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hairstevington · 1 year

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flowers and ink (final part)

Eddie Munson x Steve Harrington

Summary: Eddie and Steve are happy. Chrissy and Robin are happy. Jonathan meets Argyle. Everyone is happy!

Part one, part two, part three, part four part five part six part seven part eight link to Ao3

Word Count: 1100

Warnings: So sweet you'll get a cavity tbh, Jargyle (because why not), they are idiots one last time, also more Gareth!

Author's Note: Awww, it was emotional to close this one out! Thank you to all who have read and followed along. I can't believe this was only going to be 2 parts at first. I am a FOOL with Steddie brainrot. Until next time!!

Steve wasn’t sure what he was expecting when Eddie said he’d gotten him a gift, but it sure as shit wasn’t this.

“Oh, my god,” Steve said, holding it up to see it in all its glory. A t-shirt with words printed over a rainbow across the chest: Steve & Robin - Not dating, just gay and codependent.

“Obviously, I have one for Robin too,” Eddie said, tossing Steve a second shirt.

“Oh, my God!” Steve repeated, laughing this time. It was perfect and so incredibly weird. He couldn’t wait to model them with his best friend and take the most ridiculous not-couple pictures of all time. “This is - I mean, Jesus! I love it, but would you let me be the impressive one for once?”

Eddie looked Steve up and down, then smirked.

“With those abs? Don’t worry, you’re still the impressive one here.” Steve blushed, then sat up in bed so he could put the shirt on, but Eddie stopped him. “Woaaaah there, what are you doing? You can’t cover up, I’m enjoying the view.” Steve rolled his eyes.

“You’re not going to let me use the gift you got me?”

“Not yet,” Eddie replied. “I’m actually kind of regretting the whole thing now. You should probably never wear a shirt ever again. Can I have it back actually?” Steve chuckled, then smacked Eddie playfully on the arm.

“No way.”

“Steve, you wound me," Eddie joked. "But fine, as you wish."

Eddie and Steve had been official for 2 months at this point, and everything was kind of perfect. They each continued to work their respective jobs, and with their added happiness came enhanced customer service.

Bob was happy - both for Eddie’s shift in demeanor as well as for the business. They were doing great! Plus, he got bonus points as a step-dad for introducing Will to Eddie and the shop. Will came to visit a few more times, and this time he got to talk to Steve, too. It was clear that seeing a happy gay couple was important for Will. He hadn’t seen much of that in his small town, so seeing Eddie and Steve be so grossly into each other was refreshing.

And gross.

But mostly refreshing!

One day, Will’s older brother dropped Will off at the shop, introducing yet another cool person into the friend group - Jonathan. By then, Eddie had succeeded in making Argyle his friend, and the two of them spent many nights smoking and watching those stupid stoner comedies together in Argyle’s weird, confusingly giant house that he somehow lived in.

Seriously, how did the guy have a house like that already? How did he have the money to travel so much with Chrissy? Her show was good and all, but it couldn’t possibly be getting her that much income.

In any case, Argyle and Eddie were buds, so Argyle also happened to be around when Jonathan walked into Ink About It.

The bromance between Jonathan and Argyle was pretty much immediate. Eddie would have felt mildly jealous about it if he hadn’t noticed some very familiar (aka queer) vibes between the two. Perhaps Will wasn’t the only Byers grappling with their identity, that's all Eddie was saying - but it was just speculation. Eddie kept his mouth shut (except to Steve, obviously, who fully agreed). In due time, as with anything else.

So then they all hung out - Chrissy, Jonathan, Argyle, Steve, Eddie, and Robin. They’d formed quite the friend group - all of them getting along with each other beautifully. Argyle even hosted a road trip with the squad in his giant pizza van (???) so that they could all surprise Gareth at a Corroded Coffin show.

That night was epic, and it finally cemented Robin and Chrissy as girlfriends.

After their date, they’d both been super into each other - undeniably so. Yet, because Chrissy was so often moving around, they’d decided it was best to just stay friends.

Yeah. Eddie and Steve knew that wouldn’t last very long.

It still lasted longer than it should have, and the pining was rampant. Every time they all hung out, the two women wouldn’t stop staring at each other, cracking jokes, and giving everyone else in the room ample opportunities to share knowing glances…

And then they went on the road trip, and they got super drunk, and Robin tended to speak a lot more freely when she was intoxicated.

She professed her love to Chrissy on the dance floor.

It was a bold move, but it paid off. Chrissy and Argyle extended their stay in Hawkins, and Robin and Chrissy became an official couple.

Coincidentally, that night was also pretty huge for Eddie and Steve. Firstly, because Chrissy and Robin had dropped the “I love you’s” before they had, which felt kind of ridiculous, considering Eddie and Steve obviously loved each other.

“The fucking lesbians stole my thunder!” Eddie yelled from the bar, watching Robin and Chrissy hug each other on the dance floor.

“What are you talking about?” Steve asked, amused at his boyfriend’s antics.

“Ladies and Gentleman!”

Gareth’s voice boomed from the stage. The band had taken a quick break, but were back on. Eddie grinned, then grabbed Steve’s hand.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get closer.” They wandered through the crowd (past Chrissy and Robin) as Gareth continued.

“We’ve got a surprise for you all. You see, my boy Eddie Munson requested we play a special song tonight. So, this one’s for you, Flower Boy. Lord knows we wouldn’t play this for anyone else.”

Before Steve could even process what was happening, the band began to play. It wasn’t metal, it was -

“I Melt With You,” Steve said once he recognized it. “I love this song.”

“Iiiiii know!” Eddie responded, laughing. He pulled Steve into him so they could swing along to the music. “This was my whole master plan. Was gonna have them play this and tell you I loved you and it was going to be this whole beautiful moment but then Robin-”

“Eddie,” Steve interrupted, laughing. Eddie’s jaw dropped, and then he facepalmed.

“Oh my god I totally just said it without meaning to,” he said. “I’ve been holding out for WEEKS and -”

“You’ve loved me for weeks?” Steve asked, touched.

“Well, yeah,” Eddie replied. “Duh.” His eyes bugged out on that last word, his voice taking on a goofy, boyish cadence. Steve smiled.

“You’re so ridiculous,” he said, shaking his head. “And I love you too.”

“Yeah?” Eddie asked, grinning.

“Duh,” Steve replied, attempting to mimic Eddie’s response from before. “Robin didn’t ruin your big plan, by the way. That was all you.” Eddie chuckled.

“You still love me though,” he said. Steve nodded, and then they were kissing.

I’ll stop the world and melt with you.

Yeah. That song pretty much said it all.

Everything felt just right🌹

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

Check out my Masterlist for other fics/content!

@paintballkid711 @abraca-fxckyou @allbimyself26 @jellybabiesforall @allbymyselfexceptformycactus @justaloadofgarbage-blog @alliemunsonsstuff @undreamingnscatworld @hobbitnarwhal @calivanus @wreckmyplans-thatsmyman @antheia @goodolefashionedloverboi @lillemilly @missmagillicuddy @gamerdano @menamesniall @eyeslikewildflowers111 @callmesirkay @stringischeese @eds-trashmouth @mnl-enuh @redfreckledwolf @itsanarrum @soulsofstarsliveinyourveins @stevesbipanic @momotonescreaming @aryakanojiaa @wrenisflying @comicmadlover @lilacrobin @itch-my-b0nez @anonymousbandgirl @disastardly @dangdirtydemons @daisyellsong @val-from-lawrence @starryeyedpoet17 @taikawaiteatea @clumsiluni @hollysimone @swimmingbirdrunningrock @witchofhawkins @steddiegarbage @suddenlyinlove @ricekristytreaty @eddielives1986 @bunnyweasley23 @thefailcollection @ppunkpuppyy @bestwifehaver @httpsphynx @irregular-child @skjachukson @deadfromtheneckdown

#flowers and ink #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #robin buckley #will byers #argyle #jonathan byers #bob newby #gareth #chrissy cunningham #buckingham #jargyle #writing #st fanfic #eddie munson x steve harrington

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sandiegokpop · 11 months

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Welp I just finished The Worst of Evil & I gotta say, I'm disappointed.

First of all, we've seen way worse when it comes to crime dramas/movies so I feel like the title is misleading. Yeah ppl got hurt/murdered but there were so many situations where ppl should've been murdered, would've been murdered if it were real life, but they were allowed to walk away freely w/a beating & a "don't show your face again". Like if you're gonna take out a gang you gotta take out a gang. You can't purposely let ppl that you betrayed & whose friends & bosses you've killed just run away. Especially after they try to get revenge on you by teaming up with/turning your allies against you multiple times. Messy. Some situations where just plain ridiculous.

Second, the ending...what the hell when the hell-? Since when did Junmo form any type of bond w/Gi Cheol?? Like I understand it from Gi Cheol's pov, Junmo saved him so many times & put his life on the line. But the whole time Junmo was only focused on doing what needed to be done to end the investigation quickly. He manipulated multiple situations to accomplish this, even manipulated Gi Cheol. Not once did I see affection, empathy, or regret from J towards him. Then all of a sudden at the very end we get this flashback of them walkin about town looking at each other like they're best buds...what?? As if J truly enjoyed his time w/him being a criminal & wasn't immensely stressed & traumatized the whole time. Maybe it's just me but that was very forced & last minute. It was the wrong drama for that. (There were a couple stand out scenes that were filmed differently from the rest of the scenes & it felt like there were 2 different directors or as if this was someones directorial debut & they wanted to throw in all the cinematic tricks they knew to build their portfolio or something. Those moments were cool but they didn't match the rest of the show, it was very disjointed.)

