#the great dizi list

[kingofthewilderwest]

Wow you play instruments I didn’t even know existed 😳

To be fair, I think almost everyone will see something on my list they don't recognize! My love of folk music has led to interesting experiences and acquisitions!

I'd enjoy making a video where I play and show how cool these instruments are. Sadly, I don't have access to every instrument I listed, some of my instruments need upkeep (and my finances won't allow it), and this would be a time sinkhole I can't afford with work.

I like to joke I play instruments to varying degrees of incompetence. It'd be a HUGE misrepresentation to pretend I'm fantastic or that I even play some of these with correct technique. I don't want to sound like I'm bragging. Other people are more talented than me, and that's great!

But for funsies, I hope you don't mind if I go through every instrument and introduce the lesser-knowns to y'all!

KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS:

Piano / Keyboard: With formal classical piano training from 1999-2015. I added keyboard in December 2001, and that was based on chord charts, ear, and improvisation, a very different approach. I’m sure many folks know the key (eyyy wordplay) difference between these two is that, with the keyboard, you can make a wide variety of non-piano sounds on it and do other fancy electronic things.

FLUTE FAMILY:

Flute / piccolo: Another fellow that should be familiar, classical flute. But I’m going to describe the flute so that you understand what makes it different from the lesser-known instruments I’ll introduce. Flutes are made of silver and/or other metals. They have a fancy system of keys over holes that you play with both hands, as well as several keys for your left hand thumb. They are transverse, meaning you blow into them sideways and hold them parallel to the floor (as versus blowing in directly and pointing towards the floor). Piccolos are tiny flutes that play an octave higher. They have the same fingering as flute, ergo why I combine them, though there's subtly different technique to get each sounding good. You’ll notice lots of what I play are different world flutes.

Soprano recorder: Elementary schools love these things to teach kids the basics of music, but they are GLORIOUS instruments when played well. Check out Telemann's music and other pieces from the Baroque era. Recorders are a type of flute, they're just not transverse. They have a different fingering system - honestly, there are quirks to their fingering system. There are nine holes in the front (though there are two sets that are clustered close together in the same fingering spot) and one thumb hole in the back. Recorders come in different sizes; I've performed on soprano and alto recorders. I only own sopranos (the ones you suffered through playing "Hot Cross Buns").

Irish flute: A wooden flute with a different number of holes than the standard silver concert flute. There are six holes that you will cover, nothing for the thumb, with two holes at the end that you don’t do anything with. Also, you'll note, there are no keys - it's just holes.

Pennywhistle: Tin whistle, whatever you want to call it! A high-energy staple of Celtic music. I own several of these suckers. The pennywhistles have six holes with nothing for the thumb. It's to note... once you figure out the basics of how flute fingerings work, even with a different number of holes, it's easy to figure out how to play a new system.

^^^ Irish flute on top, and three pennywhistles in different keys.

Khloy: Here's where I'm going to lose people. This is a bamboo flute that comes out of Cambodia. I have three khloy, two I got as a cheap tourist gimmick, the third of which I bought to play. On the good one, there are seven finger holes on top and a thumb hole in the back. There are two holes near the bottom, one on the top and one in the back, you don’t do anything with. When I studied abroad in Cambodia, I wanted to come home with at least one instrument. I came home with five (whoops).

Dizi: A Chinese transverse flute. Its tone is extremely distinct. I am not good on this one. I find the fingering system less intuitive than others. There are seven holes on top plus two holes on the end you don’t finger.

Shinobue: A Japanese transverse flute. I was in a Japanese ensemble in college. Unfortunately, I haven’t had access to the shinobue since undergrad. It’s to note that some flutes, you block the holes with your finger pads. On other flutes, like the shinobue, you block it in the middle of your actual finger.

Shakuhachi: My next flute project. Another Japanese flute, with an ethereal, airy tone. Probably the most well-known of Japanese wind instruments. Surprisingly hard for me. The proper way to play shakuhachi involves a mouth position and blowing technique that is directly opposite of any other flute I’ve played. Mine has four holes in the front and one on the back for the thumb. Unlike most instruments in the flute family, my top is completely open (no thin mouth hole - it’s... open).

^^^ Two harmonicas on the side. Then, from top to bottom: shakuhachi, dizi, two soprano recorders, and my twelve hole ocarina.

OTHER WIND INSTRUMENTS:

Clarinet: A single reed instrument. A complex combination of holes and keys to play this fella. In my opinion, feels a notable step different than the flute family.

12-Hole Ocarina: Ocarinas are small little chambers, traditionally made of clay or ceramic, with several holes in them. You blow into them. I don’t own the small, standard size of ocarina. I have a larger ocarina with more holes than average, which allows me to play chromatic music. My ocarina has ten notes on the top and two holes (for the thumbs) on the bottom.

Harmonica: The harmonica is a type of mouth organ. You are probably familiar with it. The harmonica has a ton of small chambers lined in a row, and each chamber has a least one reed. You can blow into multiple chambers and produce multiple pitches. Also, if you didn’t know, sucking in produces pitches!

Khene: The khene is a mouth organ from Laos. It looks and plays RATHER differently than harmonica, though! It has two rows of long pipes branching off the instrument vertically. Each pipe has a single finger hole. The pipes are connected to a central chamber, which you blow through. Now, with instruments like a flute, you can only produce one note at a time. The pattern of how you block the holes changes the singular pitch the flute produces. Contrast that with the khene. If you block one pipe, you will produce one pitch. If you block two pipes, you produce two pitches. If you block three... etc. So with the khene, you can play multiple notes at the same time in harmony to yourself. Like the harmonica, sucking in produces pitches. Very fun, very awesome. If you do nothing else with my list, PLEASE listen to how FANTASTICALLY COOL this instrument is!

Didgeridoo: An Australian drone instrument from long, hollowed-out logs! You can make many wild sounds from it. It is the instrument notorious for circular breathing (continuously blowing and breathing at the same time). I own two. My family went to Australia when I was a preteen, which is where we got impromptu “didgeridoo lessons” from a music store owner. I still remember what he showed us, though this does not make me a didgeridoo player (I can get sounds out of mine... that’s the extent of my “skill”). My sister had such a blast that she bought a didgeridoo. I ended up acquiring mine at home in the States. One I dug out from the trash. Don’t judge me. If people can rescue stray dogs, I can rescue stray instruments!

STRING INSTRUMENTS:

5-String Banjo: Banjo is my current baby! I want to get very good at it. 5-string playing comes in a wide variety of styles, including a strumming style called clawhammer, a two-finger style with picks on two fingers, a three-finger style with picks on three fingers, and a plectrum style. I am a three-finger banjo picker. The standard tuning for a 5-string is (high) G, (low) D, (low) G, B, (high) D. It’s a G chord.

Guitar: You know what these things are! I think it’s fun to note that guitars and banjos aren’t closely related. The history of guitar is weird, but I might simplify and call it “European.” Meanwhile, banjo instrument ancestors have a West African origin, and the instrument that we know today developed on North American soil. Ergo, guitar and banjos are played very, very differently. Guitars have six strings and are standardly tuned, lowest to highest, E A D G B E. I am limited on guitar, and my technique is all, uh, self-taught and atypical.

Ukulele: Every time I pick my ukulele up I have to relook up the chords, so I can hardly be called a uke player. A small four string instrument in the guitar family that’s tuned G C E A.

Violin / fiddle: Violins and fiddles are the same instrument. The difference is how you stylistically play. I come from a classical background, but I’ve only tried to fiddle. I’m a fiddler. Violins are tuned, lowest to highest, G D A E. However, when I play fiddle, I often do a cross G tuning, which is (low) G (low) D (high) G (high) D.

Viola: My first string instrument was the viola. I think violas are the unsung heroes of the orchestra world - they bring a beautiful, chocolately, alto richness to bowed string instruments. It’s built and played exactly like the violin except that it’s bigger and tuned a fifth lower. The strings on the viola are C G D A (notice the three string overlap with the violin). For people who understand music theory, both instruments are tuned to the circle of fifths. Due to the similarities, violists and violinists often swap instruments without much trouble. Violists will 200% murder you if you call their instrument a violin, though! It’s as offensive as calling Portuguese “Spanish.” ;)

^^^ Viola (left) and violin (right). Notice the size difference! It’s hard to see, but the thickness of the instruments makes the size difference even more apparent.

Tro / tro ou: These are two instruments from Cambodia! They’re from the spike fiddle family, a delicious group of instruments that have the bow hairs between the strings of a string instrument. You push with the bow to play one string, and pull to play the other. You’ve probably heard instruments in the spike fiddle family (like the erhu!) through Chinese music. The tro is a two string instrument with a snake skin, and the tro ou is one with a coconut resonator bowl. It’s to note that the two strings in these instruments are tuned a fifth apart, which means it’s like the violin and viola. I was immediately able to play music when I sat down with a tro. Needless to say, the music store owner’s eyes lit up and he pushed sales on me hard. XD

Shamisen: A Japanese string instrument that’s played with a large plectrum. You use the plectrum in your right hand to strike downward on the string. The shamisen has a very sharp sound. For people who are familiar with banjo and not shamisen, they have a somewhat similar sound.

Harp: A friend also gifted me a small, handheld harp. I love it, but I am not able to play much on it, so this should not count in “instruments I can play.” It’s simply here for “instruments I own.”

PERCUSSION:

Taiko: Japanese drums. Played these in college for that Japanese Ensemble course. I didn’t play taiko as much as most of the students in that class. I was usually on shamisen or shinobue (I was the only student that the instructors taught shinobue to due to my background in flute. They had another student who’d specialized in shakuhachi for several years, so I never learned shakuhachi through them).

So uh, yeah! Hope that was a little fun to see. YAY INSTRUMENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!

[dangermousie]

Done! And we close the show on Ramo and Sibel happy and at peace, at a picnic with his family and loved ones. looking forward to a life of peace.

I agree with @academyofbrokenhearts that this is more of a respite than any true “forever peace” though. Even if Ramo and co retreat to Adana (and they will) and he will retire (he may try, he’s exhausted) and even if he actually decides to go legit (dubious), with his insane reputation (he blew up the entire mob in Istanbul. After beheading Adana mob back way when), there will always be people coming after him for revenge (think how many he’s killed) or just to try to show off and make their name by killing “the executioner of kings.” Now, I think he’s smart as fuck, he’s going to stay on top of all of that and live long and die in his bed, but they aren’t gonna have a violence-free hippie paradise.

It’s a lovely moment of tranquility to end on, though.

I have finished 40 eps, which due to Turkish running times is well over 90 hours in, I think, around 2 weeks. My eye bags have eye bags. I think the last time I marathonned a Turkish show this hard was GB years and years ago. And my verdict? WORTH IT WORTH IT WORTH IT!!!

It is not my n1 Turkish show (that is probably Fatmagul), but it is definitely going onto all-time faves list and Ramo x Sibel are definitely my n1 ever Turkish show couple. I preferred the first season (which to me, just as Cukur’s first season, is a basically perfect show) to the second due to the changes (some of which was out of their hands due to cast changes thanks to lengthy covid hiatus, and some due to narrative changes between two sets of writers.) I preferred the seedy vibe of s1 to polished one of s2, I liked that s1 resembled an (enhanced) reality and missed Adana, I missed the women being in gunfights and the family counsel, I also preferred when Ramo wanted revenge, peace whatever way for his family and to rise in the mob, rather than just revenge and peace whichever way for his family. But they did a good job writing the changes and honestly, seeing what disasters dizis turn into when they run for a decent lengths and between seasons (and not even seasons that had such issues with cast changes and covid insanity as this did), the fact that s2 is so overall solid (despite some tonal shift and occasional holes) is a miracle.

