#the most beautiful scenes have the ugliest colouring on this show and we have to deal with that and work with it

[tinnchan]

LAWS OF ATTRACTION (2023) - EPISODE 5 Oh, love, are you floating down to me or what? Casting a spell on my heart, I’m enamored Is this love really from the heart? Or are you teasing me, letting me watch what I’ve been waiting for?

[ootori-sibs]

Colour blind

Day one of @ohshc-week : soulmates or found family

Everyone always knew that there were two things that everyone had; sight that only saw the colour of their soulmates soul, and that words appear on their skin when they realise they've fallen in love and colour returns to their sight- and those words are the words moment by their soulmate in that moment.

Kyoya didn't have a soulmate, that much was true. He was sure of it the moment his sister told him about the legends, he remembers in this stupid little toddler wisdom, actually asking her.

"Fumi… why don't I see any colours..?"

He remembers the look of absolute heartbreak on his sister's face, as she came to the conclusion everyone he'd told had come to; Kyoya didn't have a soulmate, he was unlovable, he would die alone. But of course Fiyumi had done her best to comfort him, suggesting any number of reasons he couldn't see a single colour; maybe his soulmate's soul wasn't on the visible spectrum? Maybe he was just colourblind? Maybe his soulmate didn't even have a soul? Kyoya had jumped right on that excuse, the idea that his soulmate was a demon of some sort, made sense in his little toddler brain, especially when falling for his horribly crude, horribly rude ex, maybe his own soul was an ugly shade of green, just like Kuze had said he could see- Kyoya didn't even know what green looked like. But every night, he searched his body for words, any word Kuze had ever said to him- and never found anything.

That was probably the final nail in the coffin, the final, undeniable proof that he never had a soulmate, and never would. He spent so many nights, ending up in tears… how was he so unlovable? He had no friends after upsetting both Kuze and his fiancée, he'd told them he saw orange, he just wanted to make him happy… but she saw orange, she was who made him happy. He was all alone, and he would always be alone…

Then he met Tamaki, Tamaki was special, Tamaki made him feel happy like he hadn't felt in so long. But never once did Kyoya let himself fall for the man, he knew better by now, he never told Tamaki that he couldn't see in colour, he didn't want his new best friend to think him a freak. But he loved to listen to Tamaki go on and on about the colour he saw… purple.

Purple was the colour of Tamaki's eyes, the colour of the roses he had surrounded Kyoya with, it was a colour so beautiful, it could bring Tamaki to tears if he spoke about it for too long, it was a colour that Tamaki so often told Kyoya he looked so good in. Kyoya had to trust his word, he had no idea how colour theory worked, only how blacks and whites and greys looked together, there was nothing Kyoya hated more than blacks and greys.

Black was a dark, sombre colour, it wasn't even a colour, it was a shade of nothing, the ugliest in Kyoya's opinion; it was the colour of his unlovable hair, the colour of the book he carried around, the colour of everything sick and bad. The greys were worse; they were everything Kyoya couldn't see, they were every colour of the rainbow, a horrible reminder of everything he was not, the horrible mark of a lack of love, they were the colour of his eyes, showing everyone exactly who he was, he hated greys- but he hated the colours even more, the light hiding from his vision.

White was the only lack of colour he ever cared for; the sunlight drifting through the open window and onto his face, the inside of warm, fresh bread, it was the colour that everything light and bright appeared to be, it wasn't an absence of happiness, but the only joy Kyoya could gleam, it was also the colour that most of Tamaki appeared as, from his hair to his overly expensive 'red' leather shoes.

Then the host club was founded, it was a joint effort, though Kyoya really didn't see the point, all these girls had soulmates, what could they ever see in their hosts? Kyoya didn't understand romance for the sake of romance, everything should be about your soulmate- how dare these selfish brats focus on anything else? He'd always hated how his brothers focused on their studies, they were always better than him in one sense- did they have to be better than him in every way? Now these boys and their stupid guests were going to mess around, neglecting time that should be spent searching for their soulmate. But of course Kyoya couldn't have just said that, then Tamaki would ask why Kyoya never searched for his own… and he'd have to admit how unlovable he was.

But he grew fond of the club, if not their activities. He still resented each and every guest to walk through their door, but at least Kyoya could excuse the hosts- they were only messing around. Besides, at least one of them already knew their soulmate; Honey saw a dark mauve colour, it was a strange colour, one Kyoya couldn't even begin to imagine, the boy-lolita's soulmate was a girl from the black magic club, who had previously complained about the bright pink shades everything took- now it was her favourite colour.

He began to see the hosts as a family unit, like the times Tamaki always described, it was never anything like his own family- but he had to adore the beautiful nuclear family picture Tamaki painted for him… himself as the mother, and Tamaki was always the father. It was a picture perfect scene, one Kyoya would never be able to have in any other context. Of course he loved, he fell in love every day, any time there was a beautiful man on the television, any time a handsome man passed his vision in any context. Sometimes he developed a small crush on someone he actually knew, and he had to crush it and remove it from his mind- he was unlovable, he had to remember that.