Third, I understand the message they were delivering. Going undercover & forcing someone to live in that type of situation will change them. Junmo was mentally changed forever, but I don't like that it affected his marriage. Suddenly he doesn't love his wife anymore? After everything they put me thru they couldn't give me that?? I'm fine w/out romance but don't include it then screw me over in the end. That just really made me dislike the whole drama. Him leaving his wedding ring at Gi Cheol's grave just pissed me off lol. It was refreshing for a kdrama to have the female 'love interest' go that far & immerse herself into that role just to protect her husband. I could feel how much she loved him, I mean she voluntarily emotionally manipulated her 1st love to protect Junmo. Their relationship ended abruptly before it could even begin in a sad way but instead of her feeling sorry for him or conflicted over how his life turned out she really lured him in to betray him for her husband. For them to turn around & make Junmo leave her behind like that...

Anyway, there was way less bromance than ppl were making it seem🙄

With a title like that I expected to be on the edge of my seat every moment, every ep, to be shocked by plot twists or unexpected revelations or just completely disturbed by violence. That never happened. It was just mildly interesting. I understood why Junmo would want to let him go at the end since they didn't really need him as the other 3 ended up making the drug deal, & he wasn't a heinous person. The standoff in the living room was a bit thrilling but it ended the way it ended... Oh & don't get me started on that damn cop! Why couldn't they have him demoted & stationed at a remote police station until the investigation was over? Sorry to say I felt nothing when he died.

#ji chang wook #those half baked plot points that seemed like an afterthought or didn't go as far as it should've how sad #this probably would've been better as a movie #Drama: The Worst of Evil #the worst of evil #wi ha joon #wasted potential honestly I'm just so disappointed by the lackluster ending that gave me nothing that i forgot all the interesting moments

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sweetcloverheart · 2 years

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Now that part one of “Transmission/Kwami’s Choice” has finally aired, here are all the characters who I would have liked to have been used to sub in for Chat Noir instead (Sorry Zoe)

Again, this isn’t me trashing on Zoe (She did a decent job actually), I’m just most musing on what could have been

Nino - the show may have forgotten the Adrino bromance but I sure haven’t. Let Nino help out his buddy and get to bond to Plagg a bit! Let him experience the fun and joy of being a holder again! Let him accidentally figure out Adrien’s Chat and finally give Adrien his own confidant! (Not to mention Ladynoir!DjWifi fun (I imagine Tikki and Plagg show up in front of them at the same time, so they know who the other is))

Luka - Aside from the obvious fanservice of Cat!Luka, Boy has done absolutely nothing outside of his Adrinette shipping. Plus we can actually make use of the whole “Luka knows Adrien is Chat Noir” plot with this! Come on, you know you want to!

Chloe - “But Chloe’s evil!” Okay, but consider - Chloyla enemies shenanigans. Chloe and Alya constantly fighting and not getting along as holders. Chloe trying to show off/expose her ID again and Alya having to reign her in. Chloe being forced to support Alya because she can’t really hack solo heroing. Chloe and Alya having to begrudgingly work together and reaching a middleground of “not quite ‘friends’ ” but they don’t hate each other as much anymore. (And we can’t forget Plagg being an absolute horrid little goblin to Chloe for some of the stunts she pulled in previous seasons)

Kagami - Again, fun fanservice for the peeps who were chomping at the bit back in season 4 when they thought “Kuroneko” was the kwamiswap ep. Also Kagami deserves nice things after everything season 5 put her through, and frankly I can see her and Plagg getting along so well in that “contrasting temperaments” sort of way. Plus, we would also get the rarepair that is Alyagami interactions/potential budding friendship.

Sabine/one of the other adults outside of Nathalie - Mostly just for the fun/experience of what an adult user on the good guy’s side would be like.

Socqueline - Technically, it would also be a case of “We just introduced this character, why are you giving her such a big role all of a sudden?!”, but I genuinely would like to see more of her and her character and how she interacts with the rest of the cast

#Miraculous Ladybug #ML Spoilers #Miraculous Ladybug Spoilers

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muse-stellium · 8 months

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|| Okay okay okay okay okaaaaay.

I'm still kinda processing things so this might be a lil all over the place and not to mention hella long I'm sorry the brain went brrrrr, but T8 thoughts tiiime. Absolute T8 spoilers below the cut

✦ First & foremost I do want to say that overall? I liked it. I wasn't amazed by it? It felt very reminiscent of things I've seen before, a lot of familiar tropes and all that, but I do think I might grow to love it someday. Do I think there are things they could've done better? Absolutely. But it also could've been a lot worse. Most of my greatest concerns didn't come into fruition, so even though I do think everything felt a bit rushed, I'll consider it a win lmao.

✦ Tbh I don't have a lot to say about everything that happened between Jin & Kazuya - which is wild bc y'know main plot - but like.. It feels too familiar. Too many familiar tropes to capture my interest I think? By the second chapter I was already going "this reminds me of this, this reminds me of that" every few minutes and just nothing felt.. unique with those two this time. I will say Jin's Angel form looks neat, and it does make me wonder about the Kazama clan's possible connection to Angel. But that's about all I have to say there unfortunately 🥲

✦ I both love and am kinda confused by all the fighters working together thing tbh. If only bc it feels a little disjointed for most of them to barely say a word to each other throughout all of the other previous games, and then to just suddenly come work together, to help protect Jin, who started this war in the first place 😬. – But at the same time that logic aside, that's also somewhat what I was hoping for?? Like I've been saying I wanted T8 to be some avengers assemble like scenario for years now lol. I just think there could've been more interaction prior that would've made it make more sense?

✦ In that line of thought, I am not a big fan of how the Jin vs Kazuya teams were divided for kinda the same reason? Mainly Marshall. Best buds with Paul all these years, they're literally the bromance of Tekken and all of a sudden he joins the bad guys all bc "yOu dIdn'T PaY mE" – I think it would've been a lot better if we could've actually seen how Nina recruited them? While I love her, she absolutely the Queen tm, she is.. a master manipulator. She absolutely manipulated them somehow into thinking joining G-corp was a good idea. Like maybe Marshall's financial woes run deeper than we know, and she used that to her advantage. Maybe she convinced Azucena with the thought they could protect her family and her farm, or maybe it was a Josie situation where Josie believed the Mishima Zaibatsu was a force of good, maybe Nina got Azucena to believe that about G-Corp with how she seemed to be up for fighting for world peace. But by not showing the reasoning behind it.. it just feels wrong and puts a lot of those characters in a weird light to me.

✦ ^ The same goes for my girl Nina this time around. 😔 We've been sitting here debating on why she would ever possibly join Kazuya with their history and her seemingly being such close allies w Jin before. It's completely out of character for her, there must be a reason, we've been wondering what the reason is and finally... we're not given one. It's just like "Oh, you work for him now." No comments made about it whatsoever. And there's some pro's to that? Namely yes it maintains her enigmatic nature, and it leaves a lot of possibilities open. But I think there's more cons to it than anything, bc this is absolutely just going to fuel the surface stereotype within the fandom that Nina's just a cold hearted killer who only cares about money. This game when taken at surface value (which I've noticed outside of on here, a large majority of fans seem to take things at), kinda gave her the appearance of a character with no depth whatsoever and that... tbh that scares me bc the treatment of her character within the fandom is already so bad...? And then to add the possibility that she may work with Reina of all people next time around just perpetuates that even further. Especially when you remember that this may be the first Tekken game for a lot of fans who came from Bloodline.

✦ On the other hand however, I will say I'm not as upset about what T8 did w Nina's character than what Bloodline did w her. I was hella concerned we'd be dealing w another bloodline scenario of her just being tossed aside, and in a way we definitely are? But at the very least, this time when I try to look from Nina's perspective, I can see multiple possibilities for why she just left / worked w Kazuya at all that would be within her character. W what happened in Bloodline I couldn't do that no matter how hard I tried. But here it's mainly just that none of them were addressed that's the problem. It's left too open, and it doesn't paint a good picture. — W the comment Lee & Lars made about "the G-Corp assassin", and how casual she seems to be w Lee in her character ep + intros, there's still the hella slim subtle possibility Nina could be secretly working for both sides. She did what she was tasked to do, and got out once her job was done. - There's the possibility that w how her T8 bio again brings up her doubts about hurting people for the first time since T2, maybe something finally clicked there mid battle. Maybe it was the realization that "oh joy there's another devil in the mix" and it'd be better w this new information to watch how this plays out. - Hell if we dare to hella hope about things lol, maybe w all the dbd easter eggs thrown out there this time and seeing her featured on a ship for the first since then, maybe she dipped to set up the plot of dbd 2 - It could be anything! And that's the problem.

✦ Overall bc of all of this, while I do think it's neat, and I do like a lot of it, it feels very... rushed. It really reminds me of when you go to reread old threads or your past writing, and in hindsight you realize "Wow I really rushed this part, I forgot to include this this & this bc I was too excited about what was to come next", which is kinda disappointing bc this was supposed to be this huge pivotal moment in the storyline. But then that also makes me wonder y'know.. what's to come next that they're possibly so excited to get to? 😶

Anyway! Hella hella long story short, I liked it. I'm not in love w it. I think it could've been done better. I might grow to love it later on, and I do have more thoughts on it like on what happened to Claudio & Zafina, Reina is a whole can of worms that I don't want to get into rn lmaooo, but this is already so long BYEEEEE

#✧･ﾟ:*𝒜𝓁𝒾𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝓁𝑒𝓇𝓉*:･ﾟ✧ - OOC #|| me typing this wheezing like how tf am I gonna format all of thiiiisss #|| I apologize in advance 😭😭😭#tekken 8 spoilers #t8 spoilers

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ash-and-books · 2 years

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Rating: 1/5

Book Blurb: Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts—her best friend, Noah Logan. Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush. Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had. A hacktivist and a cat café owner decode the friend zone in this romantic comedy from the author of Undercover Bromance.

