.) but I just really didn't like the style of writing. it asked a lot of questions, it got repetitive, and it was too personal for my taste. I guess I didn't really get what this book was trying to be-- I'm more interested in the facts and the technology than I am in Blum's personal roadtrip and interactions with people. it also felt so very... capitalistic. like "cool! these companies own all this technology and they're making a killing off of it! they're doing such a good thing for the world!" and I just,,, I don't intend to return to this book. it's not for me. oh also? this book was published in 2012 and internet is spelt capitalized (as "Internet") which is strange to me. I guess I don't know exactly when people stopped capitalizing it, but I thought it was earlier than 2012? idk

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wa you reached the end here is a lil treat 🍰

[a-weird-cryptid]

Ok... How do I say this without pissing off literally every aroace person who has read this book? I don't think I can...

Well, guess I'll just say it how it is, then:

I did not like...

This time, the review is rather a rant about why I didn't like "Loveless". Meaning that it's just criticism. I also decided to split this rant into a spoiler and non spoiler section which can be found at the beginning and end respectively.

I'll assume you've read the book for the spoiler section, or at least know what the story's about, since explaining the entire plot would make this already way to long post even longer. For the non-spoiler section there's no need to have read the book.

Disclaimer:

I don't dislike this book purely because of the fact that the characters are queer. In fact, I'm aroace as well and I got extremely excited to read a book from the perspective of an aroace teen. Yet, I was left dissapointed.

I could only find the German version at the time, since I live in Germany. But based of experience, translated books aren't necessarily worse than the English original. I'm mentioning that, because some of my issues could stem from the fact that I didn't read it in English.

I also want to mention that it's been a while since I read a part of "Loveless". Meaning that I might not remember every detail of it. This review is basically just a "pissed off rant" about the parts I do remember and really want to talk about. Therefore I didn't bother to look up specific pages, paragraphs, characters etc.

So far I've only seen aroace people praise this book on the internet. Saying it's incredible, wonderful, etc. And any other aroace person I know who read the book liked it as well. But I didn't.

In fact, I got so annoyed by the story that I stopped reading the book about half way through. I have absolutely nothing against aroace characters and I'd love to see more representation of it in fiction. But the main character (I think her name was Georgia) annoyed me to no end.

SPOILER WARNING!

(My final thoughts can be read spoiler free at the end)

I really don't understand why she never figured out about asexuality and aromanticism before the story begins, as well as for the entire part that I've read about. It's in my opinion extremely unrealistic.

If she didn't have access to the internet or lived in a society where queerness is actively surpressed/noone talks about it being a thing, or similar, then I could totally understand it.

But she has access to the internet. As well as a friend who's a lesbian and told her all about it. All about being queer. Meaning that Georgia had more than enough opportunities and reasons to wonder if she might be queer as well. Heck, she even questions if she might be queer multiple times. Just never coming to any kind of conclusion for whatever reason.

Finding out about asexuality and aromanticism is literally just one search away. You don't even have to know about the labels. Just search for sth like "why don't I feel romantic/sexual attraction". Or heck, just ask your lesbian friend who most likely did a bit of research about queerness in general as well. It's not that hard!

I also hate how Georgia's friends seem to always force her into situations she clearly doesn't feel comfortable with. Those aren't real friends, Georgia. If they were, they'd accept you the way you are and wouldn't force you to kiss people, even though your body language makes it clear that you don't want to.

The fact that, when Georgia joins the queer club thingy at the university, she doesn't ask anybody about her experience, is pretty unrealistic as well. At least under her circumstances.

I also remember there was a guy who's flag pins Georgia couldn't categorize. She's clearly curious about them. But even when the guy and her get closer, she still doesn't ask about what those flags mean. Again, in my opinion rather unrealistic.

I also think it's extremely annoying that every time there's an even slightly sexual or romantic scene, Georgia sees it as necessary to state how disgusted she is by it in great detail. I get it. You don't like to see, hear or experience those things. But I could already got that in the first few chapters and there's no need to constantly "remind" me of that. One great explanation of your sexual and romantic repulse was more than enough.

I would have loved to see where Georgia's character goes from that, but the only characteristic she seems to have is being sex and romance repulsed (unless it's fictional).

SPOILER SECTION'S OVER

None of the characters, neither main cast nor any side characters, seem deep, 3 dimensional and interesting to explore. None of them make me feel like I wanted to know more about them. Nothing they did or said made me actually care about them. They just seemed like annoying cardboard cutouts to me with only a few character traits. Most of which were focused on their sexuality alone.

I know that's suppose to be the focus of that book. But it makes me a bit pissed to know that I've read other books focusing a lot on romance aspects as well, but the characters were way more interesting and fleshed out. Meaning that it's possible to do so and "Loveless" just failed on that aspect.

And I'm even more dissapointed to know that I've read books who's main focus isn't on the romance aspects, but they managed it to depict (aro-) ace characters better than this book did.

It really felt like the author tried to actively write the main character in a way that makes her not realize she's aroace for as long as possible. Dragging it out for longer than necessary. I'd rather have the main character figure it out earlier and then struggling to accept that she's aroace. Cause it surely would have been less annoying and more relatable. Especially because I know many aroaces don't have issues finding out about their sexuality, but rather accepting and embracing it. Just like I did and still do. I know that the book focuses on that as well, but I think the execution was rather bad nonetheless.

Keep in mind that this is just my subjective opinion and I of course don't represent the entire aroace community. If you're aroace and you haven't read the book yet, I'd highly recommend to do so in order to judge for yourself. I, again, know that it is loved by many aroaces. I believe my opinion is not the rule, it's the exception, if you know what I mean.

I know this post will prob piss off many (aroace) people and I'm pretty sure many will argue about why my opinion is objectively wrong or sth. But I made this extremely critical review because I wanted to see if any other aroace person thinks the same about "Loveless". Or at least understands what my issues with it are.

