#s2 ep 14 got me alright

[kala-mies]

I succumbed to Ghostknife it's over for me man

[thehare1234]

TV Roundup

Put two weeks together this time because last week I was supperrr busy so played a lil catch up this week…all I can say is everyone go watch Marahuyo Project 😭

QL Shows

✨ We Are (Ep 13-14): Officialy Phum/Peem dating episode…this one was pretty good, I think it really was showing a healthy working through a miscommunication and just a lot of sweetness. Chain and Pun like who knows at this point I don’t know how they’ll get together it’s truly 5 seconds of screen time but it has me so hooked. The friendship continues to be the highlight of this show for me <3 Alright back with the next episode and it was soooo cute like just so comforting…and you can still sort of feel like Fang/Phums family trauma but they got their people 😭 I feel like Fang/Tan and Q/Toeys arcs are done so pls give me more Chain/Pun

🦋MMDIY (Ep 9-10): AND IT WAS ALL A DREAM??!! HELLO??? But hey at least we got some cute moments this episode! I don’t know how to feel about Marwin he just has a strange energy. Also like Kim and Wan bringing each other on their dates with their boyfriends 😭 This should be called comphet the series…I think next week will be more angst…but hopefully more romance….welp im back and all we got was more angst lmao…weirdly I’m still into it like this show is not really frustrating me it’s just making me sad…but it’s visually gorgeous and the scene where they were dancing at the club was a highlight (some happiness finally)

🌊Love Sea (Ep 4): alright so now we have a live in boyfriend contract and we have shifted to part 2 of this story…I am liking Vi more and more but Mook is kinda confusing me like girlie why you so scandalized? But then again we don’t know what she’s had to deal with in the past lol

🥘WDYEY (S2, Ep 3-7): These episodes we saw more of other characters lives/relationships like Wataru/Kohinatas backstory, Kenjis coworker and his girlfriend, the manager and his wife etc. And it was all really delightful. I like how they keep returning to Shiros parents lack of acceptance, and how that continues to put a strain…and just the complex relationship and how to navigate it…good stufff…also the idea of growing older and death were very prominent in these episodes but also Shiro looking around and realizing how much Kenji does for him and loves him and him feeling happy was so sweet like top scene for me…these two are just icons

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩Two of Us (Ep 5-6)(end): this is the week I realized this show was actually happening at the same time as the events of deep night and not before lol…again can’t say much but I just think they’re cute and I’m convinced…give them a longer series with an actual plot! Omg final episode was so cute we got official girlfriends!! Also tho I have to say the whip cream and strawberries was fun but pouring just milk on each other? Why? Anyways older women being cute and in love save meeee

🏡Knock Knock Boys (Ep 6-7): so my prediction of Almond filming it was wrong but I like the direction the show took and how it showed the consequences of outing someone and posting a video like this…I loved the scenes with latte/almond this week just 10/10…Also the peak/thanwa storyline continues interestingly. It’s wild seeing how much these two obviously care for each other but cant choose it for one reason or another. I do need a little more about Peak and Jane’s situation because I’m slightly confused of how she’s somehow ok with marrying Peak or him dating Thanwa as long as he makes a choice? Like she doesn’t mind marrying him knowing he doesn’t love her? I’m sure more will be revealed and we’re in for more angst now that Max is here…ok so episode 7 killed it with the Latte/Almond storyline the progression and the beach storyline was so well done!! I was almost crying at Lattes backstory as well like he really deserves the world :( We continue the angst with Peak/Thanwa and like I get it but also…I don’t lol

🌅Sunset X Vibes (Ep 3-4): why do I love this show? Like seriously a lot of it is kinda cringe but I’m so entertained? I looveeee how unserious this show is…like I love how they’re just ignoring the fact that he’s the CEO like it’s not even a discussion I think it’s fun…also like Sun is just the biggest simp I’ve ever met but at the same time he’s not like agressive pursuer CEO like he actually cares about boundaries and consent (minus the HR violations Hong Kong trip)…but the fact that he was like “am I being too much, I’ll stop.” Was just nice idk…I hope this show stays this unserious the whole time…ok maybe spoke too soon lol I didn’t like episode 4 as much haha..like the filming storyline plsss….but idk at least the silliness is still their i will see how it continues

🧍My Stand In (Ep 10-11): this was def the calm before the storm episode, and it wasn’t even that calm. 50% was basically married Ming/joe as Ming tries to win him back and it was pretty cute. I like the Joe is still a bit hesistant but at the end of the day he folds because of course he does. I know a lot of people were ready for Ming to tear Tong to shreds but I didn’t expect Tong having the mom as backup so we’ll see…next episode definitely looking like a soap opera or smthing with the rich family meddling, kidnapping, etc. It’s gonna be a rough one but hopefully leading to a happy? Ish? Episode 12…. Ok back from episode 11 and that was a roller coaster like actually I was thinking it was pretty calm and happy UNTIL the last 15 minutes and then it was a full on crime show like ok? And the cliffhanger??? Anyways…this show has kept me entertained the whole way through and I think they’ll stick the ending. Highlights of this episode were definitely Ming’s siblings like Mike and May I’m rooting for y’all till the end…ride or die siblings let’s go…I’m the youngest like Ming and I feel like my siblings would have my back like this lol

💟Wandee Goodday (Ep 9-10): This show is kinda losing me at this point. The highlight for me is Yei/Cher and I still like Yak….idk when I start to lose interest when I’m watching a show I judt stop processing it in my brain so I don’t even remember half the episode…I’ll finish it because I made it this far and there’s some cute moments but the main storyline I just don’t know…also all the Sr.Ter stuff is just too much …ok ep 10 im sooo conflicted because actually the family storyline I think is really interesting and like Yak/Yei dynamic is really compelling but it’s like why haven’t we spent more time on THIS!? And actually resolved things in a less fast way? And like I feel like it shouldn’t just be all is resolved with the dad esp with Yei like there should at least be a lil bit of tension left? But just like a ok we’ll try to come back together? Idk but the step mom love her down…how did the dad not offer any money?? Anyways I think this episode was better than ep 9 at least and I was more engaged…Cher/Yei and Yak I love and I love the family dynamic so much more than the doctor stuff tbh

👔The Trainee (Ep 1): Ensemble cast??? Group of interns??? A couple who actually dislikes each other on the first meeting? Ok I’m in! I’m sort of in the intern age demographic so I understand the feeling lollll…I like this so far and just hoping it’s good all the way through 😭😭😭😭

🧑‍🍳Cooking Crush (Ep 4-5): did I decide to continue cooking crush to watch both recent Off Gun shows at the same time? Yes. I watched the first few episodes of this awhile ago then stopped so now I’m back! Omfg Ten and Prem are so cute like they got the gradual crush storyline down like I love how it was just natural progression of like I like this person. Also I did not expect cooking crush to have a scene talking about legalize sex work but go off…I love both friend groups like friendship aspect…v cute/fun

👑Marahuyo Project (Ep 1-4): Already this show is so so good and just feels like a fresh breath like King is already such an icon character and I’m really excited to keep going with it…these episodes I thought it was nice and realistic like the queer solidarity between King and Venice…and now having seen the next two episodes this show has such depth in its characters and is exploring so many different experiences in ways that feel real…honestly the show is also just visually so beautiful

☀️I Hear the Sunspot (Ep 1-2): I love love love this dynamic already…I think this was a really great start and since this show has 12 episodes I think it will explore everything well…listen I’m here for it…glad there’s more JBL to fill the void of Akasaka….NAURRR he’s happy playing basketball what if I cry? But for real the show was really good in showing the way Kohei has felt isolated because of his hearing loss, and that leads to his expectations of other people being so low…but Taichi is just such an overactive puppy of a man and is so direct in his communication he won’t let him do that and it was great…I’m ready for him to get folded into their silly lil friend group

🤫The Secret Of Us (Ep 1-2): saw someone say their first meeting was like a Hallmark movie AND THEYRE RIGHT! This was such a cute first episode like I love love love them already they were so cute :). But also their dating era scenes were maybe just a tad long for me…I guess they wanted us to be fed with sweetness since it’s gonna be angsty for a while I bet…second chance romance let’s go…also the guy from the Sign here to be a supportive bestie we love to see it….ok episode 2 continues with supportive besties which I love to see…it’s moving slowly and now we got some rival love interests and some cute moments…I do lowkey not understand why Earn doesn’t at least hint that she didn’t want to break up but idk I guess we’ll see

🍷Ayaka is in love with Hiroko (Ep 1): ok listen this episode was so so so fun…I understand you Ayaka because me too would be in love with Hiroko…the way she was staring at karaoke got me…and I can’t with Hiroko being so adamant about her “straight” coworker but I get it lol it’s hard out here…tbh I’m sure that all this is related to whatever relationship trauma was hinted at with that other woman. I can’t wait for Ayaka to meet the other lesbians at the bar (hopefully)…I also love that Hiroko is lowkey a player anyways super good super fun

🫛 This Love Doesn’t Have Long Beans (Ep 1): another first episode that I thought was very fun and I honestly already felt the tension between them like I’m sorry sir why are you caressing his face like this…what happened to hello? How are you? I think I’ll enjoy this competition format and honestlyyyy I have a feeling that Wan will not stay a mole for Methas for long…also I saw this only had 8 episodes which actually makes me feel more excited in some ways because then hopefully they can just tell the core story well and not add any unneeded nonsense (well anymore nonsense than the plot itself)

Other Shows:

👽3 Body Problem (Ep 8)(end): This was a decent finale. I think it set up the next season well. I knew it was coming but I was still sad when the project failed 😭…and the finale monologue about bugs was a good ending point IMO…at the end of the day this was a story about it humanity and science, and worked in the morally grey area of being human which I found interesting. Not everything worked, but I’m excited for where they go next season

🏫 Degrassi (Ep 93): We got bisexual Paige and Alex? Bicons some may say? They’re cute ok…also though.. the cheating storyline with the parents? Why?

🎸We Are Lady Parts (Season 1): ok now one of my faves of the year! I can’t believe I didn’t watch this show before…it’s seriously so good and actually so funny like the main actress is so so good her facial expressions. I also love when the show plays into the more like fantasy/dream scenarios from Amina and just visually it’s so fun to have these little side bits…I’m going to watch season 2 next week but my only complaint is I wish there were more episodes 😭 I also like the bits in this show that did touch on identity, representation but not in a way that feels forced at all

🩲 Ossan no pantsu ga nandatte ii janai ka (Ep 1): I feel like this show doesn’t fit in the typical Bl/GL category so I’ll put it here since it’s realllyyy more of a family drama. Started this on a whim because I saw it seemed like a family drama story and so far it is a strong start…feels very nice to see a story of like a cross-generation friendship and just people working on themselves and not always getting it right…excited to continue

[juanabaloo]

hi! this is so random but I just found hightown and saw you in the tags I was wondering if you recommend it? I wanna watch something with a lesbian couple but it's hard to find shows (I tried station 19 but got bored easily besides the appears couple is on season 3). anyway would u say it's a good written show and good rep? like is it worth it? thanksss

hello hi! i highly recommend Hightown if you are a Monica Raymund fan, she plays Jackie - the supposed main character. (Monica was on the first 6 seasons of Chicago Fire if you happen to be into firefighter shows.) i have randomly seen a few eps of both Chicago Fire and Station 19 (Maya x Carina is the couple you were watching for i think?) and they were just alright.

it's hard to know if you would like Jackie / Hightown without knowing what else you also like. (related, my top 5 sapphic movie recs)

(also disclaimer while i am flattered i'm not a lesbian, i'm bi so def not an expert on lesbian rep)

OK so i'll try to pitch this without too many spoilers.

