#there were some differences in ep 1 between what was aired and what was on the script

[dangermousie]

Eternal Brotherhood - season 2. Why you should get on the bandwagon

My most anticipated yet despaired of cdrama is about to drop its second and final season on Friday and I am here to convince you why you should watch.

Eternal Brotherhood is a criminally underrated low fantasy set in a quasi-feudal world which released its first 24 episodes last year - it was filmed at a go and was supposed to be 48 episodes as one drama but then the rules limiting ep count per season were set and the makers refused to cut, so they had to split it into two with a minimum of a year in between. The only reason part 1 was not my favorite drama of 2024, was because Joy of Life 2 and Fangs of Fortune also aired that year and narrowly edged it out.

It was a string budget (but incredibly gorgeous) labor of love starring actors who back then were not big names. Luckily for its airing prospects, both Yang Xuwen and Liu Yuning became a big deal after it was filmed so it was let out...

Anyway, why should you watch it? Other than gorgeous men in armor?

Eternal Brotherhood is gorgeous visually (it has some of the best cinematography I've ever seen) and has some of the best acting I've seen in a while, but it's also adult and dark in a way cdramas rarely commit to nowadays including in its politics and traumas. But it's not cynical - if there is one dram it makes me think of it's Novoland Eagle Flag in its recommitment to caring not despite but because of the darkness of the Universe. Keeping bonds is a form of rebellion.

What is it about? EB follows three very different but devoted sworn brothers and them trying to cope with a world at war and in turmoil.

Here are our PROTAGONISTS:

Zichuan Xiu (Yang Xuwen) - in a role that would have fit young Hu Ge, YXW is the definition of trauma sunshine. The baby of the siblings, Xiu drinks and jokes and cares about nothing - or does he? What hides under his demeanor is strong will, damaged but undestroyed idealism and so much damage there is no end of it. Xiu was adopted by the late city lord but after the latter was assassinated, he was sent to guard and fight on the border and acquired a lot of battle skills and even more trauma.

Di Lin (Liu Yuning) - the dad of the group. If your dad had a giant sword and was terrifying as fuck. Di Lin is the oldest brother; pretty much most of anything I would say would be spoilery, so all I am gonna say is Di Lin is dark and ruthless and acquires enough damage to rival Xiu's as season 1 progresses (though he bathes in blood, he yearns for peace), but he loves his brothers and his wife more than his life.

Si Yi Lin (Zhang Mingen) - the middle brother and a boyscout and sweetheart, SYL is a competent idealist who has not yet been damaged and his honor and his quiet decency are going to break my heart more and more as the narrative progress. You know that "cinnamon roll too good for this world too pure" meme? That's him only 6ft tall and hefting a giant spear.

The Ladies Who Love Them:

What are damaged knights in tarnished armor without ladies fair to make things better (or worse?)

Zichuan Ning (Li Mozhi) - the late city lord's biological daughter, she and Xiu grew up together and she's had a thing for him since the city lord brought a strange boy in for mysterious reasons. She is unabashed in adoration, sunny, and has no idea about Xiu's damage or complexities, neither does she truly understand politics and war (her uncle shelters her; whether for good or bad reasons you will form your own opinions as the drama progresses.) This a relationship that is doomed and shot through with longing. Xiu loves her desperately as the reminder of his happy childhood and happy world before it all fell apart; but he loves her precisely because she's sheltered and cannot comprehend his darkness - she's the keeper of his deepest traumas because he knows she won't understand. It all makes sense and it is all equally impossible - the very reasons he loves her are the reasons that they cannot work.

Lin Xiujia (Tao Luoyi) - if Di Lin is the dad of the group, his wife Xiujia is the mom. She is smart, strong, a domestic goddess and desperately refusing to acknowledge the darkness Di Lin wreaks outside their doors so she can stay in her peaceful garden paradise. Her character really shows the horrors of that type of world - the woman has a loving husband, no family issues, status, and yet it is so clear at any moment it can come crashing down and she can be held hostage or killed by her husband's enemies despite anything and everything in that dog eat dog world.

Ka Dan (Cai Zhuoyin) - a hostage princess of the enemy kingdom, she is ladylike, honorable and she and SYL have a gorgeous yet clearly doomed love affair. If you are sucker for princess x bodyguard, come right in.

OTHERS

Lord Ge and Lord Yang - two generals who used to be sworn brothers with the late city lord, now they are on opposite sides. Lord Ge is too honorable to really succeed and is Xiu's mentor. Lord Yang now rules the city as with current city lord (the brother of the murdered one) as the figurehead. The previous generation of sworn brothers and their endings does not promise much happiness for the paralleled younger generation.

The City Lord - the actor is amazing and the character is in the running for the most terrifying and hated character of 2024. To say more would be spoilers.

Bai Chuan - Xiu's most capable subordinate who I love because there is no hint of romantic feelings from her to Xiu or vice versa.

There is a bunch of others but my fingers are beginning to tire out so...

And in conclusion, I will leave you with this banger from the soundtrack:

[tinesleftnipple]

JITD Episode 9-10 (non-final) script synopsis

Episode 9

police team are reinvestigating and finding that there have been consistent missing cases of girls wearing flower pattern dresses in the past 8 years

pei su joins SID as an intern, just in time to assist in interrogating su ruowan

tao ze pokes at lwz about how he and pei su don't fight anymore. tao ze tells lwz to stop overthinking - pei su was just a kid, not everything he does has an ulterior motive

lwz says ps is not a kid anymore, and ps probably has a reason behind getting his intern position

(interrogation scene dialogue between ps and su ruowan seems to have been omitted)

ps and lwz head to find evidence in su lingnai's ash box. Inside they find her diary. The contents of the diary is pretty much the same as the novel

the diary does not mention how they dealt with the girls' bodies. ps deduces that they bury them somewhere they won't be found, and even if they are found, it would be a place no one cares about, in a barren land, in a bay, preferably a deserted piece of land in development

this hypothetical piece of land is the district 13 binhai location that ps saw in his self-hypnosis

also inside the diary are a stack of photos of all the victims from paparazzi pov

they find the apartment where the photos were taken. lwz interrogates xu dongyu. xu dongyu confesses he disposes the bodies in binhai. sid team arrives at binhai and find qu tong's remains

Episode 10

lwz talks to guo shinan - he didn't kill the wrong person. but guo shinan knows that by killing wu guangchuan, he unknowingly caused the killer to change their method, and all the missing girls' cases after could not be grouped into a single case

big boss spoilers, don't read this point if you don't want to know: fan siyuan and wang ruobing talk about getting into contact with pei su. fan siyuan says pei su will likely become his favorite student

pei su goes to lwz's place to feed yiguo/pingdiguo. flashback of traumatic memories with his dad

ps meeting with du jia. the binhai project asked for investment from pei corp through a 3rd party called the guangyao fund, which they've worked with consistently before. for some reason pei corp stopped funding guangyao after the binhai project. shortly after that, ps's dad got into the car accident

it's now evident fm 88.6 is related to the current cases. the group behind the reading app and the group of criminals are on opposing sides. ps: the enemy's enemy might be our friend

lwz goes to his teacher yang's grave to tell him the case is solved. he suspects the past couple of cases are related to pei su somehow.

the next day, sid team is fiddling around in lwz's office. there are 2 new interns joining the team: ps and yang xin (yang's daughter. this is dif from the novel)

team meeting and lwz makes digs at pei su moving in bringing kitchen appliances into his office, and about how they're going to see gory dead bodies

they're sitting in the office and lwz keeps stealing looks at pei su. they talk about left over threads of the lolita case

phone call of a car crash - zhou junmao (will probably change this name) is dead on junmao road.

they arrive on scene. lwz seems to know all the police there. pei su stands in the shadows watching, looking a little down and out of place

they arrive at zhou mansion. zhou huaixin, the younger son, falls into pei su crying.

lwz and pei su driving back. pei su explains the rumor that zhou junmao as an illegitimate son. zhou huaixin has to call the police and make it a big deal, because everyone thought malcolm and donalbain killed their father (macbeth).

lwz: you are an only child, so why is your relationship with your father so tense?

ps: can i see your hand? (here instead of kissing lwz's hand like in the novel, ps examines it. throughout the episodes there will be a number of callbacks to the scene of lwz putting his hand over ps's eyes)

ps: it's very hard to escape our blood and environment in which we were raised. (combined voiceover with scene of zhou huaijin, the other zhou son arriving at the airport, and also of pei su going home to his basement) Like the branches and leaves of a plant, your qualities can be trimmed any which way you desire, but deeper things that were exposed to you from when you had no concept of the world, those things will collect in your subconscious, in every abstract concept you've learned through mother tongue, all hidden away. you might not realize it, but they will encompass your entire life

[shiorimakibawrites]

Daredevil: Born Again Thoughts (spoilers)

Daredevil: Born Again Ep 1 & 2

Okay these are my thoughts on the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again. Spoilers below the cut. Do not click unless you don��t mind said spoilers.

(Gotta remember to save some Born Again gifs).

Still here? Okay, you were warned.

Pure Aesthetics

New show has a different feel than the OG. Not bad, just different. Not nearly as dark with the lighting but a lot has been taking place during daylight hours.

Beardy Matt is as hot as expected. The new glasses are growing on me. Through unless he has identical pair laying around, about to replaced anyway.

Matt leans toward the darker end of spectrum with his suits anyway but aside from some red ties, haven’t seen any light colors in his wardrobe. Even his at-home leisure clothing is dark. No more gray sweatpants it seems.

They have done some neat stuff with the lighting, painting Matt with red light at certain thematic places.

The first fight scene felt less grounded than before but I was also a little distracted during it. For the same reason Matt was. Second fight was very raw and brutal. Okay, the first fight was brutal too, just in a different way.

Plot had Matt saying ‘magical amulet’ in a completely serious way.

Lawyer! Matt. So much lawyer Matt.

Foggy’s Death

Okay, can’t delay taking about this any longer: As far anyone in the show knows, Foggy is dead. I’m hoping they are pulling Coulson here. It’s happened in the comics.

But not gonna lie, it was brutal. They kept intercutting what Matt heard - listening to Karen beg Foggy to hold on, help is coming, just hang on while hearing Foggy’s labored breathing. Labored, wet breathing. Not a doc or a nurse but I’d guess that Foggy was hit in the lung. Which meant he couldn’t even speak during his final moments. Then hearing Foggy’s heart go slower and slower, become irregular … all while I’m Matt going “No, no, no, Foggy, no.”

Even if this is fake out, fuck Dex. I hates him. I hates him forever. I know some people like him - and am not saying the character is badly written or acted - but I hate him. And I will never forgive him for this.

Matt’s pain - so much pain

Y’all, the way he screamed “Why?!” at Bullseye. There was so much raw agony in that single word.

