#season 1 is like a warm up and intro to all the villains. then season 2 goes off the shits

[uovoc]

Fenton Menace has so much going for it. External POV. Dramatic irony. The I-know-that-you-don't-know-that-I-know-your-secret-alter-ego. The snore/fart/constipation cover story noise machine. And on top of all that. The camping tent shaped exactly like the Fenton house. This is what optimum comedic gag density looks like.

[sprinklesandshatters]

A Review on NCT 127′s 3rd Album <Sticker>

So NCT 127 just came back with their 3rd Full Album <Sticker> and this is my first 127 comeback since I became a fan last year! Neozone is such a special album for me as it was their first album that I explored entirely. I've known NCT as the group who never fails any expectations so I've kept mine up although I know they'll exceed it anyway. And guess what, they did! I absolutely love their new album hence this review~

This isn't a technical music review—as I am not a musician myself—but rather a listener's honest takes, goofy notes, and interpretation on each of the tracks in the album. I admit I've also struggled to build my own opinions on some of the tracks until I listened to them over and over again.

I have also heard there are mixed opinions on the title track <Sticker> and a lot says it's another acquired taste. But I think it's not just that, as it can be a grower, just like how most of NCT's songs were for me. Maybe after a few listens and a right passage of time, it will grow on those people. The bottom line here is, I like it a lot! 😛

So I listed down the songs according to their respective track numbers and followed each with a bulleted list of my opinions and interpretations.

(Viewer/reader discretion: before you continue, minors, do not interact as there are few 18+ contents under the cut. Thank you.)

1. Sticker

THEY DIDN'T JUST PUNCH A NEW NOTCH ON THE BELT LIKE THAT

THIS SONG SLAPS, LITERALLY SLAPS… AND WHIPS 

The recorder at the intro boyyyy I thought something was wrong but then I remember it’s NCT lmao

It already stuck in my head from my first listen from the Instagram audio.

With Taeyong opening the verse with his divine rapping, I knew I'm in for a new ride.

STICK-UH STICK-UGH STICK-UGHGHGH

To those complaining it sounding like noise music, imagine it sounding generic. I don't think it would fit as the title track. Not a b-track or in their repertoire, even. They are called NCT because they define the NEO in the music culture and music technology!

It honestly was an unorthodox, just like all of their title tracks, which I’m inherently here for.

Literally, no one does it like them!

The growls and the vocal flexes and adlibs! (You can tell it has Yoo Youngjin's brand.)

The crisp metronome sound that’s consistently ticking except for the pre-chorus and the dance break adds depth to the soundscape. I love how it’s used instead of the usual snaps.

The production quality blew my mind. Like how can someone think those melodies would sound so exquisite? CAN I CALL THEM GENIUS?

The piano at the back, oh my God—Yes! It adds this mystifying element to the song.

I'm not sure if it's a midi violin at the pre-chorus, but it added thrill to the song. It was a great transition from the bass line in the verses to the combination of the flawless harmony with the same instrumental.

"You treat me like a boy, like a grown-up child chasing a dream" JUNGWOO BABY NO MORE HUH

Taeil, Doyoung, and Haechan—the bridge vocal trinity!

But why the heck are they cowboys? I dig the concept, but why? LMAO

BTW GUNSLINGER MARK I’M ON MY KNEES YEEHAW

This is easily one of my favorite tracks from NCT 127's entire discography 💚

2. Lemonade

(⌐■_■)

Jaehyun starting off this song with his deep voice eee

The song opens to a verse oozing with chill confidence. They're like, yeah you're lurking because we’re cool.

This is such a huge slap to their haters. NCT's not chillin' like a villain, nah they're the main characters!

Well maybe they’re villains, but still ya not cooler than them ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Funny enough how they could have just referred haters as simply lemons whose sour/bitter to the taste, but 127 squad's success is sweeter than all the haters' spiteful remarks so yeah, SIPPY SIPPY LEMONADE 🧃

"WOOF"

I might have just barked too wOW

Yuta’s vocals hooooO his voice just sounds so glamorous mhmm

Also Mark referencing their previous title tracks such as: Firetruck, Cherry Bomb, and Regular (it's Irregular in the lyrics) in his rap part 👌💅

I just love Mark's energy when he raps. HE RESOLUTELY BITES AND STRAIGHT UP EATS EVERY TIME HE DOES.

3. Breakfast

Now breakfast time, oh jeez!

AAAHAHFU—

Summer 127's bestie!

If Summer 127 talks about dancing all night long, Breakfast is the morning after.

You know what it is.

"Even if I gulp and drink you, it's not enough for me." oho Taeyong no you ha—STOP

Sexual innuendos aside, isn't it just sweet if someone tells you they'd want to have breakfast with you every day?  Okay maybe I'm melting at the thought 😩🙈💞

And I can see myself dancing to this song as I make breakfast (in the afternoon or at midnight bc I’m crazy)

This was an okay b-track for me at the first skim on the album, but boy it grew on me wildly.

Honestly one of my favorite tracks in this album.

4. Focus

Did I just invade a private call? LMAO

The analog voice filters make it like so.

Dude, this feels intimate in the level of eavesdropping a phone call between seasoned lovers. Then you realize you hear them whispering their kinks over the line and you're ooh, that's sexy! hfgklhfhf

My first listen to this, I almost went feral because,

"I can't wait to eat you…" when it's actually "I can't wait 'til we chill…" aahaha

"Baby call me when you want me." OKAY!

This sounds relaxing and chill. I'd love to play this on a late night drive or just before bed time along with Fly Away With Me, Sun & Moon, My Youth, and Long Flight.

Belongs to ‘make out session’ playlist  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

That was lowkey a playlist recommendation, huh?

I'd be kidding if I don't say I could touch myself while listening to this song AHAHAFGHFJFJ

I didn't know this would grow on me this much lol I love love LOVE THIS!

5. The Rainy Night

Ooh, the holy melancholy!

Piano at the intro—I knew I'd cry to this.

This song isn't just about break-up, but the heartbreak after one.

The yearning; the remnant pieces from the shattering of what was once there.

I think I crumbled from this one.

This hit so hard I felt like I fit in the shoes with the lyrics throughout the entire song.

What’s fascinating is I clearly forgot the title when I mentally said this sounds like a sad rainy day song from the first listen.

Something I’d turn up when it suddenly rains, just because I want to feel the blues.

Taeil and Haechan singing in lower register? I wanna cry :( they’re just one of the best vocalists in K-music industry right now.

Could have been also nice if they added Yuta to the vocals.

"My selfish heart who waits for you to come back," OKAY WHO HURT THEM?

And the fact that they sang it so good that it translated every ounce of the emotions well even before I looked up for English translations is the reason why I love this song too.

6. Far

Hmm… What the hell?! Do I like this? Wait...

Alright!

The jumpy vibe from the first verse to the pre-chorus set the mood for this song. It sounds merry and heavy. It was honestly too much to take until I’ve reached the chorus part.

Honestly, I think this song could fit NCT Dream better, as it gives off a vibe similar to Hello Future's b-tracks. If some credible source say this could have made HF’s track list, I might believe you too fast.

Also Dream’s Deja Vu where they go na nananananana na na na~

Playful yet confident! That’s what I mean!

As usual, the vocals are insane! Vocal flex from left to right!

I swear Jungwoo sounded a bit like Taemin at the second verse that I had to replay it hahaha

I love hearing Johnny as a vocalist! SM, how many signs do you need until you utilize his vocal talent???

Taeil's part where he sings, "go nuts, go nuts, 'til we go bust, go bust" IDEK BUT I SNORTED A LAUGH AT FIRST LISTEN HFCAHKFHK

Not my favorite, but still great though!

But wait it’s actually stuck in my head???

7. Bring The Noize

Yes, they never beat those noise music allegations

HERE'S SOME NOIZE, BITCHES

I love me some noisy percussions. AND THE BASS YO

This screams so much confidence!

The build up from the pre-chorus to the chorus—FIRE!

This song reminds me a lot of SuperM's Super Car, especially with the engine roar samples and the battle cry-like singing at the chorus.

JAEHYUN RAPPING? You mean Jaehyun the visual, the vocalist, the actor, the model, the funny dude, aka my everything?! (markie bb look pls look away for a moment)

THEY DELIVERED IT STRAIGHT FROM NEOCITY THAT'S SOME NCT MUSIC RIGHT THERE NO ONE DOES IT LIKE THEM

When I said I'd play Focus on a late night drive, and if I add this in the playlist, VROOM VROOM SPEED LIMIT WHAT

OUTTA MY WAY

“We got no shame” ouh TAEYONG’S FLOW IS JUST VERY HIM AND HE’S IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN

You know what's so clever about this song? It's how it ended with Mark's final rap without any instrumental, leaving you  standing there with a doppler effect-like post experience.

A super car on a super speed just whooshed past you and you look its way as it zips through the road. It's gone in an instant but you're floored dumbfounded at a sidewalk. That's how I describe this song.

8. Magic Carpet Ride

This song… Wow. Oh gosh it's so beautiful.

Their harmony in the chorus—it makes me want to kiss someone so passionately that I'd cry.

This makes me want to feel love that transcends the universe. Literally, just please take me on a magic carpet ride :(

The background harmonies too oh my goodness—HEAVENLY.

Jaehyun's voice is so warm and soulful it fits perfectly with songs of this genre.

Okay alright Doyoung Grande!

And Taeil makes me feel like I'm listening to old school R&B.

The first time I heard this from the track video, I can't stop replaying because it's just that great.

This makes me want to love. I think that sums it up.

9. Road Trip

This is such a soothing song for me, especially how I easily become nostalgic thinking about the road trips I've had.

Whenever I listen to this, my brain immediately conjures up thoughts of my ideal getaways. Gazing at the sky through the car window, stirring up from a nap in the middle of the ride, and   eventually reaching your destination.

Oh, to travel around anywhere... (curse you covid-19)

Okay that's it. I'M PACKING UP.

But where do I go—

I could also imagine Mark playing this on the guitar and the other members sing along together, something like that.

Just Wholesome™ vibes.

I love how it evokes such a nice emotion within me effortlessly.

This isn't my favorite, but I still love this.

10. Dreamer

Eyyyy such a refreshing song!

This song is so bright it makes me want to dance. I play this first in the shower!

It reminds me so much of Elevator (from Neozone)

The horns make it more lively I think!

Yuta and Jungwoo's voice suits lively songs like this.

The background vocal in low register in Taeyong's part in the first verse is so good ahhfhf

Taeil, the R&B vocal king you are...

There's this part where Doyoung and Johnny harmonized, that at first listen they seemed to clash, but it sounded actually fine after a few listens. Maybe it's just that I've never heard them do it before.

And I think it's Doyoung's laugh at the end of the bridge? Oh my goodness I really love this too!

11. Promise You

MY FIRST LOVE AND MOST FAVORITE SONG IN THE ALBUM!!!

The first time I heard this from their NCIT Sharehouse Sitcom, I fell in love with the song already.

It sounds like something you'd feel from a warm, welcoming hug.

The lyrics are so beautiful and endearing. It's definitely a be-there-for-you type of song that will touch your heart.

It definitely sounds like a promise.

A song about platonic intimacy.

This really fits to be the closing song of the album. It's like the end of it but holds a promise that says “see you soon.”

Because they cherish their fans like that.

It's also like I've watched a movie with a happy ending, where the camera pans up to the clear sky and this song starts playing.

Speaking of ending, I would love to hear them sing this as an encore stage in their concert. You know, that moment just before the stage lights die down at the end of the concert where they send final blows of flying kisses to NCTzens. Then you come home smiling and crying.

This wasn't supposed to be this long since I originally planned to write this with just simple phrases and emojis but I got too engrossed lol. I also meant to include my own ratings but I figured it’s pointless since I can’t really decide about them hahaha

I really enjoyed the whole album and I love how they're progressively defining what NEO means by breaking through standards. It's not NCT music if it doesn't make you say "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?" But then you realize it’s stuck in your head and you’re enjoying it already.

✨ OVERALL RATING: 127/10 💚

if you’ve reached until here, thank you for letting me share you a braincell or two 💞

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

That’s Christmas To Me| Julie and The Phantoms Cast

Dream-a-little-bigger-x’s Countdown to Christmas 

Day 4 

A/N: I got so excited when I saw this one was the next one I had to write! I hope you enjoy! I also wanna thank @calamitykaty​, @vicesvsvirtuesfanfic​, @vrthngiwnt​ and @bright-molina​ for letting me pick your brains and bounce some ideas off of you. I love you loads! 

Pairing: Platonic! JATP Cast x fem!reader

Summary: 2022, season 2 was about to be released on Netflix and the cast was invited to promote the show on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. A dream come true. When the host asks them for their favorite holiday memory together, the cast immediately flashes back to that time at the Christmas Markets. 

Song(s) used: That’s Christmas To Me - Pentatonix | Happy Xmas (War is Over) - Echosmith ft. Hunter Hayes

Warnings: Spiked hot chocolates, but no one gets drunk and no one drinking is underage. 

Words:  3,970

Checking her outfit in the full-length mirror once again, y/n sighed nervously. All dressed out to the max for her very first talk show. Her styling team had outdone themselves once again. The gold flared pants, the white satin button down shirt and the white heels just made her feel so fabulous. 

Though she couldn’t deny the fact that she was nervous. She was going on a live show, not any live show, but the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, nonetheless. Her family watched that show religiously every single night. That thought did not calm her down either. 

A soft knock made her snap out of her thoughts and turn around to find Madison in the doorway with an excited smile on her face. “You look gorgeous!” she exclaimed excitedly and ran up to her newest best friend, engulfing her into a tight hug. 

She was sporting a gray glittery jumpsuit with black pumps strapped on her feet, her makeup done beautifully and her natural curls flowing over her shoulders with bejeweled clips pulling it out of her face. 

“So do you!” y/n retorted with the brightest smile she could muster, though Madison could see right through her and squeezed her hands reassuringly. “My heart is thumping.” The words came out in a whisper as though she was telling a secret. 

“So is mine, but we can do this. We got each other, okay?” 

Y/N and Madison had gotten along straight away the first day y/n came to set. It was nerve-wracking to weasel yourself into a tight group of cast members who’ve already spent two years working together, but they made it so agreeable. The first day, Madison and Owen came up to her and started bombarding her with so many questions about herself and her character. All she knew about the latter was that she’d be Reggie’s love interest and the villain’s niece who worked for him to try and get Reggie, Luke and Alex into his club. Which of course, would not work out as y/n’s character would fall for the bassist too. 

The entire cast welcomed her into their group straight away and the whole process became so enjoyable to the point where it just didn’t feel like work anymore. It just felt like spending time with friends and trying to memorize words and songs at the same time. It was weird. But so much fun. And now, they were able to finally promote said season. 

“Madison, y/n, time to go,” one of the show runners said to them when he passed y/n’s dressing room. The two girls nodded and after a simultaneous deep inhale and exhale of stress, they made their way to the hallway where the boys were waiting. 

Charlie and Jeremy offered y/n a wide smile to ease her nerves a little before Charlie held out his hand in front of him. “We got this. Legends on three?” The others nodded and, with a content smile on her face, y/n placed her hand on top of Charlie’s. 

“One,” said Charlie. 

“Two,” Jeremy and Madison added in unison. 

“Three!” Owen and y/n finished and all five their hands went up in the air as they yelled out “Legends!” Though it was scary, y/n knew she had four amazing people that would guide her through it. 

“Please, welcome the cast of Julie and The Phantoms!” Jimmy introduced them and, while the Roots played the infamous intro song, the cast walked through the red curtain. Madison and y/n ahead, holding one another’s hands as to not fall in their heels, then followed Charlie, Jeremy and Owen. 

The audience cheered and applauded until they sat down and the music faded away. “Welcome, welcome!” Jimmy said excitedly. “Thank you for being here!” The cast beamed at the host, unable to contain their excitement nor nerves. 

“Thanks for having us,” said Charlie, the polite Canadian. 

“So, exciting news, season two of your show Julie and The Phantoms premieres on Netflix tonight, is that correct?” 

“Yes!” all five said, though not quite in unison, and the crowd roared again. Y/N couldn’t hide the smile on her red painted lips as she looked out into the sea of people. 

Jimmy turned to the crowd, “If the people at home have never heard of your show, how would you explain it?” His eyes fell on the girl closest to his desk, which was Madison, allowing her to answer the question. 

“Uhm… Julie and The Phantoms is about this girl, Julie, who tragically lost her mom and, with it, her love for music. That is until one day, she plays this old CD she finds and out pop these three lovable, dorky ghosts who used to be in a band in the 90’s, called Sunset Curve. They died when they ate bad hot dogs--” the crowd let out a laugh, and it made Madison chuckle too. “Yeah! -- Anyway, and so these boys kind of help her find her love for music again and they form a band, called Julie and The Phantoms as the audience can see the ghosts when they play with Julie. And a lot of things happen and it’s funny and light and cute!” 