Haruhi came along and Kyoya began to believe Tamaki had found his soulmate, maybe she was purple, but the roses he found surrounded her were red apparently, not purple- that was the first he realised it was only him surrounded by purple. He appreciated Tamaki surrounding him in such an important colour, he supposed a best friend was a stand in for a soulmate until you found it. He supposed that was also why he was mommy- he'd lose the role once Tamaki found his queen.

He didn't understand why that thought made him feel so sad.

He didn't understand why Haruhi gave him such pitying eyes when he explained why he agreed to found the club with Tamaki.

He certainly didn't understand why he was in physical pain when he was so close to losing Tamaki. He should be happy for his best friend- Eclair was Tamaki's soulmate after all wasn't he? He wondered what colour his friend's soul was…

But Eclair didn't feel like a purple, she didn't fit any of the descriptors Tamaki gave the colour; she wasn't subtle, sure she was mature- but in too sexual of a sense, purple was withdrawn but glowing, it was a smart colour, one that Tamaki truly loved… Eclair was none of that, she was disgusting.

When they settled down together to watch the fireworks after the most stressful day of all their lives, it was Hikaru who spoke up. "Uhh… Haruhi?" Haruhi glanced over to him, and Kyoya noticed how the louder twin was holding his forearm, "I have to show you…" and he pulled back his sleeve, to reveal words written in block text, what was presumably red; 'don't worry about that Hikaru, I got this.' and from the gasp that emanated from Haruhi, it was something she had said to him.

Suddenly, she was looking around in awe, "so many colours…" her hands went to her mouth, before her eyes went down to her own forearm, pulling her own sleeve back, only to see the words Hikaru had just spoken, written in… was that comic sans?

All the hosts watched in silence as they embraced, Haruhi kissing Hikaru on the nose before they both chuckled happily… Kyoya had to look away, feeling a pang of pain at his friends' happy ending. Honey seemed to have the opposite reaction, clapping his hands together with a giggle and a smile, "aww!! Hika-chan loves Haru-chan!!"

Kaoru seemed pleased, patting his brother on the back, "hell yeah, I called it!"

Tamaki simply gasped, "I knew you had impure intentions for my little girl!" He points at Hikaru, "devil twin!" He glanced at Kyoya pouting, "mommy! Set some ground rules!"

Kyoya sighs, feeling his heart pounding heavy in his chest, really not feeling up to this, he crossed his arms. "Hurt her, we hurt you, and the same goes for vise versa, both of you- take care of each other." The two looked up at Kyoya, both smiling in amusement at how willing Kyoya was to go along with Tamaki's antics, but knowing full well the threats were real- Kyoya doesn't do fake threats. "Although I know you won't, cause you're both fucking soulmates and perfect for each other, obviously." He shoots a quick glare at Tamaki for making him give such a redundant threat.

But the hosts had all paused, looking at him in confusion, that was the first time they'd ever heard Kyoya swear, and they were concerned. "Aren't you happy for them Kyo-chan? What's wrong..?" Honey asked, tilting his head slightly. Only then does Kyoya realise what he'd said, and he withdrew in on himself, trying to find an excuse, any excuse…

"Aw… are you upset you still haven't found yours yet?" Tamaki smiled softly, hugging him, "that's so cute Kyoya!" Kyoya felt his cheeks heat up slightly, cursing his sensitivity for things like this.

"Ugh, it's nothing, I'm just a little stressed from today, alright?" He forced a smile, adjusting his glasses quietly and stepping away from Tamaki, who looked a little disappointed.

"I wished I could date *my* soulmate already." Tamaki spoke, sighing, "you two are very lucky," he had turned to the lucky couple again, smiling now.

Haruhi chuckles, smiling back, "oh don't worry, I'm sure your soulmate would be easy to find, she's probably one of your guests."

Tamaki shakes his head at that "oh I already know my soulmate, I'm just waiting for my soulmate to find me."

Everyone pauses at that, and Kyoya feels an even greater pang of pain, his best, dearest friend has found his soulmate, and doesn't even attempt to court her? How selfish of him, what another those without soulmates- not that he'd be aware of that, it's only Kyoya…. It's Hikaru who speaks up, frowning, "why not just tell her? She'd have to realise then?"

"That would be unfair, to deprive my love of the wonderful feeling of discovery and adoration, the same I felt… I'd never want my true love to be forced into such a discovery." He smiles, sighing wistfully, ever the romantic is Tamaki, and Kyoya could only wish he had someone who would do that for him… but that was impossible.

Hikaru paused, glancing at Haruhi, "well know I feel bad."

Haruhi chuckled, kissing Hikaru's cheek, "don't worry, I appreciate the straightforwardness, I'm glad you just told me. That's why we fit, and whoever Tamaki-senpai's soulmate is, will appreciate his gesture as much as I appreciate yours."