Pros for watching Hightown

it's short! 3 seasons is only 25 episodes total

Monica Raymund!! she's truly amazing and gorgeous

if you watch BTVS and like Faith Lehane, Jackie to me is like an older but still very fuct up Faith

rated TV-MA in the USA (versus TV-14 for Station 19 and Chicago Fire)

sex and nudity is rated severe in the IMDB parent's guide (versus mild for the other 2 shows)

Jackie has sex and enjoys it, with different women

Jackie is clearly a lesbian and shows no interest in men

there are other women on the show you may find attractive (Renee played by Riley Voelkel, along with fewer appearances by: Charmaine played by Imani Lewis and Leslie played by Tonya Glanz)

Jackie is in a relationship with one woman at some point in the show

the chemistry between Jackie and the one woman is really good, for both sex scenes and softer moments

MILD SPOILER: the relationship lasts for a while (more than a few episodes)

MILD SPOILER: neither Jackie nor the relationship woman die during the show

Cons for watching Hightown

there are a lot of other sex scenes that don't involve Jackie that are hetero (Ray or Frankie)

Ray takes up too much space in the story IMO (i don't find Ray very attractive, so maybe i am biased. i don't mind the space Frankie takes up, and he IS attractive.)

"lesbian couple" is too strong a term for the relationship Jackie has with the one woman

if you believe ACAB - well this is a cop show. Jackie may be a "fish cop" but she's still a cop. (i believe ACAB and just hold my nose.)

not really a con - totally separate from ACAB Jackie is not a good role model. so she might not be good rep.

the one woman has some struggles with understanding her own sexuality (related the show pretends no one is bi)

not really a con - drugs (specifically hard drug use) is rated severe in the IMDB parent's guide

not really a con - Jackie is a real mess, and her struggle with sobriety is a major theme of the show

not really a con - Jackie has a rough relationship with her Dad

there's a lot of angst and drama in this show. if you want a solid lesbian couple / sapphic couple to watch, i don't recommend this show. but if you want to watch Jackie having sex and also root for her and this one woman, you can. if that is your plan then you can basically only watch S1 and S2 and skip all of S3 except for 3x07 the finale. So that would be only 19 episodes.

i can say more but trying not to spoil things. ask if you have more questions!

[purplehoodiesimon]

Alright I've been tagged in this 3 times now let's goooooo thank you @levok @eypril-eypril and @zeichenlily

YR s2 Predictions Quiz

1. What month will season 2 be released?  - Either July or September.

2. What episode will Simon and Wilhelm have their first s2 kiss (who will initiate the kiss)? - It's either going to be ep 1 or the final episode depending on what they do their relationship. And I think it's going to be Simon. I like the idea of Wilhelm initiating in contrast to their very first kiss, but realistically, I want it to be 100% on Simon's terms when he gets back together with Wille.

3. How will Simon find out about August being behind the leak? - I have had so many fucking different scenarios go through my head for this, I swear to god. I can't pick one. Wilhelm telling him and it coming out in an argument with Sara are my top 2 though, so I'm answering one of those.

4. Will there be snow in s2? - There better be. If there's not I'm boycotting. (not really but pleaseeeeee I want my s2 snow)

5. Will there be any physical fight (if yes, who will be involved)? - If no one bitch slaps August at least once, what is the point of s2?

6. Will Wilhelm abdicate? - I agree with @eypril-eypril. If it's the last season, yes he will. If there's more, he might not. (speaking of, I lowkey don't want YR to continue much past 3 maybe 4 seasons. it gets harder to keep storylines good the further you drag it out)

7. Will Wilhelm make a new public statement about his sexuality? - Right so I have also had many thoughts about this. I think there's a good chance of it happening yes, but I don't think he's going to mention Simon in it. As in like, he's not going to take back the statement on denying the video. That would be a PR nightmare, and not just what Kristina thinks is a PR nightmare. Taking back the video denial would completely degrade trust in what anyone in the Crown says and would remove a lot of ability for Wille to do anything regarding the monarchy afterwards, or anything about August. So I think it's possible he could come out to the nation, but he won't mention the video or Simon at all.

8. Will there be introduced another queer character (can be a s1 character - if yes, who)? - Realistically? Probably not. If they do, my bet is on bisexual Madison or the new character they're introducing. YR is one of the best queer media pieces I've ever seen but I never put my faith in anything to add more queer characters after already introducing some. It just happens so rarely that I don't let myself expect it.

9. Will Sara become a boarder student at Hillerska? - I think so, yea.

10. Do we get a forehead kiss between Simon and Wilhelm (if yes, who kisses who)?- WE FUCKING BETTER. Wilhelm kissing Simon duh. (unless they're lying in bed or somewhere else together and Simon can kiss Wilhelm's forehead 👀)

11. Will Simon and the queen exchange any words (if yes, who will speak first)?- Please Lisa hear my words: we need this. Idk who will speak first though, it could go either way. I'm going to say Simon, just to have an answer.

12. Will there be clothes exchange between Simon and Wilhelm (if yes, what item)?- PLEASE LISA HEAR MY WORDS WILLE IN THE PURPLE HOODIE.

13. Will Sara speak any spanish?- I can see her yelling something out in Spanish during a really fucking heated argument with Linda or Simon. Like, if one or both of them were to find out about her knowing it was August and got into a huge fight about it, I can see them yelling at her in Spanish and her getting increasingly frustrated until she yells out something like "¡Para! No me importa, ¡quiero ser más que esto y no me comprenden!" (forgive me if my grammar is off) and that just kinda like halting everything for a minute as they process what just happened. She clearly understands it, not speaking it is a conscious choice on her part and sometimes things get so emotional that you say fuck it to self-rules like that. I hope makes sense.

14. Will Simon become aware of Wilhelm's anxiety?- Hmmmm. I would hope so. I hope we see more of them trusting each other on a deeper level like this.

15. Will Wilhelm break the 4th wall at some point? - It'd be a weird stylistic choice to not have him do so.

16. Will Alex get some sort of revenge (if yes, how)? - See I'm always a bit wary of storylines like this that are left not quite fully resolved. It's possible they won't come back to it, YR seems to be that very realistic type of show where sometimes shit happens and that's life and everyone moves on without it needing a nice bow put on it, but I also recognize that this is media and usually people like it when storylines are wrapped up with a nice bow on them. It could happen, it could not.

17. Will Erik appear in any form (letter, flashback, etc.)? - LISA HEAR MEEEEEEEE. I think he will. Like I said, YR is a very realistic type show, they capture the intricacies of real life really fucking well, and in real life you don't get things broken up neatly into seasons where you can pretend a dead character doesn't exist anymore after their season. I think it'd be really weird to not have Erik still existing in some form in s2, whether that be through Wilhelm's memories or remnants of his life.

18. How many characters will cry (with tears) - LET SIMON CRY 2K22. Probably Wille at least once. And I think we could have some possibilities with Sara, or even August crying. Like just picture him fully realizing how much he's fucked up Wille's life and his chances of ever being the person he wants to be (favored by the Crown) and just having a full on breakdown. I think they could do it really well, it doesn't even have to be in a redemption arc way. I just want August to see he's fucked up big time and cry about it.

19. Will Simon and/or Wilhelm say 'Jag älskar dig' (if yes, who says it first - will they both say it)? - Yes, but I don't think Simon will say it until the last episode to parallel Wille saying it in the last episode.

20. How many times will we see Simon eat pasta? - Very specific question, for funzies I will answer with a very specific answer that will not be right at all but idc. 5 times actually eating it, but 2 more times when he just has a bowl of it in front of him.

21. Who will have the first kiss in season 2 (named characters)? - I'm going to have to agree with eypril again here, I think it'll be Sara and August.

22. Will Simon and Wilhelm have any PDA (if yes, what kind)? - Many a thought has been thunked about this within the place I call my brain. I think yes, but I'm not sure what type. I can see it ranging anywhere to more hugs, to casual hand holding, to kisses in front of people.

Tagging uhhhhhhhhh @starboywille @angelbabysimon @i-love-semicolons @randomlyverbosemar @aro-of-artemis @prince-simon @omar-rudeberg @ungaroyals @royalwilmon (y'all don't have to tag as many people, I'm just tagging a bunch to get this more out there)

[potahun]

“Wo Men De Ge” Archery competition /translation

Translation of some of the archery bits in this special edition of Ep.11 of Season 1, because it was hilarious at the time and this week’s episode in S2 made me a nostalgic bastard on main again. Starts from approx. 1:52 onwards and ends around 14:39.

MC Lin Hai welcomes Na Ying back, who makes her entrance by singing a song from Fei Yuqing. Lin Hai notes that Ayanga isn’t there yet (he was on the plane), so he would pair up with Fei Yuqing in Ayanga’s stead. 

The order of performance in the Episode is to be decided via one round of archery and one round of draws.

MC: So let’s do it like this. The youngest ones here are our Shen Shen and our Yi Qiao. Therefore, you two have the right to decide. You can pick your opponents. 

ZS: I’ve already decided about my opponent. I believe everyone here knows the theory of Tian Ji’s strategy for horse-racing. The weakest *designates himself* should pick the strongest....teacher Hua Jian.

ZHJ: !! *sings while shaking ZS’s hand* You look deeply at me~

ZS: *sings in the same tune* Last time you overtook me by a whole lap~ (at kart racing)

MC (to ZS): So your picking teacher Hua Jian today, is it for revenge?

ZS: I’m....helping everyone to get rid of the strongest first. *laughs*

ZHJ: He fell for it.

MC: Then, Yi Qiao, he took your master away. What about you?

YQ: I think...how about teacher Keqin? 

LKQ: *waves hi*

YQ: I think he’s pretty strong too, so I want to have a match.

LKQ: I’m good at a lot of sports....except archery.

MC: Then, the next one will be interesting: Xiao Zhan. You pick. Do you want to go against me or Xiao Ge? Your pick.

XZ: Then I’ll pick....Teacher Fei. (FYQ: Ey. Alright.)

NY (to XZ): Yes. Elder brother (Fei Yuqing), he’s got hyperopia.  (FYQ: Aayy *laughs* XZ: !!!!!!!!) He won’t be able to do it. It’ll all be blurry -- he’ll just see a pile of circles. No problem! He won’t shoot accurately. 

MC: Alright. Then, Na Jie, I’ll accompany you. Alright? 

First group up: Zhou Hua Jian vs Zhou Shen (Zhou-Zhou shooting)

Everyone shouts encouragements from the back of the room, while Zhou Hua Jian prepares to shoot. His first arrow scores a 5.

ZS: Wooow~

YQ: Not bad!

MC, singing: Aaaaahh Fifth Ring~ (Everyone laughs)  (T/N: It’s a famous song about Beijing’s ring roads that was a bit of a gag, called the 5th Ring Road Song)

ZHJ, pretending to be dissatisfied: The wind is too strong! Can someone turn off the aircon? 

Meanwhile, Zhou Shen struggles to even nock the arrow. 

ZS, laughing: Aiya...my arrow keeps on falling... (LKQ, watching him from behind: *snorts* Aiyo ya.)

After much struggle, Zhou Shen shoots a 0. Li Keqin stands up:

LKQ: OK OK! OK! OK! It’s better than I imagined! It’s better than your driving!!

Zhou Shen turns around to laugh back at him. Meanwhile, Zhou Hua Jian shoots his 2nd arrow...which also turns out to be a 0. 

NY: Ohh, which one is that?

ZHJ: No, no. That fell outside the target.

LKQ, standing up again: Zhou Shen! You can do it!

ZS, shouting towards the back of the room:  I THINK I CHOSE THE RIGHT PERSON. *cackles soundlessly*

ZHJ: You insult me! *laughs*

ZS: I’ve never participated in such a fair competition!! (ZHJ bursts out laughing)

FYQ: This arrow is an important one. 

LKQ (to ZS): A bit higher! A bit higher!

Zhou Shen shoots a 5. Much wow-ing and clapping ensues.

ZHJ, giving him a high-five: Whoaaa!! You’re too much, you! You’re too much! (ZS laughs)

XZ: Whoa, fate changed with just one arrow...!

ZS (to the back of the room): THE SCORES ARE VERY EVENLY MATCHED. *laughs impishly*

ZHJ: Alright alright. I’ve been too generous! I can’t let you win anymore.

ZS, leaning towards him: You certainly talk big. *cackles impishly* 

ZHJ, preparing to shoot: Whooa. OK! Here I go.

ZS, teasing him: It’s off, it’s off. A bit lower. It’s off, it’s off, it’s off...

Zhou Hua Jian shoots another 0 (it actually turns out Zhou Shen was right, it was way too high). 

ZHJ, laughing (to ZS): No matter where you shoot, you’ve won now. (ZS makes a face) What’s that expression for?? 