BUT! While s2 was flawed, Ramo remained fucking amazing, the ship was unreal, Sibel had a spine of steel, supporting characters were largely wonderful to follow (and, consistently, this show did something not enough dizis do - gave the mains lion’s share of screentime. Dizis tend to have large casts and sometimes drown in them. The makers of this knew they had Murat and Esra so why not use them to the utmost. Smart!) The plot was twisty and fun (and when they ran out of things circa 36-38, they quickly wrapped up the story. More shows need to know when to leave.)

This was a great watch and in my Top 5 Turkish shows of all time. Also, I will now watch everything Murat Yildirim has been in (that I haven’t seen yet.) That man makes me thirstier than the Sahara. He’s not unreal beautiful like some Turkish actors - he’s the kind of handsome you will give a second glance in the store, but you can imagine him in the store in the first place, if you know what I mean, but that makes him more appealing, and that charisma is insane.

Anyway, goodbye Ramo, you were amazing!!! @academyofbrokenhearts I am in your debt for pushing this on me!

[aslibekroglu]

Hii! I just found out your blog and I'm really loving it <3 so keep it up with the great content! Also I'm wondering where do you watch all these turkish series with english subs?! Thanks in advance xx

Thank you! Here's a list of websites that I use:

That list is in need of some updating. Serial4u no longer works and turkish123 is so spammy, it's basically unusable. There's a knockoff of turkish123 that I like to use called turkish123series.com. It's pretty reliable, I believe they create their own subtitles instead of just stealing videos like some other sites. They also tend to have some less popular shows that sites like expressdizi doesn't translate (like ghbg rip). I will say though, the videos on that site tend to stop working after a couple of weeks. So it's good if you're all caught up and watching it weekly/immediately after they upload it. If you're looking to binge a series from ep.1, it's a bit of a crapshoot. Also for kinemaniatv, current weekly shows are the ones you have to pay for, older shows appear to be free.

[trevorxparrish]

COVAIRECITYRP TASK 004: ❝  BACK TO BASICS ❞

General

FULL NAME: Trefor Wei Parrish (goes by Trevor Parrish) AGE/DOB: 180. March 13th, 1880 HEIGHT: 1,83 m / 6′0″ WEIGHT: 185 lbs / 84 kg ETHNICITY: mixed. Welsh / Chinese GENDER: cis-male HAIR: dark brown (almost black) EYES: dark auburn (almost black) SCARS: couples here and there, from the many battles in fought in Covaire City. TATTOOS: one that covers his back (here). PIERCINGS: both nipples (but doesn't always wear them). LANGUAGES: english, welsh, french, mandarin, cantonese, ASL, southern CSL, FSL (fluent). spanish, italian, korean (comfortable). EDUCATION: university, history. OCCUPATION: archivist at the Dominion. SEXUAL IDENTIFICATION: homoflexible ROMANTIC IDENTIFICATION: panromatic TEMPERAMENT: Phlegmatic-Sanguine. The Harmonizer. The combination is driven by two temperament needs. The primary temperament need is to be accommodating. The secondary need is to be accepted socially. Either need may dominate their behavior depending on the requirements of the situation. They prefer a mostly private, routine existence, and involvement with family and a few friends. They stubbornly resist change—especially sudden change. They are loyal, consistent, and dependable. They are naturally service minded and will often work when they are ill. They are very independent minded and want to operate by themselves and set their own pace. They learn by doing (hands on). The Phlegmatic-Sanguine can do routine work but will need some change during the day. They have a very difficult time saying no and will often take on more than they can do just to please others. They are easy to like, and they have a very pleasant, soft voice. They are friendlier after warming-up. MYERS BRIGGS TYPE: ISTP. A Virtuoso. They are with the introverted, observant, thinking, and prospecting personality traits. They tend to have an individualistic mindset, pursuing goals without needing much external connection. They engage in life with inquisitiveness and personal skill, varying their approach as needed. MORAL ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral. A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs him. Order and organization are paramount to them. They may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or they may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government. Lawful neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot. However, lawful neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all freedom, choice, and diversity in society.

Specifics

FAVORITE FOOD: shortbread cookies, marbled ribeye steak, apples. FAVORITE DRINK: tea. FAVORITE BRAND: Voutilainen, Andreas Strehler, Greubel Forsey (watches). FAVORITE PLACE: woods, lake in the mountains, his noodle couch, his own bed. FAVORITE HOBBY: repairing/restoring clocks and old objects, playing the gupin or C key dizi, sketching clocks and cogs, hiking, making historical dioramas. FAVORITE ARTIST: None. FAVORITE MUSICIAN: None. FAVORITE TV SHOW: Le sexe autour du monde, Doctor Who. FAVORITE MOVIE: Tennet. FAVORITE BOOK: 魔道祖师. FAVORITE SCENT: warm skin under the sun. FAVORITE COLOUR: none. FAVORITE TEXTURE: worn out leather, warm skin. FAVORITE PERSON: his little brother.

Random

LIST FIVE THINGS THEY LIKE: his job, fighting, communicating with animals, big cocks, loyalty to the city. LIST FIVE THINGS THEY DISLIKE: treason to the city, being mocked, food waste, disrespect to the Alpha, boring and/or cliché endings. PET PEEVE: overly emotional people (because of his sixth sense). PERSONALITY TYPES THEY PREFER: honest, passionate, loyal, dominant (sex partners). PERSONALITY TYPES THEY AVOID: liars, meek, disloyal, childish, condescending, disrespectful, submissive (sex partners). ACHILLES HEEL: great sex with a good-looking matured face. LIST THREE THINGS THEY LIKE ABOUT THEMSELVES: the control over his new powers, his tattoo, and his memory capacity. LIST THREE THINGS THEY DISLIKE ABOUT THEMSELVES: his inability to stay away from toxic people over good sex, that he keeps protecting a tainted legacy, his lack of social life outside of his - now gone - family, and work. FASHION STYLE: casual and toned down version of steampunk on the average, but he’s prone to t-shirt and a dark pair of denim. LIST TWO SEX POSITIONS THEY PREFER: lowered dog/face-down doggy, mating press. LIST TWO SEX POSITIONS THEY AVOID: anti-kinks are what turns him off; he likes to experiment.

[hellacioushag]

I need to add more content to my watchlist especially with the writers strike. Can you rec some dizis for newbies?

i'm not in any way a seasoned expert since i've only seen a handful within the last 2 months or so, but i can tell you ones i've enjoyed. i'll only list ones that have a least 1 season completed.

erkenci kus / early bird is available on youtube with ok english subs. it's a typical summer dizi romcom with the rich boss falling for his working class employee. the twist is they accidentally kiss in the dark when he mistakes her for his gf before they officially meet. it's definitely a "he fell first, she fell harder" situation. this was the one i started with and it set the bar high, the chemistry alone was so intense. the mmc can (pronounced like jon) is gorgeous and the fmc sanem is so funny and talented. it was actually a friend of mine who got me into this cause she saw it blowing up on like tiktok or insta and she started watching and loved it. by the time she got me into it it literally became my whole personality and i passed her in episodes and finished the series way before she did lol. it's a commitment like most dizis. we're talking 2+ hr episodes, 51 episodes in total. thankfully youtube cut them into like 45min increments.

sen cal kapimi i used a super sus website to watch called turkish123 idk if there's a better site out there, but i would try to look for one. anyway this was probably my fave dizi cause the story was well structured (same writer as erkenci kus) and great chemistry with the leads as well. it's another typical summer romcom, but with enemies to lovers. starts with a fake engagement to make the mmc's ex jealous and eventually leads to both mmc and fmc falling hard for each other. this has 2 seasons, 52 episodes.

gunesi beklerken is more of a teen drama that was giving me BH90210 / the oc vibes with how ridiculous some of the plots and drama was. overall very fun watch. i absolutely hated the mmc, but also he was the most interesting character so i was rooting for him at the same time wishing for his downfall lol. if you are into fun nonsense then i would rec this one. it starts with the fmc moving to istanbul with her mother and attending a private school where she immediately gets swept up into dumb politics with the school bully (the mmc). definitely enemies to lovers. i'm not really into bully romances and i did not ship the main couple (tho the chem was there), but they both gave as good as they got and it was just a legitimate fun and insane watch. i watched this one on another sus site called serial4u.net it's 54 episodes.

adim farah is the last one i will mention. this show has been remade a few times, including in the US. it's enemies to lovers. the fmc is an immigrant working as a cleaning lady to pay for her son's medical expenses. she accidentally witnesses a mob murder and when caught she manages to convince them to let her live and she will work for them. there's a lot of intrigue and not one episode is filler like a lot of dizis. the chem is good with the leads and they have some surprisingly sweet moments between them. this one is on dailymotion. season 1 is 14 episodes (the finale had me shaken), season 2 will be coming out this fall.

one i haven't tried, but it's on every list of the best dizis is kara sevda/endless love. i don't think i will bother since i know it has a pretty sad ending, but if you are into pain maybe check that one out lol. i ended up paying for a sub to kinemania which has decent translations and a lot of shows in their catalog so now i don't need to navigate thru sus websites or deal with a million ads.

[djemsostylist]

The Great Dizi List, Part 1

A comprehensive list of the dizis I have watched, chronologically.

Originally part of an ask that spiraled out of control, I figured I'd collect my reviews here for easier reading, and then divide them into eras...

Kurt Seyit ve Şura: This one I watched maybe 4 years ago when I stumbled across it on Tumblr. Period romance drama set in one of the prettier modern times, I was obsessed with the drama and how beautiful it was, but then I googled the end, got pissed and never finished. Swore off Turkish shows. Fast forward 3ish years...

Sen Çal Kapımı: I came across this one through gifs on Tumblr, and fell in love fast. I got hardcore obsessed with this show for months until I abruptly realized...it was kind of crap? I'd still recommend the first 12 episodes, but it goes down hill rapidly. It was never good but if you are looking for mindless fun with beautiful people who have amazing chemistry, I'd recommend. The first 12 are the perfect romcom, and you can just headcanon your own ending (or skip to 27 and then stop.)

Şeref Meselesi: Absolutely stunning.  A true masterpiece. This one is a mafia drama, but it's more about exploring people, found families, and the way you can never quite escape fate. Heartbreaking and beautiful and overwhelming, and I will never truly get over it.  Yiğit Kılıç is one of those characters who will stay with me for a long time.  Compelling characters, beautifully shot and told, super tight narrative.  It was art.  Reminded me more of a stage play than a television show. Cannot recommend enough.

Meryem: Absolutely adored it.  This one is a crime drama, and without giving too much away, it's about two people who meet after a car accident, and what spirals from there. Tight narrative, satisfying story, and surprising characters–it has the best foursome of any show and my current favorite family.  It was predictable but also surprising, it has arguably the best male dizi character, and the main couple is just stunning together.  It was one of those shows that you finish and immediately want to watch again.  I’d put it up there as one of my favorite shows period, not just favorite dizi.

Bu Şehir Arkandan Gelecek: This one is a family drama, about a boy who comes back to Istanbul after 20 years and the life he builds for himself as he discovers his past. I loved Kerem in this (Ali is a ray of sunshine) and I really enjoyed his story with with his family and the arc his character took, but the two girls drove me up the wall.  I can still hear Derin whining if I close my eyes.  Still, he’s beautiful in it (he boxes, so there are many shirtless scenes and lovely workout moments) so I’d recommend it on that alone.  Not one I’d rewatch tbh.  Good for a one time through.

