#not really a big fan of editing pics like this but its better than nothing

[studist]

I've to write two papers by the end of the month...

[inactivefandomblog]

Things I noticed when I re watched Birds of prey last night

Hi all, I watched BOP for the second time last night and I wanted to write down some of the things I noticed as I had seen @wordsoflittlewisdom​ , Idea credit goes to them on this one. I’m aware that some of these things are not exactly new discoveries and were blatantly obvious to others, but I have ADHD and a processing delay meaning that I don't always take in all the information the first time I watch a film. For example, I had no idea Renee was gay for ages, even though they tell us she had an ex girlfriend (I think I was too busy fan Girling that Ali Wong was in the film then though to hear that bit). I have to focus more on the overall plot when I watch things the first time, but the second time I was able to scan for little details and take in more things. Without further ado, here’s what I noticed.

“Do you know what a harlequin is? A harlequin's role is to serve. It's nothing without a master. No one gives two shits who we are, beyond that.”

-When Harley is talking about Harlequinns serving  their master, she is not just talking about her relationship with the Joker, but about Canary letting Roman be her master. She is saying that she felt like she was nothing without the Joker. She is also implying that Dinah feels the same about Roman, and that she shouldn't because he doesn’t actually care about her like the Joker didn’t care about her.

-THATS WHY SHE ONLY HAS ONE SHOE IN THE CHASE SCENE!!!!!  SHE USED IT TO PIN DOWN THE ACCELERATOR IN THE TRUCKKKKKK!!! MYSETERY SOLVED!! ...  though.. she didn’t change her shoes to a full set between then and the police chase the next day/ later on the same day. Meaning she didn't go home after that...so did she just like wander around Gotham after committing a huge crime obviously tide to her XD of course she did, she’s Harley Fucking Quinn! Either that or she passed out somewhere from being very very drunk, hopefully her apartment and not just a street or something.

-BONUS:  fanfic idea: DRUNK HARLEY HAS A FUNERAL FOR HER SHOE THAT GOT BLOWN UP IN THE ACE CHEMICALS EXPLSION, WITH BRUCE AND THE BEAVER. after she leaves the crime scene. That just seems like a thing drunk Harley would do, as I imagine she loved those shoes as they were awesome..so were her sequin socks.

-The first time I watched it I didn't realise that the fireworks weren’t actually there - because that was all in Harley's head and the film is from her pov - even though we are showed that when the police arrive there are none and it's just a regular explosion. Not until I was told this was the case and realised we were literally shown this later on.

-She goes from being a Harlequinn to Harley Quinn as she becomes emancipated.

-Roman just lets Zsas grab his arms and restrain him when he’s mad, switch energy much.....also they are defo gay for each other. Zsas was acting like a jealous boyfriend when he gave Dinah even an ounce of attention. He legit told her to come back later when he just started massaging Roman’s shoulders. Roman let's Zsas rub his shoulders and comfort him, Zsas wants to protect Roman...need I go on.

- Cass’ parents are yelling about how they don't want her if you listen to what they are saying, so they’re not just fighting, they’re fighting because they wish they never adopted her. She can hear them saying all this too. This made me feel even more sad for Cass than when I thought her parents were toxic to each other in my first watch through.

- (Trigger warning: mention of domestic abuse and child abuse)

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Cass’ parents didn't want her and seemed to be very hostile, its not mentioned how Cass got her cast...but I realised that it could suggest that her parents broke her arm. Which would go on to suggest that they were abusing her physically as well as emotionally. Hence why she didn’t trust people, and was so hurt when Harley betrayed her. Because when she says that she though Harley was different, she meant that she thought she could trust Harley and that Harley wouldn’t hurt her.

-Margot’s real accent comes through when she tells Canary ‘I haven't told that to anyone’ when telling her she Broke up with Joker, as well as a few other times throughout the film.

-Cassandra is quiet and not talkative in her first scene because her throat was hurting because of the diamond. That's why she coughed to try and clear it . At that point in the film we hadn’t been shown that  part but it was set after it happened so it makes sense when you re watch it.

-Cassandra’s jacket has a little middle finger logo on it, which I thought really suited her character.

- Cass has ‘asshole’ written on her cast, a drawing of a gun the word ‘fuck’, the word ‘magic’  - which is probably a reference at how she does some stuff that is similar to closeup magic and uses the same magicians technique of the art of misdirection - she also has what appears to be two playing cards, one with hearts  and one with diamonds. Which is most probably a reference to Harley Quinn’s whole  hearts and diamonds thing she has going. Didn’t comic book Harley also have a link to those specific playing cards too? or something like that?

EDIT: THEY ARE PLAYING CARDS!! I GOT A BETTER LOOK AT THE CAST IN THE COSTUMES VIDEO.

- TW: mentions of abuse and child abuse and trauma

The whole diamonds are a girls best friend is Harley going somewhere else mentally to cope with the trauma of being abused  - we see her being spanked by a nun when was younger suggesting she was abused then too, and I think it is a part of her comic book story  that she was but I don't know for sure - when it flashes and Guns appear that's reality trying to seep in. She's trying to focus on the diamond and block everything else out

-I spotted what looks like a mini mallet on the wall in her kitchen that could potentially be a meat tenderiser, and if that is the case then that is  a fantabulous little Easter egg type thingy. The handle looks too long to be a pot, it has a diamond pattern on it and it is next to another tool for preparing meat...so now I'm just waiting on Margot Robbie,Cathy Yan or Ella Jay Basco to Reply to my tweet and confirm it.

-Helena speaking Chinese makes me laugh for some reason, I think its her facial expression. 

- Kid  Helena’s crayons when she's drawing the revenge pic are all perfectly spaced and placed like her stuff in her bathroom scene. Further evidence of her perfectionism/ her liking things a specific way.

- The towel in Helena’s hotel room  on the bed (seen in mirror reflection) is in the shape of a little person.

- Canary sheds a tear when Roman harasses the lady on the table, I didn't notice that before because I looked away as the scene made me really uneasy.

- Harley screws the cap on the nail polish before putting it down even though there's someone at the door after them. This made me laugh because she thinks the police is after her but still takes time to do this, which is such a Harley thing. Like when she bent down to pick up the penny when that guy was gonna kill her.

- Roman has a shirt with his face printed on it.They did a good job of using the costumes and sets to show his egomaniacal trait.

- The look of acceptance of Harley's face when she realises that no one cares about, after the last person she thought cared about her (Doc) betrayed her, is heart-breaking. 

-How was Renee not injured from getting launched out the window? Even if she didn't fall all the way to the ground and landed on the top of the entrance bit, she’d still be injured.

-WHERE DOES HUNTRESSS STORE ALLL THOSE ARROWWWSSSSS????? SHE FIRED SO MMAANNNNYYY! I DIDN’T SEE A QUIIIIVVVER OR ANYTHING. I guess she just stores them in sub space along with her hammer¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

-Also I think I figured out what the chain is  for, at first I thought it was for the crossbow to attach to. Then I though not as she leaves the crossbow on the floor by itself in the funhouse fight scene, but then I think I saw it attached to it..so I think she can just disconnect it when need be. Plus it just looks cool.

-Alllssoo, she toooottallly checked out Dinah! HELENA IS DEFO GAYYYY! she has big useless lesbian vibes. They really knew who their target audience was when they made Helena look so stunning and badass. The producers really said ‘hello LGBTQ+ community’ (hopefully y’all know that tiktok audio or that wont make much sense) Also, if you don't believe me, I have a gif of her doing it on my blog. So there’s no denying it.

-Why were the lights on in the funhouse if it was  abandoned?? Maybe its just more Harley vision? but the carousel was rotating too...

Anyway that's everything I noticed, thanks for reading if you made it this far, and even if you didn’t...you wont see this then but still. Thank y’all .

[lesbianlovelanguage]

YOUTUBER AU I’m such a fucking sucker for those. It can be anything you want really. Maybe they are friends doing a challenge or something and they end up kissing (or more ;)) or they could meet each other at like a creator even and take a pic together and everyone starts to ship them... :)

HI! Anon I am so sorry, life has been *general handwaving* a MESS. But, I’ve finally gotten most of my shit together and look! A fic! Finally!!! I hope you enjoy two ridiculous boys being ridiculous.

---

“You guys asked for it, and here it is. The explanation to Bendy and the Ink Machine! Now, I’ve watched a ton of playthroughs of this, especially The RatKing’s, as well as played through it myself, and I think I’ve got it.” 

Such a simple statement, it made it through both of the editors as well as Steve and Dustin themselves without raising any red flags. But as with everything, once it had been released on the internet it became fuel for fans to break apart and over analyze. 

The comments started pouring in, the standard mix of support and people trying to break apart his theory. But one comment in particular would stand out and begin something so much bigger than itself. 

Twenty minutes after Steve had pressed upload, someone with the username Random Hoe posted a comment saying Awe! A collab between you and Billy would be totes amazing!! While an innocent comment in itself, it began to pick up steam as people ranted and demanded for the two popular youtubers to interact more. It turned from video ideas to outright shipping within two hours, and only five hours after the video had been up, people began tagging Steve on Twitter with everything from edited screen grabs to fanart and video edits, all about Steve and Billy’s secret yet undying love for each other. 

Steve had almost quit Youtube as the fanbase for what had been dubbed “Stilly” steadily grew and became all the more ravenous. There were less and less comments and reactions to his theories, whether movie, video game, or even book related, and more and more comments about how he needed to do a collab with Billy ASAP, and how he’s queerbaiting, and how it’s okay to come out, it was 20Gayteen after all. He had tried to do damage control, but it only made things worse. 

And then someone showed Billy, and Steve not only wanted to quit Youtube, but also crawl under a rock. 

Billy’s only reaction to someone sending him a picture of Steve and Billy during a live stream was “Nice art, like the hair,” but Steve could have sworn his mouth twitched down in a grimace before Billy recovered his composure. 

But Dustin had convinced Steve to keep going, and with two months of no recognition or new content, the frenzy of Stilly shipping died down. It never disappeared, but no one sent anymore art to Billy and stopped tagging Steve in all of their posts. That had been in February. 

Vidcon was in June, and Stilly was the least of Steve’s worries. He’d been asked to host a panel on the new game show he and Dustin had begun hosting on Youtube TV about pop culture trivia, and then host a live episode with various Youtube guests as competitors. It promised to be relatively simple, a simple explanation of the origin and behind-the-scenes and a simple Q&A session followed by what he spent every Thursday doing for the past two months. And it was, him and Dustin breezing through the panel bouncing off of each other and the first round of Did You Know? You Don’t Say? flying by as the famed beauty guru aced almost every question. But once the second guest stepped on stage, Steve knew it was all going to go to shit. 

Because Billy Hargrove, The Rat King himself, swaggered out on the stage in flip flops and an Everlast crop top and flopped into the contestant’s chair with a smirk. Steve froze, mouth suddenly drier than a desert. 

Luckily, Dustin didn’t even stutter. “Ah! The next victim. Should we go easy on him?” He waggled his eyebrows as he asked the audience. The audience shouting brought Steve out of his daze, and with a shake of his head, he turned and spread his arms out wide. 

“Well then, let’s begin. So, Billy, Do you know what the rarest MnM color is?” 

The cocky smirk melted off of Billy’s face, replaced by one of thoughtful determination. He’s silent for only a moment before he looks up and says, “Brown, like your eyes, Pretty Boy.” Steve feels his pale skin flush with heat, but he coughs and tries to play it off.

“Quite the charmer there, Rat King. Luckily, your lines are actually true. One point! Let’s see it!” He calls out and then looks behind him to the television screen currently displaying the scoreboard. A large blocky 1 appears and the audience cheers. 

“Alrighty then,” Dustin says after the crowd dies down. “Next question. Billy, Do you know the original name of Istanbul?” Billy chuckles, and shakes his head.

“Easy. Constantinople.”

Dustin fake pouts and looks over to Billy. “None of that Rat King charm for me?” The audience laughs, and Billy chuckles before throwing a wink at Dustin.

“Not quite old enough to ride this ride, bud.” 

Dustin scoffs and shakes his head, making the curls bounce around wildly. “Whatever you say, old man. You did get it right by the way. Let me see another point!” Dustin mimics Steve and gestures towards the scoreboard which now shows a big, white 2. 

“Your turn, Pretty Boy. Give me something hard.”

“Alright. Let’s see.” Steve pretends to look over his notes before seeing the perfect question. “So, Billy, Do you know which two American states don’t observe daylight savings time?” Billy stares blankly at Steve. This was the final question in their lineup, but he had asked for a hard question. 

Luckily, Billy recovers quickly and clears his throat before giving another chuckle. “Damn, I know I said give me a hard one, but I wasn’t expecting that. I’m gonna go with Hawaii and Alaska?” Steve shakes his head and gives a small sigh. 

Dustin gives a little cheer, and then runs over to a table off to the side of the stage where they have a cue card that the contestant has to read off of if they lose. It was Dustin’s idea, the You don’t say? part of the title. It’s his favorite part of the show, because they get to see their contestants say some ridiculous things.

“Well, unfortunately, that was incorrect,” Steve announces over the booing audience. “And, following the rules, you now have to read whatever is on this card.” Dustin hands Billy the cue card with a wicked grin. 

Billy sighs and flips over the card. There’s a moment of silence as he reads over what the card says, and then he looks up at Steve and clears his throat.

“Would a Pretty Boy want to go out with me?” He says in a clear voice, gaze never leaving Steve’s. 

Suddenly too many things for Steve to process happen at once. He feels the heat return to his cheeks and his mouth dry out again, the audience goes wild, and a buzzer sounds, signaling that they were out of time for Did You Know? You Don’t Say? Dustin comes through and pushes a frozen Steve off-stage, where Billy is waiting in the wings. With the audience’s weighty gaze gone, the feeling returns to Steve all at once.

“What the hell man? What was that out there?” He hissed at Billy. The man simply shrugs and gives another one of his trademark smirks.

“Just giving the people what they want, Princess. Try to keep up.” And then he turns around, and walks away. Simple as that. Nothing to it. 

Steve wants to scream. Fortunately, he and Dustin have been friends for years, and he knows all of Steve’s tics by now. The stagehands shoo them from the wings, and he pulls Steve through one of the backdoors to outside the convention center. Somehow, he also procures a water bottle in the hustle, and hands it to Steve once they’re both sitting on the steps outside. Steve takes the water bottle gratefully and chugs half of it in one long gulp. He pulls it away and wipes at his face before sighing. He seems to deflate, like a balloon losing all of its helium at once, and Dustin puts an arm around him. It’s awkward because he’s shorter than Steve, but it’s still comforting nonetheless. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Dustin asks quietly.

“I- I’m so stupid. For just a second I thought it was real, but why would it be? What would someone like him see in someone like me?” Dustin lets out a huff before pulling away and turning towards Steve.

“Steve, buddy, pal o’ mine. You’re an idiot. If anything, he doesn’t deserve you. He’s a pompous ass for pulling a stunt like that. It’s bullshit.” 

“He could have anyone. Between his paycheck and his pecs, he’s one of Youtube’s hottest content creators.”

“Yeah, sure. But for the sake of alliteration, he also lacks personality. The guy’s a huge dick! And he proved it today. He knew that you wouldn’t shut him down and bitch him out on stage, so he thought it would be funny to pull that shit.”

“Yeah, he is kind of just a publicity-seeking asshole, you’re right,” Steve admits, feeling a little better, and a lot angrier. “You know what, Dusty-Poo? I’m gonna find him, and give him a piece of my mind.” He stands up, itching for a fight and knowing who to go find for one.

“Tha-that’s not exactly what I meant but sure! Go knock him down a peg.” Dustin stands up as well and follows Steve back onto the main showfloor. 

It takes about twenty minutes to find Billy amongst the crowd but Steve sees him, and locks in like a tiger stalking his prey. Or something cool like that. Thankfully, Steve doesn’t have to make a huge scene as he walks up to Billy and gets in his face. 

“You. Me. Conference Room 3. Now,” Steve says, poking a finger in the middle of Billy’s chest to emphasize his point. Billy chuckles, but still follows along as they walk into the empty conference room. Once they clear the doors and Steve hears them swing shut behind them, he turns to Billy.

