#the whole production of it is absolutely phenomenal like just the small things like and

[jumbaliathan]

EVERYONE SHHH ITS COMING THE DRUMS THEIR KICKING IN ITS BUILDING AND BUILDING oh no i'm GONNA LOSE IT QUICKLY EVERYONE THEIR KICKING IN

[hey-michael-young-history]

Hey friend finally came up with a question!

In the spirit of Halloween, which Kombatant likes to tell spooky stories to Lì-Yán and Makaira?

Hanzo and Kuai Liang are definitely not into it.

For Hanzo, the Shirai Ryu has been through enough real life “spooky” things. Telling the girls spooky stories may end with them asking about REAL stories and he cannot sanitize the brutal past. Hanzo will not lie but he doesn’t plan on divulging anything until he feels they are ready - which is never.

Bon is a different topic - since her birth, he has been taking Lì-Yán with him to pay respects to those who were lost… especially Harumi and Satoshi. Bon is a sober occasion and a time of reflection for the Shirai Ryu. They do enjoy a good American-imported Halloween in October, however. The children of the clan are treated to a parade and a festival filled with treats and costumes and general merriment. Hanzo refers to it as a celebration of Autumn harvest, rather than Halloween.

Kuai Liang just kind of doesn’t get it. Why would he want to frighten two small children? Especially if there is no actual threat? He doesn’t really understand the whole dressing up in costume thing either, but he’s not going to stop Lì-Yán from partaking in any kind of cultural tradition. If he has the time, he usually helps plan the harvest festival, a role he enjoys much more after seeing how much fun the children have, especially Lì-Yán and Makaira.

Festivals and holidays in the Lin Kuei? Bi-Han depends on his younger recruits for that. The Lin Kuei doesn’t take in children, but most are young people who were orphans and are elated to have a home and community. Bi-Han has hazy memories of trick or treating as an American child but the idea of telling spooky stories to his beloved girls? Absolutely not and anyone in Arctika caught doing so faces discipline.

Smoke would rather entertain them with tricks while Cyrax is just not into Halloween. They’re both trying to come to terms with the brutality they survived and some of the darker aspects are triggering, which embarrasses Cyrax. Smoke is a great support for him. The Lin Kuei have a standing invitation to the Fire Gardens for Bon and their harvest festival, which Cyrax prefers.

The Briggs-Takahashi household is kind of mixed. Takeda is NOT into it. Jacqui figures it’s because he missed out on it during his childhood. The Briggs’ always go ALLLLLLLLL out for Halloween, I’m talking pumpkin carving, decorating the house inside and out, costumes, and most importantly, telling scary stories in the dark under blankets with flashlights. Jacqui is able to show some restraint when it comes to the stories. Jax avoids the darker parts of the holiday and focuses more on helping the girls with costumes and carving pumpkins and watching Halloween specials.

You know who else is super into it? Kenshi. He finds it all adorable and a great way to build courage and resolve. Plus, Halloween is the only time he lets the girls catch him removing his blindfold so that they can see his eyes. He’s not great at story telling, he spends too much time on building the atmosphere and not enough time on the plot.

Kung Jin is absolutely phenomenal at evolving his spooky stories as the girls grow and mature. That won’t stop him from ramping up the terror before bedtime, forcing Takeda to spend most of the night reassuring them that they’re well protected. He never celebrated Halloween as a kid but since spending time in America, he fully embraces it and is interested in how other cultures celebrate. Even though he has his uncle back, he still pays respects during Día de los Muertos with a home alter, at whatever place he’s currently calling home.

Johnny is spooky time king. First of all, he is just phenomenal at story telling, like it’s a full blown production for this man. He’ll often recruit (read: drag) others to take part. If he casts you in one of his stories and you don’t take it seriously, he’ll be beyond disappointed. Like:

He’s fired his late wife from one of his Spooky Time productions, he will certainly fire you, if that’s what it comes to.

He missed out on a lot of time with Cassie when she was their age… he is thrilled to have the opportunity to go full Dad mode with Lì-Yán and Makaira. Especially when they invite Cassie to join them in the “audience”.

Speaking of Cassie, she may the best at telling Halloween tales. Her stories get them in the spirit, but she always makes it clear that they’re just fun. Cassie’s favorite part is helping the girls come up with ideas for costumes, especially helping Makaira create them and Lì-Yán model them.

Fujin has been banned from telling spooky stories. His “stories” are real things he’s witnessed in history — the Kombatants tried screening them but ultimately ended up banning him. He enjoys listening to stories, enjoying treats and snacks, and comforting the girls if things start to get too scary.

Lord Kung Lao isn’t especially good at spooky tales and often, his stories end up with him saving the day. Lì-Yán loves them. Makaira catches on pretty quick but tries not to spoil the endings for her friend. He’s the kombatant most susceptible to being persuaded into telling stories from before the girls were born.

[ackerfics]

levi who's fascinated with the way you apply makeup on yourself and watches you every time you do it, surprisingly does well when you tell him to do your makeup just for fun

i am one of those people who have no idea about applying makeup but i'm levi when somebody's doing it tho, especially if that someone is a close friend of mine snjdnwjnw i just stare at them while they continue doing their thing, it's so fricking satisfying <3

but this is levi we're talking about so here we go:

(pls don't attack me for what i write in this bc i absolutely have no idea abt doing makeup. my knowledge in this is very limited and revolves around watching youtube videos and watching my friends do it bdwjwbj)

if you're planning on going out, even if it's a natural makeup look since you're only hanging out with some old friends or preparing for your class (online or not), levi is ready to stop what he's doing to appreciate the colors you paint over your eyelids or how you blend them so well until they become this aesthetic levi associates you with. for him, you're already so pretty without makeup but when you dedicate your time in perfecting your craft, creating so many looks, levi thinks that it enhances your beauty because you look so adorable while working so hard.

he admires that about you.

you are rummaging in your pouch in your shared apartment's dining table, the morning sunlight filtering through the windows and the pink skies blanketing the waking-up city. the smell of french toast and tea covers the entire space, levi cooking breakfast for the day. you have an online class scheduled in about thirty minutes and after going out of the bathroom, you instantly start making yourself look presentable. you have your laptop opened to your camera app as your mirror, deciding that a change of scenery is perfect for your productivity. you pick up your vitamin c dropper and moisturizer and let the low music from levi's phone fill in the background, your hums mingling with the singer's voice. since all of your classes were announced to be set online for the whole year, you opt for a lighter look which still covers the blemishes that your camera can't hide.

you hear a plate click on the spot beside your laptop, a mug of your favorite brew of coffee on your cat coaster appearing soon after.

"what time is your first class?" levi asks you as he's settling in his chair adjacent to yours. he always chooses that seat wherever you two eat since as he claims it, i want you close to me.

you look up from rubbing the moisturizer on your skin. "oh, 7 a.m., i chose the worst time to take that class."

levi sips on his tea. "you have economics, right?"

you begrudgingly nodded. "i know it sucks but i can't do anything about it." you run your fingers over your eyes. "damn, i have dark eye circles." after putting on your primer, you start by putting on concealer on your under-eyes, dabbing on your skin gently. the whole day, you'll be lounging and doing work inside the comforts of your shared apartment with your boyfriend so going overboard with the makeup won't help and will be a lot of work to erase later after your classes. "what time is your class, levi?"

by now, levi's breakfast is forgotten as he leans on his chair, gray eyes following each of your movements. he always find himself captivated with how effortlessly you make yourself even prettier. even though he prefers your bare skin more (placing random kisses on your cheeks or the corners of your lips are more doable without the feeling of cream stuck on his lips), he still likes how makeup turns you into an artist that uses your face as a blank canvas. he watches with awed eyes how you daintily dab your cream blush over your cheeks and over you the bridge of your nose, blending it that levi thought it's a natural glow on your skin.

with a dazed tone, he answers, "nine."

you glance at him with the prettiest eyes he ever find on a person. you sigh when you realize that he woke up early to make breakfast. "i can cook breakfast, you know. you should've slept in today, levi."

levi shakes his head, sipping on his tea. "no, i'd rather wake up early and make breakfast every day than snuggle alone with our pillows." he then shrugs. "besides, watching you do your morning routine is a great way to start the day."

you only smile at him before cutting a piece of french toast and putting it in your mouth. a hum of satisfaction lights up your face. levi's way of cooking traditional breakfast dishes never fails to amaze you. he has these secrets that even you don't know of since he wants to cook for you with surprises sometimes. with half of your french toast consumed, you continue with your eyebrows and eye makeup, which only consists of applying one shade of eyeshadow and putting on mascara.

if levi has a favorite part of your routine, it's you curling your eyelashes and applying mascara on them to make your eyes more noticeable. and as he watches you create the illusion that your eyelashes longer than they are, he can't prevent the blissful sigh coming out of his lips. it catches your attention and the moment your eyes meet with his, levi's cheeks start to warm. that pretty smile that always take his breath away greets his vision, making him shy under your gaze.

"like what you see, babe?" you jokingly ask.

after staring on his untouched french toast like they're worth displaying in a museum, levi looks back to you with half-lidded eyes. "very much, baby."

now, you're the one with flaming cheeks. the little moment turns into something that induces a laugh from levi, with you huffing that your heart sometimes can't take his words. you go back to finishing your french toast before applying your flavored chapstick, levi's loving stare never faltering, lasting even when you have your first class of the day.

every once in a while, you hand levi your makeup pouch with an expectant stare. the first time you did this to him, he couldn't comprehend what your intention is at first until you tell him that you want him to be the one doing your makeup this time. he nearly backs out. he's scared of poking your eyes out but you reassure him that he will never do that.

for a person who never imagined himself in this position, the ending result becomes your favorite look. not because it's levi but because he did it so minimally that it appeals to you.

"this is for your face, right?" levi softly asks, lifting your moisturizer. he's sitting close to you, inches separating your faces. he's saying that it makes him see clearer but you know that he's being clingy without saying anything. "i just want to make sure i'm using the right products."

"levi, sweetheart," you laugh under your breath, "i already laid out everything on our bed. and in order. you got this."

he sighs. "you have another minute to think this through. we're meeting with the others in the club and i can't have you looking like my coloring book when i was three."

you place your hands over his cheeks. "relax, levi, you'll do fine!"

"fine."

opening the moisturizer, he keeps glancing at you to check if he's putting the right amount on your skin. once the small dots of cream are on your face, levi takes a deep breath and gently rubs it to cover your skin. despite having blemishes, levi thinks that your skin feels so soft underneath his calloused fingers. he'll caress your cheeks the whole day if not for your supposed call time which is in forty minutes. a sigh brushes on your face, levi cursing erwin for making them come on time. once he finishes rubbing your moisturizer on your face, he nods in approval, and kisses your lips quickly before moving on to the next step which is the primer.

you are admiring levi the whole time his face scrunches up in concentration. you're holding your laugh back when you see his lips curling in distaste, having applied more than your instructed amount. you're looking at him with a soft stare, your small smile fondly lifts up your lips. his eyes are a beautiful shade of silver, blue tones peeking through, and it makes your heart warm. his skin glows under the overhead lights of your shared bedroom, smooth to the touch. there are no words left to speak --- levi is simply the most beautiful person gracing your life, the definition of pretty and handsome combined together.

"okay, i'm starting your eyes now."

you didn't register that he's finished with applying concealer and blush on your cheeks.

levi turns to the opened palette sitting on the towel-covered duvet. "which shade are you feeling right now?"

with a cheeky grin, you answer, "how about you surprise me."

"... if i hear one complain from you later, you can always catch a ride with four-eyes on the way back."

levi eyes a specific palette with oranges and browns and starts winging it. if someone looks from the sidelines, levi looks like he's ready to murder someone. his eyes are narrowed, bottom lip in between in teeth, and face scrunched in peak concentration. he starts with that shimmery dark peach eyeshadow he finds pretty on you, then continuing with something darker on the outside corners of your eyes. one eye lasts for ten minutes but you understand since this is levi's first time applying makeup on a person. you can feel his breath tickling your face since he has scooted closer to you to perfect this.

"okay, i'm done, what's next?"

"liquid eyeliner."

that alone makes levi stop.

"then it's the mascara. your favorite part."

"... you do the eyeliner. i don't want you going blind because of me."

in short, levi is phenomenal with makeup and he doesn't even know it.

[musicalsandbrainrot]

So. I decided to watch the 2004 Michael Arden version of Bare and the 2013 LA version to compare what I liked best between the two.

(This is obviously just my personal preferences so if you don't agree that's okay!)

2013 LA:

The staging. I felt like they did a really good job at using as much space on stage at once, while keeping it pretty simplistic. I also enjoyed how they separated the rooms!

I felt like the actors for Jason and Peter here had more chemistry than the 2004 version, I was able to connect more with their relationship because of it which added slightly more impact to the overall thing.

The rave scene. From start to end this scene was nothing but a horny and chaotic masterpiece and no version of Bare will ever be able to replicate that energy

The sibling energy was so strong during this version of plain Jane fatass, I found it more believable that these people were eachothers support systems than I did with 2004. I think this version was able to establish that relationship a bit better and because of that I was more connected with the story.

Jonah platt's version of once upon a time. I just. Its so well done vocally and it really really has a significant emotional impact, and I simply don't think any other production will ever compare to jonah's performance of this song <3

I prefer that Two Households and Bare happen before the play starts, it feels smoother and easier to follow

A detail I noticed throughout the show was how intimate Jason and Peter were and how that intimacy continued on even during periods of hardship in their relationship. In the 2004 version during a fight or after a fight you'd often see one initiate some form of intimacy and the other would resist it. But in this version during fights and or after fights when one would initiate intimacy the other would still usually cling to it, as if a moment of weakness? And I think this plays into why this set of actors seemed to have so much chemistry on stage

THE SMALL SCENE BETWEEN NADIA AND JASON AFTER PROMISE!!! This scene is so important to helping go even further in establishing that these two characters are eachothers support systems, and makes the ending so much more devastating for nadia! She was literally BEGGING him to just talk to her, like this scene is the one that breaks me every fucking time dude. Every fuckin time

2004 version:

Lucas as a whole was everything in this version idk

The arrangements were so good, I was jsut having a blast the whole way through while also being deeply emotionally unwell

I really like that they gave us more insight onto Jason and nadias childhood

Cross. This. Everything about the way they portrayed this song was absolutely phenomenal dude. The staging number 1, I liked how realistic it felt for a confessional booth and how claustrophobic it was as well? And godamn the way John Hill started sobbing after the priest voices his disproval of him being gay is AMAZING! not only that, but then the way he tries to turn away from him and get as far from him as he can but he cant because, again, it's super cramped in that booth, and the way he covers his ears too like. EVERYTHING about this scene was fucking amazing. AMAZING!

THE ROMEO AND JULIDT COSTUMES!!!! THEY WERE SO PRETTY

The slightly different lyrics in this version of bare were really pretty

The fucking scene where everyone slowly catches Jason in silk until he"s trapped in a sort of web like figure. That was. That was so cool and pretty and I replayed it at least 5 times.

[pro-fangirls-unsocial-life]

Can I be a funky folk and ask a question??? 😋What is your favorite movie or tv show, aside from Star Wars?

You absolutely can!!❤❤

That is a tough one though. I’m a film major but like... a bad one I guess cause none of my favorites are any of the classics that we have to watch lmao. I chose my favorites based on how much fun I have watching them!