If you enjoy or love "Loveless", I'm glad you do. If you see yourself represented by Georgia or any other character of this book, I'm really happy for you. But personally, there were just too many things that bothered me and I couldn't relate to Georgia at all, even though I'm sex repulsed as well. Perhaps "Loveless" gets better in the second half and end and/or some of my critique points get "explained", but I doubt I'll ever get there.

I'm giving this book a 1/5 stars. 0 being the worst and 5 the best.

Simply because I know many (aroace) people love "Loveless" and many feel extremely represented and seen by it.

This is my second book review based of the poll I made once.

For more reviews, discussions, original stories/series and more, check out my master list of series.

[lightandwinged]

HOO BOY.

(non-spoiler: my Carrie spent the entire film kicking me like mad; I think she knew. Isaac, on the other hand, seemed to sleep through it all)

(there be spoilers within)

I am trying to decide how much of my feeling right now is “I really liked that” and how much of my feeling right now is “AHAUHSUHASUHFHGUHH CARRRRIIIIEEEEEEE” because I do not know. Because it was, objectively, a good film. Really well shot, really well acted, no more plot holes than the OT and pretty good writing overall (I heard somewhere that Carrie script doctored it, so of course the writing was good). I just don’t know if I liked it.

So let’s go through it, shall we?

First of all, if you’ve been venturing into spoiler tags like I have (I can’t not be spoiled, I’m sorry, I did my time with Lost and Harry Potter and feel I’m worse for the wear), everything is true. Luke milks some sort of naked space sloth slug thing and it’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen. Luke also dies, but I don’t know how you’d recover from that milking scene, tbh. Like he just milks the sloth and then he drinks the blue milk and looks at Rey like “wut” and LITERALLY THAT SCENE IS AWKWARD AND TERRIBLE WHY WAS IT IN THE MOVIE.

Sorry.

The other rumors are true, too. And I’m going through the smaller ones first because I’m still processing the big ones.

Leia flies through space like Superman, and honestly, it is the most awesome thing I’ve seen in my entire life. Every fake fanboy in the world has been like “SHE DOESN’T EVEN HAVE THE FORCE” and I’m like you fakers, you know nothing. And that scene was awesome and 100% how I imagine Carrie Fisher ascending to the heavens to watch over us all and bring sexual predators to justice. My only regret about that scene is that she wasn’t flipping off the First Order as she flew, but Disney and all that.

Porgs were... look, I don’t like the noise, but they weren’t obtrusive. They did not redeem themselves enough to receive billing alongside like. R2 and BB8, but they didn’t kind of reach out and poke you in the eye and force you to enjoy them. They just were there. 

Like the SLUG SLOTH THING OKAY I’M SORRY I’M MOVING ON.

it makes a sound like it’s aroused and it’s like RIAN JOHNSON WE DO NOT NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR LACTATION FETISH YOU WEIRDO

The subplot with Finn and Rose... it wasn’t a complete red herring, and it was interesting enough, but I think it’ll end up having way more payoff in the next film. Finn, Rose, and Poe aren’t as sidelined as a lot of spoilers led me to believe, and honestly? They have the most fun of anyone in the entire movie. ...well, Finn and Rose do. Poe kind of mutinies against Laura Dern because something or another, which

Actually, I rather liked it. Poe got way more characterization in this film than he did in the last, where he largely served to sort of follow orders, shoot things, and think naughty things about Finn. You learned things about him that you probably could also learn from reading the novels, but lbr, not everyone’s going to read the novels. Poe (and everyone, really) got a real arc in this film and got to be fantastically dynamic, and honestly, as much as I love and want to protect Finn and Rey, he’s my favorite of the new trio.

Back to the Finn and Rose plot. I felt like... you know, I felt like a lot of it was kind of the emotions that have been surrounding life since the current administration took office. There’s every form of resistance out there, and Finn gets a fantastic arc about that, where he’s initially just selfishly looking out for himself and Rey, but Rose kind of gives him some deeper insight into “look we’re not just rebelling against the First Order because it’s cool; if you just peel back the surface of all these places that seem to be doing okay with them in charge, you’re going to see that NOBODY IS FUCKING OKAY.” In a sense, she’s able to show him his privilege, and ultimately, his compassion gets him to a point he didn’t quite reach in the last movie--where he’s fighting for the Resistance/Rebellion (it kind of changed names at some point? Why are we quibbling about this?) not because Rey is there and it’s the thing to do but because he honestly believes in it. And that’s awesome.

Finn and Rose’s little smooch at the end was kiiiiiiiiinda weird, we’ll have to see where that goes next time. But Rose Tico is literally the cutest most wonderful sweet thing in the galaxy and please let us all protect her at all costs.

And then we get Rey, Luke, and Crylo Ron (who is ACTIVELY THE ACTUAL WORST see below). I’m still processing all of this, honestly, because it’s like... even though some unexpected things happened, it went pretty much exactly like you’d expect and hit all the beats you’d expect. And it wasn’t all filmed as well as the rest of the movie, which... bugged me. The rest of the movie looked really awesome, but these sequences just smacked of a director who was like “...I legit have no idea how to do this, so let’s just do it this way.” 

For example, the Rey/Crylo braning thing (HEY MOVIES STOP DOING MY THING). It was weird, but it also like... wasn’t filmed well? You got the idea of how they were acting like crazy people in the real world, talking to and shooting at nobody, but it didn’t feel like they were talking to each other just like... I don’t even know. There are great ways of making that sort of scene work, and instead, it all just felt very lazy. 