And that Bullseye’s only response was to laugh? I would have fucking pushed him off that roof edge too.

That Bullseye somehow survived a fall from six stories doesn’t change the fact that Matt would have killed him. It was only sheer dumb luck. Suddenly Frank’s line from that teaser “They’re still breathing the same air as you…” … I can see how that conversation is gonna both deeply pain and enrage Matt.

Given that Matt withdrew long enough that Karen, battling her own grief and demons, had withdrawn too (all the way to San Francisco)... honestly kinda surprised that Matt didn’t kill himself. Wonder who had suicide watch until Matt decided that he had to make sure some good came out of this horror. Maybe Jerry (new character), maybe Sister Maggie (we don’t see her but it could have happened). Or both. Either way someone held Matt together during that critical time, maybe going “Hey, gotta get through the trial Matt. It’s the closest thing to justice that Foggy is gonna get…”

One year later and Matt is Fine. He promises. He has a nice apartment, a career, and everything. It’s fine.

It’s not fine. The new apartment while pretty is colder than the old place. The lighting is cooler - more blue, less yellow - than the loft. But I can see why Matt picked it - away from Hell’s Kitchen and all those memories. Well above the streets and the screams. Many floors between him and temptation.

Playing records or the radio to further drown out the screams. If he can’t hear it, he can pretend it’s not happening.

That he carries the memorial card from Foggy’s funeral everywhere he goes…Oh, Matty. And his victim impact statement at the sentencing hearing… it’s good but it’s so painful.

Very clear Survivor’s Guilt here.

And Matt seems more distant with his coworkers Kristen and Jerry. He’s friendly with them. Clearly cares about them. But he holds them at arm’s length. He jokes with Kristen, banters a bit, but it’s not chummy like it was with Foggy. Part of that is Kristen is a different person and he hasn’t known her anywhere near as long and still grieving… 

But I think a bigger part is that Matt doesn’t want to let anyone in that close again. Foggy’s murder gutted him in a way that only the deaths of Jack and Elektra have. And Matt knows how to recognize a pattern, thank you very much. 

Fundamentally, he just doesn’t want to hurt that badly again. And if no one ever gets that close to his heart? Well then, if (when) they die, it can’t destroy him like Foggy’s death did.

One of the trailer scenes has him in bed with Heather and even sleeping next to her, he’s distant. He’s not touching her. It’s her hand on his shoulder, from the other side of the bed. And it’s not because Matt doesn’t like her. He very clearly does in their on-screen interactions (that kiss was hot and sweet) but again, doesn’t want anyone getting so close to his heart again.

Seeing sparks of the old Matt under new Matt. The way he keeps gritting his teeth, barely holding onto his temper. Letting those two corrupt cops beat him. Until they pulled the gun, then brutually kicking their asses. Which I am interested in seeing how those cops are gonna try and spin this when they wake up. “You got beaten up by the blind lawyer? In some random guy’s apartment? A guy that Murdock claims is a witness. Care to explain officers?”

Side note: At least one of those cops as a Punisher style tattoo on their arm, where it would covered by clothing or a watch most of the time. It’s clearly a Punisher skull but there is some kind of design on the skill that isn’t part of Frank’s symbol…I know the tattoo is important because the camera focused on it. A clue that our beloved Devil doesn’t have since he can’t see the tattoo…

That scream at the end of Episode 2. Matty, you are so Not Fine. You have managed to stuff all that pain and anger into a little box labeled - Do No Open - but that never works. No matter how tightly you chain the box, it always opens eventually. 

New Characters

While I still hope to see our old friends again, I’m liking the new characters.

Kristen MacDuffie is a bit of a meddler but she means well and obviously cares. Dr. Heather Glenn is pretty, smart, and kind - could be good for Matt. If he actually opens up to her. Jerry, he’s a good egg.

Worried about Heather. Two guys in her book signing line gave off bad vibes. More overtly. But the second guy is from Fisk’s entourage I’m pretty sure but hide his British accent when getting his signed book.

Muse is supposed to be a new villain. Wonder if it is gonna be overtly creepy guy or that guy a red herring as he’s being telegraphed so strongly.

BB Ulrich is cute, smart, and go-getter. Remembers that the point of journalism is accuracy, telling truth to power. Ben would be proud of his niece, I think. Terrified maybe but proud.

Queenpin and Mayor Fisk

Vanessa seems to have settled into the role of crime lord pretty seamlessly.

Fisk is now the Mayor of New York. This can only end in tears.

Matt is right to be suspicious of Fisk’s new leaf. Vanessa might be technically running the show with the crime stuff and they have set up the campaign and public business as clean as whistle … he didn’t say stop criming, baby, just make sure none of it can be traced to me as Mayor candidate / actual mayor.

Okay, if I heard right, Vanessa had an affair.

And now, they are doing couples’ counseling with Heather. Again, this can only end in tears.

Diner Scene

So much tension.

Fisk says that he didn’t order a hit on Foggy. He kept that agreement. And I do believe him but because I am a deeply suspicious person I wonder if we can say the same about Vanessa. Granted Bullseye could have been operating purely on his own.

Oh Fisk, trying to threaten Matt with consequences if he takes up being a vigilante again? Foggy is dead. There is nothing you can do or take away from him that will hurt that badly. Threats are for people with something to lose. And while you could argue Matt does have stuff to lose…I don’t think he cares about those things to the same degree. And as demonstrated in the past, Matt can and will blow up his legal career if pushed badly enough.

Vigilantes

References made for Echo, The Punisher, Spider-Man.

White Tiger is Matt’s new client. Hector seems like an interesting guy.

People have noted that Daredevil has “disappeared”. Hector implies that he becoming White Tiger is connected “Someone has to do something and Daredevil ain’t around anymore.” (not an exact quote).

Okay, that’s all I’ve got so far.

[homosexualslug]

some highlights from the yellowjackets q&a I went to yesterday, hosted by pete chatmon (who is also the director of 306) and featuring the showrunners ashley lyle and bart nickerson, courtney eaton (teen lottie), warren kole (jeff), and jeff byrd (executive producer and also the director of Ep 203 and 305):

ashley & bart came up with the show a little randomly. since they're both husband & wife and a writing duo apparently they would pitch each other show ideas all the time that would go nowhere. ashley specifically remembers the idea of "plane crash, girl's soccer team, cannibalism" happening while they were sitting in a parked car. once they added the adult timeline to the idea, they both were sold on it. ashley liked the idea of doing "my so called life" meets "twin peaks"

the final show pitch was about 30 mins and pitched to several networks. ashley was so sure after the showtime pitch that it was a bust and that the exec didn't like it at all. It turned he was just squinting because he had the sun in his eyes from the window. also, apparently the exec who helped greenlight it is also the one who greenlit twin peaks so full circle moment for sure!

courtney eaton says she is an overthinker and talked about how the biggest challenge when it comes to playing lottie is to shut her brain off since 1) she wants to maintain that vague mystery where we're not sure what's going on with lottie whether it's real or supernatural and 2) since she knows so much about what happens to her in the future and adult timeline, she doesn’t want it to impact her performance too much.) When simone was cast the two went out for dinner to get to know each other to see what connections they could make between each other's portrayals

approving director's cuts of the episodes in season one was really hard since no one had seen the show or knew the tone yet. apparently ashley took an edible gummy before she reviewed every director's cut of an episode back then to help her get in the mindset (too real of her, tbh)

they tend to overshoot nowadays since they like being able to cherry-pick scenes, so some director's cuts of episodes can be 10-20 mins longer the aired version. 

apparently the simone & sammy scene was always intended to be that short, don't know if we'll be seeing much more or either of them the rest of this season either sadly

they do plan a lot of the foreshadowing but admit there are sometimes happy accidents. one of their favorite unintended foreshadowing moments someone pointed out online is that when liz phair's "supernova" plays in the pilot, we see jeff sneaking out of the house just as the line "walk in clouds of glitter" plays

the 306 episode filming went all night, until it was nearly morning. Courtney joked that all-night, on-location shoots help them get in the mindset of the yellowjackets (that they lose their minds a little after midnight) so she enjoys it. they talked about how different it is to shoot on-location too vs. on a soundstage like they did in season two with the cabin (soundstage is less muddy and gross, but also requires a lot more acting for the suspension of disbelief that they're still in the wilderness)

The s2 wrap gift from Courtney, Sophie and Steven was a deck of cards that said "fuck this cabin" on it lmao

the Repo Divorcees commercial in Ep 306 was a writer's room joke that came from the fact that they all watched trash reality TV. they had a day-long shoot for the commercial and even filmed an intro for the show, they got really into it

warren does adlib some jeff lines or deliveries. one last episode was the "are you sure?" after shauna tells him about lottie.

the danny mears guy (that lottie jokes dumped mari for their own cousin) was actually named after one of their producer's assistants and is a real guy. he didn't know about the joke until they aired the episode.

also I was NOT able to get good photos of them RIP, but at some point they had screenshots of the director's marked up 306 script onscreen:

[pensbridge]

This is going to be my only post I ever do THIS. It needs to be said (if even only for me). Be warned. (& I'm totally being a little funny & unserious with my words, but I also mean it). but really I just need to be so silly for a moment..

I've been in some fandoms and every fandom goes through this, but...There's no fandom on earth that quite literally walked in with no changes to the picture of the Community meme like the Bridgerton fandom. yayyy! we made history again We are the exact same picture, because it wasn't that bad! I can nearly guarantee you, people noticed the quality change, but it literally wasn't bad like you say! Some of us truly stumbled in here like wtf, and still haven't gotten the answer. Stumbling into Part 1..was stressful, but Part 2 was actual insanity!

like, I honestly don't think some people watched it all the way (i saw something about ppl finishing in 2 hours)! If they even went back, who knows?! But the takes are just literal fables!

I actually think the blind trolls coming back from the dead & thin air for part 1 have deluded some of you into thinking that part 1 was bad (it wasn't; it was good), and as a result made you think that part 2 was worse than it is. I totally respect your differing opinion, but you're wrong!

There are 2 real "issues" with this season and the other stuff is artificial grass.

#1 The lack of happy couple moments that get replaced by boring side plots (part 1 was actually enjoyable to me, but this one I actually almost fell asleep watching Benedict before I was awoken by his bi awakening). But to be frank, it's always been an ensemble, and I find it funny that people forget: People bitched about polin season 2; they bitched about Penelope since season 1.

The fact that they don't get a full episode 8 of being happy in love was criminal (but i will admit my wrong expectation, because this is Bridgerton (what else is there to expect, lol). However they are cute! Naysayers, deny it all you want, but they are literally perfect! They are literally a cute engaged couple, the moms including Lady Danbury cannot help but squeal over them, and the only thing holding them back is that this conflict is seemingly dragged on, BUT it doesn't even go on long! (perhaps it felt that way because there were only 4 in this batch of eps). And I get you can be upset, but stop the bullshit because "WE WERE ROBBED." You are lyyyyinnnnnggggg.

