#this whole episode is bonkers tbh

[ineffablemossy]

Just Crowley climbing shelves and into our hearts

[daftmooncretin]

60’s star trek’s list of things that are allowed:

gay people ❌

guy x sentient cloud of yellow disco haze (don’t worry though its a lady cloud!) ✅

[suzannahnatters]

My final Love Like the Galaxy reaccs!!! the tl;dr:  I loved it and it's the sort of show that probably demands to be seen twice because TWISTS and HINDSIGHT so IDK, one day maybe! Anyway it's either on Viki or on YouTube for anyone who wants to see what happens when Jane Austen comedy of manners meets The Count of Monte Cristo, but, like, in Ancient China, featuring an epic romance between a naive sledgehammer engineer girl and the terrifying murder general who cannot help looking utterly besotted with her every time she drifts past: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZZZLpfFwcBprNI6msl3NWt3pdX6F-eGs And now: for the reaccs for episodes 43-56, including the famous Murder Party (TM), check under the cut!!!

If Yang Yang ends up with Smug Scholar instead of her sweet little marquis I WILL throw things (thankfully, the sweet little marquis is getting actual screentime with her)

oh I LOVE this: the Empress apologises to Consort Yue for stealing her husband, and Consort Yue points out that if it's anyone's fault it's the Emperor's, and why should the Empress apologise? it's the little things, you know?!

I love that in amongst all this scowly strategising and betrayal and people's families in mortal danger…there's a whole running joke about whether the armour Niao Niao made her beloved makes him look more like a chicken or a mandarin duck

cdramas asking the real questions

wow they really kept like 90% of the action budget for this episode and money well spent say I

once again murder general is rushing off to save our girl, only this time he guesses precisely where she is and what she's doing, and knows she's probably doing a great job of it :')

GASP we are suspicious of Elder Brother Snacks now???

I've got a bad feeling about him and the crown princess turning out to be bad eggs - almost as though we're building up to a BIG BETRAYAL between our babies

Wan QiQi swaggering into prison in a wedding dress is the energy I aspire to

Hmm… Lou Ben feels very very foreshadowy of an obsessive man making a self destructive choice to grab what he wants no matter how it hurts the woman he loves

All the foreshadowing is REALLY mounting up now - Snacks still caring about NN but not wanting to see her after what she's done, NN observing of another couple that they were birds on the same tree but flew apart when trouble came

Anyway we are all headed for a heck of a third act breakup aren't we

is zisheng,,, allergic to almonds

what an absolutely bonkers twist

poor little Wang Ling! how terrible does her family have to be that she is trying to save her murderous traitor of an elderly husband, just because he treated her better than anyone else in her life?

"he even had a flower garden planted in my courtyard to please me, although he has life-threatening asthma! which means that he can't visit me very often! he's the best husband, Niao Niao!" okay Mrs Charlotte Collins

"Cheng Shaoshang, it seems you really don't know anything about Ling Zisheng" OOOOOOHH

Smug Scholar: a voice of reason. a stickler by the rules. an indefatigable drama queen who is quite ready to beg murder general to go right ahead, be his guest, do crime, because then Smug might get to marry Niao Niao instead

torture is always wrong, revenge kids! that said, it's very funny that murder general has been busy with hot iron and boiling oil all night and found out nothing, while NN has put herself fully abreast of the situation armed with nothing more than…a conversation with a female acquaintance

"wait - all that stuff you did in my name was ALSO in pursuit of your revenge plot? who are you really?" this show keeps serving the best stuff

matching bite marks on the arm is a way cooler idea than matching tattoos tbh

why are you not telling her, zisheng, she already knows!!!

she's sworn up and down (with bitten arms!) that she won't mind, it's keeping this from her that she can't forgive, get a clue!!!!!

ooooo - we have been cordially invited to a MURDER PARTY love the gearchange from Jane Austen Romcom to Jacobean Revenge Tragedy

OK LET'S GO, WHERE'S THAT MURDER PARTY I WAS PROMISED

Glad that we were given this scene of Marquis Chengyang being delusional and Chunyu being Justly Terrified that the young man obsessed with revenge has finally agreed to come to his father's birthday party, it doesn't quite explain how nobody realises this is Very Bad News but at least lampshades it

Since filial piety is the norm in this society, I guess it's hard for the elders to realise just how at risk they are from someone unfilial!

I LOVE that Chunyu (sp? the stepmother) gets a whole speech to point out the hypocrisy of HER continually bearing the blame of "climbing into the master's bed" after so many ppl in the show have ridiculed her for it as though it wasn't a decision made by the marquis

oooooooooooohhh this is amazing: Yang Yang is disturbed that NN's farewell before the wedding sounds like she doesn't ever intend to return home. and from NN's response, she KNOWS murder general is about to do something crazy and is fully prepared to suffer the consequences alongside him

it's…really amazing that during the stretch of the cdrama when the male lead traditionally starts Machinating and Scheming and lying to the female lead about it, THIS show keeps the heroine's agency intact, she sees right through his lies, she is still front and centre. Chef's kiss.

she knows where it's happening; she knowns when it's happening; she's sending someone for news. she's amazing and so are these writers.

meanwhile: murder general refusing to enlighten the marquis as to his true identity is Irene of Athens-level pettiness and I love it

the way this show keeps this whole episode focused on the story's main character even though she has little to do with -

oh wait never mind she has decided to involve herself anyway!!! now we get the entire Cheng family charging into battle? with NN at their head on a black horse? EPIC?????

well THAT was the best of Jacobean revenge tragedy

shocked to discover that Zisheng has Always Known who was really behind the fall of the lone city - he's just been quietly, methodically working through the destruction of all the perpetrators, COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO style

I love a protagonist who holds cards so close to his chest that not even the audience knows what's going on

more than that, it really adds nuance to the show's themes about revenge. Sometimes the system is broken, & even in a good system people will sometimes get away with murder. What to do then?

I can't support the vindictiveness of the leads (& I'm not sure I'm meant to) but as revenge plots go, I like the weightiness of the themes - how to fight for yourself in a world where laws and manners tell you you shouldn't? - better than Dumas' more superficial take.

where did these two henchmen come from, because they are NOT being paid enough to be part of this absolute disaster

also WHEE Niao Niao gets to swoop in and save HIM for once! Well done our girl!

oh what an idiot. what an absolute peanut.

I was pulling for you, murder general, but I'm not sure how you'll manage to come back from doing the One Thing (abandoning her) she asked you not to do

she's still calling him by his false name T_T

something something she only ever knew him by his false name and identity not his true one

moment of silence, please, I'm experiencing an emotion

well, duh - of COURSE Third Prince is here to collect NN to go help him plead for murder general, who has obviously been quietly helping him all along. even better: we don't know if NN is just figuring this out now or has known it for months but she understands it perfectly, just like we do, the moment she sees Third Prince's face

!!! murder general has been deceiving everyone in so many other ways too???????

it's not just that he knew all along who was responsible for the lone city's fall and has just been working silently to gather evidence on them: he ALSO has been playing four dimensional speed chess with palace politics, supporting a totally different faction to the one he was supposed to be aligned with?

IT WAS HIM IN THE PAGODA ALL ALONG????

I just love the sort of character who plays certain things SO close to the chest while also being utterly open and vulnerable about certain other things. like, as long as we trust their judgement for hiding the certain things and know it's not for purposes of control. and while NN does interpret his secretiveness as control, due to her upbringing, it's also easy in hindsight to see things from zisheng's POV: he is playing not one but several high stakes political games, treading a tightrope between the prince he is supposed to be supporting versus the prince who would clearly be a better choice, and now suddenly thrown into the middle of all this is a naive and well-meaning sledgehammer fiancee who is an absolute force of nature but who is not yet quite insightful enough to see and understand where the deep waters run; she's simply driven by personal loyalty to protect her empress' son. and she keeps forcing choices on him: protect her, or serve the Third Prince? and he makes tremendous sacrifices, as with the Tiger Tally, to save both of them. so is he going to take the risk and tell her and trust in her, or is he going to keep her in the dark just about this, until the game is over (it's so close to being over) and he can be as candid about these things as he can be about everything else?

but at the same time, he was so frustrated with her for not being candid with him, for not telling him when the mean girls tried to KILL her, for lying to him about choosing to help the crown prince - he should have known better than to reproach her about this when he was doing exactly the same things to her all along.

I love that the show just doesn't support him in this. for two people who both say they want to work as a team, these two both spend an awful lot of time keeping things from each other. and it's only after going away and thinking about it that I start to see his side of the story at all, because she is so totally front-and-centred in the way the story is told.

oh wow - now she gets a whole speech and thesis statement about how just because she's a woman she shouldn't be shut out of her husband's confidence, and ends: "Ling Buyi is my most beloved person in the world. But I am still me."