Kiralık Aşk: This one is a romcom, and the first one I tried after starting SCK. Premise is fairly basic--girl joins a company with instructions to get close to the CEO, which she does but they both accidentally fall in love along the way. I did not finish this one.  Got about 24ish episodes in, and just wasn’t feeling it.  I didn’t really care for the drawn out secret plotline, and while I liked the main couple, it wasn’t enough to keep my attention.  Good, but I didn’t have the patience to last through another 40 episodes tbh. When @lolo-deli rewatched, she sent me screencaps and gifs and YouTube videos of the highlights from the bits I missed, bc she’s the best lol.

Erkenci Kuş: Much like KA, I did not finish this one.  Yet another romcom where a girl joins a major company and has to get close to the CEO and falls in love, etc. I wasn’t a huge fan of the main couple to start, didn’t really love any of the side characters, and after reading about where it went, noped out by the 20th episode or so. Written by the same people who did SCK, so I guess that says something tbh.

Ariza: This one is a mafia drama, which happens to be my favorite kind tbh. I really like this one initially, but then I sort of forgot I was watching it?  Like, it wasn’t bad, but just wasn’t enough to keep me coming back week after week.  It was one of those where something was missing for me. I adore  Ayça Aysin Turan though, she’s flawless.

Maraşlı: This one I'd define as a psychological drama. I only made it about 4 episodes, and while it is excellently done, I just couldn't get into it. I think part of my issue with this one is that I need a ship (romantic or friendship) and this one just didn't have it for me. I've heard it was great, just didn't float my boat I guess.

Part 2, Part 3

[the-loststone]

List of Turkish Dizis I watched in order of Greatest to Didn't Love It

Part 1 | Part 2

Halka

This one is kind of just amazing. I binged it very quickly and was so sad it ended because I could live in this world for a while. Cihangir, Kahn, and Mujde are my favorite trio. Honestly the bromance between Cihangir and Kahn was so cute and sweet and I love them as much as I Ioved the slowburn between Mujde and Cihangir. The cinematography, the acting, the script, everything about this show was amazing. What I loved most about this show was how smart the characters were. Cihangir, Kaan, Mujde were playing chess when in comparison, it's like every other tv show character was playing checkers. These characters were so smart, and funny, and they had the best dynamic between them. I really can't get enough of them. I think the trio (+ Adem) will go down as one of my favorites forever. The diamond scene is always a favorite. I really wish we got more scenes between them. Especially with Kaan shipping them because that was adorable, how he would quietly laugh at Cihangir crushing on Mujde. Another thing is how well they showed the bonding between characters. It is an excellent example of a show showing and not telling. It's believable that they became close and I don't need to be told. I saw moments between them. I saw the bond. I wasn't told about it.

Honestly, my only regret is that the ending was kind of unsatisfying, but I guess they left it open ended so that people could fill in the blanks themselves. Also the end villain was kind of ridiculous because there had already been another villain before him, but it was like they were trying to make this new guy even worse so they had to tie all the other villains' stuff to him, which kind of ruined the other villains characters. But other than that, and it is literally just those two things, this was an amazing series.

I love Hande and Serkan. I'd seen their other work before this one and I can say that this might be my favorite of theirs.

Bay Yanlis

Ozge and Can have the best chemistry ever. Honestly, watched this one before Halka and it was still on my mind while watching it. This is just a cute romantic comedy. You'll enjoy it more if you don't take anything too seriously. Everything is just happy and sweet and I love it. I massively crush on Can Yaman in this series. He is just so cute. And I love Ozgur and Ezgi together. They were just a playful, happy, and healthy couple that were just trying to figure out their feelings. Sadly it was canceled so it had a really rushed ending but even then, I really enjoyed it. Not only were the lead couple adorable, but the side couples were cute too. Rewatched it twice. Will rewatch again. It's down as one of my favorites. It's so light and fluffy. Highly recommend that you watch whenever you need something happy and fun in your life.

Ariza

What an underrated show!! I don't know what it is about mafia shows, but I just love them. So full of action and badassery! So the story revolves around a taxi driver who enters the mafia world in pursuit of revenge. When you think about it, it sounds weird but it makes sense when you watch it. The plot was very well done, almost no plot holes. There were some inconsistencies but they weren't big or major in a way that detracted from the main villain. The main villain stayed consistent throughout and our hero stayed on path.

The romance in the show was not the biggest draw towards the show, although it did play a major aspect in the plot. I love Ayca and she's a great actress, and I love Tolga and he's a great actor and separately their acting was amazing, and together their acting was great. Basically, my only problem was that I don't think they had the best chemistry. I've seen them have better chemistry with other costars. That's not to say I didn't believe their love story. I did. And it was very well played. It's just that, having seen their other works, I know when something is missing, and it was the chemistry. It was very platonic feeling. But maybe that's just me.

Anyway. Great show. Absolutely loved it. Stayed invested throughout.

Yargi

I'm still watching season 2 of this show but I wanted to start the review now because it's in my head. I'll talk about season 1 since that's the season I completed. I love this show. I took a break from turkish dramas for a bit and came back with this show and it was a great reintroduction. I love the actors, the drama, the cinematography, the music, and the characters. The leads, Ceylin and Ilgaz, played together in Ask 101 (which I only saw s1 of and wasn't too into but I remember thinking they were cute). They have amazing chemistry together. I didn't think their relationship was rushed (or portrayed in a way that was rushed). They had believable and heartbreaking obstacles in their way (familly, death, etc) and I rooted for them throughout. The side characters didn't feel like fillers. I love Pars and Eren so much, I thought their characters had fantastic depth and served to lighten and add tension in scenes and they did it wonderfully. The plot is focused around the murder of Ceylin's family and finding out who murdered who and what happened. There is a lot of betrayal and drama and it's simply fantastic. There are a few plot holes here and there but it's easily ignored. The show does a good job of bringing back important points, or even minor points. I strongly recommend this show. I don't want to say too much to spoil it so I won't, although I will say that if you're anything like me, throughout this show you'll probably be screaming "Chinar! why are you always doing things?!"

I will also say that my favorite part of this show is that it makes sure that characters are held accountable for their actions. They have to live with the consequences. And that is not often found in dramas so the fact that there is a show about accountability is amazing!

Elimi Birakma

This one was an experience. I watched it as I was going through an insomnia-tic period, and it kept me company during the nights that I couldn't sleep. And during the day when I was too dead to work. I honestly really loved this. Especially the first season. The leads had great chemistry and I enjoyed the drama that the side characters provided. Albeit, the beginning had me wanting to punch the Cenk in the face a lot, I appreciated that we got to see his growth, especially going into season 2, and what effect Azra had on him.

Season 1 did a good job of keeping up with plot points and bringing back relevant aspects. There was a theme that everything will eventually be revealed, and lying is useless. That theme is kind of dropped in season 2. I mean there are several plot points that are just abandoned (and cast that just disappear / conveniently die so I'm going to attribute it with problems in the cast during shooting). I was particularly annoyed that they completely wrote off Melis in season 2 even though she played an important role in season 1. Even if the actress couldn't come back, they could at least mention her, I mean she is their sister and they don't even mention her later on. But I digress.

Great show, very much enjoyed it. Really loved the acting and the characters. Noticeable lack of PDA (kissing is a big no in this dizi) but easily overlooked because of the tension and chemistry between the actors.

Sen Cal Kapimi

My introduction into Turkish dizis. I'd seen this on my dash about 20 times and always thought, "hmm... the girl is super pretty, and it looks kind of good, maybe i'll watch it..." and then I never did. Then right as I'm about to go in for my second term of 1L, I decide to binge watch all 52 episodes in 4-5 days. Talk about regrets... I had not realized before starting that Turkish TV shows were 2.5 hours long EACH EPISODE!! That was a shock. But I binged and loved this show. Honestly Serkan and Eda were so cute, the chemistry between Kerem and Hande was amazing. That said, I really loved S2 (even though a lot of people didn't) but I can't really watch S1 anymore. I think looking back on it right now, I think the plot was a little scattered in S1. I get that they had like a bunch of arcs and stuff, but once this guy got amnesia I was like ... lol. That said, I've noticed this does happen to a lot of a shows. The whole, amnesia plot, the guy goes to prison plot, the girl breaks up with the guy because she's being blackmailed plot. It's a lot. I think I would have preferred that if they were going to do all of it, they make it over a longer period of time (like they show time lapses of years going by, instead of all of it supposedly happening in the span of, like, a year and a half.)

That said, I couldn't have picked a better show to get me into Turkish dramas. Really something special. The characters were amazing, the side characters included, and they advanced the lead couple. The disputes between Eda and Serkan actually had real context to them that stemmed from their character flaws/traits, and I really appreciated that.

Uç Kurus

This one is still on going while I'm writing this review, but I just finished episode 24 (instead of studying for finals, fml) and I think this show is amazing. It's a mafia/gang show that just has all the notes of bromance, betrayal, romance, fighting, action, and I love it. The enemies to lovers trope is on high here, with the star crossed lovers.

The show starts with a smaller case (if you consider tracking down a serial killer small) to a larger case (a mafia boss that is the source of childhood trauma that irreparably damaged a family). There is so much about family in this show; it goes into what can be forgiven and what can't be. The complexities of addiction are touched on, as well as prejudice and discrimination.

Saying all this and how much I love this show, I actually do think it doesn't have to go on much longer. I don't know how long they are planning to air the show/how many episodes they intend, but I don't think it needs to be over 28 episodes in all honesty. But we'll see.

Great show, I highly recommend.

Kalp Atisi

I initially was hesitant to watch this because it's a remake of a Kdrama that I loved (Doctors) and I didn't want to do the whole thing where you watch the same show twenty times in twenty different languages. But I was wrong. While this might start out as a Doctors remake (and they basically do everything the same in the first couple episodes) it is incredibly different. This show had it's own character, and it was extremely well done. I was wondering how they were going to extend the plot because Doctors is only 1/8 the length of the show, but they decided to incorporate every doctor show into one show. They used so much of Grey's Anatomy and they had some Chicago Med and I'm sure other shows were incorporated as well. But they just used the major points. So I got to watch some great episodes without having to suffer the boring ones. I think I saw every shooting scene from every show in this one show. I'm not saying that in a bad way either, it was extremely entertaining.

The main characters had good chemistry. I loved both of them so much. They kind of did a role reversal where the male character was the one that was patient and loving and supportive all the time, while the female character was more of the loose canon, and it worked so well. These characters were so well matched and suited for each other. It was honestly a great show.

Yeni Hayat

A more serious drama. Unfortunately it was also canceled after 9 episodes so it didn't get as fleshed out as the writer probably wanted it to be. You could tell that they had plans for it that they just weren't able to deliver because it was canceled. The topic is a serious one -- about domestic abuse. The lead couple, Adem and Yasemin, are both in different relationships. They have an epic slowburn romance that is so sweet to watch. I generally don't like watching shows that have characters cheating on other people, but this was actually really great. They don't really do anything together (besides one kiss in the beginning when neither had feelings for each other besides basic attraction) but they begin to feel something through their friendship. Also their partners are super toxic. Yasemin's husband is abusive (and I kind of hate that for the sake of tying up loose ends to finish the show they had to ease up on making him the villain because for me, he was definitely the main villain) and *SPOILER* Adem's wife is crazy (which was actually a nice twist because initially we thought she wasn't going to be and we sort of rooted for her and her husband, but then she got super obsessive and jealous -- i mean with good reason but her husband wasn't doing anything at that point, and we find out if anything she was the bigger problem since she cheated on him and kept massive secrets from him and that her actions were the root of all her paranoia).