But also, because of that, it is hard to pick just one so I’m going to give you three random ones from my top ten list (excluding Star Wars of course cause those are definitely there lmao)

Movies:

1. Yojimbo (1961) This is probably the one that would be the most acceptable for my film professors. It was made by Akira Kurosawa, who some of you might know as a Japanese director who made quite a few famous samurai films. For all of my fellow Star Wars fans (and maybe other film people lmao), the episode in the Clone Wars and The Mandalorian where the small farming villages are taught how to protect themselves from bandits/pirates is based on his movie Seven Samurai (which is what The Magnificent Seven was also based on). And, the season two episode of The Mandalorian, The Jedi, was heavily influenced by Yojimbo, specifically this scene:

I highly recommend the movie to anyone because it is honestly very entertaining and for my fellow film nerds, the blocking and camera work is stunning (although Kurosawa is a fantastic director and his blocking of scenes is always fantastic)

Another little fun fact, the actor who plays the main character in Yojimbo (as well as many of Kurosawa’s films) was who George Lucas originally wanted to cast as ObiWan Kenobi. His name is Toshiro Mifune.

Another bit of trivia that probably none of you are interested in is that Kurosawa always tries to have an element in every single shot of his movies. The elements always have something to do with the shot, or story as a whole and add another interesting layer to the movie. Like in the shots above, the main element is wind, signifying the turmoil and unrest that is taking place (I won’t spoil the movie for you though❤ the plot is not at all similar to the episode of the Mandalorian so there is no need to worry). In another one of his movies, Rashomon (1950), the element throughout a majority of the movie is rain (water) and it does not change until the mystery of the murder that took place is solved, and the skies become clear. (I also highly recommend that movie as well)

2. Pacific Rim (2013) Ok, this one is just a fun time. There is nothing particularly groundbreaking about it (although the special effects are stunning), I just enjoy it. And, unlike other monster movies, you see the monsters right off the bat. They don’t hide them and the story is honestly really interesting. I just really love this movie. Its fun, the characters are well written and endearing (plus the side characters the gay scientists have a side plot that actually furthers the story, the story is interesting and the concept of drifting is beautifully unique and done very well, the score is phenomenal, and as I said before, the effects are beautiful. They did a very good blend of practical and CG effects and it really pays off in the end product.  Guillermo del Toro really put his heart into this (like he does with all of his projects I am so excited to see his Pinocchio movie) and it really shows. This movie is so good and I will defend it to the end of my days. Also for any of you that are interesting I am currently working on a Pacific Rim Clone Wars AU so... do with that information what you will

Side note, I really wish the sequel was good cause John Boyega is a good actor and deserves to be in a franchise that will use him and his talents properly.  Guillermo del Toro did not direct that one and.... it shows.

3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) I cannot shower this movie with enough praise. If you haven’t seen it, you need to. It is one of the most gorgeous, beautiful to look at, piece of art in every single frame thing that has ever been put to film and I will fight people on that (fuck you professor carter). The story is fantastic. The whole movie is a visual masterpiece and you can tell that a lot of hard work and love went into making it that way. Both the score and soundtrack are amazing. It is, in my opinion, the best superhero movie ever made. I could go on for hours about what a masterpiece this movie is. Please go watch it if you haven’t seen it.

TV:

1. Criminal Minds (2005-2020) I know, I know. Everyone loves this show. I know I’m basic. But again, I judge based on my enjoyment of things lol. I just like shows like this. I watch a lot of them NCIS, Castle, Bones, Law and Order. I just find them super entertaining (even if the writing can be bad at times *cough* final season of criminal minds where they tried to do a JJ and Spencer romance *cough*)

2. Face Off (2011-2018) I know there is a Nicolas Cage movie of the same name but this show is fucking awesome. It’s a reality competition show where make up artists are given a new prompt/concept/challenge that they have to do prosthetic make up for. It is so cool to see all of the designs and the process behind them being made. The first season starts off with a bunch of drama like most reality TV, but after that, the competitors are all mostly very kind with one another and it is a very friendly environment. Still a bit stressful because of the time limits but still a fun watch!! 

3. What’s New, Scooby-Doo? (2002-2006) If there is any show that was my childhood (besides clone wars), it is this show. I love this show with my whole heart and Scooby-Doo is very dear to me. Its just a fun kids show. Simple as that. But I absolutely adore it. 

Thank you so much for this!! I really love talking about movies and TV. And if you ask me a simple question, you will most likely get a mini essay as an answer lol.

I’d love to talk about any movie or TV show that you guys ask about though!!! If you ever want to send something in, please do so!!

[leapingtitan]

The Final Season - Episode 1 Thoughts

I've watched the first episode around 3 times on my own and over a dozen times from anime-only live reactions on YouTube. Those are always something to have a field day with every season, and are part of the whole enjoyment post-watching the episode on your own.

Obviously I'm only reviewing this based on the first episode, so it's way too early to judge The Final Season as a whole. However, I will say that my strategy to keep my expectations low definitely worked. I was very hyped, don't get me wrong, but after Season 3 Part 2, I realized that production and scheduling has never been this show's strong suite and things behind the scenes were always chaotic. And it was my mistake to realize it this late and have unrealistically high expectations of the manga's adaptation.

But enough about that. I'm just gonna say it right now. I absolutely loved this episode and was completely blown away by it. It was a rollercoaster ride from start to finish and boy, the staff wasn't kidding when they said the first episode was like a movie. It definitely felt like that, and it went by in a flash. Now, on to the individual points.

Story/Adaptation

Flawless. Everything was executed perfectly and went beyond my expectations. The thing that stood out to me the most was how many things were changed from the PV in terms of scene construction, camera angles, and overall storyboards. There was only one shot that we reused from the PV, namely the one with Zeke and Reiner inside the airship where they're referred to as the spear and shield. Everything else was redone, which was a huge surprise. Wit was always very faithful to the original manga panels with how they used them as a big reference for most of their cuts, but this one changes them up a lot. Personally, I am 100% fine with it and as someone who has read these chapters in the manga dozens of times over the past few years, seeing them like this was a pleasant and very welcome surprise.

The anime-only additions here are notable and also quite welcome. Falco's line in the beginning in particular stood out the most in the long-run, but the addition of the Eldians' terror being shown as well as the scene before the ED was very welcome. I would like to assume that this was Isayama's doing as whenever the anime usually adds/changes up things, it's his request to do so. He sort of considers the anime to be the "definitive" version of the story that he, for one reason or another, couldn't do in the manga himself when that particular chapter came out. Season 3 Part 1 (The Uprising Arc) is a prime example for this. Once again, I'm very content with what was done here and I trust MAPPA will do the story justice.

A small but very neat thing is the fact that we got to keep the title cards and the info eyecatches mid-episode. Really added to the whole sense of consistency.

Animation

When the initial trailer came out, many people were concerned about Shigeki Asakawa (Director of Photography)'s odd and excessive usage of blur filters on top of the scenes and were wondering if they would remain in the final product, given her track record with other shows like The God of Highschool. Luckily, that is not the case here as the scenes look very clean and the minimal blur on top adds a bit to the muddy/gritty atmosphere of what's going on. Personally, I don't mind it at all and I barely notice it anyway. MAPPA's biggest strength to me is the usage of effects like blood and explosions. You feel the impact of everything and with such an action-packed episode, it made everything so much better.

The usage of 3D CGI for the Titan Shifters has been the biggest controversy surrounding this first episode. When I first watched it, it didn't bother me at all. Personally I care more about a model fitting in the action sequence rather than how it looks for the most part. Right now I would say I'm neutral. It's not the greatest CG ever conceived in anime but it definitely does not look out of place and is pretty decent. For the Jaw Titan, I couldn't tell what was CG and what wasn't for the most part. For the other Titans it's more obvious, but it's not too jarring. Obviously, if it was up to me and the production committee/NHK didn't push their scheduling shenanigans onto MAPPA, I would have gotten every Titan in 2D, but you can't have everything. If they choose to focus on more important scenes later on and cut corners in this first episode as a result, that's understandable. I can live with it. And again, even then, it's not that bad in my eyes.

Now, the character designs are just absolutely stellar. In multiple interviews, it’s been stated that they wanted to stay true to Kyoji Asano’s designs at Wit while also being consistent with Isayama’s style in the manga. And boy did they absolutely nail it. It’s exactly what as they said. Tomohiro Kishi could not have done a better job with the characters we’ve seen so far and I am beyond impressed with his work. I look forward to seeing the rest of the characters in this arc.

Sound

I've been following Kohta Yamamoto's works for a few years now, ever since he started working with Sawano (and being mentored by him to an extent) in early 2017. Although he's been involved with AoT before, particularly with the character songs in Season 2, whenever those two would collaborate on a project it would usually be because Sawano is too busy to compose a full soundtrack. So what usually happens is, Sawano does one track and variations of it (think ShingekiNoKyojin, ThanksAT and T-KT), and nothing else. Meanwhile, Yamamoto handles the rest of the music for the show. On top of that, Yamamoto's style as a composer is different from Sawano's as he comes from a rock/guitarist background as opposed to Sawano, who is a pianist and is classically trained. My biggest concern for The Final Season was that we would get a similar case as with the other shows where Sawano doesn't put in too much effort, while Yamamoto essentially becomes the main composer. Although it looks like this is in fact the case after this first episode, let me explain why I don't think it's a bad thing.

After the premiere of the first episode, both Sawano and Yamamoto tweeted that it was in fact Yamamoto who is handling the majority of the Marley Arc's music. And after this first episode, I have to say I'm impressed. His initial track that he made for the PV was a bit off-putting to me because it sounded like every epic blockbuster Hollywood trailer background track ever, but after the way it was used in this episode alongside a few other tracks, I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. It fits what's going on, and overall delivers a fresh sound to the show that is very appropriate given the massive change in narrative. Back during S3 Part 1, Sawano stated in an interview that he was already burned out and had trouble coming up with new music for AoT given how many tracks he had already composed for it. Given how few new melodies were in S3 Part 2;s music, I think this should be clear. Especially now that we're going into yet another season. To summarize, I think Yamamoto's work here is a result of three conditions that just happened to line up perfectly. The change in narrative, which the new composer style reflects. Sawano being busy. And Sawano being burned out with AoT. Now personally I still believe we're going to get at least one new original Sawano track with variations of it for the big climax moments this arc, and he may compose more music for the 2nd half of this 16-episode season, since that's technically a new arc. But we'll see. As a whole though, I'm satisfied with what I've heard from Kohta Yamamoto in this first episode.

The last point to make in regards to the sound is Masafumi Mima who, apart from Sawano, the voice cast, and some freelancers, is the only one from the previous seasons' staff members to return here. And once again, his work here is absolutely phenomenal. The mixing and usage of sound effects in this episode was stellar and truly felt like I was watching a war movie. It enhanced the action tenfold and I could not want it any better. Music usage is something that goes through the director (Yuichiro Hayashi), but ultimately the sound director is the one who implements the track (instrument layering/stem editing) and does the mixing. The usage of Kohta Yamamoto's music here was very well done, and although the track from the PV repeated quite a bit, it didn't get repetitive at all. Also, the sound director remaining consistent here means we got to keep things like the titan transformation sound effects, which may be a small thing but was very welcome and added to the whole consistency.

Opening/Ending

I'm gonna wait until Shinsei Kamattechan releases the full version of the opening in a single or album to fully judge the song, but boy do I love this opening. Although I'm not sure if the TV-size version is my favorite AoT opening yet, I have to say that it's without a doubt the most fitting OP this show has had until this point. It perfectly showcases the themes of war that this arc focuses on and has this lowkey disturbing eerie vibe with the dissonant chords and mixing of the vocals that feels just as "mysterious" and "tense" as the show itself. I love it so much, honestly. Now, Isayama was a fan of Shinsei Kamattechan prior to them doing the S2 ED, and was the one who got them on-board to do it. Although that song isn't really my thing it's also a perfect fit, which leads me to believe that Isayama himself most likely chose the band again, namely to do this OP. And it's fantastic. I love the song. The visuals also have a very distinct style with all the colors and white backgrounds and I love how it's more metaphorical and symbolic (I guess "abstract" as well?) rather than flat-out just spoiling everything like the last arc's OP did.

The ED by Yuko Ando is fantastic. The first time I listened to the full song on its own I couldn't stop getting chills. Love the production aspects of the song and it's just really nice altogether. The visuals are quite interesting especially towards the end and I also like them a lot. Not much else to say about the ED. It's amazing. Go listen to it.

Conclusion

As a whole, I kept my expectations extremely low prior to the premiere despite my hype. As a result of that, not only were they exceeded, I was absolutely blown away by this first episode in pretty much every way. It may still be too early to judge, but from what has been shown here so far, I am absolutely looking forward to see MAPPA adapt the rest of this amazing story, or about as far as they can get with 16 episodes.

[jedi-order-apologist]

Hello there! Could you maybe put together small SW novels recommendation list? You reference books often and I assume you can suggest a few good ones that shed light/give more insight into the Jedi culture. Thank you for your blog and have a good day 💗

Thank you! I hope you have a good day too.

I actually haven’t read that many Star Wars books, all things considered - there are a lot, and I’ve barely scratched the surface of the prequel era stuff, let alone the rest of the franchise. I only recently started getting into the books, and there’s probably a lot more really good ones out there that I just haven’t had the chance to get to yet.

What I could do is go through what I have read and give my opinions on those. So far, in no particular order, I’ve read:

- The novelizations for the prequels and some of the original novelizations for the OT. More on my thoughts on those here (and specifically for the ROTS novelization here), but in summary: TPM novelization is a bit weak, AOTC novelization is decent and really helped sell the romance to me in a way the film fell flat for me, ROTS novelization is nothing short of phenomenal, ROTJ novelization is also pretty good, I don’t remember the ESB novelization enough to say anything on it, and I never read the ANH (or technically just Star Wars) novelization. I’d say they’re worth checking out at least once.

- Shatterpoint. I really like this one, it deals a lot with Mace struggling with the dark side, and it captures the idea of falling to the dark side as something rooted in defeatism, which really resonates with my interpretation. There’s quite a bit of discussion of Jedi philosophy and why they do and believe the things they do (or at least how Mace Windu sees it) - I’ve cited it before in my meta because I think it lays out pretty well why they resist the dark side. It also deals a lot with the costs of war - especially psychologically. There’s also a decent element of Jedi as family through the father-daughter relationship of Mace and Depa. On top of all of that, it’s very well written (same author as the ROTS novelization). I strongly recommend this one, though be warned that it is a very heavy, brutal book - oh, it’s not completely bleak, and it has it’s moments of humor, but it is not a happy story. It ends in victory, both in the immediate situation, and with Mace coming to terms with some of what he’d been struggling with, but I wouldn’t call it a happy ending, more that…well, as Mace says, he’s the last one standing.

- Yoda: Dark Rendezvous. I read this one most recently, and I made a long post on why I absolutely loved it. It’s not perfect but I think it’s the best portrayal of the Jedi in the books that I’ve come across so far - this book really goes hard on the “Jedi as family” idea, which I love, and there are really good conversations on (and inspiring examples of resisting) the dark side, and working through but not giving into grief. Everyone should read this book, it shows the Jedi as an inspiring people with so much tenacity and compassion, doing their best. And it eviscerates every bit of nonsense about the Jedi (and especially Yoda) being “emotionless” or “loveless”- it’s full of amazing passages that are absolutely perfect responses to these notions, direct refutations of them even (as well as refutations about the idea of the dark side having any kind of merit at all) because they get slung around in the story by a lot of the characters. If I could only pick one Star Wars book to suggest someone read, it would be this one, absolutely.