I love this show so much

It's really wild that murder general, who everyone knows went on a murderous rampage to kill the entire Ling clan, goes from being condemned to death to the apple of the emperor's eye based on his surname changing

no doubt it's historically accurate and murder uncle, at least, deserved it - but for me it's just another sign of how irretrievably this system is broken, that bloodline so clearly outweighs right and wrong.

I'll be chewing over the question of whether this last-minute aversion of filial impiety ("it's ok! he was doing it to avenge his REAL father!") undermines NN's previous point about the right to filial reverence depends on a parent's conduct, or whether it's an author's saving throw to secure a HEA

"but I can never forgive him for abandoning me - he even swore it was for my sake" aha! How To Critique The Break Her Heart To Save Her Trope (Without Actually Using The Trope??????) this show didn't HAVE to hunt down and kill every bad Asian drama romance trope like this but is that stopping it? no

Empress telling NN that whatever decision she makes, she will support her in - hits like a punch because the only person who's told her this till now is murder general. On the other hand it is comforting, and underlines the themes of NN being a whole person without him, bc she still has love and support!

as an aside, I also like how the show has handled NN's terrible parents. by the end of the show, she's fought for, and won, their respect and support, & has come to understand the pressures they are under. but she will never love them the way she loves the Empress, bc they haven't earned that love. I feel this consolidates the filial piety critique.

we finally get to hear murder general's side of the story - and it's fascinating to hear him say that he failed. he did everything to bring ling yi to justice - and couldn't. the murder party was his failure.

I'm finding the murder party less problematic at this point than the Censorate beating

whoah, the empress is sailing in to admit that she spoiled her children until they were useless, so she's not upset about the crown prince being demoted? seems a rather unfortunate theme if children are only ever bad because of bad parenting

NN still taking absolutely no prisoners in the romance, though: "oh, I understand you perfectly. the problem is that you never understood ME" that's quite a burn

The Empress is now requesting to be deposed, and it's a complicated scene - is she blaming herself, or voicing regrets? I think she's regretting not fighting for herself: as she points out, her accepting a menage a trois has not spoiled Consort Yue's life so much as it has spoiled her own chance at love.

while the show has sometimes been finger-wagging, it's saved here bc she also blames the Emperor for going along with the flow, too, and tamely accepting a three-way marriage.

meanwhile at home, everyone's like "Niao Niao is so mature now!" and I'm sitting here like NO SHE'S NOT, SHE'S HAD ALL THE HAPPINESS CRUSHED OUT OF HER and…….along comes Not-Quite-So-Bad-Mum to say that precise thing, and confess to having been wrong all along???? This show just keeps hitting.

Love that NN's 3rd brother is completely on her side at this moment. he understands the assignment ("break up with murder general and send him away with a flea in his ear") and executes it with prejudice.

oh…mum has repented too late. I'm not sorry for her, but I AM sorry for the way NN chooses to spend the next forever - when there were so many things she wanted to see and do!

and now: five years' worth of mutual pining in excruciatingly aesthetic slomo, thank you

meanwhile everyone in the Cheng family is getting married? Yang Yang is getting married? Mum's warrior maid is getting married? Good for you warrior maid!

Smug Scholar, otoh, has remained UNmarried for our girl, and I actually love the choice he's presenting her - NN doesn't much care who she marries if it's a business arrangement; she just won't marry the man she loves knowing he was willing to lie to her and abandon her

is it really weird that I suddenly want to write the story about the coldly pragmatic fake marriage of convenience between NN and Smug Scholar

!!!! she IS going to get engaged to him??? murder general is going to come back from five years of picturesquely scruffy suffering to find her engaged to Smug Scholar??!?!?!!!??!

oh this will be GOOD

"thanks, but I can ride without stirrups these days" I love that this show is allowing the heroine to establish a life of her own apart from the hero - they have to be complete on their own before they can be good for each other.

and now: a break from reality for an absolutely bonkers carriage chase, which, because this is a cdrama, comes complete with one of the parties trying to extort a proposal of marriage from the person chasing them

I swear this is the third time this exact same cliff has cropped up in this show, one would think that people would know better than to gallop madly down the DEAD END CLIFF ROAD

Empress pays her last respects to the emperor: "I know that if it wasn't for Emperor Li's tyranny you would have asked nothing more than to live a simple life" LIESSSS this man requires a constant stream of drama to live, how would he have survived as a gentleman farmer?

"if you are truly filial, don't exchange your life for mine. Live well." while this show has come down in the end in favour of filial piety, I think that for the most part it keeps filial piety where it belongs: subordinate to ethics - and that's something I can get behind.

With NN decided that murder general is not the man for her and murder general determined to accept her decision, I really don't see how this will get believably sorted out in the next…3 eps. Bc she's absolutely right, he had his chance and he blew it. That said, I was really worried the show would blame her for being unreasonable, but only the recent antagonist has done that

even NN's mother is now telling him: we don't need you to perform guilt for us, we also had our chance with NN and blew it, now we can only defer to her conscience AND YOU SHOULD TOO

so, I guess we're headed for an "undeserved grace" ending, and I hope they make it a convincing one and not cheap, bc it's too late to show him doing any work to prove his repentance.

oh I love this scene: she tells him she forgives him but cannot trust him, and he without defending himself, vows to live well and take care of himself (because quietly protecting the people she cares about is the one last thing he can do for her)

and he won't ever tell her that he's been doing this because he knows it would only make her despise him more!!!

time for the bad family to apologise, the grandmother in particular for trying to control her children, and Niao Niao to decide no longer to carry resentment, but to dwell on the people who love her instead

I love that the themes have largely to do with resisting control, even when it's from family members, and fighting for yourself. Even more, I love that the highest expression of this theme comes in the trust there's supposed to be between husband and wife. Sometimes, lack of communication IS an attempt at control - although on thinking it over I'm not sure it always has been that on murder general's side. but if there's one thing the past five years must have taught him, it's that he's going to have to be be particularly open with this particular woman, because her family HAS tried so hard to be controlling in the past, and she can't take even the appearance of it from him.

somehow, yet another of NN's old enemies has an overly complicated plan to kill her sigh

loving how murder general jumps into this trap and promptly becomes useless and it's time for the lil henchmen to save the day

stop shouting his name and figure out how to open the trapdoors Niao Niao, smoke inhalation is no joke

murder general looks amazing for someone who was just blown up

TEARFUL RECONCILIATION SCENE

ahaha Snacks has fallen in love with his wife, we love to see it

Smug Scholar, meanwhile (exact words): are you all done flaunting your love?

EXPLODING PICKLES

flailing I love it NN is deploying her secret weapon….the family Cheng

"you can't be in two places at once, General!"

maybe not, but wifey and he can

"i'd like to see who interferes with my best granddaughter's marriage!"

*smash cut to the emperor having a hissyfit because he can't interfere with the marriage *

it's over? pokes couch cushions for spare episodes

OK I LOVED that murder general's grand gesture in the final ep comes in the form of a dilemma. should he go rescue his beloved as everyone is telling him - or should he stay on task, submit to everyone's ridicule for not protecting his woman, and risk her thinking he's abandoned her again?

his answer shows that at last, he has come to truly understand her (five years after she told him he'd never understood her). it's not physical abandonment she truly fears. what she fears is not being trusted & allowed to act as his equal. So he leaves her to protect Guo village while he stays on HIS task. His grand gesture, after so many rescues, is not to rescue her at all.

SCREAMING at that moment when Third Prince is like, seriously, mate, you'd better not abandon her! she needs help!!! go on I'll be fine!! and Zisheng VISIBLY WAVERS and then pulls himself together and shouts GUO VILLAGE HAS NIAO NIAO! GUO VILLAGE WILL BE FINE!!!

since the root of the contention between them was always him not treating her as an equal, this is probably the best proof of change we could get in the screentime. and the show is very insistent to tell us that if NN bends to take him back, it's because it's what SHE wants, not bc she can't survive without him.

the show does give her that moment of fright during the explosion to rush her past her abandonment issues, but since the real issue was always about control, I can make my peace with it. Similarly, she taught him a 5-year lesson about not consulting her. He knows - & her family makes it explicit - that he can never pull something like this again.

final overall thoughts: I have rarely seen such a well done romance in Asian drama, especially cdrama. The show was long & got repetitive, especially in the 2nd half, even though it had some of my favourite stretches as NN starts fighting for respect & equality within her marriage.

The themes about family, state, and fighting for oneself got fingerwaggy at a lot of points, many side characters were brutally humiliated and many of the numerous female characters became nonsensically villainous just to give NN antagonists. So, I would say the show is quite flawed.

that said, what this show does well, it does SO WELL. I was absolutely invested in this romance to an extent that is very rare for me. I was delighted by the way the show critiques asian romance tropes, there's a wonderful Dumas-level revenge plot, the fight scenes while rare are terrific, the show remains laser focused on its female protagonist all the way to the end, and if you are not delighted by the utterly besotted looks murder general serves up five times per episode, I don't know what to do with you.