Anyway, I loved this for the chemistry between the main actors. Again, Serkan was in this drama and I might mark him down as one of my favorite male actors. Whenever he smiles, I turn to mush.

Azize

This show was a lot. In very little time. First of all Hande is amazing. I love her always and forever. Her character, Azize/Melek was so well played. I really wish we got more of this so I could see more of her. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after 6 episodes. But from the first episode I was on the edge of my seat. The characters were well done. The plot was great. I only had to suspend my disbelief a couple of times to get through it but I'll attribute the inconsistencies with them rushing the ending because they were cancelled. It's really a show with great characters and star crossed love. Plus it's a mafia show and those are always fun to watch (I love recommendations if anyone has any).

Sol Yanim

This was one of those shows where I was actually genuinely interested in the plots of all the characters. They were all complex and entertaining. The show didn't revolve mainly around the lead couple, but instead was about the family dynamics, and how the lead couple tried to navigate through it while also trying to support each other. Serra and Selim were two very interesting characters who were struggling with childhood traumas. Serra was one of my favorite characters because she remained cool and professional in face of people who were being rude and hostile. She stayed honest to her truth even when it was uncomfortable for her. I love how she never invited anyone into her life that she didn't want there, and she never let anyone push her around. Selim was had a lot of justified anger but his moments with Serra were so soft, and I love how he always tried to be better for himself after being inspired by her. It was a great show about what a new influence can bring to your life.

The side characters were also great and had compelling story lines. Onur is by far the best imo. I think the only disappointing thing is that it ended at 12 episodes so they lost a lot of story lines they were developing. One of the rare cases where I think a show could go on for a bit longer, but this would have been better wrapped up with another episode at least. If only to finish the Erkan story line. Great show otherwise.

Ada Masali

This was a really good show about a city girl moving to an island. The relationship between the leads was very intense (sometimes a bit too much) and kept me hooked. The characters were more mature than characters in a lot of dramas, and they were actually smart. The issues in their relationship revolved around family and trust and those are very believable issues to separate a couple, which I appreciated.

I loved the island. It was honestly very beautiful. I wish there were more scenes about the leads around the island. However, I also wish there could have been more scenes about the city life as well. Because the message kind of became that the city life sucked in comparison which I thought was a bit dismissive. And really confusing/contradictory with the ending. I think one of my favorite things about the show was the leads relationship, but I was a bit sad that towards the end, they almost became side characters in their own story, because it became really polluted by the side characters story lines.

There were a lot of story lines that they could have expanded on but didn't which I thought were lost opportunities (the fathers' story lines, the sea story line, how the family finally accepted them). Most of those story lines were touched on but really quickly resolved, and I just wish they gave more time to those stories instead of the side characters.

Otherwise a great story. Really beautiful.

Wolf

I came for Serkan and I stayed for Serkan. But in all honesty this was actually a good show. It had great acting, cinematography, action scenes. Very moving show about the events preceding the coup in 2016. I am very sad that can't find anywhere to watch the movie with english subtitles though, so I will remain unsatisfied until I find it. I would put it lower in my ranks though, not because it wasn't great, but because I wasn't very entertained compared to other shows. I love action, but this was a bit one note for me sometimes. But I feel like it deserves to be higher, so I'll leave it here for now.

Zemheri

A nice little palate cleanser to get me to stop obsessing over Halka (side note: still not really over how good it was). It was a great story about a pair of lovers torn apart because of a psychopath. The chemistry between the leads was insane and the actors did an excellent job. It was nice and short so it only had one main story arc which was nice. Very enjoyable watch.

Her Yerde Sen

This was really cute. The characters were much more mature than others I've seen and they were fun to watch. They didn't do overly cringy things. Basically the premise is that two people are sold the same house and refuse to be the one to move out, and so they are stuck living together. Of course it also turns out the guy is the girl's boss. And all the shenanigans that ensue basically start there.

The side characters were really sweet in this. There is a side couple that I loved watching. All the couples friends were really awesome and had great story lines.

My one criticism is the ending. I might have put this show on the same level as SCK, but the ending really didn't do it for me. It's a short show already, so you would hope they would stick the landing. But at the last minute they decided to redeem a character, and did a really shoddy job of it. And there were a bunch of plot holes. But whatever. They rushed the ending, and that's basically my complaint. Otherwise, a great show.

Menajerimi Ara

Great show. Honestly. But only until episode 36. It suffered the same problem that many shows suffer, it went on for too long. And I'm not saying that in the way that they couldn't have done more episodes and more seasons, but in the sense that, after episode 36 the storyline flopped hard. Some consistency would have been nice.

I liked the actors, I liked their start and their development. I loved the cameos from other famous stars. They all played fantastically. Nevertheless, I can't help but be a disappointed by the end. But anyway. Good show. Based off the French show "Appelle mon agent" or Call my Agent, which I thought was good.

Meryem

This was good. I liked it a lot. The lead actors had good chemistry. I think my biggest complaint is just that it went on too long. I don't want to give too much away, but it's basically about this guy framing his girlfriend for negligent homicide and all the things that happen after. This guy is the biggest asshole ever and he's a creep besides, but he's also smarter than every other character which kind of pisses me off because except for like two unlucky instances, he's always winning in this show. And it gets very annoying to watch. I mean I liked the dilemma that was going on, how this girl was dealing with being gaslit by her abusive boyfriend and starting to see the light and all that. It was very interesting to watch how this horrible guy was able to get all these girls sucked into his orbit, because it's actually kind of believable. As the audience, we of course know how much of a shit he is, but it's these characters fall into his personality and it was very interesting to see how they have to fight their way out of it. But then it starts to get very annoying with how the other characters do these annoying things like, don't tell the police, or just agree that they'll kill someone for money, and I'm just here like... what. Why would you agree to that. That wasn't in the resume, you don't have to agree just for money.

Another thing that's annoying that is a reoccurring trope in dramas (in general, not just Turkish dizis) is that some characters just don't get held accountable for stuff that they do. Either it's not brought up or it's just forgiven.

The romance here is pretty nice too. It's a slowburn (and then a pretty fast burn once they get together) between the girl who was framed of negligent homicide and the guy who's girlfriend was killed. So obviously they are a little star crossed but interestingly that isn't touched upon a whole lot. I would have thought it would be more compelling if they just dropped the arc of trying to catch the real killer for the thousandth time and instead made it about how their relationship is trying to survive the trauma of her abusive relationship and the shadow of his deceased girlfriend. Unfortunately, it was a missed opportunity.

Honestly though, it was a good show. I got tired of it though by the twentieth jail break from the villain. So if it was shorter, I think it would be doing itself a lot of favors.

Erkenci Kus

Demet/Sanem and Can are cute in this, but honestly wasn't really my type. I got super bored in a lot of places and I didn't end up finishing it. Can, as much as I love him, was doing all these weird hand/arm gestures and he held his phone in a really weird way (which was definitely a directorial choice and I just don't understand why). There was a lot of cringe. The Demet's character, Sanem, was cute in some places but it could turn into an overload of cringe really quickly. I have enough cringe in my life doing my own cringy things, I don't need to watch someone else's. The beginning was good, but it became super drawn out and I just got really bored. Also the fights and arguments between the lead actors just weren't very compelling to me. Weirdly, while it can be compared to SCK, this one just wasn't very entertaining to me. I guess I didn't really get why their characters made the choices they made in some places. Basically, it could have been a much better show if they just cut it down.

Dolunay

Honestly, this might be better than EK, but I put it after because of cinematography and styles (fashion taste in EK is so much better). While it might not be fair, since EK came out later and had the benefit of better technology, I don't really care. That said, Dolunay actually had a better plot, I believed the characters conflicts and I just enjoyed it. It was a more serious drama. I watched it right after watching Bay Yanlis because I wanted more Can and Ozge. That said, very different vibes from the two shows. Also we can definitely see improvement in both their acting in BY.

Can's character, Ferit, was honestly my favorite. He was just so cool and patient that I admired him so much, especially for having to put up with as much shit as he did. I mean people were constantly fucking with him and his relationships. He wasn't a saint, but I mean his patience was on a whole other level and I very much admired that.

I wasn't that into the romance in this one. I basically rooted for the pair to get together out of spite for the other characters who were trying to get between them. But again, there were moments where I really liked the relationship. And I liked how well Ferit handled the problems in their relationship.

PS: there was a character, Alya, who I rooted for. She was a boss, honestly. Sadly, she left the show about midway through so I was very disappointed.

Bir Peri Masali

It was a show that I watched and did not hate. Skipped through most of it. It had some great scenes and the overall plot wasn't bad. The main characters were flawed and that's what made them interesting to watch. Chemistry between the actors wasn't the best. Alina's acting was the best part of the show, otherwise I wouldn't care too much about it. It was good enough to pass the time. Good cinematography.

Carpisma

Watching this was exhausting. I was really only into it because of Melisa and Alperen and I stuck with it as long as I have for them. But I couldn't anymore. Every character in this show is so dumb. I honestly hated watching it at that moment. I had to quit otherwise I would take a break from turkish dizi's entirely (which honestly might not be a bad thing since I've binged so much recently but I'm depressed and exhausted so whatever).

My reasons for not liking this was just that there was so much yelling and skipping over trauma and overreacting but under-reacting and I'm just... ugh.

It did great action scenes though. I will give it that. Much better choreography than other shows. And it did have a good plot. But also, an unbelievable one. SPOILER For example, what woman would spend time with the man that kidnapped her child, killed her husband and has been threatening the man she loves just because she wants to help find the man she loves mother who abandoned the guy when he was a baby. Like, you brought your child to see that man again. I can't. No. and the other guy is upset but gets over it in a minute. I'm just... no. I would never ever forgive that. (I didn't explain this well but please understand that its ridiculous).

I just got too exhausted with it. If you're into something heavy and complex then this would be a good show for you. But I'm not right now. I might come back to it later. But as it is, I abandoned it at episode 13, so... I really only stayed as long as I did for Melisa and Alp. And even their story couldn't keep me entertained (at least up to where I was).

Cherry Season

What can I say about this... I watched this one after Dolunay, again hoping for something good with Ozge and Serkan in it... unfortunately, I was left unsatisfied. I had seen it after watching Yeni Hayat, and after something as good as that, I could not get into something as stupid as Cherry Season. There were a lot of problems here. I am not laying any of them on the actor's feet, although admittedly, they definitely had improved later on which I am thankful for. I just was not a fan I guess. Which is annoying because it had a pretty good premise and plot initially, and it could have been really good. Unfortunately, it felt super stiff, and I mean everyone felt stiff. But like with other shows that run too long, it just got lost. They did dumb things to keep the lead couple separate for dumb reasons and I was just annoyed.

Also, there was this one scene that I really liked where Serkan is running after Ozge on a train, and I love that scene. I love that scene! I just hate that it happened. Because I wasn't done being mad at one of the characters for the stupid thing they did and I was frustrated. It was frustrating.

The side characters became annoying very quickly, and though I did enjoy watching them plot and do nefarious shit, it was still a bit much sometimes. And they got redemption arcs that I couldn't understand. I noticed this theme in Turkish dramas where they don't really hold people accountable for the shit they do and that frustrates me.

Basically, it was rushed while still at the same time, not going anywhere.

Glass Ceilings / Cam Tavanlar

Good actors with no chemistry and stiff acting. Where the plot is good, the dialogue is lacking. Where the cinematography is beautiful, the acting is stale. Where the actors are expressive (with their face and eyes), the movements are stiff. It was a good story and with better execution I would put it higher on my list. Great story about a woman being discriminated against in the work place. Properly shows the frustration and helplessness that is felt when women get looked over for their work but when the same work is done by a man, the tone changes. Good story, I'm sorry I couldn't put it higher on my list.