Aw how romantic, Kyoya almost felt sick, his rage- his jealousy, was almost unbearable, what he wouldn't do for a soulmate… someone he could call his own…

They went inside, intending to relax inside the clubroom, in fact Tamaki had suggested they stay the night. So they were setting up for a nice big sleepover, but Kyoya just sat by the window, once again mourning his lack of love. He wasn't really paying attention to what the other hosts were doing, he was just thinking about everything and nothing, he tried to focus on finances and money, at least to keep the tears away, what had he learnt in school recently? Not much if he was honest.

He could hear Tamaki arguing with the twins once again, some things never changed, as much as it was annoying, it was lovely background noise… everything Tamaki said was lovely background noise. Tamaki was just, lovely in general- Kyoya couldn't ask for a better best friend… of course he'd never say that, he could never admit how much he-

"MAMA!!" Tamaki cried out, rushing to Kyoya's side, his eyes big and shimmering, whining and complaining about something the twins had done or said, but all Kyoya could think about was…

-loved him. He loved him, he could never admit how much he loved Tamaki. Oh for fucks sake, he'd fallen for Tamaki Souh of all people, his best friend. He thought he'd never make that mistake again- falling for a friend never ends well.

He sighed, opening his eyes again to look that idiot in the face and… his eyes… was that… purple?

He couldn't see a single grey, not one speck… he looked around, barely any black either… oh heavens, oh god. It seemed Tamaki had noticed something, standing up, and- oh his suit really was white… white, the colour of the roses on Tamaki's table, that fool loved the colour white almost as much as he did purple…

"Are you alright Kyoya? You look a little… shocked." Tamaki smiled, looking down at him. The other hosts glanced over, oh they were all so colourful… Kyoya could cry…

"Your suit is white…" was all he could manage, practically rendered speechless as he felt a telltale tingle on his wrist…

Tamaki nodded, smiling brighter, "you've only just noticed? Or are you finally seeing in colour?" This got the other hosts attention, all eyes going wide, Kyoya had no clue what those colours were… the same as coffee he thought, at least in Haruhi's case.

"You're white- you… your soul…" Kyoya managed to choke out, looking down at his wrist, written in beautiful white cursive was the word; 'MAMA!!', all caps, two exclamations… and Kyoya felt the tears spilling, for the first time not out of sadness or mourning.

"Oh my god! You two are soulmates???" Hikaru blurted out, seemingly shocked, especially as Tamaki nodded.

"I surrounded him in purple for a reason." He then paused, frowning and turning back to Kyoya, "white? My soul is white? Not even a real colour..? God… no wonder you got so nervous whenever I brought up the idea of soulmates…" the pity was clear in his voice, but Kyoya couldn't care less.

"I thought I didn't have one…" he managed to admit, grabbing Tamaki and pulling him into the tightest hug he could manage, he was in love, he was allowed to be in love- he even had a soulmate that was so special his colour was unique! "You're every colour in the entire light spectrum, you're too real…"

Tamaki chuckled at that, smiling and giving Kyoya lots of little face kisses, "I'm glad your happy mon amour, now please let me go, I can't breathe."

"I'm never letting you go again," Kyoya spoke truthfully, he ever wanted to feel as alone as he had felt not ten minutes ago ever again, he grabbed Tamaki by the face, staring him in the eyes, "now kiss me and don't ever fucking stop."

[randomrichards]

BEST MOVIE MOMENTS OF 2020

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Abe Makes Dinner from ABE

Teen chef protégé Abe (Stranger Thing’s Noah Schnapp) hopes that his dinner blending Israeli and Palestinian dishes will mend a bridge between his Israeli and Palestinian families (as well as his atheist father). But he gets a sad dose of reality when he learns the hard way that a wedge between families can’t always be solved with a meal.

“Wait for It” from HAMILTON

On June 16, 2016, Leslie Odom Jr. surprised many by beating Hamilton star/creator Lin-Manuel Miranda for the Best Actor award at the Tony Awards. And now they understood why thanks to Disney+ presenting the musical. And it all has to do with the song “Wait for It.”

In this soulful musical number, Odom Jr. allows us to understand Aaron Burr’s beliefs in letting fate leads his path. Whether it’s winning the heart of a married woman or watching all his loved ones parish, Burr is willing to wait for destiny to reveal why. It also showcases the contrast between Burr and Hamilton. This song changes Burr from History’s villain to a complicated anti-hero.

10)          Deku and Bakugo go full Super Sayan in MY HERO ACADEMIA: HEROES RISING

My Hero Academia always delivers great action scenes and they truly shine in their latest round in the cinema.

In his final battle to protect young brother and sister Mahoro (Tomoyo Kurosawa in Japanese, Dani Chambers in English) and Katsuma (Yuka Terasaki in Japanese, Maxey Whitehead in English) from ruthless power-stealer Nine (Yoshio Inoue in Japanese, Johnny Yong Bosch in English), underdog hero-in-training Izuku “Deku” Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita in Japanese, Justin Briner in English) transfers his “One-For-All” power to hotheaded classmate Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto in Japanese, Clifford Chapin in English). The result is an image of the in super powered form resembling Super Sayans.

When Deku reaches 100% power, the film suddenly turns white then stretches into abstract imagery.