[inkblackorchid]

What are your thoughts on the 5DS movie bonds beyond time? Plot characters villain animation and so on

Ahhh, good old BBT. Minor caveat: It's been a hot second since I've seen the movie. But generally speaking, right from the gut? Bit of a mixed bag, this one. Let me address what you asked point by point, though. The tl;dr for anyone who doesn't want a lengthy response: I don't hate it, but outside of making me grin and/or fondly roll my eyes about some fanservice, I'm mostly just ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ about it. I appreciate it for the extremely fun attempt at a for the time pretty ambitious crossover, though.

The longer response, then:

Okay. Okay. Conceptually speaking? This movie is the absolute peak of fanservice. All three protags of all three ygo shows that had come out by that time, all teaming up against a special bad guy, and everyone's allowed to show off their coolest shit? Absolutely bananas. Fuck yeah.

Where the execution is concerned, though... Let me start with the obvious: This thing is too short. It doesn't feel like a proper movie, it feels like your average big plot duel stretched over two episodes. And that's a shame! Because Yugi's there, and so is Jaden, and these two and Yusei get to bounce off each other and I think a lot of people would have eaten it up if we had gotten more of that. Interactions aside, though, the short runtime also makes the plot feel rushed. First Yusei's sad, then things are going to shit, the he's off, then we're suddenly in Venice (what the fuck is Jaden doing in Venice??), then we're in Domino City, then blam, bam, onto the big duel. Can I get some time to breathe and actually enjoy the characters interacting, please?

And speaking of plot! Now, on paper, I don't have an issue with the idea of a guy going back in time to try and get rid of duel monsters. My problem lies more with the fact that the guy in question ties into 5Ds' main plot. And in a not insignificant way, at that. Like, perhaps in a universe where this movie was handled differently, BBT tying into the Iliaster stuff could have been cool as heck, but as it stands, Paradox and his plans feel a little too close to his namesake to me. The guy is almost exclusively relegated to a movie, to outside content of the show that wasn't shown in sequence with the rest of the episodes, yet he's actually one of the major characters of the Ark Cradle arc. And worse yet, said arc only gives us the barest, shittiest recap of who he is and what he wanted. It feels too disconnected from the rest for me, especially considering that Sherry more or less ends up replacing Paradox. And don't even get me started on the batshit implications his quest to kill Pegasus has on the way time travel is handled in 5Ds. The way this movie shows direct, devastating consequences of time being tampered with is a major reason for the headaches the emperors of Iliaster give me, which I've discussed in my Meklord post.

That said. I don't think Paradox, per se, is a bad antagonist. He's got the whole long-suffering shindig the other major players of Iliaster do, too, his design is bonkers in a fun way and of course, the idea of him hijacking protagonist ace monsters with his Malefic shenanigans makes him perfectly hateable. On paper, he's a completely fine antagonist, and I actually think the 3 V 1 duel he has with the protags is pretty fun.

And as for the animation, no notes there, honestly. I think BBT has some of the nicest animation of the 5Ds era (and especially like the way Yusei is animated in the movie).

So yeah! The whole thing is a bit hot and cold for me. I know some people love BBT to death, I know some people hate it with a fiery passion, and tbh, I get where both sides are coming from. Ultimately, I'll happily watch it, but there are always at least twenty other 5Ds episodes I'd watch even more happily. BBT is fine.

[baoshan-sanren]

best cdramas I’ve watched since the last one of these posts in 2022 (and some I’m still looking forward to seeing)

Heroes (watch on WeTV VIP | watch on bilibili) Adapted from the novel "Shuo Ying Xiong Shei Shi Ying Xiong" (说英雄谁是英雄) by Wen Rui An (温瑞安) starring Zeng ShunXi, Yang ChaoYue, Liu YuNing, Baron Chen and Meng ZiYi. I would’ve watched this thing for the cast only. Everyone is queer vibes. Not a flashy drama, but will emotionally shred you. The character development is totally worth it. Throughly entertaining, even when it punched you in the gut. 8/10

The Wind Blows From LongXi (watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) Adapted from novel "The Wind Rises in Longxi" (风起陇西) by Ma Bo Yong (马伯庸) starring Chen Kun and Bai Yu. I’ve been waiting for this drama for two years and it was worth every second of the wait. The cinematography in this thing is bonkers. The use of light and shadows, the muted colors, the indoor shots opening up into well-lit courtyards, the gritty sound mixing, the whole thing just blew my ass away. Chen Kun and Bai Yu are masters of their art. Fckn masterpiece. 11/10

Who Rules The World (watch on WeTV VIP | watch on Netflix) Adapted from the novel "Qie Shi Tian Xia" (且试天下) by Qing Ling Yue (倾泠月) starring Yang Yang, Zhao LuSi, and Xuan Lu. One of the rare romance dramas that really appealed to me. A well-balanced mix of court intrigue and martial world heroics. Unlimited blorbo potential. It’s hard to outshine Yang Yang (who gives major Mei Changsu vibes through like the first third of the drama) but Zhao LuSi and Xuan Lu together? Magnificent. Breathtaking. Brilliant. 8/10

The Legend of Hao Lan (watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki | watch on tubi) starring Wu Jinyan and Nie Yuan. So this was like, The Story of Yanxi Palace cast, remixed. Was it great? Not really. Did I watch every episode? Yeah. I honestly think that Wu Jinyan could just make faces for 50+ sixty minute episodes, and I’d still watch every minute of it. Still, a fascinating take on the Warring States Period, and actually based on a woman who helped her son become the King of Qin, then ultimately the First Emperor of China. I think 99% of the budget went to costumes, and tbh, it was totally worth every penny. 7/10

(yeah, after all this, I rewatched Nirvana In Fire again)

The Silent Criminal (watch on Apple TV | watch on Bilibili | watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) starring Li Jiaming and Wen Sheng. So incredibly gay. Hilarious, yes, but predominantly gay. Murder, intrigue, suspense, pining; this little drama literally has everything. Did it impact my life and leave a long-lasting impression? Not really. But I was most throughly entertained. 7/10

My Heroic Husband (watch on Amazon Prime | watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) Adapted from the novel "Zhui Xu" (赘婿) by Fen Nu de Xiang Jiao (愤怒的香蕉). Starring Song Yi and Guo Qilin. Actually, the majority of Joy of Life cast is in this drama, including a cameo by Zhang Ruoyun in the very beginning. Cast aside tho, I fckn love this drama to pieces. Song Yi and Guo Qilin have amazing chemistry, and they’re so goddamn adorable together I can’t even stand it. The plot is far from complex but immensely satisfying. Excellent drama on a mediocre budget, one I plan to regularly rewatch. 8/10

Still waiting on: 

Immortality - based on danmei novel The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by 肉包不吃肉 starring Chen Feiyu and Luo Yunxi (you can think I’m a clown but you’d be wrong bc I’m a wholeass circus)

Winner Is King - based on the danmei novel Sha Po Lang by Priest starring Tan Jianci and Chen Zheyuan

Step By Step Lotus - based on historical novel Return to Ming Dynasty as Prince by 月关 starring Zhang Binbin and Luo Yunxi

Eternal Faith - based on danmei novel Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu starring Zhai Xiaowen and Zhang Linghe

Joy Of Life Season 2 - based on wuxia novel of the same name by 猫腻 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin

A League of Nobleman - based on danmei novel The Society of Four Leaves by Da Feng Gua Guo starring Song Weilong and Jing Boran

Flying Phoenix - based on danmei novel of the same name by 風弄 starring Dai Jingyao and Shu Yaxin

The Story of the Bat - based on danmei novel Bat by Feng Nong starring Mao Zijun and Zhang Yao

The Longest Promise - based on xianxia novel Zhu Yan by 沧月 starring Xiao Zhan, Ren Min, and Zhang Yunlong

Song of The Moon - based on wuxia novel 奔月 by 蜀客 starring Zhang Binbin and Xu Lu

Story of Kunning Palace - based on the the web novel 坤宁 by Shi Jing starring Bai Lu and Zhang Linghe 

Under the Microscope - based on the novel 显微镜下的大明 by 马伯庸 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Qi Wei

Till the End of the Moon - based on the web novel 黑月光拿稳BE剧本 by Teng Luo Wei Zhi starring Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu

[marley-manson]

okay the full review in a pros and cons list lol

pros:

uh my ship canon. i win, motherfuckers. fuckin 15 year old me was right this whole time, as always, but it's nice to see it acknowledged for once.

the confession scene also just kicked ass tbh

i gotta admire the cheekiness of the back and forth hesitant phrasing of their relationship, eg crowley referring to '...us' and aziraphale's 'i need you!' 'we can be together' etc until finally crowley just runs back to kiss him

and you know aziraphale was about to say 'i love you' before cutting himself off <3

touching his lips after too <3

the reasons for the break up felt reasonable to me and justified with the season's flashbacks to crowley questioning things and aziraphale's resistance

some pretty funny jokes, i laughed outloud a few times

michael sheen and david tennant do have excellent chemistry

never gonna say no to side lesbians even if they were incredibly bland

i think the way it was structured like a fanfic was a pro honestly lol. the plot sucked, i don't care about it, so it's nice that the story itself also doesn't care

amnesiac gabriel was endearing

crowley not kiling goats was cute

ty tennant was in it for about a minute and spent that minute hitting on aziraphale and it was fucking bonkers

no het

like i think job and his wife may have literally been the sole exception including like references to offscreen spouses lmao, i'm v impressed, and if this is penance for last season then i forgive.