He finds out in 6! Anthony was with her sister for 6 eps ... Simon....avoided her til she had to make the move at the end. If we're including Queen Charlotte, George got the most cohesive story, but we'll chalk that priviledge up to the fact that he got only 6 eps; and also don't lie, the recycle-rinse-repeat episode was boring(!!!!) minus the last scene & the visitation of his trauma (u can disagree w/this, but I was bored the first time watching and didn't ask for the copy & paste same episode).

#2 is the pacing (really the last 1⅓-ish episodes is the problem)- because I wish they made up by the end of 7, which is really more of the same of what I said about them being happier in the final one. However, (which brings me to my point) if they'd shifted him finding out earlier... (again they only had 1 episode prior to do this in (because there was no way it was happening in part 1 even if the 2 part split never existed), ...it could have fixed most likely all of this: if everything was moved up an episode (+ they switched Cressida's reveal + Colin finding out), they'd be fighting in 7 but united for Cressida's lie, then they'd make up by the end, and they wouldn't still be struggling with differences between them in the first part of episode 8 at all, thus there would be the happy couple moments from my point #1.

And I newly realized how this aspect of polin's season arc compares to the others. The conflicts of the other 2 seasons have been more heavily external obstacles preventing them from really getting together, while visiting some internal demons later after the drama; but this season is pretty much just them with internal conflict between them (if not for all of part 1 then for the entirety of part 2! (i personally think that the Debling stuff is less love-trianglry than what they've done in the past & fr he is in 2 eps really and not even fully courting her for majority of it)! Enemies to lovers does have internal conflict between them in the beginning, but it's not something actually between them that's "preventing" them from riding into the sunset (other than fake fighting like they hate each lol i say w/love 4 the characters & E2L). But since Colin and Pen's conflict is actually her (Whistledown) it maybe feels like they are more at odds than what is truly going on under the surface. Because they are established to love each other already unlike the other couples, who you are seeing the journey and getting to the end. While Part 2, you are seeing the unraveling of an established couple even though the love is there and the only important reason you need to get how they can work it out. We won on complexity and realness harder than the people w/bad takes can fathom, they have to make stuff up!

The other (kind of related for some) stuff:

The sex scenes: I get it! They lied (lol)! I hope we get them! But we know why it's lacking; they're deleted scenes; they exist! But the carriage scene - HOT. The mirror - HOT. The 30 second scene (lol) - HOT. But again: K*nthony got 2 spicy scenes their season! S*phne got a montage but it kind of sucked looking back (i'm not seriously hating but you know that it was too much, literally even then i think ppl knew) but plz don't start the ship discourse again & PLZ DO BE LOUD ABOUT THESE SCENES THO, I NEED THEM (lol)

But the love confession.....sssssssss. There were so many!!! *that book one is not good, i'm sorry (i'm being lighthearted here; you can disagree w/it but I do kind of hatttte it!)

"They didn't include..." don't know if you know but the writers make the story. Their story is not the book. You knew what you jumped into. (you can be sad but..) [i am not touching the conversation on Fran. But if we're really being real that side shouldn't wanna be grouped w/the side of The Departeds who are forever the head of online harrassers....by - now causing official pages to disable their comments (you don't have to tell me it wasn't all of you. I know 😔). it's actually kind of funny how I did not know like 95% of the actual discourse those first couple days (and there's a lot of discourse to see). but, anyway my main concern this whole post are my top 2 mcs. [ps the Departeds I meant traveling; i'm not that mean]

The misinterpretation of Colin: if you hate him, then go away! Thnx 4 the record-breaking views!

The baby? Cheers to 2 years in the future w/baby No Name! *lol* I'm not gonna say you shouldn't be upset about the name. For me, it was fine, because I knew they'd be back for s4. Also, preparation guys, I doubt we will even see the child that much if Daphne is any indication.

This show has never been comparable to your favorite Oscar-worthy film (literally obviously!), but the show is not terrible like some very widely popular of what's out there (and i'm not even talking about bad shows that everyone knows are bad). There is some depth to the characters and some ingrained-trauma to living in a male-dominated society with no autonomy, and traumas to the men as well. Re: the choices and drama every season. It's... a drama show! People need to go re-read the fantasy books if they want happy, lack of conflict all the time (and men yanking their wives by the wrists)... Go read fanfic if you don't like the show and a certain couple. Bridgerton is escapism and in some crazy overtaking of loud voices in the fandom, this fandom has been one of the least escap-ist fandoms ever. Because people will be like "*suspending my disbelief*" every 2 secs, but ...babe that's not doing what you just said. There's embellished "Based on a True Story" documentary fans that do this better than you tbh (i'm being a lil funny here, but honestly)

And I simply need to say this, regardless that it won't change, I need the acknowledgment jokes and the mental cleanse. if u don't want to read × The fandom...bro. I'm not even upset, I actually laughed at some of this - like, there's 3 types of people:

#1 offended people responding to op posts, because they don't like what they said; lol, the hypocrisy! The amount of people in my comments in this past month alone if I said something positive...abt the show, abt the characters...anything (new posts, old post) is more hatred than ever ever. The good polin fans are sensitive, but any and every bad typists in the comments are so easily offended...over positivity. Why.are.you.bitter?

"I'm bitter cause.." I literally don't care

#2 people reblogging things they hate to say what they hate. thnx for the notes??? bro, some comments on other ppl's gifs (rants on what they didn't like, crying abt a character/why they hate a character, and sometimes it has nothing to do with the scene gifed).

#3 "I'm allowed to be upset." why are you fighting for this? You can! Go in peace. Some people had no issues with what you say, but you are fighting this because you are determined to make people agree with your negativity no less. If you cared about the courtesy (i know that you don't) you'd let some ppl bask in what they weren't disappointed in & were excited to end the journey with (*and i expect nothing from the haters, but some of this was coming from inside the house lol). The reason you were wrong for this is because YOU WERE WRONG! There are ppl that liked it. You have no control; I get it. dw i'm sure you'll be fine.

Anyway, if anyone even read this far, you rock 4 that. If you got it, we're healing from this dumpster fire together; and if this even made 1 person laugh or feel better, it's worth it. I'm actually good now but it was rough that first stepping into the chaos and I had so many thoughts at first, so i wrote a lot from the initial shock those moments, [and now i'm in the laughing about this bullshit phase] so if u get it u get it (and can maybe have a chuckle) >>> This is literally just your neighborly (if ur nice here) joke!post *we're laughing thru the pain* / w/e to you (if you're not because i need to & this stuff isn't new & that one goes for all divisions of the fandom not just the main contented one of this post)

[bl-bracket]

Since you are taking questions what would be your top 5 QLs? Or even just five you’d personally recommend?

oooo gosh I always get so indecisive with top lists and am always influenced by the things I have most recently watched but I'll try my best

Unfortunately, I still haven't seen a lot of gls yet. I've watched my fair share of gl mini series and started a few full length series, but unfortunately it seems like the gls I am most interested in like to air during the times I don't have time to watch dramas (I actually only just recently got to watch a couple dramas after a couple months of being too busy). There's a lot I need to catch up on still! So apologies in advance but this list is just going to be bls. Catch me in the summer and I'll hopefully have found the time to watch some gls that I really enjoy!

anyways

Word of Honor

This shouldn't be so much of a surprise if you have read the tags of any poll I've reblogged with any character from this show (especially Zhou Zishu). I binged the whole show in a matter of days (mind you, that 36 50min episodes). Even though the show is censored, I'd make the argument that it's still queer. Even if you took the show on absolute face value, Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing are committed to each other for life and their only wish is to spend the rest of their days together. Like it's still queer, even if they don't kiss.

Anyways, I have been obsessed with this show since day 1. I've since fallen in love with the wuxia genre. I also love characters who are objectively horrible people. And I love the dynamic between Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing. There's a reason I've read like the majority of the fics about them on ao3. This show has a grip on me that will not let go.

2. The Sign

This show also captivated me body and soul. I loved every minute of it. It's like they made a show that appeals specifically to me. Phaya and Tharn are two of my favorite characters of all time. Phaya especially in the earlier eps won my heart with just how down bad and horny he was for Tharn. The special episodes made me realize that my ideal tv show would be a like 50 episode detective drama about their crew where they do case of the week stuff interspersed with fantasy and magic powers and whatnot and with a bunch of phaya and tharn making out and having sex thrown in. Like I would eat that shit up. I need more of them badly.

3. See Your Love

This is a recent one that I just watched! I hopped on a little late, right before the finale, and I had so much fun! I loved how they handled Jiang Shaopeng's disability and they managed to stick the landing so well! I know some people had problems with other bits of the plot and how they were resolved, but honestly they got the most important part right, which is what matters (and I enjoy some messy plot points that don't make sense mixed into my dramas). I LOVED the side couple. Wang Xinjia my beloved kitten <3. Anyways I really hope we'll get a special episode (maybe of Yang Zixiang and Jiang Shoapeng's wedding?)

4. Love for Love's Sake

I watched this drama last spring in one sitting while incredibly sick and it broke me. My process with this drama went "oh it looks like there's a new high school kbl out! hmm those usually aren't my preference but I'll guess I'll check out it's mdl page" to "oh shit? it's an isekai story? now those I love. I guess I'll watch it while I'm sick at home!" to "I am emotionally devasted." Don't know what else to say other than this is probably my favorite kbl of all time.

5. My School President

I haven't rewatched this series in a bit, but it holds a very dear part in my heart. I usually don't vibe with the typical high school fluff shows, but this one was different. I don't know why lol. I think all of the plot stuff surrounding Chinchillaz really reminded me of some of my better experiences in high school, which made me come to appreciate the characters in a different light, cause I really felt like my teenage self would have had so much in common with them. Then the romances were also good. Soundwin is still up there in my favorite ql ships. Idk man this show just hit the right boxes for me. It feels very different to gmmtv's other school fluff shows and I love it very much.

[curio-queries]

Hi CQ, Thank you for your ask! I would also like to keep this conversation going as it tickles my brain in the most delightful way.

My question is kind of circling back to your comment about the use of Go-Pro's going forward when it comes to BTS content. It's such an easy way to add a very personal and up close pov to the scenes. YET, I feel like the scaled down crew of AYS and the use of Go-Pro's and especially the lack of attention to the audio has led to some pretty egregious technical setbacks. From choppy audio to a lack of proper coverage in certain scenes. This leads to an edit that has to cover a lot of potholes, so to speak. Do you think this is purely due to the intimate nature of AYS (less crew means more comfort for jikook, easier travel in between locations) or something else? Where's that Disney money 😩😩😩?