Honestly, the main reason I put this on the list is because it’s pure awesome and I’m not afraid to admit it.

9)            A Survivor Model from COLLECTIVE

This documentary follows the reporters of Romanian Newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as their investigation into the Colective Club fire in Bucharest that killed 27 people and left 180 injured exposed vast health care fraud that caused survivors to die in the hospital and would bring down the government. Another key focus is a survivor who was so badly burned she lost most of her fingers. The camera focuses on her as she watches conferences about the fire.

In a standout moment, she models for photo shoots. In this moment, we see a beautiful woman who refuses to allow her disability to stop her, revealing her power.

8)            the Wuhan Flu Song from BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM

Many best scenes of 2020 will focus on the bed scene with Tutar and Rudy Gulianni. But I prefer to focus on the scene where Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) performs the “Wuhan Flu Song” at a Anti-Masker Rally. Not only is it deliciously cringy and hilarious, but It perfectly captures all of Cohen’s strengths as a comedic performer.

As with Borat’s previous cringy yet catchy “Throw the Jew Down the Well, Cohen uses the Borat persona exposes the ugliest side of America. Watching the Qanon conspiracy theorists cheering on Borat (under the guise of Country Steve) singing about injecting Obama with the Coronavirus horrifies while splitting sides. This moment reveals the dangerous consequences of misinformation and conspiracy theorists on society. Plus, the song is shamelessly catchy as hell.

Add the fact that Cohen was nearly attacked during this scene shows how far he’s willing to go to make a point and get a laugh.

7)            The Dinner Scene from LET HIM GO

This scene is a perfect example of how you put subtext in a scene. On the surface, It’s just Weboy matriarch Blanche (Lesley Manville) serving porkchops to her daughter in law Lorna’s(Kayli Carter) former parent in laws Margaret (Diane Lane) and George Blackledge (Kevin Costner). But with the context of Margaret and George trying to deliver Lorna and their grandson from her abusive husband, you can feel the hostility in the atmosphere.

It’s a credit to the actors and their ability to hide their aggression under a mask of southern hospitality. It’s especially true for Manville, who brings to life a woman who is a master of hiding her cruelty under a pleasant smile. She may sound welcoming to them, but you can tell something’s off about her. No wonder she’s able to manipulate the police into siding with her. Hell, many audience will be surprised when they find out she’s British in real life.

Lane matches her every step of the way with the most nuanced jabs.

It won’t get as much appreciation due to it’s unassuming nature. But it’s a perfect scene to show how to bring nuance to a performance.

6)            The Restaurant Scene from THE INVISIBLE MAN

At first, it seemed Cecilia (Elizabeth Moss) finally has the drop on her sociopathic control freak ex Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). After days being tormented by him, Cecilia finally has proof of how he turns invisible. Now she goes to a public restaurant to convince her sister Emily (Harriet Dyer). But then a  levitating knife appears out of nowhere and slits Emily’s throat before flying into Cecilia’s hands.

Director Leigh Whannell and cinematographer Stefan Duscio do an excellent job using everyday envirnoments to create a sense of unease. Whenever the camera lingers on a kitchen, you search with anxious eyes for any sign of Adrian. In this case, they use the ambience of a crowded fancy restaurant to create a false sense of security. And yet, you can’t help but wonder if Adrian’s still watching them.

It’s in this scene where title character goes from a good villain to a great villain. Here we see what a cunning monster he truly is. The scene also showcases Moss’s terrific performance as her desperate eyes showcase the complete helplessness she feels in this scenario.

5)            Edna sheds her skin in RELIC

Rarely do the words “horror” and “heartbreaking” go together, but that describes the ending to this underrated gem.

Kay (Emily Mortimer) returns to her family home to care for her mother Edna (Robyn Nevin), who seems to be suffering from dementia. Now she and her daughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) find themselves trapped in the crawlspace while fleeing a warped Edna, who has been warped by a supernatural force. With contorted joints and decaying flesh, she has become monstrous. At first it seems they have defeated Edna and are heading out the door.

Then Kay looks back to see her mother lying on the ground, struggling to breath. This brings the film into a unexpected turn as Kay carries the creature that used to be her mother to bed. When Kay peels the skin off Edna’s body to reveal a charcoal skinned, dying creature, the film goes from creepy to heartbreaing. Anyone who ever lost a loved one to dementia will recognize to devastating feeling of watching them fade away right in front of your eyes.

4)             The one-take action scene in EXTRACTION

Well, we can’t have a best movie moments of 2020 list without mentioning the 10 minute action sequence from Extraction.

As black market mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) shields the kidnapped son of a drug lord from other mercenaries, his race across a Bangladesh village delivers all you want from an action movie. Fast paced car chase? Check. Semi-automatic gun battles? Check. Hand to hand combat? Check. Parkour across rooftops? You bet. Sometimes you’ll even get people get hit by cars during hand to hand combat. All of this happens while cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel makes it look like one take.