Jimmy let out a chuckle too, “And now there’s a season 2!” Another cheer erupted from the crowd. “What can you tell us about season 2, Charlie?” he directed the question to the boy next to the newbee. 

“A lot happens! We see what happens with Nick and Caleb, and we meet Philippa, Pips, Covington who will stir up some crazy stuff in the boys’ lives, especially Reggie’s,” he explained with a grin. He stirred in his seat a little before placing his arm on the back of the couch, behind y/n’s head. The girl tried not to react to the overwhelmingly amazing scent of sandalwood that emanated from this movement. 

Jimmy’s eyes landed on y/n and she was certain that for a moment, he knew what she was thinking, but then he asked her a question instead. “How was it for you, y/n, as the newcomer to the cast? Did they immediately embrace you or did  you have trouble being accepted?” 

“I hated it--” she replied seriously,  but then giggled, “No, I loved it! They were so kind and so welcoming, I immediately felt like I was part of their tight group. It did feel strange at first, I’m not gonna lie. But after a while, coming to work didn’t really feel like working anymore.” 

“And your character, Phillipa, was she accepted by the other characters?” 

She cleared her throat of any nerves before answering. “Pippa was… well-- she was working for her dead great-uncle, so she had to make sure she was accepted and weasled herself into the friend group pretty quickly. She knew how to get to Reggie especially and thanks to him, got into their friend group.”

“That’s amazing. I’m so excited to watch! My daughters are eight and nine, and they loved season 1 of Julie and The Phantoms. They’re thrilled to see the new season!” 

A chorus of “aw”s were shared within the cast as well as throughout the audience. 

“Yeah, they’re pretty cute.” He picked up his cue cards to remind himself of the next bullet point he needed to talk about. “Oh! Since it’s almost Christmas, I like to ask my guests to tell us a fun holiday themed story before I send them off, do you guys have a fun holiday themed story for us?” 

The cast exchange glances until Owen asked, “Should we talk about the Christmas market we did last year after filming?” The rest of the cast made sounds of agreement with a few giggles mixed in between. 

“Tell us about the Christmas Market!” Jimmy shouted excitedly, almost resembling a five-year-old getting their Christmas presents early. 

Owen took the lead on this one. “So, we were all in Vancouver, we had wrapped season 2 and we would soon be going home, but we decided to spend one last night together at a Christmas market in Vancouver city…”    

Bundled up in layers of sweaters and a thick coat, y/n trekked through the layer of snow that blanketed to grounds of Vancouver City. She was trying her hardest not to focus on the blistering cold that nipped at her nose but rather on the story Charlie was telling the others in front of her. His voice boomed into the busy streets, along with the others’ laughter. 

She always loved the way Charlie told his stories about every wild adventure he’d ever been on and the way Owen quipped back with the wittiest of comebacks. Or how Madison would chime in with her typical Gen Z humor none of the boys understood. Y/N was sure going to miss the entire dynamic of the group when they were back home. 

Thousands of lights flickered above y/n’s head as they strolled through the entrance of the infamous Vancouver Christmas Market. She let her eyes take in the beauty whilst her stomach fluttered from excitement. Her love for Christmas Markets had never faltered over the years. It still excited her in the same way it did when she was just a child. 

“Can we get a hot chocolate first? I’m freezing!” Savannah suggested, her teeth chattering as she snuggled into her thick scarf. Smiling, y/n hooked her arm around hers and pulled her closer in hopes the warmth of all her layers would help the blonde girl a little. 

“I heard they have a unique recipe that only the Christmas Market here ever uses!” Charlie added with a wide grin before leading the gang towards the warm beverage kiosk. It resembled a cabin from a ski resort, decked out all the way with Christmas lights and foliage. 

The group stood in front of the kiosk and read the menu to figure out whatever they’d want to drink. “Ooh, that Peppermint Hot Chocolate sounds delish,” Owen said, and when y/n’s eyes landed on the words, her mouth curled up into a smirk. 

“We’re going that route tonight, hm?” 

The hot chocolate he was talking about was spiked with peppermint schnapps and chocolate liqueur. This sounded right up y/n’s street, and she knew it would warm Savannah up from the inside. 

“Follow me or don’t follow me, that’s up to you, but I am taking that route tonight.” Owen rubbed his gloved hands together until the lady inside the kiosk looked up at him, signalling that it was his turn to order. “A peppermint hot chocolate, please.” He sounded way too confident for someone who had just turned 21 that year. 

The woman peered over her half-moon glasses, letting her eyes glide from his eyes to his toes before sneering, “ID, please.” Owen’s mouth dropped open and with a lot of cursing underneath his breath, he reached for his wallet. 

“Ha! Owen’s getting ID’d!” Charlie cackled, shaking his head. The woman’s eyes darted over to the second boy, giving him the same one-up before raising her eyebrows as if saying “I’m gonna get you too, little boy”. 

And she did. She ID’d Charlie too. No one else but Charlie and Owen, which everyone had a good laugh at as they were sipping their hot chocolates, which for three out of ten isn’t spiked. 

While Jeremy and Booboo were still teasing the two boys, y/n turned around and let her eyes scan the entire view in front of her. All the pretty lights and the snow whirling to the ground so gracefully and the music floating through the air made the cold more bearable. 

A gasp eliciting from Jadah’s tiny body made y/n snap out of her thoughts and turn to the younger cast member. Her eyes were wide and shimmering, looking up at the tall Christmas tree that was towering above their heads with tens of thousands of lights blinking back at them. 

“Isn’t that the walk-through Christmas tree?!” she asked, excitedly. 

Madison took her hand and, giggling, they weaved through the sea of people towards the one-of-a-kind festive fairyland. Y/N exchanged glances with the rest before they, too, made a beeline towards the tree, dodging people left and right. 

“Hey, Owen, are you sure you’re gonna be able to fit?” y/n asked the tall Oklahoman teasingly. The boy’s mouth dropped open, and before she could properly register it, he started chasing her. She ran past Madison and Jadah, and tried to duck behind any other visitor until he eventually picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. The girl shrieked, prior to a giggle.  

Jimmy’s voice echoed over y/n’s flashback to the most festive night of that year. “You guys really sound like a close group of friends.” 

“Yeah! We are! We’re like a little family!” Charlie replied, dropping the arm that was on the back of the sofa around the girl’s shoulder. 

“What happened next?” Jimmy then questioned, curiously. The whole scene almost resembled a toddler listening to his bedtime story. 

Jeremy cleared his throat with a chuckle. “Well, if this night were a movie, you’d now have a cute montage of us going through that magical tree and on the carousel like little children.” 

“Yeah, you’d see us stuff our faces with churros and pretzels,” y/n added, making Jimmy and the crowd laugh. 

“And we got a lot of Christmas shopping done too!” Madison chimed in with a smile. “I actually got everyone’s present when they were right there with me. None of them noticed.” 

“Oh, no, I noticed,” y/n replied with a smirk, to which Madison reacted with widened eyes. 

“What’s next?!” Jimmy queried. His eyes were glistening as he listened to the cast talk. He just loved their dynamic and how well they got along with one another. 

Y/N continued the story as her mind tumbled back into her daydream. 

The music had stopped just a few minutes ago, but only now y/n’s ears picked up on the sudden absence. Knitting her eyebrows together, she lifted her eyes to the stage in the corner of the market where singers were carolling minutes ago, and was now completely empty. As the small amount of alcohol made her brain a little woozy, her teeth gnawed on her bottom lip in thought. 

“Guys… Should we--Should we go sing a song?” she suggested, causing all of them to look up in surprise. “There’s no one on the stage… Should we?” she pointed at the podium to emphasize what she meant. 

As smiles appeared on each of their faces, the group walked up to the stage and grabbed a microphone each. Charlie reached for the acoustic guitar on the stand, but y/n stopped him. 

“Let’s do a capella for once?” she told him tenderly. 

When his eyes met hers, she felt her lungs expand with the gasp that left her body. How gorgeous could one’s eyes be. But with that one look, the boy also knew what song she wanted to sing. The one song that had been stuck in her head for the past month during filming. And the rest of the crew knew too because when y/n counted them in softly, they all started to sing along. Their voices mingling perfectly and floating throughout the night sky. 

“The fireplace is burning bright, shining all on me I see the presents underneath the good old Christmas tree And I wait all night 'til Santa comes to wake me from my dreams Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me”

Savannah locked eyes with y/n and a smile fell to their lips before they looked out to the audience they had assembled with their harmonies reaching across the entire Christmas Market. 

“I see the children play outside, like angels in the snow While mom and daddy share a kiss under the mistletoe And we'll cherish all these simple things wherever we may be Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me”

Owen came to stand next to y/n and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they all sang the chorus together, the tall blondie on lead vocals and the others harmonizing in the background. 

“I've got this Christmas song in my heart”

“Song in my heart”

“I've got the candles glowing in the dark I'm hanging all the stockings by the Christmas tree Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me”

As though they had prepared the entire performance, Booboo led them into the next verse while the others acted as backing vocals for him. His warm, deep voice sent chills down everyone’s spines, especially of the people in the crowd. 

“I listen for the thud of reindeer walking on the roof As I fall asleep to lullabies, the morning's coming soon”

His cast mates then joined in again and together, they sang the chorus once again with Jeremy taking lead this time. While they did, y/n took a hold of Savannah’s gloved hand, squeezing it as they looked at each other with intent in their eyes. Like they meant what they were singing to one another. 

“The only gift I'll ever need is the joy of family Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me I've got this Christmas song in my heart”

“Song in my heart”

“I've got the candles glowing in the dark I'm hanging all the stockings by the Christmas tree Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me”

Y/N turned her head to the other side now, locking eyes with Tori and Sacha, and shooting them a wink before they lapsed into the chorus one last time. It felt good to sing with everyone for once. During filming, it was always just a select group of people that got to sing together. 

“Oh, the joy that fills our hearts and makes us see Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me I've got this Christmas song in my heart I've got the candles glowing in the dark And then for years to come we'll always know one thing That's the love that Christmas can bring Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me”

As the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, the group shared an intense look, one that said they were always going to be friends. No matter how far away they’ll be from tomorrow on. Even if they don’t get picked up for a third season, they’re always going to be there for each other and be the best of friends forever. The only gift they’ll ever need is the joy of family. And they were family. 

“That was so beautiful!” Jimmy exclaimed after they’d told him about everything that had happened that night in a short synopsis. “Now, I believe you’re gonna sing for us now?” 

The cast nodded in unison. “Okay, what are you bringing us tonight? The song you sang at the Christmas market?” 

Madison giggled, “No, though we love that song, there’s one we collectively think is one of the greatest Christmas songs ever. It’s the ultimate classic Happy Xmas, War is Over by John Lennon.” 

“Amazing! You can go get ready!” he gestures to the tiled floor in front of the red curtain where the crew had set up their instruments and five microphones for them. “Catch Julie and The Phantoms season 2 on Netflix from tonight! They’re singing for us now. Madison, y/n, Charlie, Jeremy and Owen, take it away!” 

Owen counted them in by slamming his sticks together and then began playing the rhythm of the song. Y/N then chimed in with the jingling of the tambourine before the other boys and Madison joined with their respective instruments. Soon after, Madison’s voice floated through the talk show’s studio. 

“So this is Christmas And what have you done Another year over A new one just begun”

When the girls lock eyes, they shoot one another a wink before y/n takes over the next part of the verse. 

“And so this is Christmas I hope you have fun The near and the dear ones The old and the young”

Then the boys chime in, their voices mingling as they linger in the air for everyone to hear and enjoy. Y/N lets her eyes dart over to Charlie, who’s already looking at her with a smile on his face. 

“A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let's hope it's a good one Without any fears”

The others shut up, giving Charlie the floor now. He really was born to be a rockstar. The way he just owned the stage and looked like an absolute legend, singing his heart out and playing his guitar like a pro. And he’d only started learning when he was on season 1 of Julie and The Phantoms. 

“And so this is Christmas For weak and for strong The rich and the poor ones The world is so wrong”

For a split second, he locked eyes with y/n again as she took over and faced the audience with a smile, still working her little tambourine for the extra jingles. Somehow, this just felt like one of their jam sessions during rehearsals and not at all like it was a live broadcast on national television. 

“And so happy Christmas For black and for white Ooh, for everyone Let's stop all the fights”

Their voices mingled together again, and, in a boost of confidence, y/n grabbed the mic from its stand and walked over to Jeremy, rocking out with him as he shredded on the bass. 

“A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let's hope it's a good one Without any fears”

The music slowed down, and while Madi, Owen and Jeremy took care of the soft backing vocals, y/n walked over to Charlie and sang the lines to one another, never breaking eye contact. 

“And so this is Christmas And what have we done Another year over A new one just begun”

The music picked back up. Madison took over this time, and while y/n worked her tambourine, she danced her way towards the Latina girl with a smile plastered on her face. 

“And so happy Christmas We hope you have fun The near and the dear ones The old and the young”

She then turned to Owen as he took over on the next part. He shot her a quick wink whilst his mouth curled up on one side. “A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let's hope it's a good one Without any fear”

Each taking their turn, starting with Owen, they all sang a part of the backing vocals while the boys and Madison played the instrumental intermezzo. “Merry Christmas” 

“So this is Christmas”

“War is over now” 

Returning back to her spot, y/n placed her mic on the stand again, and along with the others, sang the very last lines of the song. 

“War is over If you want it It’s over now”

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause while the band assembled in the middle of the stage. Charlie grabbed y/n’s hand and gave it a small, reassuring squeeze. All five of them together took a bow before exchanging knowing glances. 

This time around, they knew they were going to see each other tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that as they were doing all the promo they could. It felt a lot more reassuring than it did that day at the Christmas Market when they had no clue when they’d see each other again. Though all of them knew that this was still the only gift they’ll ever need. Their little found family.  

JATP taglist: @hannahhistorian92​ @marinettepotterandplagg​@thequirkybookaholic​ @bookdealer5​ @tenaciousperfectionunknown​ @hemmingsness​ @iainttakingshitfromnobody​ @ifilwtmfc​ @angryknightstatesmantrash​ @kiss-themoongoodbye​ @rudysbay @thedarkqueenofavalon​​ @caitsymichelle13​​ @calamitykaty​ @wiselight​ @kcd15​​ @vicesvsvirtuesfanfic​ @stars-soph​ @kinda-really-lost​ @notasofti​ @alexpjoyner​ @n0wornever​ @kaitieskidmore1​ @tefilovesreading​ @pxperphxntom​ @crybabyddl​ @parkeret​ @headheartbellarke​ 

Names crossed out are the ones I couldn’t tag. 

Lemme know if you wanna be on my taglist! 

[clio-just-clio]

The Riverdale 102(?)-Day Sprint, Day 8: “Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Hills Have Eyes”

Back to Formula?

With just one week in the bag, I think I’ve seen the breadth of my task ahead. Man that flashback stuff was weird. Good news, then, that I’m back in the relative simplicity of Season 2, where the only serial killer to worry about is the Black Hood (I think), who is totally definitely not Betty’s dad. I swear though if I need to hear him prank call Betty with yet another “You and I are not so different” I will literally drink water. We get it you’re related and you probably have the same serial killer disease or whatever shit it turns out to be, just murder people or whatever and get it over with. Hopefully this isn’t a monkey’s paw scenario where I am reminded that the early seasons are just as bad as the later ones.

                                                *          *          *

First off, sorry for missing a day! That pre-episode intro was actually written yesterday and then I just passed out. Fortunately I am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed so I can knock out two episodes back-to-back today to stay on schedule. So! without further ado, Chapter Twenty-Seven.

Maybe I misremembered what season Mr. Black Hood shows up in. He’s not mentioned at all in this episode, so I guess he’s in S3? Whatever! After the chaos and madness of the later episodes of this show, which are sprawling, incomprehensible messes, returning to Season 2 was like slipping into a warm bathrobe. In fact, the nostalgia goggles for a series I’ve mostly not seen may have done some brain damage to me because... I actually was enjoying myself here, irony be damned. Don’t get me wrong – it’s still not good by any means. But the plot is effectively simple, with a great premise for a bottle episode of the gang going for a short weekend vacation in a cabin owned by #1 asshole Hiram Lodge, ostensibly to keep them safe from the mob that he’s meeting with but really to get the inquisitorial Jughead out of his hair so he can mess up the town by buying the only newspaper.

As I suspected, the dialogue is still hilariously earnest, and oh boy can you tell this one was written by old people trying to be hip. Such a simple plot motivated solely by interpersonal conflicts in the group – and Cheryl Blossom’s brief instigation just for lols – results in a genuinely quite charming episode. Archie and Veronica fight about him not telling her that the Lodge butler/bodyguard/executioner was secretly monitoring the house for their safety. Betty and Jughead fight about her and Archie kissing once, and later for Jughead refusing to lay off Veronica because he assumes she’s in league with her dad and working to evict his family. Then everyone turns on each other at the end once they’re informed of Hiram Lodge buying the Register. And then the house gets robbed and the Lodge butler shoots a guy in the face but that’s whatever.