Review:

Two best friends find themselves trying to not only take the next step in their relationship but also deal with family drama. Alexis Carlisle owns a cat cafe, and became famous when she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. One day a new customer approaches her and reveals she is actual her sister and that she wants Alexis to donate her kidney to her father, a man who has been absent Alexis’s entire life and despite knowing about her for three years never contacted her until now, when he needs her kidney. Noah Logan is a computer genius and former hacker who is now a computer security expert. Noah is madly in love with Alexis and they are best friends, after everything thats happened to her he’s been trying to time his confession to be right. With the help of his Bromance Book Club they’ll help him how to go from friend to boyfriend. Yet Alexis is dealing with all this new family drama and deciding if she is ready to take the next step with Noah. Can they decode their friendship and move into a relationship? Honestly this one just was not for me, I didn’t really feel their chemistry and I just didn’t really like Alexis all that much. I especially did not enjoy the kidney transplant storyline and how easily Alexis was willing to give her kidney to a man who never cared about her, who never loved her, and how she was just so ready to accept it all. Like why??? This man never went out of his way to contact you or your mother, he never tried to build a relationship with you until it was convenient for him and even then he wasn’t treating her that great. Seriously, why?? It just did not sit well with me at all. Despite me not enjoying this one, I definitely would give other books in the series a go, this one just didn’t interest or work for me at all though.

#book review #the bromance book clukb #crazy stupid bromance #romance book

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firstdegreefangirl · 1 year

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July 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Total books read: 6

Total pages read: 2,048

Days read: 24/31

Average star rating: 4.46/5

Challenge Prompts Filled: 8 in July; 74 total. Popsugar: 1(24)/40. Romanceopoly: 4 (22)/36. CRAD: 1(7)/12. BTBL: 2(21)/52

Mini-reviews under the cut!

Christmas Angels by Nancy Naigle ⭐⭐⭐(½) What a way to kick off Christmas in July reading! I wanted something that would read with Hallmark movie vibes, and this was PERFECT. Big city exec moves to a small town and takes over the family inn? Where she hires a handsome construction man to help get it ready for open? Sign me UP. It was funny, it was light hearted, merry and bright, and gave me warm fuzzy emotions in just the right places. I loved the motif with the angels coming up with a sort of spiritual reverence, but still finding a logical, yet meaningful closure at the end. Very cute, very sweet, made me want to give up my corporate hospitality job and go buy a tiny mountain lodge of my own.

Prompts filled: BTBL – Cozy read or cover; Romanceopoly – Winter/cover is blue, black or silver; or winter holiday book

The Christmas Wedding Guest by Susan Mallery ⭐⭐⭐⭐(½) I meant to get to this one back at the holidays, and I’m SO glad I finally made the time now. As usual, Susan Mallery hits it out of the park, this time with an added boost of holiday spirit! It’s a double romance – rockstar/small town girl and teacher/parent, two EXCELLENT tropes. I think it’s supposed to kick off her new series, and I can’t wait to see what else comes of the worldbuilding. There are a few characters I’m already eyeing for hopeful plots in the next stories. And yes, again, there’s a hotel at the holidays involved. What can I say? I have a type.

Prompts filled: BTBL – All the romance; Romanceopoly – Autumn/red or green cover; or has trees and leaves on the cover; or has a cozy vibe

Home for Christmas by Camille Isley ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ No hotel this time, but still lots of holiday travel! This was laugh out loud funny, sweet, romantic, grumpy, sunshine-y and everything in between. I blew through it in like three days and have already downloaded two other books by the same author. We love a writer romance, and a not-quite-only-one-bed, but definitely not enough beds forced proximity setup. This one was different than I usually read too, because not ONLY was there a romance budding, but family dynamics fitting together right out of the gate. It’s a predictable plot, but as we know, sometimes that’s exactly what I want. Give me a prank war with a guaranteed happy ending and lots of Christmas merriment, and I am a happy camper.

Prompts filled: Popsugar – A book that was self-published

A Very Merry Bromance by Lissa Kay Adams ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Listen. I knew I would like this one. Anyone who’s listened to me talk about my taste in books probably knew I would like this one. And I LOVED it. Bromance Book Club is possibly the best series I’ve read in a long time, and this one is right in line with the rest of them. It’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s … I mean, the romance goes without saying, but it’s romantic. And this one is Christmassy too, which just makes things better. It’s so fun reading not only the Bromance stories, but the little snippets of the stories the guy are reading throughout the book, but as usual my one regret is that those books don’t exist in full. I’d read the CRAP out of them. As it is, I’ve been thinking about Colton and Gretchen even DAYS after I finished the book. 15/10 recommended to anyone who’s looking for something bright and fun and festive, with just enough emotion to bring tears to your eyes, and always, ALWAYS a big gesture before the happy ending.

Prompts filled: None, I just really wanted to read it!

Christmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan ⭐⭐⭐ (¾) A last minute pick, designed to fit the CRAD prompt for the month. I own many Christmas books, but as it turns out, all of them are set here in the US. Ended up with this one as an eBook from the library, following some very specific search parameters. It was … alright, and I enjoyed almost every minute of reading it, but it’s not something I think I’d choose to read again. Generally I’m more romance, less women’s fiction, but this book was definitely more women’s fiction than romance. And sure, it’s good to read outside my comfort zone – and this was a good story, without a doubt – but I found myself frustrated a couple of times when it felt like the author was dancing around the romantic elements. The relationships are there, a couple of them are hinted at, but I would have liked to see them fleshed out a little further. That said, Isla and Konstantin are definitely one of the cutest relationship arcs I’ve read in a hot minute. I just wish the other pairings had gotten a little bit of that depth too.

Prompts filled: Romanceopoly – Post Office/set in a different country to where you live; CRAD July – set in a different country or world [to June]

The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Alright, full disclosure: I technically finished this at like 1 a.m. on 1 August. But I hadn’t gone to bed yet, and the day isn’t over until I go to sleep, and I would have been done earlier if half a dozen things had gone differently over the weekend. And it was good enough for me to stay up past midnight, running on like three hours of sleep. Of all the books I read this month, it’s definitely top two (and that’s up with some tough competition). I loved the fun, silly competitions, and the heartwarming family dynamics. This book would make an EXCELLENT movie; I could picture so many of the scenes playing out clearly inside my head. It read just like a romance novel should, from start to end, and I’m already eager to find more of the author’s work to read in the future!

Prompts filled: Romanceopoly – Library/free choice

#katie reads #kr23 #july #katie christmases #christmas in july

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heardchef · 2 years

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carmy + pete

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ramcharantitties · 2 years

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Tulip

There were tears sliding down the edge of my face. My lips had blood specks, so did the corner of my mouth. I could feel the saliva mixed with blood drip down the fingers on wash basin. I looked up in the mirror, breakdowns make me look cute. But right now I might die and that was more important. I turned on the faucet to wash off my hands and clean the marble basin. Sangmarmar.

As i wiped the blood off, I could feel the fit coming again. I hunch over the basin only to cough more and more and more and-

My throat burned, my hands ached, my chest was ripping and my lungs felt stuffed. My legs struggled to keep me up as I kept trying to cough it out. And soon the gave out as I fell down on the white floor, grabbing my throat. I spit blood, and then some small pieces that I couldn't figure out through my tears. Then finally, there it was. A bud of tulip.

Venus

He likes Taylor swift, Zayn malik, BTS, Valorant, anime, space aesthetics, tulips, white roses, chess, boxing, black color, cats, going out with friends. He hates bollywood, and maybe that should have been the first red flag.

Roses

"It's stage four, you know what it means right?" of course i knew. The cost of surgery is going to be fucking expensive. All because of a stupid crush. "Maybe you should tell them, it can save-" "they know" that's all I could muster up with my scratchy throat. One more word and maybe I will cough up a rose in full bloom. I grabbed the doctor's pad, scribbling my question down- What happens after the surgery?

"So this can be cured by two ways as you know- either they share the same feeling, or you get surgery" doctor said. He knew what happens after this. "Since you are getting surgery, it has two outcomes. First, you can't feel the emotion of falling in love anymore. If not that, then you forget everything you had with that person" the doctor took off his specs.

I payed the amount needed for surgery.

Coffee

He liked me as a person. He hated me as a feeling. He wanted me as a friend. He hated me as anything more than that. He accepted my romantic feelings. He only maintained platonic feelings for me. He took all I gave. And that was him giving.

Stars

I wish love wasn't so tragic, so poetic. I started calling myself saturn because I called him venus. I couldn't love anymore ever since that august, I haven't written a poem since the 20s I have written for him. I haven't felt the same ever since. I wish i would catch him on the side of the river shore one day. I don't want to see him. I don't know who is it.

A little piece on my fave fictional disease and a man I still mourn over. tagging- @stanleykubricks @chaanv @dumdaradumdaradum @bromance-minus-the-b @iam-siriuslysher-lokid @shreyalokesh @nyotamalfoy

#hanahaki #saturn writes

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sadviper · 3 years

Text

Drama Recommendation List

Things I Love:

Competence - #1 point of attractiveness

Hidden Identities - doppelgangers, multiple universes, superheroes, someone badass pretending otherwise, etc.

Protectiveness - bodyguards!!!!

Politics

Anything genre (action! thriller! mystery! romantic floof! saeguk! fantasy! sci fi! etc. The more mashups, the better.)

Goofy fun shenanigans

Found family, team-dynamics, bromance

Man tears

Happy endings - though not always required. I want justice in this life, not the next.

Noona romance (?)

Bad guys doing good things

Mean-looking dudes who are actually softies

Things I Hate:

Incompetence

Horrible unfairness or humiliation

When bad things happen to good people relentlessly

When the bad guys have an overbearing upper-hand and the good guys lose every step of the way

Toxic (modern) workplace dynamics - hits too close to home, yanno?

Physical slapstick, perverted innuendo, meanness

Infidelity

Rocks fall, everyone dies

All are kdrama unless marked otherwise. I did mix my absolute favorites with favs-with-flaws because sometimes it’s too hard to rank. To be edited whenever I feel like it.