[to-come-alive]

The Dizi Tag Game

Rules: Answer the questions and then tag people you want to participate! (Also tag it #The Dizi Tag Game so we can see everyone’s lists)

Tagged by: @thescorpioracer thank you!!

1. Your first dizi and how you discovered turkish dramas

Medcezir. It was back in 2014, I encountered this gif of yamira on the internet. After that I searched for other gifs and watched random scenes without subs (I didn't understand anything). Only in 2015 I decided to look for the show to watch with subs, and finally watched it.

2. Shows you're currently watching

I'm not watching anything right now. I'm giving a break from dizis, but I'll come back.

3. Your favorite genre of dizi (romcom, mafia show, contemporary drama, historical/fantasy, etc.)

Romcom. I love comedy and I love romance, so that's the perfect genre for me. But a show that has a cute pairing and a story that revolves around them it catches me. Drama is not my favorite genre bc I always lose excitement for the show after some time, but I tend to give it a try. I haven't tried any other genre, and I don't intend to.

4. The show you rewatched (parts of) the most

Medcezir. It's the first one, so it's the one I'm always coming back bc it's special. But Love 101 comes right after, it was the first dizi I watched after a long time, and it was in the beginning of the pandemic so it's kinda special to me too. It was like an awakening.

5. Favorite turkish actor and actress (feel free to pick multiples)

Serenay Sarıkaya, Çağatay Ulusoy, Hazar Ergüçlü, Demet Özdemir, Engin Öztürk, İpek Filiz Yazıcı, Kubilay Aka, Alperen Duymaz (although I haven't watched anything from him, every gif and video I see from his latest shows he's just funny and cute, maybe one day I'll watch something from him).

6. A show you quit before finishing

Kara Para Aşk, İçerde, Arıza (I tried but I have a problem with mafia shows). And Erkenci Kuş and Sen Çal Kapımı. One day I'll come back to EK, but SÇK I just can't anymore.

7. Favorite songs you have discovered in dizis

Bana Öyle Bakma from Teoman I discovered in Bana Sevmeyi Anlat; Kanatlarım var Ruhumda from Nil Karaibrahimgil, Isyan from Halil Sezai and Aşk Kırıntıları by Teoman I heard in Medcezir; Resmen Aşığım from Nil I know from SÇK.

8. The show whose plot disappointed you the most

Sen Çal Kapımı, after Serkan's memory loss I just couldn't continue. And Her Yerde Sen, everyone says they love this show but the way Demir handled their relationship problems by simply locking her up until she accepted listening to him was just toxic for me, and I just don't understand how nobody sees it. I just finished bc when I couldn't stand anymore it was the second to last ep already.

9. A show that was cancelled too soon/ran too long

Fortunately for me I never watched a dizi that was cancelled abruptly. As for the ones that ran too long, EK and SÇK. SÇK should have ended before all the memory loss thing.

10. Favorite characters

Mira (Medcezir); Sanem (EK); Sinan, Osman and Işık (Love 101).

11. Your favorite romantic pairings

Yamira (Medcezir), they don't do romantic scenes like theirs anymore, it's amazing the amount of times they make out in this dizi. Seriously. And they're so cute and good with each other, I love them; DicBar (Menajerimi Ara, I never watched this dizi but every gif and scene I see they're just perfect); Sinan and Işık (Love 101)

12. Favorite side characters

CeyCey (EK); Melo (SÇK); Mert and Eylül (Medcezir); Mühtar and Turan, only when he was with Mühtar (50m2)

13. Best kiss

It's Yamira's of course. It was hard to pick just one bc, like I said before, it's just too much making out. But after thinking about it, it has to be this one. They were both mad at each other so I was not expecting that kiss.

But there's another kiss I can't forget. Sinan and Işık are simply beautiful together.

14. An underrated show more people should watch

Love 101. I just feel that this show deserves more love than it has.

15. A show everyone loves that you aren't interested

Her Yerde Sen. I've already said my reasons, basically Demir was toxic and didn't respected Selin's choices. He treated her like a child at times, locking her up and not giving her time to digest the way he lied to her, and it bothered me, although she really behaved like a baby sometimes (which bothered me same). I couldn't ship them and sometimes I just watched bc of the side characters. Burak and Eylül were waaaay better together.

Other than that, I don't feel like watching Çukur, Hercai, Kiralık Aşk and many others. I have a friend who's watching KA and she's loving it, but I just don't feel it, you know.

16. A show you want to recomend right now

Medcezir. Just watch it if you like drama and romance. The first season is good but the second manages to make it better, especially the second half of it. Mira and Yaman's relationship just evolves to a new level, they trust each other and take care of each other, it's just beautiful (and most importantly, through most of the series they are together, they broke up twice in 77 eps, and the second time they spent like idk 10 ep apart, but when they get back together they don't separate anymore). And Serenay and Çağatay are just amazing in this dizi, they're great actors. And I recomend Love 101 too. It's funny, dramatic, romantic. The pace of the story is great, the relationships in this show evolve beautifully and we really get to root for the characters.

17. The next show on your list

The summer dizis: Cam Tavanlar, Baht Oyunu and Kazara Aşk. And I'm still waiting for Ada Masalı's teaser, but I'm planning on watching it.

Tagging: anyone who wants to do it! C'mon guys, it's fun!!

[flautistsandpeonies]

Prominence Part 1

Read My Prompt [Here]

Word Length: 2,710

Tags: Not for JC Fans, JC’s Canon Characteristics, Not for Madam Yu Fans, Madam Yu Canon Characteristics, Not Jiang Friendly, No Sunshot Campaign, Original Character, Vampires

Almost everyone had heard of Wei WuXian. Picked up from the streets of Yiling at the age of nine and brought to YunmengJiang to be trained amongst its disciples, the orphan was a reoccurring topic through the many sects, taverns, brothels, and businesses of china. For thirteen years, the young cultivator sparked many a sordid story and salacious talks of infidelity, bastard children, bloodlines, and even sword naming of all things.

Some thought positively of the young cultivator, wondering of his promise and imaging what he might accomplish with his cultivation. Others saw the prodigy as a blight on the normal way of life, an arrogant servant who didn’t understand his station. Both acknowledged his strength with a sword, his intelligence, and wit.

All in all, it was common to talk about the young master, whether it was scorn or adoration, it was almost impossible to not pass by one person and not hear the name “Wei WuXian” on their lips.

Especially now...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The YunmengJiang Sect was hosting a discussion conference next month.

‘Not surprising, ‘Lan Qiren thought as he set the missive down, ‘Considering the situation’

The letter was short and concise, the way he preferred them. Jiang Fengmian meant to clear up some “misconceptions and rumors” about sudden events and offer a chance to the young disciples of the sects.

A two week discussion conference was to be held, the first dedicated to multiple lectures and the second a week long night-hunting competition.

Sitting to his right, Lan XiChen picked up the letter with inquisitive eyes and stared to peruse. After few minutes, he smiled and set the paper back down on the table with a hum.

“Young Master Wei has certainly come a long way, “XiChen smiled, “Will we attend?”

“There is no reason not to, “Lan Qiren stroked his beard, “It is an opportunity to learn something new, so we shouldn’t squander this opportunity...no matter how unseemly the events surrounding it are.”

While gossip was forbidden in the Cloud Recesses, it certainly was not in Caiyi Town. The many shop and tavern goers always had something new to talk about almost everyday, spreading rumors from the farthest brothels in Runan to the classiest restaurant in Laoling. Due to the town’s proximity to the Lan Sect, it’s disciples often picked up on the gossip whether they wanted to or not.

Lan XiChen gave a slight wince, knowing what his uncle was referring to due to his recent trip to the Unclean Realm, “I...have heard about Young Master Jiang’s injury.”

For the past couple of weeks, the YunmengJiang Sect was the talk of the Cultivation and Civilian worlds. It started with a simple event that exploded into a frenzy of rumors and tales.

Wei WuXian, Head Disciple to YunmengJiang, had recently published several cultivation manuals and even a few night-hunting tools. Now, this, while completely normal, did raise a few brows as no one expected someone so young to suddenly put multiple books out on cultivation. However, no one who truly cared about learning batted an eye and went at the books with a critical eye.

To name a few, there was:

Talismans for the Everyday Life The Hunter: Archery and Tracking Talismans Musical Cultivation: The Difference between the Xiao and Dizi The Stygian Lure Flag and Demon Wind Compass: Uses and Dangers

Due to the books being sold by a well-known and influential merchant, the books were being sold in small shops throughout the cultivation world in the matter of days. The books contained many research notes from various night-hunts, creation processes, and even notes on the failures and set backs found during the research phase; it would be an understatement to say they were a huge success and cultivators sought out these items as soon as they got wind of them.

The problems started soon after.

Everyone who wasn’t living under a rock knew how troublesome the marriage between the Jiang Sect Leader and his madam was. An arranged marriage that left neither participant with any benefits, the two were not a good fit. Even worse, the amount of gossip surrounding the home life of the Jiangs left many secretly wondering how they were still married, no matter how unpractical a divorce would be.

The Violet Spider’s reaction to the books and tools was not pleasant. Having been out on a night-hunt with her son at the time of their publication, she apparently found out by word of mouth. Customers at a restaurant in Ouyang having described the woman shouting in rage, destroying the table of a couple of rogue cultivators, and then rushing out with her heir and retinue.

As the Madam stormed her home, the doors to the sect were left wide open and the close distance to the civilians gave everyone a view of Yu ZiYuan shouting down her husband. Jiang Fengmian’s supposed infidelity and favoring of a bastard child were aired out once again for all in Lotus Pier to hear.

Even worse was the reaction of the heir, Jiang WanYin. Having been given Zidian by the Violent Spider for their night-hunt, the young heir took the whip to his da-shixiong, and the young author ended up brandishing his sword to defend himself. The end result of the fight left Jiang WanYin with a broken arm, and rumors spread that the Madam was now seeking to throw Wei WuXian from the sect.

Truly unpleasant.

Lan Qiren sighed, “Regardless, the Jiang Sect is offering for us to learn directly from Wei WuXian, and the competition their holding would be great experience for the junior disciples.”

Lan XiChen nodded in agreement, “Then I’ll look at our list of disciples and choose whom to take with us.”

Standing, Lan XiChen fixed his robes and then bowed to his uncle, “I have other duties to attend to, but I’ll get to the list as soon as possible. I’ll ask WangJi if he will attend as well. Do you need anything before I go, uncle?”

Shaking his head, Lan Qiren replied, “All is well. I will see you and WangJi later tonight.”

Watching his nephew leave, the elder Lan flicked his beard before standing and fixing his robes. Walking over to his bookshelf, he retrieved one of the newest additions to his personal library.

“Dao: Golden Cores and the many Paths of Cultivation by Wei WuXian”

Having acquired the book from his youngest nephew, Lan Qiren would never admit to having lost sleep trying to finish the book. Giving a thoughtful look at the materials, Lan Qiren couldn’t help but give a huff of amusement.

‘It seems that boy has learned some discipline after all.’

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The air around Lotus Pier was tense.

Purple clad disciples shuffled into each other, eyes downcast as they bowed at the retinue to Nie disciples, their sect leader, and second heir.

“Chifeng-zun, Second Young Master Nie, “a lower disciple said almost in a whisper, “Welcome to Lotus Pier.”

Nie Mingjue couldn’t help but frown as the Yunmeng disciples tittered about the gates, whispering amongst themselves. Servants quickly tended to their luggage, hastily informing them of where they would be staying for the discussion conference before scurrying off. Some of their faces were ashen and jittery, as if staying in one place for too long would bring some omen upon them.