i thought it was cute that gaiman incorporated the song he wanted for season 1 into this season as a plot point

beelzebub's new actor was so much better. and the flies were somehow kinda cute, i'll give the gabriel/beelzebub ship that.

good old fashioned lover boy. we all wanted it, they gave it to us, i appreciate it

here's my review: gay enough

cons:

mostly sucked as like, a narrative

tennant's fucking performance as crowley was so annoying, he or the director doubled down on what i hated last season and stripped him of all the endearing humanizing aspects of his performance and the result was like watching donald duck screaming for 6 episodes

the chemistry was still there but the actual pining kiiiiinda wasn't, actually lol. oh they referred to it in scripted moments, jokes, parallels, and straightforward statements, but they didn't... show it, particularly. until the confession nothing even approaches the tenderness and emotion of like any of their season 1 scenes, let alone the car scene or the bus stop scene or the ritz or the french revolution rescue or the blitz or eden etc etc. and david tennant did not say one word in that cute hopeful pining tone

to be honest after watching the whole show this is the most disappointing part. like the car scene??? could i not get a sequel to that? let crowley be tender!!!!

i think the reason we don't get scenes like that, other than perhaps uncomfortable restraint due to acknowledging the romance textually, is that they went from crowley practically begging aziraphale to cave and fuck him for centuries to crowley now angry repressed and needing a push to say anything, which also felt wrong to me, like iffy fanfic characterization

it was bad enough that i was nervous they were going to depict neither as actually aware of their feelings. thankfully they did not, and it still feels like crowley has been pining for a thousand years and they've both been aware but dancing around it, with the way the confession was phrased. that should be a pro, actually.

also yk all the obvious things. dumb jokes, a lot of bad acting (i feel like the director is at fault though tbf), not into the twee tone in general for the most part, a lot of scenes that were way too drawn out, utterly nonsensical narrative, characters doing things for no reason other than convenience constantly (why do the lesbians stay to help fight the demons? because their characters are more important and need more screen time), 0 stakes wrt heaven and hell because they're all so wholly ineffectual as antagonists and neither crowley nor aziraphale ever gave a shit about their threats, etc etc

oh lol nina sosanya being cast again as a brand new character, no relation to sister mary loquacious. it's not a big con since i like her and was happy to see her again, but it did feel lazy lol. at least give me the identical twin cousin explanation

was crowley living out of his car a joke bc they don't have the set from last season? did god not restore his flat like the bookshop? what's up with that? and how much time has passed since last season anyway? why didn't he get a new flat? why is he living in his car? what's going on?

nightingale references at the end felt tacked on and awkward to me tbh

ohhhhh raphael!crowley's very obviously hinted at and i hate that headcanon :/

crowley's kinda hilariously gary stuish honestly, making me really miss the book and even season 1 where he was like, yk, fucking incompetent sometimes. here he's lounging on couches without a care while being threatened by heaven and hell multiple times, pulling off perfect shots with no practice, waltzing into heaven without a second thought, bluffing demons easily and successfully, etc. and that's in addition to being right about everything and also being raphael like what happened to my dumbass low-level loser fave who fucked up the apocalypse by accident and lived in terror of phone calls from hell???

heaven and hell are "toxic" lol? that phrasing is so awkward, and like, i'd say minimizing but i guess tbf they didn't pose much of a threat in this season. but still c'mon, why you describing 2 murderous doomsday cults/cold warring governments as toxic like they're your annoying ex? especially after the running gag about nina's shitty girlfriend constantly therapy speaking at her condescendingly lol. how about 'hey remember how they worked together to try to kill us last season?'

oh gabriel/beelzebub of course lol, whatever happened to neil gaiman being unable to read fanfic or even people's headcanon posts for fear of accidentally plagiarizing ideas? bring back the separation between fandom and creator stat, fandom has way too much influence here and fandom fucking sucks

a little petty but honestly the kiss could've been good, yk? there's no reason it had to be bad, they could've just given into it for a bit for a hopeful romantic moment before aziraphale freaks and pulls away. like can i get 2 dudes to kiss with tongue at some point on my television here?

needs more queen

[hephaestn]

Don't worry about Halit not seeing Casablanca yet. Esra is going to show him the movie and he's going to flex about how he ended up getting a happy ending unlike Humphrey Bogart. 😎

Also, under no circumstances, do not imagine Esra forcing him to watch Robin William's entire filmography and Halit has the biggest smile the whole time because Esra's happy 🥰🥰🥰

Isn't it interesting that Halit doesn't like Meliha because she always pokes her nose into places she shouldn't but he loves Esra for the EXACT same reason?!

I've also been wondering how their kids are going to deal with the fact that their Dad shot their asshole grandfather. And he wasn't particularly fond of their grandmother but he did carry her corpse out of that train compartment. But she's also not dead right now. And Ahmet thought he had dad problems!

It's also been bugging me since the first time I saw S02E01, but who on earth told Halit that fake Peride's actual name was Esra? The only person in 1919 who knew her name was Ahmet and he didn't tell anyone. So who told Halit? I have to know!

okay but now we actually need an episode set in modern times with esra and halit watching casablanca. it’s a must. it’s a need. i think i would be healed from my every trauma if i see them at esra’s apartment istg

STOP that’d be so adorable 😭🩵 anon, you’re going to make me want to write fanfic about these two at this rate (as if i didn’t want to already). which do we think is esra’s favorite robin williams film? i think halit would go for night at the museum or jumanji… you know, just to stick with the impossible things happening theme.

oh my god you’re absolutely right! i hadn’t thought about it like that. halit in his mind probably like: wdym you’re a journalist only my WIFE can be a journalist smh

oh but eshal babies though 🥺 they’d be a terror, but so adorable. halit shooting their grandfather is so very valid, i’m sorry, everyone is far better off without that figure in their lives. but imagine the family dinners… ahmet would be their stepbrother, but also uncle, oh lord

IT’S DRIVING ME NUTS! i think we might have a plot hole with that, tbh. because before i started rewatching season 2, i thought. okay, maybe when halit is stealing from dimitri he made dimitri tell him (now i’m not even sure if dimitri even knew esra’s name, but i believe he did) but it can’t be that!!!! because he knows esra’s name in 2022 and he hadn’t met dimitri yet. then, i was thinking the only other person that knows the name esra is leyla through the tale esra told her. but how on earth would halit and leyla speak when she’s just a little kid?

i just wish they’d shown us how halit knows. because when they’re at his place in s2e2 he says ‘esra’ in such a… i now know your real name. OKAY BUT HOW!!! please someone dm emre sahin and ask him because i’m going bonkers with this

[lesbiangenkai]

okay so some more thoughts and initial impressions about the live action:

first of all i want to say overall i enjoyed it but this is absolutely a treat for fans and not something i would recommend for someone with no prior knowledge of the series. and it obviously suffers a lot from the limited amount of episodes. i don't know if it was a netflix decision or what, but an 8-10 episode season would've definitely taken this from "fun trip down memory lane" to "actual good series that can stand on its own".

however! the writers did a very very good job condensing the story into one arc that generally flowed together well. i would say the only time the pacing feels truly awkward is the genkai training, but with only 5 episodes there's just nothing else they could've done about that.

some changes that are really really good and work arguably better than the original:

hiei's intro being re-written so that his motivations and character make sense from the jump. i especially love the fight scene with yusuke where he refuses to even draw his sword because yusuke is too weak to bother with

KEIKO IS A REAL CHARACTER! she was a girl trapped in a shounen manga and now she gets to be a character in an ensemble cast and treated with some actual care. looping her into the yukina rescue was fantastic. she feels like a Final Girl and i love that for her

the whole cast was really good despite my reservations seeing the screenshots. kuwabara steals the show imo but the actor who plays yusuke is great. that IS my grumpy son. kurama is appropriately weird and i love the actor doing this stiff walk like he's in a body he's not 100% used to yet. hiei's hair is terrible but he's doing great. just the right level of disdain for everyone around him

SAKYO. alright listen. i love that sakyo's gambling is borderline a superpower for him. when he does the russian roulette gamble with only one empty chamber oh boy this guy is BONKERS!!

the fight scenes were all done really well. and especially with yusuke the way he thinks on his feet during a fight and using his environment was reflected well

downsides: obviously the genkai arc....its such a good arc with a powerful message and i wish it got the time and space it needed. ummm also i know everything was rushed BUT i wish they had that moment in the toguro fight where keiko has a meltdown especially in the LA watching kuwabara "die" in front of her knowing she is about to be next. it's just such a powerful moment in the show imo where she's watching this brutality unfold as yusuke is getting beaten and her mind is on a loop like "i was just scolding him about homework last week we're supposed to be in school we're supposed to be KIDS" i know why they didn't but still. still.

i really wish we got more moments with the characters hanging out or chatting or something. also adult koenma with the binky.....tbh either have koenma played by an actual kid OR just have him as an adult and drop the binky have him chewing on a lolipop or something idc but like. if we're not doing the baby bit there's no reason to have it they could have just dropped it. ALSO this is nitpicky but kuwabara's spirit sword not being yellow.....yes i was bothered by this. :((( i'd give this like a 8/10 overall tho, very very fun.