One thing that I have noticed being consistently bad (yet very funny) is the soundtrack. I think they’re trying to go for a sort of 80s synth thing in some episodes, but mostly it’s the most generic music ever and you just tune it all out, which is not really the point. It never enhances the mood at all. What does enhance the mood are the copious licensed songs they use to highlight certain moments of what the showrunners must think are “peak drama”, often when a character is doing something badass or when some secret is being revealed. I call this “#girlboss music” and it never stops being funny whenever it comes on, because it’s always hilariously out of place. I remember in one of the previous episode the Imagine Dragons song “Thunder” (which I genuinely despise) plays when Alice Cooper comes into a party wearing a very flamboyant outfit at a formal gathering to spite Hiram Lodge, and then she proceeds to do absolutely nothing there and then the scene ends. Little bits of weird writing or productions stuff like that are just endlessly entertaining.

I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to be back here, with mustache-twirling corporate villains and soap opera drama instead of serial killers or FBI agents or any of that garbage. Just good old CW shlock. Also, as you may have noticed, I praised the show a few times in my notes. There’s a reason for that though – as garbage as it still may be, I think, 8 days into this project, I can finally see why people might like this show. The lead characters in this show are perfect for the dialogue that’s written, which admittedly is kind of a backhanded compliment. They are good enough actors to sell this ridiculous dialogue, and they have genuine chemistry, and the fact that they’re obviously way too old to play highschoolers actually makes their delivery of the bad dialogue even better because they are “putting their whole pussy into it” or whatever the saying is the kids have these days. It’s great, and I genuinely like the cast. Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, if I ever say an episode is genuinely good again I implore one of you to take the shot before I become an actual Riverdale fan.

Tomorrow Later today: “Chapter Twenty-Eight: There Will Be Blood” YES YESSS RNGsus smiles upon me! and yes these selections are totally random, although I am genuinely very happy about this.

quick notes

- who’s the blonde guy who looks sort of like Topher Grace by way of Tom Felton?

- who got murdered in the last episode? does it matter at all?

- Hiram Lodge is being an asshole! I guess that just stays the same throughout the series

- did Betty kill somebody or something? is Blonde Guy her brother who we’ve never heard of?

- waitasecond... that actor... nvm he looked kind of like Eamon Farren for a second, which would’ve been yet another Twin Peaks connection

- woooow Mrs. Blossom sucks. not just in the context of the show either – her character archetype is “evil for the sake of being evil” but she’s nowhere near petty enough to be as entertaining as Hiram Lodge, as far as I’ve seen

- is Hiram Lodge dealing with like... the actual Mafia? I really should’ve seen that coming

- ha! I guess Cheryl and the gang are not on 100% good terms yet after... whatever nebulously bad thing happened in S1 where she seemed to be the main villain

- Chick is blonde guy’s name. gotta note that. love how weirdly creepy he is

- HA AHAHAHA alright Cheryl snitching on Betty and Archie and then cheerfully hanging up was genuinely pretty good

- AHHABABAGA AND EVEN BETTER! Jughead doesn’t waste any time or pull any punches, just immediately snaps at Archie and Betty after he hangs up. good for him I guess?

- YAAAAY HOMOPHOBIA!! “Get your sapphic Serpent hands off of me!” and of course, dear readers, we know from episodes we’ve already seen that Toni and Cheryl become the only couple that seemingly (from the episodes we’ve seen) never has any second thoughts ever

- Archie to Veronica, about Jughead and Betty fighting over the kiss: “Think they’re gonna break up over it? That’d be like, the twelfth time this year.” you’re one to talk, Romeo

- huh. funny that Archie actually told Veronica immediately bc he’s such a perfect person. I hate him so much

- so is the gang plot resolved already? I can’t remember if we’ve seen another S2 episode yet

- Jughead is such a melodramatic grump. he has resting Dylan Minnette face

- alright Betty and Jughead’s earnest conversation and then Betty’s slightly repulsed reaction to Archie and Veronica immediately having sex is honestly sort of sweet. oh god oh fuck that was actual unqualified praise it’s starting

- ah, the Sodale project. Hiram Lodge’s Delta City. and like Delta City it’s just going to hang over this whole series, isn’t it?

- love that the two couples are whispering amongst themselves but they are literally less than five feet away from each other they can 100% hear everything everyone is saying

- wow Jughead is just being kind of an asshole here, moreso than usual...

- AURGH awful line – when Jughead is trying to rationalize why him kissing Veronica is good and fine actually, he says: “A Vughead kiss, right now, in the present might be precisely what it takes to save a future Bughead from imploding.” the goofy dialogue is back babyyyyy

- “Archie, come on man. It’s just a stupid kiss.” Jughead is being a proper creep

- HUH BETTY DOM MOMENTS WHAT do high schoolers do this??? is this a thing highschoolers do? I wouldn’t know bc sex is not a thing I do but like... this is weird right? it’s not just me?

- Archie is pissed about Jughead’s insistence on the... eugh fine I guess if the show uses it I can... “Vughead” kiss, and I get that, but his response of working out on the floor and then loudly chopping wood is very funny. does this mean Archie is a himbo? maybe, but it doesn’t change the fact that I want to kick that character down the stairs and out a window. not out of affection either

- was that remark earlier about Jughead and Archie being the only ones of the gang who haven’t kissed each other, and then Betty and Veronica heading into town, both setups for Archie and Jughead kissing? I’d say so bc this show would pull some nonsense like that. Archie strikes me as supportive of gay people but like... just not being able to comprehend them. like he gets weirdly confused when people talk about being gay. oh god oh fuck I’m making headcanons it’s getting worse get ready to take the shot-

- Veronica’s parting words to Archie after their fight: “...you can stay here and entertain Jughead. Oh, and try not to choke on your own testosterone while you’re at it.” girl get his ass

- JOSIE!!! you’re an actual side character! that’s great I thought she’d just be a cameo

- oh! Kevin’s dad and Josie’s mom had an affair and Josie’s family is breaking up because of it! fun!

- alright that scene of Archie and Jughead just chilling in the woods is kind of sweet. fuck. that’s another bit of unqualified praise in the same episode

- this smirking guy at the store has to be like a villain or something right? why else the weird emphasis?

- Jughead looking at the rest of the gang like:

- note to self: talk about the soundtrack and how even though it sucks ass it’s always unintentionally hilarious – highlight “girlboss music”

- YESSS Hiram Lodge did a Jeff Bezos! I feel like I knew he did this already but still. funny to see

- AJHAHABHABBHABH ROBBERY OUT OF NOWHERE!!! YEAAAAA VIOLENCE FINALLY

- yep knew it would be the guy behind the counter. nerd

- HA and the Lodge driver/bodyguard fucking murders him. classic. and Archie’s just like “oops”

- love that Cheryl’s homophobia arc is resolved by her watching Love, Simon once, a movie so lukewarm and neoliberal that it was immediately forgotten (allegedly. then again, I’ve never seen Love, Simon)

- OH she was actually lesbian the whoooole time! that makes the homophobia funnier!

- and also very funny how Hiram Lodge seems to be trying to do the standard “corrupt the hero” thing to our lovable, punchable doofus Archie.

[shigarakispuppy]

BNHA Boys watching their favorite TV shows with you pt 1

🦿📖Tenya Iida📖🦿

After a long chaotic day of heroing, iida walks through the door and profoundly announces he’s home

You run to the door to welcome him and kiss his cheek - only to feel him dragging you to the couch seconds later

“Rough day?”

He just sighs while you grab the remote

“Big Bang Theory it is then”

He plops down on the sofa, pulling you down with him into a warm embrace

Lots of snuggles and forehead kisses - he will run his fingers through your hair while you lay on his lap

You can feel his whole body wiggle when he laughs it’s so cute -

💣💥Katsuki Bakugou💥💣

This kid has been watching The Walking Dead since the first season

It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to watch it - he will drag your ass kicking and screaming to the couch

Someone got bitten by a zombie? “What a fuckin weakling”

Watching TWD with him is a ritual at this point - Every Sunday night you make nachos, drag all the blankets into the living room and snuggle in tight

You can feel his heart race when a jump scare pops up, but he won’t admit he got scared.

“I just wasn’t expecting it, dumbass!”

He giggles and pulls you into an embrace of small kisses

💛⚡️Denki Kaminari⚡️💛

It’s 12am and both of you are wide awake

Both in your pjs, he reaches for the remote and turns on adult swim

Oh no

The Rick and Morty intro appears on the Tv and you know you’re in for a sleepless night

Not because you’re watching, no - because he’s laughing loud enough to keep you awake, telling you to look at the screen, and shakes your whole body when an exciting scene comes on

This kid only ate Mcdondals for weeks straight when the Szechuan sauce promotion was running

Eventually, you finally catch some Z’s when he calms down from the excitement and starts petting your head

☀️✨Mirio Togata✨☀️

He’s a busy boy so he doesn’t have time to binge a full series

He quotes The Office more than he realizes. His favorite of all time, “Dwight, you ignorant slut”

He watches the fire drill episode when ever he’s had a hard day

A perfect day off would be watching it with you, feeling your body on his lap, and hearing your adorable giggles.

🗻❤️Eijiro Kirishima❤️🗻

He will literally watch Bobs Burgers anywhere

At a party? On the toilet? In a meeting? Yes, yes and yes

But his FAVORITE place to watch it is with you

Wants to go as Gene and Tina on Halloween - wether he wants you or him to be Tina is still debatable

Will attempt to do their voice impressions just to make you giggle

During a steamy makeout session he stops, looks you dead in the eyes and says

“Your ass is grass and I’m gonna mow it.”

It ruined the mood but it was totally worth watching you roll off the couch in laughter

🐶💚Izuku Midoriya💚🐶

Deku will watch any superhero show and fall in love with it in a heart beat

But Runaways is his favorite

It’s the perfect mix of heroism, quirkiness and humor

He will literally sit with and binge you for hours

L o v e s laying on your lap while you pet his head like a puppy

He will casually feed you popcorn and miss your mouth because his eyes are glued to the screen

🤍🧊Shoto Todoroki 🔥❤️

Oh icythot our angel of a boy

When he first started game of thrones, he felt guilty watching all the spicy scenes

He had an internal debate whether he should watch it or not - because all of the sex - but he was so curious about what would happen next so he carried on

Trying to ask him a question while he’s watching? If you’re lucky he might reply within 10 minutes

“Baby where’s the charger?”

“...”

“Baby?”

“...huh....”

You’re at the point where you just laugh it off, give him a big smooch and snuggle right next to him

💜🐈 Hitoshi Shinsou 🐈💜

Hope you love horror and sex because American Horror Story is all you two are watching aside from serial killer documentaries

Loves to yell “YoUrE aLl I WaNttT, YoUre AlL I HaAaaVe” at you when ever you get irritated at him

His favorite seasons in order? Murderhouse, Asylum, Cult, Coven, Freakshow, Apocalypse, Roanoke, and Hotel in that order

Don’t agree with that? He WILL fight you on it

Our cat boy loves watching it at night, mainly because he likes watching you look around the room in fear to make sure there’s nothing there - only to sneak attack spook you

In all reality he loves you very much even if he thinks your favorite seasons arent superior to his

Lots of tight snuggles and makeout sessions with this edgy baby

💜🐙Tamaki Amajiki 🐙💜

Tamaki has seen ALL of the Netflix originals and Stranger Things still holds #1 in his heart (aside from you, of course)

Like it’s so hard to choose between his favorite shows because when he isn’t taking down villains he’s on his bed binge watching tv series

He’s still an anxiety filled emo boy what do you expect of him

Will be sad if you watch it without him so don’t

He may be a pro hero at this point but he’s a pro snuggler as well

He’s so w a r m??? Probably because his metabolism is always working but who cares!¡ He is your personal heater

He ships Joyce and Hopper like no other

Sorry I was so late posting! I have a really fun post in the making but it’s taking awhile to create ❤️ it will be worth it!

Also I didn’t add a few because I didn’t want this to be too long! If you want any of the others let me know and I will add them at the end of my part 2 when I do villains and pros 🖤

[purplerose244]

Thoughts journal about Season 13!! 💪💪 (1/4)

Phew, I actually made it to the English release without spoilers! 🤩 I do know general things about little plots for the ninja, hopefully nothing major! Finally, the Cole season we've all been waiting for, with Rock Mom and possibly plenty of our Earth baby development! COLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT AT LAST!! 🖤🖤

Well, I know I'll be shooting rainbows from my eyeballs if I see even one Nexo Knights reference! For the rest I don't really know what will happen, I'm curious! 🤔

It's the 6th of July, and here we go!!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

Is it just me or the dialogues sounds better? More built up, funnier, cohesive just like in the earliest seasons of Ninjago? Maybe it's just me but I'm really appreciating 🤷‍♀️

It also doesn't feel that rushed anymore! Which was my biggest problem in Prime Empire really. The episodes seem to me like fragments of a nice movie, not a too long story forced into 11 minutes. I'm very happy with the quality so far, I feel good about this for now! 👍

No matter what season it is, you can count on The Fold to make an AMAZING intro!! Freaking awesome, it was epic and very final battle like 👌👌 I WANT THE FULL VERSION ASAP!!!

SHINTARO

I do appreciate we are not forgetting about the adventures we had until now, it feels like from season 11 forward we are building a new backstory of. But they still show stuff from the very first seasons so I'm happy anyway 😍

Pff, Cole plays Prime Empire right after being trapped in it. And Lloyd joins in! YES!! Maybe there is hope for a season without greenie being traumatized! 👍👍

Also he's doing laundry because I DON'T WANNA DO THE DISHES NO MORE~ 😎

The chicken is back 😂 The constant reference to the movie we are all kinda attached to a this point (well I am, LOOK AT THE LITTLE HAT 💕💕)

Is it me being a "I've rewatched this show way too much" type of fan to feel that Nya saying that Jay using Spinjitzu for chores will get Wu mad might be a reference to how the guys had cleaned the very first Destiny Bounty with that? You think that Wu found out and got crazy mad? That would be kinda cool 😂😂

Okay, poor sensei and all, but he's kinda right 😅 I like Wu, I really do, but Aspheera was a problem kinda because of him, they all going to another dangerous realm could have been dealt a lot better if he hadn't been so on edge and in Prime Empire he freaking got kidnapped by NORMAL PEOPLE. Maybe he is getting old 🤷‍♀️

At last, he has returned...

THE ONE AND ONLY RULER OF NINJAGO, THE POSTMAN!!! 💜💜💜 Was he missing since March of the Oni? I can't remember if he was around for the Aspheera part 🤔

Soooo, not to be that person, but a secret group of royals asking the ninja to meet them in a place that was never open for outsiders before then? Kinda... feels familiar... *SoG flashbacks* 😰

Okay, not the biggest fan of Misako, but her scolding Wu was kinda fun 🤣 Needed to change the animation for her to get a bit of personality apparently 😉

Ah, you left Pixal behind to let her do... chores. Well, if you guys are happy 😒

Ninja babies all excited ❤💚💙🖤🤍💦 Also I'm excited because there is FINALLY a white heart between the emoji! I didn't notice it until now, I just need a gray/maroon heart now 😍

Jay screaming NOT MADE UP cracked me up so much 😂😂 Gosh I love my bluebell

A bit of action scene, nice, nice, also Cole going full buddy mode to save Jay gives me my beautiful Bruise vibes 💙🖤💙🖤

Well hello Brian

Looking good 💕💕 The designs are rocking in season 12 and 13, I cannot tell it enough! Super super cool

Overall nice episode, seemed more nicely focused than usual, I don't know if it's just me. I'm happy anyway 😁

Ooohhhh, so the sails were ripped off by the bats, and they were flying thanks to the soldier guys with wings. It makes sense, I was confused by the trailer, now there's the answer!

IN THE DARK

Okay, Vania introduction, I wonder what kind of princess we will get after last ti-

Vania: I'm such a big fan of you, I was the one that insisted at having you here! 🤩

... besides the fact that she sounds and looks absolutely ADORABLE, I'm kinda with Lloyd about feeling suspicious... because that's exactly how Harumi introduced herself back then 😅 And away it goes, the possibility of Lloyd spending a season without feeling disturbed or traumatized...