ZS: If I shoot above yours, I’ve lost. (ZHJ laughs)

Zhou Shen finally shoots his 3rd arrow. It’s a 3. Zhou Shen won against Zhou Hua Jian by 3 points.

ZS (to the others): Who would have thought I’d win on the account of the person I picked? *laughs*

Second group: Li Keqin vs Jiang Yi Qiao.

LKQ (to the others): I’ll tell you, I saw it earlier on TV, everything else is unimportant -- the most important thing is the mouth. *does a big-lipped fish expression*

ZHJ: Alright then, let’s have a look at how his mouth is doing.

Li Keqin actually does the thing with his mouth and shoots a very stable 7. Xiao Zhan proceeds to imitate the pose in an attempt to learn. Meanwhile, Jiang Yi Qiao is struggling.

YQ: Hold on, I’m shaking a little....

LKQ, laughing: Your mouth has to be like this. *does the fish lips again*

Yi Qiao tries it, shoots 3 arrows back-to-back and gets 0, 2, and 0 points respectively. Zhou Hua Jian and Zhou Shen are both dying at the back of the room.

ZHJ, standing up: You guys should check! *points at Yi Qiao’s last arrow on the wall* I’m sure a fly just died over there.

Meanwhile, Li Keqin shoots a 5 and a 4. Qin Shen Shen leads for the moment being, with 24 vs 7 points. 

ZS, clapping and welcoming LKQ back: Awesome, awesome, awesome.

LKQ: Ehhh, it’s all thanks to youuu.

Third Group: Lin Hai (standing in for Ayanga) vs. Na Ying.

Na Ying goes first.

NY: Eh. *winces as she shoots a 0 point on the wall* Eh...

XZ: It’s okay, it’s okay!

ZHJ, pointing at XZ: Yeah, it’s okay, there’s him going behind you, there’s still him.

ZS: It’s okay, there’s still Xiao Zhan!

XZ: What if they all go off-track? *laughs*

Na Ying shoots her other arrows and they’re all 0s. 

ZHJ, laughing: Hey, they’re all way up there!

Na Ying’s arrows:

LKQ: Great aim. All 3 arrows are around the same area... (ZHJ: If you move the whole target upwards, she’d be smack in the middle. )

For some reason, Na Ying nocks another arrow and slowly turns it towards MC Lin Hai.

ZHJ, from the back of the room: Na Jie, don’t direct your arrow at him.

MC, finally noticing the danger: Eh?! *jumps back and laughs nervously* Um...uh?

NY, smiling sweetly but in a vaguely threatening manner: Hehe. What I mean to say is...you’re up against someone old, so....

MC, reassuring but backing up slowly: No, no, no, I’ve got it. I’ve got it.

NY, still vaguely threatening: You get me, right...?

MC, with his arrow nocked (to NY): I know. *turns his head towards her* I’ll just shoot while looking at you.

MC Lin Hai shoots a 10 (full score) while looking at Na Ying. The whole room loses it, Zhou Hua Jian most of all. 

MC, half-collapsed and laughing (to NY): I...I was really looking at you just now! I just--

NY, in equal disbelief: My God!! You’re playing this hand against me...? That’s really too good!! Seriously...what’s the expression again, this is like playing the pig to eat the tiger!! Aiyoo.... (MC: I didn’t...!)

XZ: Is that a 10?? (ZS: Yeah it is.) *has a mental breakdown*

NY (to XZ): He went straight for that yellow eye! (XZ: He’s too good!)

MC Lin Hai shoots a 3 this time and takes a few timid steps backwards, backing away from Na Ying.

NY: That’s still very good. That’s still very good...

ZS, yelling into his hands: Lin Hai, have mercy! (XZ: Have mercy!!)

MC (to the others): I’m just building some foundation for Xiao Ge.

FYQ, with utmost comfort: First place confirmed~ (The others laugh)

MC Lin Hai’s last arrow is a 5. Fei Yuqing claps for him, while Na Ying makes a small salute, fist against palm. MC Lin Hai returns the salute.

NY (to MC): That was really cool. (MC Lin Hai bows)

Last group: Xiao Zhan vs Fei Yuqing

Before they start, Lin Hai realises that Xiao Zhan has some prior experience with archery because he did it in the Untamed/CQL. Na Ying proceeds to add to Fei Yuqing that he probably won’t win, because Xiao Zhan has the basics down. Xiao Zhan protests he was only playing around at the time. 

His first arrow is nonetheless an 8. Everyone cheers. 

FYQ, smiling: It’s starting.

Xiao Zhan gets a 6 in the meantime. Fei Yuqing casually gets ready to shoot; he’s not even holding his arrow the standard way.

LKQ, quietly: Xiao Ge is probably gonna be really good.

MC: Xiao Ge, you can do it!

Fei Yuqing lets off his arrow and shoots a 10, while the whole room collectively loses it. 

Everyone: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LKQ, excitedly (to ZHJ): I JUST SAID THAT! I JUST SAID THAT!

ZHJ (back to LKQ): YOU JUST SAID THAT!! 

ZS, looking like his soul’s been sucked out: Wooho ho ho.....A 10.......!

Fei Yuqing proceeds to engage in his own brand of celebratory dance:

FYQ (to the others): Hey, this wasn’t a fluke...! *does a cute silent giggle*

XZ, feeling pressured again: Na Jie...!!

Xiao Zhan shoots his last arrow and gets a 4. 

NY: Good. Good. Good, good. (to FYQ) We’re already at this stage, actually, so you can just use your usual state of mind.

While Fei Yuqing prepares to shoot his 2nd arrow, Na Ying starts to sing one of his old songs to distract him, and he ends up getting a 0.

FYQ: Aiya. (the others fall down laughing behind him) Who sang that? Who sang that?

ZHJ (to NY): It’s definitely you who distracted him!

FYQ: Who sang “Nan Ping Wan Zhong”? *turns back around and prepares to shoot* I can’t let my guard down...

NY: Come on, I’ll do another song. “Yi Jian Mei |One Trim of Plum Blossom”. *starts singing with Zhou Shen*

Fei Yuqing gets a 0 again. Everyone collapses in laughter, while Fei Yuqing laughs helplessly. Xiao Zhan bows to him. 

MC (to NY): The song you’re singing, are you sure it’s not “One Arrow’s Gone?” (T/N: Also “Yi Jian Mei”, but with a different intonation)

Fei Yuqing finally returns to the table, laughing:

FYQ (to NY): The more you sing, the further away from the centre I get! 

NY, apologetic and laughing at the same time: Elder brother...Elder brother, I’m sorry...! Elder brother, let me tell you, I’m part of those who are a little mean in variety shows.

FYQ, singing the tune of a famous song: You’ve wounded me~ (NY, singing together with him: And yet just laugh it off~!)

[oohlook-thevoid]

Alright, alright I have thoughts on Musketeers s2 and I will be sharing them now.

- 2x02 made me kinda like the King but then like he immediately decided to be a dick and blame the musketeers for his own actions like ????? And just, even after 2x06, where like half the plot was three astronomer dude screaming like 'whEn wiLl YOu lEarN tHat yoUr acTIoNs hAve ConSeQUenCes' he just... didn't learn.

- at the same time though, I suppose he is a product of circumstances. Like I think his dad died when he was young so he was King and then he had like the Cardinal being somewhat manipulative and then in s2 he has Rochefort being like super manipulative.

- Also mentioning the Cardinal, I was disappointed to see he died. With how s1 left off things with him seemed to have potential to get real interesting but ig Capaldi was filming Doctor Who instead? I mean idk for sure coz I don't watch dw, coz reasons, to know the timings of changes but seems right?

- 2x05 was a fucking good episode too, highkey reminded me of Merlin 1x10 with the whole like the gang help arm some peasants to fight off an entitled asshole sort of plot. Musketeers was better though because I like the whole further look at Athos' past thing and the way he gave the peasants the land.

- Also I liked Catherine in 2x05. I also liked the way she came back later on; I appreciate a show with coherent plot lines where actions in one episode come back in another.

- 2x06 was legit my favourite episode. And, yes, I am literally only saying that because of Aramis getting to finally hold the Dauphin because that's!!! his!!! son!!!!

- and then like 2x08. First of all phenomenal stuff with them stopping those assholes who'd kidnapped and tried to sell those girls. Second of all, Porthos! Like he found his father and the like stand off scene with him, his father and Treville. Him shooting his father and calling him out for the fake photo and his lies in general.

- Also similar note when Treville gave Porthos his sword in the last ep, like Treville may not be perfect but he's better to Porthos than Porthos' father.

- then like it gets to the last 2 eps which fucking stressful™

- I can't believe they killed the doctor

- I literally almost thought Constance was gonna die because when I was go ogling her the other day it immediately autofills with 'musketeers Constance death'

- but she lived! And then when she had the sword at theat Spanish dudes throat and when she shot someone back at the palace. Like, D'artagnan had taste, I'll say that much.

- Milady also fucking rocked. She is one of my faves overall and just everything about her was excellent with her helping the others out.

- but also when she was waiting at the carriage for Athos and then when he arrived too late. Absolutely awful stuff. I really hope she won't actually just stay in England coz I want to see her again.

- I feel so bad for Aramis. Like it was bad enough in the beginning of the season with his sad face whenever the Dauphin was around but then like I kinda hate how everyone's initially like mad/blameful that he slept with the queen. Like if I remember correctly his ex-fiance or whatever had just been killed and the Queen initiated it with him more than he did her. Like I know he's a slut but like idk man... He didn't really like go after her himself I guess is what I'm saying.

- Also I hate how the King was able to just publicly have Milady as a mistress but with the queen and Aramis it's treason. I know that's just history but man it sucked.

- I really appreciated how they all had their own storylines within the season tho, like they all had their own things going on within it all

- the queen really grew in me this season, like I already liked her from the end of s1 in particular but she's just such a good character

- Also her stabbing Rochefort in the eye, excellent stuff.

- On the Rochefort note, he gave her the necklace when she was 14 and he was her tutor and he's loved her since then?!???? Like idk how much older that her he is but with him being her tutor I'd guess significantly so, so like nasty creep.

- I am so glad they went after Aramis at the end because if he really became a monk and doesn't show up in s3 I'll lose it.

- final positive note though, D'artagnan and Constance are finally properly together! And they're married! Love that for them.

- wait actual real final note, can't say I'm sad Constance's husband got killed. Did think it was neat that when D'artagnan told her both their hands got covered in his blood. Like how he blamed them as he died, how they kinda blamed themselves. Poetic cinema.

[rantheon]

fall 2019: thoughts

stuff this season i’ve finished:

ensemble stars. muuuusic, man. i tried playing the mobage at the beginning of the year and failed, so a friend said it’d be easier to just watch. pretty fun! kinda just casually binged through it.

actors: songs connection. the main franchise’s mainly just vocaloid covers and drama tracks so ngl what i expected: slice-of-life about the daily lives of school boys with the occasional insert song. what i got: that, plus a casual meta somewhat-isekai side plot, which was what got me hooked. the whole thing with the cats, white shadows and thrive central is super intriguing, and the few eps really went all out

honzuki no gekokujou / ascendance of a bookworm. i’ve read the light novels so i was just stoked to see everyone on screen. nothing extraordinary, but it was fun to see them animated (and all the funky hair colors, like seriously, there’s probably enough to fill the whole spectrum). main’s design was a lil different and benno’s voice caught me off-guard, which took some getting used to. they also kinda skimmed over details to fit vol 1’s plot within 14 eps, but overall a pretty good adaptation! part 2 comes out next year and i can’t wait to see my three gray-robed children

kono oto tomare / sounds of life! cour2. absolutely loved it. doujima’s arc and the qualifiers’ arc are my favorites, and seeing 天泣 beautifully animated was the highlight of my month. the nationals’ arc has yet to finish in the manga so there probably won’t be another season anytime soon. in the future, hopefully! i want to see my new 1st-year kids animated too ;;

hoshiai no sora / stars align. yo. this was my Anime of the Season, this cleverly-disguised drama/sports anime with a ton of issues to talk about. literally so much to unpack in just 13 eps: the team’s developments and struggles with their identities and self-worth, their wholesome friendship, their strained or even plain awful familial relationships. it’s honestly a real shame we’ve been robbed of the second half since they axed it, but there’s a twitter campaign going on rn so fingers crossed! i will forever love these children and their stupid grasshopper dance. please let me protect them