“Explain. What the fuck was the point of that little,” he wavs his hand around, “stunt you pulled during the game show?” 

Billy raises an eyebrow. “Told you Pretty Boy. I gave the people what they wanted. 

“So that’s it? It was a publicity stunt?” 

“You tell me. You’re the one who started the whole thing,” Billy shoots back, still holding on to an air of nonchalance, but Steve can his patience waning.

“You- you mean the stuff from February? When I happened to mention you in one video? You think I meant for that shitstorm to start, for fun and publicity?” 

Billy only shrugs again.

“Okay. Nope. Again, I mentioned your channel one time, as a source. Gave credit where credit was due. I do it for all the channels I watch! I’ve mentioned Nancy’s channel like 8 times, and Jonathan’s too. Never had this shit started with them.”

“They’re married, Steve. Like super married. Of course it wouldn’t. We’re both single, queer youtubers. Of course shit’s gonna stop. Didn’t your agent or whoever look over your video?”

Steve huffs. “Oh yeah, let me just go hire an agent, cause I have such a need for someone to monitor my every move,” Steve snarked. Billy just looked at him like he had failed to add 2 and 3.

“You’re telling me you, part of one of the biggest channels on Youtube, don’t have an agent?” 

“We’re not one of the biggest channels, and we’ve never needed one! We’ve got our team of editors and assistants, no need for some agent.”

“Steve,” Billy says patiently, like he was explaining something to a child, “You have over 4 million subscribers. That’s a big channel.” 

“We’re still not one of the biggest channels, dipshit.”

“Oh, I'm the dipshit? I didn’t start a fucking fandom frenzy apparently by accident. Because I was smart and got a fucking agent.”

“You’re such an asshole.” 

“Whatever you say Princess.”

“Stop fucking calling me a princess!” Steve screams, voice booming in the silent conference room. “Why do you do that? Pretty Boy, Princess, Stevie? Just- just stop with the fucking nicknames. It’s not fair.” The second part of his outburst comes out as a whisper, sounding almost desperate. 

Billy was at a loss for words, but then again, he had always been more of a man of action. 

So he says nothing, only gives a seconds’ thought of what he was going to do, before lunging forward and doing it. 

Steve’s next words are muffled as Billy crashes their lips together with absolutely no finesse, teeth clacking. It probably constituted as the worst kiss Billy has ever had, but as he moves back, Steve grabs a fist full of blond locks and pulls him forward. Their 

second kiss is far better. By no means is it soft, but that was just par for the course with them wasn’t it? 

The kiss comes to a natural ending as they both pull back to breath, before Steve starts to giggle. 

“You really need to work on your pick-up lines, Rat King.”

A soft gasp from the doorway cuts off Billy’s retort, and they both turn to see a girl decked out in Youtube merch, including a jacket with the Upside Down Theories logo on it. She had dropped her backpack, and was open-mouthed gaping at the two. Her eyes are as wide as dinner plates as she frantically gathers up her backpack and shoots out of the conference room. 

“Chances that this blows up online by tomorrow?” Steve asks, turning to the blond next to him. 

“I’m betting in the next two hours, Pretty Boy,” Billy replies.

A wicked smirk creeps onto Steve’s lips as he shrugs and says, “Oops. What was that about getting an agent to help with this stuff?” 

---

Aside from this taking FOREVER, I hope you guys enjoy this! It was tons of fun to write.

tag team: @lostnoise @gideongrace @stevefuckingharrington @a-magey @catharrington @trashycatarcade @myboyfriendsteve @thesummerof84 @lightsupinthenorth @smashmouth-hargrove (lmk if you would like to be added/removed from the list!)

[genius11rare]

Chit Chat 72821 AH 13 year anniversary

Chit Chat 13 year anniversary stream 72821 with Jack Michael Jeremy and voices of Geoff , lindsay , sudden matt and Ky

Jack: welcome to our birthday stream , sponsored by expressvpn if you don't have a vpn why don't yo- and i already lost all my frames…. Its our 13th bday we are no long preteens we are teens (someone , i assume michael uses airhorn sfx) Jack: hang on i got one (sarah no sfx x7) , we also got voices of geoff , alfredo is here , weve got Ky Deafened (jeremy wheezzes) and lindsay possibly and see trevor too… ok lindblad im switchin to firefox this is broken. Geoff: earlier we had our company wide All Hands meeting talking about whats going on… i don't expect you guys to go (jeremy uh oh) but i go cuz i care , trevor gave a speech about AH history and it was great , better than i couldve done so thanks trevor. Michael: wish i had boos and Hisses on my soundboard but i don't. Jack: todays also my wifes birthday so… im actually not supposed to be here today so *laughs* thanks to everyone whos supported over the last 13 years… Ky qwasnt even born yet (Michael: and she already made that joke) i know i said that in hope to get her to respond but shes deafeand. Michael: but that's how Deafen works… Jeremy: no shes like a jedi she would feel the joke. GeoffL di you get your internet fixed this week which then broke it 2 more times (jack: no , sounds like you tho) oh i guess that's just me then. Jack: geoff you hit record? Geoff: you know i didn't! *showing lucky 13 merch , at a poker table* Jack: so now that were 13 we can gamble. Geoff: 13 is legal gambling age in some counties of west virginia and mississippi  Jeremy: and we should ALL model ourselves after those 2 states. Jack: the beacons of america. Michael: if you can see over the poker table you can play Jeremy: well guess im out Geoff: hes 5’4! Lindsay: are we sure about that? GeoffL some of us are , some of us have never not been sure . *moves onto Camp Betrayal* Geoff: out of curiosity who were your fave non AH on that shoot Alfrdo: ooohh calen (i think?) was a lot of fun but Noel surprised me the most. Michael: Kayla was fun cuz it was 3 overnite shoots so we actually somewhat hiung out… also charlotte (jack jeremy and lindsay: yeah charlotte was cool) Jeremy: is this a camp betrayal thing or a face jam thing , everytime i see someone post a pic of Eric everyone in the comments tell him to eat dirt. Michael: its camp betrayal Geoff: speaking of eating dirt  were you ever the kids that ate worms for like a trick or to be brave (jack michael and jeremy: no) i wasn't either but… i feel like Matt Bragg probably did Matt: hey you're wrong *lindblad switches to a zoomed in photo of matt from the earlier lucky 13 merch drop shoot , starts shaking camera as he talks a bit* Jeremy: nice lindblad Matt: -et fucked geoff ! “are AH crew fans of cake or pie for bday?” Jack: who eats birthday PIE?!?! Ky: im just gonna step in , what about Ice cream cake (paraphrasing)... Geoff: …. I had cotton candy for dinner last night… whole kerfuffle getting it at HEB , grabbed it and the whole display fell on my head “Whose standup in austin have you seen and whos fave?” Jack: i havent seen stand up in a long time… last time i saw a routine of some kind was Penn n Teller in vegas 4 or 5 years ago. GeoffL i  just saw Tom Seguarra (idk how to spell) in vegas a bit ago , and he moved to austin recently… *moves on to Season Pass* Geoff: talked about how i lost millie at that park once… tune in to find out if i found her. Michael: oh replaced her like Avril Lavigne? Geoff: yeah an almos identical millie… doesnt sound the same when she sings but its close….. Michael: and that's the one question… “Phoenix Edit: what has been  proudest moment at AH?” JAck: doing any live show like selling out chicago… Michael: just hanging on i mean… Ky ill jump in (jack: whats your proudest moment at AH) you mean for the last month you mean? (Michael: yeah you have it alot easier) id say representing AH in last laugh season 2 Jack: you got knocked out like immediately though Geoff: can i give a sappy geoff answer? Its the day i invited you guys to my GFs house and we went swimming (michael: oh that was cool - i wasn't there) it was basically a perfect day , everybody - well almost everybody that mattered was there (michael laughs) and THAT day was when i told Jack and Trevor i was leaving AH . those conversations were really hard to have .. and i ws so comforted by how.... Oh idk *sigh* i just - i - i just how good a hands i felt it was in and you guys seemed so ready, and i knew it was going to continue and grow without me… sorry im getting so emotional in my old age, i yelled to much when i was younger. Michael: its weird to geoff cuz i couldnt make it and you went “oh no big deal, nothings going on anyway” and then trevor told me after wards geoffs leaving , and trevor kept saying “ive been waiting for this day ive  ben waiting for this day” Geoff: he hi5 me before i even got it out of my mouth….. He fist bumped himself it was weird… Trevor: yeah did that and said “God took ya long enough”  *cue airhorns and sarah nos* Jeremy:… alright let's play golf Jack: thanks for showing support from our live shows to our.. Our… idk the shows weve done *laughs* Geoff: GET IT OUT CMON! (Lindsay: GDI *jeremy and matt laughing* )  Jesus Christ! Jack: i had weird place , hardcore minigolf i got all them stuck in my head and couldnt get out the door

[galaxyacerodoesart]

All the hype with Ananas release and what not has inspired my to go back on some Cookie Run OCs and just redesign them.

SO, Starting off with one of my Dragon Cookie OCs, Graviola Dragon Cookie! They are probably one of my favorite Dragon Cookies, but i wasnt fully happy with their design so, It was time to change that! Not only that, but now they have a proper description AND a pet! :D I also changed their weapon to go along with the fact they are a Wind Dragon. Its some sort of… War fan thing akdjdk listen, im not gonna lie, i was fully inspired by the Jet the Hawk weapon from the Sonic Riders game series, so there is that.

(EDIT) FINALLY im on my computer, so i can add all their info under read more lmao

“Many cookies in the past would believe that whenever gentle winds or devastating hurricanes would fall upon them, it was a sign the beast with verdant scales was soaring by. Able to create hurricanes with a flap of their wings, the beast different from the other of its kin, seemed to not settle in one place, and would rather keep moving, as if they were free as the winds it would conjure and control. Then one day, tragedy stroke, and the beast collapsed into a high mountain, many believed that to be their end, when suddenly, all the smoke from the impact was blow away by the well known powerful winds, and from the eye of the hurricane, emerged a smaller form, who finally, settled down at the top of the very mountain it crashed into, only showing its presence to those it deemed worthy. Some say whenever a gentle breeze soars through the air, means The Green Dragon is pleased with how things are going, but if devastating winds curses the lands, it’s a sign something is wrong or displeasing them.”

Graviola’s pet, Ventawk (Epic)

“With a determination and whim stronger than the winds it flew into, Ventawk was determined to be able to fly alongside the Green Dragon the moment it first saw the currents it could create. Such determination didn’t flew by the Beast, who grew to be amused by the small thing attempts. When all its training finally pay off, and the bird was able to fly and drive the currents with perfection and even blow them into a different direction, The Green Dragon decided to allow it to tag along them in their journey. Ventawk is to this day, extremely loyal to them, and won’t exitate to blew away any potential treat coming their way.”

——————-

Relationships:

(ok so, im not on mobile, but i actually haven’t thought of anything for their relationships yet dsajkdlja one day, but not today.)

——————-

- Despite being a Dragon Cookie, Graviola is actually Epic Rank. They are strong, not Legendary tho.

- Kinda like Pitaya, they be hanging with cookies no problem. In fact, they find most of them pretty amusing.

- While creating and controling wind-related things is their strong point, they also have really minor healing abilities (based on the fact the Graviola fruit can be used in healing) They cant heal big injures, but is better than nothing.

Finally, have a bonus pic of them without their wings Just to better show their hair and what not.

[amphtaminedreams]

I Shopped at YesStyle So You Don’t Have To: Lookbook no.10

Hi to anyone reading,

And welcome to what I guess is my first “review” post of sorts! Which is basically an excuse for me to rave about Korean street style and ask why the fuck Seoul fashion week isn’t more of a big deal!? Though I’ve pretty much quit fast fashion over the last few months and have been getting my clothes from Depop, I did want to talk about the website YesStyle which I ordered from back in May (jfc, the fact that May was almost 4 months ago now is terrifying) and how impressed I was with their service and the clothes I received. It should go without saying from the fact that investing in someone with about 200 followers on here wouldn’t be a very good financial decision, but this isn’t a sponsored post-I just think that if you’re gonna order from anywhere, YesStyle is a good shout for those of you who, like myself, are inspired by East Asian street style. I have to give credit to the incredible Katie O, otherwise known as StealTheSpotlight on Youtube and Instagram; she’s the medium through which I’ve been introduced to the world of “k-fashion” and YesStyle in the first place. Yes, my current knowledge of k-pop doesn’t extend far past fan tendencies to flood every popular tweet with fancams of their favourite singers and girl groups (I admire the dedication), but through Katie’s content and Instagram accounts like TokyoFashion on Instagram,  I have come to the conclusion that the stylists behind these groups and Asian designers in general are owed a huge amount of credit by Western trend forecasters. If you have any Instagram account or blog recommendations with similar content please let me know! For now, I’m gonna give a run down of the pieces I ordered (most of which are still available), prices and sizing, and also a bit focussing on ethical concerns and what I could find out about their practices from my research.

DISCLAIMER: The photos used as backgrounds are mine. Yes, I’m in mourning over the fact that this time last year I was inter-railing, in case the ham-fisted insertion of touristy pics didn’t make that obvious. Remember when we could leave the country? When it didn’t feel like the world was ending? When everything didn’t seem to be going to absolute shit all at once? When there was a glimmer of hope that we wouldn’t spend the next 4 years being governed by the Conservatives here in Britain? Simpler times :-)

The Pieces

1. The Alizio V-Neck Camisole Top in White: £4.97, Size M

So, what you’re gonna get from the off here is that YesStyle’s prices seem ridiculously cheap, which is something I’ll address in the ethics section at the end of the post. For £4.97, you’d expect an ill-fitting SheIn/Zaful style number but I was so impressed by how flattering this top actually is. I was a size 8 and 32C for reference and my only complaint is that because the neckline has a slight plunge, it was a little awkward to wear with a t-shirt bra. You know, unless you’re into that cups poking out of the top kinda vibe that was a rite of passage for all British teenage girls going through puberty back in, like, 2009 when you wanted everyone to know you’d been on your first bra shopping trip to M&Co with your mum at the weekend. 

2. The Rhames High-Waist Plaid Mini Skirt in Purple: £9.12, Size M

Clueless being as iconic as it is, a plaid mini skirt is always going to be timeless and I know this is a piece I’m gonna be basing outfits around for a long time. It fit perfectly and is surprisingly good quality material; I was kind of expecting it to come in that super thin, semi-see through jersey that you get when you order from a lot of UK fast fashion sites, but a recurring feature of the clothes I picked out was that they were such good quality for the price and exactly as they appear online. I’ve found in the past that UK sites are deceptively canny with lighting and angles in that when the garment actually arrives (Boohoo in particular is a repeat offender in this regard) it’s a lot frumpier than it looks on the model. It seems to be common practice to pin back and temporarily alter the clothes during photoshoots to give the illusion that they’re a lot more fitted and structured than they actually are which ultimately just leads to disappointment when you try on the supposedly bodycon dress and resemble a sack of potatoes. Been there, done that. I worship the ground all carbs walk on but I don’t want to look like them. Should go without saying really. It’s nothing to do with size, but it’s just crappy tailoring and cutting corners on the brand’s part and that’s what irks me. I really appreciate that YesStyle has photos of “regular” people just wearing the clothes out rather than the outcomes of these overly edited, studio lit shoots that aren’t necessarily the most representative of how the garment is gonna look irl.

3. Nikiki Garter Belt: £5.59, One Size

As comfortable as garters come, I guess? I don’t have much experience with them tbh, lol. 2021 to do list, if we make it out of 2020 alive: try more garters.