Sure, sophisticated viewers will recognize there the cuts are hidden. But when director Sam Hargrave is willing to ride on the hood of a car as it races across dirt roads for the sake of a shot, you can’t help but be impressed

3)            Opening Bike Ride from THE CLIMB

The film begins with what sees like a regular bike ride. American Mike (Director and Co-Writer Michael Angelo Covino) and Kyle (Co-Writer Kyle Marvin) are racing across the road of a French mountain before Kyle’s wedding. But then Mike reveals he’s slept with Kyle’s fiancé, resulting in the furious Kyle to chase Mike. Unfortunately, they’re both too exhausted to commit to a long chase.

The whole opening sequence could be its own short film. Covino and cinematographer Zach Kuperstein) shoot it all in one unbroken take, allowing the awkward exchange to flow more naturally. It leads to a hilarious moment when Kyle tries to chase Mike, but neither have the energy to keep going. Plus, it summarizes the reoccuring cycle of the film with Mike becoming increasingly self-destructive and a terrible friend and Kyle being nice until pushed too far.

2)            The Ending from UNCUT GEMS

After spending two hours in a state of panic, it looks like the audience will finally breath a sigh of relief. After locking his pissed off brother in law Arlo (Eric Bogosian) and his goons Phil (Keith William Richards) and Nico (Tommy Kominik) in the Jewelry store with him, smooth talking jeweler and gambling addict Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) makes the biggest win of his life via pinpoint accurate predictions of a basketball game. Now he has millions of dollars; way more than enough to pay off his debt. Everything’s coming up Howard. That is until the furious Phil puts a bullet in Howard’s head and proceeds to rob his store.

With all his reckless behaviour (including putting his girlfriend at risk) and overconfidence, you knew at somehow Howard was going to be punished. But when the flilm cuts to scenes of Howard’s family celebrating the game and his girlfriend leaves with the money, you can’t help but know how bad they’re going to feel when they find Howard dead.

Then the camera zooms into Howard’s bullet wound to reveal the same colourful kaliedescope imagery as shown within the title uncut gems. With Daniel Lopatin’s enchanting new wave score playing, this moment gives the audience a moment to finally relax before closing with Gigi D’Agostino’s L’amour Toujours.

In spite of (or because of) his flaws; Howard is himself an uncut gem.

1)            The little things inspire Joe from SOUL

Everyone recognizes “The Pixar Moment”; that scene that elevates a Pixar film from great to extraordinary. No one can truly define it, but it’s the one scene from the film everyone talks about. It’s the ten-minute prologue from Up. It’s Anton Ego’s reaction after trying Remy’s dish in Ratatouille. Even a lesser Pixar film can have this moment; a perfect example is when Lighting McQueen allows Ramirez to race in his place in Cars 3. Now we can add another film to the list thanks to Pixar’s latest masterpiece Soul.

After a day of escaping the afterlife and being trapped in the body of a therapy cat, Joe Gardner’s (Jamie Foxx) has finally achieved his dream of being in a Jazz band. And he feels…nothing. So, he heads back to his piano to ponder his direction in life. Then he finds the items 22 (Tina Fey) collected while in his body. What results is a moment fans will be coming back to in their moment of need.

As Joe rests 22’s items in front of his piano and starts playing, he comes to realize how a pizza crust and a seed truly meant to her. In the process, he comes realize the moments that seemed meaningless at first had some magic in them. The joy of playing for his father. The feel of the ocean waves flowing on his feet. The taste of a café’s pie.

In a time when many people can’t do any major activities, this moment serves as a reminder of to appreciate the little things in life. I imagine many audiences will return to this scene in their lowest moments.

[divyaashini]

Divya, the dusky skin Indian Girl.

Which DUSKY SKIN INDIAN GIRL has not heard people discussing about her skin tone?

Which DUSKY SKIN INDIAN GIRL has not heard any racist jokes? 

Which DUSKY SKIN INDIAN GIRL has not heard bad reviews if she wears black attire?

I am sure more than half of Indian girls would have experienced it and have heard people saying bad things about her dusky skin tone from the society or friends or even her own family members. 

One fine day, I met one of my high school teachers in a shopping mall and approached to greet her. The first question she asked me was “Why do you turn so dark? You look good when you are fair. Do something and become fair again.” I was shocked. R-E-A-L-L-Y was shocked. I have never heard such a sarcastic compliment from anyone like this. I giggled as if I heard a joke (but deep inside I was disappointed *&^^!!@$**) I replied to her nonchalantly, “I was born like this. I have never been fair in my entire life.” The moment I bid goodbye to her, there was this one particular question running through my mind. How can someone become fair all of a sudden when you have a dusky skin tone since birth? Unless you did plastic surgery all over your body. I answered myself to feel better.

What’s wrong being dusky, man? After all fair or dusky, they just come under colour categories. They are just like any other colour that we all love - purple, pink, green, orange and a few to name. It won’t make anyone beautiful just because they are fair and it won’t make anyone ugly just because they are dusky or dark. From my viewpoint, beauty comes from our acts of kindness.