+ stuff i’ve caught up on:

aoharu x kikanjuu. eh, kinda just skimmed through this one. it was something i just sat down in my sleep-deprived state to watch, and while some parts were entertaining, it’s mostly... forgettable

blackfox. the story felt a bit chunky to me since there wasn’t a lot of time to fully develop character relationships, but it got the job done in terms of accomplishing rikka’s main goal (or well, getting there). the animation is superb and everything is just visual eye-candy. it also felt kind of slow in the middle? hm, will give it a rewatch another time to fully grasp it.

rokka no yuusha / rokka: braves of the 6 flowers. this ended up more on the mystery genre than i expected, but not necessarily in a bad way. the premise, and admittedly the first half, was mediocre, but it started getting interesting once it went to trying to find the ‘fake’ chosen one, which i saw coming from a mile away. kind dragged out longer than i thought necessary, but the buildup to the reveal was executed alright. characters were fun, though i thought fremy’s development (especially with the romance) was awfully slow, which might be why i wasn’t invested in it

koutetsujou no kabaneri / kabaneri of the iron fortress. coming from someone who hadn’t watched AOT, i really tried to like this. and i did like most of it: the industrial setting, the concept of the stations, all the metal and steam incorporated in the designs, the characters and their individual roles on the train, the animation, the fights, the visual effects of blood and sparks bursting everywhere- the only part i didn’t really like was probably the second half of the series, with biba and his hunters. the pacing was just too drawn out, some of the characters’ actions didn’t make a whole lot of sense, and ikoma took way too long to get his shit together. one can argue it’s for the sake of emotional development, but- yeah, still too long. i’d really only rewatch the first half

world trigger. it’s been on my watchlist since forever and i have regrets sleeping on this for years. i’ll admit everything’s a little slow paced and over-explained but i’ll forgive it for all the great and lovable characters. although the fugitive arc was a little slow and didn’t capture my full interest; the writing also felt a bit off and not really consistent with the rest of the series, which i later learned was because it was an anime-only arc, but i’ll take it only because it gave us the extra youtarou ep. definitely adding this to one of my favs now. next season next year!

ongoing: radiant s2, ahiru no sora, boku no hero academia s4, mairimashita! iruma-kun, gintama (2006) (yep taking my time with this)

dnf but might go back into: beastars, urashimasakatasen, assassins pride

[hu-meow]

Gentleman Jack 1x03

Alright so I had meant to get back to this sooner, but things happen and were we are. I also realize there are a few others that have done similar to this, and they have amazing and far more intellectual and elegant and analytical words for this type of thing. Mine is far more, uh, "I like this because of blah blah blah." Anyway...

1) Fresh from the Lake District, our Ann(e)s find themselves in some lovely conversation only to be interrupted by some Rawson relations. Ann would much rather in with Anne, alone, and it is very clear when she answers Mrs Rawson. "Oh, Miss Lister, you're here. We can leave..." Ann "Oh, if you'd like" HA. Bye bitch, don't let the door hit you on the way out. But alas, they stay. And then Anne flirts, in front of her mother and Ann with Miss Rawson. Ann does this little eyebrow raise, almost like she's thinking over what Anne says, so cute. And originally I was burnt to hell about there being no show of the Lake District trip, but after reading the companion book, Anne didn't go/meet up with Ann there, so I guess that makes sense. But still. Seeing Ann light up would have been very swoon worthy.

2) I keep forgetting to mention how much I love the intro. I never skip it, even after watching it as many times as I have. The only other opening I never skipped was GoT. So. Good job on that one, music/sound team.

3) I don't know French, but Elizabeth Cordingley's complete butcher of it still cracks me up. Any French speakers reading this? Does she even make sense? Is she understandable at all?

4) This little sneaky walk to the "shed" is cute. Obviously Anne has planned it, but Ann is oblivious. And Ann talking about the Ainsworth's. It's like she's hoping Anne will approve of putting them off. At first, we just assume it's because Ann just wants to travel with Anne. But of course, later we realize (at least how I took it) that Ann would rather Mr. Asshole not be anywhere near her. Man, the way the writing sets up everything is just too perfect. Anyway...Ann's (Sophie's) delighted face when she sees the chaumiere! So adorkable. How can you not fall in love with her? Anne totally is, that's for sure lol We get our first two lip licks here (07:12 and 07:54) with Ann being nervous but trying not to be. Suppose it's more anticipation. But she was ready for that damn kiss. She even leaned in, but of course, Anne knows how to draw out that moment, and it makes it even more satisfying. And then the little tongue thing after from Ann. (9:34) It just slays me.

5) A quick "thank you James" and then an up against the door kiss. HNNG. And "...stay all night." GURL. Talk about the Thirst. Went from first kiss to that in .002 seconds. LOVE. IT. It even throws Anne off. And she plans her conquests out. But you can tell Ann was moving FAR quicker than she'd anticipated. It's like Anne didn't even have to try. lol She has to court so hard with these other women, and then here goes little Miss Ann Walker, all but throwing herself at Anne LOL def wife material.

(this is really long, so I’m drop this here)

6) I love spaztastic Marian. I think I love it most because her character was so different in GoT. Much more like Anne's. And here she's so NOT that lol. Emma plays the part so well. Everyone does. God I love this show. The spat at the table was great, with Marian being Marian and Anne trying not to smile through it all. Such perfect sibling dynamic.

7) Captain Lister about to spill the tea and Anne walks in and is like "we don't fight" LOL then continues to lay the verbal smack down to Jeramiah, like "did I fucking stutter with my price?" Anne def has the biggest balls of them all.

8) "Will you tell Calligula" LMAO just great little line. And random, but why doesn't Marian sport the weird little curls at her ears like everyone else does? I think she had them like, once, in ep 1? and that's been it. Just curious about that.

9) Ann asks Anne a few times "are you all right" and of course, Anne's answer to everyone else is always "I'm always all right." but I'm almost certain, Anne always answers Ann with some type of explanation. (there is the 'nothing' before Ann goes to Scotland, but more of that when we get to that episode, and she does still answer. MY HEART). But from what I can remember, Anne doesn't front with Ann that she's "all right". She gives her something, she's open. She's still trying to be strong, but she allows that softness too. Which brings me to probably one of my most favorite kisses of theirs. Its just so slow, and tender, and it's almost a side kiss, and just idk. It's very beautiful. ALSO I noticed this time, that after the kiss, both of their hands are on the back of the chair, and their fingers/pinkies are touching (29:50) It's brief and you almost miss it, but damn. I need that giffed. gif'd? gif'ed? as a gif. It's just too precious. They cant kiss more because of where they are and Anne is about to leave, but their hands are hidden and they just need that little bit more of contact and its just HNNG.

10) I love Aunt Anne. She's just a treasure and she love Anne so much and wants her to truly be happy. And I totally want to start saying "off you pop" LOL

11) Okay, so even though the Ann(e)s have done a LOT together, it just feels like this dinner is their official first date. They both dress up, it's dinner, Ann is nervous again and she's rambling and it's so adorkable and Anne thinks so too and just smiles as she waits for Ann to get to her point. Then there's still some nervousness with after dinner tea, and Anne is like, well, first date done, time for the big one with a reassuring leg squeeze...and Ann gets to the very idea of it being a marriage on her own! Cue floored Anne once again. I swear every time Ann surprises Anne, she falls more in love with her little Miss Walker. Ann is doing the lip lick think (38:59) and omg the way she says, and especially her face for, "give birth" is just as great as the first time. That should be a gif too LOL

12) Fucking John Booth going to the wrong damn house! Come on dude, are you even paying attention to what/were your mistress goes?? Facepalm for days. I think that actually happened though, if I'm not mistaken (it's been a minute since I read the companion book, and I read it at like 3am, and slept since...but if not, whatevs.)

13) OMG the full blown make out! Complete with some grubbling!! I find it interesting though, that Ann has Anne stop, as it becomes "too much" yet she had been asking her to stay all night. I wonder if this is a nod to how indecisive Ann was, or if she just didn't quite understand how overly emotional the physical stuff would make her. Either way, we end up with FIVE (5) nervous lip licks here, folks. It was a hard scene to not blink through, and lots of 10 sec rewinds to catch it all (42:13, 42:37, 42:44, 42:46, and a half one but I count it anyway at 43:00. I think I got those times correct, anyway. Just watch the whole scene, really.) And then we end it was Anne's 4th wall break and Ann asking what she's looking at LOL I know there's talk about wanting Ann to have some 4th wall breaks in season 2, and as much as I would love that as well, it's sorta almost a joke that everyone has it BUT Ann. So, even if she doesn't in s2, I won't be horribly disappointed, especially if Anne does it again and Ann asks again LOL

14) There were other things I had notes on, but I'm skipping because this is longer than the first two, and I hadn't planned that. Ah well...Back to the Ann(e)s....LOL of all the places, why is Ann on the floor? I mean, safety? Protection? Because shes just too fucking precious? I'd assume yes. But Anne is so confused and ready to fuck someone up and then once Ann tells her, the look on Anne's face as she goes from worry to relief is just amazing. Suranne, you fucking goddess. And then all the comfort Anne gives Ann as the poor girl just cries and doesn't think she's good enough. And again, I think this is a bit because of Mr. Fucktard, pressing and getting what he wants no matter what, where as Anne stepped back and made Ann comfortable. I swear Ann doesn't know what it's like to be put first, that her concerns are heard and understood and valued. Everyone just pushes their opinion or wants on her, and she's just had to go with it over th years. She just doesn't even know how to react to Anne and her attentiveness. It's so refreshing for Ann, even if she doesn't fully understand it. And also, because Ann was a wreck, three more lip licks, shit four! (50:59, 51:14, 51:20, 51:44)

15) Fucking Mrs SneakAss Priestly. She can't just leave well enough alone. So bored she's gotta fuck with Ann's happiness. We're having some hella good grubbling, the first fucking "I love you" and this old biddy has to ruin the parade. Anne was hella quick to jump up though. Almost like she's done that before (even though, she totally hasn't, amiright LOL) Ann(e)s just standing there after Mrs P leaves, and omg lol Anne has this "well fuck, how do we turn this around" look, like her brain is really whirling and hoping Ann doesn't freak out, mean while Ann just loses her shit and busts out laughing. So great that happened for real, too. Ann Walker, you are fantastic. "do you want to go upstairs?" because, hello, someone has blue balls at this point. But it's so cute once they get up to Ann's room and the scene nearly ends with her lip lick (58:23). But those stares, like yeah, we're totally in this together now....

AH OKAY. FucKIng LONG. I'm sorry! I even cut some things, so if you made this far, thank you! This was a really good episode, really kicks off their momentum and is sorta the calm before the storm. Oh, I also started to take note of the dresses Ann wears, cuz I swear she only wears like five. so far I have: That Blue Dress, the pink/purple plaid (first kiss), the pink with the sheer puff sleeves (that's what she's wearing in my fave kiss), the pink with some design (flowers?) for the "date", and a pink/purple color she's wearing at the end. So, that is five, and I'll have to see what else she wears, if any (yes shes wearing something else in Scotland, and no, night clothes don't exactly count. though her with her side braid and yellow corset and bloomers is my fave in the whole series...more of that later.)

Counts:

*Anne 4th wall breaks (ep): 3

**Total: 11

*Ann's lip licks (ep): 13!

**Total: 19

(there was a lot this ep, so I'm not going to list them here. And there was a fair amount of lip presses, which are def honourable mentions and worth watching...)

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Iruma-kun 13 - 14 | Somali 1 | Magia Record 1 | BnHA 75 | Eizouken 1 | Idolish7 s2 1

New season...incoming!

Iruma-kun 13

How did Iruma even notice that collar? Geesh, that kid is perceptive…

This “spitting blood” joke is getting old already…

*Kiriwo starts his machine* - Why do I get the feeling something bad’s about to happen…?

Could you possibly call this “rank is the most important thing” a study of class consciousness, to throw some of Anime Feminist’s words? Or maybe this is a fantasy version of technology and it’s extolling the virtues of technology advancement?! *eyes sparkle*

Can Iruma join Kiriwo already? Please?!