[mraculous]

*slams eighth shot of whiskey* okay listen i gotta get this out before more episodes come out, invalidating it all, but can we TALK about the adjusted dynamics of the lovesquare, stick to the end for me losing my mind about ladrien

I never read the bible so no spoilers there, but spoilers for the tfou apocalypse up through elation/exaltation

Ladynoir. The classic. The OG.

We're in a unique position with them because, Ladynoir has historically had 2 distinct dynamics: 1 when Ladybug thought Chat Noir was just flirting and he thought he had a chance, and one when she knew he loved her, and he knew she didn't.

When she was oblivious, it was flirt central! it was cute! light! fun! In the second, it was sad (we the audience knew that lb DID in fact love cn back, just, behind the mask. yakno, the classic, the og) and somewhat frustrating bc we wanted CN to chill tf out, which, eventually, he did, all the while still loving his lady

Now? NOW???? Y'all it's BOTH

Chat Noir doesn't KNOW (yet) that Ladybug is in love with him. He just thinks she's flirting, or testing him.

But Ladybug DOES know. She KNOWS he doesn't love her. When CN was in this phase, flirting to an oblivious LB, he still had hope that she would love him or at least he lived for the moments she flirted back, but NOW?? Ladybug knows!!! She knows exquisitely that CN does not love Ladybug anymore. (even though we AND LB know that he does love her, just behind the mask)

It's just such a beautiful reversal chefs kiss mwah

I basically just keep thinking of that sad look CN gave her when Glaciator was screaming about how CN should love LB, and that little comforting pet she gave him. Tears.

the other sides under the cut

Adrienette. Our cute blushing oblivious babies.

Tbh team? I'm not sure where this one will go! Don't have a lot to say about it that the show hasn't already. Adrien fell for Marinette hook line and sinker, we all saw it coming we're all just happy to be here. Marinette is afraid to love him and "no alya he's just a friend" I'm just thrilled to see where this goes

(especially now that Adrien has kissed Marinette???? AND that he knows she doesn't love him anymore??? I Am All In)

(but also we the viewers have just a little drop of sadness/frustration too in this because, like, We Know!!! we've been here the whole time!! You DUMMIES YOU LOVE EACH OTHER and this is RIDICULOUS and UNNECESSARILY TRAGIC just LKAJSD;FLKJ anyway)

Marichat. Okayokayokayokayokayokayokayokay

In Ye Olden Dayes, Marichat was the sin ship. But even before that, it was always the side of the square where there was no performance, no pretension, just two people who were friends (but didn't know how good) hanging out with lots of chemistry but no blushing.

But now WWHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOO BOOI I mean the fact that marichat was the first side to consensually, of sound mind, and in the canon timeline, kiSS is bonkers to me, congrats to taylordraws for predicting the future I guess

But! Now!!!! They love each other!! If they're ever around each other again it's going to be a bluSHING NIGHTMARE especially since them being together caused Marinette to almost get akumatized, and that they both understand it can't work, there'S THAT HINT OF SADNESS r u sensing a theme

But okay, that thing I just said 20 words ago, them being a blushing nightmare, it's because this is the side that's in love with each other. Marinette < - > Chat Noir it's a two way door okay and that's what ladrien used to be and what ladrien was based on. But now we have the ladrien dynamic + sads + MORE KNOWLEDGE + EVEN MORE DRAMATIC IRONY and frankly I'm alive

Ladrien. *smashes whiskey glass on floor and screams*

FOLKS. WHEN I TELL YOU. I AM FROTHING AT THE MOUTH FOR LADRIEN CONTENT NOW MORE THAN EVER let me tell u why

I'm a longtime Ladrien stan. I just think they're neat. I just think they should kiss. A li'l smooch. The first fic I ever wrote for this fandom was a ladrien "almost kiss UST" one shot.

But now? NOW??

Ladrien is now the Marichat dynamic. Marichat and Ladrien have flipped. Before, Ladrien was the two way love street, and Marichat was the platonic "no pretenses" street. Now, Marichat has taken on Ladrien's vibe (with some extra Sadness TM), so what has Ladrien become?

You'd think, oh it's just marichat now, no pretenses, they know they don't love each other, easy, *kisses you on the mouth* NO.

Picture this. Ladrien bathroom balcony scene. Or Ladybug saves Adrien. Whatever. All the reasons the show has given us for our heroes/civilians to interact outside their partnerships. With Marichat, they're cursed by knowledge. They know they love the other, but that the other doesn't love them (or so they think). With Ladrien, there's no such curse.

For Adrien? He looks at Ladybug, the girl he used to love. Used to. Past tense. All those pictures on his phone, his silly date ideas, his puns and flirting, that's all in the past now. She made it clear she doesn't love him back, and besides, he loves someone else now. He'll always love her like a friend, of course, she's his best friend, but... anything else is too hard.

For Ladybug? She looks at Adrien. The boy she used to love. She probably still does a little bit but it's different now. How it used to be, all that flailing around, the ridiculous schemes, the presents, the obsession, that's done. He might think he loves her now, but, no, she loves someone else. Outside of the mask, she's still his friend, of course, but, how it was before? It was just too hard.

Basically: THE BIG SADS. These two are exes, they're forlorn lovers, they're each other's "one that got away." But without either of them truly knowing why, or how, or even with the benefit of a real "we were together, now we're apart." These two moved past their unrequited love for each other through sheer force of will and lack of communication and now... now what are they?

I for one am frOTHING AT THE MOUTH TO FIND OUT

[nightglider124]

Titans: Season 4 - Ep7 & Ep8 - Thoughts

Okay, now that I have watched the episodes multiple times (actually just the good bits tehe), I have overall thoughts and I thought I would share them!

I’m gonna try and focus on the stuff non dickkory related buuut if you catch me slipping, soz. I have always been very vocal about my priorities in this show and they are in the main three.

Episode 7: Caul’s Folly

The bit at the beginning where they like said bye to Jinx, I found kinda sweet. I still feel like she is going to pop up again. I don’t feel like she is proper dead... Maybe I am wrong but I haven’t seen anything to say the actress wasn’t returning for part 2 or anything. I would personally prefer if they kept her dead moreso cos I don’t feel she has any more of a part to play in the rest of it but yeah. At first, I didn’t think they were even gonna mention her and then Rachel did and I was like lmao okay cool. Glad that was cleared up. XD

Honestly, they’ve done such a good job of getting the vibe of bonkers cult for the Church of Blood like it’s so full of whackos but it all feels so believable tbh. I like Sebastian; he’s an interesting character and villain. I’ve always liked the Brother Blood storyline in all media forms through the years and this is no different.

I AM MISSING GAR TERRIBLY ALREADY. I proper felt his absence and I HATED IT. Like I get it, we’re gonna be getting a whole ep for my boy but like I miss his cute little face. Gar woulda been a mood if he was in the town with them. GOD. I can’t wait to see him again soon.

Conner... my guy. I fucking hate you this season. I get the Lex thing and what they’re going for and Joshua Orpin does phenomonelly as he makes it believable but FUCK ME. I am tired of his superieor bullshit XD. Like when he started blaming Dick for the plan going south, I was like are you for real and then Dick being like well fuckface we had a good plan but it went to shit cos of your dumb ass. I was like FUCK YEAH, TELL HIM DICK! I need Conner to not be a douche for much longer cos it’s grating af.

In addition to that, it was cool to see Mercy again. I was surprised since I don’t think anything had mentioned her making an appearance. Still hate her character but it was a cool little moment.

MY GOD. The whole interaction with Roberta was my absolute favourite. When she like inhaled Kory, I was cracking up and I peeped Dick’s smiling eyes ever so slightly when she did it. Hilarious. I loved it and I loved Roberta. 

I really REALLY love the clothing department for all the outfits but... my baby girl. Every outfit was a slay. OH! AND THE FUCKING JACKET!! IT SAYS WE <3 GAR AND OBVS THATS A NUDGE TO THE ICONIC SHIRT?? I really adored that little easter egg to the comics. Muchos appreciated.

I LOVE TIM AND BERNARD. They’re little idiots trying to figure shit out and I’m a sap for it tbh. AND GUUURL, they gots their own motel scene. I was like Yaaas TIM, go get your boo. I really like their relationship tbf. I was smiling through like all their scenes, especially at the motel.

