#sorry i am COMPELLED by this love triangle.

[hyewka]

or can u suggest any txt fic here (preferably the long ones w chapters) that u enjoyed?

sorry for the extremely extremely late reply but i’ll list some long fics + txt series’s that ive enjoyed with some comments attached to each one. spoiler alert, a completed txt series is pretty hard to find lol

series

lover = lo$er (sub!gyu, virgin fic)

it would be easy to just straight up recommend every @/wildernessuntothemselves series and i might just succumb to that later on but this is pure submissive beomgyu heaven, served as my first real awakening and i would probably attribute most of my sub gyu writing to this fic alone. 10/10, has a love triangle bit and beomgyus kind of insane

criminal conscience (dom!gyu, crime au)

on the other side of the spectrum, this is pussy clenching dom beomgyu goodness and i dont think it gets better than this. the writing is so compelling it fully immerses you in the narrative, even im getting sucked in to beomgyu’s manipulation (whats new really), blaring red flags and all. its currently on hiatus though but i would catch up either way beomiracles is a pretty consistent writer, she’d probably pick it up sooner or later :)

mosquito (soobin)

sorry this is going to be all over the place lol but this is also still ongoing (its only two parts in) but this writer is absolutely insane. narrative feels fleshed out and though it mainly follows soobin’s perspective and feelings, i am quite enjoying it so far. it has some idol x idol action as well, not the main focus of course but it is written in detail

one way (dom!beomgyu, themes of sadism)

this ones a three parter and its completed. by the same writer mentioned previously (soobrat), very very good storytelling, keeps you on your toes and has a hold on your emotions but like mentioned, it has a bit of an extremity in the smut and it is undeniably toxic but its good

sneaky link (dom yeonjun, the other woman trope)

i havent read this in a while but i remember staying up all night reading all of it lol. i would probably not recommend this to people who really cant read infidelity since thats what the fic is based around but it isnt cast in a very favorable light anyway. really toxic, seriously good

fuck you series (sub gyu, enemies to lovers, band au)

its really cute and the e2l set up is believable enough since theyre band rivals. beomgyu is so so so cute in this even if a little insufferable to mc lol. i would also recommend fairyofshampgyu’s now live series but its currently on an indefinite hiatus (its sooo good as well though so if youre willing, you should check it out)

nabi (best friends to lovers beomgyu, no smut)

two parts in, not completed but im following it currently and god i love them together their dynamic is soooo fun to read, you wont get bored

jerk! (enemies to lovers, beomgyu fic, no smut)

its another band au and its also ongoing. there isnt a consistent update schedule so that might be a minus but the most recent chapter was from a month ago so its safe to say it hasnt been left in the dust (thank god). very very good writing, excited to see how their relationship takes off

bullying choi soobin (sub soobin)

submissive soobin and its good, of course im recommending this. its finished and a 4 parter

sugar (dom!yeonjun, dom!gyu)

unfortunately probably forever incomplete but i love it and i might actually go back to reading it for the third time

let me into your world (non smut beomgyu series)

i havent read a soulmate premise in sooo long so this was refreshing to read, good stuff

supermodel (dom gyu and sub i believe)

its just. Amazing. a two parter but a goodie

the city that never sleeps (bsf smut)

also two parts but both parts are pretty long, really good stuff

ok for the life of me i cannot find this one huening series where he was getting bullied by reader and they were secretly fucking?? that one was literally perfect submissive men shit so if you find it if youve struck gold

long full fics (6k+)

telepathy (fantasy, dom!gyu)

a little out of the box compared to all the fics ive recommended so far and thats what makes it so special and good

duality (dom!kai)

i actually havent read this one yet but i will soon, i just thought id add it here anyway since i know ill love it

killer instinct (taehyun fic)

very plot heavy and it centers taehyun mainly. i could go ahead and cheat and just list out every single koqabear fic lmao but this ones a gem, very happy i set aside the time to read it

the redemption of choi yeonjun (dom!yj)

im not personally a fan of the trope but when it was originally teased the smut sounded heavenly and honestly, it is. such a good dom yeonjun here but beware hes a little (a lot) mean lol. he changes by the end

like cat and mouse! (sub gyu, inexperienced)

again, worth the reading time investment. i love submissive gyu, he is everything here and more

love love love (sub gyu, royal au)

i have probably read this a total of 30 times

i hate you (enemy!beomgyu, dom beomgyu)

ok sorry im cheating here a bit this isnt long but its so good you should check it out anyway

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - 2 GREAT Shows but everything else is kinda blah

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top. Happy new year, BLabies!

Jan 2024 Wk 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Last Twilight (Fri YT) ep 9 of 12 - This show is really earning its chops, and these actors are executing beautifully. I think this is a great BL, and it reminds me quite a bit of ATOTS, only the physical comfort between the actors is more genuine and easy to watch. Unfortunately a guitar came out. Nice communication tho.

That was a very lovely romantic sex scene. Very prettily done. Classy boys, very classy.

Gah what a beautiful final scene with Day saying the last thing he wants to see is Mhork. Pure unadulterated romance of the highest order.

The Sign (Sat YT) ep 7 of 12 - If killer, why hot? Poor Tarn compelled to try to rescue everyone else from their fate, because he cannot save himself from his.

Meanwhile Phaya is finally learning that you catch more water snakes with honey lube than vinegar.

Stellar confession from Phaya brutally honest and very fated mates.

And another lovely sex scene, so I guess that was a vision and not a fantasy Tharn had.

Lets be clear those two shows were GREAT everything else this week was kinda blah.  

For Him (Thurs iQIYI) ep 6 of 12 - I find the backstory very odd. Are they twins? What happened to Blue? Am I meant to care? Do I care? 

Twins the series (Fri GaGa) ep 10 of 12 - I mostly just feel sorry for First. He’s so rightfully confused. Zee/Sprite keeps blowing hot and cold because they two different people! The after sex cuddle was cute. 

Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 8 of 14 - Love getting more JeffAlan. Also I switch favorite character allegiances in the trash watch happening here.

Cooking Crush (Sun YT) ep 6 of 12 - Didn’t air this week and I hardly noticed. 

You and My Stars YT 1 of 2(?) - school kids, love triangle, it’s cute enough.

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) 1626 ep 20 of 24 - Just so boring. 3/10 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

VIP Only (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 8 of 10 - I’m not into the love triangle. Although I kind of like the new suitor, he’s honest and a good communicator. I appreciate these things in a BL boy. But I begin to wonder if triangles should be left for KBL. Also, this should have been an 8 epper, 10 is too long.

Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 5 of 8 - No ep until Jan 12 

I Became the Main Role of a BL (Japan Sun Gaga) ep 1-3 - AKA BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen - A rising star is paired with an (older) former child actor (doesn’t think he’s good enough) in a BL series. It’s fun, built on a dynamic of off screen paralleling the on screen, so near constantly meta. All the tropes are there but are as a result of the filming process. The star turns out to be obsessed with the former actor and very dorky about it. In fact, everyone in this show is a little gremlin weirdo (affectionate). There’s tons of scenery chewing miscommunication drama, slapstick, voice over head hopping, and eccentric sides characters. “And he comes with feathers” applies to a number of my friends. You know I don’t like stories around fan obsession, but otherwise this was enjoyable. 8/10

A nice start to the JBL year. Keep em coming, Japan.  