4. Lucuna Floral Embroidered Cropped Cardigan in Almond: £15.61, One Size

Don’t get me wrong, this cardigan is adorable and there’s nothing misleading about the photo on the website. What I will say is that considering it only comes in one size, it’s pretty tight on the arms. I’m a size 6 right now and it’s really not like I’m ripped or anything (lol) so it’s safe to say that in terms of the Lucuna brand, their sizes come up very small. The cardigan wasn’t the only one size thing I purchased and whilst the others did fit, I think in general the fact that said “one size” is pretty much only suitable for UK sizes 4-8 is pretty shit. A few of the pieces had elasticated waistbands but in general in 2020, when we’ve come so far in the last few years with body positivity and being more inclusive of all sizes, to have a sample size that runs so small isn’t acceptable and this sizing issue is my biggest problem with the store. Though I recognise that YesStyle acts as an outlet for smaller East Asian brands (in this case Lucuna) and thus aren’t themselves responsible for the designs, more consideration should probably go into the harm that could potentially be done by stocking these supposedly “one size fits all” garments. Brandy Melville, I’m looking at you too. Your designs are cute but your lack of inclusivity is shitty.

5. Ohnana Ruffle Trim Strappy Cami Cropped Top in Purple: £5.01, Size M

I’m not as jazzed as I was about this top now it seems that everyone and their mother’s dog is selling it at an extortionate price on Depop but I will say that it’s also very flattering. Makes my strangely long torso look somewhat proportionate, which is nice. The material is pretty thin but it is for all intents and purposes a tank top and the price is reflective of that.

6. Sisyphi Plaid Shirt in Tangerine: £11.30, One Size

So the “one size” option strikes again, though this time with less vengeance-I would say this would be wearable up to size 12/14 so slightly better than with the cardigan.

7.  BBChic High-Waist Wide-Leg Jeans: £10.04, Size M

When it comes to these jeans, I only have good things to say. Like firstly, they make me feel like early 2000s Avril Lavigne AKA. my childhood icon/potential clone/queen of millennium grunge and an incarnation of Y2K fashion I can actually get behind. Secondly, they have an elasticated waistband, which is ALWAYS a good thing. Thirdly, they didn’t come up ridiculously long on me which I feared would be the case; I did wear the platform Filas with them but as you can see, it’s not like they’d be trailing over my feet even in flats. I’m somewhere between 5′3 and 5′4 for reference and usually go for petite in jeans  and trousers just to be on the safe side.

8.  HERMITAKH Ring Detail Halter Crop Top in Black: £5.15, Size M

I have only recently become a member of the itty bitty titty committee but even back when I shot this lookbook this halter actually fit! When it came to tops that necessitate going braless, I always had issues with finding pieces I didn’t feel were going to cause an unintentional free the nipple moment, but the fact that you can tie this top up at the neck and back yourself allows you to work out a fit that’s supportive for you. 

9. Puffie Lightning Print Straight-Cut Pants: £13.76, Size M

I’d wanted a pair of trousers like these for ages before I saw them on YesStyle but the ones I’d come across in the past were a bit extra for my hometown and typically cost more than they seemed to be worth. This pair lack the bulk that the original styles I came across had, which helps give them a more casual, laid back feel, though they are just as vibrant and substantial BUT there isn’t much give in them. They have the slightly baggy look I was going for however they aren’t elasticated on the waist so I recommend having a look at the guide that’s available next to the drop down box where you select the size you want.

 10. Alfie Mesh Long-Sleeve Top in Pink: £7.71, One Size

No, the Jennifer’s Body top isn’t from YesStyle, I’m sorry to disappoint. Go to RedBubble for that one! The considerably less exciting mesh top underneath however, is, and in spite of its relative mundanity (you can’t top Megan Fox as a man-eating demon) it does the job as a versatile staple piece. It’s one size but it does have a lot of stretch in it so would probably go up to about size 14 (not to say that’s great).

11. Barrash Harness Bag: £17.10, One Size

The harness vest is one of my favourite trends to come out of k-fashion and I wanted SO badly to pull this piece off (especially because it was one of the most expensive pieces I purchased from the site) but it was far too big for me even when I adjusted it and TBH...I don’t even know if it’s just the sizing? I kinda felt like a paranoid tourist with their bag on back to front and yeah...I don’t think that’s the desired effect. Here’s an example of how cool they CAN look from Seoul fashion week, and with that another example of why NYFW should lose its place in the “big 4″ to make room for SFW:

And just Blackpink just setting the standard for the utility wear trend in general:

12. Mikiko Short-Sleeved Blouse in White: £8.79, One Size

I appreciate that the website notes that the “one size” here runs small, however it does also say that a “base layer” is needed for under the shirt which I didn’t find was necessary at all. The fabric is quite thick and it genuinely looks like the kind of shirt you’d find tucked away in a vintage shop, cute af and will go with anything.

13. Closette Sleeveless V-Neck Vest in Black: £11.87, One Size

Again, I was really impressed with the quality of this jumper; it definitely looks like something you’d pick up in a uniform shop (though this one is probably cheaper because those shops are daylight fucking ROBBERY) but I can never get enough of that grungy school girl look. Blame St.Trinians. 

14. Niji Smile Pleated Plaid Skirt with Insert Shorts in Green: £9.12, Size M

This skirt might be my absolute favourite of the items I ordered on the sole basis that it comes with shorts built in underneath, like, WHY DON’T ALL MINI SKIRTS HAVE THIS!? Plus the shape and the bounce it has to it makes me feel ultra-feminine and effortlessly cute which I love. It didn’t even turn up crumpled! Which you’ve really got to admire considering half the clothes in my local H&M look like they’ve never got within 10 metres of an iron in their short lifespan. 

15. LINSI Elbow-Sleeve Print T-Shirt: £10.92, One Size

If I had to pick one more favourite piece, it would be this graphic top that I wore underneath a pink chiffon Ebay dress. It looks and fits exactly like the photos on the website and I have to restrain myself wasting a wear of it just lounging around the house because it’s also ridiculously comfy.

16. LINSI Plaid Straight-Cut Pants in Orange: Size M

These trousers are currently out of stock, however I will say that of everything I’ve ordered they’re probably the least comfy and on that basis I’m not sure if I’d buy them again. They look great and I will push myself to wear them for that reason but they’re the kind of itchy fabric that I rush to take off and swap for some pyjamas the moment I get into the house. That being said, I don’t know if this is an issue everyone will have because I am someone that is overly sensitive to fabrics so you might not even notice it, plus-stretchy waistband! Which is a plus for sure.

I was also very impressed by the accessories I ordered, which once again completely surpassed my quality expectations. Pretty much everything pictured here was under £5 apart from the shoulder bag which was closer to 10, and when you consider that the price of these is inflated at the moment because of the resurgence of the Y2K trend, this is still ridiculously cheap.

The prices are definitely a concern of mine because unfortunately, when products are this cheap there’s usually somebody being exploited down the line. Since I made this order in May, I’ve had a small slip up with a Motel Rocks order, but other than that have cut out fast fashion completely. I want to be as ethical a consumer as I can, and that’s something I considered before making this post; that being said, YesStyle, actually a Hong-Kong based company in spite of it being touted as the destination for k-fashion, was recognised as a "Caring Company" between 2014 and 2019 (I don’t think this has been updated for 2020 yet given the circumstances) by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. From what I can find online, this award is given to Hong Kong companies that demonstrate good corporate citizenship and responsibility. Whilst this seems like reassuring information, like I said, I find it hard to believe that the production of clothes selling for these kinds of prices isn’t outsourced to low wage workers at some stage of the process. It’s a hard to know where to stand, because obviously the fast fashion industry DOES create jobs that people rely on to sustain themselves but at what point does the treatment of workers in developing countries negate the opportunities the industry provides here in the UK? “There is no ethical consumption under capitalism” and all that but shouldn’t we try to make a change where we can? I agree with the statement though at times it can come across like a deflection of individual responsibility. Plus there’s the environmental side of the debate-having to fly the garments over from the point of manufacture obviously takes a massive amount of fuel which it goes without saying is hugely detrimental to our planet. The sizing is also an issue; the average clothes size here in the UK is a 12, I believe, and yet a size medium seems to come up as about an 8. Asian sizes do tend to come up smaller in general but at the same time, if that’s the case, as an international retailer shouldn’t YesStyle at least address that somewhere on the site?

I don’t want to end on a negative note because compared to sites like Zaful, SheIn, and even UK based retailers such as Pretty Little Thing and Boohoo, YesStyle appears to be one of the better ones. The quality of their garments is incredible for the prices and I admire the transparency of having reviews for every product be so readily accessible. It’s also great to see that they have a section specifically addressing their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, AND  offer refunds to their customers for import fees. God, I don’t know why this isn’t something that more websites do? I will never forget being slapped with a £100+ invoice for a Dolls Kill (bleurgh) order I made once back in the more impulsive shopping days and all the Karen-y emails I sent back and forth. Import fees are understandable but international retailers should definitely make it clearer how these are calculated and give more of an indication of just how steep these fees might be if you’re making a large order. It almost seems disingenuous not to do so especially when said retailers most likely know that customers wouldn’t make these orders if they had an idea of what it would cost just to get access to the goods they’ve already paid for.

I won’t ramble on for much longer because there is so much important shit going on in the world right now and I don’t want to take up time that could be spent reading more valuable posts-with the shooting of Jacob Blake earlier this week, and the death of Chadwick Boseman earlier today (I can’t imagine the amount of mental and physical strength it takes to film all the movies he did back to back whilst dealing with colon cancer), the most important thing to do is listen to how black individuals are feeling and what they are thinking right now. I will keep an eye on my dashboard and retweet what I can. Thanks for reading. Even if you’re just here for the photos, I appreciate it! And I don’t know if I’ve said it before but please know that my messages are always open to anyone struggling, especially with everything that’s going on at the moment. I don’t claim to be a professional but I can always listen. Lots of love<3

Lauren x

[coolgirl]

Jason expert rate Jason’s designs

sorry for being late i was busy with school but now i’m free so to celebrate. jason indulgence.

pre-crisis not robin

very cute. i like that it has a lil more of flair to it? the collar and the lines on the gloves and the shorter cape.. also love it has pants. king rlly king. wonder if they already knew he was gonna be robin anyways or if they were still considering nightbird. anyways, 8/10 bc its cute

pre & post-crisis robin (bc its basically the same)

i mean its a classic.. however it reminds me jason was the only robin who was simply given dick’s clothes rather than like. have an unique look? which sucks. 7/10 middle child syndrome is REAL

post-crisis robin (winter edition)

OKAY NOW THIS. i absolutely love. is it tacky? oh yes without a doubt. i still love the pants and the sleeves. finally winter clothes for this child, especially considering his new titans scene where he was bitching about the costume not being snow proof. he got what he wanted! 9/10

new 52/rebirth costume by

EPIC. IDC I LOVE IT.the circles on his arms and his boots.. the lines on his legs.. i just love it. i love the red mask too… it feels.. not more unique, but feels more jason-y than the other costume. 10/10

NOW. onto older stuff

hush

as u can see im VERY confusion about the pouches and the straps?? why??? whats the purpose.. generally its fine. the white strand moved a nation and i think the chest piece is cool, but everything else.. uglee. like the long as hell jacket and him looking 40 years old like why r u 19 looking like fifty? ugly white man. 5/10

winicks/utrh version

LITERALLY A CLASSIC. i love this costume sooo much. like jason obviously grew out of it, as in it wouldnt make sense for him anymore to go with something like this as his main costume because i feel like this fit the utrh mood (him not veing a vigilante/hero/villain whatver but trying to be a mob boss n shit) and it just. fucks. i love the helmet just being plain with no stupid mouth or nose shape. i simply love it. 10/10

nigthwing

its just. its just the nightwing costume. didnt even try he just stole that from dick. he still rocks it and looks better than dick, and u gotta give him points for accessorizing with his dagger. 7/10

red robin 

im not. a big fan of this costume.. i think the cowl is ugly, it just does not work for someone as big as jason… however i do like why he took this mantle and what it meant.. 6/10 no words head empty. 

oh brother. furryman

ITS SUCH AN UGLY COSTUME. muzzle batman walked so muzzle red hood could run. its just. ugly like ugly. i dont like the ears or again the muzzle or whatever the hell is going on in the arms.. its just so edgy. 5/10

WANNA KNOW WHAT A SEXY EVIL BATMAN COSTUME LOOK LIKE?

Injustice 2 batman

I2 HAD IT IN THE BAG BABY. i like that its like classic batman costume but again! with some jason touches! the red eyes, the electric tiddies making a comeback.. epic genuinely epic. 10/10

and if ur not into evil jason

100% dad ‘i have my life figured out’ batman jason 

just like the nightwing costume this is just. batman costume. nothing special or different from it so its like did u even try? BUT in this scenario it actually means smth that he stuck to bruces costume.. sweet.. but boring. 7/10

speaking of. evil ugly designs. ugh i hate this.

this motherfucker

ive never. ever. felt as humiliated by a costume than thetime jason wore this. like MORTIFYING RLLY. its DISGUSTINGGG. the helmet shape. the fucking WHITE. the SKULL PLEASE WHO DESIGNED THIS WHO HATES ME IN PARTICULAR SO MUCH??? THIS MAN DOES NOT FUCK! HES UGLY! HE STINKS!!!! the red guns are epic that much i can say. LOOK AT THOSE PANS GOD ITS SO HUMILLIATING. 0/10 WORST COSTUME EVER.

HOWEVER. winick and the artist spun GOLD from it, because next time jason wore possibly my favorite costume to date

this motherfucker…2!

like look how much better it looks with a little of swag.. the helmet without eyes.. the belts.. the fucking leather jacket.. keeping the red guns/gloves.. like seriously i dont know a better man. the skull is still awful and i wouldve replaced the white for black and MWAH best costume. like the black part at the top make it all red and the white make it black.. god this jason fucks massively i love him. 11/10 my favorite by a landslide perhaps

new 52/rebirth red hood

OKAY I KNOW theyre slightly different (rebirth has shorter sleeves and a more padded look) but to me its like. same thing. okay i think its.. fine. its not phenomenal but its not ugly.. i like the brown jacket more than the black jacket i have to admit, its more distinctive and i simply like the color more, however i do not.. like jason having the bat symbol.. but thats also a me thing about how badly written this is. anyways. the helmet with the mouth disgusts me and everytime its drawn like that its humilliating. like. 7/10. maybe 7+. when it has the mouth or like nose ANY FACIAL EXPRESSION RLLY its a 5. 

wingman

oh i absolutely despise that helmet. he looks like fucking. terminator. its the ugliest shape ive ever seen and the visor is.. huge. i dont like the shoulder pads either idk what the fuck its going on with the thing around his neck either.. like hes. knockout batman and i HATEEE IT. damians costume slaps tho. i just… its… ugly. like.. 3/10. 

get damian back arc red hood costume

oh im a HUGE fan of this design.i love how his costume is designed in a way thats like. if jason was a dnd character he absolutely would be a tank. the padding, the red undertones everywhere, i just.. love it. i like how all the costumes were done to reflect their personalities you know.. i like this robin red hood hybrid. 9/10 would even say 10/10 bc i just enjoy how gleason draws jason.

red hood/arsenal costume

its like. i dont hate it completely (i love the way the hood+helmet looks) and thats.. yeah thats pretty much all i like about it. i HATEEEE the vest i hate it fr.i hate how huge the sumbol is and idk this costume just does not spark joy. 5/10

outlaw costume

okay this one. this one drives me insane. because like. okay i dig parts of it. i like the lack of sleeves. i like the gloves thingies. i like the hood. i could get aboard him ditching the helmet - it breaks all the damn time anyways. i like the stripes on his pants in the boots. ALL SEPARATE? NEAT. now i hate. hate. the muzzle. like WHY IT LOOKS SO UGLYYY LIKE SO UGLY like unless the artist GETS IT and is SEXY it looks awful. look at this

AWFUL. also like it made sense for when he was on the run and he had to make do and assemble a costume from what he had but like now hes sponsored by lex, get that man a goddamn new suit already please. anyways. 6/10.. like i said i like many elements from it but its still.. kinda ugly all together and depends A LOT on the artist.

three jokers

im torn on this one.. i think its a bit boring.. i dont rlly like the top part, it reminds me SOO much of that one tt issue where he beat the fuck out of tim while wearing a robin costume like i understad the implications of him wearing a costume thats similar to the robin blouse but im not a big fan.. also i prefer the brown leather jacket. its like not his worst costume by far but not the best.. like pretty basic?  i would say 6/10

NOW SOME AUS.

tiny titans & lil gotham

okay these two are like. pretty much the canon versions of robin and red hood HOWEVER they both have details that are different from the original version and DESERVE a mention. the curls on robin jason and jasons red gloves/belt are ICONIC. whoever designed them knew what they were about, so 10/10 best bapy jason.

arkham knight

does the person who designed this know how much theyve done for the lgbt community? i hope they do. i love.. a lot about this costume. i love the ears, i love how techno it is, i love the layers to it.. im.. not a big fan of the whole military thingy but i have to admit that applying it to the design itself is kind of neat.. i love the colors too and how.. practical it is while being. well. kinda dramatic? the whole bat aesthetic.. yeah. i love it. 9/10

arkham red hood

this one.. when u think about it the outlaw version is VEEERY similar to this one: the pants, the hood, the jacket eve. however i like this helmet so much more, i have a weakness for eyeless (??) helmets.. i like the little details of it as well, i remember that pic going around of it being held together with like. fuckign stitches and bandaids. legendary. i love this look, i would say 9+/10

injustice 2 jason

okay gonna go ahead and say it: not a big fan of the helmet. it looks like.. a bug? the lenses do not spark joy. this bitch has many styles and like toners etc and i will no rate them all. i think its a pretty basic design, not the best but not the worst either. like if it was an exam i would make them pass but make faces at what im reading like eeehhhgh. 7/10.

hag jason

middle one is like literally, on the outside and superficial level, just. his usual costume. the jacket and the grey kevlar and the bat. now the gloves are sexy as hell.. and in the whit ebackground one u can appreciate the under costume better and i really like it?? i just.. like the design. I HATE HOWEVER the bat helmet. WHY IS IT HOLLOW?? BITCH HELLO?? AND THE BATMAN SYMBOL DOES NOT MAKE SENSE! and i like things making sense!!!. we will not talk about jason in this book. like.. 8/10. maybe 9 if im feeling it.

hag jason 2: the hagger and the furious

hes just.. a little old man.. he cannot change this.. i like this design. i like seeing jason grow old. wish it wasnt in this context. my father rlly. 8/10

—-

am i forgetting any jays.. i wont do all animated robins because they all look the same and the one that doesnt i do not like. SO HERES my thoughts..

