#35/36/37

[read-watch-listen-17]

SHADOW AND BONE

Okay, I just binged the Shadow and Bone trilogy and I can’t believe I haven't read them before now.

If you haven’t read them and don’t want any spoilers I suggest you stop reading now.

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First off this was an adorable story. It was a little predictable, but still kept me wanting more. 

I totally thought she and the Darkling were going to get together, but the way the story played out I’m so glad that they didn’t. I wasn’t a big fan of how hot and cold Mal was though, but at the same time I kind of understood where he was coming from.

Sturmhond/Nikolai has my heart! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 His sassy ass, sarcasm and just his whole persona was amazing. I also loved that he always had some base he could go to.

There were so many moments between Alina and Mal that gave me that warm fuzzy feeling, and then there were moments when I wanted to throw my shoe at Mal.

I think it was toward the end of the second book when I started thinking that either Alina or Mal had to be related to Marazova. That there had to be an explanation for Mal’s ability to track so well. I was a little disappointed that it was Mal and not Alina but we’re not going to dwell on it.

Let’s see what else. Nadia’s brother lost an arm. Genya lost an eye. She and David got together, yay! 🥳

Oh and then there’s Mal dying. Don’t get me wrong once we found out that he was the third amplifier I expected it to happen. I was prepared for it. I was prepared for her to do it, for him to force her to do it. For her to demand the Healers try to save him even though it would be futile. I didn’t let myself hope they would resurrect him, because she STABBED HIM IN THE HEART AND HE DIED. Jokes on me though, because apparently I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the rules/details. I was super happy when he started breathing again 🥳🥳🥳

Also I’m still a little fuzzy on the whole she got all three amplifiers, but she didn’t get to keep any of the power thing. I thought they were supposed to amplify power, but it’s like there was a loop hole or something. She got all three but instead of amplifying her power it gave it to everyone else. Like she wasn’t strong enough to hold it all so it distributed it among everyone else and left her with nothing. Like she was just a conduit meant to transport the power?

Oh I also thought it was super adorable that Alina and Mal played the if things had been different back then game. And they knew that no matter how things had started it wouldn’t change where they were that day. They still would have fallen for each other and stood against the Darkling together ❤️❤️

I think one of my favorite parts about these books are the Before and After. Where it reads like a narrator. Similar to when there’s a voiceover at the beginning or end of a movie that narrates what is going on. The one at the end of Ruin and Rising made me tear up and gave me all the gooey, mushy feelings ❤️❤️❤️

Okay now I’m off to read Six of Crows and I’ll probably end up watching the Shadow and Bones TV show. I’ve heard great things 😊

#shadow and bone #leigh bardugo #siege and storm #ruin and rising #alina starkov #mal oretsev #sturmhond #nikolai lantsov #genya #zoya #ravka #sun summoner #grishaverse #grisha #magic #road to 100 #35/36/37 #june reads 2022

[sugar-grigri]

How about an analysis of Dunmeshi's latest episode?

What I find really interesting, and episode 17 made me realize it, is the extent to which Laios and Shuro are the opposite of what they portray, even worse: the image they might portray is actually that of the other.

Let me explain :

How does Shuro see Laios ? As someone stubborn and thoughtless, disconnected from reality to the point of using black magic to resurrect his little sister.

We know that Shuro would have made the same choice, which shows that even if he tries to deny it, there is a point of connection between them.

The key to these similarities and differences is Falin.

What Shuro loves about Falin is the tenderness in her every gesture, her compassion and understanding of every creature, and her smile.

When he sees this monster kill in cold blood, he realizes the extent to which he has lost his loved one, which is why he chooses to kill her to free his soul, thinking he has lost her.

But what Shuro doesn't realize is that he's exactly what he's blaming Laios for: he's stubborn and reckless, not realizing the danger and sacrifices his teammates are making for the sake of this mission.

He's also disconnected from reality, not caring about himself, his hunger or his fatigue.

Above all, and this is very interesting, Laios had said that he hadn't perceived that Shuro couldn't stand him because he was so happy to have him as a friend, that he hadn't detected any of these signals.

Shuro shares this blindness

Shuro repeats that this monster is not Falin, yet he sees her as such, to the point of embarrassment when the monster removes her blouse.