Action Movies

The Man From Nowhere - Pure action schlocky comfort, it takes all the best tropes from the classic “The Professional”, from killer-in-hiding to helpless orphan girl, and remixes it with Won Bin’s lean muscular hotness and some of the most beautifully choreographed violence I have ever seen, treading that impossible-to-satisfy line between showmanship and effectiveness. Worth multiple rewatches, and rarest of rarenesses, I even recommend the English dub! There are a few corny-as-hell scenes that only get more embarrassing the deeper and slower Won Bin speaks. The English dubber barrels through and gets it over with. :P

Commitment - Before Woo Do Hwan, my first and favorite crush was T.O.P., whose acting abilities really shine for quiet, socially awkward roles like this one, where he plays a North Korean assassin infiltrating the south as a high school student to take out a rival North Korean faction of agents. The fighting is visceral, tight, and effective. The budding romance is sweet. His man pain is exquisite. The ending is...well, uselessly and predictably tragic, it Very Easily could’ve been a happy ending, but oh well. Also one of my favorites to rewatch.

Luck Key (action-comedy) - ahahaha Hitman gets amnesia in an accident and swaps identities with a failed actor. Cue shenanigans as the failed actor continues to fail as a hitman, and the hitman, in helpless confusion, somehow aces being a cook, an actor, and finally a lover.

Rurouni Kenshin:The Beginning - The Final (Japanese) - Series of 5 movies, amazing adaptation of the manga/anime, if only all adaptions could be like this. Fantastic sets, costumes, performances, storytelling, and of course, the highly creative showdowns that strive to be as realistic as possible while still preserving the heightened excesses we expect from shonen manga. Even though The Final was released before The Beginning, I might suggest watching The Beginning first, Origins, Kyoto Inferno, The Legend Ends, and then The Final. Otherwise The Final will feel like a let-down because all character development occurred in the previous movies.

Rom-Com with Everything:

Are You Human Too? - robot love, incredibly subtle doppelganger acting from Seo Kang Joon, and delicious emotional turmoil as all the humans realize they prefer sweetheart, hyper-competant Nam-Shin III over asshole chaebol Nam-Shin, whether it’s for running a company to being a member of the family.

Healer - This is on the cusp of “too old” in terms of the warp-speed pace that kdrama production values progress, but it’s still solid in terms of storytelling heart. Ji Chang-wook’s turn as hapless and dorky Park Bong-soo will forever be imprinted on my psyche. As someone who adores superhero origin stories, Park Min-young falling in love with Healer while slowly discovering Park Bong-soo’s true identity was pure ambrosia.

Tale of Nokdu - First half is a hilarious reverse cross-dressing saeguk romcom where the guy is actually convincing as a female! Second half is pure throne-succession politics. The king, in particular, caught my attention with his charisma and inner turmoil as he goes from caring for Nokdu to having to kill Nokdu at all costs. The only weakness is the secondary villain, whose progression to villainy was literally a flipped switch.

Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung - Saeguk females in the workplace, vaccination drives, historians being SUPER hardcore about taking meeting minutes, birth secrets and succession politics! The fluff romance hides just how serious this show goes.

Genre + Slice of Life:

Reset (cdrama) - A short (for a cdrama) time loop drama. Not a bit of flab as the leads apply real logic and morality to try to stop a bus from exploding. Fantastic acting by the veteran actors anchored everything, but everyone is good for their roles. The pacing, storytelling and cinematography were so effective. A perfect mix of sci-fi thriller and slice of life as it covers the personal stories of everyone on the bus while gradually upping the stakes as the loops continue. There’s an understated and believable romance, Liu Yi Jun as the lead cop was so compelling, and there is a happy ending! Shows like these ruin my expectations for other shows, absolutely recommend!!

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (Taiwan) - Another short drama (12 eps) that is simply incredible despite not having the aesthetics that current kdrama and cdrama boast. Gangster high schooler wakes up from a coma with supernatural powers, but that’s not the only thing that’s changed about his life. It’s a poignant and incredibly heartfelt treatise on coping with grief and loss, combined with paranormal case shenanigans, comedic friendships, team dynamics, enemy-turned-frenemy bromance, supportive and awesome parents, etc...ends happily and with a hook for season 2. It’s also an absolute tearjerker, but only because the main lead is so sympathetic that as soon as he teared up, I teared up. ;__; A must watch!!!

Missing: The Other Side S1, S2 - Supernatural team cold cases. Go Soo excels at being a happy, good-hearted bro, right up until the point that real dramatic emotion is called for. He has enough charisma to drag his younger co-stars down with him. XD That said, the storytelling is solid and enjoyable throughout, with great empathy, mysterious build up, and excellent characters in both seasons. I hope they make more!

Politics + Thriller + Adventure:

Joy of Life s1 &2 (cdrama) - transmigration story. A modern-day genius ends up being reborn in an old-day world, and when he grows up enough to get out of the house, he starts to realize that the world already has many, many plans laid out for him. Fan Xian is a bit of a know-it-all, and to be fair, he has a wealth of experience and knowledge most people in the show don’t have. As the story progresses, however, we do see him go from coasting to caring deeply, both from a human perspective and philosophically. Richly produced, cleverly written, fast-paced, and very well acted. Turns out Fan Xian isn’t the only smart dude on the block, and by the end, he is working very hard to manipulate events as he needs to. Ends on a cliff-hanger.

Nirvana in Fire 1 (cdrama) - An absolute dream come true for people who love politics and politicking. A hidden mastermind returns to the capital with revenge (justice) as his only reason to live, and he manipulates the ever-living-heck out of EVERYONE, friends and foes alike, to achieve it. The show is paced very steadily, opened with a melancholic theme song that forewarns the eventual ending. And yet somehow it wasn’t that devastating (for me), because all was accomplished gradually, carefully, so intelligently and with so many insightful and nuanced portrayals, that you don’t even end up hating any of the three antagonists. As for the good guys, wow, so many to admire. A masterpiece. @welcometothejianghu wrote a good rec here!

Nirvana in Fire 2 (cdrama) - This one obviously had an even bigger budget than NiF1, and even though I rarely see discussions about it, it also is a very ambitious and wonderfully made story of kingdom-building through the viewpoint of multiple generations of a family. In some ways, however, it’s sadder than NiF1, because unlike NiF1 where the protagonist is very much in control of almost every situation, NiF2 protagonists are forced to be reactive to plots that are being made against them and the kingdom. It also features an object lesson in how someone with all the potential to be heroic can slowly be corrupted into villainy. That said, NiF2 does feature an obvious happy ending, as well as a hopeful outlook that there will always be talented heroes who will step up in a time of need. Also a masterpiece, and also very slow and steady in pacing.

Designated Survivor: 60 Days - Ji Jin Hee!!!!! Son Sukku!!!!!! Heo Joon Ho!! That North Korean publicist guy!! Gosh, this remake is sooooo much better than the original American one. While I watched it, it restored my hopes and faith in modern politics, 1000% wish we had a quiet, nerdy, kind, ethical, and smart president like that even though I know in reality power corrupts, the system grinds up good people, etc. Tense and thrilling, whether it is terrorism or political power moves, and it’s so rewarding to see the out-of-his-depth scientist slowly come into his own strength to lead the country out of crisis, and for his support team to regain their hopes in making a difference for the better. Great review (with spoilers!) By @rain-hat

Money Game - A bureaucratic economic thriller!!!! I know no one will watch this, but pleeeassse, it is so sexy and intense, even with the weird English script + questionable foreigner acting! Still excellent even in rewatch, my heart pounded, and that is RARE for me, I almost never rewatch end-to-end. Lee Sung-min is a frozen-faced BEAST, Go Soo is a very likeable harried civil servant, Shim Eun-kyung was such a strong and dainty presence with her stubborn hardheadedness, and Teo Yoo was fascinatingly flexible at being mesmerizing, cringe, and adorkable.

My Heroic Husband (cdrama) - transmigration story with many of the side actors and probably same production team as Joy of Life. Modern-day hotshot CEO ends up in the body of an old-day derpy, twerpy little man who is being married off as a husband-of-convenience to a fabric maker entrepreneur. He earns his paycheck as he wiggles his wife’s business out from one sabotage after another, until by the second half, his efforts go from saving the family business to saving the kingdom from insurrection. It’s all fun until the stakes hit hard late in the 2nd half. Ends on a cliffhanger.

Sword Snow Stride (cdrama) - by the same writer as Joy of Life. Fascinating, cinematic, and very human as it follows the lead character’s adventures, who at first tries to push away his familial responsibilities only to slowly make his way to the top once he finally accepts the legacy his father built. Was badly critiqued by many (too slow, too blue, too boring?), but my family and I were riveted from the very first episode. It’s smart, gives generous space for each character to exist in the moment, has fun classical wuxia stylings, and is brimming with truly fantastic old men. Alas, there aren’t any old females, but the many young women are varied with their own personalities. Unfortunately, the pacing/editing/effects got weak at the very last showdown--I suspect it got drastically reduced in episodes and they tried to salvage an ending with hopes for a season 2. =/

A Dream of Splendor (cdrama) - pleasantly intelligent story about 3 friends as they struggle through life, business, politics, and romance. Quite female-friendly, with good acting and chemistry by everyone. Happy ending! Best summarized (with spoilers) by @silviakundera 's review here

Little Women - It bears no resemblance to its source of inspiration, and is instead a murder mystery thriller psychological horror investigative conspiracy corruption case of the rich eating the poor, only this time, the poor gets JUSTICE IN THIS LIFE, and it’s most excellent. Kim Go-eun is absolutely fantastic amongst an already solid cast. I also harbor lots of heartu eyes for Wi Ha Joon, though his role is relatively minor. This is a drama where women rule the show!