Ah, there we go, Cole and Vania. Soft looks, instant attention and... that's it? Idk, Jay and Nya's meeting had that one very awkward color question (💙❤💙❤), Kai literally heard romantic music while looking at Sky (❤🧡❤🧡), Lloyd was being mocked all the way by the guys as he looked at Harumi (💚😰💚😰). This one seems a bit weak? I don't mind it actually, I'm actually a bit curious about how it will develop since it started like this 🤷‍♀️

References to Hiroshi's Labyrinth and the Tournament of Elements, my fangirl heart is happy 😍 Is it too much thinking that the maze was a reference to Shadow of Ronin, since they all went there in the game while in the show only Lloyd was at the Labyrinth? Idk 🤷‍♀️

JAY SAYING COLE IS HIS BEST FRIEND, YES!! YES!! FINALLY, HAVEN'T HEARD IT SINCE SKYBOUND!!! BROTP IS BACK 🖤💙🖤💙 Also Jay confused that Vania is interested in Cole, pff, you clearly don't know the fandom 😂

But it is a bit fishy, does she knows stuff? Now I'm into it...

Lloyd sneaking in, that was creepy 🤣 And ninja like, of course

I kinda like how this is going, Cole straight up saying dude, I just met her, calm down. Like, I do understand green bean and I'm kinda on his side, but still 🤷‍♀️

Cole: I'm not just gonna jump on the lovesick wagon like you weirdos, geez

"It felt like a cloud of warm contentment." I'm gonna use this whenever someone asks me why have I been in my bed all day 😎

I know they all believed Cole was just dreaming the purple guy, but honestly they could have just said "Cole, we had flaming snakes raining on Ninjago a few weeks ago, what are you so worked up about?". But yeah, ROCK MOM FINALLY!!! I wanna know more!! 😍😍😍

Mr Sparkles 😂😂 So cute

Vania is cool for now, she is basically the innocent Harumi without a scarring tragedy from her past changing her into a vengeful villain... yeah 😅

Did Cole notice that she talks a lot and loud, kinda like Jay? Is that why he seemed a bit annoyed? 😂😂

For now they don't seem that annoyingly into each other, they look chill, no major lovesick moment or anything. I like it, I don't know if this ship will be super important or something, but at least I'm happy they are dealing with it in a different way 👍

With all these creatures chained up and a crazy dude making them work, Cole must have one HECK of a flashback from back in Chen's island 😵

Okay, I get the drama, I get the lair which is

Legit cool, with that nice Underworld vibe, but really? A wood door with ropes behind a lava fall? Security measures who? 😂😂

So Skull dude is the bad guy, and has a mask. People with masks means big reveal at some point. I like dudes with masks 😗

Aaaahhh, figures it was too easy being in a literal mine with the power of Earth. They really can't keep their powers for more than five seconds now can they 😂😂

But this seems interesting, is it connected with the burst thing they said in the trailer? Or even Cole's mom? Is this Skull Sorcerer connected to her? I HAVE QUESTIONS PEOPLE!!!

I am legit enjoying this 👌 They are building up questions and I do hope we'll get a good flashback moment with Rock mom... or even finding out if something else happened to her... EXCITED 🤩🤩

So to be the main ninja of a season lately you have to be either without powers (Kai Fire Chapter) or trapped in an unknown place (Zane Ice Chapter and Jay Prime Empire). Cole got them both 😅

IT REALLY IS ROCKY'S SEASON FINALLY 😎😎

WORST RESCUE EVER

Mm, the king is being weird, what's up with this mountain thing? Does he know who the Skull Sorcerer is? QUESTIONS

So Vania keeps being extremely adorable, I think I really like her character 💕 We'll see what will happen with her, how she will interact with the others, especially Lloyd since he seems very suspicious... can't really blame him 😅

Kai ready to argue with a king because one of his friend is in danger, THAT'S MY FLAME BABE ❤❤❤

Okay, the conflict between the two tribes, I read about this in some plots of the season. Not sure how that will play, but

I did laughed at this 😂 Sorry Mole

Okay, seriously, have we not learned anything from letting Kai come up with a plan? The notoriously bad planner Kai? The think before talking Kai? The let's follow the sun because yes Kai? I love him to dead but really, it was meant to go bad right away even if the title wasn't that 😅😅😅

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO GOT EMOTIONAL AT COLE'S NINJA-GO WHILE DOING SPINJITZU?? 😭😭 They don't say it that much anymore before spinning, it kinda hit my tornado shaped heart 🖤🖤

I expected at least a comment about them being similar to the Skulkin, too bad. Not fundamental though, I'm really enjoying this so far 👍

Well, all of the ninja are trapped now 😅 Is Wu going to come for the rescue? Is Vania? I know they will be separated and will all go on separated quests, and I'm kinda more looking forward to it now. Let's see what happens!! 🤩

THE TWO BLADES

Considering how big of a fan Vania seems to be of the ninja, I bet she had those figures way before this moment 😂

Wooooo, hearing someone addressing Cole as the leader, does this count as a major throwback to pilots and season 1? I would make it count 😍

Okay here Vania does seem into Cole, we'll see how that plays out 🤷‍♀️

Ooooooooohhhhhh, vengestone! This actually make more sense than the last two times they were left without powers 😅 We never actually saw where that material came from, and here there's an actual mine full of it! Very cool, I like this! Big question is, what does Skull dude need all this vengestone for? 🤔🤔

Okay, the legends fits, sounds good enough but... she? SHE?!? WAS THAT ROCK MOM??? She was clearly a ninja and she did spinjitzu!! I didn't even considered the possibility, I only saw Misako, Doubloon and Aspheera knowing Spinjitzu before!! An actual mom?? THAT WOULD BE EPIC!! 🖤

Pff, these tribes are a bunch of idiots, I actually like them 😂 I like them better than the rats of Prime Empire that's for sure, but maybe that's just me 🤔

Aww, this Mino creature is cure! Cole did pretty good with him, does he remind him of Rocky? ☹

Nice, this I was waiting for! Cole and Lloyd together, leaders collaboration 💚🖤💚🖤 It didn't last much, but I think there will be more of it? I HOPE SO!!!

So the blades must be somewhere hidden, if they really have been taken by the Skull Sorcerer. I mean, even in Prime Empire they thought for sure Unagami was Dyer, so I wouldn't jump on it right away 🤔

There we go, the divided team! I knew about Kai and Zane stuck together, I remember stuff not too promising about Nya having to fight for Jay, but I'm honestly really enjoying the season so far! I like the pace and it doesn't seem as rushed as before! I hope we get to some good plot twists and backstories soon!! 🤩🤩

[the-cookie-of-doom]

Good morning! Whats your favorite show/movie? Who are your favorite characters? Why do you like them so much? Also!! Did you have a good sleep?

Okay so I was a film major for a while, and I have opinions. 

Penny Dreadful 

I love this show. Like, so much. I adore it. I can not get enough of that show. Just all of the imagery, and the fantastic writing and acting. The episode intro alone is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Eva Green is a goddess and I love everything she’s been in. The take on classic horror stories is So Good, and it actually became the inspiration for my Gay Frankenstein story! (Started as a stitch AU, and then went completely OC after I had Ideas) but the show itself is so intimate? I think it’s largely that the period they’re in, everything was so repressed and restricted. So when the characters break out of those moments, it’s more meaningful. And the love-hate relationship between Ms. Ives and Malcolm in season one? Exquisite.  I could literally write essay’s about this show, but I’ll restrain myself and just say: it’s the best ensemble show I’ve ever seen. The characters come together, but they also each have their own distinct lives that sometimes intersect, but in s2 especially, are quite separate. They are constant with one another like ensemble shows usually portray. Also gothic horror and romance? My absolute favorite. 

Anything by Guillermo del Toro

This man Owns My Entire Soul. I’m not even joking, everything he writes and directs is perfection. Crimson Peak is probably my favorite (I have a stitch AU for this too ;) ) because again, Gothic horror and romance. I’m a slut for that shit. Also Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain? Delightful casting. I think it’s obvious by now that I love tragic relationships, so their dynamic is *chef’s kiss* amazing. they’re so damaged. And this quote right here is one of the BEST things I’ve ever read: 

“But the horror... The horror was for love. The things we do for love like this are ugly, mad, full of sweat and regret. This love burns you and maims you and twists you inside out. It is a monstrous love and it makes monsters of us all.”

Engrave that on my headstone, please?? I’ve got a sort-of Dorian Gray AU (it’s delightful) that’s basically built on this entire premise. Mitch makes the mistake of falling in love with Stiles, and does many terrible things because of it. Mostly to himself, at least. 

I think my love of Crimson Peak is very closely tied with The Shape of Water. another beautiful movie, I could wax poetic about this forever. it was beautifully written, and such an artistic movie. I love the way it was filmed, and the set design, and all of the subtle imagery. Such as Elisa’s apartment being cast in cooler tones, it always felt very damp and had evidence of water damage, compared to Giles’, a mirror image of her own, in more warm tones. This is another one I could (and have) write essays about. There is so much packed into this movie, from the themes on toxic masculinity and entitlement, to the conversation on queerness and race and disability, and how all the various relationships are portrayed. Like. there is so much to pick apart in this movie. 

Aside from that, ofc Hell Boy deserves an honorable mention because i grew up on those movies. I’m pretty sure the Golden Army especially is responsible for who I am today, given all the lore on the fae in that universe. Wow, that explains so much about me... Also one of my first WoW characters was an elf named Nuala xD I still have her, too, and it’s been like 12 years lol

Near-Future Sci-Fi

Sci-fi is one of my favorite genres, I am a huge nerd for theoretical and astrophysics. But my favorite kind of sci-fi is the stuff that still takes place on Earth, rather than epic battles in space. Ex Machina and Annihilation are at the top of that list. Alex Garland is another writer/director that I love. He has the same kind of approach as del Toro, where he puts a lot of fine details into his work. And I love that it’s very cerebral; there are so many layers to Ex Machina. My English 101 prof actually refused to analyze it in class when I suggested it to him, because he didn’t think my class could. Basically handle? Dissecting that movie? Because a lot of it comes across as very surface level, but in some cases when you look deeper, it’s actually suggesting the opposite of what you might think at first glance. (And he was right, my fellow students were awful. I miss that class though, it was one of my favorites T_T Mr. Ryder was an awesome dude and super chill.) 

Morgan is another good example. As you can see, I fucking love androids lol. Which brings me to another of my all time favorite movies: Cloud Atlas. I could literally watch this movie endlessly, I love it so much. The acting, the writing, the filming, all of it is top notch. And one thing they did in the movie that didn’t come across in the book, was reusing the same actors through the different eras in the book. That was just so neat, because it really encapsulates how connected these souls are, as we follow the threads of their story throughout time. If you haven’t seen the movie, I can’t recommend it enough.  

Another one I always think of alongside Cloud Atlas, even though they aren’t related at all, is Predestination. It’s a great movie that explores the idea of fate and free will in a really clever way, utilizes time travel in a very organized way that I think was neat (think Umbrella Academy. They even use briefcases! As you can see, I love sci-fi bureaucracy, it’s fun. In fact The Bureau is another movie I enjoyed) and the main character is actually, explicitly trans, which was cool. You basically get to see the entire story of their life, and I don’t want to spoil anything, but it’s just. So good. Mindfuckery galore. 

Shoot, and I almost forgot! Arrival! That is one of the best movies, and another one I could watch nonstop. It focuses on mathematics and linguistics and I swear to god, I almost altered my entire college course because of this movie. Amy Addams is brilliant, Jeremy Renner is so soft and nerdy, and again, it has an amazing take on time travel. I am very particular about how time is handled in Sci-fi, and this portrayal was one of my favorite. (Most of my physics studies have been dedicated to the theory of time, so like. Strong Opinions.) 

Fantasy

Stardust! It wasn’t until Good Omens can out that I realized Neil Gaiman is responsible for most of the stories I loved as a kid lol, and I had no idea he wrote stardust! But that is such a beautiful movie (I have a Stardust AU lol) and it’s definitely one of my comfort movies. Captain Shakespeare is one of the best characters ever, bless Robert de Niro. I would die for him. Fun fact, i had no idea Ipswitch was a real place until like. 2019. I 100% thought it was made up for the movie 😂

Alongside Stardust, I’ve always loved The Golden Compass. It’s fantasy, but also with that old-timey steampunk science feel, which is so fun and surprisingly difficult to find! 

Mortal Engines also has the same kind of feel, and it was such an epic movie in every sense of the word. I’m a little sad that after all the work that went into it, it didn’t get a dedicated following or fan base, because I feel there’s so much potential in it. But at the same time, fandom tends to gather around media that has plenty of flaws for us to repair with gold, and there wasn’t much room for that in Mortal Engines. 

I’m going to put Jupiter Ascending here even though it technically fits with the sci-fi, because that section is long as fuck and also this movie has such a fantastic feel. Mila Kunis? beautiful. The CGI? beautiful. Eddy Redmayne? One of the best villain portrayals i’ve ever seen. The whole oedipal vibe he had was immaculate, as was their portrayal of reincarnation, and just. The world building. GOD. I get so weak for through world building. Also the fkn intergalactic bureaucracy when they’re basically at the space DMV? One of my all time favorite scenes in movie history. 

Horror

I have very little room in my life for horror. As I said, I have strong movie opinions, especially when it comes to horror movies. I don’t like how most of them rely on cheap jump scares and overused gore and gratuitous rape scenes, instead of, y'know, actual good writing. 

Which is EXACTLY why I adore It: Chapter 1 & 2. It has none of those things, but still manages to be so terrifying. They are my favorite horror movies, and I’m saying this as someone who has genuine childhood trauma bc of the novel. Like. I couldn’t shower/take baths alone until I was almost 10 T_T When I was 6-7 and saw kids play by storm drains, I would run over screaming about how Pennywise was going to get them. Like, I had issues man. I was terrified to see the first one, and wouldn’t go until I could go with my best friend after she had already seen it, so she could warn me when something scary was about to happen 😂

And, one of my favorite aspects of the movie, and the thing that gave me Mad Respect for Any Muschietti? The way he filmed Bev and her father. They have a character who is literally being molested, but they never once have to show it. And yet their interactions are still so viscerally upsetting to watch. Sexploitation puts me off of most horror, and the fact that Muschietti doesn’t use it here, even when it would be actually somewhat justified? *chef’s kiss*. I love him. 

I love horror as a concept, I’m just really picky about it because I expect the writing to be good. I don’t like short cuts. But in a lot of cases, even if I don’t enjoy the movie itself, I love to watch analysis videos on youtube! I love to see the philosophy and symbolism in different horror movies, even if i don’t like to watch the movies themselves. It’s a fun hobby. 

Misc. 

Then in general, some other stuff I love in no particular order:

The Internship (Bless Dylan, Stuart is such a bitch and I love him) 

American Assassin (ofc. The writing itself is eh, but Mitch is my man) 

Dylan’s episode of Weird City. (I actually have a lot of feelings about this one. Jordan Peele is another amazing writer/director, I really need to catch up on his works.) 

Dorian Gray (*chef’s kiss*)

Rogue One (Makes me cry every time) 

WARCRAFT (Obviously this is a fav. It made me so happy, words cannot express.) 

Coraline and most other stop motion animation. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for that. 

Literally anything associated with Tim Burton. Fun fact, when I was 12 and in middle school, I planned to decorate my future house inspired by tim burton. Like, i had Plans. 

Most adaptations of Alice in Wonderland!

So! this got long as fuck! But you said you like that kind of thing lol 😂 I had kinda Eh sleep since I was up so late lmao, and I kept waking up (as usual, rip). And I’m so mad I go up for nothing! The dude I was supposed to show my listing to never showed, and is refusing to answer my calls >_> It’s been 2 hours now, and I still haven’t heard from him. But whatever, I already have a full price cash offer on the house so who cares. And that means I can play WoW all day, now! 

[afterspark-podcast]

My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise, Part 2 Transcript

[This can also be found on AO3!]

[Stinger]

O: [laughing]

S: Like, I told you about this before.  You- you know my reasoning, you know where it comes from.

[Intro Music]

O: Welcome back to our April Fools’ Special!

S: For the My Little Pony/Transformers crossover.

O: Today we will go through issues 3 and 4, which will finish this little series and now on to part 1 of issue 3- Fluttershy makes friends, or [clears throat] um, ‘Pet Sounds’.

S: Fluttershy and Discord are in Fluttershy's house having a tea party, when they hear a very loud noise outside.

O: Discord, for reference, is a reformed villain in the series.  He's basically just Q from Star Trek if Q were an amalgam of a bunch of different critters all smooshed together.  (Including being played by the same actor.)  Ah, but he's good friends with Fluttershy at tha- this point in the series, presumably.

S: Outside in a crater, Soundwave emerges concluding that this world is ‘illogical’.

O: Fluttershy asks Discord if he's trying to play a trick on her, but he says even he can't think of something this bizarre.

S: Soundwave scares several of Fluttershy's animal friends, who flee into her house for safety.

O: Fluttershy attempts to calm them by saying, “No one's all bad!”  Before she catches sight of Ravage, Ratbat, Rumble, and Laserbeak.

S: Her first instinct is, “I can bond with this person!  He has PETS!!!”

O: Pretty much.  Fluttershy gathers up a few of her animal friends and flies directly over to Soundwave to introduce herself.