Hi Sol, I'm loving our exchanges, so thank you for keeping it going and sending me such an interesting prompt! I definitely had to think about this one a little bit to find how to encapsulate my thoughts.

The short answer is, I think this all just speaks to how the BTS production team is approaching experimental content and the financing required for such projects. Some comparables would be Suchwita and Jin's Alcohol Journey.

Let's start with Jin's show first.

(For anyone that hasn't watched it, I highly recommend. I don't drink but I still found it fascinating.) This is a 4 part episodic show that followed Jin as he learned about and made his own batch of a traditional drink. This show was a collaboration with Chef Baek Jong-won.

Personally, I feel this show was a success. Definitely leaned into more traditional filmmaking and storytelling (appropriately given the subject matter) and was a little more heavy-handed with the promo of Jin's solo music. In my opinion, this will lean the content to feeling more dated than it truly is but that may give us a hint as to how it was funded. There weren't any blatant sponsorships aside from the partnership with Chef Baek so it could have been reconciled as part of the promotions for The Astronaut. Wooteo is pretty prevalent in the show and it aired in the midst of the promo content.

I don't remember when the deal with Disney started to become known but I don't recall anyone in my circles angry that it wasn't getting the Disney release. (Could have been happening but I really limit where I spend my time engaging in social media so maybe that's on me for not being aware. Does anyone here remember if this was an issue?)

Now, let's move on to Suchwita.

(Disregard the quote on the above gif, I couldn't find a different one from the first ep.)

If you watch the first episode, it's on a different set and aired about a month before ep 2. When ep 3 airs, they first make it very clear that the show 'survived'. This is what leads me to believe that episode 1 was filmed on speculation. They could use that as a proof-of-concept to shop the show around to brands to secure more long-term funding. Suchwita's main focus as a show in the current events space is very focused on the guest's current projects and promotions.

Getting back to AYS,

We're far enough into the show that I believe we can rule out album promotions as being a financial driver. Not only because most of the member's songs that even make an appearance in the show were long-ago released but the manner in which they were incorporated is indicative as well. They're really only mentioned in the context of bringing us into the member's lives and sharing in the joy they have for eachother's work. (Also hopefully satisfying those fans that only ask the members to mention other member's songs when one of them would livestream...but that's a subject for another day.)

I think there's a strong possibility that the US eps were filmed on speculation as well. That there was no guarantee of a Disney release at the time. Just like the other shows, they knew they knew they could release on their own if Disney decided to pass so the footage definitely wouldn't be wasted. But I believe that's why the scope of the show seems vaguely undefined during eps 1&2.

Everything else that we've been discussing regarding production honestly seems within the typical scope of BTS's content under similar circumstances. Yes, there is plenty of room for improvement, but it's far from the worst show BTS has ever produced. I think one of the points that makes ppl think it's worse than it is is the management of expectations. I mentioned this in my review of Jimin's Production Diary but if we approach that show expecting that we're going to get detailed breakdown of all of the steps to create an album, we'll be very disappointed. Likewise, AYS is not a detailed vlog of how our members spent their time in these mini vacations.

One last thought,

BTS is not really given the space to experiment and explore. True experimentation requires space for failure, realignment, and growth. And that's just not something BTS has been granted the luxury of. There is such EXPECTATION with everything they release. Everything HAS to be success. That's one of the reasons I was so thrilled to hear RM had performed an unreleased song at the D-DAY concert. Crowdworking new material at concerts was a staple of tourning bands in the west and it helps bands get such critical live feedback DURING the creative process. Now, I don't think that was necessarily the goal with RMs performance but it's so lovely to see him able to even take a step in that direction. Such a thing woukd have been completely unheard of years prior. Fans (likely still) would have been clamoring about being led astray if the song changed drastically after that performance.

Anyway, I could very easily be completely wrong about all of this so let's all take it with a huge grain of salt.

[glorious-sunset]

LBFAD Reflections – Index

Like many LBFAD (Love between Fairy and Devil) viewers, I was amazed by the complexity of the plot, just begging for a rewatch! As I began slowly rewatching it, many new things became clear, such as, what were characters actually thinking, now that we knew their backstory? Often their thoughts didn’t match their words. What was happening between scenes, since the fast pace meant that a lot was happening off-screen? Some of the smallest actions and plot developments now had so much deep meaning! And many parallels became clear between events of different episodes and different character arcs.

Rewatching LBFAD, I had so many mental notes in my head on all of these, that I thought I should put them into words. Indulging my love of writing, I wrote my reflections and insights on each episode into a story format and found my favourite set of screenshots from each episode to complement them. I also described my insights on the series overall in separate articles. These may be interesting to others wanting to reminisce on the multidimensional characters and engaging plotlines of this most inspiring series!

This post is a table of contents to each of my LBFAD articles and episode reflections. None of them are spoiler-free. My reflections on ep. 3 onwards are story-like, while eps 1 and 2 are more scene-setting. The links to each post are on their titles.

Location Names in LBFAD – Meaning and Significance

For English viewers, some of the location names in LBFAD are given in Mandarin. However, the meanings of these names have deep significance that are lost in translation! Here are my translations and interpretations of these meanings.

Character Names in LBFAD – Meaning and Significance

What’s in a name? For the characters of LBFAD, a whole lot of hidden meanings! These are not apparent to English viewers. Here are my translations and interpretations of these meanings.

How Immortals age in cdramas - clues from LBFAD

How does ageing work for these lucky immortals in terms of human appearance? LBFAD gives us a few clues about this mysterious process!

LBFAD Artwork Hidden Meanings - Opening Artwork | Closing Artwork Part 1 | Part 2

The created artworks used for LBFAD are unique and have many hidden layers of meaning! Here are my interpretations of these stunning works of art.

Episode 1

Changheng’s destiny leaf has unexpectedly changed – but the destinies of high gods are supposed to be very stable! His destiny changed because of DFQC's actions. In the last episode of the series DFQC changes XLH’s destiny as well. This is great foreshadowing! And it highlights DFQC’s unique tendency to break nature’s laws time and time again!

Episode 2

“Don’t forget, your body is in benzuo’s (this seat of power’s) hands now”.

XLH, mocking his self-address, angrily retorts that “ben gu niang (this girl) is going to make you bald now!” The moment she angrily starts tugging at her hair is when he first notices the effect of the one-heart curse she cast on him, which causes him phantom physical pain even when body-swapped!

Episode 3

How could such a weak and pathetic creature, who can’t even protect herself, have cursed him, the most powerful being in the three realms?! No wonder he would “very very very very much like to kill” her. The fact that he can’t is tremendously frustrating and he is boiling inside.

Episode 4

XLH has now upgraded her nickname for him from the insulting “little celestial criminal” to “Big Qiang” (Da Qiang), the transition from little to big reflecting the growth of her regard for him. She affectionately calls him Da Qiang from now on. His nickname for her, “Xiao Hua Yao”, little flower demon, is his appraising way of calling her a wicked little flower, or a flower with thorns.

Episode 5

DFQC has many enemies who scheme behind his back and want to kill him, is aware of Shiyuntian’s unflattering propaganda around him, and never gave these insults a second thought. But when XLH says that “even the air becomes clearer” without him around, it is like a sharp stab to his gut. When even the thoughts of the mightiest kings don’t bother him, why should the words of an inconsequential little flower?!

Episode 6

Yunzhong carefully eavesdrops on their every exchange. He is not unsympathetic to Changheng’s plight. As a member of the ruling family, Yunzhong himself had to sacrifice the love of his life to fulfil his responsibilities. That is why he allowed CH to keep the handkerchief of his love as a memento, on the strict understanding that his duties must always come first.

Episode 7

As they sit down to tea together in their usual idyllic alcove, XLH reminisces about the joyful memories they have created together over the past ten days or so. Just yesterday, during one of their regular teatime chats, she had happily recounted to him how she had seen snow fall in Haishi for the first time recently. To her delight, he had created snow around Arbiter Hall for her, and a little campfire to warm themselves by as they watched the falling snowdrifts together.

Episode 8

DFQC roughly brushes a tear from XLH’s cheek and we see that the greenhouse flowers are in bloom! They are linked to XLH’s mood, so despite Changheng smashing her dreams, DFQC’s efforts to comfort her have had a far greater impact, and she is now happy.

LBFAD is the most inspiring series I have ever watched and here is why…

…Aesthetically, I found the beautiful 4K production quality as enjoyable as high-budget productions such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. …Every single character of note in the series goes through profound character growth, the only exception being the abstract ultimate villain Taisui��.

All of my LBFAD articles can also be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked).

More LBFAD articles and episode reviews to follow!

[sash2332]

Exploring Music - Episode 1: Thatorchia

Thatorchia, a word that is yet to exist in the English dictionary, can be described as many things to each individual. What I connect the word to may differ vastly from what my mother, best friend or the random girl I met in the club bathroom feels.

Thatorchia is the 8th track on Ethel Cain's dark ambience album Perverts and is often undermined by its more palatable sister songs such as Punish & Amber Waves. Hayden(Ethel Cain) has described the meaning of the word to be:

"The bitter acceptance of the knowledge that god will let you near but he won’t let you stay"

To the individual, this may seem like a straightforward and somewhat understandable description however, as an avid fan of her work, I know that this reference to God is much more complicated and in-depth than one could guess. Hayden's work often looks into the darker sides of modern-day religion and the various traumas many suffer at the hands of religious figures. Acknowledging that an all-mighty and powerful deity that encapsulates a vast majority of Religion in the contemporary world would not typically be the saviour some people expect is what I see most from this definition. Why would a presence with a higher power and control over entire populations not have disdain towards a lesser being getting too close? The acceptance of this difference is when an interconnected relationship between god and humans is possible. Knowing that one will always be inferior and, in many ways, lesser. I do not and have never had a close relationship with any sort of deity described to me throughout adolescence and my young adult years, so I can not fully comprehend the misery some experience to truly come to terms with their "divine creator" and find complete faith.