Aw, dear darling! (<- I’m not sure if I’ve said that a lot in these notes, but I say that when I get the warm fuzzies and wanna protect a character…basically, platonic love, I guess…? Oh, “moe instinct” - that’s the words I’m looking for.) Iruma, go and live your best life, okay?

Thank you, story! Even though I knew it was being foreshadowed so heavily by being the focus of basically 24 minutes of this show’s runtime (= about 1 ep), I thank you from the bottom of my heart that Iruma went to the right Battler.

Wait, so Ameri is actually Iruma’s senpai by one year?! Hmm? I never realised that and I read some spoilers!

I like this new chibi animation style! Yay!

I never noticed this until now, but Kiriwo has one big horn and one little one.

I think the title, aside from the pronunciation of “Thirteen Dinner”, is meant to mean “The Thirteen Counts’ Gathering” (or some other high rank) or something of the sort. Update: So I checked and the character used, kanmuri/kan, is used to mean “crown” or someone who wears a crown, i.e. a peerless person, so it would be appropriate to translate that using the term for a high rank which is presumably going to be stated in the segment itself.

Turns out Babel…is just makaitou (the demon world tower). I don’t think it’s really Babylonian in any strict sense.

Depending on where you live, the 665th floor could count as the 666th or…well, the 665th. I know in Japanese, the word for the floor on the ground is ikkai (first floor)…I’m not going to tell you what I know it as though…that would reveal my location outside cyberspace, no?

According to the katakana, the guy’s name is Beruzebyuto (hence the translation as “Beelzebuth”). Beelzebub is the Lord of the Flies and a quick google tells me Beelzebul (close enough) was apparently an alternate spelling for him (or something like that…?). Patron demon of gluttony.

Astaroth, also a demon (king of rot, I think it was from Blue Exorcist)…interestingly, Beelzebub, Lucifer and Astaroth make up an unholy trio and all of them were referred to by a dude called...Solomon (which does kinda sound like “Sullivan”, if you think about it). There’s the connection between these guys…I like his top, too.

Asmodeus, patron demon of lust. We already knew that demon was represented through Azz-Azz, but now you see a spoiler I’ve been hiding for a while – Azz’s mother.

Amaimon…uh, I don’t remember what kind of demon he is in the demonic canon but I know him from Blue Exorcist.

Behemoth…?

Ooh, Ameri’s father is smokin’ hot! (Dangit, I do not want DILFs…) Azazel, a fallen angel and apparently personification of uncleanliness(…?)

Belial and (Lady) Leviathan, which we already knew existed from initial namedrops.

Who’s Baal? Even I have no idea…Update: Apparently he’s a Middle Eastern equivalent to Zeus, which explains his thunder allegiance.

Paimon kinda looks like Chaika, LOL.

LOL, “lifehack” is certainly the right word for it, Sullivan.

LOL, Belial is so short!

Although it’s kind of awkward to not see Lady Levi take a position of power for herself, it’s nice to see she has spirit!

Aw, this is cute. In much the same way I wanted Iruma to join the magical apparatus Battler, I want Sullivan to be Demon King.

Is Opera perhaps related to Ameri somehow…?

Somali 1

I was hoping to get to Plunderer, but got carried away writing another post and then lost the ability to watch both episode 1 and 2 ahead of schedule. So Somali is the new start of the season, but the last relic of the fact Plunderer was meant to start my season (outside ID: Invaded’s advance premiere) is the visual I have for this season. (Oh yeah, one of the reasons I’m supporting this – aside from it being a mid-ranker on my hype list – is that I heard a French animator, a friend of Thomas Romain, is getting his big start here.)  

“Dad.” – Oh, f***. I have myself an Usagi Drop. I knew I was going to get something of the sort going into this show, but…Usagi Drop’s experiences (or rather, watching the anime knowing the manga has that ending) have left their mark. Not to mention Somali (as this girl will come to be known) has Latina eyes, which annoys me even more since I dropped that on the basis of being scarred by Usagi Drop.

I’m wondering what Crunchyroll was thinking when they decided to coproduce this – sure, it’s probably quite cute and wholesome, but I’m far from the target audience. Did they think, “Is this what Western audiences will like?” Sure, it would hit a niche that likes this surrogate father/daughter stuff, but I don’t think it’s for me (and I’ve been thinking that all through the OP). I’ll give it a bit more to wow me, but it’s doing pretty terrible so far (because note all other anime of this particular reputation I’m more on the “neutral” side than the “like” one). Somali’s voice is probably the biggest factor – it sounds like an adult woman’s voice got pitch-shifted to attempt to be a child, rather than an actual child.

How can this golem talk about sight when he doesn’t even have eyes??? (Kinda like Juzo from NGL.)

Alright, that’s it. I can see when you’re trying to bait me with supposedly “cute” children, show. You’re gone.

Okay, since I have time and the reviews say otherwise, I’m trying again. I don’t expect to be sold to this though…

Was it just me or was there a reduced frame rate when Somali’s cape was the only thing in the frame…?

For some reason the subbers put “Why?” when the word was actually “What?”, which is a bit silly to be honest with you. (Nande?/Doushite? vs. Nani?...it’s kind of similar-sounding, but the sound is distinctly different.)

Still dropping this show. I just have another episode to add to my list now.

Magia Record 1

I heard there’s no Urobutcher this time around, but the first time I encountered the Urobutcher (in ConRevo) he made a particularly weird-feeling (in the context of the show) episode, so…uh…let’s say the Urobutcher is only as good as the material he writes, and leave it at that. Anyways, this topped my list – even before ID: Invaded came to hunt down that top position – so this better be good.

Um, am I just imagining it, or is that Sayaka and Hitomi discussing magical girls (or Madoka?) over the top of Iroha (I know that’s her name already from the synopses floating around the ‘net) and her fellow magical girls fighting?

Letterboxing? Now there’s something I thought I’d never see in Madoka Magica, ever.

One of the books was on organic recipes.

The teacher talks a tad too fast – I can understand what she’s saying, but it’s like she operates on x1.5 speed compared to the x1 speed of everything else…

“Nakama – because we can do it” – I wonder if that will mean something later…? In Madoka Magica, strange details always mean something.

“The only good witch is a dead one!” “Speech is silver, silence is golden.”– The tiny English isn’t particularly subtle, is it?

Uwasa = rumour.

Takarazaki, huh? I’ll make a note of that.

Who’s Ui?

According to the credits, I assume the blue spear girl is Nanami Yachiyo.

This is a respectable re-entry into a universe which I left not too long ago (in 2017). I’m definitely going to be able to stick with it for a season or however long it lasts.

BnHA 75

All this talk about a database…reminds me of the Quirk I designed for the wiki (also called “Database”). I conceived it in 2015, but I don’t remember who was meant to use it before I retrofitted it to fit the BnHA universe. Update: Welp, I found the document. The superpower Database (which was retrofitted to be a Quirk) is for one Itsuki Hatano.

“One blow to the top of the head!”

Iruma-kun 14

(Note: Some notes may be missing because I was busy multitasking while watching this episode.)

Go, Iruma! Live your best life!

Note “speak of the devil” isn’t how it’s said in Japanese. It sounds something like “whisper a rumour and it will come back to you” based on what I heard Kiriwo say (since I heard the word uwasa in there). Update: Apparently the phrase is uwasa wo sureba… (if you spead a rumour…) and then you cut the saying off to finish the rest of the sentence, just like you would in English.

You can’t even see a substantial part of Iruma’s hair when that demon on the phone (<-I know who it is, because I read spoilers, but I’ll keep quiet on that front!) yells for the first time.  

Makura (demon pillow) has that demon pun going on.

Ooh, Kiriwo-senpai is actully kinda sexy with his hair up like that…not that I know the first thing about sex appeal…

So is the ED about the Battler Party, in a sense?

Eizouken 1

I picked this show up because of the rave reviews it was getting.

Very Future Boy Conan, that.

…what? That OP was trippy. Then again, I didn’t mind ConRevo and that was trippy…this negative feeling is probably because I don’t know much about Masaki Yuasa’s quirks, I guess.

Why do people not translate “Eizouken”???? It means “video research club”.

The back is a good spot to sit in a theatre for anime. Why do I know this? I sit in the back of my anime club all the time, that’s why!

“Are those MiBs?” – I laughed pretty hard at that one sentence.

Why does this strawberry milk seem to be a parallel to the milk Asakusa promised Kanamori? (P.S. Asakusa is in Tokyo, IIRC.) Update: Mizusaki means “on top of water” if I understood the kanji right and Kanamori, with the right combo of characters, can mean “forest of gold”...which makes a lot of sense, considering how gold is equated with wealth and currency. Also, here’s proof Asakusa is in Tokyo...not to mention it’s the place from Sarazanmai! Meanwhile, I was thinking there was some sort of anime-related significance to the name, but I was thinking of Asagaya.  Update 2: Mizusaki actually means “water peninsula”. Sorry, wrong saki.

I know there’s a chase scene at the end of this ep, thanks to reading reviews. I want to be wowed by it, which is why I’m (metaphorically) holding my breath.

I like how Asakusa and Mizusaki are bouncing around ideas. That really brings the process to life.

Long skirts and wind but no sexualisation. That’s a good sign!

Whoa, that scene with the comets was AWESOME! I want more!

Idolish7 s2 1

Back with some good boys one season too early…let’s have some fun while these simulcasters can get this stuff fast!

Oh no! (<- self-censored) Nagi’s stupid accent is back! *yells incoherently for a second*

I like the little sound effects that happened whe Nagi’s finger moved around (to suggest “magic”).

I think the joke was something to do with the word gera (?). I don’t quite get it myself.

Misuta- Shimooka, LOL. I love how this s2 isn’t doing any hand-holding, though! I half-expect a flashback to appear and it never does.

Yamato, how are you so-*crying and Yatta! can be heard in the background*Okay, nevvvvvvvvvver mind…

I remember mistakenly saying that Nishiyama was part of Idolish7 (since I looked through some of my old notes lately). Nishiyama is part of ZOOL, so now…I’m not wrong anymore…(That’s not quite relevant to the random announcement of Re:Vale showing up, but it’s on my mind now.)

Hmm…Yamato’s thoughts on Re:Vale…I’ll keep an eye on him.

I think people like Tamaki because he treats them like he would his little sister…a true gentleman. Or maybe that’s all in my head? I haven’t been in the fandom properly, y’know.

This switch to occasional chibi antics…I’m not sure I like it…

Ohmyglob! Another boy to add to my growing list of husbandos! *points at Yuki* I knew he existed, but I haven’t had a proper chance to have a reaction to him ever since I started really “having a thing” for long-haired guys.

Re:Vale are like a comic act (manzai).

Momo has pink nail polish…I just noticed. Update: It’s probably more red than pink.

“Chan-momo” appears to be a variety of modern slang similar to Pig Latin. Apparently Gen from Dr Stone uses it as well.

Yuki has these cute little diamond earrings and Momo has studs. I’ve also never noticed this until now. (I, myself, can’t wear anything past clip-ons because I have a genetic quirk that makes it annoying to get my ears pierced, called beta thalassemia, so I can only fangirl about other people’s earrings.)

What’s the FSC again…?

Kyu-to aidoru!

I think Momo and Yuki are going to reach out to Mitsuki and Tamaki (respectively) most this season…just a feeling, based on their dispositions. Tamaki and Yuki have similar faces, on top of that, so thank goodness we can tell them apart by hairstyle.

Yuki wears this steel blue shade of nail polish…ooh, also cute.

*Riku goes stiff-faced* - *audibly facepalms at Riku’s reaction*

Momo has a black and green earring set on one ear…huh.

Ooh, very nice. It’s a keeper.

Update: Apparently, you pronounce their name “Re:ba-re”, which is a bit different to what I was expecting (essentially “Re: veil”).

[sol1056]

season release & demographics

Alright, I’ve gotten several asks about the speed of the upcoming season releases for DW/Netflix. Most asks amount to roughly

are they releasing that fast because they want it over, or because more stuff is coming? 

...with at least two asks attempting to make sideways snarky comments about the revelation of a canonically gay character. 

Behind the cut: some stats on how DW groups and broadcasts its series, some data-based theories on VLD’s scheduling, who the ‘real’ audience demographic is, and some speculation about show timing independent of VLD itself.

how DW groups and broadcasts its series

First thing I should note is that dropping a chunk of episodes at once onto Netflix is relatively new for DW, compared to their years of traditional weekly syndicated format on Nick, CN, etc. (You can find a list of all past and present television productions here.) Starting around 2014, their Netflix/DW works were mostly the usual children’s fare -- episodic shows made for syndication. 