‘Perhaps coming was a mistake, ‘he thought

“Da-ge, “the Nie Sect Leader looked to his little brother, “I don’t like this. I really don’t like this.”

“What? You want to go back to the Unclean Realm, “MingJue rasied an eyebrow

“No!, “Huaisang almost screamed in reply, “I...I’m worried about Wei-Xiong.”

Standing in the training ground with their disciples, the Nie brothers watched as disciples and servants alike scurried through the halls of Lotus Pier. All had their heads held downward as if they didn’t want to be noticed.

Nie Huaisang gave his brother a worried frown, “I’ve tried sending letters to Wei-Xiong before we came. The courier told me that Wei-Xiong was to be in seclusion until the discussion conference tomorrow.”

Returning his brother’s look, “Nie MingJue turned to observe the people of Lotus Pier once more

There were a couple disciples on the training grounds practicing their swordsmanship while others were a ways away practicing their archery. The sword training was going poorly, he observed, watching each disciple flinch as the loud *THUMP* of arrows hitting posts reached their ears.

The sight gave him a foreboding feeling.

“Nie Zongzhu, “Nie MingJue turned at the sound

“Jiang Zongzhu, “he nodded at the smiling man, “Thank you for this opportunity.”

“No need, “Jiang Fengmian shook his head, “This type of knowledge should be shared”

Jiang Fengmian turned to look at his training disciples. At the sight of their flinching, the man frowned at sighed.

Nie Huaisang walked to stand beside his brother, eyeing the Jiang Sect Leader.

“Is...is Wei-Xiong alright?, “Nie Huaisang asked while tightly gripping his fan

Jiang Fengmian paused, thinking for a bit, “Ah.....a-Xian is preparing for tomorrow.”

“Is that why he went into seclusion?, “he questioned

“It’s..., “the Jiang Sect Leader sighed, “I’m afraid that’s a personal matter, Second Young Master Nie.”

“But he’s okay, right?, “Nie Huaisang pressed

“He’s fine, “Jiang Fengmian’s smile returned, “You’ve known a-Xian for years. He’s always smiling no matter the adversity.”

Huaisang frowned at the reply, “Yeah...he’s...he’s really great.”

Placing a hand on his littler brother’s back, Nie MingJue nodded at Jiang Fengmian and started to lead his brother away, “Till tomorrow, Sect Leader Jiang.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first week of the discussion conference seemed to go by in a flash. Each day was dedicated to a specific topic, invention, and/or book, Wei WuXian going into detail and answering any and all questions.

“Young Master Wei, do you intend to publish more?, “a sect leader asked one day

Smiling, Wei WuXian replied, “With more time and research, I plan to improve upon what I’ve already written, but more ideas will follow, I’m sure.”

After each lecture, minor sect leaders clamored to talk with the young man. Others sequestered Jiang Fengmian to a corner, talking up the young man and inquiring about tutoring for their heirs.

“My son is young and brash, perhaps a couple of week under Young Master Wei’s tutelage would straighten him out.”

“Jiang Zongzhu, my daughter has recently come of age and I was looking into decent matches for her. If you’d be inclined, I could get in touch with a matchmaker?”

The first seven days were almost repetitive in this way. Soon, however, the lectures came to an end and the final banquet before the competition was underway.

Like with the lectures, minor sect leaders cornered the Jiang Sect Leader and hounded him with questions and offers. The Jiang Sect Leader could only sigh and smile while he tried to talk down and placate the people around him.

Unlike with the lectures, disciples now felt more comfortable talking to the young Jiang cultivator now that wine was being circulated. Laughing and chatting up the young man, Wei WuXian found himself talking with disciples from multiple sects at once.

The banquet continued like this for a couple more hours. Both sect leader and head disciple moving about the room to talk to as many people as possible before the night’s end.

Said head disciple was currently talking with the leaders of the Lan contingent.

Wei WuXian, “Lan Zhan! It’s been far too long; how are you?”

Lan WangJi, “Wei Ying, “he nodded, “I am well”

Wei WuXian laughed, “That’s great!”

Facing the other two, he asked, “Lan-Laoshi, Zewu-jun, how are you?”

“We’re well, Young Master Wei, “Lan XiChen replied, “It’s been a long time since we’ve last spoken.”

‘It has, “Wei WuXian, “the last was back during the Qishan Archery Competition, wasn’t it?”

“Five years, “Lan Qiren replied, “You seem to have grown.”

“Ah, Lan-laoshi, “Wei WuXian gave a smirk, “Is that a compliment?”

Giving the younger man a blank look, Lan Wiren sighed before walking a little ways away.

“He still hates me, “Wei WuXian laughed at the Twin Jades

Lan WangJi shook his head at the man, “Xiaozhang and I enjoyed your books, “he stated

“Oh?, “Wei WuXian pondered

“Indeed, “Lan XiChen smiled, “I read your book on the Xiao and Dizi and was fascinated. I was wondering if you’d be willing to play a duet with me. Or maybe, try something on a night-hunt?

“A duet?, “Wei WuXian’s eyes widened before he grinned, “Of course, First Master Lan! No one else here plays the flute you see., “he chuckled

“Great, I’ll imagine we’ll have a lot of fun, “Lan XiChen grinned, “I’ll send an invitation for you to come to Cloud Recesses after we’ve settled back at home”

The air around the three men was light and cheerful. Lan XiChen and Wei WuXian chatted away, reminiscing about the past few years, and Lan WangJi added in his commentary when prompted.

Across the room, Yu ZiYuan was like a pot ready to boil over. A dark cloud surrounded the woman, making those not used to her temper and personality stay as far away from her side of the room as possible. Standing next to her was her best friend, Madam Jin.

“I guess it’s true then, “Madam Jin eyed Wei WuXian while he talked with the Twin Jades of Lan, “Has Jiang Fengmian finally admitted that he’s his bastard?, ”she turned to look at her friend

“Hah, no, “Yu ZiYuan laughed harshly, “he still denies it. Says this whole affair was to boost YunmengJiang’s relations. To attract promising disciples to the sects and bolster the coffers”

“That‘s not what most are going to believe though, is it, “Madam Jin scoffed, “He might as well admit it; he’s trying to depose his legitimate child for some half-breed”

At those words, the Violet Spider grew eerily quiet. The voices around them echoed through their ears, laughter and all matter of chatter going on around them. Madam Jin eyes her friend with a curious glace, wondering about the thoughts going through her friend’s head.

As if on auto-pilot, Madam Yu strode forward.

“ZiYuan?, “Madam Jin questioned

Yu ZiYuan stode the the bodies of cultivators, eyes focused on a singular target. Some eyed her warily as she pushed passed them; the rumors from before popping up in some of their heads as they looked to see where she was headed.

“Zewu-jun knows how to jest! Unexpected, “Wei WuXian chuckled, “Ah, Lan Zhan, you never told me your brother was this funny.”

“I wasn’t jesting, Young Master Wei, “the Lan sect’s heir smiled, “I’ve heard about your ChenQing and the melodies she plays.”

“Indeed, “Wei WuXian grinned back, “Oh, Lan Zhan, we could play a duet as well! What do you say? I’ll even let you pick the song. Or, the three of us could play something together.”

“You”

Wei WuXian paused and turned around, “Oh, Yu Furen-

*SLAP*

The sound of the slap silenced the entire room. Eyes turned to see Wei WuXian holding his cheek and Yu Ziyuan’s manicured hand raised high.

“You son of a servant!”

Reaching out, Yu ZiYuan yanked at Wei WuXian long tresses and threw him to the ground. Fisting his hair in her hand, she growled.

“You think you can do as you please in my home? Need I remind you who is the master here? Huh!”

Raising her other hand high, Yu ZiYuan brought it down with force.

*SLAP* *SLAP* *SLAP* *SLAP* *SLAP*

“You think you’re above my A-Cheng. You think you’re the master of YunmengJiang?!”

*SLAP* *SLAP* *SLAP*

“Well, let me tell you something. I am the Madam of YunmengJiang, and you will always be the son of whore!”

With a snarl, Yu ZiYuan threw Wei WuXian’s head back and at the same time kicked him harshly in the face.

“Mother!, “Jiang Yanli‘s voice broke through the crowd, “A-Xian!”

Everyone was frozen where they stood. The vehemence that radiated from Madam Yu shocked them so much she might as well have turned them to stone.

Wei WuXian coughed and sat up, One hand was covering his nose as blood rushed and stained his robes.

The dark cloud around the Violet Spider seemed to grow ever larger as towered over the young man. Her eyes were full of malice and an ugly snarl was stretched across her face.

Zidian unfurled.

“Conniving Dog!, “the Violet Spider seethed with hatred

With a scream, the whip lashed toward Wei WuXian. In front of everyone, the sight of Zidian tearing across his back was burned into their minds.

Flesh and blood flew as the whip dug deep and tore the skin. Rearing back, Yu ZiYuan let out a roar and striked again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

“Sanniang enough!”

For what seemed like forever, the Violet Spider vented her rage at the young man, her grunts, shouts, and insults filled everyone’s ears and bounced around in their heads. After what seemed like an eternity, Yu ZiYuan finally lowered the whip.

Voices cried out.

“Wei-Xiong!”

“Young Master Wei!”

“Wei Ying!”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author’s Notes:

-If there’s any confusion, this is a No SSC fic. So far, the only thing Wen Ruohan did was the Waterborne Abyss, but has not made a move in seven years.

-If you didn’t read the tags, I’ll remind you that this isn’t a fic for JC or Madam Yu fans. I will write them with their canon characteristics, I will not woobify them to fit your fanon nor will I excuse their abusive actions.

Read my other Prompts and WIPs [Here]

[middle-eastern-queen]

My current dizi situation:

A) I need to catch up on Yargı and Uç Kuruş

B) y’all’s gifs are making me want to watch Evlilik hakkında her şey 👀

C) I want to watch some of the new web Dizi’s but I’m scared ngl. With web content you never know what your gonna be greeted with😂 I need to finish Midnight at Pera Palace though, the one episode I watched was great. The other two on my list are Hayaller ve Hayatlar and Erkek Severse. But idk… web Dizi’s and Kdrama’s scare me 😆

D) I’m also excited for this years summer rom coms. I hope we get some good and fun original Dizi’s . Last year was a disappointment.

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Ask game

Thanks for the tag @missameliep 💕

Nickname: Lori

Zodiac sign: Cancer

Height: 1.59 m

Last movie I saw: Mary Shelley, I think...? 🤔 I don't remember. I don't watch movies so often. I'd be better at pointing out the last series or YouTube video I watched

Last thing I googled: Crème anglaise recipe

Favorite musician(s): Paul McCartney, Mike Shinoda, Marisa Monte, Sara Bareilles, Norah Jones, Silva.

Song stuck in my head:

Other blogs: @lorircreates a dump of reblogs and shitposts since 2011 (yes, I’m old in life and in Tumblr), @write-baby-write my personal dump of writing resources, tips and prompts. I have @misskinkywrites but I'm thinking about deleting it (I don't feel like posting original stories on Tumblr).