- Kenobi. Do you like Westerns and a sad Obi-Wan with a chronic hero syndrome that doesn’t help him with the whole ‘staying under the radar’ thing? If yes, you will probably like this book. It doesn’t really get much into Jedi culture, since…well, they’re dead, and most of the book is written from an outside perspective, not Obi-Wan’s. I think that was a good choice, because while he’s understandably going to be very sad during this time (it takes place during his very early days on Tatooine), constant exposure to that, in my opinion, would overdo it and wear out the audience. So the outside perspective of how sad and weird he is, where the characters don’t understand the context behind his behavior, but the audience does, works really well. I have some issues with it - for instance, while it’s kind of hilarious how much everyone wants to jump his bones in this book, I do wish that they’d kept the chemistry between Obi-Wan and Annileen strictly platonic (and the language around romance in this book rubs me the wrong way). And how people find out his last name is a bit contrived. But it’s a decent read that I’d recommend.

- Jedi Apprentice (series). I’d recommend this with the caveat that you have to go into it keeping in mind that it’s written for younger readers. Which absolutely does NOT mean it’s all fluff and sunshine and rainbows, very far from it (I call this series “Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Collection of Childhood Trauma” for some very good reasons, and the fact that he tries to sacrifice himself to suicide-bomb a door open with the slave collar wrapped around his neck before he even gets taken on as a padawan is just one of them), but there’s a lot of stuff that…doesn’t feel like it was explored fully to an adult reader’s satisfaction. It has a lot of the usual kind of fridge logic that often comes into play with kids’ media, and while it was written to be favorable towards the Jedi, that fridge stuff gets taken by fandom as reasons to criticize the Jedi quite often. More on that here.

- Cloak of Deception. This one’s…okay? It does spend quite a bit of time with the Jedi, but it feels pretty surface level. Luceno’s strength is in the fantasy space politics; for whatever reason his character interactions always fall flat for me, though I’m not sure if I can articulate why they’re so unsatisfying to me outside of a handful of good moments. But if you’re looking for a look into the politics leading up to TPM (or at least, Legends take on it), this is (one of) the books to look at. I say one of because I actually read Darth Plagueis first, and there is a bit of overlap.

- The Approaching Storm. This is the lead-in book to AOTC. It does a decent job with a look at the Jedi, I think, with a few snags (Barriss straight-up heals brain damage/mental illness to the point of complete personality changes, which seems way outside Jedi abilities to me, and there’s a bit of “maybe we shouldn’t take people from their families” angle instead of the Jedi as family angle). Also for some reason it refers to Barriss and Luminara as humans. And while the book tells us a lot about how important it is that the Jedi negotiate this conflict, most of their actual obstacles are getting places, with the negotiation itself getting glossed over. But it was a decent read, I think.

- Labyrinth of Evil. This is another Luceno book, this time for leading up to ROTS. The character interactions worked a little better here - or at least they had more of their moments - Anakin basically going “Marriage what marriage I don’t see a marriage” in front of Obi-Wan was pretty damn funny…and everyone knows the “infinite sadness” line that follows off of that. I’ll be curious as to what the current continuity gives us for what set off the invasion of Coruscant, because this (as part of Legends) gave us a pretty good reason for it. I’d recommend it, again, for the examination of the political situation, and there’s some decent action in here too. There’s a few insights into the Jedi but it’s hit or miss whether I agree with them, and they’re not the focus.

- Darth Plagueis. This one’s probably the best of Luceno’s books (that I’ve read), but it’s not Jedi-friendly. Most of that’s because, well…it’s from the Sith’s perspective, so they’re not going to be very pro-Jedi. I’m mostly okay with that because a lot of their criticism of the Jedi is very clearly coming from an obviously bad faith position (”the Jedi let the Republic decay” the Sith say as they devour a man’s heart and talk about how the Sith need to make all the problems of the Republic worse), although there’s one scene at the end that I really don’t like because it appears to really claim that the Jedi would’ve told Anakin to never talk about his mother, which doesn’t match up with, well, AOTC, for one thing, or just my impression of them in general. But what this book does do well is a look at how the Sith influenced the political situation, and a lot of midichlorian lore (seriously, this book feels like a middle finger to prequel hate - “oh you thought the fantasy space politics were boring? You thought midichlorians were stupid? Here’s why you’re wrong”). Luceno’s way of doing character interactions actually serves this book really well, because the Sith are able to be written as the focus characters without making them sympathetic in the least. If you’re looking to get invested in characters, probably not the book for you, but if you’re looking for fantasy space politics, it’s pretty good.

- Rogue Planet. This one has a good interpretation of the Jedi, I think, though you do have to contend with the “written before AOTC” issue of authors not realizing that Jedi weren’t supposed to get married and have children. But I liked the look at how they handled discipline - Anakin gets in trouble, and he’s brought before the Council, and the whole process is about questioning him to get him to realize and admit what he did wrong, not punishment. They then make the decision to redirect his energy into something productive by sending him and Obi-Wan on a mission. Also, Anakin sees a Jedi therapist at the end of this book, so it’s a good one to throw back at anyone who claims that the Jedi never helped him or that the Jedi don’t do therapy. But…plot-wise…it’s a little weak, mostly in that not much is resolved because it’s mostly setting up for stuff that won’t pay off until much, much further down the line (as in, whenever the Yuuzhan-Vong show up). The ship-growing thing was cool though.

- Wild Space. If you’re looking for a ridiculously dramatic Obi-Wan whump fic that’s one step away from sticking Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé, and Bail in a foursome, this is the book for you. If you’re looking for things like accurate characterization, an interpretation of the Jedi consistent with the films, believable interpersonal communication, or an actual plot…you will be sorely disappointed by this book.

- Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth. This is the sequel to Wild Space. It has a second part, Clone Wars Gambit: Siege, which I have not been able to bring myself to read, which probably tells you all you need to know about my thoughts on the first one, though you can read more about them here. In short, I strongly do not recommend this book at all, and find it to be pretty terrible characterization (even though it’s played for sympathy) of the Jedi and especially Obi-Wan. Wild Space at least has absurdity going for it. Stealth does not.

And that’s it! That’s all I’ve read so far. I’m sure not everyone will agree with my opinions, but in terms of my personal recommendations/non-recommendations, this is what I have.

[swtchaeos]

Atots Final Overall Thoughts

I have had a few days to think and breathe after finishing the show so i'm back to write my "whole serie overall" section because it does deserve one so i can come back on some stuff and add more. I've taken a few notes through the days when i remembered particular elements i wanted to discuss in this. It will be long, i will try my best to make it feel organized but i can't promise it will be mostly because my thoughts are messy. This won't probably be chronological as the past reactions were but i'll try my best to make it make somewhat sense, if not well excuse me.

I'll get started with production, location and everything scenery related that needs to be adressed, that i really haven't talked about much before (my apologies). All the production choices on location were so beautifully made and it's part of the view series that just get you to completely dive in into that world just from scenery. The Pha Pun Dao village and all those chosen locations like the Pha Pun Dao Hill or the waterfall, as it becomes a place of growth for Tian and a place he can call home, it becomes for the viewer a place they get attached to. Those roads, the school, the hill, the waterfall, all feel by the end of the show places you know and feel the warmth of. So many shots of the village are engraved into my brain because of how beautiful they were. The view from the hill just takes your breath away and makes you feel small and amazed at the beauty of the world when you are just watching on a laptop screen on your couch or bed. I've dived into that little village world, got attached to the people and to the place itself and by the end of it, when Tian left, it felt like i was leaving that place i had never been in and still somehow felt sad i wouldn't get to see that again. Every part of it felt really genuine and you can see through it the intend of the producers, directors and overall the work of all the team through the shots and atmosphere of the show. Did it make me want to go there ? Yes. Will i end up going ? Probably not. Will i make up for it by making sure i have at least one looking up at the stars, counting them and talking date in my lifetime ? (yes it's close enough to me) Absolutely (once i find anyone up for it).

I feel like going on from the village and scenery i have to know acknowledge characters and actors starting with talking once again about Tian's character development. If there is one thing i have been pleasantly surprised with, it's Tian's growth and journey. It's a journey to self-worth, happiness, forgiveness in himself and i'm certain that reflects and parallels to Mix's actor journey given it was his acting debut. I have spoken plenty of time about his growth, the way he acknowledged his feelings and doubts, made sure to express them and was able to find happiness, prosperity and good health (especially mental health) through the love and unity of that place he's able to call home by the end of the show. I have to admit i really wasn't sure about his character at the beginning of the show but the way they handled his development and growth made it worth the wait.

Phupha on the other hand still has stuff to work on. You can feel he'll still have to learn and grow within himself to be able to find a middle ground between his words and his actions. Despite everything, the last episode still showed him protective of himself and the people he cares for, which isn't bad but still showed contradictions between what he was saying and the way he was acting. I got less attached to the character of Phupha than of Tian's because of the way it's written. There are things about his personality and actions i don't particularly agree with but it doesn't make him awful. Phupha's character has depth and is hard to understand. We have seen that from the misunderstanding going on, but he didn't really have the opportunity to grow and evolve his mindset in the serie meaning he stayed true to himself even at the end, which really contrasts with how much of a development Tian got.

Going onto Phutian as a couple. Those two definitely have chemistry, there is no doubt. If you've read all my reactions you know how much i talked about the cliché aspect of their relation at the very beginning. The passing out and getting caught in the arms of the other, the intense stares that go on for way too long, the coming up behind the other to help him do something (tie the mosquito net here) or the "hold me tight" moment on the motorbike, honestly starting with all those romance clichés i was genuinely scared about being able to acknowledge their relation as cute and genuine when most we were fed was romance clichés. But those two genuinely developped a bond and had chemistry through the playful "fights" and smirks, or heartfelt conversations, their chemistry doesn’t come from those romance drama clichés but it was more them aside of that that really convinced me there was more to it. Despite the whole "it's my duty" drama, it was obvious that they both care for each other but that Phupha's ways of expressing are more intricate which added to the communication issues make the whole ups and downs of their relationship. What would have been great though is giving more dimension and acknowledging the differences in their love languages. You can clearly see the characters have different love languages and that Phupha's is the root of his tendency to protect himself as well as protecting people around him. This was more subtle and i feel implied but it's also a source of confusion and what brought conflict to Phutian's relationship and did not really get resolved.

I want to quickly mention how much i appreciate that Tian's growth and happiness did not come entirely from Phupha but more from the place and everyone he was surrounded by, as well as himself. I hate the whole dependance trope so i was happy it wasn't huge part of that, as much as side characters tried to push it onto the couple.

As i'm talking Phutian but props need to be given to EarthMix for bringing them to life the way they did. The chemistry between them was splendid. Also i'll touch on it now because i'm talking acting skills but those damn eyeshift and microexpressions were everything. When, during the first episodes, i was very much not convinced by the intense stares, i found them more and more endearing by the end of it because of Phutian's eyeshifts when staring at each other. Those made me feel both so single and warmed my heart very much. I said it in the reactions but i'm not one to notice people's eyes especially not first thing. But those eyeshifts made it so that my attention was brought to their eyes and as much as i don't believe in the "i could see it in their eyes" a lot was conveyed through those.

If i was to talk about all characters in details in that show i’d still be here in 10k words and i don’t think that’s great so i’ll just say that the whole cast was amazing, so good and that no i don’t forgive Dr. Nam.

Briefly, I need to mention my villain origin story : not even one acknowledgement of Phupha, Yod, Rang and Dr. Nam that they knew about Torfun’s death to the village. I would guess they did it "off screen" in a way if it was a real village but for the show not to get that acknowledgment was to me a big deal. Tian acknowledged his mistake of not saying it and payed the price for it even holding too much responsibility on himself. Both Phupha and Tian made that mistake here of not telling anyone, out of fear and love, out of fear then love. And not once, not once are we seeing Phupha acknowledge he made the mistake too. Thats probably one of the reasons i hold disappointment on the growth of Phupha’s character. Tian miscommunicated bc of his view of himself, his self worth being at its lowest in reason to the responsibility of the death he felt, that’s understandable. Phupha didn’t act on Tian’s words right away saying he knew too because of that added factor of feeling betrayed, and learning the man he loves "killed" the woman he sees as a sister, that’s understandable. I also completely get that Phupha and the three others didn’t tell the village right away, as they were grieving, holding onto one’s shoulder the responsibility of announcing a family member’s death (basically family) is a lot. But not giving Phupha a redemption arc in the eyes of the village and for Tian, feels to me like a treason. I know i’m only saying Phupha in here but i also am not forgetting the implication of Rang, Yod and Dr. Nam. Just one scene. That’s all i was asking for. One scene of redemption to make people understand that they all made mistakes.

Going back to stuff i talked about before because it needs to be brought up again, BGM and OST. Phenomenal. It played such a huge part in the show. And not only the OST or the music that’s part of the story. That BGM all throughout the show was splendid and i can genuinely say it’s probably what made me fall for the show. I know, bold statement there because seeing how long this post is getting, there is a lot that is amazingly done in that show. The music was just THAT great.

As for predictability that i touched upon in past reactions it wasn’t that bad that i knew everything that was gonna happen in the show, i’m not that much of a psychic to guess the whole story. But with what you are given throughout the show, it is quite easy to figure out the way the show is heading. I made numerous calls (out loud to myself, while watching, what about it) and maybe one wasn’t right. Out of the whole show. Maybe i have watched too many shows, am able to catch on hints quickly or maybe it’s cause in the back of my head i knew i was gonna write-react to it so stayed really focused. All in all it was slightly predictable and i’m pretty sure the producers and writers give loads of hints and details so that the story makes sense. Overall yes, i was able to guess a lot of how it would unravel which as someone that loves being right made me happy. But i do also like when shows are slightly less predictable so that he catches me off guard.

Also the substory/sidestory was amazing.

i’ll wrap things up here i think i said a lot. Was the best show ever written ? Certainly not (sorry). Do i still find some stuff wrong about it ? Sadly yes. But do i think it’s a great step and still liked it ? Absolutely.

It was different. It is a step in the right direction, away from the toxicity in relationships, awful plot lines and underlying homophobia. I’ve said it plenty of times before but this show was so human-like which made it so touching especially when you’re a human with a lot of empathy. The emotions, the mistakes, the self-worth,... so much you can relate and get attached to. I like to sigh about communication issues but i can’t deny it’s such a human thing and engraved in our society trait not to communicate enough or correctly. But seeing a show showcasing growth and progress in communicating is what i want to see. Stuff is lacking yes but so much is great that it can’t go un-ackowledged. So overall, would i recommend a tale of thousand stars ? Definitely.

And Oli, thank you.

[artcademia]

Bodies

I have been grappling with this assignment for weeks now. Amidst the absurdities of an ongoing global pandemic that forces us to work, write and study from home, and the partial lockdown which forced my workplace to close for an indefinite time many weeks ago, I suddenly find myself with an abundance of time and a complete lack of inspiration and motivation at once. It took me forever to figure out which approach to take to this assignment. This was, however, not because the topics that we talked about in class did not stay with me – because they did. I very often find myself thinking about our session with Stacy Hardy and the way she drew our attention to our relationships with our own bodies. I have since made it a habit to actively try to sense myself in my whole body.

I remember back when I was younger, when I was still training for and performing in the circus, I used to be very much aware of my body and its strengths and limitations at all times. We spent months trying to push our bodies to new limits, constantly urging for more – more flexibility, more strength, more control. And we did it without consciously knowing that this was what we were doing. It never felt like exercising. It was merely part of the build-up to the annual climax: the public circus shows during the last week of summer break. Our bodies were our instruments; we used them as a means to tell stories to an audience.