And that's the opposite of Laios, who sees his sister as the monster she is

Like the chimera Falin has become, he sees his little sister calling him and this super-cool monster.

He's the one with his feet firmly on the ground, he's the one who really cares about his team, taking care of himself and those around him through balanced meals.

The one who understands that Falin has many vital points, rather than allowing himself to be overwhelmed by despair, is Laios.

So when Shuro hits Laios, in reality he's not hitting a man who differs from him, he's hitting his own flaws, and his own failure in the situation.

This failure he projects onto Laios, a man brimming with flaws.

Not only does Laios reason with him, but if Shuro ends up taking the wiser path, it's also because he's literally fought against himself.

But it all goes even further!

Shuro realized his feelings, or rather how unique Falin was in her tenderness and altruism, towards every being, even the smallest.

But what set this whole cycle in motion was Falin's self-sacrifice, her own death.

Laios and Marcille are responsible for what follows, but they are not responsible for everything, as Shuro tries to believe.

Shuro refuses the truth

So he doesn't see Falin

He couldn't accept that her tenderness had led to his death

Nor that her tenderness gave way to extreme coldness and indifference

He won't accept his own blindness

So he hits Laios and his extreme sincerity that irritates him so much

Shuro can't see anything in the darkness of this dungeon, he's the one who's lost his footing so he has to get back up again

Laios has accepted to see everything, even the unavowable, the forbidden, the pain.

What Shuro sees in Falin is love

In Laios, what he sees is the truth

In reality, Laios has only told part of the truth; he is the other half.

But if he goes back up, it's not to abandon Falin, Shuro has to face reality, the truth, that Laios was the only one who could save his beloved. It was by fighting that he finally put his trust in Laios. And finally became a friend

#dunmeshi anime #dunmeshi #dungeon meshi #delicous in dungeon #dunmeshi ep 17 #dungeon meshi 17 #episode 17 #shuro #laios dungeon meshi #falin dungeon meshi #marcille donato #falin touden #laios touden #chilchuck #analysis #dunmeshi analysis #dungeon meshi chapter 35 #dungeon meshi chapter 36 #dungeon meshi chapter 37

[makeste]

BnHA Volume 35 - A Brief Reaction Journey

hello! so as mentioned in my last post, I’ve started catching up with the BnHA manga again FINALLY after almost two years, and have made it through a fair number of chapters so far! and since I’m not sure how long it will take me to actually post the corresponding liveblogs, I figured I’d make a couple of posts in the meantime to sort of preview my reaction journey thus far with some good old-fashioned OUT-OF-CONTEXT BULLET POINTS taken from my ramblings. originally I was going to make a single post for all 25 chapters I’ve read so far (up to 367), but I quickly realized that was waaaaay too ambitious lol. so for now it’s just this one, and I’ll put up the vol. 36 post probably tomorrow afternoon.

spoiler warning: just fyi, this post will obviously feature spoilers for chapters 342-350*, BUT it will also include some stray spoilers from chapters 362 and 403 as well, so just a heads up for that if you aren’t fully caught up!

*chapters 340 and 341 are not included because I've already posted full reaction posts for each one here and here, respectively.

Chapter 342

Endeavor being taller than Jeanist just feels so WRONG to me regardless of whether or not it is factually accurate. does this mean All Might is also taller than Jeanist?? I don’t want to live in a world where Best Jeanist has secretly been a perfectly normal sized person this entire time. someone please lie to me and tell me that he is tall

many thanks to Kacchan for inserting this small bit of levity into this scene which was otherwise well on its way to sending me into a SPIRAL OF FEELINGS, and in fact still is whenever I look at that panel of Deku with Eri and Kouta, and also that GODDAMN HUG WHERE HE AND INKO ARE BOTH CLEARLY AND PAINFULLY AWARE THAT THEY MIGHT NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN, AND IN THAT MOMENT THEY’RE JUST TRYING TO HOLD THE OTHER AS TIGHTLY AS PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE, AND SHE’S PRAYING TO WHATEVER DEITY IS OUT THERE THAT HE’LL COME BACK SAFE AND WHOLE, AND HE’S PRAYING THAT HIS MOM WILL BE ALL RIGHT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T COME BACK, AND NOT ALLOWING HIMSELF TO THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH HE ALREADY MISSES HER, BECAUSE HE CAN’T THINK LIKE THAT ANY MORE, BECAUSE THIS BOY IS FULLY GROWN NOW BECAUSE HE HAD TO BE, BECAUSE HE HAD NO CHOICE, AND I’M BOTH SO PROUD AND SO FUCKING SAD ABOUT IT AND I JUST NEED A MINUTE HERE ACTUALLY, OKAY!! OR FIVE MINUTES!!