Two shows changed this game: VLD and Trollhunters, both premiering in 2016. Each contain one continuous arc, requiring viewing in order, from the start. Unfortunately that means the only real comparison is Trollhunters, which had a 12-month gap between S1 and S2, and a 5-month gap from S2 to S3. Just before the final season broadcast, DW announced two sequels, which brings TH’s total ep count to 78. Remember that timing; it’ll be important in a bit. 

Looking across even the episodic younger-set stories, it does seem like releases try to stick to a general pattern, give or take a month. Across 8 multi-season shows, here’s the breakdown of cours (because you know I had to throw a visual in somewhere). A single cour is 11-14 episodes, 5-7 eps is a half-cour, with 26 being a double-cour. (One series released a 16-ep season, which I counted as a single cour.) 

I point this out just to make clear that half-cour drops are actually rather common, comparatively. Out of 31 episodes, 11 were half-cour. As for the length between seasons, the mode (most common) is 7 mos.

some theories on VLD’s scheduling

Now let’s look at the gaps between VLD’s seasons: 7, 7, 2, 5, 3, 2 (counting the upcoming release for S7). If we merge the half-cour seasons for comparison (so we’re dealing with consistent 13-episode seasons again), then we’ll posit the broadcast date would’ve been the date the 2nd half of the season aired. In other words, had we gotten the original S3 (now S3/S4) season as one, it would’ve aired on S4′s broadcast date, as one solid chunk. 

With the consistent pattern of S1 through S3′s data, that’s a 7-month break between seasons. Assuming that this would’ve originally been set as the scheduled dates, let’s compare those dates to the actual broadcast dates.

scheduled Jun 2016 ==> aired Jun 2016

scheduled Jan 2017 ==> aired Jan 2017

scheduled Aug 2017 ==> aired Aug + Oct 2017

scheduled Mar 2018 ==> aired Mar + Jun 2018

scheduled Oct 2018 ==> aired Aug 2018

scheduled May 2019 ==> aired ???

Yes, I’m aware DW spun the split-seasons as getting more episodes, sooner. It’s the reverse. We should’ve gotten all of S3 in August, but S3 was completed 2 months late. Same for S4, which we should’ve gotten in March, but compared to the original schedule, S4 was 3 months late. S7 (the original S5) is the first time we’re getting anything ahead of schedule, 2 months earlier. 

If we go by the usual pattern of 7 mos gaps -- and counting from the actual broadcast date of Aug 2018, that would put the concluding 13-ep drop at May 2019. However, at least two other series have dropped their final seasons with a much smaller gap: from 8 down to 3, 12 down to 5.

Which means that dropping S8 (the original S6) in December would be a gap of 4 months from S7′s broadcast, or alternately, a 2 month gap from the original schedule. That’s pretty dramatic, compared to half the time, which would’ve put us at March of 2019. 

why the last season comes so fast

When Dawn of the Croods dropped its final season, it came with the announcement that this would be its last. When Trollhunters dropped its final season, it simultaneously announced that two sequels were in the works. And check this out, with hat-tip to @ptw30 for the sharp eyes:

Voltron’s got a film in development, and it’s under the aegis of the Dreamworks Animation team. (Oddly, that ‘S’ notation comes with a note saying the film will combine live-action with animation. I have no idea whether that means rotoscoping or actual live-action with lots of CGI.) 

My guess is that on, around, or shortly after the final season of VLD drops, we’ll get an announcement about the upcoming film that will attempt to build on the series. That’s a matter of timing, though, so it’s just my guess (and things can change). 

the ‘real’ audience demographic

When asks make comments about VLD being unsatisfactory to the ‘primary demographic’ (and doubly so now that we’re talking about a canonically gay character, cue asshat-sounding commentary about gay hookups)... the assumption is almost always that the primary demographic is men. Probably men aged 18-30. 

Wrong. It’s women. Specifically women between 25 to over 50.

But since this is supposedly a for-kids show, let’s start with appealing to families. There are 73.7 million children under 18, and 69% of them are in two-family households. 23% of those children live in single-mother households. (The largest growing family demographic is gay families. Go ahead, explain to me why a kid watching television shouldn’t see a role model in a relationship like their parents have.) 

Guess who does the majority of the buying choices for families? Women.

A few facts about women as a market, in the US: the estimated purchasing power of US women ranges from $5 trillion to $15 trillion annually. Women control more than 60% of all personal wealth in the U.S., and 75% are the primary shoppers for their families. Women are buying 66% of all tech purchases, 65% of all car purchases, 89% of all bank accounts opened, 93% of all food purchased, and 92% of all vacation expenditures. 

Oh, and while I’m at it: 

45% of all gamers are women. 

Women over 55 spend more time gaming online than men aged 15-24. 

Also, millennial women (roughly early 20s to mid 30s) have 3.4 social media accounts on average, compared to 2.6 for GenX women; 61% of them are online and sharing content at least once a day. However, Gen-X women spend more time onine (7+ hrs/week) than Millennial women (6hrs/week). And then there’s Boomer women --- of the age to have seen Voltron when it first aired --- with a market share of $19 trillion. They tend to spend, on average, 250% more than any other bracket -- which is pretty phenomenal buying power when you consider that every fifth adult in the US is a woman over 50.

A show pays for itself with merchandise and toys --- and if you can swing the women’s market, you’ve got it made, ‘cause they’re ones doing the buying. That means appealing to mothers who make the vast majority of their household’s purchases, or women up to and including the over-50 gamer pop-culture-savvy women with spare income (who are also the fasting growing online demographic, while we’re at it).  

So, miss me with that 'primary demographic’ crap. If it doesn’t appeal to boys but appeals to women 25-50+, it’ll do fine. The reverse --- of appealing to boys but not to women --- is a visual media that’ll be lucky to break even. DW hasn’t made it this far by alienating the ones who are making the purchases. If they realized that Shiro appeals most to women aged 25 to 50+ (which he does; he’s that age bracket’s favorite character) then you damn well better believe they’re going to keep him front and center. 

why else dreamworks might be wrapping up

There are other factors in play. In 2013, DW partnered with Netflix for the first time, and since then it’s produced 16 series for Netflix. Only two series were exempt, one broadcast in France, the other on Amazon video. 

Of the 9 series currently in pre-production, 4 will be on Netflix (She-Ra, 3 Below, Wizards, and Fast & Furious). The remainder are broken up between Amazon, cable TV, Universal, and two most recent that don’t even have homes, yet. Dreamworks is moving out of Netflix, excepting the pre-existing contracts they can’t quite break. 

This is the result of net neutrality, to be perfectly blunt. 

Check out who owns whom, here. (Larger version at recode.net.)

Comcast owns Dreamworks, and a 30% stake in Hulu -- of which Netflix is a direct competitor. I’m on AT&T and already noticing throttling happening for Netflix, and at some points for Tumblr (Verizon-owned). Scuttlebutt says DW is going to be pushed into moving its content onto Hulu, to support its parent company’s business agenda. 

*** ETA: there is no good business reason (at this time) for DW to switch to Hulu. Netflix’s market share is easily ten times the size of Hulu, and switching will cut DW’s products off from a significant number of viewers. ***  

That means DW is probably being strongly encouraged to wrap up its Netflix contracts and start shifting to Comcast-owned or controlled markets. And that has nothing to do with VLD itself, or even how popular (or not) that it’s been on Netflix. It’s a command coming down from on high, and now that we’ve lost net neutrality, there'll be less and less gain from sticking with Netflix.

[alkaria]

Nero’s SU S3 Rewrite

Hello! I got bored and procrastinated this yesterday. I was watching a few AMVs and it struck me how S3, narratively, is worse than S2. If you consider the S1 structure, with the Birthday arc as the mid-season finale, Malachite/the Cluster as the hype for the second half of the season, it should really be filler in the middle and then all the high-impact eps at the end. So I rejigged it a little. Details under the cut since it’s quite long (I got carried away)

Okay, so this assumes most of the S3 first half proceeds as normal, aside from Barn Mates (4), where Steven actually calls Lapis out on being a dick to Peridot, and Lapis explains that she’d really prefer to be alone to deal with her conflicts – but that she’ll put up with Peridot if she’s allowed to do it at her own pace. This is just to try and make the Peridot/Lapis relationship evolution more natural.

Greg the Babysitter (16) gets moved before Monster Reunion (14) and Alone at Sea to keep plot-based episodes all in the latter half of the season and keep the Jasper arc more intact.

Alone at Sea (15): Jasper and Lapis’ conversation goes differently entirely. Jasper doesn’t plead. She instead challenges Lapis, and when Steven tries to intervene, she traps him in a bubble.

J: “You could have beaten me fair and square, Lazuli. But you fused with me. You tricked me. Why?” L: “I spent five thousand years trapped by the Crystal Gems, and then you go and lock me up again! For once, I wanted to be the one in control.” Jasper accepts Lapis’ arguments but turns away. She reaches the edge of the boat. J:  “You’ll regret this. We could have been something, Lapis. This is your last chance. Fuse with me. Be Malachite again and destroy Rose Quartz. You’ll go back to Homeworld a hero.” L: “That’s not Rose any more, Jasper. I won’t hurt Steven. I’m – I can be happy here. I will be.” Jasper pops the bubble and Steven falls to the floor. J:  “You picked your side. Her side. No more chances.” Jasper glares at Steven before jumping back into the ocean. The ship does not sink. The idea with Alone at Sea was to give us a bit more understanding and development of Lapis through her discussing with Jasper why she tricked her - and goes some way to remove the weird metaphors/interpretation of Jasper wanting to be Malachite again, because whatever the intention, I don’t think the Malachite as Bad Relationship thing worked well.

This puts Alone at Sea right before Jasper’s next appearance in Gem Hunt (17). This is unchanged.

Crack the Whip (18): Amethyst is poofed and Stevonnie briefly holds their own against Jasper, but after the Quartz monster is poofed and Amethyst reforms, Jasper does a spin-dash, knocking Stevonnie off-balance and causing them to unfuse.

Steven crawls over to Connie. Both are in pain. S: “Connie, are you alright?” C: “I’m – I’m fine.” J:  “Even your fusions are defective, Rose! This is it.” Jasper charges for Steven and Connie – and is blocked by Garnet and Pearl, because future vision is a thing. J:  “You’re so weak that you can’t even fight your own battles, Rose? Hah!” Jasper does an anime laugh. “I have my own army now, and it’s coming for you. Jaspers always get what we want.” What Crack the Whip does here is still maintains the catalyst for Amethyst’s self-worth arc, but normalises Stevonnie’s power level relative to Pearl and Garnet - instead, Amethyst sees that Stevonnie, Garnet and Pearl don’t need her at all. Steven vs Amethyst (19): This proceeds much the same, but Pearl and Garnet arrive earlier and break up the fight, having picked up on Steven and Amethyst’s feelings. Since the fight is destructive and doesn’t actually accomplish much, it’s better for it to give way to a conversation that actually helps progress both Amethyst and Steven’s self-worth arcs. We cut to the ‘I’m not Rose Quartz’ pretty fast here too, since most of the focus is on Amethyst. P: “Amethyst, I had no idea you were feeling this way. I’m sorry we haven’t been there for you.” A: “Rose said there was nothing wrong with me, but there is. I can’t beat Jasper.” G:  “You aren’t supposed to be like Jasper, Amethyst. You’re supposed to be you. You have your own strengths and weaknesses that are different to Jasper’s. If you try to fight like her, you’ll never win, because her fighting style utilises her strengths rather than yours.” A: “My strengths?” P:  “You’re smaller and faster than her. Your whip lets you use terrain to your advantage rather than hers. Here, let me show you.” Pearl smiles and begins to demonstrate technique to Amethyst, who actually looks enthusiastic about training for once.