In fact, many artists – particularly those who work in the performative sector – rely on their bodies to narrate stories or impart knowledge or emotions. And while actors or clowns usually use both their bodies and voices to portray characters and to narrate stories, dancers and acrobats are mostly restricted to their bodies. They move their bodies to tell their tales. The body is an important and absolutely essential part – not just of artists – but of every single person on this planet. By ‘body/-ies’, I refer to our actual physical bodies; that is our skeleton, muscles, organs, flesh, blood and skin. Bodies come in many sizes, shapes and colours. They can be flexible or stiff, tender or hard, fit or flabby, strong or weak, big or small, injured or healthy. They are incredibly versatile and can be shaped with the help of nutrition, exercise or drugs or even permanently altered through surgical intervention. Bodies can be decorated with tattoos, piercings, jewellery and clothes. Bodies can get ill or injured and bodies can be healed or even heal themselves.

And bodies have – at least in some way – been a very prominent topic throughout these past couple of months. The pandemic has forced us to focus thoroughly on how bodies work, how they can be vulnerable, how they can transmit diseases and what we have to do to keep them safe. Our bodies vulnerability to external hazards such as viruses has dominated and determined all kinds of decision-making during this pandemic. Decisions that were designed to protect as many bodies as possible, ironically forced many bodies into intermission. As theatres, opera houses, circuses, concert halls, sports stadiums and all sorts of stages had to shut their doors, millions of artists and performers suddenly find themselves unable to do the very thing they need to do to survive – both financially, physically and emotionally.

The movement of bodies has been restricted in various ways during this seemingly never-ending pandemic. Borders have been closed – not for goods, but for bodies – airplanes have been grounded, trains, trams and busses have come to a halt, ships were stuck in harbours, some governments have imposed curfews. And so, all over the world bodies have been stuck at home – at least those that have a home – to prevent them from ending up in body bags.

And many – including myself – have experienced feelings of rustiness, stiffness and ache due to a lack of movement. Confined to the safety of my apartment, I have come to re-evaluate my relationship with my body and the part I play in my physical and emotional wellbeing. I cannot even begin to imagine what this must feel like for dancers, acrobats or athletes. What if they are not only prevented from performing in front of an audience, but are also banned from their training halls, stages and dance studios? What does this situation do to people who are used to expressing their emotions through their bodies?

Back in May 2019, I went to see Jeremy Nedd & Impilo Mapantsula’s (CH/ZA) dance performance The Ecstatic at Kaserne Basel (co-production). The description of their show read as follows:

Pantsula, a historically significant South African subculture. Expressed not only as a powerful dance form which is well known for it’s [sic] high-speed virtuosic footwork, but also evident through a dress code, language, music, and a particular philosophy of life that is all it’s [sic] own. An expression that during Apartheid gave a voice to a whole generation. Praise Break, a mode of praise. A moment... a pause… a break in the context of the Christian Pentecostal Church service, where the dancing body, voice and music energetically coalesce and as a result blur the difference between ecstatic and cathartic. What happens when the aesthetics of these two worlds converge? What happens in this transcendental moment of “break”[?] Within the dance piece The Ecstatic six Pantsula dancers turn to the motions that lead up to the praise break in order to find out, and “break open” a new space all their own.

– https://www.kaserne-basel.ch/en/programme/the-ecstatic/07-05-2019_20-00

The show was phenomenal, and the audience seemed to be blown away throughout. The lightness, humour and flow with which the dancers moved across the stage was stunning and intoxicating. The performance was celebrated with a roaring round of applause and a standing ovation.

After the show, the audience had the opportunity to meet the crew and ask questions during an open discussion with the dancers and choreographers. Jeremy Nedd (CH) and the dancers (Impilo Mapantsula, ZA) explained, that the pantsula dance had its origins in the black townships of apartheid South Africa – particularly in Sophiatown and Alexandra in Johannesburg. The pantsula dance style and culture was developed by black South Africans as a form of peaceful protest against the racist apartheid regime. The dance moves originate from various everyday actions or movements frequently performed by black workers – for example running alongside and jumping on a moving train, sweeping the floor, or assembly-line work. Therefore, the pantsula dance tells the story of black South African workers. This is also reflected in their dance uniforms: pantsula dancers typically dress in colourful work wear inspired clothes, such as bib overalls and converse. According to Impilo Mapantsula, pantsula is not only a dance style, but rather a lifestyle and culture in itself.

What struck me, was the complete absence of women in the Impilo Mapantsula dance crew. When I questioned them about it, they explained that pantsula was originally developed and performed by men only. From the 1980s onwards, there was also an increasing number of female pantsula dancers. Impilo Mapantsula is actually a larger network of pantsula dancers in South Africa, which also includes women. However, they did not specify as to why they did not include any of them in the show.

I wonder what the pandemic with its curfews and lockdowns has done to the pantsula dancers and culture. Do they still meet in secret to dance? Do they dance together via skype or zoom in front of their smartphones? Do they now have to dance alone? What will happen to this culture and art form if it is forced to stand still for too long? How are they going to teach the next generations of pantsula dancers? How do they ensure that the knowledge and history communicated through this highly complex dance style will live on?

Pantsula is but one of countless forms of performative art which are practiced all over the world. How many of them will survive the pandemic? How will they change? Is the performative culture going to be changed throughout? Will dancers, actors and acrobats start to integrate physical distancing into their performances? I guess only time will tell.

Wanda Rutishauser

January 2021

[mogulmaids]

Genre: Fluff and some mild angst (You’d have to squint to see it!)

Pairing: Calum Hood/Male Reader 

Word Count: 1.5k

Includes: Smoking and mentions of hickies. No major trigger warnings.