Reborn Rich - Fantastic reincarnation(?) political revenge story penned by the writer of Designated Survivor: 60 Days, where Song Joongki plays two roles across 3 decades as he wheels, deals, and leverages his knowledge of the future in his schemes to bring down the chaebol family running Soonyang corporation as well as reveal the murderer(s) who kill him in two lifetimes. As easy on the eyes as baby-faced Joongki might be, however, the master of this drama is Lee Sung Min, who crushes the already competent cast with authoritative charisma. A horrid capitalist pig, a terrible father, and a despicable husband, yet somehow by the end, I couldn’t bear to see him go. Watch watch watch!

The Glory - A revenge story tightly directed by Ahn Gil Ho. It was harrowing to watch high schoolers torture each other, but very satisfying to watch all the pieces come together and every terrible person get what they deserve. Heartu eyes to the tightly buttoned, go-romantic, sapiosexual Ha Do-yeong; his charisma and chemistry with the FL was off the charts and he deserved a MUCH bigger role than he was given.

My Journey to You (cdrama) - sumptuous, thrilling, twisty romance mixed with assassins, devious plots, circular story-telling, and a fine mix of sweet/smart/funny/emotional/sexy. The pacing is addictive, everything is beyond aesthetic, and most importantly of all, such fabulous characterizations and performances from multiple no name actors. There’s so much talent to look out for in the future, it personally makes ups for the info-dump villain reveal, sad endings for too many side characters, and the cliffhanger ending for a season 2 that may never come.

The Double (cdrama) - lurid, over the top, and absolutely cracktastic from beginning to end!!! The wind machine was it's own character. Succinct review here by @gizkasparadise

Cops/Prosecutors/Lawyers/Case Procedurals:

Stranger S1, S2 - Pinnacle kdrama quality, it can be matched but can never be topped. S1 introduced us to an amazing cast of characters, and is so smart, so well-acted, a thriller-mystery-inspirational rallying cry for Good that is tightly paced and shot with rare clarity. Sadly, S2 switched directors and IMO (I might be the minority on this) that switch destroyed the clarity and pacing that S2′s incredibly ambitious and sprawling story required. S2 is worthwhile to see at least once because of the nuance and layers, and the introduction of some fantastic new characters, but be prepared for confusion (unless you have photographic memory) and time-wasting obfuscating moodiness (it is pretty though). See my next recommendation, Watcher, to understand how S1 Director Ahn Gil-ho can take a stupidly twisty plotline and make it crystal-clear. (ETA: I recently rewatched both seasons and found myself enjoying both of them so much! My issues with S2 cleared up once I knew where the cases were going, and I was able to settle in and enjoy the performances and the complicated layers of the plots.)

Watcher - Three interesting and difficult characters enmeshed in a stupidly twisty serial killer case that nonetheless never confuses and pulls you along puuurrrrfectly. Seo Kang Joon transforms completely into a damaged and possibly dangerous young cop; Han Suk-kyu excels as the enigmatic mastermind who may or may not actually want justice; Kim Hyun-Joo--wow, I wanted to throttle her sometimes, but never did I not understand where she was coming from. Stylish, exciting, and compelling! I also adore the design of the opening screens.

The Good Detective - nothing groundbreaking, just really well done and enjoyable. Sadly S2 is a bit of a letdown in both tension, character-building, and plotting.

Signal - remake of Frequency. Old radio connects past detective to present detective to solve the same serial murder case. Bad points: Lee Je Hoon has a weird way of talking, the cool female cop kind of ends up just crying a lot, and that pointless cliffhanger ending! But still worth one watch. Great summation by @rain-hat

Tunnel - More rewatchable than Signal. Cop from past travels forward in time to solve serial murder case in both eras. Cute prickly bromance; does suffer from Female Too-stupid-to-Live syndrome.

Mad Dog - yoooo, WOO DO HWAN! Endure through the first two episodes, because once Woo Do Hwan makes his true entrance, the team is COMPLETE. The Shenanigans! The ANGST! The Found Family! This was the first time I experienced Woo Do Hwan, and the love his performance ignited in my cold shriveled heart was enough to make a social media pariah like me make an AO3/tumblr username dedicated to him. He is indeed a sad viper in this show, and I just. He was the first Insta I followed, okay? I’m going to follow him for the rest of my life.

A New Leaf - Kim Myung Min is an unethical asshole of a laywer, until he gets amnesia and reverts back to his wholesome former self. He then proceeds to try to fix everything his uglier self has wrought. The show pretends to be a rom-com at first, but it ends up being perfectly platonic and I love it for that. Not every case is won, so there is an element of ‘life goes on’.

Kill It - Veterinarian-by-day/assassin-by-night searches for the truth about his past (and kills bad guys) while his stunningly gorgeous childhood friend from the orphanage is the detective chasing him down. Hidden identities, hidden competencies, found family, protectiveness, wow, this show has it all. I found the pacing good, awesome tension building, some surprisingly touching-if-cheesy Russian acting from David Lee McInnis, fantastic if sparse action scenes, great OST, lots of pensive staring, and a romance so understated I almost missed it (just the way I like it, honestly). Sad ending, but hardly unexpected and at least they save it to the very end of the last episode.

Bad Guys - Like the Dirty Dozen. A hitman, a gangster, and a psychopath grudgingly team up to take down criminals under the watch of an angry, bitter, spit-tastic cop with no chill. The resulting bromance is to die for. I rewatched 3 times, this is an absolute guilty pleasure for me. <3 (Warning: Stupid female cop) Too bad the sequel was unwatchable shaky cam and tiresome with endless betrayals on betrayals, because they really scaled up the action sequences to impressive levels.

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty (cdrama) - I actually almost dropped this 4 eps in from boredom but it gained a 2nd life when my family wanted to watch it together and we all got sucked in. The cases are forgettable and the politics not that smart, but the real money makers were the found family and friendships that featured around the most deliciously presented meals. Also, it has a really cool opening theme + sequence!

Taxi Driver - Exactly what you want in a team case drama. It has so much I love - team dynamics, hidden identities as the vigilante team works undercover to trick the bad guys, competencies galore! And the fighting!! A++ music as well. Perhaps most importantly, the show remains fixed in a moral universe--it addresses the wrong that the protagonists played a part in head-on, yet manages to serve a satisfying final revenge AND a perfect happy ending all in one. It does lean too heavy on the victims’ suffering in the earlier episodes, but its nothing that the 10 sec skip button won’t solve.

Don't Call It Mystery (jdrama) - a highly observant, intelligent, oddball college student is framed for murder and changes hearts and minds in order to prove his innocence. He then falls into helping the police with multiple cases that follow. Think Sherlock but with empathy! Slightly artsy, doesn't drag on, but does end on a cliffhanger. Can't wait for season 2!

Ancient Detective (cdrama) - A helpless-but-brilliant detective with amnesia solves strange, supernatural-esq cases throughout Jianghu while also searching for the the truth behind the death of his father. It’s a silly show that actually has logic in a lot of what is said. It also has much more solid wirework in the fight scenes than I usually see nowadays, reminds me of the kungfu dramas of the early 2000s! Shoutout to the himbo that gloms onto the detective early in the story, such a fun and charming dumbnut! Wraps up its open cases but ends on a cliffhanger.

A League of Nobleman (cdrama) - There’s a perfect review by PeachBlossomGoddess on MDL, but since I can’t find a way to link directly to it, I just have to say that this show is truly sumptuous and packed with some fabulous, and fabulous-looking, actors. The cases, perhaps, end up stretching further than a bungee cord in its attempts to stay logical and tightly interconnected, but it makes sense if you treat the show like a theatre performance. The setting and the plot merely sets the stage for the actors to emote at each other with increasing vigor and passion while the camera tilts slowly for maximum cinematic effect.

Mysterious Lotus Casebook (cdrama) - A sickly-but-brilliant fake doctor, a cute, hyperactive detective, and occasionally the doctor’s old nemesis travel around Jianghu solving strange, supernatural-esq cases while also searching for the truth behind the death of the doctor’s sworn brother. Slow start for me, but once all 3 leads appeared, their chemistry became overpowering and addictive. This show literally hits 9 of my 12 favorite things to watch. Definitely wished for more episodes to see many throwaway lines expanded on or for cases to be more show and less tell. Ends melancholic and open-ended...;__; All 3 actors are on my watch list now, but I’m especially impressed by Cheng Yi. At first he looked funny and squashed to me, but his charisma is off the charts!

Killing Vote - vigilante justice turned voting game - is it wrong to take justice in your own hands when the law clearly won't provide it? Incredible performances from everyone, even from someone like Kim Kwon who usually does not impress but who stepped up fantastically. The biggest draw is Park Haejin and Park Sung-woong's divorced couple chemistry and the cat-mouse game they play trying to suss out who is the masked Gaetal. Unfortunately, it ends quite bleakly and with an annoying hook for s2.

Slice of Life, Slow Human Stories:

Hospital Playlist S1 - warm and full of friendships while painting complete personalities of each of the cast

Mystic Pop-up Bar - supernatural, found family, divided into case stories that are extremely human and touching. Like a high budget jdrama.

I’ll See You When the Weather Is Nice - slow, moody, and pensive as the protagonists heal from their traumas and fall in love in a small rural town

Reply 1988 - Like Hospital Playlist, only set in the 80s-90s around the daily lives of several families living together on the same street. Calming and interesting.

3 Star Bar in Nishiogikubo (jdrama) - itty bitty drama, just six 25 min episodes! 3 high school classmates take a break from life to run a bar together. An excellent palate cleanser for when you aren’t ready for a long commitment.

Just Between Lovers - Review by @beingjanee

Life - by the same writer as Stranger, and with nearly the same cast!! Fascinating exploration of the tension between the ethics of healing vs. the practical realities of running a business, and the compromises that must be made therein. Also the most nuanced portrayal of disability that I’ve ever seen.

Father is Strange - Watch a wholesome, healthy, supportive family take on the most ridiculous soap opera plots and be so Good despite their individual flaws that they end up rehabilitating all the problem people who enter their orbit. Feel free to fast forward through story lines that don’t speak to you.