It's done I Need to Catch up

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - will binge when I have a spare day.

It's Airing But...

[INTERNATIONAL] Cherry Magic (Sat YouTube) ep 3 of 12 - yeah Japan put the smack down on our boys. Sadness. You can use a VPN if you like. Read all about it here.

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 14 eps - Dear Playboyy, it's not you, it’s me… I hate you. You’re about as deep (and as palatable) as a shot glass of cum. While I'm sure you’re someone’s kink, you're my weakest link. Goodbye. I DNFed this at ep 5. Frankly I'm impressed with myself for getting that far.

Night Dream (Sat YT) 6 eps - It’s a pain to track down and I really didn’t like the first episode so… DNF  

The Whisperer (Sun ????) 10 eps - Thai horror BL that ALSO involves cheating (what joy is mine). I don't think even the perfect single dimple can motivate me to watch. Word is... it's terrible.

7 Days Before Valentine (Weds WeTV) 10 eps - Giving me Luminous Solution vibes. I'm waiting to binge if safe.

Dead Friend Forever (Thai Sat iQIYI) - horror, meh, tell me if it's worth my time?

In Case You Missed it

All my year end round ups (so far) are as follows:

TOP 10 BL Trends of 2023

Top 10 BL Secondary Pairs of 2023

2023 BLs Best Trope Execution Awards! TOP 10

Best Back Hugs Thailand & Elsewhere

BL 2023 - Cute Bits of Domesticity

BL 2023 - Boys Feeding Boys

BL 2023 - BOOP!

All the BLs Announced for 2023 that didn't happen

Next Week Looks Like This

Starting This Week:

1/9 Time the series (Thai Gaga, WeTV, Channel 3) 10 eps - MFlow Entertainment brings us yet another "fix the past" narrative. After witnessing the gunning down of his beloved, a heartbroken actor uses a magic pocket watch to go back in time and discover the truth and maybe fix it.

1/11 Although I Love You and You AKA Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (Japan Gaga) - Soga, who, after a divorce and relocation to Osaka, seeks solace in dining at 26-year-old Sakae's restaurant. Unbeknownst to Soga, Sakae sees him as more than just a regular customer.

More Coming Jan 2024

Beside You (Thai YouTube)

Love For Love's Sake (Korea ????)- based on the Manhwa ‘Love Supremacy Zone’ by Hwacha. A young man is dropped into a game based off a novel he loves. His mission is to make another player, YeoWoon happy. But then the game starts unfolding completely different from the novel.

Ossans Love Season 2 (Japan ????) - five years later, will anything have changed? This is Japan so... probubly not. I won't be watching this.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Yes, you SHOULD apologize!

This was a FANTASTIC moment! Last Twilight

Night Dream referencing the Shrimp Trope.

Some didn't like this bit BUT I love a claiming moment, even in a briefing room... especially there.

I ALSO love a good Grandma Moment in a BL.

Such a good sex scene. The Sign

(Last week)

[girl4music]

WYNONNA: “Waverly Earp, get up!”

WAVERLY:

*crouched to the ground and nervously rocking*

“Hi… hey.”

WYNONNA: “Don’t hi me!

*grabs her arm and roughly pulls her to her feet*

Stand right now!”

WAVERLY: “Stop freaking out, okay?”

WYNONNA: “What are you doing here?”

WAVERLY: “I don’t… I don’t know. I guess I just wanted to see the stairs.”

WYNONNA: “Well, so would I. Where are they?

*looks back at her with a serious expression*

You promised me you wouldn’t do this.”

WAVERLY: “You know, I didn’t… I didn’t quite believe her. Kevin. But then something else happened with… with me and the ring.”

WYNONNA: “More face-melting? Face-fixing?”

WAVERLY: “I raised someone from the dead. I’m here to save humanity.”

WYNONNA:

“Oh, geez…

*scoffs*

You know what?”

WAVERLY: “That is my purpose. If you’re not gonna let me climb those stairs, then I’m gonna have to make you.”

WYNONNA: “Make me?”

WAVERLY: “Yeah. This is bigger than you.”

WYNONNA:

*smiles*

“I’ll tell you what’s bigger than you: me.

*punches her in the face*

Oh… shit…

——————————————————————————

*drags and forces her into the trunk of her truck*

Sorry Waves. But it’s like Daddy used to say: ‘This hurts you more than it hurts me.’”

*gets in the truck and drives back into town*

———————————————————————————

NICOLE: “You did what?”

WYNONNA: “Yeah, she’s safe. For now.”

NICOLE: “You knocked her unconscious!”

WYNONNA: “She didn’t even know how she got to the stairs. But the look on her face when I found her there…”

NICOLE: “Well, we can’t keep her prisoner.”

WYNONNA: “Or trust her. Please, Nicole, just until this is over.”

NICOLE: “I mean, we can’t take the chance.”

WYNONNA: “No.”

NICOLE: “Right? Especially if it risks losing her.”

WYNONNA: “Exactly. So that’s why you need to drive her somewhere safe. Out of the Ghost River Triangle.”

NICOLE: “I am the Sheriff in a town under siege! I can’t just road-trip my honey down to Austin for tacos! Besides, I would be terrible at keeping Waverly anywhere. She could convince me to do anything.”

WYNONNA: “Get a blazing phoenix tattoo all up your butt?”

NICOLE: “Yeah, if that’s what she really wanted in her beautiful heart.”

WYNONNA: “One way or another, I have to take on Bulshar. Here. I can’t just zip off with Waves on the back of my murdercycle.”

Nearing the end of my 3rd watch of ‘Wynonna Earp’. This really is a short show for my watching standards.

We have WEARP’s version of ‘BtVS’ ‘The Gift’ narrative dilemma happening whereby we either sacrifice the little sister to save the entirety of humanity or save the little sister by preventing her from being sacrificed. However, there’s a bit more of a caveat to this version in that Waverly feels compelled to sacrifice herself. Feels compelled to save the world herself because she knows it’s her birthright to. It’s what she’s meant to do as the half-angel daughter of one of 2 angels tasked with protecting the Garden of Eden. Further detail is revealed when Charlie, who was killed by Doc in his vampire rage haze of hunger, is brought back to life by Waverly when she attempts to see for herself whether what Kevin told her is true. That she is the Champion - the Chosen One - for the purpose of sealing off access into the Garden of Eden from Bulshar - who was originally the serpent of Eden.