A/N: This is one of my first pieces that I’m publishing, so, I hope that you guys enjoy it. I would love, love, love feedback. I only briefly edited this so please excuses all spelling errors. Thank you <3

```

It was another slow morning. You never wanted to leave. Duke seemed to feel the same way. The spacious studio apartment was starting to feel a lot like home. It was hard to admit that when you lived with your best friend on the other side of town. Everything about Calum's place was comforting, though. The way his blankets always seemed to be extra warm, and his neighbours who absolutely admired you two together. You couldn't keep count of the compliments you got from the elderly lady across the way.

The smell of cigarettes lingered throughout the room which was something you always noted. Calum never smoked inside due to the fact that you were the one trying really hard to quit the vice. He was trying to cut down, too, but it was bit harder for him. His bandmates encouraged him to knock it off, but sometimes, their words meant nothing to him. The smell was coming from the coat he always wore out. It smelt like Camel Crushes, mint and tobacco. Whenever you exchanged small kisses, the taste lingered, too. That didn't bother you as much as he assumed it did.

Without trying to wake you up from your peaceful sleep, Calum slipped out of your arms, but that quick movement was enough to disrupt you. You instinctively winded your arms tighter around the waist of your boyfriend. Incoherently, you mumbled something. Calum couldn't help but chuckle at your state of being. A few seconds later, you decided to repeat yourself,

"Where do you think you're goin'?" You asked, fingers curled gently into the skin on his stomach. Calum tried not to giggle. He hated admitting it, but yes, big ole' intimidating Calum was in fact ticklish. If the news was to get out, it would be all over for him and his aggressive exterior. It was a little secret concealed by his small friend group, you included.

"Water, I'm thirsty," He stated.

You made a noise of disapproval, keeping him anchored to the bed. Duke had yet to wake up from his peaceful slumber on the floor, in the dog bed that you graciously bought. It was dark blue and a bit too large for the small pup but he enjoyed it, nonetheless. Calum insisted you didn't need to buy it, but, the old one was a bit too worn out for your liking. Duke seemed to favour you a bit more after the purchase.

Together you laid for a little longer until Calum positively had to get up. He wiggled out of your grip with success this time and stood up. The sweatpants covering his lower half belonged to you and the hickies placed carelessly on his neck belonged to you, too. A small gift, as you phrased it last night while he rolled his eyes. It wasn't distasteful, but the Maori boy covered them up always before seeing his friends or he wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Plans," You spoke from the bed while Calum stood behind the kitchen counter, filling up a glass with water, "Do you have any plans for today? Or do I get to be with you?"

He shook his head in response, "Gotta go to the studio later… Tracking vocals and whatnot, mostly mine and Luke's. You could come, if you'd like, just couldn't be distracting."

"Nah, 'is alright… Think I have an appointment today with some girl, unless she cancelled."

Calum started the coffeepot for you two as he leaned against the counter, watching how Duke slept and you stared at him, like he wouldn't notice. You weren't very good at being subtle even if you tried. It couldn't be marked as a skill by any means. If you were staring, it was recognised, and you liked it that way. Sure, Luke pretended to gag sometimes, but Calum resorted to flipping him off. Mornings were typically spent with few words and more movements than anything. Calum did this and you did that; Duke sat around and watched because you know, he's a dog.

After coffee was brewed and you were properly dressed, you two sat on the balcony, a cigarette in one of  his hands and a coffee in the other. He already scolded you for trying to sneak one so really, it was just him enjoying coffee and cigarettes. He had managed to cut down his smoking since meeting you but it still wasn't good. The Maori only picked up a pack when he was burdened or overthinking, which was a lot more often than you'd think.

When he set the lit cigarette in the ashtray, you reached over to attempt to pick it up. You were met with a smack to the hand.

"You know you're not supposed to do that."

He didn't sound disappointed but rather concerned than anything. He was constantly informing you that it was bad, but it was pretty hypocritical of him. If anything, keeping your boyfriend fit was a goal. Some would possibly view it as controlling, but you guys looked out for each other.

"You just told me how you have to track vocals today. Really think smoking is going to help make you sound better?" You retorted, making Calum sink down a bit in his seat.

Right now, you sounded a lot like the other three boys in his band. Ashton was the one who was constantly on his ass about it. Since the start of his own sobriety, he has been trying to get Calum to quit, too. It was a bit harder, though, because he had been smoking since he was a teenager. The first time he was caught was by Mail-Koa, his older sister. She wasn't delighted with the sight, advising him to put it out before their mom came out to the backyard. Around that time, he started playing on a soccer team.

He was phenomenally excellent at said sport, even got a few chances to go big, but instead he followed his heart and did music. That's how he ended up in LA with his three most beloved friends, on the other side of the country, anyway from everything familiar.

Calum sighed but it wasn't bothered. He should be thankful you didn't pester him even more for making questionable health decisions like this. He slumped down further in the chair and looked out over the city in front of you. It was beautiful, and he could get used to this. You guys had only been dating for a few months but this felt more right than anything.

"When can you move in?" He blurted out, instantly wanting to smack himself in the head as soon as the words came out in a sentence. It sounded a lot like a demand.

You snorted, glancing over at your boyfriend who was promptly a few shades pinker than usual, "Woah there Hood, didn't think that would be the topic of this morning," You teased shamelessly.

"Ignore me – Oh God, this is so embarrassing. I really didn't, well I do, but uh — I'm going to shut up."

He felt small and foolish, wanting to curl up into a ball and then disappear directly afterwards. Nothing in his head was able to sum up what he said simply enough to take it back. He couldn't even play it off as a joke because he was serious. Everything in him wanted you to move in here with him and take this next step together. Not like it was marriage or anything extreme. That thought was almost as scary as when Calum introduced you to his friends. He was expecting backlash but didn't get it.

"Hey, no, babe… If you're prepared for that, so am I. It already feels like I live here. I mean, I have my own drawer in your dresser. I'm sure the shower is filled with my beauty products, as well." You offered him a smile, signalling he could relax. Calum felt like melting into the floor.

"You mean that?" He asked meekly, accent thick when he questioned it.

"Of course, Calum. I'd be genuinely happy if I finally moved in. I'd never have to go back to mine."

The boy nodded, thinking. He didn't know how he was supposed to bring this up with the boys, but this was what he desired. He wanted sleepy mornings and late nights. You wanted to be able to leave things here without worrying about picking it up again. Both of you wanted to wake up in each others arms every morning.

"Okay," Calum ultimately said, nodding to himself, "Yeah, I really want to do this… We can, we can set away a weekend to collect your stuff and move it here. It's probably not a lot but, yeah."

You leaned over and clutched Calum's hand, stroking your thumb over the boys tattoo. It was one that you didn't get to do, but you loved it just the same; a set of initials for both parents on his hands. This had to be one of the pleasantest mornings spent together. There were multiple others to compare to, but this one made Calum feel complete, solidified and whole.

With you, he already felt like he was on top of the world, but now he was going to feel invincible since you never had to leave his side at night again.

[stella-monstrum]

Rob Zombie; "Why it's time to step outside the confinements of his own box."

For close to four decades,

 Rob Zombie has brought nonstop psychedelic grooves and a rockstar presence while gracing his own music and the silver screen with gut-churning, drug-tripping visuals. He not only commands quite the presence in films (whether his own successes or others’), but also makes appearances within many other horror soundtracks. There’s no denying that Zombie is a bloodied savant who has stayed incredibly consistent. 

[ᴿᵒᵇ ᶻᵒᵐᵇᶦᵉ. ⁽ˢᵒᵘʳᶜᵉ: ᴳᵒᵒᵍˡᵉ ᴵᵐᵃᵍᵉˢ⁾]

(Written by Stella, edited by Jacob J.)

(Side note; tumblr’s photo formatting is a pain)

Let’s take a dive into his music before getting into his film library. From 1985-1997, White Zombie released six albums (between studio and compilations). La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One didn’t break into the Billboard 200 chart until a year after its 1992 release. Shortly thereafter, it became the hot and groovy bong success of the band, going on to sell two million copies. Astro Creep 2000, their final and fourth studio release, was their first and only album to chart within the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 in 1995. Up to this day in 2020, “White Zombie” has been featured in 47 TV, film, and video game soundtracks, from Beavis & Butthead to Pen15 to Bride Of Chucky (which includes a personal favorite moment of mine), amongst many others.

After the disbandment and separation, Zombie continued on his solo journey. He has gone on to release six studio albums, with a seventh on the way in March 2021, titled The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy. A multitude of hits—eight to be exact—sat within the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 records. 

══════════════════

Zombie’s extensive film career is a “Super Beast” on its own. 

He has been very vocal about gaining inspiration from 1920s-1980s horror culture. In many interviews, he’s cited Stan Lee, Bella Lugosi, Alice Cooper, and Steven Speilberg as being responsible for molding the brain that we know today. 

Some of his influences include:

George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (1978)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) 

The Shining (1980)

Zombie’s upbringing in the carnival industry alongside his family is another key influence.

[[I’ll only be focusing on Zombie’s live-action films here.]]

══════════════════

In 2000, Rob made his directorial and (very memorable) screen debut with House Of 1000 Corpses. 

It took three years to be released because of quarrels with major production companies regarding the film’s majorly aggressive themes of torture, blood, violence, sex—not to mention his arrogance with MGM, fighting to get rights back from Universal. Eventually, Lionsgate bit the bullet, albeit with the major stipulation of having Rob edit it down much further so House could pass with a “tame” R rating. 

[[House of 1000 Corpses: Rainn Wilson as taxidermy merman (Source: Tumblr—and if you’re brave, you can view the scene here.)]]

══════════════════

In 2005 and 2019, the franchise’s next two installments—Devil’s Rejects and 3 From Hell—were released. The franchise is heavily influenced by the shocking, sickening, and unforgettable ’70s classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It follows a family of psychotic, sadistic, and bloodthirsty (if I’m being honest) necrophiliacs. They kidnap, kill, torture and brutalize anyone who gets in their way. At the end of Devil’s Rejects, they somehow manage to survive a police shootout, escape prison, and waltz on into Mexico (as seen in the franchise finale 3 from Hell).

Look, it’s all complicated.

Main Characters from the franchise:

Captain Spaulding—Sid Haig

Baby Firefly—Sheri Moon Zombie

Otis B. Driftwood—Bill Moseley 

Momma Firefly—Karen Black (recast as Leslie Easterbrook after Karen’s passing)

(Other notable appearances throughout: Chris Hardwick, Rainn Wilson, Danny Trejo, Dee Wallace, Ken Foree, and Diamond Dallas Page.)

⁽“ʰᵒᵘˢᵉˢ ᵗʳⁱˡᵒᵍʸ”, ᵈᵛᵈ ˢᵉᵗ﹔ ˢᵒᵘʳᶜᵉ﹔ ᵗᵃʳᵍᵉᵗ.ᶜᵒᵐ⁾

══════════════════

The notorious/controversial Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978) remakes from 2007 and 2009.

(ᵃ ᵛⁱᵉʷ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇᵒˣ ᵃʳᵗ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ ʰᵃˡˡᵒʷᵉᵉⁿ ʳᵉᵐᵃᵏᵉˢ ⁽ˢᵒᵘʳᶜᵉ﹕ ᵃᵐᵃᶻᵒⁿ⁾)

Look, this is a remake that you either adore or hate with a burning passion. If you’re a horror fanatic, you know what’s up with the original.

I personally adore Zombie’s take. The fact alone that he gave us an entire background story as to why Michael became the psychotic slasher that we’ve come to know and love. Plus, with an increased suspense and gore factor? Worked incredibly well and did justice (in my opinion).

The film made me feel bad for Michael, with moments of child Myers in therapy, particularly his love for making masks to pass the time while he was locked up and the touching family moments between him and his mother Deborah (Sheri Moon).

ᵈᵉᵇᵒʳᵃʰ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵐⁱᶜʰᵃᵉˡ ᵐᵉʸᵉʳˢ ⁱⁿ ʲᵃⁱˡ ᵗʰᵉʳᵃᵖʸ. ⁽ˢᶜʳᵉᵉⁿᶜᵃᵖ, ʰᵃˡˡᵒʷᵉᵉⁿ. ˢᵒᵘʳᶜᵉ﹕ ᵍᵒᵒᵍˡᵉ⁾

[Michael’s cell in the 2007 Halloween remake. (Source: Google)]

Add in the supporting cast of Michael McDowell (Loomis), Brad Douriff (Sheriff Leigh), Scout Taylor-Compton (Laurie Strode), etc., and I honestly think that it came together very well as a remake.

The films rated relatively low, but they did gross higher than the budgets that they originally had to film on. Again, I’m not going to give much attention to the higher-ups of critical perception—it all comes down to personal taste.

══════════════════

“Lords of Salem” (2013) 

[[Promotional art for Lords of Salem. (Souce: Google Images)]]

A film that’s centered within Salem, Massachusetts, 

this film—you guessed it—tackles witches, occultism, possession, Satan, and all the usual topics. Heidi (Sherri Moon) is a radio DJ who gets sent a mysterious record that’s labeled as being from “The Lords.” From then on out, shit gets a little dicey and admittedly, very disjointed. You can’t fault the cast here, and I loved the visuals that they were going for. However, with set schedule conflicts and multiple rewrites, which led to essentially running out of time to film? As a whole, what looked great on paper just couldn’t be done justice.

My FAVORITE sequence within the film (SPOILERS): 

I can forgive the disjointedness solely because of how mind-boggling and brilliant the film’s history and proper visuals were. Also, we got to see Dee Wallace, Judy Geeson, and Patricia Quinn as creepy and badass witches who moonlight as Heidi’s landlords. Also Meg Foster who leads their coven? Can we talk about what a femme-fueled power cast that is?!

[[Left to right: Patricia Quinn as Megan, Dee Wallace as Sonny, and Judy Geeson as Lacy Doyle. (Screencap, Lords of Salem. Source: Google) ]]

[[Meg Foster as coven leader Margaret Morgan. (Screencap, Lords of Salem. Source; google)]]

Like I said prior, the film gets a little wild. If you’re...well, buzzed prior to watching, it may make a little more sense. 

══════════════════

“31” (2016)

[[Film poster for 31 (Source: Google)]]

[Synopsis from IMDB; “Five carnival workers are kidnapped and held hostage in an abandoned, hellish compound where they are forced to participate in a violent game, the goal of which is to survive twelve hours against a gang of sadistic clowns.”]

Here, we clearly see that Zombie is invoking his childhood growing up within carnivals. In a 2013 interview with LA Weekly, Zombie divulged more about it:

“When we were kids, my parents would [work at the carnivals], and me and my brother would get dragged along to these things all the time and have to work.”

He went further on to say;

 “Yeah, and it's not the nicest world. As a kid, you get exposed to the crazier underworld of the carnival. Me and my brother, when we were very little, we'd be inside the haunted house playing all day. So, already, what people are paying money to be scared [of], we're just playing in because it's fun. We saw the inner workings behind the machines.”

(”31″ trailer, source; Youtube)

Once again in this film, Zombie brings a powerhouse cast:

Jeff Daniel Phillips as Roscoe Pepper

Meg Foster as Venus Virgo

Malcom McDowell as Father Murder

Judy Geeson as Sister Dragon

Richard Brake as Doom Head

You can view the entire cast at IMDB here.

Set in 1976, Zombie stays true to his nods. Again, depending on taste, this is a huge hit or a wild miss with mindless homicidal violence, campiness, and climbs across the monkey bar of standards that we’re used to seeing from him.

══════════════════

So at this point, you’re probably wondering why I think that it’s time for Rob Zombie to step out of the confinements of his own box...

══════════════════

It’s no secret that Zombie sticks to only a small group of tropes: 

Slashers, families or groups of homicidals that lack remorse, the occult, etc. There’s no shame in sticking to what you know. Hell, Zombie has seemingly cracked the code over the past two decades that he’s been in the film industry that so many directors still don’t seem to get.

IMO, despite whatever you personally feel about the films mentioned above- I feel like we’re living a freaky groundhog day repeat within Zombie’s filmography. 

══════════════════

Now, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Look, I’m not saying that Zombie has to change anything. However, I would love to see him tackle some other nuances that we’ve already seen from him in small doses.

- Children: We haven’t seen Zombie exactly take on what horror films depict kids as. Sure, he made a breakout and impeccable choice with young Michael Myers (Daeg Faerch) back in 2007. I personally would adore to see a reimagined (NOT remade) Children of the Corn on acid, one we all know Zombie can tackle and turn every existing view on its head.

- Witchcraft, The Occult, Satan, Voodoo:  Zombie genuinely had a phenomenal concept (on paper) for 2012’s Lords of Salem. It was unfortunate that they ran out of resources and ran into unfortunate circumstances on set while filming. 

The film wasn’t a total tank, though, given how inspiring and insane all the visuals were throughout the 1 hr, 41min film. I am absolutely positive that, given a full-force opportunity, Rob could rectify the mess that was out of his control. We completely saw that he provided visuals that left quite the impression, and he could take those taboo subjects by the goat horns.

- Animals (not the human form): It’s no secret that Rob and his wife Sherri are ethical vegetarians. It would be so tongue and cheek to see them take on such topics as animals getting their revenge, or even vegetarians torturing carnivores. This twist on the formula would make for an interesting viewing.

══════════════════

2.) In regard to time periods, 

Zombie stays within—and pays homage to—the 1970s and 1980s quite a bit. Obviously, those are the eras that Zombie personally loves the most when it comes to filmmaking. However, it would be very interesting to see him take on current day settings. 

Zombie has such a unique viewpoint. Given changing climates in politics, human decline/growth, the economy, etc., he would do work that could easily put Ryan Murphy to shame.

══════════════════

3.) He could also do with some different casting every now and then.

Let me preface this by saying that I adore every repeat casting choice that Zombie has made for his films. 

Of course chemistry is a huge thing, and sticking to his friends is a very smart choice. However, he also has the potential to make new stars, boosting the power of those that may be under the radar. He can support those new stars with cameos from classic actors that we haven’t seen in awhile. I can’t begin to even fictionally cast those who fit the bill, but I do believe that with the “Zombie Touch,” he can bring so much more fresh air to the usual casting.

══════════════════

There’s no doubting what Rob Zombie is clearly very good at. Despite mixed reviews from the horror world and critics, it’s time that his fans open their eyes to new possibilities. Of course, there are die-hards, but digging your feet in further doesn’t allow the growth of horror and its ever evolving themes.

[[ʳᵒᵇ ᶻᵒᵐᵇⁱᵉ, ˢᵒᵘʳᶜᵉ﹔ ᵍᵒᵒᵍˡᵉ ⁱᵐᵃᵍᵉˢ]]

This theory has been on my mind for a very long time—since 3 from Hell came out. I’m sure, in his usual fashion, we won’t be seeing any new films from Rob anytime soon (what with his new album set to release in March 2021, not to mention the toll that the pandemic has had on Hollywood.)

Still, it never hurts to challenge the set standards and ways.