As a plot point it was... eh? I can see where the R3yl0s are coming from, but I’m also 7000% not on board because half the lines that nightmare douche used on Rey were lines that were used on me in the past by abusers. “You’re nobody. But not to me.” Like holy shit, you piece of garbage. You just get right to it, don’t you? He was literally every abusive piece of shit I dated in college telling me how broken they were and letting me think I could fix them. And bless her heart, Rey fell for it, just like we always do when we’re young and haven’t been bruised that way before. And bless her heart, she stopped herself from falling and was like... “yeah no, you’re the worst, byeeeee.”

(like literally slammed the door in his face)

So I mean, ship what you wanna ship, but I’m not going to jump on that bandwagon, and I’ll be honestly pissed if she does redeem him because what a sick fucking idea to perpetuate... that yes, you are the one to fix this awful person who’s told you that you’re nobody, your heroes are nobody, that they’re the only one who can make you awesome. NO, girls. You are awesome on your own; don’t listen to that stinking dump heap.

Anyway.

Luke’s arc was way better than I expected it to be, and I think Yoda helped with that along with the final scene (with the kid and the broom that I saw and was like SAMMMMMMM and that was not the last time I cried). I vastly appreciated his impact on Crying Rong because MY GOD DID IT REMIND ME HOW AWFUL HE IS. Like much props to J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson for taking the literal worst male human in existence and turning him into the villain he is. It’s extraordinary. He’s so hateable. 

BUT ANYWAY. His impotent raging against Luke, against himself, against everybody... boy is going down hard in the next film. He’s not going to get his ass redeemed because he won’t allow himself. He sees going full dark as the only true success and he will not let anyone turn him... not even Leia (which was my pet theory but now can’t happen, sob). And our entire theater whooped and cheered when it was revealed that Luke wasn’t actually on Crait. I mean, they also whooped and cheered when the lights went down, so that’s not saying much, BUT STILL.

Luke’s arc closing made me absolutely sob and it was... you know, I’m satisfied with it. Knowing that he was at least partly responsible for Ben turning, even if only because of an instinct, that made his self-imposed exile logical. It wasn’t that he’d failed; it was that he’d almost succeeded and by coming that close to succeeding in preventing Ben from going dark but ultimately failing, he made something worse than he could have imagined. Leia and Han would have forgiven him in a heartbeat, but he couldn’t forgive himself, and that was where his storyline went. 

And what Yoda pointed out, and the gasps of delight and surprise when Yoda appeared on screen were fantastic.

Um. What else. 

Hux kind of gets shafted, but oh my lord, Huxlo has wayyyyy more ammunition now than R3yl0, I AM JUST SAYING. I was half expecting him to say “choke me harder Daddy” when Crying Rain was taking over the First Order. I am not kidding. 

Phasma got RIPPED OFF.

Snoke proved himself to be about as useful as a lamp covered in bubblegum, which was... annoying, honestly. His death was awesome, and the Praetorian Guards were SO COOL, but Snoke was useless. Absolutely pointless. And everyone applauded when Kerler Rern killed him but I was like nope. His death was preceded by Snoke telling Kerler Rern to complete his training, and I turned to Kyle and whispered, “Sith complete their training by killing their masters, shame nobody told Snoke that.” And sure enough...

I couldn’t find the Gary Fisher stand-in :(

BB8 is still the most precious and wonderful of things.

Laura Dern goes out like a badass, which made up for how much she bothered me to start. Poor Leia’s Purple Girlfriend :(

The dedication to Carrie made me sob while we all applauded. 

And now I am dead. We’re taking Sam this weekend, so I’ll likely have more to say on Saturday.

[achillesunly]

Characters review on Strangers From Hell: PART 2

(spoilers)

Min Ji Eun aka worst girl

Worst girlfriend. Over looking bfs fears, worries and everything he says as long as it's not happy, or even his role in life (with his boss etc) bonus point for not having cheated on him but still. Being cute serves u what if you're a bitch. I don't even know why they showed us your life I don't care we don't care u don't care u mom doesn't care nobody cares. I don't care if your boss bullies u. Girlboss we love it but u r not enough so we love U. If you goin for it go all the way. Ure just vain. You should have died. That's plothole. Or whatever this called. Missed opportunity, direction hole. Why did they show us your shitty life. If someone knows. This trash bag. Openly idgaf. Fuck away u bf gay.

So Jung Hwa aka best girl

Or GODDESS OF ENGINEERING! Yet another fuckING CUTIIIE. What's the uno reverse of malewife? That's her. Reliable. Relatable . +10 points to Gryffindor for working with such bitchass annoying useless fellow policemen. And 10 other points for having such a beautiful dentist. How come you don't have time to go? jeez. I would even if I had nothing wrong. A lill slow but stubborn and determined. But too nice with other officers (especially from the other department I would smack em hard). Go out with your junior btw he wouldn't 70% let u down. A really good human. I love her. She's cute and clever . If you gave this woman more power I swear the drama would have ended very differently ( so I'm thankful) Second only person I would trust , not daring enough, so second position. She wouldn't let me down if I was dying in a pit. She would 50% break her legs trying to get to me , and 50% go seeking help. That would be on our first date. I would happen to see her crazily good looking dentist in casual clothes walk by. We would have a chat. He would kill me bc I would have asked him to. Beautiful date 👉👈

Yoon Jong Woo aka Jong U re the one

Tired of this shit ×1000000000^π. I wouldn't have half his courage. My man walked in, saw a rutting pervert, pissing extrovert auntie, weirdass good looking button down, bully thug, the Joker and his non-drooling twin, and the lovechild of Adonis and Apollon offering staring and human flesh for lunch, and he really said everyone here is weird but I'll make it work. Amazing . Mastered the skill to look both disgusted and tired in any social situation which is a big flex. Shiny eyes when his real self. Kind of a dick. Really pisses me off sometimes. Genuinely. Short and short tempered. Example of how army isn't made for everyone (no offense meant), shitty life with shitty boss and shitty girlfriend and shitty flat. Kind of reminds me of Eddie edi Eddie eddy edy? from venom in his anger control. I wish he would snap sooner BC repressed too much and it's more fun when unfettered nd batshit crazy. Yeah walk up those gay stairs it'll change u. More flustered after talking with MoonJo in one 1 evening than with his girlfriend the entire series. Amazing. Also weirdass mom who gives off weirdass warnings heard from old shufu in the mountains random yet expect her son to not be in a constant state of mental breakdown. Love the way hes just like ok the second time he's called THE word like well aight mate go off ig. Paranoid. A tad bit too late. But strong ig. Sick strap btw bro. I really like the uh huh... Jewelry I guess... I .. yeah... Cool.