Blogs following: fandom blogs (Choices, TWC, Reign, Bridgerton, Turkish dizi) artists blogs, writing blogs, feminist blogs, funny blogs

Sleep patterns: I can easily adapt my sleep to any sort of changes (I wake up early if I have to and I have no trouble sleeping at any moment of the day), but I need at least 7 hours of sleep per day

Lucky numbers: I don’t believe in this kind of stuff

What am I wearing: wine red nightie

What would I do of capitalism didn't exist: write, read, learn everything I want, travel everywhere

Dream trip: I don't know... there are too many cool places in the world. Obsessing about only one place feels kinda silly to me

Favorite food: the good kind? 😁 I don't know, I love Brazilian food, Japanese food, Italian... But it's hard for me to point out one single dish that I like more than anything else

Instruments I play: I used to play keyboards and guitar, but I'm out of practice. I'm better at singing

Languages I speak: Portuguese, English

Favorite Song: I hate this kind of question so much because I never know what to say. I don’t have one favorite song. I don’t even have one favorite playlist

Random facts about me:

I gave up a career as psychologist because working with mental health made me mentally and physically ill (even when I tried to get help), I have zero knack for teaching, the money is crap and creating stuff is more my thing than helping people (the money is also crap, but I'm happy. Go figure...). I still read psychology/neurology articles and books because I love studying about it (I apply it in my writing when I'm creating characters, studying characters or developing a plot related to mental health);

I've always loved writing, but I only started writing (fan)fiction in 2018;

I'm learning how to draw. Sometimes it's great, some other times I think about giving up because everything sucks, I have zero confidence in it... Kinda reminds of writing 😀

Learning how to draw has improved my makeup skills immensely;

I'm currently addicted to podcasts. I wash the dishes, I listen to a news podcast. I do the laundry, I listen to a horror podcast. I'm cooking, I listen to a podcast of a drag queen I'm huge fan of, I wash my hair, I listen to a history podcast... The list can go on forever lol (I don't like interviews podcast though).

Tagging: @lilyoffandoms @moonrisedreams @storyofmychoices @peonierose

[mrsgreenworld]

Have you watched any of the new summer shows? Have you liked any of them?

Hello, dear friend! I'm not sure I've seen all the shows that premiered but I've definitely seen the main. Gonna put them in the list, starting from the best and finishing with the one I liked the least:

1. Baş Belası - WOW WOW WOW!!!! This one is my absolute favourite at the moment. It's something fresh, completely new. Haven't seen other Turkish dizis like this one. It's an interesting mix of crime drama but it also has funny comedy moments. The lead female character is a sort of Turkish female Sherlock Holmes 🙈😆 The acting, the story, the characters - 10 out of 10👏👏👏 Really looking forward to more.

2. Ada Masalı - while there's nothing new or interesting story-wise and the characters are rather basic and the show definitely lacks in the music department (to my personal taste) the main highlight for me is the insane chemistry between the leads. They're pure 🔥🔥🔥I think Ayça and Alp can put even Hande and Kerem to shame 🙈 Another thing I love is the setting. The views are truly gorgeous and the overall atmosphere is light and can easily provide a necessary escape into the warm embrace of summer and love 💕🏝️

3. Cam Tavanlar - I wasn't very impressed with episode 1 but episode 2 had a considerable improvement. I like the heavy focus on a female lead in this show. The acting is great. There's great amount of chemistry between the leads and a promising storyline.

4. Baht Oyunu - nothing new or exciting about the storyline and a male lead is kinda meh. But I loved the female lead. Not the character itself cause she's way too naive, desperate and rather pathetic when it comes to her cheating husband. I loved the acting. She had quite fine comedic moments.

5. Aşk Mantık İntikam - all of it was kinda meh to me. Didn't like the female character at all and it's already a no-go for me. Not only she's an unlikeable character but she also had no chemistry with the male lead. There's nothing new or interesting about the story. İt's a sort of recycled plot.

And that's pretty much it. Are there any other shows I don't know about?🤔

[kingofthewilderwest]

Tagged by @writingstellar! Good to hear how life’s going and holy crap I was just thinking about how it’s coming up 10 years since we met.

Rules: answer 30 questions and tag blogs you are contractually obligated to know better.

name/nickname: Haddock. King. Against my will, every other variation of fish-like things you can think of. King Fishy, Fishy, Fishface, Fishyface, Fish, etc.

gender: enby

star sign: 🖕

height: 5′ 2″

time: 12:27 AM

birthday: October 19

favourite bands: Flatt & Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, The Dead South, Old Man Markley

favourite solo artists: uhhhhhhhhmmmmmmm... get back to me on that. Can... can Beethoven count? C’mon I fucking have Beethoven music TATTOOED ON ME, we gonna make Beethoven count.

song stuck in my head: a combination of like six Flatt & Scruggs songs and covers rn, most prominently Colors. I have no idea why. I don’t listen to their late 1960s stuff as often, but I woke up and that song came to me with tenacity and wouldn’t let go.

last movie: What was the last movie I watched in my Bad Movie Night group? Was it Leo the Lion????? Oh gosh. That nightmare is the last movie I saw??? Dudes holy shit that movie was a special kind of awful, it was a horrible experience and it’s scarred me forever and [spoilers] why did you make the elephant canonically fuck the emaciated lion?!?!?!

last show: Flatt & Scruggs TV Show. Shut up. I like them. A lot. Hyperfixation gonna hyperfixate. And they’re actually really wonderful and personable to watch, in addition to making great music.

when did you create this blog? summer 2014

what do I post: on this blog? Well, it used to be an analysis blog for HTTYD and more. Now... whatever, but usually fandom-related materials for my favorite shows... Gravity Falls, Fullmetal Alchemist, etc.

last thing i googled: middle finger. to get that middle finger emote up there.

do i get asks? absolutely. sorry that I no longer respond to everything as I once did. I no longer have the time and presence of mind to get to all asks, and it’s no longer a priority in my life or major past-time. but I read all of them and appreciate all of them and really do try to answer peeps when I’m on here and in the mood! Thanks for talking with me so much!

why i chose my url: As a How to Train Your Dragon blog, I thought it would be the COOLEST thing to pick Hiccup’s title. I was in excited shock it wasn’t taken.

average hours of sleep: uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I’m sleeping a fuckton lately, like sometimes 10, but that’s not normal to me.

lucky number: 13, 19, 320.

Instruments: Yes. I have an entire sideblog dedicated to my banjo explorations and bluegrass/country music obsession, to rant and rave to like the 0.1 person who’ll see it. ;) Feel free to check it out... I try to make it accessible to like, anyone, even peeps with none music background left beef. Banjo is my latest instrument and I’m proud of how far I’ve come in less than a year and a half. Started on piano as a wee one, got good at it. Added flute and piccolo, got good at it, played semi-competitively at local/state events in high school. Added clarinet. Added viola and played that in college orchestra because it was the one thing I could get INTO orchestra on because they didn’t audition on it. Also own/play to varying degrees of skill or incompetence: pennywhistles, soprano recorder, khloy (Cambodian flute), khene (Southeast Asian pipe instrument), tro (Cambodian spiked fiddle), tro ou (Cambodian spiked fiddle), dizi (Chinese flute), shakuhachi, ukulele, guitar, fiddle, Irish flute, harmonica, didgeridoo, shit why do I feel like I’m forgetting some things. Uhhhhhh... in college I played some taiko, shamisen, and shinobue too? I dunno, just chuck a woodwind or a string instrument at me, and I’ll figure something out. Won’t necessarily be pleasant but there’ll be notes.

what i’m wearing: red pajamas. They have snowflakes on them. they are warm and comfy.

dream job: I know it’s hard work as hell, believe me, my fam’s been in it, but seriously? transitioning to agricultural work. I’m an old-fashioned ass at heart and, as much as my work has serious perks with a flexible schedule, I hate how much of my life is spent on a screen. I’m happiest working with my hands, and I’ve got a green thumb.

dream trip: Dammit, I have to pick ONE place??? fuck that shit, I want to go everywhere, I have bucket list countries in every continent. shit. uh. how about Norway because that’s the home of my ancestors.

last book i read: I’m currently reading three right now. the last one I finished is an obscure Country Music history picture book from the 1960s. Oh hey wow did the bluegrass hyperfixation appear again? WOW YOU BETCHA IT DID. Uff-dah.

favourite food: I’m going to just say a fucking cuisine rather than narrow it down to one dish. Thai food.

nationality: United States American.

favourite song: Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Yes. Flatt & Scruggs came up again. Get used to it. I have fucking had Flatt & Scruggs appear multiple times in my dreams. I have fucking had Flatt & Scruggs more in my dreams than some of my irl friends. 

top three fictional universes: Mass Effect, Fullmetal Alchemist, Gravity Falls

gonna gently tag (no pressure!):

Okay I am sleep loopy so I cannot think of names rn but I might reblog and tag later with peeps because I always like poking friends.

[jalebi-weds-bluetooth]

Hey! I am drunk on your amazing gifsets and your detailed answers ♡♡♡ I was wondering who you would cast in an american/english versiln of IPK and a Turkish one? (If you watch turkush dizi!) Thankyou!!

Oh this is a difficult ask! I don’t have much idea about american/English actors but I’ll try my best! Also, I don’t watch Turkish shows (sorry!) so I won’t be able to answer the second half. 

Honestly the reason why this is difficult is because they casted excellent actors in the original version. So I’m trying to find people who can emote as well as the original cast did. 

Also do check out @tellywoodtrash‘s list - she answered this question some time back :D She has Lakshmi, yes Lakshmi, perfectly casted so I'm not touching that! 

I hope you like the following set below! The actors I have chosen are based on their acting capabilities as opposed to looking similar to original IPK characters :)

Adam Driver as Arnav Singh Raizada

Why: This actor aces simmering rage, anger, fear, pain, cries, loss, sadness, love and his eyes speak volumes. He. Can. Stare. Arnav is one of my favorite characters because he’s so beautifully essayed by Barun - that man can layer expressions like no one else. So in my eyes, another actor I’ve been completely enamored with off late for the same reason is Adam Driver!

Ana de Armas as Khushi Kumari Gupta

Why: Knives Out. Firstly, I have actually watched very few American/English things and so far Ana struck me as an actress who can toggle between innocence, vulnerability, steadfastness, strength, joy and be an absolute sunshine! Sanaya was brilliant as Khushi and I can see Ana’s variety coming on as strengths. 

Also, just the below scenes struck me as Khushi during a downpour :)

Yep. Rabba Ve Khushi, with that barely there touch and eye lock.

John Krasinki as Akash Raizada

Why: If Akash’s role ever expanded, we might have gotten a character that was steadfast, a bit shy, someone with dry humor and an antitheses to his cousin. John certainly masters the role of a character who can give quiet quips that can steal a scene! Anyone with the last line?- It’s actually him. Remember Akash’s dialogue “Now who’s this woman who dented Arnav’s mind instead of his car?” Yup - if that Akash was expanded - this is who I see :)

P.S: I would TOTALLY have loved to see Akash’s perspective of his brother falling in love and working with the ‘ASR’ (something tells me Akash takes his brother’s anger with a pinch of salt).

Gemma Chan as Payal Gupta

Why: I loved her in Crazy Rich Asians. I think she can nail the loves-everyone-and-is-highly-practical Payal brilliantly. Payal as a character is graceful, slightly shy in expressing her emotions until someone (ASR) pisses her off that she can launch and murder the person in front of her. She kills with kindness and logic though. The whole sequence between Astrid and her useless husband in Crazy Rich Asians gave me BIG vibes of how Payal - if extended - could be as a character. 

Natalie Portman as Anjali Jha/Raizada

Why: Anjali, in my eyes is the epitome of beauty, grace and perfection. She seems so delicate, but gorgeous. Her smile radiates the household and she is the pillar of the Raizada's. But when she breaks down, when her world comes tumbling down - it caves a hole deep enough to reach hell. There’s so much love, empathy, compassion and heart in Anjali that I see someone like Natalie fit the bill :) 

Oscar Isaac as Shyam Manohar Jha

Why: Here’s your handsome, intelligent, smart, diplomatic lawyer who suits up well enough to hide his intent and actions. Oscar can easily carry a character who oozes charm, wit and diplomacy with hidden motives. It’s easy to believe his smiles and deep eyes. Given Abhaas’s greatest strength was the simmering yet hidden sinister ideas, I would love to see Oscar play Shyam cause I think he’d do the character justice. 