Lots to consider for these last 2 episodes of Season 3. But I think the fundamental thing to talk about here is how high the stakes are raised for Waverly too as the Guardian now and not just Wynonna as the Earp heir and Nicole as the Sheriff of Purgatory, and whether she should have the authority and the agency to sacrifice herself as well as the acceptance to from the 2 people she loves most in the world and that love her just as much in return. Her big sister - who is her only family - and her girlfriend - who she’s planning to propose to if the world is truly ending. It’s really high stakes, especially for somebody like Waverly, because she’s always wanted to be this special and this powerful as a chosen hero just like Wynonna, Willa and Ward as Wyatt Earp’s heirs tasked with sending his revenant outlaw demons back to hell. It’s not exactly what she wanted but it’s something and she’s willing to sacrifice her entire life as it is now to be whatever it is she’s apparently destined to be as the descendant of a literal angel and to take over the mantle of the Guardian of the Garden of Eden from her birth father, Julian - who is finally revealed to be Charlie, Wynonna’s sort-of boyfriend, in this episode and is commissioned by both Wynonna and Nicole to drive Waverly out of town to prevent her from further attempts to sacrifice herself to save the world.

It’s… a lot. I am quite impressed with how Emily Andras and her team of writers, producers and directors handle all of the constant turns and shifts that happen in these last 2 episodes because I always find it difficult to follow the narrative when it’s this complicated and moving so fast in effort to wrap up for the end of the season. But I never have a problem following the plot in this show and I can only assume that the reason for that is because of them as the creators and not because of me as the watcher because I certainly haven’t improved on how I observe and process what’s going on on-screen… I don’t think.

There’s a shit load that happens in these final 2 episodes and it never ever feels too overwhelming for me. It’s paced extremely well and characterization is on point all throughout all the while. It’s impressive.

Speaking of sacrifices and the mention of that blazing phoenix tattoo Waverly may want from Nicole one day as well as bringing back the clever way in which ‘BtVS’ uses a concept that served as just a joke initially but then became serious in the character’s development which only aids to provide consistent characterization:

[kmze]

Thoughts on 2x01 - 2x11 So much better than S1, I am so much happier having more characters involved in the storyline and Katherine is such a great villian. I also noticed the lighting is warmer and brighter this season. I think I read somewhere that was intentional because they were introducing werewolves (warm orange hue) whereas the first season was vampires (cold blue hue). Also feel like I can SEE the scenes now (modern lighting on shows is the bane of my watching experience everytime) Random thoughts under the cut!

I cannot stress enough how much Katherine makes everything better, Nina deserved more accolades for how she played two very different characters interchangeably so flawlessly. Her presence even made me care more about the love triangle and the albit messed up dynamic. I mean her and Elena look EXACTLY the same and the Salvatore's want me to believe there's no transference issues? I'm so sure.

I definitely get more from Stefan and Katherine than I do from Damon and Katherine though. Katherine brings out the meaner side of Stefan that he pretends doesn't exist and I appreciate that. She is clearly still under his skin though as much as he wants to deny it because I really loved their scenes in 2x04.

Damon and Elena have great sexual tension and chemistry but I just cannot vibe with it because he killed her brother like a month ago?? I just continue to be flabbergasted by that (I am a hater).

Obviously I have seen the Stefan and Caroline scenes from 2x02 and 2x03 dozens of times but watching them like this in a rewatch makes me love them even more. Especially their scenes in the woods and at the swimming hole, Stefan is so much lighter around her. Even his scenes with Lexi last season didn’t feel as effortless. I know this early on he's friends with her because of Elena and "hero-boyfriend" duties but he still let her distract him at the grill because I think he genuinely likes being around her. Him showing her his insecurity about Damon and Elena already shows they have a lot of trust building between them. I love them.

I was so happy and almost cried at Liz being the first person to see how much Caroline changed when she became a vampire! The physical strength gave her so much confidence and Liz saw that instantly. It was so sad watching Caroline (kudos Candice) have to compel that away. I was just thinking in S1 like damn I can't believe their relationship was this rough but this moment sold how and why they become so close in the later seasons.

It’s really not a surprise Aimee and Sarah died, they were always too eager to get wasted in a town with mysterious deaths weekly. The odds were never in their favor. Katherine killing Aimee on the dance floor in front of everyone had me cracking up though! The best crazy bitch ever. The masquerade episode was probably my favorite so far in my rewatch, this is when the contrived events work with everyone playing a part in the game!

Caroline turning into a vampire really helped start to remove her from being stuck under Elena. Especially now as she's getting involved in Tyler's storyline who truly has nothing to do with Elena narrative-wise. She's even got her own love triangle brewing already.

I like how easily Stefan accepted he was going to be stuck in the tomb with Katherine for a few days, as if it was a weekend retreat. In all honesty he probably wanted to avoid Elena and the self sacrifice mission so he wouldn’t have to go along with it since he’s in “boring-choice-matters-self” mode. Because I thought it was odd he wouldn’t let Elena even see him and then told Damon to keep her away from there, so that's my theory.

Trapping Elena in the house was the best move for everyone involved. I’m sorry but the whole suicide mission was getting on my nerves. Girl shut up and sit down.

Someone should really have told Jenna already about vampires because then she'd stop inviting them into the house! Sadly I do not care about Alaric and Jenna either, I remember when I first watched I did but now, meh.

Bonnie and Jeremy are cute I don't care what anyone says! I know they have their issues in the later seasons but they could have come back to them, I can't have nice things.

Bonnie and Damon really do have great chemistry as enemies to reluctant allies, I will never forgive TPTB for denying me this.

Elijah is zzzzzz so far.

Lines that made me laugh:

Damon: Elena’s on a martyr tear that rivals your greatest hits (I yelled! he wasn't lying oh my god!)

Caroline: They were more... gold with amber highlights (she's so unintentionally funny)

[authoralexharvey]

This Or That Tag

@little-mouse-gardens and @memento-morri-writes both tagged me for this forever ago and I'm just now getting around to it. Thank you and I'm sorry lol

Historical or Futuristic

While I can appreciate both, I find I like historical settings and inspiration better at this point in time.

Opening Chapter or Closing Chapter

Both can be difficult for me to write, and while I have an idea of what closing image/s I want to relay to the audience, I am better at conjuring an opening image instead. That, and I have to write in order [for the most part] so I can't get to the end if I haven't even conceptualized the beginning.

Light + fluffy or Dark + gritty

I can appreciate both and do love cutesy and fluffy things in general [do not ask about my Bulbasaur collection] but... I tend to write about darker topics overall. I find them more compelling. Even if things end happily, I need to have periods of melancholy. As a treat.

Animal companion or Found Family

I think I'm going with animal companions for this one. While I like exploring relationships of all sorts, I don't feel like most of them fit the "found family" criterion? Animal companions are so underrated nowadays and I miss them. I've been wanting to write one for a while.

Hard magic system or Soft magic system

I like them hard [lol]... I like having rules and knowing what they are. I can appreciate a soft and fluid magic system and they can be fun, but... I need the rules.

One project at a time or Always juggling 2+

Have you met me? I'm constantly juggling several projects at several stages of completion.

Fantasy or Sci-Fi

Fantasy, by far. I can read sci-fi, I've even wrote sci-fi before. But... fantasy is so much more appealing to me for some reason. I love it a lot. Now... science fantasy.... good shit. Gooooood shit.

Character Description or Setting Description

I'm pretty bad at remembering to do either, to be honest, but I love character descriptions a lot more. What you choose to say about a character says so much!!