[lucyoftheabyss48]

Top 6 Spring 2020 Anime to Watch

I was going to make this a Top 10, but it got way too long, so I cut it to 6. (Also above pic is from BNA)

Anyway, these are the Top 6 Spring 2020 Anime that I personally think will be worth watching. For all of these included in the list, I have watched at least the first episode. But of course, this list will be very biased, because my beloved Studio Trigger finally has another show again.

I won’t be including sequels (but I’m watching Fruits Basket S2, Ascendance of a Bookworm S2, and I’m trying to catch up on Kaguya-sama and Tsugumomo)

Let’s start from Number 6. May contain vague spoilers for the first episodes of these shows. More below!

6. Gal to Kyouryuu

This one looks like trash. I know. I know, but give it a chance. Maybe all you’ll get out of it is its comedy and strangeness, and its wacky live action second half. But just let me tell you the best part of this show, and why it’s so high on my list.

First, a quick summary. A gyaru (gal) girl takes in a dinosaur that she found one day, and they spend their time just living life together. That’s it.

That is it, but I think there’s more to it than just that. This gal girl, Kaede, from what I can tell, has just been going through the motions in life. She felt bored and uninspired and unmotivated. Her life was just work, and whatever fun things she could find to fill up her free time.

But when she brings in the dinosaur, despite her many complaints, she still cares for him and thinks of him and is considerate towards him. And for her to have someone by her side, and looking to her as a companion to face life together, side by side, creates a little more fun and a little more motivation in her own life.

This isn’t a deep show or anything. I don’t think there’s some dark hidden message, unless you want to look at it that way. It’s a sweet little show about the relationship between two lost and lonely people, finding their way in life together. One of them just happens to be a cute dinosaur.

Which amazingly, no one seems to question. I think that’s great, because it just cuts out that whole obstacle of others coming to terms with the dinosaur’s existence, and goes straight to him as just an individual character, and his relationship with Kaede.

It’s just really sweet, I can’t say this enough. It might be a little subtle. But just watch out for the things that Kaede does for the dinosaur, like how she seriously thinks about what she can do to help him. I also think the dinosaur definitely helps Kaede let down her guard and be more relaxed about some things. Both their lives are just brighter with each other than without.

(Edit after seeing Episode 2, SPOILERS: Never mind about this not being deep or dark, the ending of Episode 2 has changed my mind!! Please watch it, and let’s discuss theories!!!)

5. Arte

If you’ve read any of my past essays, maybe you’ve found out by now that I live for the dynamic between really great and supportive partnerships. And maybe you’ve also found out by now that most of this list consists of said partnerships. Arte definitely has one too.

So Arte is about a noblewoman who wants to be an artist, but everyone is against that, because she’s a woman, and women at that time don’t become artists. And moreover, she’s a noble, and so she needs to be ladylike and get married so she can continue to live a comfy life.

Basically that’s the premise, and Arte goes about trying to find her path to becoming an artist. She eventually becomes the apprentice of someone we all know: Leonardo da Vinci.

If you like art, if you like history and historical figures (read: if you’re a Fate fan like me), or if you just like a cool and determined female MC, then this is for you. I would say this is comparable to Ascendance of a Bookworm, or the anime movie Miss Hokusai. It’ll probably have equal parts lighthearted comedy and darker seriousness, and plenty of coolness from Arte and Leo both.

4. Gleipnir

I read a good chunk of the manga a year or two before this came out, so I’ve been looking forward to this. The animation in this first episode was really good quality, and it’ll probably only get better from here. The story is basically, one day, our MC Shuichi suddenly gains powers to turn into a big stuffed animal suit. Everyone who has these powers to transform has entered into a big battle royale to the death to collect the most coins.

Shuichi just wants to live a normal life and get rid of this animal form, and Claire wants to find a certain someone (among other things). Shuichi doesn’t want to fight, doesn’t want to kill anyone — but he can’t do nothing because then he’d be killed. And he doesn’t even know yet why he was turned into this monster.

That’s where Claire comes in. She has a goal, but she doesn’t have powers like he does. She’d be killed instantly on her own, just as he would because of his hesitation. Just so you know, she gets it into her head that the best way for them both to live, and get what they both want, is for her to get inside his animal suit form, and control him from the inside.

They’d both die on their own, but together, they can survive.

I think the story is interesting and plenty mysterious. There’s a lot of good stuff to sink your teeth into. But like always, the core of the show, to me, is the dynamic between Shuichi and Claire, and how they both find purpose and motivation because of each other.

Also Shuichi’s VA is the same as Tanjirou. And Ikuto in Runway de Waratte. So that’s a plus.

3. Princess Connect! Re:Dive

So it might be easy to dismiss this as another fantasy adventure harem with the lackluster MC, but I’m going to argue for our mostly silent and robotic protagonist. We find out in the first episode when he wakes up that he lost his memory, so I would say that that’s the reason why he’s pretty emotionless. So as he interacts more with Kokkoro, and learns more about the world from her, he becomes more expressive.

I think the best example of this is his last line at the end of the first episode, which sounded a little more emotional and personal than any lines he’d said earlier.

On another note, the animation is top notch — way, way too excessively pretty and beautiful and detailed, but I ain’t complaining. The grass. The grass. Watch it, and you’ll see what I mean. And the lighting. The lighting.

The action animation and comedy both are pretty reminiscent of Konosuba. A certain character’s finishing move is pretty similar to Explosion. And like Konosuba, a lot of the appeal of this show will probably be the female characters, their wild personalities, and all the shenanigans they get into.

But also like Konosuba, there’s a small, hidden sweet side sprinkled throughout, in how their ragtag group finds friendship and companionship with each other, when they couldn’t find it elsewhere. If you look at it that way, I think this show can be sweet and deep in its own way.

2. Tower of God

This is a big one that I know lots of people have been looking forward to, as it’s an adaptation of a popular Webtoon. I haven’t read the webtoon yet, but I will eventually. I’ll just say that first, the art and animation here is really, really good. In particular, the scenery and background art is amazing, and really creates the whole atmosphere. A single change in background can change the mood in a second. You’ll see what I mean immediately in the first scene with the big door. Or a little later on with the blood splatter.

The animation of the movement in action scenes is smooth and fluid, no problems there. The art style may take some time to get used to for some people who may not like it, but it’s personally just the kind I like. Honestly it reminds me of a Shaft work. So if you like the Monogatari series, the use of art style and background art here gives a similar vibe, or at least I think so.

As for the story, it starts with Bam getting separated from Rachel, and he starts his journey to climb a tower so he can meet her again. We get pretty much no reason for why she left yet, but I think we’re in for something really good with this story.

(I’m planning on making a separate analysis essay entirely on a certain scene in the first episode, so look forward to that.)

1. BNA

Brand New Animal. Trigger’s latest work, the last few being SSSS Gridman and Darling in the Franxx, and their first movie, Promare. I am a huge Trigger fan, and I’ve been excited for this one for a while.

Our MC, Michiru, is a human, but she suddenly gets turned into a tanuki person. She seeks refuge in Anima City, because (surprise!) the humans don’t like the animal people. But not everything is as it seems in Anima City, and she teams up with the wolf person, Ogami Shiro, to find answers — thus getting caught up in something way bigger and stranger than she ever expected.

First off, if you’ve been missing the crazy and cartoonish animation from Trigger’s earlier stuff, then you’re in for a treat. This has an undeniable Kill la Kill vibe, but with Promare’s amazing popping colors and backgrounds.

If you want to say it’s another animal show, like Beastars and Zootopia, go ahead. Let’s just get that out of the way.

Moving on, Michiru escapes to Anima City, expecting it to be a place where all the animal people can live freely and be themselves. But it turned out to be a free-for-all, strongest wins type of society, where animal people are quick to betray their own kind for their own personal gain. And even side with the humans who discriminated them in the first place.

Michiru’s character will probably be a hit or miss for most people. Some might find her annoying, others charming and endearing. I like her, as I tend to like these types of characters.

But I think what’s great, is that she gets challenged. Her ideas and beliefs about both the animal people and humans are put to the test, and her suddenly becoming an animal person herself means that she’s in a unique position of being able to understand both sides. But she’s also still an outsider, and she finds that maybe neither side was really quite like what she once believed. And so, her place in either side of society will come into question for her. There’s a lot to dig into here, and I’ll probably make separate posts for BNA alone later on.

If you like Trigger, watch it. It’s probably more of a mix between Gridman and Promare than it is Kill la Kill, despite sharing many animation similarities (even a certain sports match that’s basically torn right out of Kill la Kill). If you want something that’s a little more different and subtle and intriguing than their usual works, then this is for you. If you liked Beastars, give this one a try too.

Some Extras

--that I wanted to add to this list, but I’ll just briefly put them here so this post doesn’t get any longer:

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

Shironeko Project: Zero Chronicle

Listeners

If there’s more you think I missed, feel free to put ‘em in the replies!

Upcoming Essays:

Analysis on Orb Scene in Tower of God Episode 1

Navigating the numerous Fantasy-Adventure genre anime of the Spring 2020 Season

Various BNA essays (I’ve seen episodes 1-6 already, will be tagged for spoilers)

Gal to Kyouryuu Theories

Maybe something Fate related, it’s my recent obsession

[wackygoofball]

Gwenspiration: The Wacky Version Vol. 3 - The Moodboards

So, here I go again parading myself and tooting like there is no tomorrow.

As people still brave enough to follow me on Tumblr will know, I do a lot of moodboards, or at least I call them such. Others call them collages or storyboards or pictures with random text. Either way, for me, moodboards became a neat tool to somehow capture story ideas not yet anywhere near a level that I could write fic about them - or serve as inspirations for fics I am actually writing.

And it gives me opportunity to hoard unhealthy amounts of Gwen and Nik pics, in the name of moodboards. And science. And stuff. Whoozah!

So yeah, in this post, I want to share some of my personal favorites. A lot of them actually, because I can’t decide, really.

I will start off with a group of moodboards which took inspiration from the Marvel universe, since the Marvel universe was my gateway into the more active parts of fandom.

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An all-time fave is the Iron Man AU... I mean, what not to love about a JB AU with Jaime as sassy Tony Stark and Brienne as the not-taking any shit from you army doctor, am I right? But yeah, seriously, Jaime *is* the Tony Stark of the GOT universe, and I can’t be convinced otherwise. And neither should be you.

Also, the Iron Man suits just totally fit the color scheme for both, which made creating the moodboards all the better for me. Jaime and Brienne were made for armor, now in medieval or modern times, let’s not kid ourselves.

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Another Marvel fave has got to be Captain Westeros. Because if there is a female GOT Version of Steve Rogers, it’s gotta be Brienne of fuckin’ Tarth. This one is really close to my heart because it gave me a lot of feels coming up with plot bunnies for it, and the tragedy of those two people missing each other in time over and over again, always trying to protect one another, only to end up on opposite sides because of the machinations of others... *sigh*

And I mean, one guy loses an arm. The other is blond and strong... I don’t make the rules but this delivers me enough material to re-imagine this as a JB AU... so yeah, I do kinda make the rules after all. Anyway.

Since I realized that this post’s gonna get even looooonger, I decided to make a cut here and put the rest below, so not to have you scrolling for five hours.

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Although it’s not the most popular moodboard amongst my followers (you brave people, I can’t parade you enough for staying through the madness lol), I really, really love that Fantastic Four moodboard and the concept behind it. And I just know a lot of effort went into making Valyrian Steel Brienne, which took all of my three computer editing skillz brain cells. But yeah, here again, I liked to play with the idea of them not admitting to their love until shit hits the fan and then they hide behind that because... drama, angst, feels, pining, yadda.

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And we go from Marvel to DC little quick. Because Brienne is, most certainly, a Wonder Woman. Nuf said.

Now, let’s move on to other big movie franchises that give me all the JB feels:

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Jurassic Park (aka Valyrian Park) evidently holds a special place in my heart because JB fighting dinosaur-dragon hybrids and kicking ass while being disbelieving about what was bred out in Valyria thanks to some certain someones to rescue Brienne’s adoptive daughter Arya is just... a thing? For me anyway.

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More down memory lane, I don’t know how often I watched the LOTR movies, suffice to say it was a lot a lot. We had the extended versions DVDs of the first two and basically it was the one thing to watch when nothing was on (which was the case a lot). Either way. JB in MIddle Earth long after the days of Frodo et al. - why? Because I just loved the idea (and aesthetic) of Jaime as a ranger and Brienne as a knight of Gondor working in disguise. And Hobbipod. I mean, Pod as a Hobbit. Come the fuck on. And Tyrion as an asshole wizard. What could possibly go wrong? This moodboard was very time-consuming as I had to do a lot of edits (pointy ears, tiny up people, smudge Brienne’s face on a lot of Boromir and Faramir images, smudge Jaime’s face on a lot of Aragorn images, you name it). So yeah. No matter its popularity... I dig it. Despite not having read the books yet (I know, shocking), I continue to ogle at the idea and go like: Must. Write. But. Must. Resist. Either way. Mood.

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So yeah, I grew up watching these movies a lot, too (I grew up watching a lot of TV, period). And when Gwen was cast as Captain Phasma, I got a lot of JB juices flowing as a result. Mehe. I found it was a fun idea to play with, to basically *kill* Phasma so *Brienne* can come into play and assume her identity. And a rundown Jedi!Jaime who’s lost faith in himself and everything else safe for his partner in crime/resistance is just... I needz. So you gotta cope with it. I still adore this concept a lot even if others may not. :)

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This one’s just... gah. Feels. And I really liked the color scheme lol. And I watched Horse Whisperer A LOT. Because of feels. And horses. And Honor is a horse and he deserved better than be barbecued at Highgarden, dammit.

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The No Reservations AU definitely has to be in this post because I live for this dynamic. Brienne taking care of the girls, not knowing how, though, constantly doubting herself while always trying to be perfect and composed, not just in life but on the job as well. And Jaime being the laid-back guy who’s just a darn good chef but may carry his own baggage of problems that keep him from his happy ending story is just... mah jam.