[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 17 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Hello darlings! Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Violet got a much-needed apology, and a fancy night on the town.

This Chapter: A wild night, a lazy Sunday, and a Monday morning of pure chaos.

***

Courtney twirled and twirled on the dance floor, leaning into the dizzying feeling, the bass pumping to the beat of her heart, feeling freer and happier than she’d been in weeks. She was out with a group of her closest friends--girls she’d known since college, who all happened to find themselves in New York, trying desperately to make it.

Adore was there, of course, her bestie and soulmate and favorite person in the world.

They’d been joined at the hip since the second week of Courtney’s freshman year, when they’d both been cast in their college production of RENT.

Adore had a phenomenal voice, but her dancing left some room for improvement, so the producer had asked Courtney (who had also given a great audition for Mimi, but unfortunately had the wrong skin color so they saddled her with Maureen instead) to step in and help. Watching her tonight, Courtney couldn’t help but proudly note that her sexy stripper moves had certainly improved with time.

Courtney had grown up watching American movies and television and thus, couldn’t wait to join a sorority when she got to school. Even though it ended up being a bit different than she’d expected, she had made some fabulous friends there. Tyra was one of the most glamorous people she’d ever met, and she was constantly in awe of her style and grace. She had secured a coveted paid internship at one of the biggest ad agencies in the city, and Courtney knew she’d absolutely crush it there, rising to the top just like she always did.

Tatianna, her precious Tati, was the baby of the group. Two years behind Courtney in school, she’d been her “little sister” freshman year, but left school early to pursue a modeling career, currently pounding the pavement in pursuit of an agent. She worked hard, but she played hard, too. Courtney laughed as she threw back another shot with Adore, but then handed her a water bottle, never quite shaking the slightly protective feeling she had for her. She herself had learned long ago that trying to keep up with Adore and Morgan where drinking was concerned was a surefire recipe for an absolutely hideous hangover, but Tati hadn’t made that same discovery just yet. (Or, she just didn’t care, which was also possible, and part of her charm.)

Courtney had met Morgan before all of them, even before classes started that first year, at a welcome reception for international students. A brazen, hilarious Scot with a wicked sense of humor, she and Courtney had bonded instantly that night, laughing about how soft and prim Americans were, after Courtney’s roommate begged her to wear pajamas instead of sleeping naked like she always had. They had pledged together, and remained close throughout their whole time in school.

Tyra grabbed Courtney’s hand and pulled her in, and Courtney continued to dance amongst her friends, the music taking over, feeling alive in the best possible way.

***

Violet yawned as she slowly rose to the top of consciousness. She was lying in Sutan’s giant bed, the soft sheets all around her, the pillow and mattress feeling absolutely amazing. Violet rolled over on her side, stretching before she pulled the duvet up under her chin.

She was wonderfully sore and sated. Sutan had offered to take her home after their date, but Violet had taken his hand and kissed his palm, Sutan smiling as he asked his driver to take them to his apartment.

Violet loved Sutan’s hands on her body, loved how sure he was when he touched her, how he never hesitated. It was hard for her to come with someone else, nearly impossible for her to tip over. She might have pretended to come, a small gasp clearly convincing Sutan, but the sex was nice, very very very nice, and Violet wouldn’t say no to another round.

She reached out, her hand searching for Sutan, but no one was there.

Violet sat up and looked around. She was alone in the bedroom, but as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, she realized that she was naked.

Violet bit her lip. Her dress was hung over the door of Sutan’s closet, but she couldn’t very well put that on. Violet made a quick decision, grabbing Sutan’s shirt from the day before off of the floor. The cotton was creased, but it smelled just like him, and Violet smiled as she slipped it on, the fabric falling to cover the top of her thighs.

Violet opened the door to the en-suite bathroom. She had expected to be forced to brush her teeth with her finger, but right there, on the edge of the sink was a toothbrush still in the packaging. Violet washed her face, brushed her teeth and braided her hair.

She still felt a little gross, a little unprepared, the fact that she was walking around in only a shirt and nothing else a strange sensation, but it also felt a little sexy and dangerous.

As Violet exited from the bathroom, she heard the music come from the opposite end of the apartment, smooth jazz washing over her as she followed the sound.

***

“Hurry up, baby! I want to see them feed the birds in the indoor rainforest! Come on!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming!”

Trixie yawned as he followed Katya, who was very, very, very awake and had already ran ahead.

It was 9:30 on a Sunday, and Katya had been a bundle of energy since she had practically rolled him out of bed to get him up.

The two of them were in the Central Park Zoo, where Katya had begged to go for the last two weeks, but Trixie had simply been too busy to go with her, his only free time spent in a near comatose state as he had tried to catch up on the sleep he hadn’t gotten during the week.

Trixie watched Katya, a smile on his face. She had even dressed up for the occasion, her backpack decorated with animal keyrings and her “exploring kit.” She skipped along beside Max, who’d been more than happy to join them for this adventure, always up for the opportunity to go back to his original love of wildlife photography. The two of them led Trixie around the zoo, pulling him this way and that until he fully woke up, with the help of some cotton candy.

“Oh, Trixie, look! Look!” Katya smiled, her entire face lighting up as she pointed at a small, blue, white and black bird. “It’s a Leucopsar rothschildi!”

“A what?” Trixie looked up from his project of taking the perfect Instagram picture of Katya and the birds.

“A Bali Mynah! It’s critically endangered.”

“There’s only 14 left in the wild.” Max chimed in.

Trixie came up to Katya’s side, and gave her a kiss. “I love it when you talk birdy to me.”

Against all of Trixie’s expectations, he ended up having an amazing day with Max and Katya at the zoo.

A seal splashed water at Max, one of the monkeys almost stole Trixie’s fanny pack, they all got more cotton candy and Katya even switched with Trixie halfway through so he could have both blue and pink--and at the end of the day, Katya almost cried when Trixie brought her a stuffed lion from the zoo store, all proceeds going to saving animals in the wild.

Riding home with the two of them on the subway, Trixie could feel the sugar coma taking over, his eyelids drooping, head falling forward as he leaned heavily against Katya’s warm body.

“I love you, baby,” Katya whispered, kissing the top of his head sweetly and wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

***

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beeeeeep!

Violet groaned as she recognized the sound of her alarm. She fumbled for her phone, the charger underneath Sutan’s bedside table. She swore under her breath as she yanked it out, finally getting it open so she could turn her alarm off.

She sat up, careful not to wake Sutan as she leaned against the headboard.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Violet nearly jumped as she felt an arm reach over her lap, a hand settling on her hip. Sutan was looking up at her, one of his eyes lazily cracked open, a small smile on his lips.

“Did I wake you up?” Violet put a hand in Sutan’s hair, carefully running her fingers through it.

“What time is it?”

“5:30.”

“Urgh,” Sutan groaned, sounding genuinely disgusted with the situation, and Violet couldn’t help but chuckle. She guessed that was the privilege of being senior staff, Sutan probably able to show up whenever he wanted to. “Come back to bed, right now.”

Violet had to go to the gym, but as Sutan pulled on her, she couldn’t resist. She crawled back under the covers, Sutan’s hand sneaking under her t-shirt, his fingers playing with the elastic of the shorts she had borrowed as he closed his eyes once again.

“Sutan?”

“Yes lovely eyes?” Sutan growled a little, and Violet bit her lip.

“Why am I still here?” Violet hadn’t expected to spend the day at Sutan’s, had certainly not expected to stay another night, but he was so easy to be around, the two of them spending the day on the couch where they had listened to music, watched movies (though Violet hadn’t cared too much) and made dinner between rounds of sex.

“Well-” Sutan opened his eyes. “Sometimes when a man asks a woman to come home with him, she says yes.”

Violet rolled her eyes. “Idiot.” She leaned forward, pressing a kiss against Sutan’s forehead, before she made another attempt to untangle herself.

“Hey-” Sutan gripped her hip, a flash of warmth rushing over Violet’s body. “Stay?”

“I can’t-” Violet sighed.  “I have to be at work at 7:30-”

“7:30? I really hope Fame pays you well.”

She didn’t, but Violet wasn’t going to point that out.

“I have nothing to wear.” She had to get going if she wanted to make it home to her apartment and change, but the last thing she wanted was to put on her dress from Saturday and go all the way from Harlem to her apartment in Kip’s Bay and then back uptown for work. “I mean, I don’t even have a bra.”

“If you stay here, you can borrow something from me.” Sutan was actually fully awake now, a wicked smile growing on his face.

“What?” Violet wrinkled her brow. “Don’t be stupid…” Violet could feel herself getting seduced, she could stay, technically, if Sutan really had clothes she could wear to the office. Ivy could pull clothes for her to borrow, and she could figure everything else out.

“Stay.”

***

Normally Sutan would have thrown a fuss from another dimension if anyone had forced him out of bed before 7, but somehow it was okay when he got to dig through a box of his boyhood clothes with a girl that looked like sin wearing his pants.

“Isn’t it a little worrying that we basically use the same pants size?” Violet turned to the side, her brown eyes watching herself in the mirror on the back of the door. Her upper body was bare, her still damp black hair spilling straight down her back, her small breasts on full display.

“They’re from when I was 21-” Sutan handed her a belt, and Violet took it. “I used to be a skinny little thing.”

Violet lifted a brow, looking up and down his body, clearly not buying the idea that Sutan had been even thinner, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Believe me, I know I’m slender, but Raja and I both used to be rail thin.”

Sutan dug into the box in front of him, quietly thanking Raja for saving all of his clothes in the back of his closet, his sister sealing them in plastic bins when he wasn’t looking.

“It was 95, everyone looked like they were on coke.”

(Not that Violet would ever need to know that he had actually been on coke for most of the 90’s.)

“Here, try this.” Sutan held out a shirt, Violet quickly pulling it over her head, and Sutan took a second to mourn the fact that she was no longer topless.

“You were 21 in 95?”

“I’m glad you can do math, darling.” Sutan smiled. “That color looks all wrong on you. Try this one instead.” Sutan held out a striped sweater, Violet taking it from his hands.

“In 95, I was excited to start preschool...”

“Does that bother you?” Sutan looked at Violet, the woman’s head popping through the hole in the sweater. Violet looked uncomfortable, like she would rather not be having this conversation, her teeth biting into her lips.

He had asked her once before, her reply then that she didn’t care, but Sutan realized that he had to know if it was still true. “Does it bother you that I’m older than you?”

“No.” Violet didn’t look at him, her eyes fixed on her hands that were slowly pulling at the fabric of the sweater she was wearing. “No, it’s just.. Sometimes I worry that, that I’m not… Enough.”

Sutan rose to his knees. “You’re more than not.” Sutan smiled, tilting his head up. “I promise you that.”

Violet leaned down, gently kissing him when her alarm went off in the background.

“God I hate your phone.”

***

Courtney ran past the dark reception desk, down the hall towards the office. Violet had called her fifteen times in the last 20 minutes, Courtney recognizing the sign of a crisis on the subway immediately as soon as the war dialing began. Apparently, there was some kind of disaster with the Fashion Week confirmations that she’d been handling, and she was terrified to find out what it was.

She rounded the corner at full speed, stopping short in her tracks by a sight she never thought she’d see in a billion years. Violet stood at the printer, wearing jeans. Not just jeans. Boy’s jeans, held up with a belt. She actually looked pretty cute, having paired the jeans with chic silver heels and a black and white sweater. But nevertheless, it caught Courtney completely off-guard and she paused, looking her up and down in wonder.

That’s when Violet looked up sharply, seeing her standing in the doorway, and the gates of hell opened.  

“Finally! Where the hell have you been?!”

“It’s only 5 til 8-” Courtney began, but Violet immediately interrupted.

“What’s wrong with you? Are you suffering from a head injury, or are you just this fucking stupid?”

Courtney set her mouth in a firm line. Her heart was pounding, unable to think of what her fuck-up possibly could have been, a lump rising to her throat. She wished that Violet would just tell her the problem directly instead of berating her and forcing her to wait in dread of what was coming, but she supposed that was part of her punishment for...whatever she’d done wrong.  

“No.”

“You’re not stupid?”

“I-”

“Did I or did I not tell you to call and confirm every single name on that spreadsheet last week?” Violet pointed at Courtney’s computer.

“You did, but-”

“And did I or did I not tell you to send me a status update before you left on Friday with all the confirmations checked off in green and a list in the email of anyone you couldn’t reach?”

“Yes!” Violet had left early, for once trusting Courtney to close things down and take care of all the end of day tasks. “I did that! Didn’t you get my email? I reached everyone, they’re all in green!” Courtney exclaimed.

She knew that she was new at this job, and still learning every day, but she had no idea why Violet was angry with her right now.

She’d followed her explicit instructions to the letter.

“Come here.” Violet’s voice was low and scary, and Courtney immediately joined her at the computer. “This is the spreadsheet you sent back on Friday.”

Violet opened the spreadsheet, and there it was. All names checked off in green, the day and time they’d been confirmed in column D.

“And these…” Violet began to click through 5 more tabs, each one a separate list, each one with names all in black, as yet unconfirmed. “These are the tabs you missed because you are too much of an absolute imbecile to understand how excel works.”

All of the blood drained from Courtney’s face, the room feeling off-kilter as she grew hot and dizzy, her heart pounding out of her chest.

“There were…” Courtney swallowed, “more tabs?” she managed to whisper.

“Yes, Courtney. There were more tabs. Which you would have known if you ever took your fucking head out of your fucking ass for long enough to pay attention to your job.”

“I-I’m so sorry, I-” Courtney’s eyes filled with tears, which only seemed to enrage Violet more.

“Do you realize what you’ve done? Do you realize how bad this could have gotten if I hadn’t caught your mistake?”

“I didn’t mean to-”

“I asked you, I specifically asked you, to check every, single, fucking name,” Violet groaned. “You better pray that we can fix this before Miss Fame finds out.”

“I will, Violet, I promise. I’ll do whatever it takes, I-”

“Sit, get to work. I’m handling the vendors in the third tab, and the staff for the photoshoot, because god forbid you screw that up too, we’d all be absolutely fucked. Do not talk to me until every name on every other tab is accounted for. Got it?!”

Courtney nodded, nearly tripping over her feet running to her desk. She swiped at her eyes with the back of her hands as her computer powered on, still feeling shaky and panicked.

Thankfully, the tab that Courtney had seen the week before was the one marked “VIP,” so all of Galactica’s important guests were accounted for. At 8 am, she decided that the smartest list to do next was “Press,” because at least she’d be able to reach a human being. Her nerves began to settle as she made her way through the list, every single press outlet confirming their attendance. When she finally got to the end, it was almost 9, and she reported her progress to Violet.

“Good.” Violet slammed a drawer shut, everything about her radiating annoyance.

Courtney sighed internally. She checked out the last two lists: “H/M - Run Through” and “H/M – Show,” and realized there was quite a bit of overlap, Alaska clearly intending to book as many of the same people as possible for both days.

She got right to work, mostly leaving voicemail messages and then following up with texts and emails. These people were freelance and since it was still early, she didn’t worry too much about them answering their phones. It wasn’t until she started to get calls and messages back that the real panic set in.

“Um...Violet?” she asked softly, after highlighting the 10th name in red.

“What?” Violet asked sharply, still clearly annoyed with her. She had only gotten in about 20 minutes of calls to the vendors before she had to stop to roll calls with Fame, and Courtney prayed that none of them would end up being a problem.

“I, um...some of the people on Alaska’s lists are...already booked on other jobs. So...I’m not sure what to do now.” Courtney took a deep breath, determined not to cry. For one thing, she knew that it would just piss Violet off. And for another, she was determined to weather this disaster like an adult, no matter how much she felt like breaking down and sobbing her eyes out.

“One moment,” Violet said into the phone, her voice soft and pleasant, professional as can be. Once she had Fame on the line, she muted herself and turned back to Courtney, dark eyes flashing with anger. “What now?”

“I just...there’s like...at least 10 people who can’t do it, and-and I don’t know what to do,” Courtney admitted.

“There’s nothing you can do.” Violet folded her arms.

“But...then what do I do?” Courtney asked, biting her lip, using all of her strength to keep her voice from breaking. “Are there any backup lists, or a place I can go to find other people...I mean I have to be able to fix it, right?”

“No.” Violet let out a long, put-upon sigh, eyes rolling up to the ceiling before she leveled her gaze back down at Courtney. “You can’t. So go downstairs, tell Alaska what you did, and pray that she doesn’t kill you on sight.”

Alaska. Somehow, in the midst of all of this, it hadn’t occurred to Courtney until this moment that her screw-up would be creating a huge problem for the one executive at this company who had gone out of their way to show her kindness, the one person she was most desperate to impress. The guilt hit her like a tidal wave.

“Who knows,” Violet said, going back to her computer. “Maybe you can use some of that patented charm to get yourself out of the mess you created.” Violet punctuated this statement with a dry, joyless chuckle, clearly not believing that Courtney would in fact get out of this situation alive.

Courtney closed her eyes briefly and printed the two hair and makeup lists, then stood up.

“Okay. I’m going downstairs,” she said, to nobody in particular, since Violet was back at her computer, typing an email and trying to stay on top of Miss Fame’s phone calls.

Courtney took a deep breath, clutching her phone in her hands as she pulled the pages from the printer and made her way towards the stairs.    

[themattress]

Pokemon Franchise Narrative Comparison

To this day, there have been only three other mediums that have run for as long as the core Pokemon game series has: the anime series, the Pokemon Adventures manga series, and the Trading Card Game. With the obvious exception of the TCG, these have all had narrative arcs within each passing generation, and I want to use this post to compare their quality.

GEN I Games: Red/Blue/Green/Yellow Anime: Original Series: Indigo League + Orange Islands (The Beginning) Manga: Red/Blue/Green Chapter, Yellow Chapter  