First Draft or Final Draft

Having wrote enough projects, I can confidently say I prefer the final draft. While I love seeing how I got my start, seeing the finished product and how I got to realize the concept from start to finish is SO much more satisfying to me.

Love Triangle in Everything or No Romantic Arcs

I'm... undecided, mostly. I chose no romance arcs, because I don't go into most projects prioritizing the romance arc? I do end up writing them a lot of the time because I like writing about queers falling in love with other queers, but overall it's not the thing I Prioritize yaknow? I'm also much more partial to polyamory over love triangles--with the caveat that love triangles CAN be a compelling source of drama and tension. Idk.

Constant Sandstorm or Constant Rainstorm

I live in Washington where it rains a fair amount so... probably that. We have some sand beaches here and that is bad enough to deal with once you're done having fun. Constant sandstorm? No thank you. I'll save that for Brando Sando.

Tagging: @alistonjdrake, @linaket, @ladzwriting, @andromedaexists, @magic-is-something-we-create, @bardicbeetle, @asablehart, and @ashen-crest. Have fun!

[clonerightsagenda]

Ok let's put this to bed. Or more appropriately in the grave. Nice stuff first:

The show was well paced and didn't drag! After my increasing frustration with the second half of HDM, I appreciate that. While it veered further away from the books in the second half which annoyed me on principle, I don't think there was anything wrong with the changes from a structural or storytelling perspective. Adding hints toward later plot twists helped provide an overarching plot to propel the season since they squashed two books with separate story arcs together.

One of my favorite things about the books is the thought put into little details of how society would respond to this situation, and the show added some new ones - the salt sprinklers, places of business having countdown clocks to sunset, those all made sense and were great touches. The ghost lamps also looked super cool.

All the kids in this situation are victims, but Lucy doesn't see herself that way and is comparatively privileged as an unsupervised agent/not night watch, so her narration skates over a lot of the horror lurking in the background. The show gets outside her head and into the darkness a bit more, which I don't object to on principle, though I do think they weakened themselves by having almost all the agents be older. At least have some younger extras besides the canaries at the auction. DEPRAC being more active worked well both from a logical standpoint and as an additional source of tension. The biggest issue here is that the books are also really funny - a major hallmark of Stroud's work is dealing with heavy shit while being hilarious - and while the show got darker it did not have much of a sense of humor.

As I said, George came off the best of the trio, and Flo also benefited from being given additional depth and not getting subjected to Lucy's uncharitable narration. The others though... I appreciated they did not cast someone stick thin as Lucy, and I liked her relationship with Norrie (helps beat the internalized misogyny allegations, helps confirm the bisexuality allegations, if they'd had any sense in future seasons the Belle Dame would've looked like her) but as I complained about at length I feel like they saw 'female character with empathy powers' and slammed the 'hysterical woman' button too hard. Lockwood... also as I said you can tell non-Lucy observers think he's obnoxious in the books but he's endearingly childish enough that you forgive him, whereas his show version was just annoying and it felt like we kept rehashing the same beats. Finally the skull's character does shift noticeably between book 2/3-5 but they cut his backstory and most of his lines, so IDK where they were going to take him for the rest of the series. Sorry if you don't find Lucy's toxic codependent frenemy hostage situation compelling, showrunners, but it was a highlight for me. He was another casualty of the show not having a sense of humor imo. Without the first person pov that's where most of the jokes come from.

Overall, while it would have been neat to see if they did anything visually interesting with the Other Side sequences, I am not bummed that this got cancelled. I would've still watched it but I would've made an 'annoying adaptation choices' bingo card and filled it out while eating M&Ms. I'd bet $10 they would've murdered Kipps for the fucking love triangle.

[solarapplejuice]

akasaka, kana arima is your best character i promise >n<

this is part 2 of an rant about my gripes with the oshi no ko manga. you can find part one on my blog but the short version is that akasaka seems like he doesnt like oshi no ko anymore and has been fucking quick-shotting the most important story beats of the entire narrative and it sucks that all of this build up is being wasted like this.

my second main gripe that kind of ties into the first is that kana arima and to some extent akane feel like they got hit by this the most. it's disappointing because akasaka i feel like makes pretty tightly written women esp compared to a lot of popular mangaka. love is war, a romance story, a very heterosexual romance story, has the most internally-consistent and independent women ive seen in most manga. he can do it! and while oshi no ko was always going to have some weird love triangle shit between akane, kana, and aqua, it should have gotten a pass for how well it would have tied into their broader character arcs.

the problem is that i feel like a lot of things about kana and akane's characters should have been shuffled around: their roles in the story, the events that happen to them, and their involvement with aqua. specifically, i think its bullshit that akane is the one who has the most involvement with aqua's revenge, and NOT kana. once again i am biased because kana is my favorite character and i think she's the best written, but also once again i will explain myself! first, comparing kana and akane. kana was always the bigger skeptic of the two; she's more cynical and seems a lot more familiar with the nitty-gritty of the industry having been a part of the more toxic-parts herself thanks to her upbringing, and thus knows how to navigate around it and would know how to sniff out BS.

akane's home base is theater and live-performance, a community she has a lot of support and connections in. but as we've seen, she's out of her depth when it comes to the film acting community, and had a really bad experience onboarding. her disposition makes it feel like while she would have poked and prodded at aqua being the daughter of ai hoshino, she should have kept her distance. she was driven to attempting suicide by people getting pissed over a fake controversy surrounding her looking like she didnt get along with her coworkers, why would she want to be involved with the very real controversy of the top idol's kids?

maybe i'm too stupid to see why it makes sense for her to get her head in so deep but it feels like akasaka wanted to do a "look at this cool, shy character. you think she's some beta who is too weak to be involved in the murder mystery but she's actually a HOT, CALCULATING, YANDERE MASTERMIND who would do anything for her bf <333" like come the fuck on. this isn't a dig against her (it's actually a dig against aka hehehe) cuz i like her and she has so many interesting things going for her like her talent for acting and her push-and-pull friendship with kana.

and speaking of which, kana! what if SHE was the one to get involved with aquas revenge? she's already disposed for it; she's more cynical and more skeptical, and likely would have made the connection on aqua HOSHINO being the diva's daughter without having to stalk her background and act out her life in order to figure it out. she would likely also get farther in the investigation as someone already involved in the film, acting, AND idol industry. and it would have been a great opportunity for her and aqua's tragic love to grow closer and fracture more violently!