I wouldn't trust him cause Im so annoying he would kill me or have his bf do it. If we ever got along tho, we d be writing buddies and I'd tell MoonJo I'm gay so he doesn't have to worry or kill me. but anyways I know Yoon would just let me down whenever he'd have the chance to get D so. Cause he's the one ( rubber ducky ure th-) Yeah, he's really, I yeah.. it's um.. okay...hhuh .. um ... I'm foine I swear :(

Seo Moon Jo aka the only one I didn't have to look up the name

The dentist we all want . Cutie pie and I'm done pretending: HES AMAZING CLEVER PRETTY BEAUTIFUL DEEP CUTE CALM PASSIONNED TWIST MINDED AND HDVBSN AAIIIII

I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW HIM HES SO WHOLESOME AND HEHZHDNJ AND I HHHU EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A SHRINE IN THEIR HOME DEDICATED TO HIM HES SO INTERESTING

He's the cutest bunny beauty smiley, his lill teeth, big eyes, crow hair, his stance, slender figure, his quirks, his flip of hair, his mind, the way he kills adorable. His love eyes, and the way he fights, how he holds Yoon s face when they were fighting, his voice HIS VOICE CHANGE IN EP 10 AROU-WAIT ILL GET IT:

WHINY TURNS METAL AND IM DEAD

He's so much . How can a character like THAT be created ??? ITS NOT LEGAL???? YOUVE BEEN TO STOP! There's just so much to say but yeah.. Seo Moon Jo ❤️❤️🦷🐀🔪

He's cute and rock and the way he tries to blend in (nice dentist, scaring off kids but that's just what we are all supposed to do, playing local when he kills the journalist/spits!/ /I know some of y'all sickfucks whish he spat in your mouth jeez )

I could just spend literals hours taking ab him but I think we should all get a conference day or sleepover and just write ff, draw fanarts and do theories, conspiracy on iphones, together. that would be cleverer.

He just makes the whole drama. Literally. He's amazing and a deep character and damn. Yeah. His loving shiny eyes. Whenever I remember them I feel the deepness of the character wash back over me again and hhhh. Yeah. Damn.

I wouldn't trust him either cause such a beauty would never stand being stared at for hours without wanting to kill me. + if I was dying ,depending on the context ofc if it's related to the residence then bye y'all but-, he sure would help but if he ever gets a call from bf he would just throw me on the road right away to get sum. So yeah. no. Cause you don't know if he feels like doing art on Tuesday. And id end up in the dirty dental chair. So.

Still I would give him warmth and family ( not in the sexual way Jesus he got Yoon for that ) but it would change him just a bit then no. Cause he's perfect the way he is and hh. I guess what I'm trying to say is:

So yeah I love him like that. Very much. More than words. His voice. The whole character is really something else. Never been done before, one of time character. One of a kind and that's wow . The whole drama is him actually. So in the end there's the word that will never have the same meaning again and I don't want to hear it from anywhere else or I'll fucking jugeo blro. He's a masterpiece himself.

I hadn't realised that I lowered my standards be4 seeing him and his love. Not in the extreme way but he's just dedicated and poetic. ....Yeah..... so .......❤️ Seo Moon Jo ❤️

+ he's not dead folks 🙃 he's a bad bitch so you can't kill him.

Finally great drama in the purer sense G R E A T

[that-intp-vampire]

I posted 950 times in 2021

39 posts created (4%)

911 posts reblogged (96%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 23.4 posts.

I added 233 tags in 2021

#light queues the darkness - 57 posts

#light - 52 posts

#light the vampire - 35 posts

#light annoys everyone - 32 posts

#light has talked - 19 posts

#light wishes you to have a horrible time - 8 posts

#someone asked light something - 8 posts

#i light the fire to get you ash - 8 posts

#light likes talking with tan - 7 posts

#someone tagged light!!!!! - 7 posts

Longest Tag: 104 characters

#light is gretchen wieners but she would have ratted regina out if the whole burn book thing had happened

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

I'm done with aftg and-

(spoilers ahead)

Hello??? How can you leave us with an ending like that-

I like this Mafia shit-

Andriel

Ok but in the end I feel sad for Riko-

KEVIN IS A QUEEN NICE ONE TAN

BURN BOOK WHERE TF ARE YOU??

STUART STUART STUART

BUTCHER GOT BUTCHERED MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-

DAN DAN DAN DAN

RENEE RENEE RENEE RENEE

ALLISON ALLISON ALLISON-

MATT'S MOM>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

MATT GIVES HEAVY TOLYA VIBES DON'T YOU AGREE-

I JUST IMAGINED " KEVIN WYMACK" I'M SORRY THAT'S HILARIOUS-

KEVIN ILLY MY COLD COLD BABY-

KEVIN PLAYS WITH HIS LEFT HAND AAAAAAHHHHH-

KEVIN DEVELOPING A BIG MOUTH LIKE NEIL-

I STAND FOR BISEXUAL! KEVIN

JEREMY IS SOOOO NICE I SHIP HIM WITH KEVIN BYE-

bitches yes-

@drunk-on-inejs-laughter @kazoo-the-demjin @iambecomeyourvillain @kitandtyarelife @stay-because-now-you-have-a-home @ any single one of you who read aftg-

18 notes • Posted 2021-10-30 08:38:18 GMT

#4

Please-

Andrew is a simp-

And damn Nicky stop being so Jesper-y

Andrew is the KNIFE WIFE

@kitandtyarelife @iambecomeyourvillain @kazoo-the-demjin @drunk-on-inejs-laughter @anyone else who read aftg-

23 notes • Posted 2021-10-22 12:43:00 GMT

#3

*clears throat* So.....um this happened 5 days back but I was busy but uhh here we are?