Looking away from the metaphorical aspects of the song and rather into the production and soundscapes instead, there is much more to dive into. As mentioned before, the project Perverts is typically described as a dark ambient album with aspects such as drone sounds, haunting backing vocals, and constantly evolving soundscapes. Thatorchia, an instrumental track, was mentioned as the track Hayden was most excited for her fans to hear. This piece has not gained the traction it deserves, and that's all I can say with confidence. From the first listen, I was immediately hooked and understood the placement of this song on the EP. Previously, in Etienne, listeners were guided down a path of soft piano chords with an eerie yet comforting presence throughout. However, the second Thatorchia commences, you know that you are being pulled far from comfort and instead thrown into what only I can describe as an everlasting void lacking any sort of hope. The production reminds me a lot of a broken sort of sound that would arise from faulty air conditioning or a factory machine that hasn't been tended to for many years. This continued sound slowly adds layers that can be heard clearly as the song progresses. It almost feels as if adlibs were used but not of the vocal type and instead of the instrumental. This deep layering makes for a dark and sensual sound that, in addition to possibly scaring the listener, can act as an emotionally resonant sound. Finally, a soft vocal that slowly progresses into the main focus of the song builds. These vocals are not that of a lyrical nature and instead, to me, feel like a constant gasp for air with the prospect of demise quickly approaching. The despair heard in her voice continues to establish itself until a sudden drop in the already encapsulating instrumental occurs. This drop is what allowed this piece to quickly become one of my favourites due to its sudden switch. This switch can be recognised as the moment one finds oneself too far gone and could almost relate back to the idea of getting close to a God yet not being able to reach that same level of power.

Thatorchia, interpretive to many and highly haunting to most has established itself as one of the greatest instrumental tracks to come about in recent years and as an ambient music fan, this is no easy feat with artists such as Aphex Twin holding the top position for a long time.

Thank you for reading if you got this far. For more music analysis and personal thoughts towards songs, Follow me<3

[thatsparrow]

can’t imagine the watcher decision wasn’t informed by the success of dropout, a streaming service I and many other people happily pay for, but this news undeniably feels like a disappointment in comparison, and am trying to articulate why:

1. amount of content. I can’t speak to when dropout first launched (I think I started subscribing late 2019?), but I know that when I joined, it already felt like there was an enormous backlog of series to explore—not to mention the amount that was also uploaded to youtube, albeit on a delay (I know I watched at least the first half of fantasy high s1 on youtube, if not the whole thing, and by the time I signed up for dropout, there was also s1 of unsleeping city, bloodkeep, tiny heist on the horizon, and s2 of fantasy high currently live streaming. not to mention the number of full episodes they'd uploaded to youtube of um actually, game changer, breaking news, etc. and how much more was then available on dropout)

I don't know what conversations were happening behind the scenes at dropout, I don't know in real-time what was subscriber-only and what was getting uploaded to youtube, or what the breakdown was of series getting created and solely released on dropout in comparison to content they were releasing for free. all I know is that when I heard about d20 and wanted to check it out, I was able to watch a good chunk via youtube, enough to know that I wanted more, and also to know that dropout had a whole lot else to offer that I was also curious about.

so that's one of the things that feels immediately different about the watcher announcement. they're teasing new series that will be available, but for the moment, it seems like everything that will currently be on the new platform is already available for free on youtube (to clarify, because there's been a lot of confusion on this front, they are not deleting their old content off youtube. all those videos are staying there). there's also a question of release schedule — are they talking about weekly episode releases of one season airing at a time, as was their youtube model, with stretches in between? I guess I come back to, if you're trying to go subscriber-only going forward (with the caveat that the first ep of a season will also get released on youtube, and also with the caveat that obviously dropout had to reach a certain level of success before it was able to release content at the volume, consistency and quality it does now), are you creating enough to justify the sort of wholesale transition they seem to be implementing? i'm not sure the answer is yes

2. paying/supporting artists. no one's arguing that you shouldn't pay or support artists, and there are incredibly valid critiques of how youtube hamstrings creativity and the issues with being beholden to advertisers. more creative freedom is a good thing. more independent artists is a good thing.

that said, it feels like there's a disconnect between what supporters are looking for from where there money is going and how watcher wants to spend it. the video really emphasized wanting to make tv-quality productions, and that they feel like they've hit a ceiling with the youtube business model in terms of achieving that aim, but are watcher fans looking for tv-quality productions? of the new series they mentioned, travel seemed like a pretty big element, which is obviously expensive. I think of new shows released on dropout, and they've clearly got solid production value behind them, but they're also still all filmed on a set (it's 3am in a warehouse!!) — even ambitious and expensive episodes of game changer are still basically shot in the same set of rooms, with the stakes raised from there (the escape room ep, bingo, etc.)

look, I don't work in digital media, and so I don't have a sense of what it costs to put on a show, but I can't help but look at some of watcher's stated ambitions that clearly need to have a significant budget behind them vs something like too many spirits (something I have to imagine has to cost a lot less, but which is just as enjoyable to watch) and wonder if part of the backlash has to do with how it feels like their current revenue is being spent/prioritized

and maybe the problem is that there's just a fundamental disconnect between the kinds of shows watcher wants to make, and what their audience is looking for, but if that's the case, it doesn't feel like moving to a subscriber-only system is the solution

[laylawatermelon]

The K-Drama Of It All

Hello! My hyper fixation has (very unhealthily) latched onto this show so I'm gonna be analyzing.

First of all, I am a veteran in these spaces.

Very shy in real life I am an avid observer in all my fandoms but TRUST I know what's up at all times because of it.

This first analysis will be of the phenomenon of how they playing in my face with the classic K-Drama tropes and cinematic choices.

Let us begin.

Now we all agree that The Bear is a cinematic masterpiece right? Right.

I have been consuming media across all mediums since I was a kid.

I quite literally spent most of my life watching behind the scenes, in front of the scenes, and in between the scenes.

I'm also an aspiring filmmaker and screenwriter. As such I analyze stuff I like more.

I try to understand why they are the way they are.

Now that we got all the fluff out of the way let's get down to the nitty gritty.

*stands on soapbox*

Page 1 of 10000 ehem

In this this essay I will -!

Fr tho. Let's look at this from a K-Drama perspective.

I've spent about 10-12/13 years watching them. And luckily got into it during the golden era.

I literally watched She Was Pretty air (among others). Ex, Strong Woman, Descendants of the Sun (never watched; controversy+ bad attention span), School 2013.

So you know I'm (somewhat) of an og.

I'm those shows it's very formulaic.

This can extend to other Asian dramas but I'm going to try to stick to K-Dramas.

For example, the 10 ep rule. Must have a kiss or kiss in that episode. (Before is fine)

Now they're getting a little willy nilly and getting down in the first EP but I can argue they was down bad back then as well. Just more angsty longing looks.

(which tbf Sydcarm does all the time but it's 99% Carm though)

In KDramas there's something common in the cinematography that I'd call the halo of light. Almost all the time there are some form of beauty shots with them beautifully lit where they're together, the way they look at each other etc.

Which ironically they do with these two a lot on the show.

I know the show is gorgeous but you can't just explain away some of the choices.

I have watched and read a lot of discussions so this will be influenced by a lot of people. I will mention when I got the help from (if i can find it).

Now I just want to say I think this.

These following trope have been here since the dawn of K-Drama time.

Enjoy my infodump.

Firstly let's discuss this here:

1. The Meet Cute/Halo Effect

We've all been screaming to the void about the classic meet cute that happens with Carmy's life and him being constantly bombarded with noise and chaos.

Stylistically this wouldn't be a typical formula for K-Dramas as it leans more into Kmovie style (which valid The Bear was originally a movie) I think it's as textbook as it comes.

Now the original script (which I have read) had a story of different tone. Very Chicago and chaotic but still...

In this iteration of the script idk what the actors were on but JAW looked at the script and chemistry test and was like hmm yes.

A dramatic romcom. I see.

For her she's an ambitious woman who has (maybe a tiny crush) admiration for him cause like he's literally who she wants to be.

Young, talented and successful. He's made a name in their industry so of course she wants to work under him.

But he he's playing the male lead in an early K-Drama with the classic *she enters* and it's like the second coming out Christ being lit from behind her.

The classic 'I can't believe I never noticed how beautiful she is' in all dramas (and romcoms honestly).

You can also compare it to the corny slightly funny moments in slow motion when they miss each other/do the angsty look.

Like this.

Good old kdrama tropes.

What's interesting is that in their scene they do the opposite of what a K-Drama would usually do. They cut the music and let it become calm.

You get to breathe and relax and so does he. He feels at peace.

In K-Dramas, osts are a kind of a life line so they would most likely blare it when he has that realization.

And then at every other romantic moment after.

Another way that it could be is by using very like calm music (still the ost but still).

They do use this with having mostly romantic music in their scenes but it's usually quiet and a bit hard to hear or understand (unless you're analyzing like many of the wonderful people on this app).

Now you can argue her warm lighting in each scene from the finale and introduction represents his hope/life/good change being given back to him in the form of her (but if that's not the most romantic thing I ever heard).

Now for the flashback in the panic attack scene you could argue the blue tone he sees her in, as it usually represents some kind of sadness/distance/professionalism in this show, it can also represent his piercing blue eyes remembering her in the only shade they know how.

Good God that color grading is nuts. His eyes *ARE* the color Blue.

Now I want to talk a bit more about shot composition, color grading and color choices.

In a few interviews I've seen and read the editors, directors and others were quite serious about the shots and music they used were very much on purpose.

I mean come on.

Also Announcement from a novel/screenwriter:

EHEM

WE DON'T EVER INCLUDE NOTHING THAT CAN BE MISINTERPRETED IN SCRIPTS!

AND THE DIRECTOR WOULD DEFINITELY CUT IT IF IT WASN'T HOW HE ENVISIONED IT!

(/hj)

The most telling scenes is the beginning of omlette and the end of the episode before it.

The director had chose to show her tattoo that represents loss in a deep blue lighting which was actually in a similar lighting that Carmy and Claire were bathed in afterwards.

The quora search says it means pain, heartbreak, and emotional turmoil.

It also lines up with the rest of the shots with him preparing dinner with Claire and her being alone.

I believe this kind of represents the emotional cheating (?) going on between them as he practically abandoned her (and their child, The Bear).

(which is a wild choice for platonic coworkers)

As I've said before blue lighting is usually representative of sadness, coldness etc.

In the scene personally even without connecting it to shipping or everything the message came clear to me.

Suffocation.

He was quite literally being suffocated as in the last scene her body was on his as he stared in the distance blankly.

Honestly that shot was kind of heartbreaking because it feels like coercion in a warped way.

He feels like he should be happy, he should participate in these acts, he should be doing well.

He's fulfilling his family's wish.

So why isn't he happy?

That's my writer kicking in but that's what I got from it.

🥲 (gimme a sec i gotta cry)

But the same blue tone was used in his panic attack as the camera zoomed in.

Now the ironic part was that they used warm lighting for the scenes with Claire, but it's not that unusual.

Warm lighting has always been used to also represent a time period in the past in addition to good/warm times.

What's ironic is what's literally colored in what should represent good times isn't working.

He's remembering his family in those same tones. The past isn't helping.

But the future does.

Enter Sydney in blue.

Now blue usually represents sadness (or calm) but it's also used in futuristic scenes.

*They benefit from the cold clinical look i guess🤷🏾‍♀️*

Then he becomes calm.