Bismuth (20/21): Most of Bismuth proceeds as normal, but it’s still oddly standalone compared to the on-going Jasper arc - it does need some of this, but Jasper is mentioned as part of the conversations early on about Homeworld still being after the CG’s, and when Bismuth gives the gems their weapon upgrades and trains them. Having the Steven-Bismuth confrontation without any input from the other gems robs this episode of a lot of potential emotion, especially from Garnet and Pearl, as comrades of Rose and Bismuth who had no idea what actually happened. For that reason, Steven bubbles himself and Bismuth and transports them back to the Temple fairly early into the fight. Bismuth is stunned by the Bubble Room.

B:  “Look at this! Look at all these gems! I could have saved them Rose, but you stopped me!” Bismuth attacks, but is blocked by Garnet, because future vision is again a thing. G: “Bismuth. That isn’t Rose. It’s Steven. And we couldn’t save any of these gems – the power of the Diamonds was unsurpassable. None of these gems can even hold a stable form anymore.” B: “I could have tried! What happened to you? You used to love fighting! You were Rose’s general! Her eyes and ears! We could have taken the fight to the Diamonds – why are you such a coward now?!” Bismuth turns her anger on Garnet, attacking several times. Garnet deflects her fairly easily. G: “I’ve spent five thousand years clearing up the wreckage of the Rebellion. I’ve spent five thousand years having to put my comrades in bubbles, wondering if we’d ever find them all, trying to be strong for Amethyst and Pearl and Rose and now Steven. I don’t want to fight anymore, Bismuth! I want to rest! I want to enjoy the freedom we have, because I don’t know when it’s going to be taken away.” B: “I thought you were my friend, Garnet. Why are you turning your back on the Rebellion, on the Crystal Gems – on me?” G: “Because sometimes, I have to put myself – first!” Garnet punches Bismuth into the wall. Amethyst and Pearl run in due to the sounds of combat. B: “Pearl, you have to talk some sense into Garnet. She can’t give up on the Rebellion - the Diamonds are out there, we can do something.” P: “Bismuth... We can’t. We have no way of getting to Homeworld, and even if we did - we lost. The Diamonds won, even after we...” Pearl trails off as Bismuth roars in anger, brandishing the Breaking Point at Garnet - until it is caught by Amethyst’s whip and thrown into the room’s lava pool. Bismuth ends up impaled on Rose’s sword, having run into it in her attempt to attack Garnet. Bismuth chuckles and begins to cry. B: “You’re all just the same. Rose bubbled me and hid me away when I could have saved everyone - and none of you even care!” G: “Bismuth... I’m sorry, but it’s too late now. There was nothing we could do. And there’s nothing we can do now. S: “Bismuth, I wish this hadn’t happened to you.” B: “Thanks, Steven.” Bismuth smiles weakly, and then poofs.

This is the first long rewrite, really, and I hope it shows. I tried to add some more character to Garnet and explain who she is and who she’s become since the Rebellion, while actually having all the gems present to add to the emotional impact of them all discovering this about Bismuth at once. Amethyst’s role in combat hopefully helps show her growing confidence in herself since the last few episodes, helping keep her arc moving. Pearl makes a hint towards Pink Diamond for the dedicated fans.

At this point, we hit the lead-up to the end of the season, and I tear it all to pieces. Beta and Earthlings remain, but Back to the Moon and Bubbled are moved to instead be the high-impact start to Season 4 (because wtf was Kindergarten Kid) and replaced by an entirely new two-parter that is an actual season finale that caps off the Jasper arc in a more climactic way - Armies and Unbubbled.

Beta (22): This tries to unpack some more of the events of Bismuth from Steven and Amethyst’s perspectives. The last few minutes (everything after they arrive at the Beta Kindergarten) is moved into Earthlings, allowing time for more focus on the Barn - and more development.

A: “I don’t know. I’m gonna miss Bismuth. She didn’t mind that I was short.” S: “I don’t mind that you’re short.” J: “Yeah, but Jasper does. I won’t feel okay until I beat Jasper. It’s like I have to prove myself.” Steven and Amethyst arrive at the Barn to find Lapis (aided by water constructs) in a high-stakes duel with Peridot (in her robot). A: “Hey, they’re fighting too!” S: “Oh no...” Despite the fight, Lapis and Peridot look to be enjoying themselves. They both stop when they see their guests. L: “Steven!” P: “Amethyst!” A: “Wow, you two must hate each other. That was intense.” Amethyst gushes. L: “Uh... No. We were just letting off steam.” P: “Amethyst, come look at what I’ve done to my robot. I even integrated Steven’s ‘Tablet’ into the data-processing system!” A: “Uh, okay, P-Dot..” S: “So, you and Peridot seem to be getting along well...” L: “Uh, yeah... Today.” S: “Is something wrong? Do you need more space?” L: “No, no. Nothing’s wrong with Peridot.” Lapis sighs. “Sometimes I have a good day and sometimes I have a bad day. Watching Camp Pining Hearts helps. Let me show you the TV!” Lapis flies Steven up to the truck, only for Peridot to climb up and grab Steven. P: “It’s my turn with Steven, Lazuli! I want to show him my Meepmorps. You can have Amethyst.” L: “Uh.” A: “’Sup.” Peridot takes Steven into the main room of the barn, where most of her one-gem metal band is attached to the wall. P: “I’ve been practising my metal powers. My robot works so much better now - it’s like having the manoeuvrability of my limb enhancers back! Well, almost. Those were leagues ahead of it. But sometimes it feels closer, which is nice. Anyway, let me demonstrate!” Peridot pulls all the instruments down at once. S: “Wow, that’s really powerful.” P: “Thanks!” L: “I’m not sure that’s how these things work, Peridot.” Lapis picks up a tambourine and shakes it. A: “Look, this is some great trash and all, but I want to get back to training. Jasper could re-appear any day now!” Lapis freezes. P: “Uh, Amethyst, Lapis doesn’t really like it when you mention-” L: “No, it’s fine Peridot. Today... Is a good day.” Lapis gives a forced smile. S: “Sorry, Lapis. It’s just, Jasper keeps giving us trouble. When she spoke to you on the ship, it was just the start.” L: “I’m sorry, Steven. Jasper would never have caused you trouble if it wasn’t for me. I’ve been so selfish.” Amethyst wanders over to Lapis. A: “Hey, what matters is you’re here and you’re trying to be better, like the rest of us. Sorry for bringing it up.” Lapis smiles in response - a small smile, but genuine. S: “We should get back. We still don’t know where Jasper is or what she’s planning - we don’t even know any of her weaknesses.” P: “Well, if you wanted to learn about Jasper why didn’t you ask? Her Kindergarten’s just a warp away, and I’m a certified Kindergartener!” From here, the episode proceeds as normal and ends as Peridot, Steven and Amethyst arrive at the Beta Kindergarten.

What this episode tries to do is tie the Bismuth subplot into Amethyst and Steven’s perception of themselves and Jasper. Also, it adds some much-needed Lapis development instead of just meepmorps - it shows she’s adjusting to Earth, and she and Peridot do get along, but it’s not a constant uphill journey. Also, Lapis and Amethyst have a conversation!

Earthlings (23): The part of Beta set in the Kindergarten takes place here. Because of the training and the progress over the arc, Amethyst lasts longer against Jasper than she did in Crack the Whip. To better reflect Jasper’s power level, Smoky fuses but only manages to draw even with Jasper.

SQ: “Why won’t you leave us alone?” J: “Leave you alone? After everything you did to me? To my planet? To my diamond? I’ve been fighting since I broke out of the Earth’s crust and because of Rose Quartz, no one’s ever thought I was good enough! I’ll prove I’m good enough. I’ll bring you all back to Homeworld myself and go down in history, just as soon as my escort gets here. I’ve had enough of these skirmishes, Rose. It’s time for me to end this.” Jasper does a spin dash and materialises behind Smoky, using the same techniques as Rose Quartz in The Answer to defuse Smoky. As Jasper advances on Amethyst and Steven, Peridot uses her metal powers to pull down the injector, separating them. Realising that they can’t beat her, the three Crystal Gems retreat. J: “You’re on borrowed time, Rose! My army is almost ready!”

This ties in some of Jasper’s discussion from the episode, but also adds in more of her motivations. The Amethyst arc is mostly satisfied by the fact that Amethyst performs better relative to Smoky, while Peridot’s metal powers are more developed and less of a joke (Peridot makes enough jokes). There’s a hint towards the Rubies, as Jasper doesn’t know about Hit the Diamond. Instead of ending the Jasper arc here, this builds up her and her army of monsters as more of a threat, leading into...

Armies (24):

Peridot, Amethyst and Steven arrive back at the Temple to find Connie and Pearl about to go for training.

S: “Pearl!” Pl: “Ah, Steven, you’re just in time! We’re going to be working on team attacks today-” Pd: “There’s no time for that! Jasper’s going to attack with her Beta Kindergarten monster army!” Pl: “Jasper - monster army - beta kin - GARNET!” Pearl splutters. Garnet walks inside, already aware.  G: “We don’t have much time. Going to the Beta Kindergarten means that Jasper knows we’ll attack her if she waits. Her plans have been set in motion. Peridot, I need you to fetch Lapis and your robot. Pearl, Amethyst, I need you to go and make defences. We need to keep the monsters on the beach.”

Everyone agrees without complaint. Peridot warps out, while Pearl begins creating barricades from sand and Amethyst from trash.

C: “Garnet, is she really going to attack?” G: “She has no other option now. If she waits, we’ll attack her only safe location. And Jasper has no other reason for collecting these monsters than to attack us. But she can’t control more than a few monsters for very long. They’re going to run rampant, and if they get past the beach-” C: “Beach City!” G: “Exactly. Connie, I need you and Lion to go into the city. Make sure everyone stays inside. You’re a Crystal Gem now. Are you ready to help?” C: “I won’t let you down.” Garnet hugs Connie.  G: “I know. Remember to call if you’re in trouble.” Connie climbs aboard Lion and leaves. Lapis warps into the temple.

L: “Steven, what’s going on?” S: “Lapis, we need your help. Jasper’s going to attack us.” L: “Steven, I don’t even want to think about Jasper, let alone fight her.” S: “I know. But she’s not going to go away. She’s always going to be here and she’s going to keep coming after us until we do something. We have to put up a fight if we want to be free. We can’t change the past, but - maybe we can be happy, in the future. We need you, Lapis.” Lapis looks conflicted. L: “Fine. But first I want an apology.” Lapis looks at Garnet. “You kept me imprisoned - in a Pearl’s head! - for years. You still haven’t even spoken to me since you tried to take me away from Steven!” G: “I... I was scared.” Garnet removes her visor. “I was scared of what letting you out would mean for us, for Steven, for me. We had no idea what you would do. But it doesn’t excuse what we did. I’m sorry, Lapis. We all are.” L: “Thank you.”

Pearl and Amethyst run in. Pl: “Garnet, the ocean!” A: “She’s coming!” Everyone runs outside. The beach looks markedly different, with most of it blocked off by walls of sand (and trash). Peridot stands, robot-ready, as Jasper emerges from the ocean, alone. J: “This is it, Rose. Your army versus mine.” A: “What army? You’re outnumbered.” J: “You know, runt, you’re right.” Jasper slowly approaches the group. “I realised when we fought on the beach that I couldn’t get enough of these gems to beat you. But then I realised where I could find a lot of them.” G: “No!”

Jasper spin-dashes up the wall and bounces off, soaring past the others and straight into the Temple. G: “She’s going after the bubbled gems!” Pl: “The monsters! They’re here!” G: “Pearl, you’re in charge - take care of these monsters! Steven, with me!”

As the other gems take battle positions, Steven and Garnet run back into the house. Jasper has smashed straight through the screen door and into the Burning Room. As Garnet and Steven arrive, Jasper pops the first bubble. J: “Oops.”

The episode ends here. What Armies tries to do is actually ramp up the tension of the Jasper arc, rather than ending it and shoving in two unrelated episodes to be the finale. Instead of the tension being a Homeworld invasion, Jasper’s army is actually being a threat - not just to the CGs but to Beach City, adding tension because we’re worried about the human population too. Plus, with Jasper breaking into the Bubble Room, it risks undoing most of the progress the Crystal Gems have made in clearing up the monster population, adding new stakes and making the old monster subplot relevant as well.

Unbubbled (25/26): The episode opens in the Burning Room, where we left off. Jasper dashes from bubble to bubble, popping them all, while Steven and Garnet are overrun by the swarms of newly-freed monsters. 