Light's 69 Follower Celebration

So ummm here's what I planned:

🧛‍♀️- You'll get my positive and negative thoughts on you (works off anon)

🎶- I'll assign you a song (If you're on anon give me a description)

❤️- Fmk :)

🩸- Cyms :)

🐧- Edits (I'm not good with GIFs though, will be uploaded on my edits blog, I'll answer with the post link, can be requested for any non-problematic fandom, aesthetic)

🐻‍❄️- Request a fanfic/fic (Goes on my writeblr, same process as edits)

uhhh tags??

@ashisdeadand-dying

@herondalesunsetcurve @drunk-on-inejs-laughter @kazoo-the-demjin @ahecktonoffandomsinoneblog @andaz-e-seher @stay-because-now-you-have-a-home @suvarnarxpa @sankta-chaosqueen @sammiewswift @thehalfbloodfreak @ethereal-puppet @carstairrs @wafflesandschemingfaces @weirdoismymiddlename @lynx-the-treemoss @inureflower @nnazyalensky @moobrvoobl-moobmoob-oobmpoobroom @iambecomeyourvillain @investmentofmyheart @pureheroiines @thebonecarver @anyone I missed tell me-

31 notes • Posted 2021-11-20 06:16:12 GMT

#2

Yeah I know this is sudden but...look I'm exhausted. I feel so overwhelming and I have started having meltdowns. I never have meltdowns. And it's all getting so melodramatic that I think I'll be taking a break from Discord and Tumblr for idk how long. I might look active but I may just be talking calling a friend or it might be an accidental open.

Since you found this, ig the time I gave myself to reconsider has ended and I need the break. Uhhh tagging some people because sure why not?

@suvarnarxpa @matthias-is-alive @ahecktonoffandomsinoneblog @adams-left-hand @neil-perry-the-platypus @kazoo-the-demjin @nightshade3465 @moobrvoobl-moobmoob-oobmpoobroom

@sankta-chaosqueen

Take care guys

41 notes • Posted 2021-09-01 18:31:11 GMT

#1

MARRIAGE OF TAN AND SUNNY

@kazoo-the-demjin@herondalesunsetcurve

Walk down the isle

*starts throwing books, Indian aunties get SJM hardcover mwahahaha*

96 notes • Posted 2021-10-01 16:55:04 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "Eda's Requiem" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who certainly won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

...

...

...HOW IS SEASON TWO SO GOOD?! WE'VE HAD SEVEN EPISODES SO FAR, AND EACH ONE OF THEM WAS A HIT!

Take "Eda's Requiem," for example. It's yet another episode where I have NOTHING bad to say about it! That's two weeks in a row where that happened! HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?!

HOW!

HOW!

...But anyways, "Eda's Requiem." It's another fantastic episode, and I'm about to dive into explaining how and why. Just keep in mind, it's gonna require spoilers to do so, so be wary of that as you keep reading.

Now, let's review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Eda’s Checklist and Grom Photo: Within the first second, "Eda's Requiem" perfectly sets up Eda's central conflict in the episode. Despite spending years being on her own and looking after herself, she now has two kids that she's constantly caring over. Eda can try all she wants to say that she doesn't care, and I bet she has in the past. But given the hard work she's putting into getting King and Luz what they need and having a grom photo of the three of them together pinned in her mirror, it's pretty clear that those two knuckleheads wormed their way into her heart and are never getting out.

Eda’s Worried About King and Luz Leaving: And thus, that's precisely why something like this bothers her so much. Eda inadvertently adopted two rambunctious rapscallions (Yeah, I know. I'll get to it), so the idea of them not being around her anymore is going to be terrifying. That is a situation most parents, especially mothers, can identify with. It’s called empty nest syndrome and it proves just how much Eda loves Luz and King that she can't stand the thought of her babies leaving the nest. It's yet another well-made, wholesome, found-family moment that this series continues to excel at each week, making me extra excited for more like it to come...while also readying myself for heartbreak when one of them eventually does leave Eda.

Eda and Raine’s Music: Ok, I don't know the exact instruments that were played during this episode, but I also don't care because it was all (for lack of a better term) music to my ears. Every time Eda and Raine played resulted in melodies that are so beautiful and filled with so much emotion and feeling that I'm honestly tempted to listen to them again, multiple times, on repeat. Shows rarely do that for me, as background music doesn't always draw me in as much as lyrical songs do. Usually, it takes something so extraordinarily composed to give me the desire to listen again, and that's the case here. So huge congrats to Brad Breek for doing so. Seriously, the man's been killing it this season.

Eda’s Bard Magic Causing Things to Turn to Ash: This was assuredly a surprise side-effect of the curse. The fact that Eda can sort of do magic at all was its own shock. To then reveal that a specific type can do dangerous things to people and environments is...Well, it definitely brings up its own fair share of questions. Like, how can she do this? Will she do it again, one day? And are there other types of spells that can be negatively affected by Eda's curse? We don't get answers for any of these questions, and odds are, we never will. But that's alright with me. Because if a show makes me consider these many possibilities after a brief amount of time, it is a show that has to be doing something right. Even if I don't get the answers I want, the fact that it caused such a reaction makes me less willing to care.

Raine Whispers: Hey, would you look at that. Another fun, interesting, and compelling character added to the list of this shows' other fun, interesting, and compelling characters...how is this series so good at this!?