I can also say that their kitchen scenes in early season 2 are blue coded but it has a calm feeling not a distant feeling. It ironically feel warm and calming despite the cool tone.

This appears in a couple other scenes in the show when he's showing her the work done in the early season.

But color wise it's usually warm tones with them as the color kind of transitions in that scene. It's half half.

His view is warm because he thinks she's good with what he did and hers is cold because he ditched her so yeah.

Now shot wise let's discuss because it's a bit obvious.

The staff head mentioned loving close ups to show the characters emotion but also to convey a sense of what's not being said.

An example of his uncertainty with Claire is the car scene. In most of his shots it's extremely close to her and gives off an awkward vibe.

But when you go to her perspective, she's more open and his shots show background and more of his character, also reflecting their relationship with each other,

This persists with the kitchen scene as well.

When I rewatch it it has that same quality. It's a bit more pulled out (obviously as they literally spent the night together so anyone would feel closer) but there's still an awkward/dreamlike feel like when its on her like she's not quite based in reality.

Or in Carmy's self sabotaging view, too good to be true.

In comparison to Sydney, the shots with her are almost always wide and open.

We see it with them as early in season one with the outside scene where he's staring her down and gets her to open up.

You can argue that almost all of their shots are as equals, or in the same frame with an openness that have/represents when they're communicating with each other. (I'm def writing about their communication)

Sydney's character is ironically what a male lead would be like and Carmy would be more of the female archetype.

Which I really appreciate now that I think about it.

The male lead is usually very successful/good at what they do, hesitant to share but when they do you feel it and know it's sincere. They're usually more bumbly with expressing when they're emotional but when they do its like a huge release. And when they love it's very obvious and excessive at times.

In comparison, Carmy is very expressive, sensitive and aware. He's devoted (Claire sorry but you don't quite count) to things he's passionate about, willing to communicate and has traits of sensitivity.

His eyes and body tells what he's feeling almost immediately. (Also JAW is just an incredible actor)

In Kdrama land their roles would be switched. Hell I can argue some American dramas as well.

Back on topic though.

The Halo Effect is there. Like all the time.

To my next point-

2. The She Looks Away, I Look At Her

Now you may argue this is very Disney Rapunzel, all that coded.

You will also be correct.

I am a Disney (more Nick honestly) kid.

This too applies to the K-Drama world nay I would say it originated there (it did not).

Do you know how many shows I can name where the male lead is just hopelessly in awe as he stared at the female lead because she just insulted him and he wants to tell her he loves her in every way.

Ring ring.

I heard The Bear calling. Yeah imma need you to clock out on this gaslighting.

time to fangirl

Look at the gif sets!

But honestly, it's a common way to show that the character cares and wants a person without outright saying it.

You understand the vibes almost instantly.

He likes her. He wants more.

She likes him. She wants more.

3. Matching Clothes

This one is a simple one but we all know how common it is in K-Dramas to have a matching something.

A good example of a recent show is Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and how they almost always matched even if he was in casual clothing and she was in office clothes.

You're supposed to get a telepathy feel from them. Like they're on the same wavelength.

In ships/shows they usually subconsciously brainwash you into details of a relationship by having them wear or have something that reminds you of them.

In wardrobe, clothing is meticulously planned to match characters financial situation and express their personality. The clothes tell the story.

And the story usually is we go together. Real bad.

So yeah, sure in this scene/episode they were more in tune and tandem and as time went on they became more disjointed.

Granted they do work in a place with uniforms but I digress.

And lastly my third point part II-

Same But Different

If this were a kdrama there'd be like 0.00% chance that they WOULDN'T happen.

First they're the main leads so duh, and second the way that they parallel each other is insane.

There are many edits and examples of them directly mirroring each other in certain situations.

Scrubbing the floors when feeling lonely seemingly in the exact same spot, stressing in the freezer, saying stuff at the same time and their weird telepathy and answering each other's - sandwiches (that's what I was gonna say).

(sorry)

And if any of you say work wife I will rage cause let me catch my man laying under a table like that!!!

Sparta!

But for real, yes there's intimacy and friendship and all that but I ain't everr look at my friends of either gender like that.

If did I probably had feelings and just kept em in. And did the Carmy puppy eyes (TM).

And yes we are aware Carmy is emotionally constipated like a coke bottle filled with mentos with a tight cap on and his lack of a social life coupled with his (many) different mental illnesses/difficulties.

So he probably doesn't even recognize or even want to recognize them as such and honestly as a 4 lifer

I'm really sad but I don't think he'll confess in the next season.

I'm making a post about it but I'm also uncertain about it lasting more than three seasons as thematically and the way it was intended to be a movie I feel kind of uncertain.

It can extend to 4 but it was intended and the way it's narratively been flowing its exactly like a 3 act structure just spread out (like butter).

The next season is after the dark of night aka main character loses everything.

This season was fun and games - quite literally him having amusement and such. (Training Arc!!) It ended with his demise I'd say.

Now there's no where to go but up.

I'm not saying that it's impossible, but a 4th season would likely be more aimed toward getting a star or maintaining a star etc and family ties and such.

That'd be most likely when, if any, outwardly romantic contact should happen.

But they might surprise me.

Butt honestly in KDrama land there's no way the set up isn't romantic even if it was just a chef or professional focused show.

I'd say it'd be standard honestly for ones focused on career with a dash of romance.

Ex. Miss Hammurabi (best example)

The Good Doctor (Japanese Version)

There's probably more but I exclusively watch romance so 🤷🏾‍♀️.

In Conclusion,

Yes. They are end game.

I also wanna say how odd it is that this ship is attacked by fans of the show and non fans alike because I've literally grew up in the age of Rise of The Brave Tangled Guardians.

There's nothing more random than that time period.

They all dated each other!

Like my guy there's a Tony the Tiger x Grinch fic and don't even get me started on the Onceler selfcest as different flavors of himself (/j i love stuff like this)!

My point is it's not that unusual for the two leads to be shipped. Same gender or not.

I also have years of teenage brain rot developed from eating movies for breakfast so I know more than you! (/hj) I'm obviously right!

I will be discussing some more of this in length at a later date.

But I rest my case.

I will retreat into my cave until next time.

[hockeyisforthegays]

If you are able to answer this without spoilers I was wondering siq, since you started the fic before reading the manga and certainly before the manga finished, did your plans for heroine change at all after reading the manga? I sometimes wonder if how foggy shibuya into post shibuya is for yuuji was your way of being able to adapt to cannon?

i would say my plans were tweaked but not really "changed" (anything i would call a "change" has only come about through like. the writing process and seeing what actions characters take??). ive incorporated more lore from the manga, and ive also had to figure out how to like, apply my fix-it wand to the culling games and not just star plasma vessel ykwim

giving yuuji amnesia i think was a move that added some flexibility, but i also had the idea that i am now committed to at the time i introduced it - i just wasn't ready to say that This Is For Sure What I'm Going With. the amnesia was a way for me to stall and build it up as i decided. and i think it's for the better, 'cause now having that idea be a ~mystery~ element has been way more fun than just expositing it from the beginning. (pro tip for writing mysteries i learned through this: your red herrings are better red herrings if you treat each one as a legitimate 'ripcord plot'. i was worried that the idea i had in my heart of hearts would be... Too Much, if i couldn't set it up well enough. so i wrote in backup plots that i would be willing to commit to if i changed my mind, meaning each one had to also be satisfyingly foreshadowed and interesting in concept - which readers absolutely picked up on. so much fun reactions and theorizing to those!!)

anyway, since heroine!yuuji's canon has always been divergent post shibuya, not too much had to change. again i just tweaked it/filled it in as i came to understand, like, what kenjaku's end goal was, what worldbuilding was at work, etc. and to clarify, yuuji's "foggy period" is not, in fact, shibuya-into-post-shibuya - yuuji remembers shibuya and a period of his timeline after that! it just happened differently: as a result of the moment of divergence at shibuya yuuji & choso were alone and back-and-forth pursuing-evading kenjaku, who now needed yuuji to execute his plans.

for a rough timeline of, like, my knowledge - i started writing heroine while shibuya arc was in the middle of airing, powered mostly by vague spoilers and speculation. finished chapter 1 and most of chapter 2, i think, before posting chapter 1 the day after the last ep of season 2 aired. finished writing chapter 2 and then 3, and then it was between chapter 3 and 4 that i think i got caught up to the manga. chapter four was definitely when i started to throw in little details i was getting from the manga, i know that

[becauseimanicequeen]

Rewatching Pit Babe (ep. 6-7) and the Colors

This is part of my Crazy-Ass End-of-Year Rewatch Challenge where I will rewatch some of my favorite shows, my least-favorite shows, and some shows in between.

I can't promise cohesive thoughts in these posts because it's the end of the year, I'm currently living in right-brain land 10+ hours per day, and I'm TIRED because the darkness of winter is coming. You've been warned.

My previous post: episodes 1-2, episode 3, episodes 4-5.

Also, since this is a rewatch, there are spoilers ahead.

Episode 6

We start this episode where we left off in the previous one, which means that Charlie still has that red detail on his racing overalls:

We've seen it before. But we've also seen him being loyal to Babe.

But, this bitch, though, with that red seat and line of the steering wheel:

He's switching sides faster than he can drive.

And when Dean chooses to accuse Alan of not valuing him after choosing Charlie to replace Babe in the team, Alan gets the most angry we've seen him so far:

This is the first time I've seen red on this man, but it's justified. Dean is being a spoiled brat and it will drive him to make idiot decisions.

Btw, is that red I see on Way's lighter?

The red on him is sneaky, but it is there.

Also, look at these moody brooders in black:

I wonder what a situationship or romantic relationship between these two would have been like. No, let's not go there.

Let's move on to Jeff instead. Here he is at the café and my hyper brain is wondering what the fuck to focus on:

The red title on the book/magazine and the red on his bag tattling about his past? The blue clothes that say something about his current loyalty? The yellow-ish/orange-ish cake that seems to follow him around (the color, not the cake, lol)? The pink drink and the pink light outside? And does that equal Alan's feelings in his attempt to get Jeff back with his Love Actually flashcard apology?

Anyway, they should just stop being idiots and hook up already! (I know they won't for a while longer, but can't a girl dream that the rewatch will be different? LOL!)

Also, I will defend Charlie until the end. I did it over on Twitter when the show was airing (before I had this tumblr) and I will do it now. But I have to admit that it's kind of annoying seeing that red follow him around!

Because all I see is Mr. Red's presence, and I don't like him.

And even though there's red in purple, look at that pretty purple-ish sky:

These boys are in love. Even Charlie, who is being secretive, came to X-Hunter to protect Babe because he thought that was the right thing to do. Isn't that a trait of a blue character through and through, though? Noble tendencies.

Either way, I love how the red and blue light appears in the frame when they're at Babe's special place and he asks Charlie to be his boyfriend.