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This one was a lot of fun to do because you don’t really think about Erin Brockovich when you say Brienne of Tarth in terms of character. But when you scratch away the boob jokes and the differences in where they come from, what you find are two hard-working women who fight for justice, so I found that close enough. And it was excuse enough for me to go down the lane of biker!Jaime because... dayum.

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Music and Lyrics is an all-time guilty pleasure romcom of mine. It’s so light and easy and I kind of love how everyone is basically a bunch of awkward losers. All the more perfect for Jaime as a singer (we need that in our lives after the infamous video Nik was in to sing to us about global warming...) and Brienne as the unexpectedly gifted songwriter. What I like about the moodboard per se is how the color scheme turned out because it’s all warm and bright and... makes me happy.

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Very much in contrast to the former stands this one. I still love the overall mood of it and I dig the story idea because I dug both The Prestige and The Illustionist because they presented something dark yet very different, which made it all the more appealing to put into a moodboard for me. While not the most well-known moodboard of mine, I keep going back to it time and time again to basically lust at all the illusions and magic and drama. And blue butterflies.

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What is there not to love about a Pacific Rim AU for JB, am I right? Right?! JB ain’t just compatible when it comes to the Drift, yo, that’s all I’m gonna say. Reasons why I like the moodboard a lot is that it’s very different, flashy colors, gigantic robots, and I was mostly alright with how the edits turned out. It is tough to get images that fit the angles, yo.

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Jumping back in time once more, I really adore this one even though it’s not one of my popular moodboards. I dug the fusion of elements from Cinderella Man while granting Brienne as the female lead more space to develop as a character and make her a badass sniper nurse who is about to get her doctor’s degree. And Jaime doing anything to make it work because he owes her a debt (and his love) by boxing his way to their shared life is just... nice.

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Another supposedly lesser known moodboard is this one, though I really adore it for its premise and the amount of work I put into it (all the giffing and moodboarding). I also found use for that image of Gwen with what looks like the veil of a nun, which was probably what had me inspired in the first place lol. The plot bunnies revolve less around Se7en and more the novel El ùltimo Catón (2001) because it has a nun solving a mystery revolving around Dante’s works. But Se7en gives us the Seven, which is a delicious parallel too hard to ignore. For me at least. If only I knew how to write crime, dammit.

Now, to  move more into the serial (smooth transition from serial killer to serial TV shows, I know, I know) way of life, here is some moodboards inspired by TV shows (although some have since gotten movies which I also took inspiration from... yadda):

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Childhood memory galore. I spent many weekends watching The A-Team with the whole family. When the movie came out, I was happy about the feels it gave me (and the “you spin my head right round” scene still cracks me up more often than it should). Either way. I found it absolutely necessary for Jaime to be Face, for Tyrion to be Hannibal, for Bronn to be B.A. and cuss at everyone and everything and Brienne giving us the strangest genderbend of a Howling Mad Murdock. It added some angst, which I always need because I am a thirsty hoe for it. In case no one noticed yet. Ha.

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This one is very remotely inspired by The Bletchley Circle and the Imitation Game (because both feature encryption and one features Charles Dance already, yo.) I just really dug the idea of Brienne being so good at this because she is such a straight thinker but being underestimated because “she a woman.” And of course her not being done just encoding messages but getting into action, very much to the dismay of the stupid soldier wanting to defend the bae from harm. What could possibly go wrong? Right. A lot.

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Then. Elementary. Let me count the ways in which I love that show... ALL THE WAYS. And I really dig it as a JB AU. I have so many thoughts and feelings, I can’t even begin to tell you. I especially had my fun basically making Jaime Sherlock without making him really Sherlock because that guy was the one who taught him how to be an investigator before disappearing and fucking up his life for bad. And Brienne as the army doctor turned sober companion turned private investigator turned love interest is just too delicious to ignore.

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Pants down I mean hands down, this may be the actual favorite (currently) amongst them all for the plain reason that I also grew up watching that series and still watch it and keep obsessing about it. Ever since Discovery launched and has since given me both joy and grief, I found myself intrigued by the premise of a JB Star Trek AU where Brienne would be standing *with* the Klingons during the war around the time Discovery takes place, and Captain Jaime Lannister having lost far too much to this war already to truly trust anyone, even less so a woman who ran to the Klingons, for what it seems.

You would not believe how many ideas I have for a fic based on it. You wouldn’t believe that I basically have a sequel to that fic already in mind. And you would definitely believe, knowing me, that I am nowhere near writing that fic. But a fangirl can dream and moodboard, right? The moodboard was such a fun way of going about it, not only for the edits but because I could sneak some secret Klingon messages in there. :)

Now, on to the last part, which are the moodboards not inspired by movies or TV shows primarily but really just spewed out of my wacky, wacky brain:

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This has a special place in my heart because it combines military and the traumas it comes with for JB and.... the aesthetic of farming. And both finding a kind of peace they didn’t know they were looking for as they struggle to adjust and find their way back “to normal” after the horrors they have both seen in war. And did I mention the aesthetic? And Jaime in plaid? All dirty and sweaty? Do I have to say more?

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Why this one? Because it combines angst and romance and falling in love twice because DESTINY. And paintings. I love me my artist AUs. So that was my go at it, combining it with the “mystery” to be uncovered about what history Jaime and Brienne actually share as he tries to put his memories back together.  Also. This moodboard gave me opportunity to try out new filters and create JB paintings. :)

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This one’s gotta be on the list since I also added the Horse Whisperer. Now it’s Dog Whisperer Jaime and Brienne who won’t give up on her dog who’s seen some shit in the warzone (as did she, but Brienne will put it all aside for her doggish best buddy, of course). While it’s not a very popular moodboard of mine, I really enjoy the premise of it and how the dynamics can so easily change between the two of them if you see it in comparison to the Horse Whisperer AU. Also. I just really think Jaime is a total pet person.

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Another lesser known moodboard, I’d assume, but I really dug the premise of it (still do), and it was intriguing to do some edits to make Jaime’s hand *truly* golden lol. With people having developed strange mutations which aren’t nearly as much fun as they are in Fantastic Four AUs. What I liked about it was the idea that Brienne would have a kind of mutation/ability that links to the mind, since she is such a physically strong fighter that she may rather rely on that than on her own mind, fearing that she cannot control that with discipline the same way she can train her body with it. What unites the two is their strong wish to protect the people in their care, in a world on the verge of collapse forcing two unexpected allies together (okay, I totally expected it, but they didn’t). Either way. Much love for this one. :)

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Aaaand the last one (not of all the ones I made but the ones I picked for Gwenspiration). I really, really, really adore this one because I was so happy with how the aesthetic turned out and how the colors all match. And I dig the premise. Like holy moly do I dig it deep. Jaime and Brienne both serving in military, but on different fronts, and almost accidentally ending up writing each other letters? I mean... the PINING. And Brienne having to decipher Jaime’s chickenscratch. Yeah no, but for real. I just love the idea so much. That they are both committed to the cause while also yearning for a home, for peaceful times, for sweet, sweet love. And them meeting up and acting like stupid teenagers, only for drama to keep hitting because. It’s eh me angsty Wacky.

Either way. I dig the premises of a lot of my moodboards (in fact... basically all of them or else I wouldn’t be making them, I guess). I spared you listing all of them, though I listed a whole damn lot already. Moodboards are an awesome means for me personally to visualize and (re-)imagine. And since quite a few people seem to continue to be onboard with them, I am all the happier to keep making them.

That’s all for today.

Much love! ♥♥♥

*flies away*

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Wish there were some Sokai pregnancy fics or new parents fics out there. I can't seem to find any on fanfictionnet or ao3. Do you have any recs?

Here’s one from AO3, that’s really good and probably right up your alley: https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/20639528.

And an old, but classic one from fanfiction (and from the former queen of SoKai, sunflowerb): https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5753933/1/Letters-from-Home (edit: although, note that Kairi miscarries in this one:().Edit: Oh! Two more from sunflowerb. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4153395/1/Glass-Half-Full (and then this one https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4131077/1/ON-SWiTCH is its companion piece) and this one: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4939579/1/Plus.

Another one from fanfiction (from a semi-famous author, back in the day) https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5660464/1/Fear, but be warned that it has a tragic ending: it’s highly implied that Kairi dies after giving birth to the baby:( But I still enjoyed reading it, years ago. The parts before that happened, mainly. Haha. 

...What else? Uhh, there’s this one. 

Oh. Here’s a really good old one, by Gray-Rain-Skies, who many of us oldies in the fandom loved back in the day. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3401903/1/Fluttering-Capes-and-Secret-Identities

And this author is continuing their one SoKai lemon into this fic https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13408514/1/Island-Life, where Kairi’s pregnant and she and Sora have to deal with being parents. But it happens when they’re still teenagers/still in high school, so it has all of that kind of drama that you’d imagine.

And there used to be another good one--where Sora gets Kairi pregnant before he leaves on another adventure, and comes back years later to a daughter and Kairi is not happy with him at first (which is how she should be acting in that situation, tbh)--but I think it got deleted...

My fanfiction friend, Shadowjc32, once wrote a story about Sora and Kairi’s daughter, but I think he’s deleted a lot of his work:(

But I’m sure if you search things on Google, or perhaps even on fanfiction, “Sora and Kairi’s daughter (or “son” or “kid” instead, you might find stuff.

And while Sora and Kairi don’t have kids in this one yet https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/20297497/chapters/48117517 yet... I feel there’s a lot of foreshadowing that Kairi’s going to get pregnant. But if nothing else, Sora and Kairi talk about wanting to eventually start a family with each other and stuff. And this is just a really interesting story overall (Sora absorbs the darkness in the Black Box to save the world and Kairi--so it’s sort of a dark!Sora fic, but also not really. He’s still very Sora--and after that became the king of Kingdom Hearts, and Kairi has married him and become his queen to try and return him to the light)... but just note that there’s a lot of sexual content in it, if you’re not into that kind of thing: but the author has warnings about it on each chapter that has it, so you may be able to avoid it that way... or at least know what you’re getting into.

And while I fell behind on Shire Folk’s pretty famous “The Annals of Darkness” series https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3425579/1/The-Annals-of-Darkness-The-Beginning long ago (I read more of the original first fic than its rewrite here. And I don’t know if I’ve read much of any of the sequels), it’s prophesied in it that Sora and Kairi or Roxas and Naminé’s kid will eventually save the world for good. Whether they’ve had that kid yet... or are close to it, or ever will (maybe the prophecy was wrong or a lie), I don’t know. But they may have a kid in this... at least eventually. -shrugs-

Oh! And ParadiseAvenger writes some of that stuff. Like, here’s a SoKai lemon she wrote where Kairi’s pregnant. https://archiveofourown.org/works/693738/chapters/1275721?view_adult=true And then she also has written other stories where Kairi is unfortunately raped (ugh. I am so done with that trope in this fandom. But whatever.), and then Sora steps up and treats the kid like his own. Here are links to two of those that I can think of https://archiveofourown.org/works/709324/chapters/1310746, https://archiveofourown.org/works/1032787/chapters/2058058... though I think they actually end weirdly or tragically (usually she has happy endings). But just note that she writes some really dark and messed up things (I say with love, as I’m acquaintances with this writer), to try and draw light to some of these tragic things that happen to people:( I should also mention that a lot of her stuff is AU. Edit: And since my OCd won’t leave me alone if I don’t post this https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/18773989/chapters/44539129, ParadiseAvenger also wrote that one... where Kairi is forced into a brothel(:() and her captors make her unable to have kids (using dark magic); and once Sora and Riku save her, Sora’s sad for Kairi that they took that choice away from her. But at the end, her pure Light gets rid of the spell and she’s able to have kids again. The fic ends before she does or anything, but this story at least has them talking about kids (if you’re that desperate for SoKai + kids stuff), amidst all the bad things these poor babies go through.

This is all I can think of off the top of my head right now. But I know a lot of the SoKai fandom has talked about wanting to write domestic SoKai with kids lately, so maybe even more will pop up soon:)

I know I’ve had a headcanon about a SoKai daughter for, like, eighteen years now. Maybe I should finally write it...

Edit 2: And this one by PhoenixDowner https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/17243366/chapters/40550033 at least has them thinking that they want kids eventually, but not quite yet. It’s a sequel to her “Dear Sora/Those Who Dreamed” series, that she wrote before KHIII--trying to predict it--that’s now ended up an AU. You can read this whole oneshot without reading all of that. All you really need to know is that Sora died instead of Kairi (and Kairi and some of the others were in the X-Blade that Master Xehanort used to kill him)... before Sora received Kingdom Hearts’ power, became a god and used his powers to make the world better, before deciding to become human again to be with Kairi in particular.

Edit 3: And it looks like Xion92 is having SoKai kids stuff in their fic “The Red-Headed Prince”? Here’s a pic they drew about it at least. https://xion92.tumblr.com/post/616398709375303680/another-drawing-from-my-fan-fiction-the. And I know chachacharlieco from here draws a lot of SoKai family stuff for their Yakuza AU in particular. Here’s another art with them as a baby: https://www.deviantart.com/tenchufreak/art/commission-SoKai-Family-205787927

Edit 4: And I just found this fic last night. https://www.tumblr.com/search/sokai/recent/blog/leather-and-lace-lookbook

Edit 5: And this one has no kids or no kid talk, tbh, but it’s some domestic royal SoKai that you might like. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3423111/1/Just-Like-That

Edit 6: And this text post https://oveliagirlhaditright.tumblr.com/post/616251158947823616#notes.

And someone on here wrote Stella as SoKai’s daughter and Yozora as Riku and Nami’s, etc. But I don’t know where it is.

Edit 7: And there’s another one that I wish I had the link to still... so if anyone reading this knows it, let me know. It’s SoRiKai, though (but actually balanced well on all three sides, instead of being the SoRiku show with Kairi on the side). Where our heroes have finally defeated all the Big Bads and now they just have to politic because Kairi’s the princess of Radiant Garden and has to rule their now. And the people hate their polyamorous relationship... and that Kairi was with Riku at all, when they heard what he did in KHI. The people threatened to literally tear them apart... and SRK went to Mickey for help, but he said he couldn’t help them since his hands were tied and he had to play the game. This made Sora go crazy, and he killed Mickey (as ridiculous as it sounds--and it was--the fic was written so well, I could suspend my disbelief) and was attacking the town people... and Riku and Kairi had to use their combined powers to lock him away. But during this time, Kairi had become pregnant with Sora’s child... and Sora remained in stasis for years, and Riku and Kairi had to rule as King and Queen (who now the people loved for protecting them from the “evil Sora”) and raise Sora and Kairi’s son together... But I think Kairi eventually dies in her grief. And years later, when SoKai’s kid is a teen with his own Keyblade, he wanders his castle and finds the legendary Keyblade wielder in the basement and accidentally releases him. Sora doesn’t know he’s his son at first, and that that much time has passed, but (even though he wishes they had just killed him), I think he finds peace in knowing he can teach his son now, be with Riku (perhaps), and probably live on and do what Kairi would have wanted him to. The story actually starts out with the prince finding the Keyblade wielder (that you don’t know is Sora at first), and goes back and forth between present and past until you get it all figured out... and it ends in present, of course. It’s actually written really well.

Edit: And I just wrote one where Kairi gets pregnant. https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/24226009

[larriefails]

This new BPH2 post, she really can’t let go of 1D or the past, can she?

The amount of drivel...