Dick getting the shit kicked out of him in the police station made me physically wince; the fight-acting was amazeballs but ugh my boy, I was like bro, you’re getting fucked up. I get he obviously does not have the Nightwing suit with him but dang man, you got knocked about like a ragdoll.

I like the pace in this first episode; it brought me straight back into the flow and action of the season rather than acting as filler bs, at least I felt. 

-----

Episode 8: Dick & Carol & Ted & Kory

This episode killed me dead because of the dickkory; I just wanna get that out straight away cos... my god. It was glorious. These thoughts will be including DK cos how can I not; half the episode was them.

That frickin bedroom scene... them freaking and then Kory being like did we sleep together? And Dick is like NO. No? It was so funny; I was cackling. The comedic and the seriousness and the romance as well... it all worked surprisingly very well? Like it felt in the middle of chaos but it works?? I loved this episode more than maybe any other episode in the show. 

THE WEDDING RINGSSS. I just wanna say, they got changed. They didn’t need to keep them on. Maybe yes because they’re keeping up the appearances but PLS they both looked real comfy with wedding rings js. Some of the shots also really felt like they were intentionally showing them off. Maybe I was imagining it but some of the shots felt very pointed. Loved it.

Their outfits. THE OUTFITS. Barbieland could never. I just... they were so opposite to Dick and Kory but they looked so fucking cute. I wanted to die. It was the best thing ever. 

OH! THE MUSIC IN BOTH EPISODES FUCKING SLAPPED. The town knows how to do a playlist, ite? I was vibing for a lot of the time to the point I had to rewind bits cos I wasn’t paying attention. 

The scene with Sebastian cutting Rachel had me raging. Like, bitch lemme cut you and see what you think. Step away from my GURL. 

The scene where Dick has bought the recorders... I found Kory hilarious with her ‘Peak daddy bullshit’ line but aw, omg I felt bad for Dick like his poor face he was like, I’m just trying to save us :( It’s rare Kory proper loses her shit with him so I was like oh, this is not nice. I got her but also like he trying. 

Inhale... guys... them recording their memories... Kory’s had me sad. Anna’s voice was so sad like it was great. 

In addition to that... my poor heart when Dick came downstairs and Kory had turned into Carol like full pelt... I was like noooo. His face is like no.... no no no. Brenton does Dick’s facial expression just so damn well. 

POOR CAROL!KORY. She was so fragile all like oh im sorry, did I do something wrong. And, I really love how Dick went from yelling at her cos boy is frightened and frustrated but then softens and is like no, it’s not your fault, its mine. And yes, I adored the hand holding and promising not to leave her, even if it was her Carol self. But, I agree with others on that; Dick’s face was sad cos he knows its not Kory doing it.

KORY HEARING WHAT DICK SAID ON THE TAPE AHHHHHHHH. Im so mad tho. Like he loved her since season 1 what the actual fuck man. Which, actually makes sense why he backed off in s2 and s3 cos like Kory was the one who put it out there about them figuring themselves out before they attempted anything romantic so maybe Dick took that as she wasn’t into it as well as like the not going to San Fran with them? Which makes me sadder. Like giving her space and time but really being like i luv you Kory. UGH. IM SICK.

The radio room was grim; Dick just walking around in these blood pipes like its nothing like even Rachel was like gross dude. Dick just walks out after like nah its fine; I’m covered in some randos blood but its all good.

TEHE the last bit where Kory says about it not being the painful memories. He 10000% now knows she listened to his tape and knows he loves her. Like pls.

Ugh Conner... what are you doing and why do I feel like you’re gonna fuck shit up again, ya little douche. He best not cause any harm to the other Titans with his stupid ass antics. I swear to Jesus. 

That’s all of my long winded thoughts for both episodes! Can’t wait for next weeks and we get to see baby Gaaar!!

[tuckersdeslauriers]

I really hate that chenford had been pushed into the noley role so now we’re just seeing nothing about their growth as a couple. It feels like they don’t even like each other anymore. That sucks and their storylines have been stale since 05 12. If they don’t give us better scenes they’re going to get cancelelled.

genuinely i am sorry you feel that way! i don't and i don't agree with this message – especially the idea that if there aren't "better" chenford scenes, the show will get cancelled.

i honestly don't have much to say about the beginning of this message outside of: it sucks that you feel that way. the shift we're feeling from pre-relationship to relationship is...totally normal to me. tim and lucy are adults who acknowledged they've had feelings for one another for a long time. they're in a relationship that is clearly comfortable for them, and the show was never going to be like...exclusively about chenford just because they started dating. we were never going to get these long drawn out relationship moments because that's not what the show is about, period. we don't get them for other ships, and honestly? we get more of them for chenford than anyone else. there are literally so many storylines and characters to balance that i am honestly kind of shocked they write as much for chenford as they do.

as for the rest of this...fandom as a whole needs to grasp that we are literally such a small group of people. the (generously) 1000 active vocal people in fandom make up vastly less than a percent of the rookie's overall viewership. sure, they hear from us on social media and that matters – but ultimately? the story is never going to be in our hands, and nothing a chenford fan says to abc/the rookie on socials, etc., about chenford is going to get the show cancelled. just want to clarify here that i am not talking about social issues or anything that would be warranted to impact story decisions – literally just anything about the chenford relationship specifically. choices about storylines are so much larger than any of us – they are pitched by creatives, approved by executives, etc. it is bonkers when people try to use this as a point of argument. like, we as chenford shippers have never had anything to do with renewal because of the ship...we could all stop watching tomorrow and they would still have millions upon millions of viewers.

anyway: i typically like the show so i don't think this will be surprising to anyone, but imo, this episode was very fun and i enjoyed it. i don't personally think chenford lacked depth, but if you did that is your prerogative. i think it's important not to stack every chenford moment and leave them with nothing left to do with the ship by like, 5x21. they shouldn't always be the focal point, that should be a given.

tbh if you are feeling burnt out on the rookie or disappointed, my genuine suggestion is to find something else to watch – let your mind indulge in new content, decompress, and then come back. you don't have to just have one thing – putting so much pressure on the ship is just going to disappoint you in the long run.

[jakowskis]

Day 7 - Do you have any all-time favorite scenes? You can bring up multiple - an objectively good scene, a silly scene that makes you smile, a sad scene that makes you cry, maybe a scene that just sort of stuck with you… your choice!

i have a bunch ok i tried to put em in categories. under the cut bc i think torchwood's entered spin territory by now and i still cant seem to shut up about it. pls help

scenes that rot my brain

when they mutiny against jack in the s1 finale. that whole bit, from gwen with rhys’ body in the autopsy bay to owen shooting jack to when they trigger the emergency protocol and open the rift. ill never get over how it first felt to watch that whole scene for the first time, it drove me insane. it still drives me insane. ive watched it 300 times it's sooo 😩 MY scene. g-d.

well, that’s my scene, and so are all the owen & ianto scenes in s1ep12. those two make me feral. ive gushed about theose scenes before, so ill spare u this time. my otp 4eva. and also owen having a villainous breakdown wahahaha. my fucked up little guy of all time

the scene where owen’s patching gwen up in countrycide drives me nuts. it’s such a clever seduction scene + it’s so intimate. i love it. (i also enjoy the two separate scenes where she chokes him fdhskjfdsf. countrycide tree scene makes me BLUSH and nothing makes me blush fsdkjfdshfkjdshfjkd. i am very very bi <3)

owen begging diane to stay in out of time... don’t touch me. every time i think of that whole scene i wanna cry. i have never seen such sad eyes in my life. (see my tags here for more of my thoughts on this topic fkjsdfhs.) burn pay my fucking hospital bills

that moment between jack and owen at the end of combat... “for a few seconds i felt totally at peace... and then you blunder in. do you always know best, jack? is that what you believe?” “i want you back at work tomorrow.” that scene has always driven me crazy. there’s a few scenes in the show where jack’s monstrous and the others yell at him over it, but that one hits the hardest. owen just seems to actually cut through him in that moment, and it kills me.

the scene at the conference table in s2ep5. i’m not the biggest fan of that ep, i talked abt it more the other day, but that scene drives me bonkers, for a number of reasons… the insight into the characters (owens mommy issues!!! tosh n ianto’s need for purpose!!! gwen loves rhys AND jack!!!), for sure, but especially the way jack’s relationship with all of them is presented. ill talk about it a lot more when i discuss his character, but jack… reminds me of a cult leader, in a lot of ways, and it’s most prominent in that scene especially. the show doesn’t realize it’s framing him like that, and the fandom doesn’t seem to pick up on it either. but i do, and i think it’s fascinating. 

gwen drugging rhys in combat. it just kind of blew my mind when i first saw it - there's a moment with every character where i went “oh wtf theyre fucked up. ok im obsessed now” (owen's was ghost machine, ianto's was actually ‘pray they survive’ in meat, jack & tosh never had one for me which is probs why they dont rot my brain quite as much fhdskjf) - that was gwen's. also important to note burn gorman agrees w me bc on the commentary of this ep during this scene he was clapping n laughing n probably kickin his feet HFDKSJFHDSJKFDSK he gets me

all of fragments tbh esp owens portion but specifically ianto crying when he walks away from jack at the end of his segment, and owen crying when he's talking to the doctor + him n jack walking thru the cemetery. aaaa.