but the biggest case for this is arcs. akane's character arc is, i'd argue a shut-and-done case by the time she enters aqua's revenge plot. most of her problems after her run-in with being cancelled revolve around her unrequited love for aqua, something that - i'm sorry - is not super compelling. the chance for everything that they went through to happen with kana is right there and would have been infinitely more interesting since aqua actually LOVES kana in that way. not that it has to happen - i know that aqua's whole thing is keeping his distance from the people he loves, but i think in this case him getting with akane is ultimately a waste of our time as an audience as much as it is for both of them. especially since when akane is not concerned with aqua, her role in the story is to give other characters cryptic advice in a very "im more experienced, grounded, and reasonable than you" way. she doesn't have problems unless you count aqua as a "problem" >u> once again i don't necessarily think it's a bad thing and i think it's good that there are stories where a big arc gets resolved early and said character just meshes well with others in the story later, it's just that once again the romance feels super forced because aka just needs to have his Blue Hair and Yandere cute gf character rizz up our pathetic boy mc 0~0

compared to kana, aqua's revenge arc lines up with her arc perfectly and they would bounce off of each other so well if it was allowed to happen! she'd probably keep her distance as her tendency is to avoid risk the moment she makes the ai hoshino connection, but would eventually onboard herself the moment she realizes that this too could be a way to support aqua not just as an actress but as a dear friend. aqua would ACTUALLY try to push her away seeing as she's not as crazy as akane and they would fight over how much she knows and is trying to do. something would happen - kana would be way in over her head, kamiki could make an attempt on her life, aqua blows up, in any case kana would realize she needs to look after herself more, paralleling her realizing that she can shine by herself as a genius actress while also lifting up the people around her like the star ai never got to be. this, in turn, would make aqua realize the fruitlessness of his revenge as he's pushing away the people he loves, the people he wont let into his heart out of fear of them getting hurt and his own inability to let himself be happy out of his "duty."

hell, there's still room for "lies is love" to be a theme here! kana could lie about just how much she actually knows as much as aqua could lie about how much he doesn't want her around. there's so much that could be done here that just makes more sense, but instead everything about kana feels like it was done in the wrong order. why does her lowest point come AFTER her beef with akane during the play arc where she learns to love acting for herself again? furthermore, why does she still like aqua and want to get close to him in the one chapter when he laughs and acts like he doesnt actually care afterwards? if akasaka wants to show aqua having self-destructive tendencies, then there should be destruction! there should be consequences; this is not the time for kana to be distancing herself from aqua because of her insecurities, but because aqua is fucking unstable and treating her like shit. the story wanting to have its cake (aqua being a lil shit) and eat it too (kana still simping for him) is. uh. not good, and i dont like it!

these decisions leave kana feeling super listless, changing a lot while not moving anywhere, and make aqua look like more of a dick than he actually is and needs to be. you can make the arguments that kana not being successful or growing is representative of how harsh the idol industry is or aqua keeping her out of the dark being a part of his character, and like. sure. maybe it's just me but i dont think that's an excuse; it just makes the story boring and a little too bleak for what it is. as much as oshi no ko is a scathing look at the corruption of idol culture, it also very much loves idols and entertainment as a whole, and shows what it could be like if people understood each other and weren't just in it for their own egos or money. seeing our main characters, the people were supposed to root for, being forced into increasingly bad places, forced to make shit decisions all the time just doesn't feel good for everything else that happens.

i want to see kana grow more as an idol and as a person, and i want to see aqua both genuinely pay for his actions and learn how to come back from them. it sucks that the story seems to be validating him and ruby's revenge plot when it was setup from the beginning to be a bad idea. it feels like im getting pranked; was their revenge plot actually the morally good option for everyone involved after all? did i just misunderstand the entire story? i'm genuinely asking this, i'm not the best at analyzing the writing i love and i'd like another fan to call me out if i'm completely off base here. because right now i'm not liking what akasaka is cooking, and it's making me wish that major parts of this story were rewritten and useless plot happenings were instead given to more compelling storylines. instead of akane and aqua dating, we could have had 45510 worm its way in the story. the play arc could have happened later, and aqua and ruby's complicated relationship could have panned out longer. it could have been so good. it could have been!

[i-am-extremely-mad]

I'm still a little shocked that @circlique didn't like how I responded to things that some fans hate about TLOK (the comment they left under the post): 

"How did I know this was someone just looking for an argument lol. Agree to disagree." 

I wasn't looking for an argument, I just feel that these things are pretty underrated in the fandom, especially the love triangle, the fact that it actually was a love triangle, not a love angle, as it really is in most cases, as well as the fact that Korra and Asami weren't hated each other and fought each other over Mako... 

Anyway, I'm sorry if they took this as a personal attack, maybe I should have expressed myself better, I really liked their posts and arts, especially that post where they defended Korra and how much undeserved hate she gets.

https://www.tumblr.com/i-am-extremely-mad/722041973501984768/what-exactly-issues-do-you-have-with-tlok

“What exactly issues do you have with TLOK?

circlique answered:

Many of the same that other people have, just that Korra as a characters is not one of them, like I said.

But some of the things I didn’t like:

-stupid, unnecessary love triangle

-the Equalists were great and compelling antagonists, but the divide between benders and nonbenders never really got addressed after Amon was defeated.

-Water Tribe Civil War plot was great, and I hate that they abandoned it for the kites. The Avatar and spirits were better left mysterious imo. If they HAD to be included, making both Raava and Vaatu part of the Avatar spirit would have been much better imo because it would have fit the themes of balance and harmony present throughout the rest of the series much better. Light can only exist in darkness, some chaos is good and necessary, etc etc.

-Unalaaq/Vaatu were boring, forgettable villains. Also hated the kaiju fight with laser beams. Didn’t feel like it belonged in the world of Avatar at all.

-season 3 is easily the best season but I still wish there was a bit more buildup to the airbenders coming back. Like, maybe after harmonic convergence kids can be born with airbending instead of people just randomly waking up with it one day.

-season 4 was also pretty good and my only real complaint with it was the mech. Just didn’t feel like it fit in the world. I wouldn’t have minded if it was just limited to the canon and possibly moved by railroad or something.”

i-am-extremely-mad:

Hmm, I see (I sent that anon question). I already answered some of these arguments: https://www.tumblr.com/i-am-extremely-mad/705097614657470464/fandomsandfeminism-im-still-not-really-over

...but I will answer some arguments here:

“-stupid, unnecessary love triangle”  

I've never really had much of a problem with a love triangle. TLOK is, among other things, a teenage drama, love triangles are typical tropes here.

What I actually loved here is that unlike typical love triangles where the female characters fight for the affections of the male character, Korra and Asami never really hated each other, especially Asami. Korra was only jealous for a couple of episodes and even then the worst thing she could think of about Asami was how she is supposedly prissy: "He's all into that prissy, beautiful, elegant, rich girl." But even then, Korra didn't hide that she also saw her as beautiful and elegant.

And the part that's often ignored is that Korra actually stopped trying anything with Mako after she became friends with Asami, which didn't stop Mako from being a total jerk, especially after Korra suspected that Asami's father might be an Equalist, him accusing her that she only did it so he would break up with Asami. And despite all that, when she was proven right, Korra asked him to go comfort Asami.

“-the Equalists were great...”

As I already said in another post (see link) the Equalists were actually non-benders supremacists (I still can't believe that some people consider them communists, but then again when I see supposed "leftists" supporting authoritarian non-democratic regimes in the real world, yeah...), Amon was just a grifter and most of their arguments were bullshit and full of holes.

Especially when you see how successful non-benders actually are in society, Hiroshi Sato (why would the alleged “communists” work closely with the bourgeois?) being the most obvious example, while many benders barely made ends meet, even if they were famous athletes that people heard about on the radio, like Mako and Bolin. It seems that the social problems were not of an ethnic but of a class nature.

“-Water Tribe Civil War plot was great,...”