1st Place - Manga. The original R/B/G Chapter brings the world of the Game Boy games to life in stunning accuracy, while also its own spin on certain things and crafting a simple yet sophisticated coming-of-age narrative, with the Yellow Chapter being its Actionized Sequel that raises the stakes even higher and deepens everything within this manga series. Add to this clear influence from the anime and the fact that it’s the only Gen I product to feature the character of Green in it, and we have the definitive story for the franchise’s first generation.

2nd Place - Anime. While increasingly less faithful to the details of the games, the anime remained very faithful to the spirit of them while telling its own coming-of-age tale for Ash Ketchum in the Indigo League series, plus a “postgame scenario” equivalent with the Orange Islands series. The highlight of this story is definitely how it fleshes out the games’ main antagonists: Gary Oak, Team Rocket and Mewtwo, into interesting, memorable characters.

3rd Place - Games. The 8-bit adventure that started it all is incredibly bare-bones and basic: take the Pokemon League challenge, thwart the evil Team Rocket along the way, and if possible fill up that Pokedex with all 151 Pokemon (”Gotta Catch ‘Em All!”). As a story, it’s not very interesting, but as an excuse for gameplay it works marvelously and established a winning formula for the series, and to this day it’s still charming in its wholesome simplicity.

GEN II Games: Gold/Silver/Crystal Anime: Original Series: GS (Gold and Silver) Manga: Gold/Silver/Crystal Chapter

1st Place - Manga. It’s funny - in the first volume of the G/S/C Chapter, things seemed to be a definite downgrade from the Kanto-based arcs that came before in terms of artwork, characterization and narrative. But then the mysterious masked antagonist appears at the end, and from then on out things just keep escalating to such epic heights that it becomes the best Johto story in the franchise and arguably the best arc in the whole manga series! Practically everyone and everything from the previous two arcs end up joining up with the new elements and the series up to this point is brought to a satisfying, conclusive note. 

2nd Place - Games. While the League challenge and Pokedex narrative threads are basically the same as before, and the Team Rocket thread is actually weaker, this story also features a stronger regional setting, a stronger rival, and stronger characterization for side characters both old and new, especially in the special edition, Crystal, making it a welcome step-up.  

3rd Place - Anime. An attempt at a new narrative was notoriously abandoned early on, with Takeshi Shudo leaving the head writer position and the whole show devolving into formulaic Filler Hell. While the Johto League tournament that concluded the whole thing was good, there was barely a story to support getting there, and the main characters had all become Flanderized versions of their former selves by the end. Without question, the anime had jumped the shark. But Shudo did give us the best movie and an OVA that properly concluded Indigo League’s Mewtwo arc before he was through, so let’s not say it was a total waste.

GEN III Games: Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald, FireRed/LeafGreen Anime: Advanced Generation (Ruby and Sapphire) Manga: Ruby/Sapphire Chapter, FireRed/LeafGreen Chapter, Emerald Chapter

1st Place - Games. The first time that the games get first place, but only on the technicality that the other contenders are worse, since this really isn’t that big an improvement over the previous two generations’ game narratives. The biggest difference is that your character is the child of one of the Gym Leaders, and the evil team narrative thread (Team Aqua and/or Team Magma this time) builds to an epic high-stakes event that involves the Legendary Pokemon mascot of the game which will become a mainstay of the formula from now on. There is also the remakes of the original Gen I games, and aside from some small tweaks of improvement and a postgame scenario in an island archipelago (anime-inspired, perhaps?), the narrative is basically the same as it was before. Nothing outstanding, but serviceable. 

2nd Place - Manga. Talk about a mixed bag...the R/S Chapter started out with promise but ended up going to shit in its second half, the FR/LG Chapter was fantastic only to conclude with a bullshit last-minute cliffhanger, and the Emerald Chapter that connects the two arcs is just stereotypical, badly-written shonen crap with only a few good elements in it (plus some ironic enjoyment to be had in its batshit insane climax). On the whole, this was the weakest period that the manga series has ever had, despite Kusaka and Yamamoto’s best efforts.  

3rd Place - Anime. Beyond May and her character arc which, by some lucky fluke, came together wonderfully, the anime hadn’t improved that much from the Johto days. Hoenn was not done any justice (even the manga did a better job with it!), and the FRLG/Emerald composite for the filler arc afterward was just weird in spite of how entertaining half of it was. All in all, the anime hadn’t gotten a real narrative back. It was just going through the motions.

GEN IV Games: Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, HeartGold/SoulSilver Anime: Diamond & Pearl Manga: Diamond/Pearl Chapter, Platinum Chapter, HeartGold/SoulSilver Chapter

1st Place - Manga. Pokemon Adventures retakes its crown in this generation, with a phenomental two arcs in the Sinnoh region that are so linked that they essentially make up one whole story, and a brief, adequate arc in Johto that properly bridges the gap between those Sinnoh arcs and the Emerald arc before them. Whenever I think of Sinnoh, it’s the region portrayed in this manga that comes to mind, which is a testament to its high quality.

2nd Place - Games. One word can describe the narratives of these games: overcooked. There are a lot of good ingredients here that elevate the series’ storytelling to a new level, but way too many cooks who don’t have a unified idea of how to properly mix them together means that it becomes a muddled mess of mythology, philosophy and vague character motivations. This particularly pisses me off when it effects the otherwise solid Gen II remakes. However, the good elements are still good regardless, and as showcased by the following generation this was a necessary learning curve to get through, so it deserves some respect.

3rd Place - Anime. Ugh. Newly appointed head writer Atsuhiro Tomioka tries to have his cake and eat it too here, maintaining the anime’s banal filler formula while also attempting to tell a legitimate narrative, but he as just one man somehow manages to clutter up that narrative more than the several writers did for the games in this generation! It is an increasingly insufferable roller coaster of plot threads and supposed character arcs that are drawn out to the point of disinterest across four years, with you really feeling the disastrous pace when it takes a years’ worth of time between Ash winning his 7th badge and him winning his 8th. Combine this with the source material of the games being disrespected or cast aside perhaps worse than ever, and you get what I will always believe is the lowest point for the anime.  

GEN V Games: Black/White, Black 2/White 2 Anime: Best Wishes + Best Wishes Season 2 (Black and White) Manga: Black/White Chapter, Black 2/White 2 Chapter

1st Place - Games. With this generation, particularly with its first set of games, the learning curve undergone in Gen IV paid off. This is quite possibly the richest narrative in the whole game series in terms of plot, characterization and themes, and the peak of the traditional formula. Combined with stellar gameplay, it creates a high point that has yet to be matched.

2nd Place - Manga. The Black/White Chapter had a rough start, just copying the games’ plot almost to the letter but with the characterizations for the main characters truly being less than ideal (see what I did there?) However, once Black and White go their own separate ways the arc starts rapidly improving until it ends on a phenomenal high note that segues perfectly in the Black 2/White 2 arc that, like the Yellow arc, is an Actionized Sequel and, like the Platinum arc, is essentially the continuation and conclusion of the same story as in the previous arc. The only real mark against it is that it can be too fast-paced which only adds to the frustrating irony of the absolutely Hellish schedule slip it underwent (8 fucking years for an arc of just 24 chapters / 3 volumes to be completed! It’s never going to live that fact down!)

3rd Place - Anime. Kind of the reverse of the manga: had a great start being the best that the anime has been in a long time, only to get progressively weaker, with the third and final year being a trainwreck of checking off plot points in a mad rush to promote the upcoming Gen VI and pander to the whiny fanboys who’d been complaining about the loss of the formula and D/P-style story writing (yes, they actually liked those) plus the “soft reboot” aspect going on, particularly with Ash. However, much like the Gen IV games, the Gen V anime proved to be a necessary learning curve for the future and is a highly impactful series in that regard, so it deserves respect for that (although I hate that both a natural disaster and the B2/W2 games screwed up the originally planned Team Plasma arc! It’s never going to live that fact down!) 

GEN VI Games: X/Y, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire Anime: XY + XY&Z Manga: X/Y Chapter, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire Chapter

1st Place - Manga. I thoroughly dislike the story of the X/Y games and the Delta Episode of OR/AS, so imagine my surprise when Pokemon Adventures actually makes something good out of them (or, in the Delta Episode’s case, something tolerable at best). The X/Y Chapter is a delightful deconstruction of a lot of what’s in the games, turning what was light and fluffy and hollow into something dark and suspenseful and meaningful. And the OR/AS Chapter gets points for being the best that Ruby and Sapphire have ever been characterized, to the point where they’ve been officially Rescued from my Scrappy Heap (Emerald’s still lame tho).

2nd Place - Games. Like I said, I dislike the X/Y games’ narrative and the Delta Episode of OR/AS; I think they are the worst writing the game series has ever seen to date. But the main narrative of OR/AS - the actual remake of the Gen III games which features a lot of new and necessary improvements - is solid, and that’s enough to put the games at second place here.

3rd Place - Anime. Similarly, the one thing the anime series does really well - the Myth Arc, which includes the Team Flare storyline - is not enough to elevate it beyond third place, because the rest of the series’ narrative is just as lame as the X/Y games’, there’s not much benefit from OR/AS elements, and everything that it positions in its shameful fan-pandering utterly fails to deliver or add up to anything meaningful in the end. The Mega Evolution specials pretty clearly demonstrate that this should have been Alain’s show, not Ash’s.

GEN VII Games: Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon Anime: Sun & Moon Manga: Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon Chapter

1st Place - Games. The Gen V games have serious competition story-wise with the Gen VII games. Both S/M and US/UM are excellent, with things not done so well in one being done better in the other and vice-versa to the point where they compliment each other beautifully.

2nd Place - Anime. Miracle of miracles! For the first time since Gen I, the anime series gets its narrative in second place, with Daiki Tomiyasu and Aya Matsui completely reinventing it in a refreshingly fun and vibrant way. There are some missed opportunities here and there, but overall it’s a perfect adaptation of the Alola region and everything that makes it so great.

3rd Place - Manga. While this is still an arc of good quality that I like, it’s also perhaps the most disappointing since Ruby/Sapphire back in Gen III. After doing so well with Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos, one senses that Kusaka and Yamamoto struggled to adapt Alola to that same standard, and while the decision to keep US/UM as part of the same arc rather than be a separate one was wise, it’s during the US/UM half of the arc that things really start falling apart and the wasted potential of stuff that got set up earlier becomes overbearing. It doesn’t help that the leads are an unlikable hero with an interesting, relatable goal and a likable heroine with an uninteresting, unrelatable goal respectively. Let’s hope that the patchwork done in the volume releases fixes some of the problems so that I can like this arc even more.

GEN VIII Games: Sword/Shield Anime: New Series (Journeys) Manga: Sword/Shield Chapter

1st Place - Manga. As I recently stated, Kusaka and Yamamoto are back at their A-Game with this arc, taking advantage of all that was lacking in the games’ story and utilizing them in an interesting narrative that I can’t wait to further experience alongside our surrogate, Marvin.

2nd Place - Games. If the Gen IV games’ narrative was overcooked, then the narrative of the games four generations later is most definitely undercooked. It’s not the worst story - that’s still Gen VI - but it’s possibly the most disappointing since it’s so easy to see how it could have been better and you are left baffled as to why the writers didn’t go in that direction.

3rd Place - Anime. This series is highly enjoyable thanks to the continued leadership of Daiki Tomiyasu, but not only is there not as much of a narrative as there’s been in earlier shows, it isn’t even uniquely Gen VIII-based: taking place across all regions in the Pokemon World and taking influence from mobile games like Go (released in Gen VI) and Masters (released in Gen VII).  Add to that the unfortunate hiatus it’s now on and it can’t help but be placed last.

[imagine-organization-xiii]

Hey!! Can I get the org as youtubers?? Love your writing!!

Xemnas

Internet cryptid. Rarely shows his face. Uploading schedule is random and everyone is always surprised and excited when he decides to post a new video.

Everyone flocks to his channel for his voice. Most of his videos are of him reciting poetry or short stories. Has the perfect voice that makes you feel as though you’re listening to an audiobook. That being said, he goes pretty far into the ASMR thing, usually with his low voice reading to you, but everyone loves it so he doesn’t really want to change.

Doesn’t go to conventions or events, partly because he wants to keep the mystery of his appearance alive and partly because he doesn’t like meeting people.

Xigbar

Literally posts whatever the hell he wants, maybe once or twice a week depending on how busy he is. His channel is very Jenna Marbles-esque in the sense that he goes off the rails all the time. He’ll video himself trying a new workout routine, attempting and failing to cook a meal, going to a gun range another day, getting Xion to paint his nails in another video, telling stories about why he wears an eye patch that get more and more ridiculous as he goes on, etc.

Chill with fans. He’s super casual and actually likes meeting fans. Will be cool with you if you’re cool with him and don’t treat him as some big celebrity. He’s just a random guy who makes a few videos on the internet and that’s how he wants everyone to see him.

Xaldin

A workout channel, of course! Does a series of different types of workout routines that are good for different people with different body types and different levels of energy. A very body positive channel! Also has a series on different types of diets and the positives and negatives of each - more in regards to living healthier lifestyles than losing weight.

Went viral during a collab with Lexaeus about healthy food and organic versus non-organic fruits and veggies.

Will definitely talk to fans if they meet on the street or by chance, but doesn’t really go to conventions. He does videos because he finds it fun, not because he wants to be famous.

Vexen

Has a Bill Nye the Science Guy type of channel where he teaches people about the wonders of science and how science can answer nearly every question you might have about the universe. Did a whole, scathing series about climate change that went completely viral and caused quite a few stubborn conservatives to condemn his channel, but he’s fairly well-liked throughout the entirety of the scientific community.

One of those rare Youtubers that actually has a day job as a scientist for some fancy laboratory or university.

Doesn’t really like meeting fans because he doesn’t know how to talk to people, but will happily talk if someone strikes up a conversation that happens to be particularly intriguing.

Lexaeus

Honestly, this man has a cooking channel, but the actual cooking content varies. He has a whole series about cooking tips and hacks, as well as good tools to have in your kitchen. Videos concerning food range from beautiful aesthetic baking recipes for cookies and cupcakes to an Epic Meal Time level of food insanity.

His fans are intimidated when approaching him because he’s so large and intimidating, but they soon realize that he’s actually a sweetheart and is happy to answer questions and give tips to his viewers when he meets them.

Zexion

Mostly does reviews about things. The majority of them are about books, but he’ll sometimes do movies if they were book-to-movie adaptations. His reviews are fair, brilliant, and well-thought out, so he’s actually been approached by several movie studios that wanted him to review scripts before they start production.

Feels like he’s awkward around fans but they don’t think so. Gets exhausted by social interaction so he’ll talk to people, but he has to take some time alone afterward to re-charge.

Saix

Makes How To videos and educational videos. Saix’s channel is something you stumbled across when looking for tips for writing a resumé or for tips when going into a job interview.

Fairly informative in his videos, if a bit long-winded. The videos are worth the full watch, though, because he has some scathing, dry humor that you enjoy.

Did a whole series on his channel about politics - the important of voting, explaining governmental processes, explaining impeachment, giving information about various candidates, etc. This is the series that really made his channel fly up in subscribers.

Awkward with fans and doesn’t know how to interact with people fawning over him. Stopped going to events after some girl groped his ass because he felt too uncomfortable.

Axel

A travel blog! He goes all over the world - worlds - exploring the sights and local favorite spots. He gets a little extreme sometimes because he likes to try everything, whether that’s scuba diving with sharks, sky diving, riding camels through a desert, rock and mountain climbing, etc., but he likes to have the full experience.

He also does gaming, mostly group games like PUBG or Overwatch or Gary’s Mod games that he can co-op with Roxas.

Absolutely loves meeting fans. He really cares about his fans and loves making conversations with them - everyone finds him really easy to talk to, so they flock to conventions when they hear he’s going to be in attendance.

Demyx

A music channel! He writes his own music, does covers of popular songs, experiments with different instruments, does online lessons and teaches how to tune certain instruments.

He also does some travel stuff with Axel, depending on where Axel happens to go. They always have a lot of fun together so they like to collab whenever they have the chance.

Adores meeting fans and gives some really awesome hugs!  Gets super excited and flattered whenever anyone recognizes him in public.

Luxord

Does a little bit of everything. Got popular with doing unboxing videos for different types of subscription boxes. Also does a follow-me around where he goes to different sights around his hometown and explores things. Has a series of videos about classic foods and snacks from England.

Surprisingly, he first went viral for a video explaining what Brexit was and why it was important to vote.. Everyone was super impressed with the resources and information that he gave in the video.

Doesn’t mind meeting fans but doesn’t go to conventions or events. He’s usually pretty busy, so he’ll probably stop for a picture and a handshake and be on his way.

Marluxia

Marluxia’s channel is a mash of makeup tutorials and gardening tips. He has the most phenomenal garden that people love to look at and makes videos about soil pH, fertilizer and composting, and which plants go well with different types of environments and weather.

But then he also has his beauty guru side where he makes these incredible makeup tutorials that people can’t understand how he can possibly have such a steady hand when doing his contour and eyeshadow.

Viewers are a combination of 60 year old men and women looking for gardening tips and teenagers looking for makeup tips. Is fine with talking with the teenagers but will absolutely have hour-long conversations with anyone who starts talking to him about his plants.

Larxene

Self-defense, particularly for women who need to protect themselves but they could be applied to men, too. Good friends with Xaldin and has him on her channel a lot, usually when she needs a test dummy to try out new moves on. It helps her viewers to know that even though she’s small, she can still take out guys twice her size - and that her viewers can, too!