We cut to the outside of the Temple. Opal is firing arrows from the Lighthouse and yelling commands at Lapis and Peridot, who are holding the line against the monsters coming from the ocean. Connie, on Lion, is chasing monsters up and down the Boardwalk. Lars and Sadie are barricaded in the Big Donut, trying to prevent a gem mutant from knocking the door down. We return to the temple’s entrance to see almost every monster from past episodes swarming out (Centipeetle is absent, of course). Jasper follows.

J: “Here’s my army, Rose! So kind of you to keep it in one place for me.” Lapis turns and throws a tidal wave at Jasper, but she weathers it and runs off. Back in the Burning Room, Steven and Garnet are alone, holding the final unpopped bubble - Bismuth’s. S: “Are you sure we can trust her?” G: “Yes. There’s too much at stake - Beach City is in danger. Bismuth always protected the weak.” Steven pops the bubble, and Bismuth reforms. She looks around. B: “What - Garnet, Steven - Where are the bubbles?” Garnet hands Bismuth an axe. G: “There’s no time. We’re under attack and we need your help.” Bismuth looks from Steven to Garnet and nods. B: “Lead the way.”

The three emerge onto the beach, where Lapis, Peridot and Opal have rounded up most of the ocean monsters - but the temple monsters have spread out across town. Together, they groups move to the Boardwalk, rendezvousing with Connie and Lion and freeing the Pizza and Fryman families. Opal defuses and Pearl runs to hug Connie.

P: “You’ve done so well, Connie! I couldn’t have asked for more.” C: “Aw, shukriyaa.” B: “I’ve never seen a human fight with a sword so well. It’s like Rose’s sword was made for you.” Bismuth is awed by Connie. This is followed by a quick montage of the gang freeing Lars and Sadie, Mr Smiley, and other townies who you all know and love. 

Eventually, we arrive at the water tower. Jasper, along with her army, is attacking it, trying to cause it to fall. A: “Hey!” Pl: “The humans need that tower for their sustenance! Unhand it!” Jasper turns to look at them. She is angrier than earlier, and her cool facade seems to be slipping. J: “I’m going to destroy this settlement like you ruined my colony, Rose. Like you destroyed my Kindergarten!”

Jasper charges at Steven, and he forms his shield, resisting her. The monsters set upon the other gems, distracting them, until Connie whistles loudly. Lion roars, and following him come the charging townies, roaring and armed with various brooms and pitchforks. The Cool Kids are in the front. With the townie backup, the monsters are now outnumbered, and the Gems are able to turn their focus back to Jasper.

Jasper summons her helmet and charges at Steven, but he knocks her back with his shield into Peridot’s robot. She fires rockets, throwing Jasper back into Amethyst, who entangles her with her whip and tosses her to Pearl, who fires a lazer from her spear, stunning Jasper and causing her to spin-dash wildly, only to be thrown by Garnet into Bismuth, who headbutts her, setting her on course with Lapis, who forms an ice ramp which throws Jasper into the air until she lands in front of Connie, who pokes her with the butt of Rose’s sword.

It is quite clear that Jasper is beaten, but she struggles to her feet anyway. S: “Why can’t you accept that I’m not Rose? Why won’t you leave us alone?” J: “Me? You started this - you rebelled and lied to gems, told them they could be whatever they wanted! I’m the best of the best and I’m a laughing stock on Homeworld because of you! Everyone thinks I’m defective too. I’ll show them - I’ll show them your gem shards!” Jasper dashes at Steven, but he leaps over with his floating powers. S: “I’m sorry for what happened to you Jasper, but what the Diamonds are doing is wrong! Turning this place into a colony would have killed everything on this planet! Humans deserve to choose - gems deserve to choose - but the diamonds shatter anyone who disagrees!” “You - hypocrite! How dare you say that after you shattered your diamond - my diamond - Pink Diamond!”

Everything seems to slow down. Steven stops. Pearl and Garnet both look horrified. S: “Rose - she - Mom wouldn’t do that, right? Pearl? Garnet? Why won’t you look at me? She didn’t shatter her, right?!” B: “Rose shattered Pink Diamond... and we still lost? The Diamonds are that powerful?”

Jasper looks confused as everyone else. J: “You... You aren’t Rose... She never told you?” Jasper falls to the floor, her form beginning to corrupt as the truth sinks in. J: “It’s too late.. I’m not going to go back... With her shards... They were right... I’m... a failure. Worthless. Everything on this planet is worthless.” A: “It doesn’t have to be that way, Jasper. You don’t have to listen to them. I’m happy here. I’m not a perfect quartz, but there’s still good things here. You can be happy too, you can-” J: “LIAR!” Jasper slashes at Amethyst, but misses. She begins to laugh. J: “I see how Rose did it now... She waited until you had nothing left... Because when you feel worthless, you’ll accept anyone... who makes you feel like less of a failure.” Jasper corrupts fully, and roars at the Gems. As the perfect quartz, she is much larger than the other corrupted quartzes - but she is nevertheless crushed as the water tower falls on her. She poofs. A: “C’mere, sis.” Amethyst bubbles Jasper.

Steven turns to face Pearl and Garnet. The townspeople are in the back, jubilant. Mayor Dewey’s van is on fire and he is desperately trying to throw water from the water tower onto it. The fire lends some epic lighting. S: “What else about my mom haven’t you told me?”

The episode ends on this. Hopefully, this episode adds enough tension to the battle - Beach City is actually at stake, rather than the Gems themselves - and it hopefully adds a lot to Jasper’s character. The Pink Diamond reveal is not split into two episodes but is kept here, in order to add more impact for Steven and to fully illustrate Jasper’s motivation as the gem who brought this army to avenge her Diamond - and failed, because the foe she sought was never there in teh first place, adding more reason for her corruption to happen naturally (no weird forced fusiion thanks).

Hopefully, this episode also adds development to Bismuth’s conceptualisation of the Diamonds and her desire to overthrow them. Garnet gets to show off some leadership, there’s a nice group fight scene which shows how the Crystal Gems have grown, and the role of the Townies helps make them relevant and show the growing ties between Gems and Humans. This also leaves S4 to develop the new ties between Lapis/Peridot and Beach city further, develop Bismuth now that she’s not in a bubble forever, and provides some of the impetus for Steven to hopefully stop imitating his mother and be his own gem-human. Also, Connie says something in Hindi to Pearl, who she’s starting to see as more of a mother figure (it’s intended to be an informal thanks - if there’s something better I can put in, let me know, but this is just something I found from 2 minutes of googling - because it’s that easy).

One thing I’ve thought that would be interesting for Season 4 would be to see some format changes - and this episode would feature the first, as we leave Steven’s perspective at the start of the episode, for a more epic feel. It’d be interesting if we saw the Crystal Gems split up because of these revelations after the Rubies 2-parter - Pearl/Garnet at the Temple, Connie and Steven travelling and training with Bismuth and Greg, and Amethyst staying with Peridot and Lapis at the Barn. The PD revelations were big, and I really feel like they should have had more of an immediate impact on the plot. S4′s filler could have easily been based around Steven sleeping over at every family’s house in Beach city since he wants time away from Garnet and Pearl. But that’s a story for another post I suppose...

Please give feedback - this became way longer than I expected but it’s really helped me express what I found narratively dissatisfying about how Season 3 was handled. Hopefully this was a good read and inspires some other people :)

[ciscoed]

what happened to the morals?

Alright, so I know everyone has their own opinion on Supergirl s2 vs s1, but I’m going to throw out something that’s been bothering me for quite a while.

In season one, the show started off with some awkwardly phrased “feminist bullshit” (as so eloquently put by my former friend). But the messages behind it were so...clear. They were refreshing in a way that I, an avid watcher of CW shows, didn’t get to experience often- because where the CW is so simplistically fan-serving, throwing in conflict after conflict after romance just to keep viewers hooked, on the CBS every episode had a message. They actually taught morality through the ridiculous story of an nerdy alien girl who wears the primary colors and flies.

Now, everyone interprets these lessons in their own way, but let me explain:

- In the Pilot, we saw a girl who’d hidden from her past for half of her life suddenly come to terms with who she was, forced into it by her love of and willingness to protect Alex. Then we see Alex “betray” her, we see forgiveness and reassurance- and then we see wits. We see Alex and Kara, one of them who’s been playing this game for a long time and one of them completely new, work together to use their “feminine disadvantage” to trick an enemy into their trap. We see two sisters who don’t let change drive a wedge between them work together. We see the introduction of what was the most important relationship in season one.

- Episode 2: Hurrah, the show’s continuing! Now Kara gets to deal with backlash. Cat Grant, an experienced woman, tells her to SLOW THE HELL DOWN. Unlike the unrealistic expectations of every superhero show ever, this one flat-out tells Kara to stop what she’s doing and learn something first. In my opinion, this is such an important message that many other shows skip over for fear of losing face in their superhero. But Supergirl is not afraid to address her shortcomings and mistakes, instead she learns from her experiences and the experience of her peers and gets better. (And it’s not magically, either- you see Alex and others beat Kara’s ass several times throughout the show later on.)

- Episode 3: Kara now deals with public backlash!!! oh my god!!!! this is so important, I can’t even stress it, because it literally pops the bubble- this girl has to deal with open criticism of her alter ego from her boss. She has to make a name for herself despite the one already made by her cousin. She has to build herself up despite the odds being balanced against her, a lesson every girl learns. And she does.

- Episode 4, the good ol’ “I did this” superhero guilt. This one’s actually a generic trope, although just as important, but I’m going to skip over it anyway.

- Ep 5. The dangers of spreading yourself out too thin. The dangers of keeping secrets, and the costs.

- Episode 6. Dealing with your anger, learning to keep a clear head. The show literally just puts it out there- how girls are forced to bottle it up, find outlets that don’t ordinarily exist. The consequences of what happens if you act on your anger. God, I love this episode, and then it brings us to the premise of possibly my favorite one:

- Episode 7, “Human for a Day.” The message in this one is SO IMPORTANT and SO WIDE, I can’t even begin to comprehend it- everything, every little piece, and every time I watch this episode I cry. Kara doesn’t have alien powers, she’s dragged through the mud and through the sorrow that humans feel...and then she saves someone. Without her powers. Just by being the compassionate and empathetic and caring person she is, she convinces a would-be thief and potentially murderer to step down, to give her the gun, to relax and hope. She convinces a criminal to dare to hope.

- Protecting those you care about. Doing things that aren’t necessarily in your best interests to protect them. In Ep 8, it is Cat Grant and Astra who teach us this lesson- each in their own way. One shockingly decides to step down from a position of intense power, the other refusing to use her power over another- even if it’s just for the reason that she is family.

- I’m going to skip around now, because a lot of the messages are too specific to be generalized, but there’s a few more points I want to touch on.

- Episode 12, Bizarro- Kara yet again shows us compassion even in the face of people who attacked her. She sees past the victim to her actual assailant, and I think that says a lot.

- Epi 13, she resists temptation to return to a fight...I don’t think I can articulate this message any better than the way Kara does at the end of the episode, really.

- Epi 14- Forgiveness. Second chances. Seeing through the facts to find a person.

- Epi 17- ahh, more forgiveness and acceptance and love...Have I mentioned that I love the Superfam?

- Epi 18- I know this one only got so much hype because of Barry’s involvement, but it was honestly so important. Kara is forgiven for something she should by rights never be forgiven for, by people who barely know her, because she yet again shows so much compassion and willingness to protect. And it’s people who save her- not Barry, not her powers, not Alex, not some random miracle. Just ordinary people, saving someone who’d hurt them because she’d tried to protect them- even though they weren’t willing to protect her.

- In Episode 20, “Better Angels,” Kara talks about hope. And this woman inspires hope and a willingness to survive in millions of people. She is so compassionate, so giving, so kind, that even complete strangers or enemies, people who’d never seen her, people who still despised her for what she’d done under RedK, are broken from a trance. and then, then! she is willing to sacrifice herself to save them. And then Alex risks everything to save her sister.

With the exceptions of Lena Luthor turning against her own mother to save an alien, and Alex coming into her own...I just haven’t seen a lot of Kara Danvers inspiring hope and goodwill in others or facing real, human challenges in this season, just a lot of puppetry and misplaced confusion.

I hope this changes soon.