(yes those were almost all owen scenes. im the deranged owen guy rmr.)

scenes that make me smile

the very first scene in the hub in the pilot :) it just feels a little bit magical in an industrial, bleak, kitchen-sink sort of way, which is what i love sm abt tw, the way it occasionally strikes that balance. the way stepping into a big base in a sewer manages to still feel magical… that’s special.

in episode 2 when theyre having lunch + in episode 4 when theyre at the bar, when they’re all gathered around and laughing. ohh i wish we got more of that

every time gwen n owen are dumbass giggling besties, or teasing each other… twice in s2ep10, and in ep 7, and then when theyre fooling around at the beginning of s2ep2. i love themmmm those two are my idiots they make me smile

jack & john’s fight in kkbb heheh

owen n martha gorillaz scene in reset. wahoo! shicka shicka shicka shicka feel good

bernies apt in ghost machine ep :) i just like the way they go through his shit, steal a bunch of it, n then leave, it always makes me giggle. “so call the cops” JACK. 

scenes that stuck with me / made an impact

john and his son in out of time. that was rlly rlly emotional.

also jack helping him off himself. g-d that episode was heart wrenching.

“captain my captain” in tkks, suzie on the ground covered in blood… things i think about. “it’s all your fault, jack." ahhhh

in ghost machine, when gwen holds the device and sees herself crying and covered in blood, and afterwards she’s all dazed and she looks at owen and he stares back and he looks dangerous. i loveee that scene. will never get over s1 owen. he’s a ticking time bomb and when he explodes he nearly destroys the world. character of all time to me. i love that he redeems himself in the end but ohhhhh sometimes i think of a world where he becomes a proper antagonist. he rlly walks the precipice 

g-d and the scene where he had the knife held to ed morgan, when i first watched it i didn’t know what he was gonna do and it was so tense. 

when lisa was first revealed in cyberwoman and mogwai played…. transcendent. the outfit was silly right off the bat but the vibe + reveal was cool enough i was rlly excited. i love the concepts in that episode i wish they took it more seriously. no metal bikini + no pteradacyl fight and we could’ve had it all. but also. would it be torchwood without metal bikini + pteradacyl fight.

“it made me happy” scene in countrycide. a lot of people seem to find that ep upsetting, i wasn’t really affected by the subject matter, but That got me. chilling. you go into torchwood expecting evil aliens, so the episodes about evil humans really hit.

the resurrection scene in s2ep7. i’m getting tired so im not gonna babble as much but agh. i wanna eventually do an analysis on owen & jack’s dynamic - i’ll talk about it there.

also, it’s a little moment but in the same episode, when gwen calls rhys crying… it reminds me of that bit in succession, during connor’s wedding, when tom calls greg, which is one of my favorite moments in that episode too. taking the time in the middle of a tragedy to step aside and privately call a loved one for support, bc u need a minute to break down when uve been doing ur best to stay strong. i think torchwood is bad at handling grief and letting their characters experience it, so it’s a nice little moment that actually lets her grieve. that, and the glove clearly triggers her, so she got double whammied with the death of a friend + the reminder of the time she nearly died. again, in a show that doesn’t typically frame moments of weakness and pain very sympathetically, it’s refreshing. 

idk why, but in ep7, when it goes back and forth between owen figuring out the murders + tosh crying to mary while she looks unsympathetically down at her… it’s just a well-filmed, cool scene, and i enjoy it. thrills me, heh. also owen adhd icon

aditd... maggie’s wedding… we’d been married less than an hour. scenes that got me. i think of maggie a lot. i think of that scene a lot. i think ‘the woman on the roof’ is my most listened to torchwood ost track, fff. it’s very special to me. that song reminds me of a thomas newman score.

tosh n owen’s deaths. of course. both of owens deaths actually, the second one is more impactful but the way nobody held him when he first died bc they were all in shock haunts me ;-;

[writerfae]

I help you with some little distraction. (I am a little ball of anxious mess myself at the moment)

I always love to hear writers muse about how they would like their stories to be put on screen. A movie? A series of movies? A tv show? Live action? Animated? What style if animated?

Go bonkers on this

Ohhhh this is a nice question, thanks!

I think I would want my story to be adapted as a show! Movies always tend to cut out so much important stuff and I think the whole pacing of my plot would be good for a show with episodes

Also it would give the story more space for stuff like following different storylines. And oh, the endless possibilities of flashbacks! And filler episodes! I know people tend to dislike those but I’d love to get at least one. Okay, it doesn’t really fit into my story but I’d find a way

And I think I’d go for animation over live action. Cause while I think the letter can be cool, especially if well made, I adore animated fantasy shows so much! They have that special something.

Also I could never pick an actor haha. I’d never be satisfied. I mean some of my ocs have face claims but I would hardly get all those people together anyway so it would be a never ending search. I’m a perfectionist after all xD

Like I said, animation is such a lovely tool especially for fantasy settings. With the way some things in my story look I think it would take tons of cgi I assume, so might as well use animation from the start. And just imagine an animated fae forest, how beautiful would that be!

I’d have a hard time to decide for a certain animation style, to be honest. I think I would need to try out several first to get a feeling to what would fit my story. I really adore the animation in DOTA: Dragon’s Blood tbh (I adore it in general, as one might have noticed cause I never shut up about it xD), so maybe something like that would be cool!

(I’m stealing one of my favorite promo pics to show you the style a bit but shhh 🤫)

Anyways, thanks for your ask!

And I’m sorry to hear you feel anxious too :( Wanna tell me about how you would like to have your story be adapted on screen? I’m curious now!

[strugglingyetvibing]

logging back on for the first time since dts season 6 dropped, how we feelin' f1blr?

i avoided socials like crazy because i didn't want any spoilers, but i just finished the season so i'm officially back, and i'm pretty miffed

putting an extender thingy here bc this is getting long and i don't wanna jam up your dashes too much haha

tl;dr - danica patrick sucks and the season was mid.

first of all, get danica patrick off my fucking screen. she, of all the women reporters they could have picked for this role, was the worst possible pick. give me rachel brookes! give me natalie pinkham! bernie collins (could you imagine??)! any of those fantastic women (or the others i didn't list) would be better than danica fucking patrick.

beyond that, the season was honestly kind of meh. they missed a lot of big plot points (hardly any mention of max's objectively historic run?? love him or hate him, it was something for the record books) for a lot of smaller plot points that really either could have been covered in just a chunk of an episode or were really just made up (e.g. they tried to make us think that liam and yuki weren't friends even though they literally are, and have been since before 2023). like, i get the fanfare of daniel coming back, but they also just did what f1 did and just stopped mentioning nyck ever again, which was so frustrating. it was so abrupt! i was shocked when the credits rolled.

they also just didn't mention qatar at all, which was wild. they could have used 'the shot' of lewis walking in the gravel with george's car going in the background! they could have talked about oscar winning something before lando! they could have talked about max winning the championship and how historic his run was! they could have talked about how fucking hard that race was for everyone on the grid and actually mention logan sargeant for once and show how williams and james vowles took care of him! there were a lot of missed opportunities there. as much as i don't like that race (due to the overwhelming strain it put on the drivers), it was an important one that probably should have been mentioned.

at first, i thought bringing claire williams in was a weird move, but i kind of appreciated her insight as an ex-team principle, similarly to how i appreciate bernie collins' insight during broadcasts. that was a good touch from the netflix team.

two episodes for alpine was too much. i get that there was a lot to go through for them, but they could have sped up the drama and made a super interesting single episode encapsulating both pierre and esteban's animosity (and them making it better) and otmar's departure. if put together, they could have made an engaging plot-twisty episode that would have been super fun to watch.

i also think it was really interesting how they didn't follow aston martin through their midseason fall. they propped them up in the first episode as a team poised to fight at the top, and then we never hear from them until abu dhabi. they mention that they had 'some struggles' throughout the season, but if you spend a whole episode hyping me up for a team, check in with the team at least once throughout the season. that was kind of disappointing that we didn't hear from them again until the end.

i honestly forgot that there were talks of lewis to ferrari in the middle of the season, so that episode was really interesting, especially knowing what we know now. the fact that the team told lewis to his face that he was wrong after a literal decade working together is absolutely bonkers, and i'm starting to understand more as to why he left. i just wish they had included the "hello lewis" moment at the monaco driver conference. they included another bit from the monaco conference, so i'm sad they missed that bit. would've helped with my bingo card tbh.

seeing the ferrari episode (it's like episode 8 or something) just makes me more mad that they dropped carlos. this isn't dts' fault, the episode was actually pretty good (aside from the pitting of charles against carlos, but that kind of comes with the show at this point lol), but seeing everything that carlos did for ferrari just for them to not renew his contract is insanely heartbreaking. back to back poles and a win (the only non-red bull win of the season!), as well as consistently performing incredibly well, bringing in consistent good points for himself and the team. i realize lewis is a seven-time world champion, and this isn't any sort of lewis hate (i actually love that man), but the decision to drop carlos and the manner in which ferrari did it is very infuriating. again, not dts' fault, but seeing the behind the scenes in that episode was so bittersweet.

i really didn't mean for this to get so long, jeez! i just have a lot of frustrations with the season (and honestly kind of the show as a whole, but i'll save this already long-ass rant from that lol). it's an enjoyable watch, but it's weird to think that this is the impression people who don't know f1 will get of the sport and the people inside of it when a lot of it is just plain wrong.

and again, fuck danica patrick. she should not be on that show at all, and i hope she doesn't return for season seven (i'm delusional, she probably will). she also should not be on the sky sports broadcast team, but again, i'm delusional, and she'll probably be around for much longer than jenson or i would like.