S: Said animal friends do not appear to be happy about this turn of events.

O: I don’t blame them!

S: Soundwave does not detect a threat from Fluttershy, but correctly detects a threat from Discord.

O: Meaning Soundwave can scan for chaos magic.

S: Well, considering Starscream, I'm pretty sure he can just scan for chaos in general.

O: [laughs] That's not a bad way of looking at it!  Soundwave begins attacking Discord, while the cassettes make a beeline for Fluttershy

S: Rumble, being the only one who can presumably speak in this group, starts badgering Fluttershy for information about this world's defenses.

O: And also, “Why does everything smell like lavender!?”

S: The Decepticons… I guess, know what lavender smells like.

O: I think the question is, do the Decepticons like what lavender smells like?

S: Very good question.  Discord proceeds to make a nu- a nuisance of himself to Soundwave, transforming into a metallic version of himself.  With puns even!

O: [snorts] Fluttershy, being Fluttershy, spots a scratch on Ravage's nose.

S: Or a booboo, as she calls it.

O: And pulls out some ‘booboo cream’ to tend the wound.

S: Ravage looks rather disarmed by all of this attention.

O: The rest of the animal cassettes all gather around Fluttershy, while Rumble is in the background getting more annoyed as he protests that it's not a ‘booboo’ it's ‘battle damage’.

S: Rumble backhands the cream out of Fluttershy's... hand?  Hoof?

O: Hoof, probably. [laughs]

S: To the shock and chagrin of the rest of the cassettes, Discord, and all of the animals in the vicinity.

O: Fluttershy gets upset because she was, “Trying to be nice!”

S: The other three cassettes turn on Rumble, as Discord transforms Fluttershy's animal friends into little robot versions of themselves.  Surprisingly menacing ones!  And they all attack Soundwave.  Soundwave gets to learn what being attacked by a dozen rabid little bunnies feels like.

O: Rumble attempts to dissuade his fellow cassettes from murder, invoking the ‘f word’.  The ‘f word’ being ‘friendship’ here.

S: Fluttershy immediately changes her tune and asks if friendship is what they really care about.

O: Soundwave responds with, “Unquestionably: Friendship superior.”

S: While being covered in a bunch of tiny, rabid, metal animals.

O: Yes.  The fighting stops, as Fluttershy says they can start over and be friends.

S: Discord points out that he could just turn them all into little pretty ponies, but doesn't.

O: The animal friends are returned to normal, and Rumble apologizes to Fluttershy.

S: Megatron coms Soundwave at this point, and tells him to meet up with the rest of the Decepticons.

O: Soundwave responds in the affirmative, but with the caveat of, “Eventually.”

S: And the final panel has Soundwave sitting down and looking on at- as his cassettes and Fluttershy frolic.

O: It is a stupidly cute panel.

S: Mm-hmm, Rumble has a bunch of bunnies in his arms.

O: Ravage is playing with a birb.

S: Laserbeak and Ratbat are both giving tiny animals rides.

O: And Discord is giving Soundwave a thumbs up.

S: It's happy communication all around.

O: Right!? Like, this is what Soundwave deserves, okay!? This is my humble opinion- Soundwave should just stay here and be happy.  I actually would pay good money for a crossover- like, a crossover fic of them.  Just Soundwave helping with like, Fluttershy's animal hospital thing.  That sounds so cute! [laughs]

S: It would be a relaxing vacation for him.

O: He deserves a relaxing vacation.  My boy deserves a relaxing vacation!  Also, just going to pause- if you guys hear creaking, I am super sorry.  But we- my neighbor is moving around a lot for some reason, and there's a lot of cranking going on here.  So, sorry you can hear that.

S: Issue 3 part 2, “The Flying Fox Trot,” begins with Rainbow Dash reclining on a cloud and chomping on an apple, content with life.

O: At least until Windblade zooms by, dissipating Rainbow's perch.

S: The two introduce themselves to each other and rainbow proclaims herself as, “The fastest in Equestria!”

O: To which, Windblade, seasoned warrior, plane with literal jet engines, asks, “Until I showed up?”  Of course, the only way to settle this is with a race, apparently.

S: Considering Rainbow Dash's personality, yeah.

O: Yeah.

S: At the starting line we get cameos from some horse-based Transformers, Mach Kick and Battle Unicorn.

O: Which, honestly, since one’s a horse and one's a unicorn, I'm just amused that these exist at all- in a toy line for boys.  And also, I kind of want them on principle.

S: They're-

O: They look amazing. [laughs]

S: With very convoluted transformations.

O: Apparently.  Because apparently, you can't, you- you- you- can take the horse out of the organic but you cannot take the horse out of a horse.

S: [laughs]

O: I know that wasn’t right.

S: You can take the organic out of the horse, but not the horse out of the robot.

O: Yes.  So it's, uh, anatomy is just about as bad as a real horse is what I'm getting at here. [laughs]  Windblade and Rainbow Dash take off and are neck and neck, figuratively speaking, since Windblade doesn't have a neck right now, but whatever.  Until they run into a gaggle of Decepticons.

S: Misfire and the Rainmakers not- well, to be specific.  And honestly that just sounds like a band name?

O: Jem and the Holograms’ new rival! [laughs] I like- great- okay, okay, I know- I know- I know that we were talking about this in our warm-up, not in the actual episode but if you want to get into weird things you can that like, fit into the Transformers-verse, arguably Jem and the Holograms takes place in the fit into the same continuity.  And in fact, there was a G.I. Joe character whose entire backstory is that he was a roadie for Jem and the Holograms, and G.I. Joe definitely takes place in the same universe as Transformers.

[Okay, so like, I’m not wrong per say, but arguably Transformers, Inhumanoids, G.I. Joe, and Jem and the Holograms all take place in the same universe due to the presence of Hector Ramirez in all four series. ~O]

S: And considering the comics, which definitely have had multiple G.I. Joe crossovers.

O: Yeah, but not Jem and the Holograms.  Like, I think the last IDW Jem and the Holograms was kind of weird because it didn't- it didn't tie in with the rest of like, the Hasbroverse.

S: Mm.

O: Anyway, I'm sorry, tangent!  It just cracks me up that's all.

S: [laughs] The Rainmakers popped up in a season one episode, in G1, when the Autobots had to visit Cybertron.

O: Misfire doesn't show up in G1 till like, very late season four, and by late I mean, season four only has like, what?  Three episodes?

S: Mm.

O: But, you know what I mean!  And he's more widely known from his IDW appearance with the Scavengers, who are ‘sirs not appearing in this comic’.

S: And also for his incredibly bad name-

B: [laugh]

S: And also for his imp- incredibly bad aim, for which, poor Misfire gets his name.

O: Rainbow Dash suggests doing the ‘Flying Foxtrot.’

S: Which Windblade, understandably, is not familiar with.

O: And I'm half convinced that Rainbow Dash made it up, but whatever!  This entire thing seems to be baiting the Cons into shooting heat seeking missiles at the two of them, and then nyrooming behind them so that the missiles hit the Cons instead.

S: The comic ends with Rainbow Dash and Windblade agreeing to a tie and sitting atop a pile of Rainmakers and Misfire.  Who all look like they are regretting their life choices.

O: They were defeated by a pony, [speaks while laughing] I would hope they were regretting their life choices! [returns to speaking normally] Issue 4, part 1, is, “Strength in Numbers,” featuring Applejack and the Insecticons.

S: It opens with Applejack being very upset that there are some giant ass bugs in her orchard, eating everything.  And, I mean, she unfortunately has a super big pest problem here.

O: Which is a bad thing when her entire income is dependent upon farming.

S: Yep.  The Insecticon horde is very happy, and surprisingly cute as they munch on delicious apples and trees.

O: Applejack attempts to chase them off in multiple ways… none of which work.

S: Spraying them with the hose, hitting them with rakes, spraying them with the hose again, and then trying to push them off the apple trees.

O: Back inside her house, she brainstorms more things to try when Discord appears out of nowhere and she too is like, “Are you playin’ a prank, Discord!?”

S: Well, if i lived in ponyverse or-

O: Equestria.

S: Equestria, I think that might have been my first thought too.

O: I mean, fair.  Giant insects are eating her apples.  Like, who else could do that but Discord on a normal day? [laughs]

S: Mm-hmm.  However, Discord says that this stuff is too mundane to be one of his pranks.

O: Applejack asks for his help.  He declines, as he'd much prefer to watch this madness, but he does summon all of the Apple Family to aid Applejack.

S: The Apple Clan is here!

O: No, really, like, ALL of them are here.  And I am not listing them off, because it's pretty much every single Apple character that appeared in the show at some point.

S: So all of the Apple Clan charge in, and I'm kind of wondering now if he like, showed up and briefed them all- just-

O: [laughs] I think they all saw through the portal, and saw bugs eating apples and were like, “My people are calling me!” [laughs]

S: My- my home needs me!

O: My home needs me, exactly.

S: Babs Seed, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom take out an insecticon by themselves by kicking it,

O: Which are Applejack's cousin, older brother, and little sister, respectively.

S: Several other Apples take out other Insecticons with ropes.

O: And an elderly Apple accidentally kicks one of Bombshell's Cerebral Shells back onto him and then orders him to go away while she's sort of flailing.

S: Accidental mind control, here we are!

O: And the day is saved thanks to the Apples, and we move on to the final chapter of the crossover fittingly called, “Finale.”

S: We open in the Crystal Empire with one of the other princesses of Equestria, Princess Cadence, as several of Twilight’s students report back to her that the Decepticons are nowhere to be found, but are likely planning an attack according to the Autobots.

O: Speaking of attack!

S: [sighs] The wall is smashed in as Megatron, Queen Chrysalis, and their allies arrive and demand that they hand over all the magical artifacts.

O: Twilight Sparkle and Optimus arrive just in time.

S: Optimus attempts to get Megatron to leave with politeness.

O: Surprising no one who's dealt with Megatron for more than 10 seconds, he declines. [laughs]

S: And with a combined call of, “Transform and trot out!” and, “Till everypony are one!”  …Oh, so grammatically incorrect.

O: [laughs]

S: The Autobots and their allies go on the offensive.

O: And I get secondhand embarrassment from those lines existing in a printed form.

S: Pinkie Pie throws a pie in poor Soundwave's face.

O: And we get a pretty great two-page spread where a variety of things are happening...

S: Rarity is riding in Arcee's vehicle mode as they launch themselves at Shrapnel.

O: Optimus is punching the crap out of Starscream.

S: Megatron orders Shockwave to just get some magical shit already!

O: Bumblebee goes on a tangent about Equestria's tasteful decor.

S: More bickering back and forth, and went- then Twilight summons the orange cap of shame onto Megatron's Fusion Cannon.

O: For reference, this is referring to the fact that Megatron with his original alt can't normally be sold without said orange cap identifying that he's not a real gun.  Which was a thing that was put into place after- or like you know, late 80’s, early 90’s.  Um, at least, you know, he can't be sold without this in the states and personally I think it's fucking hilarious.

S: And through the powers of friendship and Spike's awesome skills, the Space Bridge opens and Spike and Grimlock come through and assist.  And this is dragon Spike.

O: Yes.

S: Not human Spike.

O: Oh- to which, dragon Spike is wearing adult human Spike’s exo suit though.

S: Mm-hm.

O: To make this more confusing, how many Spikes would you like to go around?  That sounds really dirty within the fandom- and I'm gonna move right along!

B: [laugh]

S: Twilight and Optimus use alicorn magic and the Matrix in tandem to send the Decepticons home.

O: One delightful tea and Energon party later… the Autobots arrive back home themselves.

S: Optimus then explodes the space bridge behind them to protect Equestria from the Decepticons.

O: Much to the sadness of the Autobots, who enjoyed their time with their new friends.

S: Unfortunately for the ponies, Shockwave might have figured out a way to bring them to Cybertron instead.

O: And on that sequel bait, the crossover ends.  And yes, there is actually a sequel that's been announced.  In fact, I think the first issue or two might be out, and we're definitely looking forward to reading it at some point.

S: I feel like I've definitely seen a cover…

O: Other than that, what were your thoughts and feelings about this crossover?

S: The colors and such were really nice, but the cartoony style that the My Little Pony artist used for the robots didn't really work for us.

O: And we want to add, we're not saying they're a bad artist!  It was merely a stylistic option that didn't mesh well for us, specifically for the robot characters.

S: Mm-hm.

O: Um, this was further compounded by the fact that normal- like, Transformers artists that we are more used to doing comics, were also involved in other issues.  And so, they were drawing the robots better, and then the ponies also didn't look like terribly off model or something.  So it was just less distracting when they were doing it.

S: Mm.

O: Overall the special was good, and we recommend it to you if you like Transformers and My Little Pony.

S: Not that you should, you know, wait for our recommendation or anything.

O: [laughs] Uh, the Fluttershy/Soundwave chapter was a standout for both of us.

S: It was very cute, and I really enjoyed how emotive the non-speaking cassettes were.

O: I loved seeing the poor man have to deal with Discord's nonsense.

S: I feel like... we could have done with something longer having him deal with Discord’s nonsense.

O: I- yeah, it was constrained in the way that they did this, where each- there were only four issues, and each issue was- was split into two parts.

S: Yeah, and it's only 24 pages an issue or something.  So it's very- they're very minimal and very constrained.

O: Right.

S: It's just an issue with the medium.  I also really enjoyed the Spike/Grimlock chapter, because it was nice to see them both admiring each other's qualities, and supporting each other, and just being so uplifting.

O: And cute!

S: Mm-hm.

O: My second favorite was probably the Pinkie Pie chapter though, because it was just completely batshit insane.  Uh, just- again, Shockwave had a whisk and a spatula, because he was planning on eating the ponies.  I- where do I go with that?  How do I make that better!?  I can't, that's the answer! [laughs]

S: Shockwave just really wants to- to practice his, um…

O: Culinary arts? [laughs]

S: Yeah. I don't know, the implication that Cybertronians have culinary arts is- it just kind of weirds me out.

O: [continues laughing] Yeah, but- but Gauge was like, “I have a recipe!”

S: I know!  Well, that's the entire implication, it's just like, oh.  Mm.

O: I love that we probably got more actual like, culinary cannon from a fucking My Little Pony crossover than any of the other Transformers comics combined!

S: Yeah.

O: That's weird! [laughs]

S: I mean, the fact that it does come from effectively a pre-war era does mean that we'd potentially get more culture.

O: Eh, yeah.  I mean, but I don't think this was pre-war.  It seemed like it was mid-war?

S: I know, but just the fact that the uh, IDW2 is mostly pre-war.

O: Ah, that's true, that's true.

S: The characters all felt in character, the relationships were entertaining and sweet, and barring the one artist everyone was very expressive.

O: And with that, thanks for joining us for our April Fools’ special.  We hope ya’ll enjoyed, join us next time as we go back to business with episode 43, The Golden Lagoon.

S: Yay.  And that just about wraps it up for us today.  Remember to check us out on Tumblr or Pillowfort as Afterspark-Podcast, for any additional information, show notes, or links you may have mentioned.  You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter at AftersparkPod (all one word), and various other locations by searching for ‘Afterspark Podcast’ such as AO3, iTunes, Spotify and Youtube, just to name a few.  And feel free to send us questions on Tumblr, Youtube or AO3.  Till next time, I'm Specs!

O: And I’m Owls!

S: Toodles.

[Outro Music]

[kallypsowrites]

Ranking the Walking Dead Seasons

I’m in a mood so everyone gets more of my opinions, what’s up:

10: Season 7

Season 7 is just...its just depressing and ultimately it ends this low because I almost never rewatch the first half of it. It was the pinnacle of torture porn. I actually really enjoy when Negan is on screen (he’s a fun villain) but seeing my favorite characters broken down for SO MANY EPISODES is just not my idea of fun.

9: Season 8

Season 8 isn’t quite so depressing as season 7 but it also is SLOW in a lot of parts. Slow and very boring. Not to mention it keeps doing some artsy film shit that gets a little annoying and drawn out. Good episodes for sure but I also disagreed with the main death of the season (even if the final episode was a tear jerker). I don’t think that death should have happened.

8: Season 2

Season 2 has some hella effective moments for sure. But it takes its sweet time getting to them. Slow, slow, slow. And I also hate Shane so you can imagine it’s not a joy for me to watch him. Obviously love the intro of the Greene family though, and at least it’s short? Imagine if it was 16 episodes. Woof.

7: Season 5

I’m torn on season 5 because on one hand its opening may be my fave episode ever. And I love the Alexandria stuff and the culture shock that comes from them finally being in a community. But the hospital arc still pisses me off because I think they threw away a perfectly good character who could have had more development and killed another character the next episode for no reason. So a mixed bag.