Joking aside, Raine's pretty good. I like Raine. They could have been this super serious leader who lost all their fun after years apart from Eda, but I'm glad that they're not. There are moments when Raine takes their job as leader of the BATs seriously, as one would, but I still prefer the fact that they kept a jovial nature despite how grim their situation is. It's an admirable trait to have, and it avoids the trope of making leader characters boring just because they're the ones who have to take things seriously.

Oh, and also, Raine's Disney's first non-binary character who has a stake in the plot. This is a tremendous deal, as you don't usually see that many non-binary characters in children's animation, let alone ones that hold importance to the story. So it's pretty cool for the writers to feature Raine, as it helps several kids feel as though they're finally seen and respected. And the fact that Disney of all companies gave the thumbs up is even more impressive. I hear people say that Dana Terrace should have pitched The Owl House to more progressive networks to avoid pushback, and while I absolutely see your point, I'll have to respectfully disagree. Disney is the largest entertainment industry of all time, so if you want to make LGBTQA+ representation normalized, you gotta stop making splashes and start making waves. Because if the same company that made three racist cats in the span of a few years manages to say that being gay is a-ok, then you know there's something wrong with you. Yes, Disney ended up screwing over the show anyway. But for that one moment, when kids felt pride after seeing a character like Raine, then, in the end, it's kind of worth it.

Also, if you're still having issues with more representation like this popping up in kids' shows, then allow me to redirect you to the complaint department.

...I made that post earlier today for this bit. YOU HAVE BETTER APPRECIATED IT!

Day of Unity is meant to be a Secret: At least, that's what I got when Raine stumbled over their own words. So if it's true, then I wonder why? Why does Belos want to keep the most critical change in the Boiling Isles a secret? Does he want to make it a surprise for his grateful subjects, or does he not want to spread worry and fear amongst the wild witches? It has to be something big if he doesn't want his followers to even say the words "Day of Unity." Whatever reason he has, we most likely won't know until the future. A future that I grow more and more afraid of each week.

Hooty Eating Echo Mouse: My heart sank in that brief moment when I thought that Hooty intensely screwed Luz over in getting back home. But looking back...it is pretty funny.

Just the suddenness of Hooty eating the poor creature that Luz desperately tried to earn its trust is priceless in how shocking it was. And also, Luz's expression.

That was the look of a young girl who immediately shoved her hand down an owl demon's throat the second the scene cut away. The Owl House may not always be a hit in the comedy department, but scenes like this prove that when it's funny, it is hilarious.

Luz and King Entering the Grand Prix: Not much to discuss here. It's just a cute subplot that adds frivolity to the intensity of what's going on through Eda and Raine's story. But I will say that I love how both stories occasionally interconnect with each other through the many moments of Eda being worried about King wanting to leave to find his father and avoiding any conversation about it. It helps both plotlines feel like they belong together, without being something like "Through the Looking Glass Ruins," whereas both stories could have been in their own episode. Which is neat.

How Bard Magic Works: I really love how this season is diving into how the other magic types work. More specifically, the ones that seem a little vague. I mean, stuff like healing, potions, and plants are easy to figure out, but what does it mean when a witch's talents are construction, beast keeping, and bard magic? We've been getting a lot of clearing up lately, with bard magic looking like a witch can control their environments and enemies through the power of music. Which is fair. Music is pretty powerful in the metaphorical sense, and I actually love that it's powerful in the literal sense when in the Boiling Isles.

The BATs: Not much to comment on these three either. The BATs have the potential to have an entertaining dynamic, but they do very little in this episode that I can't say much other than I hope they make a return in the future. But I will make this claim: Amber is my favorite. I'm sorry, but her screaming "You're not our mom!" to then go, "Bye, mommy Eda" is just too precious for me not to love.

I'm a simple man who falls for cute s**t. Leave me alone.

Raeda (RainexEda): Well, EdaxCamila, you were a fun crack ship while it lasted, but I'm afraid that this is now goodbye. The current canon has provided an incredibly adorable and believable relationship that I would be a monster not to support with my whole bi-heart. It's been real.

Ok, back in serious mode: I love these two together. Eda and Raine are grown-ups, and they still act all flustered near each other as if they were still Luz and Amity's age. It's definitive proof that you're never too old to get flustered near a crush, and seeing them interact adds a sense of wholesomeness when seeing them together as well as heartbreak when they're forced apart. Plus, we get confirmation that Eda's LGBTQA+! Whether she's bi, pan, or whatever, now that we know Eda can catch feelings for someone like Raine, it's yet another case that The Owl House is the most important series to the community. Because having the main character be queer is fantastic in its own right. But having the same apply to the motherly mentor figure? That's is an extra bit of normalization that anybody would be willing to appreciate.

Unique Guard Designs: Not many fans are going to appreciate this, primarily compared to everything else this episode does perfectly. For me, I actually like that you see a few Coven Guards looking differently from the others, as it helps make them less like clones and makes it seem like anybody of any body type could be a part of the coven.

Gus Looking Uninterested when Presenting Grand Prix with his Dad: I am positive that you didn't notice this (I didn't even notice it until someone else pointed it out), but there's something to dissect here. It hints that perhaps Gus isn't as interested in his father's field of work as one might think. If he did, he would look a lot less bored and much more excited to be helping Perry Porter present the race. It could just be the race itself, but judging from Gus' expression, it really seems like the kid would prefer to be anywhere but there. And why would he have that reaction to a race that his best friend is competing in? To me, this seems like an inkling of what Gus' relationship with Perry could be, which may not actually get time to shine, what with how little wiggle room the series has now (Thanks Disney). Regardless, it is interesting to notice, and it will certainly have fans thinking for a while.