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Harry was portrayed as a lothario BEFORE July 2011? By whom? Doing what? He didn’t date anyone until C*roline (sorry, I make one exception for censoring names and that’s for child groomers) in like, November 2011, there were jokes about him liking Madison, the girl from WMYB but that wouldn’t be until August anyway. Articles about various 1D members dating or hooking up with fans were run of the mill, but that was for all of them. Cher Lloyd got linked to literally every member except Louis, and that’s because he had a girlfriend. Harry was seen as flirty and fans joked around about his unfortunate pussygate moment, but clearly, he brought that on himself, and it was after X Factor anyway

The only possible “Harry is a lothario” push she could be talking about is that jokey video where Harry is seen as having overlapping dates with all the girls at boot camp, but it’s obviously tongue in cheek, it finishes with Harry going on a date with Wagner, a 50 something year old Portuguese (?) man. And this was BEFORE the band was put together. Why would Liam, or anyone, have to be seen as a lothario anyway? Confused

Louis and Hannah’s relationship wasn’t “spotlighted” they were just dating... so she was there... and they talked about it on the show I think once, maybe twice. None of the other boys had significant others at the beginning. When Zayn started dating one of the girls from Belle Amie (a girl group that was competing there as well), it was actually spotlighted, same when he dated Rebecca Ferguson

She says “switching 1Direction to One Direction” to seem knowledgeable, it’s hilarious. One Direction’s twitter account was created on October 29th 2010 and it was already stylized “OneDirection,” this is just a “the more you know” bullet point she learned that she decided to throw in there to get more credibility. Anyone that’s been a fan for long already knew this, it was stated as a fact in one of their books, but don’t ask me which one now cuz it’s been 7 years. Anyways, what an important marketing decision, Kati, it surely affected a lot of the outcome of the band that would be known as “1D” by 90% of its fanbase anyway

“But there was no larger strategy until July 2011″

NO SHIT SHERLOCK. U wanna know why? Because they didn’t have music out until August... you really are some fresh brand of stupid, huh. Who would waste money in marketing campaigns months and months before having any music to sell? All of them were heavily involved in social media anyway, and with strategic performances here and there, some interviews, a very well received book, signing days, and several other nuggets, they managed to build a stronger fanbase and a lot of anticipation by the time they released WMYB. There was definitely marketing, but, no, of course there wasn’t an overarching marketing campaign for a band with no music for six months.. Just like there isn’t, idk, a hot air balloon business for cheetahs..

And that’s how she starts.. everything after that is drivel and more and more drivel. Very little of it makes any sort of sense or is backed up by any facts other than her wanting things to be that way

Such as this entire paragraph which has me in fucking stitches

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Listen, I’m sure more older people became fans as the band became more popular, and I’m sure there are some men sprinkled in between, but PROFOUND DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT? Except Harry and Zayn, who have cultivated an older skewing demographic, the core fan base is STILL 13-18 year old girls. And even Harry and Zayn have large percentages of their fan base in that age group still. She really thinks the tumblr side of fandom is in any way indicative of the larger fandom, it’s fascinating to read someone that’s supposed to be old and wise, who’s a mother and a wife, be so blatantly wrong and so delusional. Not even in the tumblr side of fandom now are the fans mostly older with established careers. That’s just the big Larries, and big Larries are what? 1 in 2,000 One Direction blogs? (and I doubt at least 50% of their “well established careers” are real, but I’m not into doxxing people so I’ll take their word for it)

I almost lost my mind when she called tumblr tinhat wank “objective debate and evidence-based discussion.” OBJECTIVE! O B J E C T I V E? bulletprooflarry, the person that left tumblr for a month when Harry announced his solo career because she had been saying for ages he’d never go solo and couldn’t handle being so OBJECTIVELY wrong, is talking about OBJECTIVE DISCUSSION???? Kati you wouldn’t know what actual objective discussion is if it slapped you repeatedly with something smelly while yelling “I am objective discussion” as a plane writes in the sky “objective discussion is slapping you in the face” and some sirens wailed in the distance

Not even gonna go there with “evidence-based” .. I’m sure ur tag “all the reasons ever needed” filled with cropped and edited gifs of 17 yo Harry and 19 yo Louis looking at each other for 0.03 seconds in slow mo would hold in court very well

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H I L A R I O U S. Never seen before! Novel!!!! Only happening because of “this new smarter fandom with professional experience”! No other tinhat fandom doubts the protagonists of their conspiracy theory handle their social media! That’s just the new smarter fandom filled with professional men and women in 1D. Crisscolfer, Kaylor, Supernatural, Camren, you name it. Any CT mined fandom where social media is used, believes the exact same bullshit, Kati. U R NOT SPECIAL. You’re not smarter. The Larrie fandom didn’t “wise up” it tinhatted up. If you left your conspiracy bubble for three seconds and waltzed into literally any other corner of the entertainment world, you’d see that

After this, she drivels on and on about “pics or it didn’t happen” and shit like that. None of it is special to this fandom, Kati. None of it. What you’re describing is tinhatting. It has nothing to do with “this new smarter fandom.” Unless of course you believe in every other celeb conspiracy theory out there and how all the CT fandoms have also, coincidentally, become “smarter”

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This is equal parts self centered, arrogant, delusional, and wrong. 1D’s team did a ton of things to get new fans and it succeeded largely at it. 1D was one of the largest bands in terms of fanbase in the world. It got away with selling millions upon millions of records and selling out stadiums without getting huge songs. To this day a vast majority of the general public only knows 2 or 3 One Direction songs (WMYB, SOML, some will know Drag Me Down). I think it was too big for the teams it had, for sure, but that’s just logic speaking for itself. What other clients the caliber of 1D did Simon Jones, Modest, or Syco have? The only big fish in the game was Columbia. And at times it definitely showed in a lot of things. But to say that they were playing catch up for five years and had no plan whatsoever, is simply disingenuous. And so self aggrandizing.. Recognizing that they had their failures? Cool. Sitting oatur computer at home and pretending that u kknow better how to handle it? Demented

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You know when you read something that’s so wrong that you don’t even know where to start? Yeah..

You were lied about the band getting back together. One by one they have admitted to it, even if not in so many words. First Zayn said he didn’t even like being in 1D ever. Then Harry refused to ever confirm the band would get back together. You had Niall, Liam, and Louis preaching 18 months/2 years, but that soon changed. Niall got tired of being asked a few months into his promo in 2017, said “idk, man, idk! someday!” and asked not to be asked again. Liam lasted a little longer, but he literally said “ask the others, idk, man, idk!” a few months back. The only one standing is Louis, and I firmly believe it’s simply because he hasn’t done as much promo as Niall and Liam, who must’ve reached the point of exhaustion. His defeated “idk, man, idk” is happenning soon. I can feel it in my bones

There’s no leadership in 1DHQ because there is no 1DHQ because there is no 1D. The band is broken up. Gone. Donezo. There’s no one to steer one topic to the next

It’s not the “lack of leadership” which lead the fans to create “microfandoms.” It’s the fact that every member has gone solo..... that created microfandoms. You’re over 40, Kati, please, for the love of God, stop hanging onto a boyband that’s been dead for four years. This is so pathetic to read. Fans less than half your age cried about their lost band for a few days and got over it. You’re still throwing hissy fits on tumblr and talking about it as if it wasn’t deceased

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Just... no

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Louis DOES NOT have the most hardcore fans inside of 1D. He has the most LARRIES. His fanbase is almost entirely conformed by conspiracy theorists, that’s why it seems so hardcore to you. This is not a positive. As a fan of Louis, I can assure you it is not. This doesn’t translate well into literally anything. Y’all are a nuisance and ruin everything. You’re not fans of Louis, you don’t even LIKE HIM. You despise everything about him and everything he is. Everything he does. All the things that have shaped him. You call everything he says a lie and mock his desperate attempts for you to LISTEN TO HIM. That’s the exact opposite of a hardcore fanbase, you shithead. That’s as fickle as it gets, it can (and does) get lost any second. The smallest of his moves can set y’all off and wipe thousands of you from his ranks. Because none of you like even a little of who he really is. Y’all are gonna leave him sooner or later. It’s just a matter of when, not if. Hardcore my fucking ass

What has Harry done to make older white men think he’s cool? Paint his nails? Wear glitter and flowery suits? Sing about men? Proclaim at every chance he gets that he LOVES his mostly female/young audience? That he thinks they’re amazing and how much he appreciates them? What is it that appeals older white men? All the rainbows in everything he does? The only thing “older white men” might like about Harry is his music and its inspiration, that’s where it starts and where it ends, but everything he’s done and said since he’s gone solo is prone to prejudice them against him. He hasn’t lifted a finger to appeal to them. His team didn’t even push his songs on Adult/Contemporary radios (Niall’s did, but I don’t see you talking about that). Yeah, Hall Of Fame will expose him to that audience as well, but you know who else did Hall Of Fame? Miley Cyrus. Was she trying to appeal to older white men? Was that Jannelle Monae’s goal while inducing Janet Jackson? He’s co chairing the MET Gala in a couple of weeks. How’s that for a white older male audience? Being a Gucci model under Alessandro Michele must’ve helped a lot, I’m sure 🙄

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“If One Direction was going to come back” NO. Next question

[oc-zine]

FAQ and Guidelines

Alright everyone, its 2019 in the year of the lord Let’s get this thing moving!  If you would like to see your character printed in the first OC zine, this is what you gotta do:

1)  Draw your character!

They need to be drawn full-body at least once, so we can see them in all their glory.  If they have multiple forms/transformations, we would like to see that full-body too, but if you can only fit most of it, that’s fine.  While there is no requirement for poses, we have a few recommendations.

If you have a personality trait you want to emphasize, try showing it in their pose:  Maybe they’re super energetic, they might be jumping with joy, or if they’re not feelin’ it today, they may be slouching.  

One thing to be careful about is not to let the pose hide their features -- like a crybaby character huddled up in the fetal position:  We just can’t see all of them and their design like that.  

THAT SAID:  You can draw them multiple times for the page!  If you want your character curled up, draw a second picture of them!  Or a headshot!  Or 4 headshots with different expressions!  Just do whatever you feel comfortable fitting on the page -- which brings us to

2.  Page size:  

   This zine will most likely be printed on legal-sized paper, which will be folded in half.  Make your canvas size 8.55 in x 7.1 in.  The size of the actual zine will be 8.5x7, but it will be cut by hand, so just add a tiny bit extra to account for that.  Make sure that nothing incredibly important will be cut off by putting anything important on the edge of the page.  

You can fill the background with a solid color, or you can just leave it white.  You can also draw an elaborate background if you want!  Just know that if it includes other characters in the background, they need to stay in the background. your main HAS to stand out from them, no group pics.

3.  Write your character’s name somewhere on the page

If you want, you could write a description or bio as well!  Just try to keep it short.  There is no word count, but make sure your font is big enough to be legible without taking up more than about half the page.  If your character is accepted, but there is an issue with their bio, we will contact you and ask to edit it.

When you’ve completed your character’s page, send it to us through private message, and we will review it!  We can not guarantee that every submission will be accepted for print, because the stapler can only tackle so many pages.  If It Is Not Selected For Print, it will still show up in the digital bootleg.

4.  Add your name (or nickname), age, country/state, and any social media links you want to include, but limit it to 3 links (like, insta, tumblr, and twitter).

FAQ:

When are the things happening!?

We currently do not have a submission deadline, or set date to release the zine, but we are hoping to have it finished by Summer, so cross your fingers and send in a character as soon as you possible can.

Can I submit my OC for (this show/book)?

No fan characters will be accepted.  This zine is to show off original characters that are your brain childs.  Fan characters are great and super fun and can have really creative designs, but there are specific places and other more specific zines to submit them to.  Even Admin Lightning’s main avatar is an Adventure Time OC from 2011.  As much as we would love to see your gem-sona, or cuphead OC in the mix, we feel like fan characters would easily dominate the other OC’s, and we don’t want that. then again,   You COULD change them up a little bit and not tell us that it is a fan character though.  We won’t ask questions.  

What about DnD characters?

This one is acceptable because there is a lot more diversity within the DnD universe than there is in an average show/game.  That said, we know that there are A LOT of them, so we can only accept a limited number.

What about Furry characters?

Furry is a fandom, but it’s not a copyright brand.  Send us your wolves and lions and dragons!

I drew it on paper!  Can I send you a picture?

If you drew it traditionally, please please please scan it. That will keep your original quality and proportions the way you made them.  If you don’t have a scanner, please try to take the best picture possible without shadows, and without blurriness.  If you send us a picture, keep in mind that we may take liberties in editing/color correction to get it to fit with the zine.

Color vs. Black and White?

We want a mix of both!  Do whichever you want.  If it is a pencil sketch, tho, you should know that we’re gonna have to give it more contrast and it may turn out black and white.  If you do submit a pencil sketch and want it to be another color (like, make all the lines blue or something) just let us know.

I suck at drawing, but I have a good character!  Do I have a chance?

Definitely!  We won’t turn you away because you’re a beginner artist- we welcome it!  Just try your best!  We’re measuring on creativity, not skill. If You Have a friend who wants to draw your character and you write the bio, make sure you add both your names.

What if I don’t get accepted?

Everyone will get accepted.  While we can only have a limited number in the physical zine for printing purposes, there will be a digital bootleg containing all the zine submissions! (minus those that are inappropriate)

What is inappropriate?  Are you banning porn like tumblr did?

HECK. NO.  we love artistic porn here we’d LIKE to keep realisitc cocks out of the zine, but whatever.  We will do a vote later if you want the physical zine to be NSFW, but the bootleg will include EVERYTHING.  What we will NOT accept is the following:

Images depicting rape or incest

***overly Sexy kids: If your character is young and sexy, you'd better have a pretty damn good reason for it. A little bit is frowned upon, but potentially still accepted but it depends. Think Of Alois Trancy from black butler. Anything a step farther WILL be banned and likely reported.

Racist portrayals of stereotypes

Any antisemitic propoganda at all.

Any sort of hatred towards LGBTA. 

HATEFUL politics.  Idc what your affiliation is, just be respectful about it. You prolly won't need this anyways.

Can I have multiple submissions?

you can submit several, but we'll only choose one per person, so maybe just choose your favorite. We Will Only use one in the bootleg as well.

What Is The bootleg you keep going on about??

Think Of It As A director's cut. This Will include a PDF with all the submissions, including what we couldn't print.

if I submit a character, will I get a free copy?

no. Most of the people wanting these will be people who contributed. If I made copies for all of them, I wouldn't be able to afford printing.

[metalindex-hu]

„We worked with a lot of passion and enthusiasm on this record!”

„We worked with a lot of passion and enthusiasm on this record!” - http://metalindex.hu/2021/01/25/we-worked-with-a-lot-of-passion-and-enthusiasm-on-this-record/ -

Drummer Husky about Asphyx’s new album Necroceros

Dutch monsters known as Asphyx are equal to the notion of true, traditional Death/Doom Metal. They belong among those few groups that never released a single bad record – in my humble opinion. This year the band came out with its tenth effort, titled Necroceros and drummer Stefan „Husky” Hüskens was kind enough to share his thoughts about this new masterpiece.

Husky, although you have been for six years the drummer of Asphyx, how did you join them to replace Bob Bagchus? Were you their first choice or did they audition other drummers as well?

Hey, how are you? I hope all is fine and the pandemia didn’t hit you that hard and all your friends and family are in good health! To your question… I think I was first choice. After Bob told them that he can’t/will not do any longer Asphyx, I think Martin and Alwin spoke about new drummers and Alwin told them to ask me. After they did I was really surprised and proud being asked from 1 or your 2 alltime faves to pound the drums. After the first rehearsal it was sure, that the chemistry between us is really something special. I am, like everyone in the band, is proud beeing an Aspyhx member. This means everything to me!

To what extent were you familiar with the band? What are your favourite releases of them?

I know Asphyx since my very beginnings in Death Metal. A friend of mine from my hometown showed me in the beginning of the 90’s The Rack and I was blown away! That was Death Metal I wanna listen to! Raw, dirty and heavy! From that time on I was a huge fan! And The Rack was always the non plus ultra for Death Metal. I was so proud to got in touch with Eric and Bob back in time when they started Soulburn which was back than nothing more or less than Asphyx! Wannes was a good friend of mine because Desaster and Pentacle placed many shows together back then. So after they returned as Asphyx to record/release The Wings of Inferno, Infernal (Desaster) and I did a show with Asphyx, Warhammer and Divine Genocide (with Guido/Sataniac on vokills/bass) at our local youth club which was sold out and that was also the key point why Sataniac joined Desaster some years later! Funnywise Hont, new drummer in Desaster also was playing drums that night for Divine Genocide.