Fans don't realize that the civil war wasn't important at all, it was just a distraction to hide Unalaaq's true intentions, to free Vaatu and start the apocalypse.

And I think it was mentioned somewhere that Vaatu wasn't destroyed but just weak and is now in Raava.    

“-Unalaaq/Vaatu were boring, forgettable villains...”

Not much different from Ozai, really. Also, as I already said in another post, Unalag is basically Ozai in reverse.    

I have no problem with “kaiju” fight. I could even argue that the last two Godzilla movies borrowed a bit from TLOK (LOL).

Also wasn't there also a "kaiju" fight in ATLA at the end of Book 1 when the Ocean Spirit took over Aang's body and attacked the Fire Nation fleet? It's strange how people forget about such things when they criticize TLOK.

“...more buildup to the airbenders coming back...”

I have no problem with the idea that some people got airbender powers. Also if newborn children were born with powers, it would be several years before they would show any signs of airbending powers. Not very practical for the story they wanted to tell.

“my only real complaint with it was the mech...”

Absolutely underestimated or better said, completely ignored parallel in TLOK:

UnaVaatu, misuses mystical and spiritual powers for conquest and destruction.

Kuvira with Mecha-UnaVaatu, misuses science and technology power for conquest and destruction.

Also, a foreshadowing that many have ignored, that Mecha-UnaVaatu will be made:

Book 4, Episode 6: "The Battle of Zaofu"

Varrick: "Funny story, Bolin. I first got the idea for harnessing spirit power when I watched that giant Unalaq-monster attack the city from my jail cell. That giant monster set me free!" [Turns to Bolin with a meaningful look on his face.]

Also, Mechs are actually a typical and common part of the DieselPunk genre, and I actually answered that under another post:  

https://www.tumblr.com/i-am-extremely-mad/706005529101762560/if-anyone-thinks-the-giant-mecha-in-tlok-is-absurd

[lucyghoul]

I haven't seen you talking about taissa so I'm curious what's your thoughts on her and taivan?

i love taissa!!! i have been neglecting her in my blogging so sorry to my girl. i’ve also definitely had my shaunajackie and lottienat blinders on this season. i don’t feel like i have a ton of super deep thoughts on her because she’s a character that i’m more along for the ride on than trying to piece together her interiority, which is very much what i end up doing with shauna and lottie. i enjoy just watching the other tai stuff unfold naturally and waiting to see where it takes me and her adult plotline wasn’t as compelling to me until that got folded in

as for taivan i found them very cute last season and also am having a great time with the lottiecult complications. i am obsessed with this impending love triangle between van and both tais especially now that we have lauren in the mix!! the kiss last ep took me OUT

[strangertheories]

I think the monologue doesnt make sense narratively if Mike does realize his feelings for Will at this point in the story, and many Bylers just think it is a 'compelling' narrative without realizing Mike lying to El about loving her comes off as a questionable narrative choice with the monologue. Him not realizing he loves Will makes the situation better and it is not unfair to El, sorry but I am sick of ppl just being ok with Mike lying to El since S3 or even since S2 without realizing how shitty it sounds as a narrative choice and ppl thinking the writers would write something like that is ridiculous to me.

I imagine that S2/3 Mike genuinely did believe he loved Eleven. Part of me hopes he once did as I like their relationship in earlier seasons, but that would probably be a bit confusing. But if he does like Will, it will feel like he's been pulling along El. I get that being gay in the 80s would be scary and I do think a good writer could pull it off but I really really wish Mike and Eleven had broken up in S4. Either they've dragged it on for love triangle drama or Mike lied to Eleven. And I understand it can be excused away and I think I'd prefer Byler to Mlvn but I'm not going to pretend like they couldn't have done it better.

I get it's the best slow burn ever, but it's not going to be a slow burn if they just suddenly get together in one season. I don't think it's inherently bad, but the Duffers haven't made it easy for themselves. I think I'm more of a Byler shipper than anon, but I do think they raise an interesting point. My solution to that would be to have Eleven break up with Mike before the time skip in S5 so then it gives Mike several years to get through the deep layers of denial he has. I think this could be done compellingly without making it seem as though Mike was actively lying to El. Thanks for the ask!

[wellofdean]

Carlos doesn’t resemble dean in the slightest, they’re practically complete opposites. John is the narrative mirror to dean if there was one, with his “I’m not a monster” thing, and with how Danneel and Jackles have unfortunately made a point to say that supernatural was a love story between two brothers at its core and john and Mary are an extension of that. In the Pilot it’s suggested that Carlos uses his sexuality to sabotage Mary’s relationships because he has a crush on her so I definitely think that their plan was to introduce a queer character just to but him in a het love triangle, in recognition of Cas’s popularity in the fandom. And it’s goofy to think Bolo ties are Deans “thing” when he wore one in like one episode and Carlos is Latino. If they wanted him to resemble dean they would be dressing him in flannel and leather… and one last thing. Do you not see the irony in you claiming supernatural is about how suffocating and damaging toxic masculinity is, and immediately following that post with a gifset that suggests Dean being at peace is a bad thing because he thrives on trauma and misery? I hated the finale too but that’s just hypocritical

John is certainly A narrative mirror for Dean, but so is Mary, Carlos, Millie... I wrote briefly about what I think is going on in this narrative here. I'm not interested in arguing about this, because it is obvious to me, and I am armed with a university degree in understanding narrative and a longtime obsession with the writings of Carl Jung, so I am pretty confident about what I see happening in it. You will not sway me, and I do not actually care at all, my anonymous friend who is apparently ashamed to own their own opinions publicly, whether or not you agree, and I feel no compulsion to convince you.

I have heard what the creative team behind TW have said, and you and I interpret those things very differently. Additionally, the idea that heart of Supernatural is the relationship between the brothers is one I really don't think is supported by the text especially not by the end of the show. Maybe it started that way, but it didn't end that way. I think the heart of Supernatural is Dean, and like Cas, we care about everyone and everything else in it because Dean does. I am not feeling any kind of way about Sam. His ending was lame, and his party city wig was stupid. I hate that we never see his wife, and he doesn't get what he wanted, but I am not still thinking about his fate AT ALL. If his story was done, it would be just fine with me. Dean is another story. Dean's story is not done, and Dean is the one that so many people can't let go, and that's because his story cannot end the way it did -- that is a broken narrative.

Again, I don't care if you agree or not.

I'm also not saying Bolo ties are Dean's thing. I am saying that Carlos literally wears the EXACT SAME bolo tie that Dean wore. Not just A bolo tie, THE bolo tie. Like, the same exact same one that Dean wore when he made Cas dress up like a cowboy in Tombstone. Little things like that are conscious choices on a TV show where every little thing on camera was placed there on purpose. Finally, there are lots of other things about Carlos that are very like Dean, in fact, when one looks beyond fashion.