So, this is a story that happened a few years back. There was a boy who proposed to me back in high school. I still remember my friends told me to reject him just because he looks dusky. Well, it’s not their fault. I won’t blame them. It’s how movies and our cultures shaped them. SHAPED THE ENTIRE SOCIETY. 

Definitely, we would have listened to our mothers telling us to not play under the sun because we might turn darker. It was taught to us like any other moral values since we were small. 

I said movies. MOVIES!!!! 

Being an Indian, I used to grow up watching a lot of Tamil movies. Most of the movies will portray a slim and fair girl. That is how stereotypical our society is. Even if they chose a dusky skin actress, they will edit in such a way that she looks fair on the screen. I have watched quite a number of scenes in movies whereby the boys (usually) reject girls with a dusky skin tone. And not to forget, they make fun of her saying “Dei karuvaachiye yaaru da paarpa?”(Who looks at dusky skin girl?). If a kid grows up watching these kinds of movies, it will definitely be fixed in their mind that dusky skin girls are not pretty and fair skin is the definition of beauty. It’s not that. We should not bring up kids in such a way. Let’s defy this norm. Trust me, you will still find a better guy with your own skin colour.

Getting bad reviews for wearing black attire is a common thing for dusky skin girls. The kind of compliments that I will personally receive is I can’t be seen or black is not for girls like you. Let me clear this friends, black attire is not invented specifically for people who are not dusky. So, girls don’t feel twice wearing black attire. Wear it, show it, rock it and flip your hair with style.

It would have been a very good joke among high school friends and college mates when it comes to dusky skin tone. Which dusky skin people have not heard people saying that they cannot be seen in a dark room? Till to an extent saying blacky or charcoal. Those words were honored and awarded as a good joke among teenagers and those who talk against them are labelled as non-friendly or sensitive. 

Let me share with you another incident, I went to the hospital the other day to visit my cousin who just delivered a baby boy. I was shocked when one of my relatives called me and asked whether the baby is dusky or fair? Again, her question nearly gave me a heart attack. She doesn’t even ask about the baby’s health. I won’t blame her or either her fault because this is how she was raised in this society. This is how our society is giving importance to skin color. 

I used to be called “karuppi”(black) by my friends, relatives and even my family members. When I was young, I felt very bad about it. I always asked my mom, 

“Why, am I dark? Why do I have to be born like this? I look ugly.” 

I still remember crying and running to my parents when my uncle compared me with his daughter’s skin tone and saying that I will face difficulties to search for my life partner as most of the boys only prefer fair skin girls. I was just 10. ONLY 10. At that time, I cried (like a baby. Pfffftttt, I was still a baby to my parents. Even till now) because he made me feel like I am the ugliest person in this world.                   

When I was young, I used to have low self esteem. I always compare myself with my fair skin friends and actresses and always complain to my mom regarding this. 

To people out there who used to or still feel bad about your skin color, don’t worry about it. Beauty doesn’t come in colors. It comes from your actions. It comes from your heart. Avoid those people who discourage you for being in your color. Be in a place where your presence is appreciated, not in a place where your beauty is admired. 

BEAUTY BEGINS WHEN YOU START TO FEEL ABOUT IT IN YOU. 

But I am so happy that I realized(like finally) my mistakes lately. I have started to embrace my own skin color. I will NEVER EVER buy any whitening skin products as I just l-l-l-o-o-o-v-v-v-e-e-e my skin color. Skin color is a unique and a beautiful thing gifted by GOD. Be grateful for everything that you have. And most importantly, be CONFIDENT with your skin colour. 

I realized it. Have you? 

[koopyca]

Hello everyone here’s a big ass post containing some of the prettiest shots and frames in Book of the Atlantic there’s a lot so I hope you’re ready!!

Bitch his eye looks so pretty I’m shook

nice contrast also wow he’s crying I just?? realized that?? this is so nice

I like how glowy his eyes are (a lot of these are Ciel because I’m biased CALL ME A STAN)

I would put the rest under “keep reading” but my blog theme is the ugliest shit so I don’t want you people to look at it

anyway

seb looking nice

A G E N U I N E S M I L E

she looks so fierce I love her

Lizzy is actually the most beautiful and amazing girl ever did you know that

I know we all like to shit on the CG boat but I think it looks pretty great here and it probably looks even better on blu ray

I hate him but I’m a sucker for shiny eyes in the dark

good shit

really pretty backgrounds!!

the amount of detail in this is so?? amazing

shinigami eyes are blessings tbh

good lighting and shiny eyes make me WEAK

nothing about this one is super interesting looking but I can really feel ciel’s hand on sebastian’s in this shot IDK WHY I wish I could make gifs so I could show it better skshfkdshfksd

wow I love him?? have you ever seen a boy so beautiful you started crying?? this is so beautiful

BURN BITCH B U R N

i wish I had the raws and the stupid subs weren’t tHERE

MY ACTUAL AESTHETIC W O W these skies are so so pretty 

G O  O D S HIT RIGHT THERE I’m hungry

I can’t remember if this was a panel from the manga arc or not but wow does it look really nice and detailed and coloured perfectly 