2521 - Nicely made slice-of-life with a liberal dose of 90′s sports anime nostalgia and young people striving to be their best selves. Don’t watch for the romance--based on the tangential online chaos that erupted over the finale. Watch for the people, their emotions, their struggles, and their joy. It’s both real and highly romanticized.

Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu (jdrama) - Absolutely adorable romantic fluff. A scarred delinquent runs into a blind girl, and through exuberant wholesomeness, they fall in love and expand both of their worlds. They try to trick you into thinking there will be Drama (tm), but there’s none; this show zips right past what other shows would milk for at least another episode and goes right to the happy aftermath.

Meet Yourself (cdrama) - lovely, slow paced and cozy. Superficially it sounds like a Hallmark movie, in reality it is a healing romantic slice of life tourism advertisement. Filled with intelligent people, all problems are realistic and dealt with in the nicest way possible without being too manipulative.

Hikaru no Go (cdrama) - wonderful remake of the manga/anime about competitive go. Shi Guang is a bit of a smart alec, but the story is beautifully told with many characters, full of human feeling and relationships.

Horror, Psychological Terror:

Save Me - going to sound like a broken record, but WOO DO HWAN!!! He stole the show in the most stunning way as the 2nd male lead, though it takes at least 4-5 episodes before he really emerges onscreen. Seriously, I want to marry Seok Dong-chul. In the meantime, the cult progression slowly and steadily details how vulnerable people get entrapped physically and mentally by evil. Claustrophobic, chilling, dark, and gross as you watch the cultists get their way far too often for comfort. But it does end happily all things considered.

Kingdom S1 - saeguk zombies, very cinematic. The zombies are fast!! Ends unfinished but I couldn’t watch S2

Revenant - moody, slow, appropriately horrific, packed with acting talent and a story that gives the actors room to crush it. Kim Taeri, and the evil ghost possessing her, are absolutely incredible!! Perhaps my only idle wish is that the chemistry between her and the Professor, and/or her and the young cop, might have been developed further. Alas, it’s not that kind of show! At least it ends well.

Defies Categorization:

The School Nurse Files - artsy, oddball, bubblegum horror, no coherent plot but there is an overall direction

D.P. - full of human feeling and absolutely devastating when it makes its final point. Sticks with you for a long time. Beware violence and horrible military hazing

Lulz, Fantastic, Bombastic, I Love It (Quality with Flaws(TM), but they spoke to me when I needed it):

The King: Eternal Monarch (romantic sci-fi faux-political fake-thriller) - do I even need to say anything about this? So much pretty, so much ambitious potential, so much star-power assembled only for it to taste rather flat and unfulfilled by the end. But it was the summer of COVID and the dawn of a creative awakening. I made new friends and had so much fun pondering whys and wherefores! I’ll treasure this hot mess forever. <3

My Country: The New Age (saeguk action war politics) - It pretends to be about politics, but it’s not about politics. It’s about Nam Seon-ho’s bloody, sweaty, love-hate desperation for his childhood friend, Hwi, against the backdrop of war and the changeover of imperial power. Also features some terrible fathers with powerful presences, a very sexy Prince Bangwon, an angry minion named Sung-rok, and some pointless females. I laughed a lot, cried buckets of tears, and then wrote fic. Woo Do Hwan’s flowing locks of L’Oreal hair and heaving bosom were that inspirational. <3

Meow: The Secret Boy (fantasy romcom) - some days, you just need a silly little romantic comedy about a cat that transforms into pretty, dimply Kim Myung-soo. Put aside thoughts of bestiality and voyeurism, this show is candy-colored and is not to be taken seriously.

The K2 (action thriller romantic politics) - Highly choreographed action scenes, shaky cam just shy of being unbearable, Ji Chang Wook’s muscles and predictable(yet effective!) arsenal of expressions that were ready to mesmerize as the nameless bodyguard-on-the-run, and a Noona Romance that buuuurrned smoked and sizzled like all that pork belly that gets BBQ’d in every kdrama. I endured Supreme Idiocy to watch more of Song Yoon-ah. And by Supreme Idiocy, I mean a wooden and moronic female love interest, embarrassing Middle Eastern war conflict flashbacks, a laughable portrayal of PTSD triggers, zero morality whatsoever....gosh. But hey! Bodyguard babe! Watch at least the first 5 eps. :3

Man to Man (romcom hijinks politics) - The Original Bromance(TM). Secret agent man masquerades as a bodyguard to an action star man-child in order to thwart international conspiracies. Terrible action, laughable fashion, zero chemistry between Park Hae-jin and Kim Min-jung, and the show feels like two different shows smashed together. It is DUMB and yet. And Yet. I laughed my head off and enjoyed myself so much. What more can you ask for?

The Boy Next Door (webdrama, BL(?) comedy) - two INCREDIBLY dumb guys are forced, through circumstances, to live together, and in the process, accidentally convinces everyone they're a couple. It's so bad, soooo bad, it fell off the edge of the earth and became good. Perfect for the days you need to nuke your brain cells!

Midnight (movie, thriller-horror) - so I watched Squid Game and I’m not gonna recommend it, but I did fall in love with Wi Ha Joon. He has the perfect face to be evil, and look! Here he is being properly evil, though there is no backstory to speak of. I learned some interesting things about deaf accommodations, I was rooting for the girl! I didn’t find it scary; heck, this isn’t even that good of a movie. But I was in it for the lulz and I got it. :3

Sweet Home (thriller-horror) - I lol’d at the videogame monsters. It’s gory but not very scary to me. Anyway, Song Kang plays the sad, pretty monster boy that the show grants the entire hero arc to, but don’t believe it. The real superstar is the calm, practical, and devoted med student who takes charge of an infested apartment building and does his utmost to keep everyone alive whether they appreciate him or not. Eun-hyeok’s character is an ode to middle managers--he is moral, steadfast, never harms anyone, never resorts to threats or brute force, but simply sees a need and steps up to fill it regardless of the BS that gets thrown his way. He manages down like a champ and never stops making smart decisions under incredible pressure. He should’ve been the hero. ;___; Slick pacing and interesting cast, but don’t expect anyone you like to survive. =/

Psychopath Diary (serial killer comedy) - An extreme pushover witnesses murder, gets amnesia, and while clutching a serial killer’s diary, becomes convinced he is a serial killer and tries to live up to the hype. The villain stole the show for me, lots of understated panache as he first swings from hopeful heartu eyes (i can haz a bestie? to go on murders with?) to maniacal glee as he meticulously sets the pushover up as the fall guy. I wish he got away. I wish he had a (fake) romance storyline. I WISH HE GOT A FLOWER OF EVIL DRAMA!!!!! >_< The possibilities!!!!

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (tragical romantic thriller) - Seo In Guk...I may never like another role of his, but when it comes to sociopathic(?) bad boy romantic antagonist, he will never be beat. He’s amazing: subtle, manipulative, sincere, cruel, cold, vulnerable, affectionate, messed up. By the last episode, the plot takes a hilarious running leap for the cliffs to end in the worst way possible, and some of the drama truly felt unnecessary (less secrets, some more communication??...), but it’s quite the trip getting there. Great cinematography and music, and special shout-out to my favorite support actor Kim Dong Won, who slays as the chief secretary of a psychopathic chaebol heiress.

Vampire Detective (vampires! procedural schlock)- Came for Lee Joon, left with a newfound love for Lee Joon’s bromance with his bestie Oh Jung Se. Also was impressed with the fights (despite the shaky cam) and enjoyed myself despite (1) bad vampiress acting, (2) boring hetero romance, (3) one of the most emotionally unsatisfying endings ever >:(. Ah well. Lee Joon has a really lovely speaking voice..

Blood of Youth (fantastical adventure & politics) - bombastic and refreshingly idealistic power fantasy about young, talented fighters creating the world that they want to be in. Between the long stretches of videogame battles, there are beautiful costumes and sets, catchy music, gorgeous people, some decent overarching plot, and some boring side stories. Fun and easy way to pass time.

A Familiar Stranger (mini drama) - Face-off woo-hoo with romance, conspiracies, and obsessed lovers. Where the amazing Cheng Lei first caught my eye. It's like if you took Gong Shangjue from My Journey to You and wrote domestic fanfic for him.

Butterflied Lover (mini drama) - Crazy vampiric slaves, rival princes, fraught love lines, and sumptuous visuals. The first web drama that I saw that really pushed the ambitions of the medium.

The Killer is Also Romantic (mini drama) - Mr. And Mrs. Smith in old day China! Fast, fun assassin shenanigans.

Blossoms in Adversity (women in business save themselves drama) - like a budget version of Dreams of Splendor except somehow supremely engaging and fun? Expect overly modern feminism, issues cleanly resolved in about 2 episodes, some dubious acting from the ML, and an addictive good time!

#rec list #will be updated

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glowing-gemini · 3 years

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exactly 1 person asked for this, so here are some red (tv) songs that i (a leafs fan) relate to nhl players:

- red: freddie andersen, because loving him was red and moving on from him is impossible because he's my emotional support ginger

- 22: william nylander, because this man only cares about hockey and having fun with his friends, the definition of head empty no thoughts just fun

- WANEGBT: jack eichel and the sabres, need i say more?