Finally, there is no hypocrisy at all in recognising that the Dean we all know and love on Supernatural DOES thrive on trauma. He swims in a soup of it for every moment that we have known him. Trauma is the air he breathes. He is deeply, deeply traumatised for every moment of his existence. That isn't where I want him at all, I want him HEALED, but it is where is IS. He dies traumatically and then goes to a heaven where he just does more driving. I'm sorry, but that is insufficient peace for Dean. He deserves something much richer, deeper and more compelling, and he deserves to be loved, and to be transformed by letting himself love. But, Dean was not given any room or chance to make any kind of peace with his trauma, or to transform in any way. He just dies violently like he was fated to do, and then gets sent drive boring heaven, trapped in eternal stasis. If that is what you wanted for Dean, that's cool I guess, but I think it's fucking horrific, and I do not agree.

Again, I feel no need to convince you. I am just stating my opinions here, because THIS IS MY BLOG.

Finally, stop messaging me on anon. What the hell is wrong with just owning your fucking opinions? I am answering you in a civilised, perfectly normal and friendly way. What are you afraid of?

[maddy-ferguson]

i am not anti jncy but i see no point in bringing stncy back in s4 and showing that nancy still feels some sort of attraction towards him if stncy is not gonna be a thing again? like why bring that plotline back in s4 for no reason in the same season jncy still are having relationship problems?

also nancy obviously is shown to feel something for steve whether or not ppl dismiss it or not. you could say that s1 was just not that deep sort of attraction, but then how u explain s4? there is no point in showing nancy's confusion and attraction towards steve in this season (and it doesnt make sense to bring the stncy tension back either).

this was sent to me before i talked about being a jncy endgame doubter yesterday and so for a minute there i was like oh my god single nancy truther ask? they know? but it wasn't that actually.

i don't know why you sent this to me specifically but you came to the right person as i am neither a jncy lover nor a jncy hater. i loved them in 2016 but season 2 kind of made me...stop caring. don't ask me why. i do however hate stncy so i'm not 100% impartial but it's not like i'd bend over backwards to make sense of jncy ending up together. i agree that it's really funny that people (on this side of the fandom especially!) don't seem to find jncy fighting and talking about "not understanding each other anymore" in season 3 and then lying to each other in season 4 at all worrying

as much as i despise the stncy comeback, i see a couple reasons as to why they would bring it back in season 4 when everyone thought the love triangle was behind us and assumed jonathan and nancy were endgame.

it makes us go "oh? this couple i've been used to for four seasons might not end up together after all?" which applies to the Other love triangle as well. and it could be for a myriad of reasons, maybe it's just for the drama, maybe it's because nancy is gonna end up with steve after all, maybe it's only meant to be applied to the other love triangle, but i think it's because jonathan and nancy are gonna break up. i expect them to break up. i think nancy's gonna end up single.

the only reason i'm confident stncy isn't gonna happen isn't because i'm sure jncy is endgame because as i just said i'm not, it's because it makes no sense thematically. and i know that doesn't sound like much when you get scenes of nancy staring at a shirtless steve, but i really just still don't see her checking him out as a deep (meaningful) attraction. if they'd shown us steve and nancy having deep personal talks maybe but what do we get all season really? sexual tension? nancy checking him out? an act of "unambiguous true love" that's just nancy trying not to let someone close to her die on her watch again?

and sure that's not nothing but nancy ending up with steve just doesn't make sense for her arc that's about not repeating her parents' mistake, not settling down with someone just because they're a good enough prospect (from a good family, rich, jock, wants a family) and just because you like them fine and aren't in love with them. non-conformity etc. steve's her el, to a lesser extent. this has been said a lot and i can see why you don't feel like that's a compelling argument, especially after s4 stncy, but to me season 4 really doesn't change the essence of the love triangle! it makes more noticeable even, especially when you compare it to mike's love triangle. also see my addendum at the end of this ask. maybe i'm overthinking it but that's the way i see it and all that added up makes me, i'm proud to say, 100% sure that steve and nancy are NOT ending up together

i'm sorry this was just me rehashing stuff that's been going around for months i'm having a hard time explaining what i mean even though it's all very clear in my head <3

now onto our jncy doubt agenda and my personal single nancy agenda.

stranger things likes to subvert tropes right? how in the hell is "the self-insert underdog weirdo freak gets the girl" a subversion of tropes? it's like THE sci-fi trope, it's more prevalent than born sexy yesterday! nancy and jonathan are the perfect example of the trope come to life, though since it's a 2010s show nancy has more agency than the regular 80s sci-fi love interest and doesn't exist just as The Woman and The Love Interest. but they still very much fit that trope. by not ending up with steve, nancy breaks the cycle and doesn't repeat her parents' marriage. that's great. jncy itself still isn't groundbreaking at all. and maybe they don't have to be, right, in terms of archetypes, jopper isn't groundbreaking either, i know, but it took them four seasons to get together and they haven't spent the last two seasons not working that great as a couple so i'll leave them be.

you know what is subverting a trope? the girl not ending up with the self-insert underdog weirdo freak. and not ending up in a relationship at all. it's 2023 so it isn't THAT crazy anymore and the idea of her not ending up with either of them has been floating around and i don't see anyone loving the fact that nancy's been in a love triangle for three seasons out of the four we have but i feel like ending the show with nancy being single would still make waves. especially because it's The love triangle, it's the one everyone in the cast has an opinion on, i just think her not ending up with anyone is fun.

i think nancy not ending up with either makes sense for jonathan and steve's arcs too (even though the concept of steve having a series-long arc is...debatable. but let's say he does) and i really just think it works on every level. this was mostly me talking about nancy because she's in the middle of the love triangle and because she's like a sister to me.

in the end maybe jonathan and nancy will end up together. you can say they have their goal of going to college together binding them together for instance, she wants to be a journalist and he wants to be i don't remember what exactly but a photograph and work in journalism too, and there's other things i'm sure, i just really don't expect them to. 60/40 maybe. or 70/30.

[strangeswift]

I am tired of the love triangle. It just isnt the genius compelling writing choice the duffers think it is, sorry. It also was cringe and set Steve's character back with that weird 6 nuggets speech thing.

I am also not a fan of the love triangle. I don't really like love triangles in general, and it does feel like a step back for both of them.

Although, there may be a reason for them taking a step back with Steve... *whispers* if he's gonna die

[notallwonder]

CME 17x08, what have you for me...

- this Lawrence Durrell quote "the richest love is that which submits to the arbitration of time"...in Emily's voice no less. I assume it's about Rossi, but a girl can twirl her hair and think of other applications.

- this Rossi stuff with Jill. Hmph. And Prentiss talking about... falling in love with your best friend's wife, and timing... teehee

- the way Emily listens and responds, reminds me of their chat in season 7. Can't remember the episode atm but it's when Rossi is thinking his ex wife (#1) wants to rekindle and Emily tells him to take the leap. I love that little scene, so this reminder was nice.

- JJ & Luke in the field. looking foine

- I like the way the Stuart house kids think Voit's a little bitch

- I really like Rebecca. Tyler's sort of growing on me, like some kind of inoffensive fungus maybe. I'm not a fan of whatever they're doing to Luke with this alleged "triangle"

- so all the Gold Star doctors/psychologists are dying/killed...I see where we're going here. Jill you in danger girl.