Before I ask you about the new record, what kind of purposes did the Last One on Earth single serve that was released in August by Church of Vinyl Records?

I was suprised when I saw pics of this on Facebook. All older releases are of course in the hands of Bob and Eric. So they sometimes allow people to do some special releases and we normally get a free copy. Which makes me as a collector more than happy. I love that shape, looks amazing!

At which point did you start writing the material for the new album?

Oh, we started writing the new album some years ago. But I must say that Asphyx is a kinda rehearsing lazy. We had like 3-5 rehearsals for the whole record before we entered the studio. Most songwriting we do at the recording studio. Paul comes up with ideas and than we start working on the construction of the song. So at the end, since the last album was out, Paul started collecting new riffs for Necroceros.

Your chief songwriter is guitarist Paul Baayens, does it mean, that all of the songs were written by him alone or did you also conduce with any ideas?

I am a drummer, no musician…. :-). So I can’t write any riffs etc. I can help to build a song with riffs, but the riff must come from someone else! And Paul is the riffmaster in Asphyx. He is the master! He knows how Asphyx 2020 has to sound like. I love his Black Sabbathized riffing. All his riffs are true headbangers and fistraisers!

According to singer Martin Van Drunen, the guys started jamming with all the riffs and arranging the songs together. Did you also engage in those rehearsals or did you work out your parts for yourself and sent them to the guys?

There is no his or my part in Asphyx. We work as a real band. As I said, Paul comes up with riffs and some drum beats. All the rest we do together at the recording studio.

How much material did he have written? In what aspects did you choose the songs that made the record?

We had 1,5 songs extra, which will be on the special edition of the record. Full Death Metal scenario is a fast banger. Martin is telling his thoughts about the whole Covid-19 shit. That lyrics were written right after the first lockdown in March. Second song is only a half song called Death Doom Division and it was kinda make Century Media nervous. Paul found out that on the drums of Botox Implosion another riff, more 80’ speed/thrash style, also fitted. So he recorded a half song with that riffs and we sung over it with massive choruses and high screams. After that we have sent out that song to our contact at CM and told him that it’s time for Asphyx to turn into new ways. To sell more records and get rich!… :-). I think in the first second he really thought we would mean that serious! We were laughing our balls off! But honestly don’t take that song serious, it was to blame Century Media thing.

Did there remain any stuff that wasn’t used and put away for an EP or for the next album?

No!

How did the recording sessions go?

We had like 2 weekends for drum recordings and rehearsal. Was good fun with some beer and snacks. First rehearsal/recording was in the middle of the first lockdown. We all had to take care to keep the 1,5 m distance, but it worked fine and all was good and safe. I thought, since the recording studio is in Enschede/NL I maybe cannot enter the Netherlands, but there still is no controls at the border! After all drums were recorded, Alwin and Paul recorded bass and guitars at Paul’s Mörser Studios, which took a couple of weeks and after that was done, Mr. Van Drunen started screaming on the new songs! Amazing times and goosebumps alarm! For this we went back to Tom Meier Recordings in Enschede!

How do you view that you have clicked into a higher a gear this time around capitalizing the free time to deliever your finest record yet?

To be honest Corona wasn’t the reason we started writing and recording a new album! That was planned earlier than this fuckin virus! It was just time for a new Deathdoomageddon!

Do you agree with Martin’s words, that since the previous Incoming Death, nothing has changed, you are well played-in together and it keeps getting better?

Yes, the understanding in the band is better than ever. We play along kinda blind and everyone knows what’s up with the others. Even me as a non-dutch guy, we are a huge family and Martin, Paul and Alwin are like real brothers for me! And this you also feel in the music and see/feel on stage!

Is the actual line up of Asphyx the most stabile, strongest one in the band’s career?

Yes, it is! Absolute! I am in the band since 2014. Six fuckin’ years! Still proud being a member of this cult band from the Netherlands!

Botox Implosion was published in early November; did it really represent what the new album is about as a whole?

Yeah, the Botox Implosion videoclip was good fun to film… :-). But in my eyes this song is only 50% representative for the new album. Necroceros in complete is a bit more heavier, darker and doomy than this song. But as you know, Asphyx is always a mix of heavy, doomy, catchy riffs and fast fucker!

In your opinion, is Necroceros manifestly heavier and more vicious than anything Asphyx have released before?

No, every Asphyx record is HEAVY! Even with all the line up changes, the red line never got lost and Asphyx was always a name for high quality death doom! Necroceros is the next step after Incoming Death and looks like it will be the next milestone in the band’s history! But this is nothing we can say, this is something our fans have to do! I am very, extremely proud of this record, since in my opinion this is the best what we can do at the moment and we worked with a lot of passion and enthusiasm on this record!

As far as I’m concerned Three Years of Famine and the closing title track are the highlights…

Thanks a lot! For me every song is a highlight, but I guess especialy live Knight Templar… and Yield or Die will be hard neckbreaker!

It was partly inspired by the horrors and frustrations of the pandemic era, isn’t it? Did the lockdown put its stamp on your mood a lot, while you were working?

Not really, it was more that we had enough time for anything else. Alwin is still working, Paul also. Martin is at home and myself is renovating a house. So it was good to write and record the album in March! But Corona was not a big influence on that record! Fuck it! This little virus asshole is destroying our dreams!

What are your comments regarding the title? What does it refer to?

We build a new huge monster which is called Necroceros. Maybe we start a comic series! The incredible Necroceros! Yes, that was Martin’s idea behind the title! The doomy monster known as Necroceros! I loved it from the beginning! It is the right title for this record. Necroceros is heavy, doomy and brutal! So, if someone wanna do a comic, let us know!

How about soundwise? According to Martin, the only thing the band changed is, that you wanted to try out something with a different mixer. Did Sebastian Levermann manage to do what you wanted to achieve the album with?

Even better! We thought it was time for a change soundwise. Seeb is more wellknown for recording/mixing heavy/speed/bombast metal bands. But I knew that he is a huge Death Metal and specially Asphyx fan. So we checked with him. I am really happy with the sound. For me and my drums there is no better recording exisiting than this! 2nd best was The Arts of Destruction from Desaster and Seven Inches for the Second Attack by Metal Inquisitor! Really happy and satisfied with Seeb’s job! I love Swanö and I am a huge fan of Edge Of Sanity and most of his other projects. But it was time for a change.

Does Necroceros somewhat differ in terms of sound, songwriting, arrangement etc. compared to its predecessor or to the early Asphyx releases?

Like in all Aspyhx albums you still can find the red line. Even after so many line up changes, the Asphyx vibe is on every record. But of course Paul is a different guitar player than Eric for example. But we all in the band know how Asphyx has to sound like. On the new album we tried a new guy behind the mixing desk. Seeb from Greenmann Studios (Orden Ogan) took over and we are soooo happy with the result. He did an amazing job! But as written before all sounds still Asphyx-ish!

Are all of you satisfied with the end result? Does the album remain true to the band’s seminal legacy?

Since I started listen to metal I am also a huge Asphyx fan, so I know how Asphyx need to sound like. I think in every record you find the red line and that’s what Asphyx is all about. Death Metal! Aspyhx is a huge family. We are still in contact with most all of the older members and escpecially Bob is kinda involved. Most things we do let him know and he is happy where Asphyx is now.

Asphyx’s debut record The Rack turns 30 in 2021; are there any plans in mind performing the whole material in live situation? What are your plans for 2021 in general?

We’ll have a Live Stream Release show in 2 weeks. Many shows are booked and planned, but lets see how the fuckin’ virus situation is going. We are ready to enter the stages again and bring Necroceros to the masses! Lets hope the best!

Are you, Paul Baayens and bassist Alwin Zuur still involved in any other bands/projects or are you fully concentrating on Asphyx?

Paul is still in Thanatos and Siege of Power. Alwin is in Berzerker Legion, Gods Forsaken and Grand Supreme Bloodcourt (tbc). Myself is in Carnal Ghoul, Rotten Casket and Trinitas so far. I try to do some more stuff with Rotten Casket at the moment. Carnal Ghoul is on ice and Trinitas is kinda project.

Husky, thanks a lot for your answers! Please, share your last thoughts with the Hungarian readers!

Thanks for this interview! Wish you all a lot of health and lets hope that the virus is crushed down soon! We need live shows again! Check our the new album and stay METAL! Cheers!

[lovemesomesurveys]

Does your alarm clock wake you with music, or with an annoying buzz sound? I chose an annoying one in hopes that it’ll get me up, but there are times I just end up turning it off and going back to sleep. Oops. If I had music it would be worse because it would just be going off for who knows how long.

Has anyone ever mistaken you for being anorexic? I think some probably think that, but I am not. I am underweight due to some health and appetite issues.

Can you completely annihilate the first Mario game in less than an hour? No, it takes me longer than that. Aw I haven’t played Super Mario World in years. I really want to play now.

Do holidays make you giddy? I love Christmastime.

Which game would you love to play as a contestant on The Price Is Right? I wouldn’t want to be on that game show.

Do you complain about public restrooms when they are nasty? Not to the employees or whoever is in charge of that sort of thing, but I’ll probably just make a comment about it to whomever I’m with.

Do you know how to play roulette? Never played.

When you broke stuff in the house as a child, did you blame it on siblings? I didn’t break stuff.

Did you make it all the way through the Oregon Trail game? I think I did.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Which one are you more scared of? I wouldn’t want to encounter either one of them.

When was the last time you looked at a book with hidden pics (ex.I-Spy)? Not since I was a kid.

Do you know what is on your state’s quarter? Not until I looked it up just now.

Quick! Write me a haiku: No thank you, my dude. I surely can’t be bothered To write a haiku.

Shit. < Hahahah. ME TOO. <<<< Okay that was too good to try and top and I don’t feel like trying haha.

Describe the best use that you’ve found for duct tape: Hm. I don’t know.

Do you wrap gifts or use gift bags? Both because depending on what it is, a gift bag might be best. However, I love wrapping presents so I wrap whatever I can.

Geico commercials: annoying or funny? There’s been a funny one a time or two.

What infomercial almost has you convinced to buy the product it is selling? I haven’t seen an infomercial in yearssss. I remember as a kid how channels would just cut off at a certain time and play infomercials all night and it would really suck if you were up late not able to sleep for whatever reason because nothing would be on.

What fast food place do you avoid at all costs? I don’t like KFC.

Did you cut the hair of your Barbie dolls to give them new ‘do’s? Haha yes.

Do you go to Wal-Mart in the middle of the night for no reason? No...

Are you afraid of deep sea creatures? The idea of the ocean and its creatures does scare me.

Has the legacy of Jason Voorhies been taken too far? Not a big Friday the 13th fan, honestly. I like the Halloween movies better.

Ever contemplated climbing a water tower? No.

If you were at a beach, would you write something in the sand and leave it? Sure why not.

Did/Do your teachers write on dry-erase boards or chalkboards? When I was a little kid it was chalkboards.

Have you ever agreed to purchase something on Ebay and got scammed somehow? No, thankfully.

What food/drink must you get at a baseball game? I don’t go to baseball or any kind of sport games.

If you get a call that says “Unknown”, do you answer it? Nope. I don’t even answer calls I do know sometimes unless it’s one of my parents.

What do you do to make yourself feel better when you’re stressed out? I don’t really do much to try and make myself feel better.

Would you rather have 12 fingers or webbed toes? Webbed toes. It wouldn’t affect me at all.

Are you allergic to any foods? Tangerines.

Do you have any bobble head figures? I have a bobble head Chewbacca.

Have your parents ever left you somewhere without realizing it? No.

Who’s the best late-night TV host? I used to watch Jay Leno and Conan, and occasionally Jimmy Fallon, but I haven’t watched any late night talk shows in years.

Fruit Roll-Ups or gummy snacks? Neither.

Do you think riding on trains will ever be popular again? I’m sure it still is some places.

Have you ever been to Hollywood? Yes.

Have you ever caught an editing mistake in the newspaper? I think I have, actually.

Would you rather have a paintbrush, a pen, a microphone, or a guitar? A pen.

What’s your reason for getting up in the morning? Coffee.

Who is there in your life that you just couldn’t live without? My family.

Do you like to look at old photos, remembering all the good times? Sometimes.

Ideally, what would you like your future to consist of? Better health would be great.

Do you really think it’s going to happen? I don’t know.

Is there anything you just cannot leave the house without? My wheelchair. ha.

What is more important to you? Yourself, your family, or your friends? My family.

Where is the one place in the world that you’d always be happy to be? The beach.

Any particular reason? It’s a place where I can just... be. I don’t think about anything.

When was the last time you smiled, for real? Sometime earlier.

What/who was it that had made you smile? Something my pup did.

Ever felt like nothing seems to be going your way? Yeppp.

Ever found yourself randomly smiling for no reason? No.

Ever been day-dreaming and didn’t realize someone was talking to you? Yep.

Do you like to watch the sun rise/set? Sure, but it’s not something I actively go out to watch. I just happen to catch it sometimes.

Have you ever been to a waterfall? If not, would you like to? Nope.

Would you ever want to go swimming with dolphins? No.

Do you like walking through forests/ares with lots of trees? It sounds nice and fall-ish, but realistically I’d probably be scared haha.

Would you prefer to walk along a sunny beach, or up some hills? A beach.

Ever been anywhere really strange? This one random little nowhere town my grandparents stayed in one year while they were here visiting. I don’t know how they even found or heard of that particular city or RV park or why they even chose to stay there. it’s not where they normally stay.

Ever been anywhere you’d never like to go again? I mean nothing bad happened in the city I was just talking about, but I don’t have any interest in going back.

Is there anywhere you have to go regularly that you really don’t like? Doctor appointments. I have one I go to weekly and another I go to monthly. I have a feeling I could be having more regular appointments with other doctors/specialists.