GLOWING EYE REEEEEEE

hello yes can I just say that I love the effort they put into the backgrounds and lighting holy wow 

sobbing I love the details fuck

 jsjsafjaskdafdklh okay thats all the screenshots I took sorry it was so long I wish I had gifs for the part where seb/ciel meet for the first time, the lizzy fight scene, and all the other fight scenes because they moved really well eeee I’ll catch you kachiggas later bYe

[almitarenee-blog]

All the Bright Places (a book review)

“No more winter at all. Finch, you brought me spring.” -Violet Markey

All The Bright Places is a young adult fiction novel by Jennifer Niven which revolves around two characters, namely Violet Markey and Theodore Finch, who, serendipitously, met at their school’s bell tower ledge – six stories above the ground - attempting to commit suicide. Without this crazy coincidence, Violet & Finch never would have gotten to know each other. Then, word spread throughout their school that Violet saved Finch when in fact it was the other way around.

Violet is a popular girl who has it all – until her sister died in a car accident. Since that incident, Violet’s world began to disintegrate, her everyday routine came to a sudden stop. She stopped driving, started to dislike her friends, and most of all, she lost interest in writing. A hobby she held close to her heart. In a nutshell, she began to crumble -- until she met Finch, the boy who saved her. Finch is the total opposite of Violet. His classmates called him “ Theodore freak,” a label that never once had occurred to my mind when the author introduced him. Albeit he was weird, he was not at all a freak. Peculiarly, Finch is fascinated by death. Every day he thinks of the possible ways he might die, tries to attempt them, and later on rates from 1-10 how close he had gotten to commit suicide. The two unlikely characters were then paired for a class project where they had to wander the bizarre, the grand, the ugly, the beauteous, and the surprising sites of Indiana. For months Violet had been avoiding countless of things like travelling by car and writing. But during these adventures, Finch had taught Violet to be herself again, how to live again. It is because of Finch that Violet started to live days instead of counting them. It is because of him, she has healed. However, as she blooms back to the Violet that she was, Finch’s flight came to an eventual halt, fell in a downward spiral, causing him to crash head first. It is a great irony how Violet learns to live from a boy who wants nothing more than to die.

Before reading this book, it had already piqued my interest since I kept on seeing people posting pictures of it. Upon seeing the pictures, I found the book cover beautiful and unique. It had always occurred to me why its design involved sticky notes and why the background wasn’t smooth as it had cracks. Upon reading the book, all my questions were resolved. Finch had a habit of writing down his thoughts in a sticky note and plants it on his wall. His wall was the background of the book which explains why the design had cracks on it.

The book starts with Finch standing on a narrow ledge six stories above the ground, asking himself “is today a good day to die?” Every day Finch asks himself this. As he contemplates the possibility of him throwing himself to the ground, he noticed people were pointing at something near him. That’s when he saw Violet. As the story progresses, Violet and Finch became inseparable. Their relationship improved due to their adventures. Every time Violet and Finch visit a place, the leave something behind, like a memory, to prove that they were there. This for me was their bright place. But their brightest place most of all, was each other. It is with Violet that Finch can be himself and it is with her that Finch found happiness; a reason to last longer, but not forever as it was revealed in the later part of the book that Finch was suicidal and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder; one day, the sun is shining and everything is clear and calm, and the next, waves are crashing against his skull, sending it shaking. This disorder, in my own opinion, helped explained Finch’s “changing” personality wherein he adopts a new persona. He shifts into a new persona by changing his behaviour, accent, clothing, and by doing certain things that he might not have done when he was a different version of himself, – all chosen specifically to match the “new” version of himself. Despite this, deep down he is still the same Finch. This disorder was somehow showed in a way that you couldn’t quite grasp the reason behind it unless it is being deliberately pondered upon by the reader. It just makes you think that that was just how he behaved. Quoting Finch, “The great thing about this life of ours is that you can be someone different to everybody.”

As you get nearer to the ending, you can really feel this stinking feeling in your stomach that something bad is going to happen. You can feel that slowly, all the happy moments would disappear with a turn of the page. As I read half the book, I was quite enjoying it. I felt giddy every time Violet and Finch had these sweet moments together. However, it was unlike any other young adult novels. Crossing the other half of the book, I felt as though it snuck up on me, suddenly clutching my heart, holding it and pressing harder as I move from one page to the next. And without warning,  it crushed my heart, even if I was only getting nearer to the ending. There was this moment when I couldn’t continue reading, I had to stop. It was too much emotion for my too faint heart and too many thoughts in my too little head. I loved how Jennifer Niven perfectly illustrated everything. My mind was playing scenes that were easy to envisage that it was as if I had a mini theatre inside my head. The part where I couldn’t bear to imagine was when Violet found the dead, bloated body of Finch. That scene was too much for me. You can’t read this book without having to cry.

Moreover, I can relate very much to the quote told by Violet as is presented above. The only difference is, this book has brought me spring and winter altogether. 