- Paget's hair so pretty 😍

- Tara is gorgeous, always. But those pics of Aisha directing the last ep? I nearly passed away 🔥🔥🔥 holy shit 🔥🔥🔥

- wait WHAT. Did I fall asleep? (that's what I get for watching this in the middle of the night)

- WHAT???!!!

- going back to watch what I missed

- I gotta be so honest. I just am not that interested in Rossi's emotional turmoil, his inner world. I'm sorry old man. I just....I just want to see more of JJ, more of Luke, more of Tara, more of Emily. Voit in s16 and now Gold Star in s17 have both built to/been aimed at Rossi at the last chapter, and I just do not find that particularly compelling. I think this is a result of the 10-episode serial format. They have to make the overall arc "big" and they make it about "the BAU" and who is more representative of the BAU than Rossi. I like Joe Mantegna, but of the limited time we get the fact that it's Rossi, over and over, is a bummer to me. ftr this is also why I am pleased that Spencer is not in evolution - bc I don't think they could resist making it all about him, somehow.

- I did like the way they had him zoning out while JJ etc delivered the profile, and then she clapped real big.

- wait a minute here. We were led to believe that Gold Star had *national security* implications. Now it's come to light that Jill used the white paper to draft a proposal, and the proposed project was funded by a mysterious *private entity*. Is the supposed blowback that the FBI sponsored research that eventually led to the creation of these killers? So the FBI has an interest in not letting that information go public, in order to protect its reputation (lol)? And you'd think, if the FBI director "had it out for" the BAU, what better excuse to reorganize or dismantle than to let the "founders" of the BAU take the public fall. Idk it just feels weak to me, the way this is all supposed to hang together. I suppose if there really are other facilities besides Stuart House, that were more successful (ie their patients became agents of state violence rather than uncontrolled killers), the gov would want to keep that secret. It's a pretty dark view of the establishment, that CM doesn't generally express. But we are no longer just a CBS procedural...

- the scenes with Jill and Damien. Ran counter to my expectations. It happened so quickly, that she convinced him his training had been a lie, that he killed his foster dad for no good reason. And then he's dead??? I honestly would have liked something more with this guy. He already knew quite well that he had been made into a monster, and was apparently exacting his revenge for that. So why give Jill any time at all? Because Jill manipulate him by using his given "purpose" (to "save the children")? And Damien and Jade have a fairly deep bond, so why does he commit suicide by her hand, leaving her alone? I'm confused by how that all went down.

- seems like, at this rate, we're unlikely to get any further follow up on how JJ is doing with BAUgate. great

- also side note but did Emily officially step down/was demoted from Section Chief? She's UC but no longer SC I think.

- hoping and praying for Jill to interact with any other member of the team going forward. Especially JJ. Not Tyler

- this show is so disappointing! I feel comforted by that. And disappointed lol

- maybe on rewatch this will flow together better for me...

I'm sure my overall impression of this episode was damaged by the fact I fell asleep for half of it and woke up to the climactic tragic. Lol moment

[savannaswrites]

on tlh — i agree completely! i did read gotsm and loved that version of james and matthew way more i felt like neither of them really had an in-depth personality in tlh? but just in general i think the versions of the tlh characters in all the short stories and extra content are much more compelling. with characters like anna and ariadne too, but especially james. there was those hints of tragedy that were never quite fulfilled, but also so much fascinating mysteries that tlh doesn’t delve too deep into. don’t know if you’ve read the shadowhunter academy, but his and matthew’s characterization in nothing but shadows was my favourite, whereas in tlh i struggled to understand who james even was at all (more sensitive herondale? will and jem combined? is what i think he was meant to come across as but it didn’t quite work for me) and the potential of james and matthew as parabatai set up in that story was sort of lost.

i also can’t stand their love triangle with cordelia it was tired lol, although to be fair that’s because i kept holding out hope that she’d make matthew unrequitedly in love with james or with both james and cordelia to parallel tda haha. not to start ranting about tlh but i do agree that i wish james and lucie (and matthew since it’s set up in the first two that he likes staying in the downworld) could have interacted more with downworlders since they are technically part warlock. anyways!! yes the lore and downworlder/shadowhunters politics and relationships with the main five (six counting ghost livvy, or seven counting ash) that you set up in fearful symmetry were definitely what got me so excited. i also really loved thule livvy coming back and saying she’d only talk to ty, and then the next chapter we finally got to see ty, and his narration was perfect. omg i’m sorry i wrote so much again. thank u for replying <3 — fs anon

ah, i'm so sorry it's taken me a gazillion years to respond to your message! i read it and was like, i have GOT to finish chot before i write back so i can know what's going on, and -

it did take me forever, i'll admit. that book was a SLOG. also, i am so sorry!! i called that book i was thinking of gotsm, but you are ABSOLUTELY right, it was tftsa that i was thinking of!! i read those two back to back and tbh really thoroughly enjoyed the short story format, although i will admit to being like. frankly quite confused. because if i remember correctly i hadn't gotten around to reading books 4, 5, and 6 of tmi yet, but i had read the emma and julian books, so i was like wtf...simon is alive again?? a;sdkfj

but back to the point: you are 1000% correct, that wonky love triangle in tlh was UNSATISFYING. actually, to be totally, brutally honest, i sort of felt that whole trilogy was wildly unsatisfying. you know?? like, we spend SO much time on this love triangle that just fizzles out without really forcing any of the characters into that crucible that i loved in tmi or tid, so it's like...they don't even emerge changed from this experience?

i would have lOVED it if matthew had been in unrequited love with james. after tftsa, i was like [eyeball emoji] in the hopes that that could be the dynamic, but of course, no such luck...do you think maybe cc just thought that would be too similar to the jace & alec dynamic from all the way back in tmi? because like yes, alec did think he was in jace, but i sort of feel like those books took pains to clarify that he was maybe projecting on him a bit, and that he wasn't truly in love with him the way tessa and jem and will were in love with each other. so this would still have been different, u know? and it would have contrasted so INTERESTINGLY to emma and julian being at the center of that series, i think!

but also, what TERRIBLE villains tlh had. not only were they not intimidating or even very interesting, but the power scaling in the books to me just completely undermines the stakes in twp books before they've even started. this fallen angel is ancient and powerful, but will banter with teenagers and leave them alone to scheme in his stolen realm for no particular reason? and that whole thing with cordelia and cortana...like...i loved emma getting that weapon, but we SEE her train CONSTANTLY. wanting to fight is part of who she is! with these books, it's like their being meant to hunt demons was just so much set dressing for a story that's not quite as interesting as it thinks it was. maybe that's too mean to say??

i just feel like, okay. you have TEN heroes, every single one of whom gets scenes from their own point of view, and the idea is that that won't cause pacing problems?? hELLO. when the narration has to stop and start over and over and over again to tell us exactly how a character is feeling when we could just as well have surmised that from a more focalized narrator just made these books sooo much work.

also i'm so sorry you were like 'not to start ranting about tlh' and that's IMMEDIATELY what i did, but please do let me know what you think because i've been mulling this over since i finished the book and i just??? you know??

[wellnoe]

the scottjeanwarren love triangle + bobby drake looking at it is so important to me