And the way I fucking cackle every time Charlie brings up the whole children and Papa/Mama conversation.

(I needed a good laugh, so I watched that scene three times, lol.)

But, Sonic (even though he has some blue on the shirt under his jacket), what is up with the yellow?

No wonder Dean gets pissed.

The colors are all over the fucking place with these two!

And I'm saying this as a visual artist who reinvents myself ALL. THE. FUCKING. TIME. It's a pain for my loved ones, and I feel sorry for them. So, this is my official apology to all the Deans in my life. I understand your pain. (But the only thing I won't change is how much I change.)

Anyway, moving on...

Babe comes out of the bar/diner with the blue light behind him.

And meets Jeff who has both the red on his bag and shirt mixed with the blue. After Babe apologizes for the behavior he displayed before he knew Charlie and Jeff were brothers, Jeff uses his power on Babe and freaks out.

His and Charlie's plan is about to take a sharp turn.

And, so is Babe and Charlie's relationship (very soon, at least) since the red is the big secret between them that will get exposed.

Unfortunately for Way, he's going to see exactly how upset Babe will get when Babe finds out about Charlie's red past.

It won't matter that he's crying in the blue...

Because Way has had a red past all along...

Babe will feel more betrayed by Way keeping his red past from him than he ever was for Charlie doing the same thing...

And, that's the end of the 6th episode. Let's move on to the next!

Episode 7

On the subject of Way and the red. I can't believe Babe accepted Way's red-flag tendencies...

Good friends don't make you feel that way, Babe.

Instead of crying in the blue at the end of the previous episode, Way is better off focusing on the man who doesn't care about his red past.

Mainly because Pete knows exactly who Way is and accepts him for who he is (red past and all). And because Pete has a red past of his own.

Even though he could hide that red strap of his watch under his blue jacket. What a sneaky (but pretty) man he is.

Anyway, let's move on to the truth about Charlie's past coming out. You know what I love about this, though? Charlie is sitting there in blue.

He's being loyal to Babe and X-Hunter right in front of Tony, who is finally drinking something red again (that greedy green was getting boring, lol).

And even though Babe is livid, which he has every right to be...

Charlie is loyal to Babe. He fucking showed up in front of his psycho adoptive father and flashed his loyalty left right and center.

He's even confronted in a blue room. But Babe is too angry to see the loyalty (understandable). Instead, he runs to Way who is keeping his own secrets about his affiliations with Tony.

But Charlie is persistent enough to seek Babe out and tell him the truth. And luckily for Charlie, Babe chooses to see Charlie's loyalty to him rather than the past connection with Tony.

Too bad for Way, though, who thought he and Babe were having dinner that night to celebrate that Babe was single again. But, showing up with a bouquet of red flowers tied together with a red ribbon...

I'm sorry, honey, but I can't see that as a gesture of love (usually associated with red). All I see are secrets, Tony, and Red Racing.

Bad choice of color, Way.

So, excuse Babe for standing you up.

He's busy riding Papa with that purple light shining in the background.

Babe is gone and won't go back. His purple phone says so.

But Sonic... What's with that fucking red?!

He is giving me a migraine!

That's the end of this episode, and my image limit. So, let's move on to another post!

[blood-mocha-latte]

hbowar ask game is sooooo good my girl. hard to narrow it down but let's go with b, d, f, i, m, o, w!!

thank you bestieeee it nearly killed me <3 <3

hbo war ask game

b. between all four shows, which one do you think did the best job of creating a storyline?

the pacific all the way. three intersecting stories, all individually devastating, all with wonderful character work. MWAH

d. what was a character arc in any of the shows that left you unsatisfied?

i said harry crosby here, but i also feel like the tuskegee airmen were Greatly Wronged in the sense that they just sort of. vibed. after their initial ep. which i get that the miniseries wasn't about them but Still. it made me sad

f. rank all four shows in order of favorite to least and explain why.

1 - the pacific: personal connections to the marine corps as well as robert leckie as well as the Actual And Realistic showing of war is just. so good. i hate media that begins to drift into not showing the Horrific sides of war and i feel the pacific is able to negate this the least. also with the old breed my beloved

2 - band of brothers: good ol' classic!! the besties the bros. do i even need to go into depth with this one.

3 - generation kill: the only reason this one isn't higher is because of Personal Connections that make it a really hard rewatch lol. but as with my reasoning with the pacific, the same applies here

4 - masters of the air: though parts of the series were still really good and well thought out, overall i felt the show tended to be more rushed and struggle more with characterization (through no fault of their own, due to the episode cut and struggles of covid filming) which led to it being my least favorite

i. tag some of your closest mutuals and choose a show portrayal from any of the miniseries' that reminds you of them.

and here we go to the read more, because this shit gonna get LONG.

~ @disastrouscanasta - arthur my partner in luztoye yapping crimes truly. you have luz energy and i say this NOT as a luztoye nor luz expert but based on the simple mathematic equation of a) my Favorite People b) Film Intersections and c) wonderful understanding of joe toye. thank you for your time

~ @ep6bastogne - bel i love you SO dearly and that is why i crown you leckie. YES web vibes also but i think that it's important to reflect upon the motivations of these men as writers and when i say the leckie energy differs GREATLY from the web energy and That Is What You Possess i mean it 100000%

~ @ewipandora - ewi my beloved ewi another partner in luztoye yapping crimes. among other crimes. i name you a delightful cross between luz and perconte, based on the simple and true and beloved fact of Bestie Behavior honestly <3

~ @gorgeousundertow - although we have not known each other for Long nikki i feel it important to acknowledge now that you are a bit like my guide. for i have seen the ever after light. much like i have been cured of a temporary blindness. much like dick winters can also do

~ @lamialamia - the strangest blend of ray person and doc bryan i have literally ever met. linh you go from ray levels of slapstick insanity to severe solemnity in like 2 seconds. and truly. iconique

~ @youcalledmebabe - gigi truly you have webster energy to me. those Web Vibes. WeVibes. genuinely though do you think webster would watch grey's anatomy

m. what do you think is the best quote of each show?

answered here <33

o. say something nice about a ship that you don't understand.

answered here <33

w. what's an hbo war url that you like/would change to? if you have an hbo war url, why did you choose it?

i said it in another ask but i will SAY IT AGAIN. boyetoye is a fucking hilarious url

[sunsetsover]

hey! it's pit babe anon back again. it's early days but I don't know how I'm feeling about this season so far. with babe and charlie, I can see that this season is going to be about challenging their relatively new relationship. I think the way they're going with babe this season will weed out the true babe lovers because he's likely to do some questionable things and possibly really hurtful things to charlie :/ but I'm still standing ten toes down beside him because I actually think highlighting that he's flawed and that everything that has happened to him has lead to him making some bad choices is more realistic. there's no way someone would go through all of what he has and be well adjusted and have healthy relationships without at least getting therapy. I'm interested to see where charlie will draw the line when it comes to his behaviour. I do think a great aspect of their relationship is that charlie knows when to pick his battles with babe but the flip side of that is he does let a lot slide and sometimes he should be addressing issues not just defaulting to sex like it's a band aid. but I think part of that is him also feeling dispensable and not wanting babe to leave him. I hope we see a bit more of the different sides of charlie this season. I'm actually not mad at the whole pseudo-cheating/misunderstanding/bad communication storyline which i normally hate. I think they'll come out of it stronger.

ok let's talk about northsonic....I'm actually losing my mind. the thing is friends to lovers is literally one of my fave tropes ever and they're doing it the right way. the angst this season is kiliiiiing me!!! what tf happened between them?? obviously something went down before sonic went to Paris and it's likely it was something that meant their relationship couldn't stay as it was. a whole year and they barely spoke?? like this is crazy because of how much of a unit they were in s1. i need a flashback scene to what happened soooo bad i'm going insane. north is trying so hard to get them back to their old selves and sonic is just not allowing it. he seems like he's has actively made the decision to shut the door on north and he's not wavering at all. I definitely think there's no going back to the old them and for north to have a relationship with sonic he's going to have to acknowledge what's between them. sonic isn't going to allow him to joke his way back into his good grace. he'll have to face it head on and call out what's between them or i genuinely think sonic will head back to Paris and that relationship will be completely severed. I can't believe it's only been 2 eps because i actually need half the show to be northsonic. I need the creators to dedicate a good 30 mins to them every ep and I'm not even joking. what they've got going on is like crack to me. i need to know how we got here.

ahh my pit babe anon hello i was wondering how you've been getting on !! honestly this is a whole new experience for me too bc i watched season 1 when it was already finished airing so this whole waiting a week for each new ep is torturous to me, esp considering there's always some Fuck Shit going on w this 😭😭 right now i am having fun tho, so i'm sorry to hear you're not sure how to feel abt it yet !!

you are so right abt babe and charlie though. i am a little worried bc cheating is the one thing that will ruin a pairing for me entirely (not that i think necessarily think babe WOULD cheat, but. even entertaining the idea would be a betrayal as far as i'm concerned. however i'm getting way ahead of myself lmao), but at the same time i don't necessarily think it's ooc for either of them. someone already made a great post touching on it, but i think what's happening rn is a completely understandable manifestation of both babe's and charlie's trauma coming into play. charlie is used to being unwanted and less than and worthless - his entire life in tony's foundation taught him that. literally his lack of self worth was like. his defining characteristic in s1. so it makes perfect sense that charlie would think he would have to put up with more and also give more because he views himself as less. ofc he's not gonna rock the boat or push babe too much - he already thinks of himself of the inferior in the relationship, the one who has very little to offer babe apart from sex/the fact that he's scentless (which is why it's the first thing he jumps to when he's jealous and insecure - it's his way of reminding babe of the one and only thing he thinks he has above everyone else, the only thing that, on some level, he thinks is the only reason babe wants him and stays w him).

on the other hand, babe is used to being viewed in a very specific way - on one hand as pit babe, the caricature he made of himself that he told charlie abt v early on in s1, and on the other as just like. an object to be used and sold - esp in a sexual way (i mean. his father figure and his best friend were literally conspiring to abuse and breed him. it's not surprising at all that babe would have a weird relationship with sex and his sexuality, and also his autonomy/boundaries and maybe even consent, but that's a whole different can of worms). which is probably probably why charlie's behaviour is not sticking out as especially odd to babe (it's also bc it's clear that babe thinks the world of charlie and literally it would never even occur to him that charlie would think of himself as less than.) but imo that's also why he's playing along w willy's advances to a certain degree. you can literally see him defaulting back into his old pit babe persona (really the way he's acting w willy is no different from the way babe acted in general in the v beginning of the show), which is someone who is sexual and aggressive. it makes perfect sense that he's feeling extra insecure because he's lost his first race, he's lost his senses, and charlie's always at the lab working. he feels neglected (so does charlie to a certain degree tbh) and lonely and like his sense of self and self worth has been completely shaken to its core. i think, at least in the past 2 episodes, he's taken it all (especially the way thing!! and the dean thing ! just all of it tbh like how has he had so much shit happen to him in just 2 episodes!!) with a LOT of grace and maturity !!! he's handling it so well compared to s1 babe!! and i'm proud of him !! but like you said he IS flawed and traumatised and yes he should communicate but he's trying his best and rn i can't fault him on anything tbqh. and like you, i'm not mad at the way it's going rn !