6: Season 6

Another season that has some slow moments but I’m a big fan of a lot of the episodes. Not to mention it has a lot of great Glenn content (which is a shame, considering). And there’s Richonne, the introduction of Jesus. it feels like a shifting point for the series. So despite some of its flaws, over all good

5: Season 10

Haven’t seen the finale yet (this week, woot) but I love Angela Kang as show runner. This has one of my fave episodes in the set (episode 4) and I love seeing Daryl stepping up. The whisperers continue to be freaky, freaky villains. There are a few more slow bits and a little more forced character conflict but I still enjoy it over all.

4: Season 1

The OG. I think I like it cause its short and sweet. And it’s always nostalgic to go back and watch and look at all the dead characters. That being said, the characters don’t quite feel like people yet in this season (and side characters are more caricatures than anything). But I still think it was effective and a good starting point.

3: Season 3

Number 3 and 2 were close, because I love them both so much. Season 3 is the first time we get to see the group really moving as an effective unit. They’re survivors now. They’ve been through it. They’re at the beginnings of being a real family. This is the first season where the deaths start to hurt. And since it was the first ‘humans can be bad too’ season, it was kind of fresh. The Governor is a great villain even though I haaaate him. Still some slow bits in here and kind of an anticlimactic finish

2: Season 4

Season 4 is the first time we see the crew in a legit community and I like that transistion a lot. Feels like progress. The sickness arc is legit scary. The mid season finale is devestating. And then there’s some absolutely stunning character focused episodes in the second half of the season. Still, Alone and the Grove come to mind. Not to mention the strong finish with Terminus. Really was a great watch and I love it dearly

1: Season 9

I just wrote about my love of season 9 today so I won’t carry on here. But in sum up: its the only season I never skip episodes on rewatch and it’s the first season I can truly characterize as ‘warm’ in its tone. The characters love each other and that’s at the center. And togetherness and helping others and trust is seen as strength even when terrible things happen. The show has given mixed messages on that theme since the beginning, but in this season, it really drives home. I just love this season.

I’m curious to know other people’s rankings (or even favorite seasons)

[thedenofravenpuff]

The Beginning of the End p2 - Episode Reaction

Alright! Got all hyped up from part 1! Ya’ll know I’m a freaking Sombra fangirl, so that was a sweet arse warm up!

Now let’s DO THIIIIIIS!

S  P  O  I  L  E  R  S

Recap *CinemaSins sin noise ding effect*

*Sigh* Even his evil laughter is such a shame with that voice choice... whyyyy?

Shame they gonna run the final season with that intro song that still doesn’t match the imagery with the song in matching pace... so off.

Okay, with this extra energy he’s putting into his evil laughter(tm) at this point is actually kinda good.

Oh gosh, that attempt to tap the pieces together in that way had me laughing out loud.

Just a thought, I wonder how all the Crystal Ponies are faring with their PTSD after last episode.

Okay, that’s a pretty neat creepy imagery with them shadow hands.

Not even one mention of the Tree’s big “inner Rainbow Super Magic Was Inside You All Along” thing from back when with the box and all. But I guess they happily erased that from their memory at this point. And probably needed the Tree for that. Hmm, does the Tree have anything of itself stored in the Map? Is that growing sentience it has shown saved there someway?

And hafta ask by now... how about the Pillars? They still out there and beat villain arses before too. They gotta be useful backup at least to help out, right?

How about the Tree’s roots under the School and its effects on the Student Six? And those artifacts?

Okay, back to watching the episode. Where was I.. ah yes, mandatory Twilight going “And it’s all my fault!”

Actually a pretty good scene of them battling despair after all that confidence. And it’s no longer JUST Twilight having issues.

Dirt at the dirt pone.

Return of Pinkie Drill!!

Oh Rarity. We need a remix of her “show me the MONEY!” misused in every way.

And... he really didn’t let the crystals reach each other UNDER the ground... I guess those crystal surfaces everywhere in the Empire usually makes digging out a less of an easy tactic.

Even the cake decor has been turned evil!!

Oh, I actually forgot the Tree’s job of holding back the Everfree’s growth!

... they seriously gonna try and tame the Everfree... with one gardening tool each? Okay, they truly are scrambling right now.

ONE earth pony is all it took to take down the front gate. The royal guards apparently unable to do anything with their signal horns destroyed.. Equestrian military never gonna be given a chance to look competent, is it?

Really, were ARE they? The princesses are usually gone due to Dumbass in Distress tropes, not from fleeing.

They already lost their gardening tools.

“Come on everypony!” she says... to the animals..

Short actually pretty intense scene of the vines capturing her as she protects the animals. Nice.

Oh, there they are. Actually came in to try and help. Neat.

Gasp! Starswirl DID show up?? Does this mean...? *Looking around* No..? No other Pillars? Aww..

Actually pretty sweet powermove there, Starswirl.

Ahahahah! Evil controlled Wonderbolts!

So many background pony cameos.

Yaaas, those control helmets~ I’m mostly all up about them because headcanons and Glimmershine’s background story. Let me have my fun.

Kinda love how only Fluttershy is seen smiling at Discord’s sudden appearance (and possibly his joke too). Aww. Besties. 

Poodles.

Redecorating with Sombra: Black Crystal Everything.

As much as Discord’s petty speeches can get annoying, I’m highly amused by Sombra’s repeat attacks with no change in tactic just get twarted by turned into something different by Discord each time.

Callback to how Discord loves to try pass attention to Fluttershy to- AAAGH!! LOWERED GUARD, SELF SACRIFICE TO TWART OP DRACONEQUUS BACKUP!!

... hoow... does dark magic hurt a creature which barely holds proper physical anatomy?

Sombra back there in the background being all “Oookay, rude interrupting my monologueing, but I... guess I’ll let you have your moment? Is okay, guess I’ll just get back to gloating once you’re done.”

Okay, loving the visual of being able to see Sombra in the back making his way towards them despite not centered and kept blurred.

That Deflecting Magic Headspin looked hella badass right there.

“We shall never stop trying to defeat you! At some point you’ll just have to quit just out of annoyance!!”

Oh gosh, Sombra’s faces he’s pulling, he looks like he’s fighting to not get into a cryface and yell “it’s not fair, yer cheating!!”

Aah.. AAAH! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!! Twilight wavy Alicorn mane! She gonna evolve!!??

Woah... That visual of Sombra was surprisingly unsettling. Full on Thanos dusting yet with some distortion too. Neat.

Pretty sure that was the last thing the Sisters expected to walk in on.

Also, aww, no new evolution for Twilight. YET. I’m having a pretty good guess what might go down at least in the finale finale. They ain’t gonna tease us like that without finally giving Twilight the full alicornification at the end!

Well, that’s the smartest thing you have said YET, Princess Sunbutt. Also DUUUH!

Ah, that’s how Discord somehow got that badly hurt. At least that’s a pretty good excused compared to other cases of needing to put OP’s aside to let the Mane Six save the day. Heh, oh Discord. He try. His own way. Kinda counts.

Oh Discord. For some reason, that’s greatest exit I have ever seen him do XD

“I heard that!”

I have an odd fascination with following how Twilight’s bangs bounce whenever she spins her head from side to side.

Huh... I’ll admit I actually thought Sombra’s arc would purely be the first parter and then the Foul Five would get together for part two. Actually excited to see I’m wrong. We’ll get a full season worth of villain plotting ahead of us this way instead, and Sombra got a lot more screen time this way to make up for his past appearances didn’t even give him any proper lines. Heck, the ponies don’t even know yet Grogar is around or that Tirek and Cozy Glow are free from Tartarus, or that Sombra can be resurrected by Grogar at any time. Actually a neat setup, while we are usually used to seeing villains destroyed around same episodes they were revealed.

Ahahahahagah!! She actually got them herded into a (-n attempted) bonding exercise!!

Ahahaha, that suddenly letting go to hide they were holding hands/hooves!

Foul Four works better too anyway. But aww..? no more Sombra......??

Okay, wow, this season start was... something. Wow.

Didn’t meet ALL expectations, but also managed to throw the viewers in for a loop. Which is nice as that worked GREAT for last season finale. I like things ain’t 100% predictable. A lot felt rushed, missing a few steps in logic and a bit of a feeling of a mess, but not sure how much of that is my current migraine interfering. Still, I liked it! Really adored the appearance of Sombra, but saddened by it shown as his last return with Grogar’s comment.

Will admit, I’m a sucker for an over-villain who can keep the rest of the power houses in check. Grogar isn’t how I would imagined him, due to the popular fan depictions over the years. His loss in volume loses a bit of his intimidation factor. He used to be played up as the actual goat devil, but I understand down playing that a bit in modern kids entertainment, I guess.

Chrysalis was a great letdown in last season, I really hope she gets a chance to shine again. She’s a good villain in her own right when allowed the proper resources and to actually show her skills for intimidation. Which, again, makes her loss of that creepy voice a great loss indeed.

I look forward to see what plans Grogar has for all three of them.

For now, I applaud this start of the finale season. Looking forward to see where they’ll take it. My guesses are this season will feature Twilight’s lessons to prepare for her eventual rise to the throne. Which probably will happen at the last season finale, along with full alicornfication with floaty mane and everything.

We’ll see. For now, I’m pleased. My fangirl side for King Sombra has been quite happy with this double feature of him, both with the good and bad of it.

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 2X10 - The Cricket Game

I’m loving this Season’s villains! I think they’re...CORA-upting me!!! XD

It’s okay, Reggie! You know I’m PUN-OMENAL at these!

If you want to read my actual thoughts on this episode (And BOY do I have some opinions), hit me up by going down below the cut!

Press Release Regina is accused of murdering one of the town’s most beloved fairytale characters – but only Emma senses that she may be innocent. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land that was, after capturing the Evil Queen, Snow White and Prince Charming set about planning her public execution in order to rid the land of her murderous tyranny. General Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness Past The trapping Regina scene in the flashback captivates Snow’s character in essence. Snow is not a stupid woman. She knows from experience what Regina is capable of, so she took the precaution of bringing reinforcements. However, she still has the kindness and love that the world (Both in and out of universe) came to know and love her for by attempting for diplomacy with Regina and later mourning the fact that Regina didn’t take it after the fact.

Apart from that, this is honestly a very frustrating segment. That’s because from where I stand, Regina at this point in her life absolutely deserved to die, and it was moronic of Snow not to let that happen.

And I get that that’s the point of the segment. Snow learns what everyone else already knew: Regina can’t change. However, the problem comes where this episode tries to make Snow and Charming’s debate one of equal merit to try to play up to a level of ambiguity. The episode is trying so hard to convince me that Snow might be in the right for wanting to spare Regina from execution, but is actually giving the explanation and diligence of dialogue to Charming. Charming’s coming across as barely ruthless, and his words are those that make sense and are given truth by the fact that we have seen what Regina is capable of. Hell, Regina, in the moments before the execution says that she regrets not having caused more pain.

And if they’re not going for an ambiguous plot and Snow is unabashedly supposed to be wrong in this flashback, then it’s just an honestly boring flashback. The segment itself doesn’t explore anything or lead to any unique character moments. While it’s nice to see Regina and Henry Sr. talk again, their conversation is pointless and gives us nothing that we haven’t gotten before. It honestly shouldn’t have existed because it paints Snow and Charming’s rule, something that was supposed to be fair and strong, albeit stuck in a conflict with Regina’s kingdom, into a bit of a joke. Now, in relation to the present, is it better that Regina lives? Yes, but this flashback is so fresh off the boat of detailing all of the harm that she caused in Season 1 that it would’ve had more effectiveness had it aired in a later season where present Regina could’ve had a lot more goodness at her back and her past been more distanced. As it stands, it’s a flashback that works semi effectively for Regina, but at the cost of reinforcing Regina’s more evil qualities and making Snow seem like not only a detrimental pacifist (And to be frank, an idiot), but an unjust ruler to all of her friends who lost what and who they cared for at Regina’s hands. It was actually painful to watch the scene between Snow and Charming after the failed execution, and not in the good way (It’s made even worse by the fact that Snow is so much smarter in the present). Snow’s not presenting a good enough argument to spare Regina against someone who is framed semi-negatively who has every reasonable reason to want to kill her, and it’s even revealed during her conversation with Rumple (“I don’t even know if it’s possible.”) that she doesn’t even have complete confidence in her decision while it risks the safety of her entire kingdom. How am I supposed to retain my confidence that Snow has what it takes to rule when this is how she handles such a big decision? Present I love the story here. It feels like the logical continuation of the story for out mains: What do we do with Regina now? Emma feels mixed, but her love for Henry and after dealing with Cora for an extended amount of time paints her as more willing to at least hear Regina out going forward (Though with understandable limits) while Snow and Charming who have encountered Regina at her worst for far longer are far more reluctant, and that conflict of feelings is the driving point behind the story. Now, do I consider Emma a touch too forgiving? Somewhat, but I also feel like said experiences with Cora paired with an understanding of the path bad parenting can turn on onto and genuine gratefulness for her return home makes it work well enough, especially with their argument during the party!

If I had a complaint about this segment (And it’s honestly a nitpick), it would be at Emma trying to pretend that there’s this connection between her and Regina about trying to change. Now, it’s effective enough, showing how Emma wants to be a mother to Henry while Regina’s trying to change her life, but I feel like the balance of that comparison never quite felt as strong as it could’ve.