Bump Being Smug of Luz Being in the Lead: That's it. Principal Bump looking smug as his human student is beating the students of his rivals is yet another moment that proves why Bump is easily the best cartoon principal.

Darius: First of all, this guy is f**king fabulous, and I love him. *Snaps*

Second, he is definitive proof that you do NOT want to f**k around with Coven Leaders. Lilith may have had her intimidating moments, but none of them compare to the guy who can turn himself into an abomination monster where only magic that hasn't existed before can take him down. It's genuinely scary to see Darius lose control, and I fear for the day when Luz inevitably ends up in his crosshairs.

With that said, Darius' still a ton of fun! He may be threatening, but he's just a flamboyant guy that hates the idea of getting his outfit the tiniest bit dirty. And I love that. I love that these Coven Heads have actual personalities instead of being generically evil. I consider it preferable to make villains entertaining rather than blatantly scary as I'll remember the personalities first and the villainous acts last.

Eberwolf: But this one's my favorite. I told you: I'm a simple man who gets easily swayed by cute s**t. And Eber? I mean, just look at her:

She's just a cute widdle rascal! I just want to pinch her cheeks, give her a belly rub, and--

...Eberwolf is not a cute widdle rascal. She is a strong, independent woman, and I will respect her as such from this moment forward...lest I feel her wrath.

That is all. Let's move on.

Eda and Raine Attempting a Final Performance: This was the best scene of the episode. It looked gorgeous, it shows the dedication Eda and Raine have for stopping Belos, and it says so much through so little. Go back and look at how Eda and Raine regard one another when performing Eda's requiem. Through their expressions and a few short words, you know they understand that if they complete the song/spell, they probably won't make it in the end. And yet, they don't care. They both know bad stuff will happen if Belos wins, so Eda and Raine put everything to the side, both their feelings for one another and the people they leave behind if it means putting an end to a tyrant. That level of dedication...Words can't fully describe how powerful that is.

Raine Sacrificing Themselves Instead: But in the end, Raine can't do it. Not when they know the life that Eda has and the people she'll be leaving behind. It's an extra bit of nobleness to the character seeing that Raine refuses to take away a woman from two kids who need her the most. A tad bit selfish, sure, knowing what Belos has planned. But when it comes to love, the romantic, familial, or platonic, the best decisions aren't always the logical ones.

Eda Crying: Luz crying tears me up, but seeing Eda cry is a whole different level of heartbreak. Like Lilith, Eda has her emotions locked up tight, with the closest she came to weeping were those two tears in "Young Blood, Old Souls." In "Eda's Requiem," she cries but almost quickly stops herself. As if she knows that doing so isn't going to save Raine. That is...even worse than seeing Luz break down after losing Eda. The fact that Eda refuses to give herself time to mourn losing someone she loved is tragic because crying is the most natural way of showing grief. Turning that off isn't healthy, and seeing her do it with little resistance is sad to me. It's sad to see a character I love can easily shut off all emotions despite how badly she may want to embrace them. It's one of those moments that, again, by doing so little, it shows so much.

“No one watches Crystal Balls anymore. It’s all about streaming.”: Oof. Even I felt that burn towards cable.

King’s Message: King's message was the pick-me-up I needed after the heart-wrenching sadness this episode put me through a few minutes ago. Seeing King say who he is and listing all the things he loves is nothing short of adorable. On top of that, I adore that Eda willingly recorded the whole thing. She may not want King to leave, but that doesn't mean she'll sabotage the one thing he wants. Especially not after Raine gave up everything so Eda could be with her kids. The opening scene may prove how much Eda cares about a rascal like King, but this heartwarmingly sweet moment reveals just how far she'll go to make him happy.

King’s Dad Reveal: ...ok, I'll be honest, I did not think we'd get that reveal this soon. Dumb of me to say, considering the number of times I've said that these writers don't waste time getting to the s**t, I know. But still, it's pretty cool knowing that King's dad is alive and well, added with the fact that we've got a fair idea of what he looks like. At this point, it's only a matter of time before we see him figure out where the Clawthorne residence is and witness the tear-jerking moments that will follow.

King Changing his Name to King Clawthorne: Not the official adoption I was expecting Eda to make...but DANG IT, is it still diabetes-inducing levels of sweetness!

Personally, I feel like the main reason why Eda breaks down this time is not only because she shouldn't be worried about King leaving her life, but also because Raine's sacrifice wasn't in vain. Her kids really do need Eda because no matter how far apart they'll be, she will always be a part of their life...dang it, I'm going to cry too!

What those Coven patches really do: Well...that was horrifying to see.

...Writers, if you kill off the best non-binary character in animation (it's a short list, I know), we are going to have PROBLEMS!

IN CONCLUSION

"Eda's Requiem" is--surprise surprise--another A+. The emotions hit hard, the representation hits harder, Raine is a fantastic addition to the cast, and it was all surprisingly cute at times. Season Two is currently on a hot streak, constantly winning with every episode that's come out so far. When a bad episode does eventually show up (IT'S GONNA HAPPEN!), I'll be sure to sing my requiem then. For now, I'm just gonna enjoy the ride.

[thedoctorofsteel]

I posted 7,762 times in 2021

58 posts created (1%)

7704 posts reblogged (99%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 132.8 posts.

I added 226 tags in 2021

#lucifer spoilers - 117 posts

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Longest Tag: 127 characters

#i felt lost suddenly trying to figure out a grade one autistic kid cuz i wasn't sure what i should expect from him as a student

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

I'm blue duboo dee duboo dye

10 notes • Posted 2021-07-03 04:50:25 GMT

#4

Bought shorts in the guys section for the first time today. Not only do they have good sized pockets and fit over my thighs but they're soooo comfortable! And make me feel good about how I look. Kind of gender confirming. Don't get me wrong I'll still wear my cut off jean short shorts but even those were once men's pants. Shopping in the men's section is just overall a better experience.