[appledoom47]

Some questions? What about ALL THE QUESTIONS MWA HA HAAAA

YOUR SO EVIL BUT IMMA DO IT CAUSE ILY1. Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? Spotify. I pay for that shit2. is your room messy or clean? UHHH messy3. what color are your eyes? Blue4. do you like your name? why? I do like my name. Because I like how it’s spelled differently from how most people spell it and because I was almost named Hedwig or Blanche. 4. what is your relationship status? Single5. describe your personality in 3 words or less. Funny, loud, memes6. what color hair do you have? Brown7. what kind of car do you drive? color? I don’t have a car right now cause I totaled the old one and can’t afford a new one rip8. where do you shop? Idk the store?9. how would you describe your style? The trash bin.10. favorite social media account. My tumblr I guess?11. what size bed do you have? It’s a twin.12. any siblings? Yeah I have a sister that’s 6 years older.13. if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? Really I’d be happy living anywhere in the world but like I’d love to retire to Quito Ecuador. I went there when I was younger and I fell in love with that city.14. favorite snapchat filter? I don’t use Snapchat.15. favorite makeup brand(s). I don’t wear makeup cause I have super sensitive skin, all brands make me breakout.16. how many times a week do you shower? I try to shower every day I leave the house. Keyword is try. I have depression.17. favorite tv show? NOT TECHNICALLY TV BUT I LOVE RWBY18. shoe size? 9 1/219. how tall are you? 5’1. I’m short20. sandals or sneakers? I prefer to not wear shoes at all but I live in the north so I wear sneakers so my feet don’t fall off.21. do you go to the gym? I want to but I’m poor and lack transportation.22. Describe your dream date. Anything with someone I love that truly loves me back.23. How much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? Uhhh 5 dollars.24. what color socks are you wearing? I’m not wearing socks.25. How many pillows do you sleep with? Just one but it’s like a huge body pillow. Like a real one not an anime one.26. Do you have a job? what do you do? Yeah I work at McDonald’s.27. How many friends do you have? I don’t want to put numbers to this but I have a lot of larger friend groups spread out from different discord’s and tumblr and my friends I left behind when I moved.28. Whats the worst thing you have ever done? Oh god. I’ve done a lot. Like a lot a lot of terrible things. For the purpose of this imma go with starting to chew tobacco again. I’m trying to quit again but it’s hard.29. whats your favorite candle scent? I don’t have a good enough sense of smell to really smell candles.30. 3 favorite boy names. Mathias, Benjamin, and Peter.31. 3 favorite girl names. Alice, Jane, and Martha32. Favorite actor? Don’t really have one.33. favorite actress? IMMA COUNT VOICE ACTRESS AND SAY ARRYN ZECH34. who is your celebrity crush? ARRYN ZECH35. favorite movie? Hunchback of notre dame.36. do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? I used to read a lot but now I exclusively read fan fiction. So I’ll just say my fav right now is Scars by Donesses on ao3 cause that fic is FUCKING AMAZING.37. money or brains? Brains.38. do you have a nickname? what is it? Everyone irl calls me some form of my actual name and everyone online calls me Apple.39. how many times have you been to the hospital? Umm like I’ve been hospitalized once but I’ve been to the ER a lot.40. Top 10 favorite songs. DONT MAKE ME PICK. Have a playlist instead. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIc3C_O6F9TV92tQBL9Q7DPBGvpz4yhIO thats all my music I love all of it.41. do you take any medications daily? Nope. Prob should tho42. what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) depends on the day.43. what is your biggest fear? Being abandoned 44. how many kids do you want? As many as I’m physically able to have/ however many my future partner can stand.45. whats your go to hair style? I just leave it down.46. what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) it’s a small townhouse.47. who is your role model? Don’t really have one.48. what was the last compliment you received? People have been saying I’m really good at writing angst as of late.49. what was the last text you sent? I asked my mom how much money I had on the card she runs for me. It’s my card but she has the app for some reason.50. how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? I don’t remember I don’t think I ever believed in him.51. what is your dream car? I have a pic.52. opinion on smoking? Honestly I’m kinda numb to people who smoke because my mom smoked when I was growing up but I’d rather people didn’t for their health.53. do you go to college? The question here really is do I want to go back for the 3rd time and the answer is I don’t know.54. what is your dream job? Anything that I can enjoy while making enough money to live comfortably.55. would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? Suburbs.56. do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? Yes always.57. do you have freckles? No58. do you smile for pictures? I try too but I’m bad at it. Most of the time I end up trying to hide my face.59. how many pictures do you have on your phone? A lot. It’s all screen caps and memes.60. have you ever peed in the woods? Yes because my dad’s special interest is hiking and he used to bring me along all the time.61. do you still watch cartoons? Yes.62. do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds? Gotta go with job loyalty here.63. Favorite dipping sauce? Ranch64. what do you wear to bed? Nothing at all ;)65. have you ever won a spelling bee? No I suck at spelling I was always the first one out.66. what are your hobbies? I like editing pictures. Mostly memes.67. can you draw? Not really no. I want to get better tho.68. do you play an instrument? Yes I play piano and ukulele. Also I sing if that’s and instrument69. what was the last concert you saw? I got to see K.Flay back in October. It was rad as fuck.70. Tea or coffee? Depends on the time of day and availability71. Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? Dunkin.72. do you want to get married? Yes.73. what is your crush’s first and last initial? I don’t have a crush right now.74. are you going to change your last name when you get married? Probably.75. what color looks best on you? I’ve been told blue.76. do you miss anyone right now? Yeah77. do you sleep with your door open or closed? Closed78. do you believe in ghosts? Not really79. what is your biggest pet peeve? When bars fucking aDVERTISE THEIR HAPPY HOUR BUT ITS MORE THAN ONE HOUR.80. last person you called. Idk I haven’t called anyone in forever.81. favorite ice cream flavor? Rocky road82. regular oreos or golden oreos? Regular83. chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? Rainbow cause I’m gay as fuck84. what shirt are you wearing? I’m not wearing a shirt right now.85. what is your phone background? It’s a monochrome mood board someone on one of my rwby servers made for me86. are you outgoing or shy? Outgoing if it’s a good day.87. do you like it when people play with your hair? I don’t know cause no one ever has.88. do you like your neighbors? I haven’t met them.89. do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? I don’t really ever wash my face. I prob should.90. have you ever been high? Yeah. I used to smoke a lot of weed.91. have you ever been drunk? I’m a recovering alcoholic 92. last thing you ate? Avocado toast. Cause I’m a fucking millennial 93. favorite lyrics right now. I’m just gonna say all the lyrics to from shadows.94. summer or winter? Summer95. day or night? Night96. dark, milk, or white chocolate? Milk97. favorite month? March because birthday98. what is your zodiac sign. Pisces 99. who was the last person you cried in front of? All the people at my work cause I had a PTSD meltdown rip. I FUCKED UP THE NUMBERING AND PUT 4 TWICE BUT THATS ALL ONE HUNDRED

[chariot313]

Western social media has no respect for Japanese online artists - and it’s killing online art

The visual arts have evolved to suit the most popular medium of each era. In nowadays’ case, the internet is the go-to method of sharing the fruits of one’s labour). However, as stated in that tweet thread of mine you can see if you scroll down a bit (assuming you’re viewing this post on chariot313.tumblr.com) different cultures have different attitudes towards how their customers react to their products. This include you know what fuck the formalities, I’ll just say it: The exclusively western concept of someone seeing something they like online and hitting the share button to stimulate the “Haha, upvotes go ‘brrr’!” dopamine in their smooth-ass lizard brain will be the death of online Japanese artists. Or rather, it has been already, and you would know that if you’ve ever seen an artist’s Twitter bio be in mostly Japanese save for one sentence in English; “Reprint is prohibited.”.

If you want to hear me rationalize the absurd claim I just made, feel free to click the “Keep reading” button. Otherwise, turn back now and save yourself from me possibly wasting your time.

Alright, you’ve chosen to stick with me. Just remember, you asked for this.

Introduction

Social media as a whole is based around sharing (posting, uploading, submitting, tweeting, blogging, streaming etc.) and other’s reactions to what one has shared (views, likes, subscribers, favorites, followers, upvotes, retweets, reblogs, crossposts, etc.).

However, miscommunication and culture shock due to language barriers and cultural differences is one of the many factors that can negatively affect one’s experience on social media. For example, the Japanese artist community, active on sites such as Twitter, Pixiv, NicoNico Seiga, FC2 blogs, etc.. Twitter is mostly inhabited by English-speaking users. Here in the west, our main motive for sharing something on social media (such as art) is for fame and recognition. However, over in the East, most online artists only upload their works to the internet for personal use. I’m not saying one cultural attitude towards sharing art is better than one another, but when these two worldviews collide, the culture shock can negatively affect the careers of artists who are unaware of the other culture’s differing views on sharing art.

So, I’ve listed numerous social media platforms below and I’m going to elaborate on how each of them contributes to the alienation and discouragement of Japanese artists.

DO NOT WITCH-HUNT OR HARASS THE CULPRITS I’VE LISTED AS EXAMPLES; THEY ONLY SERVE TO BACK UP MY ARGUMENT

Twitter

Go into the twitter search bar and type in the name of an anime character (usually female). What do you find? Most likely an account named after said character that does nothing but post unsourced fan art of said character with cheesy “in-character” captions on them.

Exhibit A [NSFW]

Exhibit B [NSFW]

Exhibit C [very NSFW]

Aside from that, Twitter isn’t that bad in this regard, as a lot of the art that gets stolen is originally uploaded to Twitter anyway. But I’m just getting started. 

Wattpad

Ah yes, Wattpad. One of the “trinity” of fan fiction communities (the others being fanfiction.net and AO³), featuring many different stories with varying degrees of readability. The problem is the option to add a picture to adorn your fanfiction, at which point most of the authors google “<fanfic subject> fan art” and use something from there without considering the repercussions. This causes Wattpad to be one of the top results when reverse image searching to find the source of some fan art, aside from another site I’ll mention later on...

Reddit

There’s a subreddit I often browse called r/ChurchOfJirou, a community for sharing anything relating to the character Kyouka from My Hero Academia (I mean come on, she’s like the cutest thing ever). A lot of the posts on that sub are sharing fan art of the aforementioned character. One of the rules in the sidebar is “always include the source in the title or the comments”. And most of the submissions make good on that rule. However, a lot of the posts are from Japanese artists on Twitter or Pixiv, and following the source link leads you to find the artist’s bio, which usually has something along the lines of “don’t repost my work”. And what’s more, the biggest offenders (of submitting art to the sub without OP’s permission) were the moderators of the subreddit. You know, the ones who are supposed to be enforcing the rules? I even got so fed up that I called it out, to which one of the mods replied,

“It doesn’t really make a difference, does it?”

Luckily, not all subreddits are like this. For example, other MHA-related subs like r/BokuNoShipAcademia or r/ChurchOfMinaAshido have moderators that are more considerate of artists’ wishes. Overall, Reddit is usually a hit-or-miss when it comes to this kind of thing. At best, you’ve got subs like the two I just mentioned which make sure to respect artists, and at worst you’ve got people trying (and failing) to edit out watermarks. Also, not to self-promote, but this tweet of mine represents this situation pretty well:

Imgur

Imgur isn’t that bad compared to the rest of these, but it’s a common one that people link to when asked for the source of whatever they’ve shared on Twitter or Reddit or whatever.

Amino Apps

Amino Apps is a strange case. I don’t know much about it since I’ve never used it, but from what I do know it seems similar to Reddit in that there are numerous communities for different niches. That said, judging from the way it clogs up Google image search results, I doubt OC art is posted there often.

YouTube

Now, you may be thinking, “How does a video site rip off others’ art?”. The answer is uploads of soundtracks. Look for any OST from a video game or anime on YouTube and the picture used for the video will likely be some fan art by a Japanese Pixiv artist, usually one that forbids reposts of their work. Not only that, but if the uploader did bother to add the source in the description, it’s usually not even a link to the actual source, more likely a link to Zerochan or Pinterest or something. Now take into account that some of these videos get millions of views. Imagine working hard on something, and some numbnuts takes it, slaps some music onto it, uploads it to YouTube, and gets millions of views while you get next to nothing in comparison.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B (re-upload; original had nearly 40 million views before it was copyright claimed)

Exhibit C

and many many others

Pinterest

Alright, this is the big one. When Pinterest isn’t giving recipes or wardrobe ideas to suburban white moms, it’s clogging up Google reverse image search, punishing anyone who just wanted to find the source of some cute fan art. I feel like this meme by ZebitasMartinexSi on Facebook sums it up:

For example, this piece of Legend of Zelda art by Twitter artist @_nomeri_ (I’ll just link to it, since it would be hypocritical of me to embed the image even though @_nomeri_’s bio warns people not to repost their art). Good art, right? Well, if you right-click and hit “Search Google for image”...

...yeah. Pinterest is a plague. It thrives on theft. Even worse is when someone will post fan art on Twitter/Tumblr/Reddit/etc. and have the nerve to say “IDK the source I found it on Pinterest ^_^”. Or worse yet, they link to Pinterest saying it’s the source.

Instagram

While many other sites rag on Instagram for its reposting of memes, it’s no better when it comes to reposting fan art, especially from Pixiv. I’ve seen lots of stolen pieces with fan fictions written in the description. Personally, if I were an artist, I’d rethink my career choice if I saw my art reposted on Instagram with a half-assed fanfic under it, so I don’t blame Japanese artists who close their Pixiv accounts after seeing that. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to prevent it from happening in the first place.

DeviantArt

DeviantArt is more “renowned” across the web for its niche circles of bizarre fetish art, but in its defence, there are some legitimately good pieces on there. If you do find a good one though, try checking to see if all of the uploader’s pieces have a similar overall art style, because if not, that’s a sure sign of someone passing off some Pixiv user’s art as their own, which is unfortunately fairly common on DeviantArt.

9Gag

Not a whole lot to say about 9Gag. I mean, it does contribute to reposting of art, but nothing really separates it from the others on this list, aside from its watermarks. At least the watermark gives away the fact that something was reposted.

Know Your Meme

You know that Zelda pic by @_nomeri_ I was talking about earlier? Well, to add insult to injury, it became an object-labelling meme.

Imagine putting hours into something and politely asking others not to repost it, only to find that some nincompoops on r/DankMemes made it into an object-labelling meme.

But this isn’t KYM’s fault, per se. Know Your Meme only documents memes; they do not create them. However, as someone who regularly browses the Know Your Meme image galleries, I can say that the image gallery has essentially become Know Your Fan Art (unlawfully reposted fan art, that is).

Redbubble

There’s an NSFW artist I follow on Twitter by the name of Nico-Mo. A while ago, his Pixiv account was suspended, and there were numerous pictures on there that he had not uploaded to his Twitter or DeviantArt, so I found a mirror of one of those pieces on Gelbooru and reverse-image searched in hopes of finding it on his Twitter. No such luck. What came up instead was a .png of the piece made into a sticker being sold on Redbubble. In fact, that’s one of the major reasons why artists disapprove of their art being reposted, as it may find its way onto a sticker or a T-shirt being sold as merch without the original artist giving consent nor the artist receiving so much as a single nickel.

Facebook

Surprisingly, I think Facebook is one of the least offending sites on this list. Still worth mentioning, though.

Funnyjunk

Like Imgur, Funnyjunk isn’t that bad compared to some of the rest of these, but this exchange in the comments of a repost of an MHA artist that deleted their account (not hard to see why considering people straight-up ignored the big-ass watermark at the bottom) is proof enough of western social media’s flippant attitude towards ruining online artists’ careers.

Aggregator imageboards such as Yande.re, Konachan, Danbooru, Gelbooru, Rule34, SankakuComplex, Zerochan, etc.

I don’t think I need to explain these. But like Imgur, these are what most people link to when asked for source instead of bothering to find the original post.

We Heart It

I don’t know much about “We Heart It”, but it seems to be a “Pinterest Lite” considering it clogs up image search almost as much as Pinterest does.

iFunny

Basically the same as 9Gag, in the sense that its watermarks are a dead giveaway.

4chan

I’m not sure if 4chan really “counts” among these, as it’s a chat board where nearly everything is impermanent anyway. However, I was once on an NSFW subreddit where one submitter used a 4chan thread to get Patreon-exclusive material from an artist to upload to the sub (even though one of the rules of the sub was “no paywall content”), so that alone earns 4chan its spot on this list.

Tumblr

Yes, not even Tumblr is innocent. Although I’m sure you knew that. Similar to what I said about Twitter, look up any blog named after a fictional character and it’ll likely be chock-full of unsourced fan art.

“Why is this even important?”

Because if an artist sees that their work is being reposted, depending on the artist, they may delete the original post when they wouldn’t have to if people had just respected their wishes. Now, if an artist wants their works gone from the internet for other personal reasons, that’s up to them and we should respect them for it. But artists taking down their works due to mass reposting is 100% preventable, which is why it’s sad. If you don’t respect an artist, they won’t create art. Simple as that.

“Why do you care so much?”

Eh, I’m just weird like that. It just ticks me off when anything online, whether it be art, or a video, or whatever, is lost. In my opinion, nothing hurts more than clicking a Pixiv link on an imageboard and being greeted with “The work was deleted or the ID does not exist.”.

“But lots of western artists forbid reposting of their art too!”

Indeed, that is correct. But while many artists of every nationality and culture frown upon reproduction of their work, it seems only western social media is responsible for reposting art in the first place. I mean, why else do you think Japanese artists are saying “Reprint is prohibited” in English when the rest of their bio is in Japanese? Because English-speakers are the ones reposting.

“But exposure can help an artist!”

Yeah, that’s true...

...but “exposure” doesn’t mean much if those “exposed” to one’s work don’t know or care who it came from.

And if you need even more reasons, look no further than these posts about the same topic by other blogs:

https://cranberrywitch.tumblr.com/post/143456002228/stop-reposting-art-from-japanese-artists

https://thegospelofnagisa.tumblr.com/post/143308182398

https://edendaphne.tumblr.com/post/163117317030/ive-been-wanting-to-make-this-educational-cheat

https://marklightgreatsword.tumblr.com/post/190056977650/discourage-art-theft-in-fandom-in-2020-dont

https://letusrespectpixivartistconsent.tumblr.com/post/92189994896/why-is-this-important

also, not to self-promote but I made a thread on Twitter on this topic about a month ago that you can check out here.

That’s all.

posted Jun 14; last edit Jun 21