Also, let’s talk about the “my son” line. I take no issue with it and actually applaud the line. It’s appropriately framed as the moment where Emma’s gone too far when she says it, but because as far as she knows, Regina has just squandered her own redemption, something she was trying to do for Henry’s sake, and then had the nerve to lie about it. It’s supposed to be a frustrating yet understandable response and it annoys me how so many refuse to accept that there are layers to this line and conversation that are delivered through framing and think that this is some issue where sides need to be definitively taken on who was “right.” That’s not how this works. Also, it had an appropriate level of setup because Emma was definitely responsive to Regina’s snipe at her during the party as to her skills as a mother. We see that throughout the episode, Emma’s been taking more steps to take on a direct motherly role to Henry after that conversation at the party. It culminates so well so at the moment she’s lost faith in Regina’s innocence, she’s lost faith in her ability to be a mother too. Insights - Stream of Consciousness -The opening shot of this episode is the most underrated shot in the entire series. It’s cool, dark, and Killian’s standing in the moonlight like a badass. It’s the first frame we see without even a recap or intro, but it pulls me in like nothing else in the world! And as the moment intensifies and we here Killian’s theme as he looks upon an unsuspecting Storybrooke and later jumps off his ship, it only gets better. Gif makers, make more gifs of this because I don’t see these shota on my dash at all and that’s a fucking problem! Like, it’s badass Hook! How is this not the centerpiece art or inspiration for like a dozen fics, no matter what you ship?! Like, Killian could either be a good guy or a bad guy in that! So please, just use this gif more! -Cora and Killian have a great rapport. While Killian’s not dumb by any means, we see how his vengeance tends to blind him and how someone more reserved in her thinking like Cora (EFor as INCREDIBLY fucked up as she is) can keep his thoughts in check. -Cora! Don’t kill the nice tackle shop employee! Rude af, ya bitch! And thank you, Killian for at least having the decency not to kill him. -I talk a LOT more about the tacos scene in the “Flip My Ship” section of this reviews (Or should I say, I TACO bout it), but the aftermath with Henry and Emma is hysterical and it only gets better with time. The line that brings the joke home (“It’s impressive that we can still provide her with a few traumatic childhood memories at this stage of the game”) just cements it as one of OUAT’s eternal shining moments. -Why did we not see Snow and Charming take down King George? At risk of dipping my toe into the salt pool, I feel like King George was really done dirty in the name of getting more characters when he was dripping with nuance. I’m not mad, per se seeing as we got that great castle storming last season, but there were more than a couple of eyes rolled when that bit of exposition was delivered to Regina. -It is just too cute to see Snow and Emma walking into a party only to be cheered by all their friends. Like, that just warms my heart. -On a sadder note, I realized how Emma’s name on the sign is smaller and not of the same material, almost like an add on. I don’t know if that was supposed to be read as a subtle hint from the set designers that Emma doesn’t fully fit in yet or what, but that hurts so much! -”I cannot tell you the relief of cooking something that I didn’t have to kill first.” “Don’t I know it. Meat loaf back home? What a bitch.” Another great set of funny lines! -On another funny note, I’m just imagining somewhere in town, Killian and Cora are walking around with ALL of the modern world jokes happening in the background! Fic writers (Maybe just me): GET ON THIS! -Charming’s speech is just so great here! It’s funny (“Here’s to hopefully not having to look for a while), adorable, and creates this very at-home mood. -Leroy, way to rush for the knife! XD And “What’s the secret ingredient? Poison?” is just a riot! -Mad props to Regina for her respect for the new paradigm of her standings with Henry’s custody. Like, look at Season 1 Regina, and there’s this big change! BUT also, I like how the writing shows how she’s not suddenly a goody-two shoes. Regina has anger issues and that comes out in a nasty and petty way. This was a good decision, especially given how fast she realizes her mistake and apologizes! And that real sincere apology is accepted, but the nastiness and pettiness doesn’t fully go away either, as evidenced by her talk with Dr. Hopper shortly afterwards! The character work at here is just gorgeous! -Cora is terrifying. She knows from just one look at Regina how “broken” she is. (As a side not, I’m now thinking of the title of the Season 1 premiere, “Broken” and how it relates to Regina. -”Reminding them of my past?” Archie told Emma nothing about your past and even you know that! -”I fear the Queen will never change.” I like this line, not only because it contrasts between Jiminy’s resolve in the past and present towards Regina, but how it speaks to the impact that Henry has had on Regina, as he’s made her someone who he believes could be saved. -”We must dispense justice.” Jiminy, for once in your life, you are making sense! -LIsten to the fluffy baby! -”Corgina’s” outfit is just so cool! -I like how Emma, though knowing that Regina’s words were said out of anger, still takes an aspect of them to heart by trying to be a more involved mother. -”How can I blame the one I love most?” A more cynical side of me is saying that this line is purposely over the top, but the side of me seeing Regina and Henry Sr. having a moment is crying too hard at said moment to care! -Rumple shows up for the execution. I wonder, did he actually fear that Regina would die, and if so, was he coming just to see if it would happen, or was his motivation more out of concern. Also, love the pan to him when Regina says, “even caused death.” Twice! -”We let her go. Then, we find the truth.” YES! Give me “Emma Swan: Investigations” on the 3DS, please! -If I ever decide to make a drinking game out of this show, I need to make sure that I take a BIG gulp every time Rumple is interrupted while or right before eating. -Rumple cooing at Pongo turns out to be all I need. Best episode ever! -”Well a long time ago in another life, I got to know a sheepdog or two.” WHY. WAS. THIS. NEVER. SHOWN?! -”It won’t allow us to communicate [With Pongo].” If magic won’t let you communicate with animals, then what’s the fucking point of it? -”Couldn’t you just use magic to fool us?” Give it time, Emma. -I LOVE those looks Snow and Charming give when Rumple reveals that Emma has magic and the follow-up reluctance when Rumple goads her into using it. -Love the Neal hint with that dream catcher! Prop Department, you guys deserve a retroactive raise! XD -Why did Pongo’s dream catcher only start glowing around his back/stomach? XD -I like how Emma immediately adopts and understands the concept of “all magic comes with a price.” -”He’s not [your son]! He’s mine.” I love the buildup to this fight. Like a cup of tea, it was brewing to the point of a perfect outburst. That having been said, Emma’s dialogue gets a little...weird after Regina magically pushes her. It sounds like how Snow or Charming would talk, not her, and character voice is an important thing. And why did what Emma say during that bit of the fight change her attitude from fighting Emma to leaving? It’s not like Henry showed up and saw her attack. I guess it’s a matter of credibility? -How the hell did Cora and Killian travel through Storybrooke with any manner of subtlety?! They’re Mr. and Ms. Drama! -Killian says “mom” too! I know it’s stupid, but what was up with the weird colloquialism in the Enchanted Forest?! Like, 98% of the citizens use the “mother/father” designation, and these instances where they use “mom” really pop out! -”If that’s him, who did you kill?” “How should I know? It’s my first day in town!” The humor in this episode is just the best! XD Arcs - How are These Storylines Progressing? Regina’s Redemption - Regina’s redemption is appropriately challenged here and instead of Henry doing the challenging, it’s Henry’s heroes, who are far less forgiving of Regina’s misgivings. Well, partially because of Emma. I said this before, but I think how they handled Regina in the present part of the story was just genius! She’s really trying to fit in, but no one forgives her barring Henry, Emma, and Archie. Understandable. But what makes this so good is that Regina’s doesn’t just flip characters into someone nice but unrecognizable. The nasty, petty, and savage side to her is still very much alive, suppressed until she gets angry. That goes such a long way to showing that this redemption is a fight within herself. It’s a show of how self aware she can be depending on if she can apologize or not and sticks with the other characters as they investigate Archie’s murder. Cora in Storybrooke - Cora’s here and she’s corrupting shit! Cora immediately starts acting like a heat-seeking missile. She gets basic intel about her situation and then set out about destroying Regina’s life. And just like said missile, she destroys it pretty much on sight. Killian’s Revenge/Redemption - We’re starting to get into the “how” of how Killian takes his revenge. And Killian saves a fish guy! Rumple’s Redemption - Granted while all but forced because of Belle’s presence, Rumple does help Emma and co. to the best of his abilities. Favorite Dynamic Emma and Regina -  What I love about this dynamic here is just its sincerity. Emma is blatantly unsure of how much Regina has changed, but she knows that she wants to and is being supportive. And even though this builds to an unhappy ending between the two of them, that sticks with Emma the whole time. She gives Regina the benefit of the doubt because she both believes in Regina and she wants Henry to have her in his life until plausible deniability goes out the window (As far as she knows). Emma works herself to the bone trying to examine each and every possibility that could prove Regina’s innocence and I feel like she doesn’t get enough credit for that. Regina herself is also being sincere, both in her defense for herself in the murder mystery and with her emotions and wants. She’s very honest as to her opinions on why she’s innocent and she’s open about her hopes to spend more time with Henry. And you honestly feel her trying to be more self aware, especially with the apology at the party. Writer Goodman and Hull are back in this episode, and unfortunately, so is Goodman’s sanctimony. This episode is so annoyingly on the nose with its laurels and in the past, it has nothing to show for it. Additionally, there’s no sense of framing in the flashback. While Snow ultimately decides that trying to redeem Regina was wrong, the entire amount of buildup towards that conclusion gives all the good points to David while making Snow our focal character. In the present, things are much better, for the framing is dependent on the effective shows of work into her redemption that Regina’s gone through and the audience has the crucial point of reference that Cora is in town and she can transform herself. I feel like I need to attribute this to Hull. Rating 6/10. I’m so torn about this episode. The quality of the content in the present is out of this world. Half the lines had me in stitches because the comedy hit a bullseye each and every time. And story wise? What a great one! The conflicts between Emma and her parents, Emma and Regina, and Emma with herself are all delivered masterfully and they were written so intricately that no one is left without sympathy. On the other side of the coin though, the flashback is a profound waste of time. It serves to grant a single point of exposition, but unlike other episodes that try for the same thing, nothing of interest is even attempted barring a genuine though completely useless conversation between Regina and Henry Sr.. We know Regina wasn’t about to switch sides in this flashback, and without the attempt of pretense to entertain that, the writing ends up making Snow a complete idiot. Flip My Ship - Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness” Snowing - TACOSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! *ahem* That is all. Okay, I’ve got more to say because the taco scene is just adorable and sexy, and it’s rare that we get a scene like this without unfortunate implications behind it. The chemistry between Ginny and Josh is as hot as it’s ever been and it’s a perfect bout of payoff for their separation. Seeing Snow and Charming cradle each other and have such fluffy pillow talk that you’d think the scene happened in heaven itself is just flawless. Rumbelle - Seeing Belle coo over Rumple cooing at Pongo brings the biggest smile to my face on this Earth! ()()()()()()()()() Thank you all for reading and to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales! Next time, let’s examine one of our outsiders, okay? See you then!

Season 2 Tally (92/220) Writer Tally for Season 2: Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis: (29/60) Jane Espenson (17/50) Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg (20/50) David Goodman (16/30) Robert Hull (16/30) Christine Boylan (7/30) Kalinda Vazquez (10/30) Daniel Thomsen (10/20)

Operation Rewatch Archives

[duncanbarker-blog]

As recent converts to the joys of Harry Potter (and theme park fans), we couldn’t miss Universal Studios Japan on our visit to Osaka. While wandering through the magical Harry Potter World was the highlight of our day, we also rode the scariest rollercoaster we’ve ever been on and discovered many more fun attractions.

Universal Studios Japan is well worth a day if you are in Osaka. It’s easily accessible from the city, and the large park (much bigger than Universal Singapore) has plenty to keep you busy all day.

Top Tip: Book your tickets in advance with official partner Voyagin to avoid long queues on the day. The park gets very busy (even in February when we visited) so it’s worth paying extra for an Express Pass.

In this post we share the best Universal Studios Japan rides for adults and older kids as well as tips on avoiding queues, how to get there, the best place to buy tickets, and much more to make the most of your day.

Top Universal Studios Japan Rides and Attractions

1) Exploring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was our favourite area at Universal Studios Japan. To get there you walk down a long pathway lined with pine trees (past the car that Ron crashed!), so it feels separate from the rest of the park, like you are entering another world.

Ron’s crashed car on the path to Harry Potter World

Entering Hogsmeade

Even if you don’t go on one of the two rides here, it’s a joy to wander the snowy cobbled streets of a perfectly recreated Hogsmeade village.

You can shop for wands at Ollivanders, jokes at Zonko’s and sweets at Honeydukes and have a pint of butterbeer in the Hog’s Head or Three Broomsticks. The warm butterbeer on a cold day was delicious (if very sweet).

Simon drinking butterbeer on the terrace of the Three Broomsticks

You can also take a photo next to the Hogwarts Express, see owls waiting to deliver mail in the owlery, and send letters with a Hogsmeade postmark in The Owl Post.

Most spectacular of all is Hogwarts Castle perched on rocks overlooking the village.

Note that Harry Potter World does get very busy and at peak times you’ll need a timed entry ticket to visit. You can pick these up in the park for free but they can run out, so to be on the safe side, buy an Express Pass in advance.

Luckily this wasn’t necessary in February (although it still felt crowded), and we were able to visit twice—it’s particularly lovely at sunset.

2) Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Hogwarts Castle

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is the main attraction in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the most popular ride in the whole park. It takes place inside Hogwarts Castle, and I enjoyed the walk through the castle seeing Dumbledore’s office, classrooms, and talking paintings (in Japanese!) as much as the ride itself.

It’s a 3D ride but glasses aren’t needed as you are immersed in the world of Hogwarts, taking part in a Quidditch game, feeling the heat of a dragon’s fire on your face, and even getting spit at by giant spiders. It’s an exhilarating experience with fantastic effects. It did trigger my motion sickness, but it was worth the nausea and I recovered quickly.

The other ride in Harry Potter World is Flight of the Hippogriff which is aimed at kids and didn’t seem worth the 65-minute wait when we were there.

3) Wand Magic

The other thing we loved doing in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was Wand Magic where we cast our own spells!

This might not be for everyone as you first have to buy a magical wand from one of the stores, but for big Harry Potter fans it’s worth it, and you end up with a beautifully created souvenir.

There are five points around the village where you can perform spells—you get a map with your wand and can also look for the bronze medallions on the floor that show the spell. There are teachers available to help you out.

Armed with Hermione’s wand, I used the Incendio spell to light a chimney (after an embarrassing number of failed attempts!) and another to make it snow down a back alley. It’s a lot of fun and really added to the experience.

Of course, the most authentic place to purchase your wand is Ollivanders, but there’s usually a 10–15 minute wait to get in. You can also buy the magic wands at other stores in the area. Make sure you get the special magic wand and not the regular wands which you can’t use for spells.

To go the whole hog, you could also buy a Hogwarts gown and scarf from the stores, but this (including wand) would set you back about $250. The scarfs and wands are more reasonable than the gowns (Simon bought a Gryffindor scarf for about $40). As we were on a press trip they lent us a gown for the day.

4) Despicable Me Minion Mayhem

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is the second most popular ride in the park and has long queues. This fairly new ride (opened in 2017) is located in the fun, colourful Minion Park and is another immersive 3D simulator ride without glasses using a giant dome screen.

The whole experience is about 25 minutes as there’s a long intro video (with English subtitles) that adds to the context. The ride itself is narrative heavy, and although we couldn’t follow the Japanese, we got the general idea, and it’s still a fun experience as you bounce around a giant factory on your way to becoming a Minion.

Unfortunately, this is another ride that’s not great for those with motion sickness.

5) The Flying Dinosaur

Oh my—The Flying Dinosaur is intense! It’s the scariest rollercoaster we’ve ever been on, and it was brilliant fun!

It’s located in Jurassic Park and the idea is that an out-of-control Pteranodon seizes you from behind and pulls you high into the sky. This means that once you’ve sat down, your seat is turned 90 degrees towards the floor so that you are facing straight down. There is nothing between your face and the ground far below!

The ride is so fast and disorientating that I don’t remember exactly what happened, but it involved multiple 360º inversions, many twists and turns, and an underground section. It’s a crazy, cool and unique ride that’s not to be missed by thrill-seekers.

6) Hollywood Dream – The Ride

The Hollywood Dream rollercoaster passes through the streets of Hollywood

If you prefer your rollercoasters slightly less terrifying, then Hollywood Dream is for you. It’s a smooth, non-inverting, high-speed coaster with some stomach dropping ramps and vertical drops.

I love that you can choose from one of five songs as your personal soundtrack—I went for Michael Jackson’s Bad. It’s a very fun ride.

You can also ride the same coaster backwards on Hollywood Dream – The Ride (Backdrop), but unfortunately it was closed when we visited.

7) The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

This award-winning attraction is a dark ride that combines a moving vehicle with 4K3D images (you wear glasses) and immersive elements where you feel the heat and water from the villains firing at you.

It can cause motion sickness, but if that doesn’t affect you, you won’t want to miss this one.

8) Jurassic Park – The Ride

Jurassic Park is a mostly gentle water ride through a park filled with dinosaurs. There’s a huge and fun drop at the end where you may get wet (especially in the front row).

We bought ponchos (400 yen) just in case as we didn’t want to risk getting wet on a cold day. There are also lockers available (100 yen which gets returned to you).

In winter this was one of the easiest rides to get on, but I imagine it’s busier in the summer.

9) JAWS

JAWS was temporarily closed when we visited, but we would have liked to have gone on this. What starts as a leisurely boat tour of Amity Harbour becomes more thrilling when a gigantic man-eating shark appears.

10) Space Fantasy/ Lupin the Third

Space Fantasy is a spinning rollercoaster where you journey through space. From 19th January to 23rd June 2019 it is relaunched as Lupin the Third Car Chase XR as part of the Universal Cool Japan 2019 event which celebrates Japanese characters. This 3D rollercoaster features characters from Lupin the Third on a high-speed car chase. 

Universal Studios Japan Tickets

Universal Studios Japan is a very busy park throughout the year, so we highly recommend booking your tickets in advance to avoid the ticket queues on the day.

English speakers can’t book on the official website, so you need to use one of their partner agencies like Voyagin (who we’ve used for other activities in the past).

A one day ticket costs from 7,400 yen ($66) with higher prices at peak times. You may also want to pay extra for an express pass (see below).

Check Universal Studios Japan ticket prices at Voyagin here.

Is a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass Worth It?

Even though we visited in the winter, Universal Studios Japan is probably the busiest theme park we’ve visited (yes, even busier than Disney). The park features many major attractions that you won’t want to miss, but they all have very long queue times from as soon as the park opens.

You could get on a few rides quickly at the start of the day if you arrive early, but you won’t be able to do everything without waits of at least an hour and usually much longer.

Unfortunately there isn’t a free queue jump system like Disney’s FastPass, so the only way to guarantee to get on everything without long waits is buying an Express Pass, which can cost more than the entrance ticket.

Express Passes can sell out, so it’s best to purchase them in advance when you buy your ticket from Voyagin. They are usually available 2–3 months ahead.

Some Express Passes were still available to buy within the park when we visited in February, but in high season they are likely to be sold out.

It’s rather confusing as there are many different passes depending on which rides you can use them on and prices vary depending on the date. Make sure your pass at least includes Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

The best pass is the “Express Pass 7 – The Flying Dinosaur” which includes all the major rides, but it costs at least 9500 yen ($85) and at peak times can be 19,250 yen ($173) or more. 

A cheaper option from 8200 yen ($74) is the “Express Pass 4”, but you have to choose between versions that include The Flying Dinosaur or the Minion ride. 

Voyagin publishes this handy Express Pass demand spreadsheet with the prices of the various passes on different dates. This will also give you a good idea of the busiest days in the park which you should try to avoid.

Note that the Express Pass will give you timed entry for the most popular rides.  

See the range of Express Passes on the Voyagin website here.

VIP Wristband and Harukas 300 Entrance

Instead of the Express Pass, you could buy the VIP Wristband for 3850 yen ($35) which gets you into the park slightly earlier through a special entrance.

You have to pick up the wristband from the Harukas 300 observatory one to five days before you visit Universal Studios Japan. It includes entry to Harukas 300 which is well worth visiting for stunning views over the city.

We recommend visiting Harukas 300 just before sunset so you can see the sunset as well as the city lit up at night and the light shows that take place in the evening. We enjoyed tasty pineapple soft serve ice cream topped with crunchy pineapple candy at the cafe and there’s also a restaurant that looked lovely (not vegetarian-friendly though).

See our guide to visiting the Abeno Harukas 300 observatory.