- stay, stay, stay: ovechkin and backstrom because their bromance is really cute and they have been besties for quite some time

- the lucky one: mitch marner, because imagine working your whole life to make it and being constantly shit on once you do and being confused because this is supposed to be the happiest time with his best buds (his contract i get it blah, blah, blah, but legit it feels like bullying at this point please leave him alone)

- begin again: jack campbell, because he got a second chance and he's not letting the past ruin him and his game

- come back.... be here: freddie andersen (again), because he needs to come back i miss him (yes i know it was time, im just dramatic ok)

- nothing new (ft phoebe bridgers): every star rookie after a few years wondering if everything is going to be okay and younger newer stars emerge (this song also has heavy nolpats vibes but that's a conversation for another day)

my ~controversial~ takes below the cut

- holy ground: mitch marner and auston matthews, because idk what happened there but they aren't hardcore besties anymore (to the public eye at least) and i feel like they just grew apart but they still appreciate their friendship (also i think about that moment of them singing on the bench a lot and idk just gives me "but i don't wanna dance if i'm not dancing with you")

- all too well (OG and 10 min but ESPECIALLY 10 min version): these definitely have strong nolan and tk vibes because they definitely aren't as close anymore and the breakdown of their friendship just feels like it hurt so bad and i can see it in my head this is just their song (and regardless of shipping the line "just between did the love affair maim you too?" just hurts my soul when i put it next to them and their friendship)

#hockey #nhl #red taylor’s version #red taylor swift #taylor swift #yes i know im dramatic #and extra #i just have a lot of emotions about hockey players #also nhl teams have been making a lot of videos to taylor swift lately sooooo im clearly justified in doing this #shout out the the 1 person who asked for more after my last post #toronto maple leafs #frederik andersen #mitch marner #jack campbell

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twh-news · 3 years

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[Spoilers ahead, whole article below cut]

One of the many delights of the God of Mischief having his own standalone series is that we not only get to admire Tom Hiddleston’s acting chops, but also get to see him dance gleefully and maniacally right before the entire ancient city of Pompeii is washed away by lava. In Episode 1 of Disney Plus and Marvel Studios’ “Loki,” viewers got to familiarize themselves with The Time Variance Authority (TVA) and its futuristic office hub, and see this new Marvel Cinematic Universe territory through Loki’s eyes.

During Episode 2, much of that worldbuilding was put on hold for tense time travel adventures while wielding Loki’s “Mindhunter” abilities to catch a more evil version of himself. The episode also focused on the blossoming bromance between Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson) and the trickster the agent is sure he can sort-of reform. It dove deep into Nexus Events (emphasizing the importance of knowing these terms as Marvel fans, given that the concept is referenced both in “Loki” and in “WandaVision”) and showed off more of what the TVA actually does to protect the Sacred Timeline from “chaotic alterations of a predetermined outcome.” Additionally, why Mobius loves jet skis so much was revealed (a wholesome moment).

There was a lot learned in this episode, but so many more questions “branched” out of Episode 2. Here are the biggest ones:

How did the TVA agents not figure out Loki’s “apocalypse time branch” theory beforehand?

I’m calling Marvel’s own bluff: The TVA agents absolutely did know about Loki’s loophole since they know everything and anything about the Sacred Timeline and its deviations. Thus, they should also have had at least an inkling of what trouble they could (potentially) get away with without screwing up the order of things — like taunting villagers mere seconds before the tragic volcanic obliteration of Pompeii.

Loki explained this “new theory” in the second episode as: “So, let’s just say your salad is Asgard. … I could go down to Asgard before Ragnarok causes its complete destruction, and I could do anything I wanted. I could, let’s say, push the Hulk off the Rainbow Bridge. There he goes! And I could also set fire to the palace. I can do whatever I want to do, and it would never matter. It wouldn’t go against the dictates of the timeline. … It could be any apocalypse. It could be a tidal wave, it could be a meteor, or it could be a volcano or a supernova. If everything and everyone around you is destined for imminent destruction than nothing that I say or do will matter because the timeline is not going to branch because it gets destroyed.”

How Mobius and co. didn’t catch onto this beats me. Are they so obsessed with being bureaucratic do-gooders that they’ve created their own blind spots? It may be why Loki is so valuable in spite of the risks he poses to the TVA — he’s able to figure out that The Variant is hiding in apocalypses, carrying out malice undetected.

What is the significance of Roxxcart?

It appears extremely likely that the creepy, flickery-lit supermarket wherein Loki got in a — to put it bluntly — dick-measuring contest with Loki 2.0 and the visages of possessed victims, is owned by Roxxon Energy Corporation. (Get it? Roxxcart, Roxxon.) The massive fictional gas conglomerate has regularly made appearances, by name or in-scene, both in Marvel Comics and in Marvel series and films, including ABC’s “Agent Carter” and “Agents of SHIELD,” the “Iron Man” trilogy, Freeform’s “Cloak & Dagger,” Netflix’s “Daredevil” and Hulu’s “The Runaways.” Every time the petroleum industrial giant has made its way, on-screen or on-page, Roxxon has consistently been nefarious and at odds with superheroes. If The Variant is giving away candy (Kablooie chewing gum) during nexus events that are sold at Roxxcart between 2047 and 2051, then the incorporation of Roxxon’s evil ties was a conscientious one — and one that should have some greater significance in the series.

“It’s real”— what’s real?!

While Loki was sizing up his time-traveling, shape-shifting opponent somewhere between the pet supplies aisle and hurricane-discounted azaleas, TVA agent Hunter C-20 (Sasha Lane), was found by Mobius and co. She didn’t seem to be injured physically, but mentally, she was shaken up, constantly repeating, “It’s real, it’s real” while rocking back and forth. What caused this agent to spiral? And is the “it” she was referring to a person, a place or a thing? Episode 2 didn’t provide us with much clarity, but there may be more ominous forces afoot than “The Variant.”

Why is Lady Loki hellbent on destroying the Sacred Timeline?

“Loki, I am your… lady?” In a juicy reveal that echoed Darth Vader’s reveal in “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back,” The Variant’s shroud was removed and we got our first glimpse at Lady Loki (Sophia Di Martino), the Mistress of Mischief with golden horns and all. What’s her beef with the Time-Keepers or the TVA? Other than the fact that she’s on the run from the omnipotent organization, L.L.’s motives have yet to be unveiled. She wordlessly hopped through a time portal with Loki following before the nitty-gritty of her tricky time-manipulating scheme could be revealed. What we do know is that, in the comics, Lady Loki is just the female version of Loki (and she’s also canonically gender fluid and pansexual). During her appearance in Marvel’s “Dark Reign” comics from 2008 to 2009, L.L. is in cahoots with the villainous likes of Norman Osborn (aka The Green Goblin), Emma Frost, Namor and Doctor Doom. Holding out hope that any of these high-profile baddies will make their way onto “Loki” might be futile, but Lady Loki’s official introduction into the televised Marvelverse may carve a path for “X-Men” and “Fantastic Four” characters to pop up in the future.

Did Loki really betray Mobius to go off and commit time shenanigans with Lady Loki, or is this all a ruse? What is his game plan?

*Extreme Owen Wilson voice* Wooow, what a cliffhanger! After trying to bond with Mobius throughout most of the episode, Loki pulled a Loki and trailed off with his new friend/foe, effectively betraying Mobius and the rest of the TVA agents that put their faith in him. But then again, what were they expecting with the Prince of Lies? It appeared that (at least for now) there was a rift in that budding partnership. It should be noted, however, that Loki dropped a massive hint toward the beginning of the episode that there’s way more than meets the eye — he’s been “10 steps ahead” of the TVA, and he’s been playing a game of his own, all along.

Crossing our fingers that it ends up with Loki riding off into the sunset with Mobius on a jet ski.

#loki #loki series #loki spoilers #spoilers #loki series spoilers #tom hiddleston #variety #recap #S01 #E02

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scatteredinspirations · 3 years

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ABOUT SEBASTIAN: Was this mess all your creation? or did I just embrace temptation?

CHARACTER BASICS

FULL NAME: Sebastian Cade Archer

NICKNAME(S): Seb, Sebby, Archer

AGE: Twenty-Six

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cismale, He/Him

FACE CLAIM: Thomas Doherty

EYE COLOR: Blue

HAIR COLOR: Dark Brown

HEIGHT: 6′0″

WEIGHT: 169 lbs.

DATE OF BIRTH: June 7th, 1995

ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini

LEVEL OF EDUCATION: Bachelor of Music

LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English & Latin

HOGWARTS HOUSE: Slytherin

OCCUPATION: Musician

HOBBIES: Singing, Guitar, Drums, Darts, Poker, Smoking

HOMETOWN: Rockland, ME

NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown

FAMILY

MOTHER: Emilia Archer (née Sinclair)

FATHER: Michael Archer

LITTLE SISTER: tbd

CHARACTER HISTORY

Sebastian was the boy in the back of the classroom constantly tapping his fingers against the top of his desk. The class clown who had a secret brain hidden safely behind distracting blue eyes.

There wasn’t much to do in his small town in Maine, Sebastian picked up a guitar on his own when he was 9 years old, mastering songs by Nirvana and Alice in Chains. He couldn’t stop there, the passion for developing music was too strong to resist the urge to ask his parents for a drum kit.

By his 12th Christmas he got his wish, two years later his parents had enough of loud music at odd hours of the night and sound proofed the basement.

He spent most lunch periods multitasking between strumming chords and shoveling food in his mouth, little did he know that it’d bring him into his first band once he reached high school. The songs were flowing but Sebastian wasn’t ready to take the main mic, finding it better to stay in the shadows at the band’s drummer. The boy soon met Cheryl, their budding relationship landing the new woman in his life the lead singer spot in the boy’s band.

Bittersweet Surrender, the band he started at 15, kept him going throughout high school, school work soon becoming a chore though it never gave him much trouble other than the fact that it ate up his time for music.

They went bigger than the man could ever imagine at his young age, he graduated high school at 18 and was picked up by Ascendancy Records. Taking two years to build up a fan base with a few EPs it wasn’t long until sold out clubs turned into halls, from there they even landed themselves a stadium gig and world tour.

Things seemed too good to be true recording back to back records for five years, never having to take too much time off the road and constantly having opportunities to connect with fans and exploring his dreams. One night on the last night tour he was approached with an offer to liven up the party, it took some convincing but the man was ultimately swayed to have their after party go off with a bang and thus experimented with the mixing of cocaine, molly, and alcohol. He didn’t remember much from that night, most of it being drowned out by laughter, blurred vision, a quickened heart rate, and the shadow of a young producer trying to earn a name. Sebastian had his back against a wall, caught up in a heated moment as they traveled up to the safety of an upstairs bedroom. He was lost in desire, completely unaware that his phone had butt dialed Cheryl amidst all of the friction.