Writing this book review I didn’t even know where to begin. This book has left me pouring with emotions. To cut to the chase, All the Bright Places is far from any young adult fiction novels I have ever read. Its theme focuses on mental illness and its powerful effects on the person suffering it. Albeit having a heavy adult theme, the author made it understandable for young adult readers.

This book is quite similar to the young adult fiction book the Fault in Our Stars (written by John Green) where in the end, (SPOILER ALERT) the boy dies. Both novels are beautiful and sad but unlike the Fault in Our Stars, All the Bright Places is more realistic, the author did not sugar coat life. The Fault in Our Stars (TFIOS) is overrated and honestly, All the Bright Places is better than the latter, hence I am left to question why TFIOS has earned more recognition.

The character that left a great impact on me was Finch. His thoughts and his words stayed with me even long after he was gone. The book was written in way that two characters alternately narrated the book. I really liked this format because I knew what Violet and Finch were thinking. Because of this, I felt like I was Violet. You could feel like you were Violet. It was enthrallingly written that you could connect with her. I felt her pain when Finch ran away because when Finch ran away to hide after being confronted of his illness, his narration stopped. Nobody knew where he was. Even Violet didn’t know where he was. The readers are left to wonder and worry where Finch could be. I was clueless and lost just as Violet was. I guess one of the things that really drew me in is the portrayal of characters. They feel real, they capture the life of someone who feels a variety of emotions, the confusion and pretenses of being a teenager. It captures anger. It captures heartache. It captures the hopeful dread inside someone young looking at the deep abyss of the future. Forget whatever their issues may be, forget their circumstances, they’re persons and they feel real. What happens to them feels real. 

Also, not only did Finch touch the heart of Violet, but also touched mine. I reckon that I’m not the only one who felt this seeing that many are devastated by his death (who wouldn’t be?) and that everyone I knew who had read this book had a connection with him. He has taught me to live the days we have instead of counting them. He and Violet taught me things that I never had realized up until reading the book. This book made me feel that I should do what they (Violet and him) were doing and that is to explore and contemplate the beauty that is life, and that even in its ugliest parts and places come a beauty that some people hold dear to them no matter how ugly it looked like to some. Finch was a very unique, quirky, and spontaneous character that I was drawn to him. This book makes you fall in love with him, either you’re a man or a woman.

After Finch ran away, they hadn’t any communication with Violet anymore, especially the readers. You could slowly feel this dreadful feeling that something bad was going to happen. The last day Violent laid eyes on Finch was the day they had a fight. Months after that, Finch died without any explanation. He just sent text messages to his family and his friends, including Violet and in it were words of advices. The author didn’t even at least let Violet see Finch one last time. That was what I loved and hated about the book and how the author ended it. It was realistic and sad. I can say this because in life, you don’t get have things to happen no matter what you do. If it isn’t meant to be, it won’t be. Even if it means saying your last goodbyes to the ones you love. Basically, it shows what is true. It is an allegory for reality; in this case; life is not all about sugary happiness and all its colourful rainbow-y colors. Life is life, it is cruel but it is beautiful. It’s as if with cruelty comes with beauty. It’s not all sadness. It’s a mixture of blue and yellow. It is happy in a sense that they had a chance to know and love each other. It is a love shared and lost. The author really earned my profound respect and left me agape with awe and melancholy.

The saddest part of all though, next to when Finch died, is when Violet realized Finch had been completing their requirement. During the days he was gone, he went to the places left visited in their book of wanders, and there he left things, just as they said they would when visiting places. Quoting Finch, “It’s not what you take, it’s what you leave.” And the saddest thing he left was the song he left for Violet – no explanations about his death, just a song about how Violet has made him love her and how “lovely it is to be lovely with the one you love.”

I love everything about it, how everything was perfectly illustrated and narrated, especially its poignancy. You could even say it was poignancy itself in written, tangible form. This book had me crying for an hour and the day after. If I hadn’t stopped to think about it, I could cry for weeks. It was that great of an impact to its readers. It’s just that kind of book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. This book has changed me. It changed the way I perceive things, the way I see life, how short it is to be spent confined in a certain place; that we should go and explore. It changed the way how I saw mental illness and suicide. All the Bright Places has tremendously and painfully earned my heart and hit all its weak places. It has left a mark on my heart.

I am so glad that this book was written. It serves as an eye-opener to readers that are blinded by the horrors of mental illnesses. It opens the eyes of the readers that it should not be taken lightly. Somehow, 5 stars aren’t enough to rate such beautifully written book. If I could, I would give it a thousand more stars. And if I could, I would read it back, again and again until I am sick of it.

Every now and then you find a book that not only makes you think, but changes the way you look at the world. 'All the Bright Places', in all its clever, poetic and honest beauty is one of those books. It will stay with me, forever.

Words are not enough to express how immensely I feel for this book. It is insufficient to entirely encapsulate the feeling I have, which is a mixture of poignancy and euphoria - emotions that I didn’t know I could feel by reading a book. This novel touches on death, depression, and suicide; it paints a picture of love in a canvas of pain. Personally, I would recommend it to be on every reading list. To me it is simply a masterpiece.