[interstitties101]

Ok. Dr who The Giggle thoughts.

Things I did not like (there are a lot of them tbh but I feel like they’re p valid)

Avengers tower. Be so ffr y’all. Enough. That bothered me So Much actually cuz enough with the Whoniverse shit. The whole point of dr who is to not bandwagon and this is aggressive bandwagoning.

The ending being Neil Patrick Harris missing a catch. Like ik it’s silly bc the toymaker is silly and all that but like. Very anticlimactic.

Bi-generation. Again. Be so ffr. There are SO many problems that would cause. Ripples in time and all that. And also it just doesn’t work with the show. The whole point of the dr is that there can only be one of them - the metacrisis was crazy bc it went against all precedent but still the dr was HUMAN. The dr splitting into two versions of themselves seems like a catastrophic event for spacetime by the logic of the show but ig limits like that don’t matter anymore?? I’m really frustrated with writers trying to push the limits of the show/the character by creating totally bonkers things that end up cheapening the premise of the show. The dr is insanely powerful, yes, but they also DIE. They change. They have limits. The whole point of a tragic hero is that they CANNOT remain the same and yet they ALWAYS remain the same because they are stuck in the narrative. I enjoy the idea of the dr finally getting a break but I feel like there were other ways of doing that. Or at LEAST explain that 14 is now human or has only one lifespan or something like that as an emergency way for really-fucking-old time lords to shed some of their trauma through bi-generation without causing ripples in time. I think maybe that’s what RTD was going for? But it wasn’t explained at all and giving 14 their own tardis was crazy. Cuz now they’ve just. Brought back 10 bc they liked him, no other reason. And I LOVE David Tennant. But not like this - not as fan service that ends up scratching the integrity of the show (not that the integrity isn’t constantly being scratched but whatever). Also - part of the reason the metacrisis was so tragic was because the dr could never grow old with Rose Tyler!!!!!! Only the metacrisis dr could. It was SO tragic that 10 never got to experience that. So they should’ve made it clear that 14 was human or limited in some way so they could grow old with Donna and experience growing old with someone they love finally. That would’ve properly conveyed the beauty I think (I hope) they were going for.

Treating the show as if there are no limits takes the weight out of everything. The always-upping-the-stakes trap.

Ik I just said this but the dr should’ve regenerated INTO Ncuti Gatwa, not just bc of the aforementioned OP-ness and logiclessness of the character rn but bc Ncuti DESERVED his own thing and to be the dr fully. I don’t like that he had to share his regeneration with David Tennant. It also separated Ncuti’s doctor and dt’s doctor so they seem like different people, not the same character played by different people, and I think that’s sad. One of the special things about regeneration is that you have an image of the former dr as you discover the new one and it’s bittersweet because the old one is gone but that person is STILL the new one. And that’s very special. You carry bits of each doctor with you. That effect is somewhat lost here.

The doctor would not go mad being in one place for a human lifetime cuz he already did that many times over. Those instances were major plot points actually. Remember a town called Christmas? Trenzalore? TEN would go mad because of his personality and the fact that he was always running from his problems but the dr is a different person now. 14 is not 10. But whatever I guess.

Just bad pacing of the episode bc they were trying to cram so much stuff in (like star beast). The best ep in the specials trio was wild blue yonder for exactly this reason.

The emotional convos w Donna and the dr should’ve been longer. She was his like. Primary outlet in terms of emotional vulnerability, and he was her biggest outlet for her full bravery and intellect and potential. The quieter moments when they rely more on silence and just acting and less on swirling plot devices are what makes the characters and their dynamic really shine and I wish they’d had more of that for the finale.

I did not understand why the toymaker was limited in the way he was. If you’re an elemental entity that can play with atoms like play dough then why are you constrained to only ever play games??? Why is there only ever winners and losers???

Justice for Martha Fucking Jones. Goddamn they CONTINUE to do her so dirty. Not even a mention. Damn.

Goddamnit RTD you can write BRILLIANT normal dr who episodes but you are doing WAY too much with the big ones. Lean off the meta stuff. Ground the show back into reality (or at least some semblance of logic cuz who are we kidding here. It’s dr who). Bigger is not always better and people don’t get sick of smaller but more emotionally intense plots.

Maybe it was the pacing, maybe it was the fact that we didn’t get to see any complex emotion from 14 about retiring (in a sense), maybe it was the lack of explanation/consequences about the bi-generation, or maybe it was just the ludicrousness of bi-generation in itself, but the ending did not feel as cathartic like it was supposed to. You can’t create emotional complexity out of complex plot devices. Take a simpler thing and do more with it please (hence the success of wild blue yonder). I feel like there could’ve been a different way to handle the ending. Idk exactly how (I have some ideas brewing) but it felt… incomplete. Or just immature/rushed.

If bro is gonna retire or whatever tf, don’t leave him with a tardis??? It defeats the point???

Things I liked

NCUTI GATWA!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!! The energy he’s bringing is AMAZING and I’m so excited to see him explore the emotional depth of this character. Hats off.

BAGAHHAHAHHAHAHA THE DOCTOR IS BLACK AND GAY!!!!!!!! SUCK IT!!!!!!!!!!! HES ALREADY FUCKING KILLING IT!!!!!!!

15 kissing his teeth made me SO happy. I SEE you.

I always love seeing David Tennant on screen regardless of anything else. Tbh.

14 getting a good hug from someone who literally fully understands. Even if it is themselves. What a fucking weight off.

The Toymaker’s lipsync!!!! SLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Need I say more.

Having another former companion on the show :)

I really do love the idea of the doctor getting a break and hopefully shedding some of their trauma. They deserve it so much. But I’m sad again bc I feel like they didn’t have to bring dt back for that. I thought 10’s face coming back was something to do with the timelines fracturing (like they said in the comic relief thing!!) and the toymaker was related to that, and so in repairing the timelines they’d reset proper regeneration or whatever it is. (Note to self: see, that would’ve made so much more sense. The dr and Donna could’ve gotten their closure and 15 would promise to visit or smth and make random references in the next season to stopping by to say hi to Donna and catch up. Or like “you won’t BELIEVE what Donna just told me”. That’s the new reality I’m sticking with in my head. Anyway.) Like, the temporariness/transientness of 10’s face is what made it a treat! It wasn’t meant to last forever. So I loved the idea of dt’s face coming back as a form of releasing trauma and processing or whatever it was, but… the longevity didn’t fit. Sorry :(

Edit: also the dr was gay for himself. Lmao >:3 valid

[operationhoshinokaabii]

Do you have a list of episodes you would consider most important to the overall plot/lore of the series? I've been looking to rewatch HNK/RBAY but I don't have the time to watch all 100 episodes lol

Oh jeez. Uh.

Well it depends what you consider "lore". I'm guessing you mean the stuff that directly address stuff like Star Warriors, the war with Nightmare etc. Which is pretty limiting tbh.

So if you're only watching "lore" episodes it won't take long because the show is not "lore" heavy.

And in the meantime you'll miss out on a ton of little character interactions and developments and jokes and fun scenes that happen on the side in all the other eps, which I believe is the show's bigger strength.

You'd miss ep 12, The Ghost of Castle Dedede, which is amazing, but it doesn't have "lore".

You'd miss ep 25 and meeting Escargon's mother.

You'd miss all the episodes about Kawasaki, you'd miss all the episodes about the Waddle Dees, you'd miss the relationship between Samo and Mabel, you'd miss Commander Vee, you'd miss Bonkers and Lovely and Chilly, etc etc etc.

The whole "Star Warriors fighting Nightmare" part of the plot is really secondary to, well, everything else, so I think you'd be missing the entire point of the show by focusing ONLY on that.

Like just watch one episode a week like it originally aired, I bet you have time for that.