Naomi Scott as Lavanya Kashyap

Why: Stunning, powerful, a bit suppressed but when given room to feel, she ultimately has a heart of gold. Lavanya as a character starts off as someone who’s a bit standoffish but is actually a bit naive, incredibly lovable, emotionally mature and has the heart of a sixteen years old! Which is why I always ship her with NK (who can love her with all his heart) and why I think Naomi balances childishness, maturity, naivety and power pretty well. 

Andy Samberg as Nandkishore/NK

Why: COMIC TIMING! He’s one of the best I’ve seen of late. And someone who can be charming, kind, obnoxious, silly but can steal your heart under your nose. Also, this one actor can swiftly switch between humor and something serious which is necessary for our adorable NK.

Dame Judi Dench as Nani/Devyani Raizada

Why: I’m taking a lead out of @tellywoodtrash​‘s list (do check it out!) because Dame Judi Dench would absolutely the role of a strict matriarch with a touch of softness in her heart. Also, Nani has some sass.

Catherine O’Hara as Manorama Raizada

Why: Watch Schitt’s Creek. THIS WOMAN WILL NAIL HELLO HI BYE BYE TO ITS BEST! PERIOD!

You know she’s gonna walk into Akash and Payal’s wedding wearing the below;

Also, we don’t see this much of this in the show but she would ace in the hate to I-love-my-bahu really well. 

Eugene Levy as Mahinder Raizada

Why: Supportive, kind, in love with Mami and kinda gives into her whims until it endangers the happiness of his son. Again, watch Schitt’s Creek. I will not separate this on screen chemistry - this is Mami Mama in reality!

BONUS:(Mama and Mami dancing)

And now to the rest of the Guptas,

Meryl Streep as Madhumati/Buaji

Why: Bua ji is dramatic, intense, extremely loving - so much so she kinda destroys Khushi’s life before learning how to become a better maternal figure to Khushi. Also, Bua-ji is plain hilarious. She might be hard to love but once we know her, we just love her. She’s an excellent, difficult character. If expanded, Bua-ji could’ve been one solid matriarch who would gladly kick Arnav for not just forgetting Khushi’s birthday but much more. Who better than the iconic Meryl Streep? Also... I can’t stop laughing at the ‘war’ of dancing between Catherine O’Hara and Meryl Streep - I’d die laughing.

Tom Hanks as Shashi Gupta and Laura Dern as Garima Gupta

Why: Again, I’m borrowing them from @tellywoodtrash​‘s amazing list because they’re just perfect that way. Tom Hanks would perfectly capture the wise Shashi and I think Laura Dern would totally kill the whole Garima-had-affair-with-Arnav’s-dad track. Also, in this version Shashi would recover from paralysis and we’d have a great track on that, as opposed to Mrs Ind- let’s not talk about it.

And OF COURSE AMAN WILL BE HERE. AMAN TO LOVE OUR ANJALI. THE SWEET HANDSOME, JUST FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM, INTELLIGENT PUDDING IS AMAN MATHUR-

Look! He has a ring ready!

Hello Henry Golding!

Phew! With that it’s an end to this - thanks for asking :) 

Much love, 

- JWB

[usernare]

THE DIZI TAG GAME

Rules: Answer the questions and then tag people you want to participate! (Also tag it #The Dizi Tag Game so we can see everyone’s lists)

tagged by: @aycaysiin​ (miss u bby)

1. your first dizi & how you discovered Turkish dramas

it’s a little complicated hahahaha i first discovered dizis here on tumblr back on 2015 by seeing gifsets of magnificent century (nurbanu and selim, i miss them so much) but it was not the first dizi i watched bc the only channel i found had awful subtitles and sometimes russian dub; the first dizi i started watching was aşk laftan anlamaz, but around episode twenty-five the channel stopped posting the episodes; the first dizi i really watched through the end was kiralik aşk.

2. show(s) you’re currently watching

i’m not really watching that many dizis right now, i’m on day with maraşlı (bc i make the portuguese subtitles for it), i’m like six episodes behind in sen çal kapimi (and tbh i don’t want to catch up) and i watched the first episode of masumiyet last week.

3. your favorite genre of dizi (romcom, mafia show, contemporary drama, historical/fantasy, etc.):

i was always the rom-com girl type but i recently discovered that i’m more drawn to dramas/mafia shows that i could ever imagine. i’m also very found of historical dizis/movies/books bc that’s a huge part of me (well... after all i’m a history teacher).

4. the show you rewatch (parts of) the most:

i don’t know if it’s considered a dizi or just a netfix show, but i watched aşk 101 like... eight times last year. my yt is always recommending me videos of leyla and hakan in the protector, so i’m counting it. i’m always watching scenes of kiş güneşi too... and güneşin kizlari (lost count of how many times i watched videos of savnaz).

5. favorite Turkish actor and actress (feel free to pick multiples):

all my faves: çağatay ulusoy, ayça ayşin turan, merve boluğur, berk atan, hande erçel, burak deniz, mert yazıcıoğlu, ipek filiz yazıcı, sude zulal güler, emre bey,  neslihan atagül, uraz kaygılaroğlu, alperen duymaz, melisa döngel, esra bilgiç. i’ll stop here but there’s a lot more.

6. a show you quit before finishing:

that dizi i refuse to say the name (y’all know which one, the one that made awful decisions with the best characters they had... and now that these actors jump off the boat the writers are trying to survive by bringing into this mess another great actress just to make that hateful character someone worth watching) (yeah, i hold a lot of grudges) (at least now neslihan and uraz are free) and erkenci kus.

7. favorite song(s) you’ve discovered in dizi’s:

i don’t pay much attention on the soundtrack :( 

8. the show whose plot disappointed you the most:

again, the one i refuse typing the name. i think iyi günde kotü günde disappointed me but bc i was so invested and they didn’t gave us a reason for everything. 

9. a show that was cancelled too soon / ran too long:

again, iyi günde kotü günde. but i think zemheri had such a short life too. and i think that çukur and hercai are running too long. i mean, i don’t even know what’s happening anymore (ok that çukur had this kind of time jump and things revived a little) 

10. favorite character(s):

sinan (ask 101), osman (ask 101), işik (love 101), gediz işıklı (you know from where), defne topal (kiralik ask), nurbanu sultan (magnificent century), turhan hatice sultan (magnificent century: kosem), firuze pinar (zemheri), yildiz yilmaz (yasak elma), sibel yildirim (ramo), eda yildiz (sen çal kapimi, but like until episode 15), nare çelebi (from that dizi, until the 5th episode)

11. your favorite romantic pairing(s):

sinan and işik (love 101), gediz and nare (from that one), ramo and sibel (ramo), omer and defne (kiralik ask), and so far marasli and mahur (marasli) 

12. favorite side character(s):

melek (sen çal kapimi), ceren (sen çal kapimi), leyla (the protector), burcu (ask 101), sinan (kiralik ask)

13. best kiss:

sinan and işik on the water (ask 101)

14. an underrated show more people should watch:

maraşlı

15. a show everyone loves that you aren’t interested in:

emanet

16. a show you want to recommend right now:

maraşlı, masumiyet, halka

17. the next show on your list:  

teşkilat (waiting for it to start on sunday) and son yaz (but alperen as 20 y’old boy creeps me a little)

tagging: @izbellas @mayuamakura @sparkledesign @ofrumours @savkennas and anyone who wants to do it!

[djemsostylist]

The Great Dizi List, Part 2

Her Yerde Sen: This one is a romcom, and the first one I have finished. I LOVED it. Remained cute and soft throughout, the main couple was basically together for ¾ of the show, and ended before things got too silly or ridiculous. Even the requisite break-up wasn’t really a breakup, and I liked that the ending wasn’t the typical dizi cliché. Loved all the side characters and their stories, loved how everything was one big connected story throughout. It's one of those feel good shows, where everything just makes you happy and there's no stress or heartache. Excellently written, dealt with some good themes without being over the top. Very innocent story for sure, but it was great, and I would watch again for sure!

Halka: This one is a mafia drama ostensibly, but I'd say it veers more towards a psychological/family drama really. I literally binged this show in a week. It’s the first one that grabbed me from minute one–I could not stop watching. It was FANTASTIC. It’s hard to compare it to SM, but I’d say it comes the closest. If it wasn’t for the fact that it is a 2.5 hour show in a foreign language, I would 100% recommend this to like, everyone I know. I loved all the characters (even the ones I hated), it NEVER dragged, the acting was phenomenal, the story was super interesting, and I LOVED the main bromance and the main romance. Fantastic. I will never get over Cihangir, Kaan, and Müjde, they are my babies and I will love them forever. I didn’t think anyone could come close to my foursome in Meryem, and yet these three exist. And Bahar, she was precious too. I was tempted to turn around and watch it all over again. Now all I want is season 2.

Yeni Hayat: This one is another family/psychological drama. Essentially about a woman married to a rich but super abusive man, and her body guard and his family. This show is one of those shows where are the elements are there--good plot, great actors, solid writing, good sets, but it just...flops. The subject of abuse is an important one, and I liked what I think they were trying to say, but there as no sparkle, nothing that grabs you it’s just very meh. I mean, tbh it’s worth watching at least the bits with bodyguard and his daughter bc she is a delightful little actress and they are so cute together, but everything else is a pass tbh. It was extremely blah, and since it got cancelled it has no ending. Serkan is still pretty tho.

Muhteşem İkili: This one is a cop dramedy, but it's honestly more of a family drama. I ADORED this show. Like, loved loved loved it. In the interest of honesty, I did not watch literally any of the police plot, I literally just watched it for MKC and his family. It’s a Kerem drama, so of course he was flawless. MKC is basically like if Ali and Serkan had a baby, and I adored him from minute one. His relationship with his son is beautiful, and I adored Kaan so much. I also loved his relationship with his ex-wife–they might have one of the most respectful, mature, and realistic relationships I’ve seen on tv, let alone in dizis. Loved his sister (Özge Gürel was adorable in this) and his relationship with his partner and his dad were great. Beautiful found family trope, and overall just fantastic acting. Cancelled after only 12 episodes so I had a minor meltdown lol, but I’d highly recommend–you can literally just watch the parts with MKC and his family or his sister and get all you need.

Immortals: Look, I’ve watched a lot of things for an actor I’ve loved, and this is no exception. This was bad. I love Kerem, but this is gonna be a whole yikes from me. (Tbf I also watched two of his more recent movies which were also bad). Like…maybe I am just not here for vampires anymore idk.

Azize: This one was also ostensibly a mafia drama, but got cancelled at episode 6. Hande was excellent in this, and it was a different kind of role for her I think, which was great. Her character was actually really interesting and I was curious to see where it was going. Unfortunately, the show was terribly written. The script was extremely one note and basic, and literally told you everything so there was nothing to wonder or speculate on. The lead man came off as much, much older than her and they had no chemistry. I didn’t finish episode 4 tbh.

Içerde: This one is another mafia/family drama, mostly focused on the relationship with two brothers (who don't know they are brothers). This was was excellent, but it went on for just about 15 episodes too many. The plot dragged after about 20, and I didn't get enough of the stuff I wanted as a result. But the acting was truly spectacular from the whole cast, and I would recommend on the basis of that alone. Truly, truly excellent writing and acting, and a very satisfying conclusion.

Part 1, Part 3