Sebastian came down from his high sometime the next morning, just in time to watch his entire world explode in front of his eyes. A clouded night tore the band he dedicated everything to apart as well as his long term relationship.

There was a release of one final album and goodbye concert to mark the end of his beloved band, but this was far from the end of Sebastian’s career — he wouldn’t allow it.

PRESENT DAY UPDATES

Most of his days are spent very low key, trying his best to keep attention away from himself.

To this day he still has loyal Bitter Surrender fans, people refusing to see him as the enemy and though he appreciates it Seb knows that he doesn’t deserve it.

Last year his manager hooked up with the deal of a lifetime, a new band and an opportunity to keep himself hidden from the public eye’s drama.

Sebastian became the secret lead singer and a public song writer to an up and coming pop punk band called Clairvoyance, a band that had it all but someone that had enough vocal range to take the center mic.

He usually did a lot of the background vocals for his old band, keeping his talents focused on drumming rather than the main point of focus but now that he had a chance to write music again — he was taking it. The band would go on to perform live, lip syncing along as Sebastian’s voice was what played. He hated lying to his fans, but it was all he could think of to have the best of both worlds.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Ex Girlfriend

Person he cheated on his Ex with

Hookups

FWB

Casual Drinking Buddies

Ex Bandmates

Current Bandmates

Bromance

Someone he met smoking outside during intermission at a concert

Fans/Followers of Band (either one)

Rivals

#sevenmiles.intro #&&. sebastian x about #drugs tw

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disasterbialert · 4 years

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So, I finished The Untamed and ok ok I think I have collected most of my thoughts about it. (I’m late, so I guess these thoughts don’t really matter, but I wanted to put them somewhere and here seemed like the place.) SO here’s a post absolutely NO ONE WANTS and imma do it anyway cool cool.

Firstly: love. This entire show is about love. Obviously other things too ok I’m simplifying for the sake of my point. But importantly it is about love. The love for our families, found, made and blood. The love of soulmates, romantic and platonic. The love of humanity, of the people known and unknown, love for them purely because they are human and are therefore deserving of love. The love inherent in honour and duty, the sacrifices made for that love. Loving someone—bravely, in the face of every adversity, despite being told it’s wrong. Learning to be true to that love, learning to love faithfully, learning to love, to show love, to be loved.

Bless the tireless translators. Y’all. The work you do is often thankless but y’all are so valued. Thank you.

The music. I actually don’t have the words for this, I can only thank the composers and musicians for the gifts they have blessed us with. My heart my heart my heart.

The costumes, set, props and cinematography are all so exquisite. I’m not an expert in any of these fields but I can see the care and detail paid to each facet of this show. What an absolute visual joy. Stunning.

And now, the characters.

I’ll start with the ladies. They deserved so much more. We deserved to have more than just one by the end, but I understand this wasn’t their story (still hurts tho).

Jiang Yanli. Proof that kindness is powerful. Her heart holds entire worlds. She is not weak (don’t even try me I swear to the gods). She holds her family together. She takes care of her siblings. She feeds their bodies and their souls. WWX is right—JZX does not deserve her but that’s because nobody does. But Jiang Yanli deserves to be happy, therefore her marriage to the Flower Peacock is valid purely bc it makes her happy. She stands up for what’s right, she will not compromise her morals, she will defend her family to her last breath (and so she does💔). She does not harden herself, she does not have to. Her patience and kindness, her softness, her gentleness—things that are seen as weaknesses or inferiorities—are what put her above all around her. She is gracious, she is strong, she is loving, she is determined, she is brave. She deserved better.

Wen Qing. A queen. A powerhouse. The most brilliant mind. A lightning-quick and sharp-bladed tongue. She loves Wen Ning so much and her love is powerful, just as Jiang Yanli’s. Her dedication and devotion to her people, her true family, not just a name, is incredible, inspiring. Why? Because she’s not perfect. So she learns. She grows. She becomes herself. When she’s at the Burial Mounds, she essentially adopts WWX as another younger brother, caring for him because she knows he won’t care for himself, and she does so out of love and respect. But she never replaces Jiang Yanli. She is keenly aware of all she perceives WWX loses because he aids them. Hence the pivotal, crucial: I’m sorry and thank you. She walks to what she knows is her own death with her head held high and her hand in her brother’s, offering love and support and what protection she can to the end. She does not flinch. She does not bow. She fights with all of her and surrenders with grace not reflected by those she surrenders to. Honestly I could write an entire thesis on Wen Qing but I’ll cry too hard so I’ll just leave it here that she deserved better, she deserved to live, she deserved to be free.

Mian Mian. Mian motherfucking Mian. Here is a woman who stares injustice full in the face and says no fucking way, says over my dead body, says you and what army old man. Strips the robes of the hypocritical off her own damn body, throws them at the feet of a false god and walks out, back straight, head held high. She makes her own way in the world, carves out her own life, finds love and happiness and lives. She does not compromise. She does not bow. She fights and she wins and she is glorious. And she lives she lives she lives.

Yu ZiYuan. I may be in the minority here but that’s ok. No I don’t approve of her abuse, just gonna nip that one in the bud right out of the gate. Was she fair? No. Was she cruel? Yes. Was she an incredible fighter who fought for her family, for her home? Who showed raw courage and furious strength in the face of insurmountable odds? Who loved a man with her whole bitter heart, loved her children with that same fractured heart? Was clearly the subject of spiteful rumour and vicious gossip and did not let it defeat her? Refused to bow to anyone? I do not like her, do not like how her bitterness made her cruel. But seeing her wield her blade, take wound after wound, witness the death of her love, then take her own blade and rob the monsters invading her home of the satisfaction of taking her life, took her own life with her own hands because that’s how she did everything in her life so why the fuck wouldn’t she do it in death too, who crawled her way to the man she loved, laced their fingers together so he wouldn’t die alone, so they could both die held? How can I not respect her.

Ok. The lads.

Jiang Cheng is a man-child idiot with the emotional expression range of a loquat, an inferiority complex the size of the moon and self-worth issues going back farther than the Big Bang, and I love him, ok? He loves so hard and so much and it is heartwrenching that he cannot communicate that. Some of his best moments are actually in the background, which is both funny and terribly sad. His rage is at times ridiculous, at times frustrating, at times all he has left, his joy is bright but brief, his grief is devastating. Watching JY greet WWX after the 3 months in the Burial Mounds. The entire temple scene. Crying on his knees. We were to be the Heroes of Yunmeng. Take care. Fuck me right in my feelings ok.

Wen Ning is so fucking precious and I would die for him for all eternity. What an absolute gift his character is. I honestly can’t write much more about him because I’ll cry. But special mentions to his interactions with A-Yuan/Lan SiZhui and the incredible scene where he reveals to Jiang Cheng the truth about his/WWX’s golden core. Unparalleled emotional intensity. The equal parts tenderness and fierceness of his love is breathtaking.

And the loves.

Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen. There is a lot of tragedy in The Untamed. There is great sadness in the main plot line and even in the small side plots. The Ballad of Song Lan and Xian Xingchen (as it’s come to be known in my head) is for me the most devastating and poignant. They just wanted to do good, to wander the world together and do their part to make it a better and safer place. It’s noble, yes, but it’s also so human, so close to home. Because we all want that, to know that we can do some good before we leave this world. They do not want to be involved in the petty squabbles, the undignified and cruel vying for power and dominance. They simply want to live and be. The fact that both of their deaths are pointless, could have been avoided, are the faults of poor timing and terrible terrible luck and cruel turns fate is almost what makes it sadder. Xue Yang screams that XXC is not better than him, that his righteousness and the righteous way he has attempted to live his life is all for naught. And then he is immediately proven wrong—XXC’s heartbreak means he can’t become XY’s puppet. SL is free from XY’s control and avenges himself and XXC. Which is also somehow just as devastating. That XXC and SL were so close, so very close to being together, to living, to making it, but didn’t. Nothing grand or heroic about their deaths—just the unknown and unpredictable nature of life. There is no rhyme or reason, no big important plan, no fate or destiny. They both simply die as we all one day will. And it is their potential cut short, the love and life they could’ve had, that hurts the most. They are not Lan Zhan and Wei Ying: they do not get their second chance, their reunion, their happily ever after. The look shared between SL and LWJ—the shared grief, the recognition, the understanding—and LWJ’s brief and unelaborated-on comment to WWX ‘how fortunate’ speaks volumes. How fortunate you came back/I found you/that’s not us when it could’ve been. That final shot of SL walking away and the brief out-of-focus moment of XXC walking beside him—particularly when it’s echoed with the parallel of WWX and LWJ—chokes me every time.

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan. Soulmates in every sense of the word. Their song. Their bunnies. Their child. The years they were robbed of. The yearning. The pining. The loyalty. The growth. The love the love the love. The loss the loss the loss. Every Lan Zhan. Every Wei Ying. Every glance. Every soft breath. Every gentle touch. The tenderness. The intimacy. The quiet acceptance. Their love story is one of the ages and, on a personal note as a queer person, what a gift it is to see a queer love story like this. (even when censored as a bromance, which like I mean, they tried but the glances alone are +9000 gay pining but whatever and yes I am making a joke because I’m crying don’t look at me)

TL;DR: I am so thankful The Untamed/CQL/MDZS and all of its adaptations (the source material included obvs) exists. I am so thankful to the writers, translators, casts, crews, creators. I am thankful for the community of fans that exist that love it as I do, who share that love and passion—whether through passionate discussion, rich fanfic or mind-blowing fanart. I am thankful I live in a time where content like this exists and can be shared. I learned a whole lot and I’m so grateful there aren’t even words. Love y’all. I’m gonna go be soft now. 💙

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