12 notes • Posted 2021-05-11 20:48:03 GMT

#3

The mask mandate has been lifted in my city. So naturally barely anyone is wearing a mask.

This shouldn't have happened till her immunity! Guys. Guys. My city is only 3% fully immunized. Only 28% have their first dose. We are so far off herd immunity it isn't funny.

Like I'm trying to not have a panic attack cuz covid cases are gonna sky rocket and I wouldn't be surprised if a new strain appears.

I hate this so much.

12 notes • Posted 2021-07-01 20:09:27 GMT

#2

I'm officially coming out as non-binary. Specifically gender fluid!

It's kinda weird to just post that so uh here's how I got here?

One: When I was little I always wanted to be a boy. I hated that I was expected to wear a shirt when the boys around me didn't and we had the same chest cuz I was ya know a kid. So I often just didn't wear a shirt much to my parents' dismay. I always said I wanted to be a cowboy when I grew up. My dad would correct me that I meant cowgirl. I said no. Cowboy.

Two: Growing up and into adulthood it made me happy being called one of the guys. When someone thought I was male it didn't bother me. If anything it made me happy.

Three: I was looking back thinking I wasn't trans because I didn't think I was a boy I just wished I was a boy.

Four: I wrote a personal essay in women's studies. My prof wrote on it 'It seems you don't follow gender binary'

Five: A post on this here tumblr said 'Wanting to be the opposite gender is a symptom of being the opposite gender'

Six: I thought ok. But I also do feel female a lot. Sometimes I hate having boobs but often I love it. I love how they make me feel sexy. So no way I can be a trans man.

Seven: somewhere in the above I had heard of gender fluid. It was at this point I thought maybe I'm both? So in quiet moments I thought to myself. What gender do I feel right now? And sometimes it was my assigned gender. Sometimes it was male. Sometimes I dissociated from gender all together. (Though I've never felt both male and female at the same time)

Eight: I cut my hair into a short androgenous style and suddenly felt really good about my looks. That was kind of the nail in the coffin.

Nine: I told my husband and now I can tell everyone else so here I am.

I use any pronouns because there's no way anyone can know what I'm identifying as at any point in time and I don't expect them to ask me every time they want to use pronouns. That's just dumb. And changing to they/them altogether doesn't feel right. But feel free to use they/them. Basically whatever the heck you want to use is good.

So there's that. Thanks for reading. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask!

19 notes • Posted 2021-05-03 02:47:11 GMT

#1

649 notes • Posted 2021-10-04 20:27:20 GMT

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[goodman-diana]

A chorus line: 2006 broadway revival

Im trying out this new thing where i review productions on tumblr instead of ranting to my non-theater friends. If you want me to review a production, send me a link in the ask! Spoilers coming your way!

First of all: this show is disgustingly profound. I don't know if I'll ever truly understand it, especially as someone who (probably) wont do theater professionally, and especially especially doesn't know a thing about dance. But i do like writing about shows, so here are my thoughts:

Visuals (i liked them a LOT)

The mirrors creating the illusion of a wider space even though theres barely any room in reality was a great metaphor for the number of jobs that were available for these dancers

Again, the mirrors. When cassie does her solo dance in "the music and the mirror," i was absolutely star-struck. You could see the desperation in every move from the front and back because of the wonderful mirrors. Lighting was also wonderful in this scene

Ok i should talk about costumes. Not my favorite thing about the show bc i thought some of them looked ridiculous (dianas shoulders were just... not it for me) but generally they made sense for the character.

Everyone knows about the iconic headshot scene, right? They parody it everywhere (i saw it first in something rotten). I thought it would be kind of laughable but they played it in a way that was serious and again, desperate, showing how zach and casting directors in general dont see you, they see a plastic, two dimensional version of you

To mirror (ha) my previous point, i thought it was really smart to not have zach onstage for most of the show. For most of the characters he feels like a god-figure, their fate held in his hands. to have him available for everyone to see wouldve rendered that a weaker point. It also hammers in his relationship with cassie and makes it more meaningful because theres god, coming down from wherever the hell (ha) he lives and talking to someone whose life he effectively controls. Hes vulnerable with her.

My favorite part: the BOWS madre mía omfg. Goddamn. Beautifully executed, showing how their desperation for this gig did nothing but make them look like little wind up toys, all identical to one another with no individuality. Goddamn. It was eerie let me tell you, and i was definitely more than a little spooked.

Acting

I know everyone cries when paul does his monologue, but i dunno it didnt really do it for me. That's probably more the stuff they talked about than the acting though. I did get a little emotional with the whole "take care of my son" but no tears.

I liked sheila. That is all.

I really liked how reluctant they were to share about themselves. Theyve spent so much time perfecting their pirouettes and their time steps (i know nothing abt dance sorry sorry) that they dont often get to reveal who they are as people. I read an article about a real ballerina who went through the same thing and it's almost a foreshadowing to the bows when everyone looks the same as everyone else, and they strangely look comfortable without any individuality

Even though i ragged on her costume i thought diana was really nicely cast

Music

Generally speaking the music/lyrics werent eye opening or super impactful for me, but they were good. You know, it's sondheim.

"I can do that" was SO CUTE

"Sing" might just be my favorite number in the show? It's hysterical you should watch the texas state production. this song kind of showcases their chemistry and kristines dependence on al (idk why but i kinda feel like kristine has a slightly emotionally abusive relationship with al, but im not sure if thats a textually supported idea)

undefined

"Dance: ten; looks: three" was funny too but in a way that made me feel bad for val and the state of women in general. She wasnt even actually ugly

Final thoughts: the first words that came out of my mouth when i started watching the show was "this is terrible quality video recording." The last words were "wow." This show is broadway, both in subject matter and in its art form. You should really consider giving it a watch (i hear the movie kinda sucks though so maybe dont watch that)