Light show in the restaurant area of Harukas 300

Example Queue Times

If you’re not sure whether an express pass is worth it or not, here are some queue times that we noted during our visit in February (off-season) when the park opened at 9 am:

10.15am Minion Ride – 80 minutes

11 am Spider Man – 50 minutes

12 pm Harry Potter – 120 minutes

12.15pm Flight of the Hippogriff – 65 minutes

12.30pm Hollywood Dream – 60 minutes

3 pm Flying Dinosaur – 190 minutes

3.30pm Jurassic Park – 30 minutes

View of the Hollywood Dream ride from the lake

Universal Studios Japan Opening Hours

Universal Studios Japan usually opens from 8.30am or 9 am until 8 or 9 pm. See the calendar to check the hours (and ride closures) for the date you are visiting. 

You should arrive at least 30 minutes before the official opening to get into the park as quickly as possible and head straight to either Harry Potter, the Flying Dinosaur or the Minion ride.

How to Get to Universal Studios Japan

It’s easy to get to Universal Studios Japan by train from central Osaka and shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes. Universal City Station is only a 5-minute walk from the park. To get here, you’ll likely need to change at Nishikujo station and transfer to the JR Yumesaki Line (also known as JR Sakurajima Line).

For example, from Namba Station take the Hanshin Namba Line to Nishikujo then change there for Universal City Station. This will cost about 360 yen and you can use your ICOCA card which is the easiest way to pay for transport in Osaka.

You can use Google Maps or Hyperdia to find the route from your nearest station. 

Us at Hogwarts Castle

Hotels Near Universal Studios Japan

Universal Studios Japan is easily reachable from central Osaka, but if your trip is focused on the park it would be convenient to stay in one of these hotels just a few minutes walk away:

The Park Front Hotel at Universal Studios Japan – The newest official hotel and the closest one to the park gates. It has large rooms (unusual for Japan) and lots of amenities. My top pick. 

Hotel Universal Port – Comfortable rooms, sea views and a great location. 

Hotel Universal Port Vita – Funky, colourful rooms (some with sea views) and an ideal location. 

La’gent Hotel Osaka Bay – A good budget option. Rooms are small but clean and it’s still walkable to the park. 

Food At Universal Studios Japan

Simon with his Minion popcorn and cookie sandwich

Bringing food and beverages into the park is prohibited, but it’s unlikely they’ll check your bag and it might be a good idea for vegetarians to bring a few rice balls as meat-free options are limited.

Vegetarians can enjoy plenty of sweet treats though. We loved:

Salted caramel banana popcorn from the POP-A-NANA stand in Minion Park. You can even buy a souvenir bucket.

Cookie sandwiches from Despicable Me! The Cookie Kitchen. The chocolate orange one was especially tasty (500 yen/$4.50).

Chocolate cakes at Beverly Hills Boulangerie. There are lots to choose from, but the chocolate fondant with a hot melting middle was delicious.

Butterbeer at Three Broomsticks. It’s got to be done! The cold version is fizzier, but the warm one was better on a chilly day. You could probably share as it’s very sweet. There are great views of the castle from the terrace out the back.

Savoury vegetarian options are much more limited:

The Fossil Fuel stand in Jurassic Park World has waffle style french fries with avocado and salsa topping for 500 yen ($4.50).

Azzurra di Capri, a table service restaurant, has a vegetarian pizza. Go early to get a table.

Three Broomsticks has a vegetarian menu, but you have to ask staff for it (and it took them a while to find it!). The vegetarian set menu includes salad, grilled corn on the cob, fries, warmed vegetables, and granola for 1750 yen ($16). They said they could also do a vegetable curry, but it would take 30 minutes.

Park Side Grille, a table service steak restaurant, is listed on the map as having a vegetarian menu, but there are no meat-free options on their regular menu so you would need to ask.

Shopping

Simon in a unicorn hat at the It’s So Fluffy shop

If you plan to do any shopping, bring your passport as you can then shop tax-free if you spend over 5000 yen.

There are many options for souvenirs in the park. Our favourites were in Harry Potter World and It’s So Fluffy which is full of cute fluffy unicorns from Despicable Me.

Summary

Universal Studios Japan is a fun day out in Osaka with the magical Harry Potter World and some seriously thrilling rollercoasters and unique 3D simulators. It is a very popular park, so do make sure you avoid peak times, book tickets in advance, and either buy an Express Pass or prepare to queue.

If you are theme park nuts like us, you might also want to read our posts on our favourite Universal Studios Singapore rides and Tokyo DisneySea rides. 

Many thanks to Universal Studios Japan and Voyagin who hosted us at the park.

If you enjoyed this post, pin it!

[oncethrown]

@demetriusa said:

huh. you're such an optimistic person! my take's been that all of this points to Aline going down the same path as the other females characters. And, in this case, it would hurt even more. I'm not sure the messy narrative needs her,and if she's been brought on only bc she's lesbian, and they couldn't not have her...why not work first on all the problems with the characters we have already on the show, though? there's no time to do them all justice, really.

This is why I’m optimistic:

1. Shadowhunters is both bringing new characters in, and shedding old ones. 

2. They are developing the main characters (other than Clary, coming back to that) out of the two dimensions they had in the source material. So Isabelle is warm and nurturing and smart as hell instead of just Girl For Clary To Jealous At, Jace’s cockiness grows out of hurt and vulnerability and growing up in an environment of neglect and abuse, instead of him just being a beautiful blond spouting one liners, and Alec is not just Tall Gay, he’s had several episode spanning story arcs, and he’s one of the best fleshed out characters on the show. 

3. The new intro I hate so much makes a point of introducing all the main characters. 

Which Means!

They are looking for the right mix for an ensemble. 

The Dearly Departed

Raj, Lydia, Jocelyn,  Victor Aldertree and Camille are gone because they stopped serving a function. Robert is gone because he’s a redundancy on Maryse, and Maryse is 200% more compelling. Gretel got cut because she was just Maia 1.0, and thus a redundancy.  

Guest Starring

Maia has interacted with all the main characters, been in most of the episodes since she was introduced, and made it into one of 2B’s main storylines-- the clave as oppressors. She’s a win. 

Imogene was the villain for a couple of episodes, but isn’t the type of character the show was able to support constant interaction with. 

Dot’s role was rewritten from “like a big sister to Clary” and self sacrificing whilst being evil-ed on a boat, to Magnus’s world weary, moderately sassy friend. They are trying to find something to do to keep her around. 

Meliorn has been completely rewritten too, from Isabelle’s conveniently connected lover, to important representative of the Seelie Court. 

Sebastian is driving a whole new plot, which, if they writers have any talent or mercy will give us a fantastic new direction to go in for season three. Valentine is a terrible villain, and even the books only stayed shackled to him for half the story. The show is looking to upgrade it’s big bad. 

Raphael has suffered from Simon’s character growth, because he is now pointless as Simon’s antagonist. Simon’s storyline supports itself without him, so Raphael got tossed into Isabelle's story line, which also didn’t work, so they just ended that relationship in the last episode. Maybe he goes somewhere from here, maybe he doesn't. It’s too soon to tell, but he could easily be the next person shuffled off.

B Plot Extraordinaires!

Luke is being given his own circle to bounce off of with Maia and Ollie. Ollie, it has to be said, currently has more plot and character development than Clary after two scenes. She’s new in a job, wants to do well, and has discovered a secret. She’s been on screen for less than 120 total seconds and is better written than Clary. 

Simon has absolutely gotten the most character development, from nerdy friend, to fledgling vampire, to fledging vampire trying to be human, to acceptance of vampire-dom while finally dating the girl he’s always wanted, to being a daylighter, to ditching Clary and embracing his full downworlder reality. 

Magnus is currently in the middle of a storyline that is developing him out of “Main Character by Proxy” and into a fully fleshed out pillar of the plot. His storyline revolved entirely around Alec up until the moment he and Valentine swapped bodies, and now the plot is focusing on his past and internal struggles. A lot of his plot is still about love, but the building blocks for giving him his own stories entirely independent of the Institute A Plot are already laid out, the basement is nearly finished, they are going to start building the main floor any day now. 

The A Plot Ensemble (and, unfortunately, Clary)

So with Luke and Simon supporting their own storylines away from the main Institute drama, and Magnus gearing up to do the same, our leads are Jace, Alec, Isabelle and unfortunately, Clary. 

I bet we start to see this coalesce tonight. Isabelle talks to Clary about her relationship struggles with Simon, and also talks to Jace about it. Aline comes in, creating some sort of Sebastian drama that from the previews, I’m guessing explodes in 2x17. Maybe Isabelle’s recovery comes up, this leaves most of our Institute characters involved in a plot together. 

Alec is probably going to to be off in a side plot with Magnus, but it’s going to be a net growth for those two characters. 

And Aline is coming into the A plot, to talk to all of the main core. Essentially, this is a chemistry audition. Does she work or not? Can her character arc compliment this group? Is there a storyline with can give her in B-Plot land? 

So yeah... I agree that things are sort of a mess, and they are not using all of their characters to their advantage, but I also feel like it’s still early enough for them to be figuring this out, and especially with the hints, about the season 2 finale completely changing the show, I bet that by that point they lock into a workable ensemble, figure out the relationships once and for all (probably kill 2-5 characters) and haul ass forward from there. 

[mysteriesofmarcy]

Episode 32: The season 3 intro

Welcome back, magical princesses, to Mysteries of Mewni! A theory based podcast for Star vs the Forces of Evil. I am Joe, and thank you for sticking with me! I'll record this episode soon. But I just haven't had the chance until now. Anyway, let’s get to our analysis of the season 3 intro! I think the best way to analyze this intro is to compare it to the first one. We'll start by talking about characters. The first intro had lots of characters, some of whom didn't appear in the show. People like the strangers at the Bounce Lounge, those pirate guys, and even some of the demons, are not in the actual series. So for this intro, that means being in it means nothing. Personally, I think characters like Mina Loveberry and the younger Pony Head sisters will NOT be important in the show. I think it was just because they wanted to show Star and Marco going to other dimensions, but this time being familiar with them. You'll notice that throughout the intro, every single character is someone we've seen before, except the Pony Head younger sisters. And even them, we've seen in the guide book. What this is showing is that Star and Marco will now be visiting other dimensions that they both know, as opposed to just Star. What that means is, Star and Marco now know just as much as each other. They are going through this together. They are both completely caught up to each other. And, this does go with the theme of last season's finale: the truth is out, and everyone is now on the same page. Now we also know that some characters who were in the show were noticeably absent from the intro. Characters like Janna and Starfan13 are not in the intro until the very end. And as everyone has noticed, Toffee is absent. I think most of you know where I'm going with this, so I'm just going to say it: don't freak out because Jackie isn't in the new intro. Like we've just discussed, a character being or not being in the intro means nothing. Jackie will not be going away anytime soon. And I think the other reason is that Jackie is kind of a wild card right now. Nobody has a clue how she is going to react to Star's crush on Marco. The most important character who didn't appear in the original intro is Toffee, and he was a wild card as well. We didn't have a clue what he was there for or who he was. Maybe Jackie will be the behind-the-scenes hero. Maybe she will be the behind-the-scenes villain, I don't know! So, the next logical question is, what does the intro mean? That's a little harder, but again, we'll look back to the original intro. Star tries to use her wand on Mewni. She messes up. Her parents send her through a portal to earth. She invades Marco’s life. He is at first shocked, but quickly warms up to Star and becomes her bestie. They go around doing normal earth things. Then Pony Head opens up a portal to other dimensions. They go around the dimensions, having fun everywhere they go. There's also Ludo and his army, who are quickly defeated by Star and Marco. As you can see, this intro shows exactly what happens in the first few episodes. It also gives a vague impression of what to expect in the rest of season 1. So I guess that means this intro serves the same function. It shows what will happen during The Battle For Mewni, and gives a vague impression of what will happen in the rest of season 3. Let's look at it through that lens. Star and Marco are in Marco’s room. Star takes him outside. They slide down the stair railing, where it's revealed that they are actually on Mewni. They crash the king and queen’s corn dinner. Marco opens up a portal to another dimension, and he and Star use it. They go to the cloud kingdom of the Pony Heads, where Star hugs her other bestie and Marco relaxes in the clouds among her sisters. Then they are seen in Tom’s carriage with Brian and a few others. They them run outside, past Mina Loveberry and Kelly, to the goblin dog truck. Next they run past Ms. Heinous and her assistant, and then Eclipsia's crystal (from which she appears to have escaped), and then they see possessed Ludo with his eagle and spider companions. Star blasts him. Then Star, Marco, Janna, Tom, Pony Head, and Kelly appear in the final group shot. So during the Battle For Mewni, Marco will move to another dimension, at least for the time being. He and Star will be living in Mewni Castle. I think that once Marco uses his dimensional scissors, he's opening a portal to what happens after the Battle For Mewni. He and Star will be allowed to return to some semblance of normal, going to other dimensions, having adventures, just like they used to. At the end, I think the group shot is of the team that Star and Marco will lead into battle. It's entirely possible that Moon and River will lead a different team of fighters, one that possibly includes several characters who don't appear here. They might include: Jackie, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, Starfan13, Mina Loveberry, and the Magical High Council. This also seems to show that at least some of the tension caused by the love triangle will be eased by the end of the battle. Maybe some time away from Jackie will cause Marco to realize that what he liked about her before was pretty superficial. Maybe that will make him force himself to really get to know Jackie as a person, and get more comfortable being around her. Maybe the (brief) time Marco will spend away from Star will cause him to realize just how much she really means to him. Maybe Star's time away from Marco will help her to sort out her feelings about him. I think it would be good right now for all three of them to spend some time apart. Who knows if we'll actually get that or not. All in all, this intro only proved what we already know. And what we already know is, we know nothing. We have a vague idea of what will happen this season. But at the same time, we have no idea what will happen this season. Tune in next time to hear me talk about the Battle For Mewni trailers. Don’t forget to play the trivia game, which is now releasing every Monday and Wednesday. And until next time, stay weird, my friends.

[cairis-in-the-field]

Voltron Tag Game

How did you discover the show?

I was bored so I signed onto Netflix.  Saw that advertised RIGHT OFF and my first thought was: “Christ, another one?  They fucked up every other version they made after the 80s.”  But the design style looked good, so I checked it out.

Was it love at first sight or did it take a while to warm up to?

Hooked IMMEDIATELY.  It had me from the INTRO.  The animation looked great, loved the theme music (but, seriously, after SIX seasons and a roster change, shouldn’t they change the intro a bit?), and the characters were fantastic.  The voices perfectly match their characters, I think, and you can tell the VAs are enjoying the experience, so that brings extra oomph to it.

Do you have a favorite episode?

The one where they meet Ulaz as a team.  Despite the hurtful loss of Ulaz at the end of the episode, I really enjoyed his time with them. 

Favorite Paladin?

HUNK.  Hunk!  Hunk!  Hunk!  Hunk!

Favorite Lion?

Blue.  Always has been, always will be.

Favorite Villain?

Commander Sendak, hands down (though I feel like Haxus should be added; a 2 for 1 deal!).

Favorite Aliens?

The Galra.  I just love ‘em.  I could do with more than five minutes of cultural exposition on them, but at least we finally got SOME.

Favorite Side Characters?

Oh, gosh!  Ummm... Matt Holt (if he counts as a side character) and Shay!  Nyma and Rollo and Beezer grew on me, too.

How/Why did you join the fandom?

I wanted to be part of the RP experience in the fandom, so that meant interacting with other fans.  I’ve enjoyed meeting so many interesting, intelligent, clever, creative, wonderful people!  

Best part of the show?

The whole thing?  Sure, there are bits that annoy me (HUNK IS MORE THAN JUST FAT JOKES, VOLTRON WRITERS!  HINT-FUCKING-HINT!), but for the most part, I really enjoy every bit of it.

Hopes? Wishes?

MORE KOLIVAN (and that he DOESN’T DIE)!  More than 5 minutes of screen time for Commander Sendak!  WHERE THE FUCK IS THROK, PLEASE?  (And, seriously, it’d be awesome if he has a storyline similar to this EFF-WORDING FANTASTIC STORY written by a wildly talented friend)  And, just... more insight into the Galra culture.  Let’s see what sort of nonsense Earth gets up to!  Find a way to bring back Antok, Thace, and Ulaz (use a sphinx and magic! why not?)!  WHERE IS GNOV????  Oh, the list - it goes on.

Will you stick around for the show?

Yep.  Yeah.  Yes.  Affirmative!

Favorite Character?

Kolivan, but... actually, you know?  I have to say ALL of them.  Each of them has something interesting and entertaining about them.  They really make the whole thing.  Love it!

Tagged by: @dragonfoxstar @silverboop

Tagging: @vrepit-sa @ardentsoldier @nefariouslycrafted @vin-robles @galrannoodle @gato-the-galra

(no obligation to play, of course!)