but tbh aside from all of that it always annoys me when ppl are like 'omg they're been together for ages how have they not learned how to communicate 🙄' bc it's like. well that's because if they were well adjusted, healthy individuals in a perfect, healthy relationship that would not only be deeply unrealistic, but BORING. they're well written, compelling characters BECAUSE they're fucked up and imperfect. i get that miscommunication isn't for everyone but trying to act like charliebabe were ever gonna be the poster children for idealistic, super healthy relationships is crazy lmao but i digress.... i am dubious but im still excited to see where we go ! and esp to see charlie's development. it's one thing i wish we'd got more of last season, so i'm so glad we're getting to see more of his inner workings this time around !!! (esp with all the different theories about who willy is and why charlie has extra strong genes 👀👀 like im having a blast icl)

but please.... please i want to talk about northsonic so bad.... all i want to do is talk about northsonic but whenever i try all that comes out of me is just. wailing and crying. like what the fuck am i supposed to DO. they're ruining my life. i've never been more upset yet more compelled by two characters in my LIFE. because literally!!! what the fuck HAPPENED !!!! why is sonic so cold with north !!! why does north not seem particularly surprised w the way sonic's behaving !!! who was sonic on the phone to !!! why has sonic been avoiding north !!! bitch what HAPPENED !!! i need to know!!! it's keeping me up at night and im so serious . but you and i are thinking along the same lines, like CLEARLY something happened before sonic left for france. i think north prob didnt react in the way sonic wanted, which is why sonic is so standoffish with north, but i don't agree that sonic isn't wavering. like... sonic so obviously does not WANT the door to be shut on north bc the feelings are clearly still there given how genuinely excited sonic was when north got promoted like !!! FAKE ass idgafer i saw you giving a fuck !!!!!!! but i think he's just trying to protect himself and/or to be mad at north bc of whatever happened, altho imo his heart isn't truly in it. but i do agree that there's no going back to what they were before. which, to be perfectly honest, is what i think scares north the most. he WANTS to go back to how they were before whatever happened happened, but they can't. which is where the conflict lies.

but then there's north's face when sonic walked away from him.... like he genuinely almost made me cry in that moment. bc there's just so much HURT there. like it's the pain of REALISING there's no going back. maybe he thought with time and distance things would go back to normal, but i think he's currently coming to the realisation that it's not gonna happen. and he's scared, i think. i think he's terrified of losing his best friend, despite the fact that it's clear as day he's head over hills for sonic (whether he realises that or not is a different question). he just doesn't want things to change. and/or he's scared of not knowing whether he'll get to keep sonic when all is said and done. bc if something romantic DID happen between them before sonic left for france, then the question is did north react badly bc he didn't want it, or bc he didn't want to take that step only to have sonic move halfway across the world? and that question would then still stand now: is he acting like nothing happened now bc he doesn't want it to, or bc he couldn't bear to give sonic his heart only for him to leave again? at least that's my take on it lmao

but either way it's just so so heartbreaking to me..... because you're right, they were a UNIT in s1..... a bonded pair.... and now sonic doesn't even wanna be alone w him..... and north is trying so so so hard to keep him and to pretend he's not falling apart inside because at the end of the day he's losing his best friend..... and on top of that i saw someone point out just how much north has been through and how much he's lost (regardless of my personal feelings on it all) like.... first everything that happened w dean... then everything that happened at the foundation.... then way... and then his literal other half just LEAVES and no he's not ALONE per se but babe has charlie and alan has jeff and then kim just fucking leaves too and regardless none of them are sonic so like !!! no he's not ALONE but something about seeing north on his own without sonic is so LONELY .... and then sonic DOES come back and you see north's face and it's like the sun has come out for the first time in months but sonic can barely stand to be alone in the same room as him and it's just..... so fucking gutting. idk how else to put it. like i genuinely can't stop thinking about them. and you're so right i need half the ep to be them idc this truly is the northsonic show for me atm like they r constantly on my mind and it's so crazy bc we get so little of them and yet it's so MUCH at the same time and anyway northsonic spin off show when. im dead serious.

but yeah sorry for the rant lmao i don't really have anyone to talk abt pit babe w so when you come and share your thoughts all mine come spilling out of me (esp abt northsonic like. we get them for like 5 mins an ep and i could still write essays abt them. it's so bad for me rn.) so thank you for coming back and giving me an excuse 💞 but also i truly just love hearing your opinions too !!! i very rarely see ppl dig into these characters and relationships the way they deserve to be dug into like !!! they're so interesting !!! so i love whenever you come to visit and i hope i'll hear from you again soon 🥰💞

[biconickyoshi]

NAtLA first impressions (eps 1 & 2)

Here are my thoughts as someone who has been a superfan of the original series since 2007 (spoiler-free first, then spoilers below)!

Honestly, I'm feeling pretty middle of the road about this adaptation so far. I like a lot of the costuming, and some of the actors are good, while others have felt a bit lackluster. There's also some characterization choices I didn't like too much for certain characters (which I will get into in the spoiler sections below). The score is definitely not as good as the original series - I don't particularly like the new elements of the score, and when themes and motifs from the original score are used, I feel like they aren't used enough. The bending, while better than the 2010 version, still feels a bit fake and clunky, as do a lot of the special effects. There's also a problem with a reliance on exposition dialogue, moreso in the first ep than the second.

Now we'll get into the spoiler section. Don't read below this if you do not wanna be spoiled.

EP 1: "Aang"

What I liked:

Getting to see a bit more of the Air Nomads (which makes the genocide feel even more devastating)

The design of the Southern Air Temple felt very warm and inviting - I liked that there were lots of trees and whatnot

The added details about the Sozin purposefully allowing news of the war to be leaked to the Earth Kingdom to throw everyone off their trail of planning to attack the Air Nomads

Making the comet a special event for the Air Nomads, which brings them all together at the Southern Air Temple for Sozin's attack to happen

I like that Wolf Cove was actually called Wolf Cove (since it's never name dropped in the actual show)

Zuko and Iroh did a good job - I think Dallas is capturing Zuko's energy pretty well, and while Paul's Iroh feels a bit different than the OG, he's still doing a good job

What I was not so keen on:

Yep... I really didn't like that Aang didn't purposefully run away, and instead went to "clear his head" after Monk Gyatso told him he was the Avatar, fully intending to return before getting caught in the storm.

They really weren't kidding about removing Sokka's sexism. Instead of Aang being released bc of Katara's anger at this, they just happen upon the iceberg, and somehow while trying to waterbend their canoe closer she waterbends the iceberg open behind her??

Exposition dump from Gran Gran... and her basically just straight up telling Aang to his face "You're the last airbender! All your people are dead! And you're probably the Avatar too!" It all felt very wooden and definitely a bad change from how Aang realizes he's in the future in the OG series.

I had high hopes for a lot of the actors, and I hate to say it (especially considering Sokka's actor is likely not even indigenous at all), but Sokka has felt like the best actor so far. His lines come across a lot more naturally than Katara's and Aang's often do. Aang is alright, and of course looks and acts the part, but the way he speaks his lines sometimes feels too quick/unnatural. Sadly, I think Katara's acting has been the worst so far - in this episode I didn't see any of the emotion in her eyes that I felt like I should've been seeing. I will say I think she got a bit better in ep 2.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka just don't feel close. They never got time to go penguin sledding, to hang out with the village kids, etc. They still feel like strangers.

Speaking of, I guess Aang went out of the Avatar State by thinking about Gyatso? Again, that distance between him and the siblings (especially Katara) is glaring. Katara in general just seems to lack the spark she has in the OG.

EP 2: "Warriors"

What I liked:

Seeing the Fire Navy port - it felt very SEA-inspired, and that street food looked delicious lol.

Kyoshi Island being run by a woman (Suki's mom). Just makes more sense to me lol.

Suki - I looooved how they portrayed her as this kind of socially awkward character who wants to talk to Sokka but doesn't know how. It makes so much sense with her being isolated her whole life. I also felt like her and Sokka had quite a bit of chemistry.

The final Kyoshi battle was pretty cool

I kinda liked Zhao and Zuko both being at Kyoshi Island

Zuko's desperation to find Aang - he really felt like a kid to me in this ep with the acting choices Dallas made.

Strangely, I don't hate them nerfing the Avatar State a bit by making it to where Aang can only enter it when he's in an Avatar shrine. I didn't even realize it at first but the reason he goes into the Avatar State in the SAT is because Gyatso's skeleton was in Yangchen's shrine. I still prefer OG series Avatar State though.

I like that Kyoshi warns Aang with the vision about the Fire Nation's attack on the Northern Water Tribe. It gives him an incentive to get there faster instead of meandering.

What I was not so keen on:

Zhao seems to be a much less arrogant character here, at least outwardly. I know he was probably a bit cartoon villain-y in the OG series, but this dude just feels like another commander. Maybe that will change as I watch more. He's definitely conniving.

The goofy ass high beam lights from the Kyoshi statue's eyes

Kyoshi's characterization... This Kyoshi feels like the caricature all the casual fans perceive her to be (i.e. violence and strength are the best way, smite my enemies type of thing). I also didn't like how she just kept berating Aang for running away (which is weird that everyone keeps accusing him of this bc this version of Aang literally didn't even run away).

Aang is very driven to master the elements and defeat the Fire Lord in this version, which isn't necessarily a bad thing... But I feel like if anything, they could have at least kept it to where he ran away the night of the genocide, even if they didn't want to show him ignoring his responsibilities to go on adventures in the bulk of the show. A major part of Aang's character arc is him learning to accept his destiny and stop running/avoiding.

Once again, no Sokka sexism arc. This ep in the OG series was very important for him, but that's nonexistent here.

Once again, Katara's acting, while better than ep 1, feels like it's lacking emotion.

Overall, it's obviously better than the 2010 movie so far, and I enjoyed the eps to a degree, but there's still a lot of things that I wasn't super fond of. The changes that they seem to have made so far aren't too extreme yet, and I'm actually looking forward to seeing how far they end up deviating from the original show.

The whole time I was watching, I just couldn't stop thinking about how much better the original show is. I just kept missing the characters I knew and loved. Also, I still firmly believe this world and story truly works best in animation.