Sometimes does makeup tests with Marluxia because she can make some wicked sharp eyeliner wings.

She’s pretty cool with meeting fans as long as you’re cool with her. Do not hit on her or think you have a right to monopolize her time just because you’re a fan. You will regret it.

Roxas

Roxas is first and foremost a gaming youtuber. He loves video games and would play them all day every day if he could. Sometimes does charity livestreams on Twitch and he’s raised a lot of money for good causes!

Doesn’t really have a particular kind of game he plays - has a fondness for Nintendo, but he’ll play a little of everything. it really depends on what kind of mood he’s in at the time.

Gets really shy around meeting fans but he loves his fans to pieces! He thinks that they’re all super awesome and give great recommendations for new games he should try.

Xion

Craft videos! Xion loves arts and crafts so you can bet that she’s going to be showing you how to make different projects in an easy and fun way that doesn’t cause too much stress. She also dabbles in trying different types of painting, sculpting, sketching, nail art, etc., and makes awesome tutorials that are easy to follow.

Gets embarrassed around fans because she’s super flattered that anyone would love her videos enough to watch them consistently.

Xion gets the occasional fan that’s a little… too familiar with her, but she usually has someone with her when she goes to cons and events, so they happily act as her bodyguard.

Collabs with other Youtubers a lot, particularly Lexaeus, to everyone’s surprise. They usually do videos together when Lexaeus makes some kind of sweet dessert.

[whoops-im-obsessed]

London Palladium 'Joseph' ramble-y review!

So last year I was lucky enough to see 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' at the London Palladium, and it was so good I just had to gush about it. When I got home, I wrote this out and then never posted it. I thought that now with all the craziness and theatres being closed that we could use a reminder of how cool theatre is . A lot of things about this show were very different to any other version of the show I or my mum have seen (trust me, its our favourite show we've seen a lot). Lets do this!

When the orchestra started playing the applause was soooo loud and I knew I was in a room full of theatre lovers it was amazing.

It opened with Sheridan Smith (narrator) walking out and oml she is gorgeous she had pink in her hair

Anyway

The kids ran out on stage with little blocks to sit on 'matilda-style' and it was precious.

Speaking of the kids

The kids in this show were absolutely phenomenal, they are all tiny geniuses. There wasn't a large kids choir like usual, there were only about six of them on stage at any given time, but they made a big noise and were amazing.

Jac Yarrow (Joseph) came out and started singing in his gorgeous voice with his pretty vibrato and interacted with the kids so sweetly

Jac is a complete unknown straight out of drama school but you would never ever guess it, he was amazing sksks.

As it opened up into 'Jacob and Sons', the kids did a lot of the scene changes which was actually really cleverly done

Two of the kids played two of the brothers (Benjamin and Judah????) And they were adorable

AND THEN SHERIDAN SMITH PUT ON A BEARD AND STARTED TO PLAY JACOB IN A REALLY THICK NORTHERN ACCENT

What a queen

No but seriously, Sheridan is absolutely hilarious in this, she played quite a few of the small parts and every time she put on a bit of costume for them she would lift it up and go 'It's still me!!'

THE ISHMAELITES RODE ON CAMEL BIKES

One of the kids played the goat the brothers kill and when they lifted her up she went 'Just dressing, up you said!' And stormed off stage

Tiny legends

Sheridan Smith played an actual harmonica at the beginning of 'One More Angel in Heaven'. Not well, and there wasn't really a tune, but she did it.

Tap dancing in the 'One More Angel' dance break

Newsies who?

Potiphar was played by one of the kids and he was amazing

'Meant that he could rrreally live in style, and he did' 'Ha! AnD I diD'

Sheridan played Potiphar's wife and it was gold

Very racy

She put on a tiger one of those blankets that have animal's heads and full on humped Joseph

'Come and lie with me, love' *spreads legs*

The staging for Joseph's cell was actually really cool and beautiful

'Close Every Door to Me' was so emotional; watch out for Jac Yarrow, he's gonna be big

Fortnite dancing at the start of 'Go Go Go Joseph'

Also galaxy jackets, neon shorts, and sweat bands

--- Act 2 ---

Cool projections in 'A Pharaoh's Story', its still one of my favourite songs ever

Sheridan Smith said alto rights, she has such a strong voice

Every one went mental when Jason Donovan (Pharaoh) appeared, like Beyonce in your living room mental

Vegas sign expect it said Egypt

Giant guitar-playing hydraulic statues

Joseph asking for two (2) repeats bc he was so good

He didn't really do anything else though :/

'Who this man could be I just don't know!' *Aggressive pointing at himself*

Canaan days was brilliant as always

Impromptu Sheridan led can-can, followed by Simeon shouting 'I said Canaan, not Can-can!'

'Grovel, Grovel' was pretty average tbh

There was no giant slot machine like I saw in a tour production

One of the kids started 'Benjamin Calypso' which was adorable, also beatboxing Judah

'Joseph All the Time' was very sweet

Sheridan rode a camel bike in 'Jacob in Egypt'

And the finale was one for the ages, complete with lovely narrator-Joseph harmony and a huge crescendo of the whole cast, plus a few over-enthusiastic audience members

Oh and how could I forget the megamix? It was so fun and the whole theatre was up clapping and dancing for the whole seven minutes, I was grinning the entire time.

Bonus!

The orchestra was amazing and bc I was in the Grand circle I could see them dancing along to gogogo joseph it was amazing

Also kudos to the techies, the Palladium isn't small and there was a lot going on

Shout out to that one lighting guy who was harnessed in one of the boxes for the whole show and moved some of the lights by hand

[appleflavoredkitkats]

sweeney todd manila review

okay, just a heads up, i don’t know much about sweeney todd outside of this production and of what little bits i’ve heard of the other productions, so this won’t be the most professional review. i watched the show on the twentieth of october and i believe the whole cast was there.

btw, this is gonna be really messy bc i still have lots of stuff to do so i’m speed typing this review out KDDLJF.

(hello, @thegirlisuedtobe, this is for you! sorry if this is very late, i was really busy!)

- the set is phenomenal. before the show started, there was the sound of rain while smoke scattered across the stage. it really gave off a very eerie vibe to the show, even if it hasn’t started, and i give huge props to the set designers for setting the tone of the musical!

- here’s what amazed me the most about the set-- FLOATING CARS. there were cars hanging up on strings and just... wow. absolutely breathtaking. there was also an upperstage that was build particularly for this musical which was also well done as well. on stage left, there was this platform in particular that intrigued me because it was slanted and only had a railing that could possibly reach below your thigh. it was risky, i might say, and because of that, huge appreciation to the cast because they were able to maneuver themselves on that platform without slipping or injuring themselves.

- another interesting prop which i’m sure many of you have seen in promos was the red car that both mrs lovett and sweeney todd used. in my opinion, at first glance, the car looked cool, but there were some pros and cons.

- pros of the car: the car gave some kind of edginess to the musical. the main characters rode the car into the stage as their introduction and it really left a good impact! additionally, i loved the way how they moved the car around. all transitions were so smooth and commendable and i praise the designer who thought of all of these up.

- cons of the car: it was awkward when the setting was at the bakery of mrs lovett. the car represented the second floor of the building and the chair of sweeney’s barbershop merely rested on top of the car. it was... kinda confusing at first, especially when it is really up to the audience on how they want to interpret the murders that occurred on the car (more on that later). additionally, the car served as a weird divider to the shop, the bakehouse, and the barbershop, and honestly, they should’ve placed the barbershop on the upperstage instead of on top of the car. (gurl, when i say i was confused, i say i was confused.)

- the keep your cellphone message was really funny to me but... kinda long? like it was so unnecessarily long that i was confused whether the show started or not. i also thought they were checking the set since there was many props littered around. but when they eventually get to the point of things, it was really, really funny, so i commend them for adding this small comedic scene just for audience members to stop taking photos. 

- the singing of the cast was phenomenal! these people are just... so great, and it was definitely the highlight of the show. 

- now... here’s where i get a little bit iffy-- the costumes. i don’t really know what to say because the costumes seem... laughable. but not in a good way. it seems like they wanted to modernize the costumes which is understandable but at some cases, it kinda fails? 

- pros of costume: mrs lovett and pirelli really have the costumes which i loved. lea salonga did not look like herself but my god, did her costume stand out from the rest. and pirelli, on the other hand, had a cape that wooshed around a lot alongside a skirt, and boio, did nyoy volante nail this costume well. the modernizing costume thing didn’t really work with the others besides these two. other modernized costumes that look passable were tobias’ costume and some of the ensemble. (also, jonas fogg wore a denim jacket with a junji ito screencap on the back of it? uh, okay, i love junji ito but why is his manga featured here...)

- cons of costume: oh boy. sweeney todd’s costume was... eh. jeans, really? out of everything they could’ve given to sweeney fucking todd, they gave him a polo under a denim jacket under a blazer and jeans? then there’s the mess that is johanna’s costume design. girl, the designer probably went to an sm sale and decided to just shove anything they found in the department store into their cart. johanna’s dress was. eh. her wig? eh. the costumes didn’t snatch my wig but i’ll let them snatch my wig just so that they can replace whatever the heck johanna has on her head. additionally, not all costumes were modernized... which is like... what? the ensemble who had victorian era-esque costumes looked fine! they even could’ve given sweeney todd one of their costumes because it looked much better than the denim outfit they gave sweeney. it’s just quite... odd to see a mix of modernized costumes and oldstyle costumes mix all together because they lowkey clash with one another.

- okay, let’s move on to the actors themselves. let’s start of with lea salonga-- oh my god, she is a legend. she easily adapted into being mrs lovett and that is so commendable especially when she isn’t used to playing an insane role like that. her mrs lovett had consistent, chaotic energy which i admired and she really was the one to eye whenever you see her in a scene.

- jett pangan was great but he isn’t as consistent as lea when he portrayed his character. sweeney todd was insane, he is angery, he is chaotic but jett pangan portrayed him as stoic and silent in some parts. i really enjoyed his more insane side during little priest but i wished he kept it throughout the whole performance. what i did like about him is his voice is just so, so great. his vibratos were so good y’all, his singing in general makes up for everything. additionally, when sweeney gets emotional, he did a really good job portraying a sadder and more depressed kind of sweeney, almost like he was having some existential crisis on stage. (he really looked like he was regretting life choices during by the sea and the ending, it was actually kind of amusing).

- now, luigi quesada, an underrated actor from this production. god... he was just so consistent and energetic and an absolutely great actor. he really portrayed a pure soft boi through tobias and when he started to become insane, he portrayed that shift of character so fucking well. the shift of character was my absolute favorite thing because, in my opinion, it is the scariest thing that’s happened in sweeney todd. tobias was a pure, innocent child who wanted nothing more but to have a smol job and serve others nicely and then, bam, when he saw the corpses, something snapped in his head and it was so horrific to witness his change. additionally, luigi had such a cheerful singing voice which embodied the character well and accustomed to both the innocent and insane side of tobias.

- nyoy volante was another great treasure in this. he wasn’t as seen since his character died midway through but his stage presence is so great. he was so flamboyant while also being very comedic, using his costume to emphasize the comedy. also, he didn’t die immediately when he got attacked by sweeney, and he did portray the struggling pirelli so, so well. 

- gerald santos was... okay. he has a great singing voice, they all do, so i tend to judge how good they are based from their acting. gerald was really good at portraying a panicky anthony who was desperate for johanna. his character was really consistent and i like that! my main issue with gerald is at some times, his diction isn’t too great. i know that some filipinos (even me) would struggle pronouncing words in english, but if you’re an actor who’s worked on many musicals in english, i expect a lot from you. i think he had a really thick filipino/tagalog accent and mixed with a really mediocre british accent, it wasn’t too... understandable. i couldn’t understand most of his dialogue and because he can’t do accents well, his acting becomes affected. 

- mikkie volante’s voice is so fucking beautiful, how do you even sing that high and make it look easy? anyways, she portrayed a very frightful johanna very well, and i can’t believe how much the costume and wig really affects my perception of the character. it’s just... i can’t take her seriously if she looks... like that. okay, enough about the costumes-- her johanna felt scared and i felt that, but when she fell in love with anthony, she was desperate, and i fuckin loved it. being isolated for your entire life will leave you desperate for affection and mikkie fucking nailed it!

- andrew fernando was so-so as the judge. he wasn’t... creepy, or disturbing. his character is disgusting and so close-minded but i never felt any eerie vibes from him. i also think the costume he had was restricting him from doing anything because he had layers upon layers of clothing and when he began whipping himself, he looked like he struggled a lot to sing and do the actions (the costumes for this production is just so off in general it’s a bit offensive). there wasn’t much stage presence from him and i just wanted him to act a bit filthier.

- arman ferrer as the beadle was a trip. he portrays the character as so dumb and i loved it, it’s just the idiotic energy really cracks me up. additionally, his singing, oh my word, his singing is so good. he hits high notes like it was no problem and it was jawdropping. there was not much to say besides his fuckin costume was whack why did he wear that-- but overall, he was pretty solid!

- ima castro was good! she portrayed a crazy beggar woman which was so chaotic and funny and just fucking bonkers and i loved the energy she had! the only thing i note is that, at times, her voice would stop and i’m not sure if it was intentional or not? even if it wasn’t, it actually added to her character rather than brought her down.

- ensemble was... phenomenal. ignoring the costumes for the hundredth time, i love the ensemble so much because they don’t get enough credit yet they nail it every time they get into a production. their acting during the asylum scene? iconic. their accents? iconic. everything was so iconic.

- now, imma just say a few points in the show that i remembered which is worthy enough to tell yall of.

- here i’ll explain how the murders work. it’s kinda... weird. the execution was inconsistent and i remembered three ways on how they were able to kill and cook their victims. firstly, the murder with pirelli is the only one of its kind. sweeney sliced his throat and threw him into the driver’s seat of the car which was confusing considering how the other murders took place. the second kind of murder and the more common one is when sweeney sliced someone’s throat, the victim would walk off the car and walk into mrs lovett’s oven by themselves. i’m assuming that with pirelli, they didn’t bake him yet so they just hid him in some kind of box or crate somewhere. the third kind applied to the judge and the beggar woman wherein when they killed them, it was implied that they were brought to the bakehouse and not burnt.

- here’s my interpretation of how the murders go. in the original, the bakehouse was the basement, but here, i assume since they claim it’s a “bakehouse”, there’s a secret compartment in the barbershop that brings dead bodies directly into the oven. i’m guessing that with judge turpin and the beggar woman, the oven was not on so they were just... brought there? it’s really, really confusing and i wished they cleared it up so i won’t keep wondering about what is where and how things work. i do think that the victims walking into the oven is really genius because it was a perfect mix of comedy and eeriness which i really commend.

- i liked the way they portrayed the streets in this. they used the upper stage and it really clears up where each scenery is set! it isn’t like the bakery and barbershop wherein the set is confusing, it was much better than that. when mrs lovett and sweeney walked up to pirelli’s barbershop, the scenery was so interesting because they walk from above and look down at them. i really, really liked it.

- additionally, the sprays tobias advertised were cleaning sprays found in ace hardware store, that’s funny. also, the only time their haggard wigs would be effective is when tobias used it and nothing else. (i’ve seen better wigs in beautiful, where did those wigs go?)

- the way they portrayed johanna’s place was so, so good. johanna’s room would be atop the upper stage and, ugh, it’s just so well put-together. this whole set was the work of god and no one can convince me otherwise.

- the lighting was great but the sound design was a bit off for me. the electrocution noises were smart to use but i thought it was a bit too loud? like it was really off-putting. i wished they added gross sloshing noises when they were handling the body parts just to add give a better effect when mrs lovett was holding actual intestines and organs.

- the opening of act 2 was hilarious and one of the more intriguing parts of this musical. pangan’s voice? spectacular. lea’s look of distress whilst serving pies? hilarious. the ensemble? god’s gift to mankind. it was so comedic because sweeney is calmly singing about johanna whilst he slices throats and the victims, in a daze, just walk into an oven while mrs lovett’s expression just screams, “yea, that’s life.”

- i can’t believe. they used handkerchiefs to express what a wig is during the asylum scene. like............ really. where are the leftover wigs from beautiful???

- also, it was weird to me that johanna was the one who shot jonas fogg. it was kinda badass of her and perhaps portrayed her character to become more brave but i still kinda thought it was ooc? (ALSO DEAN ROSEN IS GREAT I LOVE HIM HE POSTS CAT STUFF ON IG AND THATS ALL HE DOES)

- okay someone clarify with me because i initially thought tobias escaped the bakehouse, hence why they went looking for him, but they said it was locked from the outside and i’m left confused why they left in the first place...?

- btw whenever lea speaks, i become more of a lesbian, thanks lea salonga.

- when the plot twist was revealed and mrs lovett and sweeney were slow dancing, that was a theatrical experience. god, just... mrs lovett with the most fearful look in her face as sweeney slowly moves her into the oven is so iconic and that has to be one of the more chilling scenes in the musical. then, once sweeney kills her off, she holds the beggar lady close to him and he looks absolutely mournful.

- AND THEN TOBIAS FUCKING COMES BACK AND GIVES THE BIGGEST CHILLS EVER. will i ever stop talking about how good tobias was written/how good luigi quesada is? probably not.

- anyways, tldr; sweeney todd was beyond average but wasn’t perfect, the costumes were. eh. the singing was perfect, the SET was amazing, lea salonga, nyoy volante, and luigi quesada own my heart, and philippine theatre really needs better wig suppliers, someone please donate your wigs to them.