LMAO WHAT AN AUSPICIOUS AND NOT-AT-ALL OMINOUSLY FOREBODING NAME. “hmmm what should we name our new class 1-A fortress?” “hmm well I was thinking maybe Troy, after the legendary city with the famously impenetrable walls, which to the best of my knowledge were never breached, or at least that’s what I assume since I never finished reading The Iliad! :) :) :) ...wait, why are you all looking at me like that. they didn’t actually breach them, right? guys? what happened to Troy? GUYS?”

I’m actually so proud of Deku because he’s come such a long way from the days when the mere CONCEPT of even TALKING to a girl was enough to floor him lol. but also I’m legit cracking up at he way he tried to segue into random small talk in the middle of the goddamn apocalypse. gotta be smooth about it!! casual!! you can tell how casual they are because both of them are suddenly struck by the inexplicable urge to fuss with their hair!!

Horikoshi really said “FUCK YOUR SQUADS!! ...but if we had a Todosquad this is who would be in it I guess”

my god. between this and the OchaDeku conversation the villains truly do not stand a chance do they? and they don’t even know how screwed they are yet. REDEMPTION IS COMING!! IT’S KNOCKING ON THE DOOR, TRICK OR TREAT, Y’ALL READY FOR THIS

Chapter 343

so we’re opening with everyone’s favorite Guy With An Old Wad Of Chewing Gum For A Face, AFO!

did this son of a bitch kill Nao’s dad and steal his sexy lie-detector quirk??

sob AFO is all “can I have your son’s cell phone number please” and they’re all “SURE”

bonsoir little Yuuga

do. ...do you not actually know. was this meeting not prearranged. “why are you here Aoyama?” “why are you here, Deku?” truly, why are any of us here??

I’m sitting here trying to play the “guess which parts of this dialogue are real vs fake” game and coming up completely stumped on every single sentence

so Yuuga’s all “can you believe that even though the city of Musutafu is basically down to just U.A., a Dollar Tree, a couple of crumbling park benches, and one very determined Starbucks, we somehow still have functioning courts and lawyers?” I actually can’t believe that at all tbh. you’re telling me “it’s the fucking apocalypse” is still not a good enough excuse to get out of jury duty

damn, Aoyama out here with the trash talk and the ON YOUR LEFT?!

MONOMA??!?!?!?!

Chapter 344

“Eraser’s” plan, indeed. you dare say that right to Kaminari’s face

SHINSOU!!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!??!?!?

HEYA YOURSELF YOU HANDSOME KNAVE!! LOOK AT YOU!! fucking loving the costume my dude! pretty please tell us your hero name to go along with it. is it MindCraft. I think your hero name should be MindCraft. don’t look at me like that Shinsou we need more punny hero names in the world

“yes well you see, I couldn’t do it, so I learned how to do it.” great story Shinsou

the way he’s rubbing the back of his neck there. are we gonna get some real Monoma character development at long last. feels like it’s long overdue and I am thrilled. he’s such a great character and I feel like we’ve only barely scratched the surface of who he actually is as a person and as a hero

THE UNEXPECTED VLAD KING MENTORSHIP WITH THE ARM AROUND THE SHOULDERS?? he really needed that support. outwardly he’s always made a big show of wanting his turn in the spotlight and begrudging class A for stealing the scene at every turn. but how much of that is really just an act. some of it? most of it? maybe even close to all of it? because right now he suddenly seems so small and young here and really wishing he wasn’t in this unenviable position of being one of the many World’s Last Hopes who are all way too fucking young

did Mirko’s giant robot hand just grow into an EVEN GIANTER giant robot hand??

long beautiful flowing mermaid hair. sorry what was I saying I kind of spaced out there for a sec

YES, AFO, ALL OF THIS TO SPLIT YOU UP YOU STUPID MUSH HEAD. MAYBE IF YOU EVER ACTUALLY FINISHED A MANGA IN YOUR GODDAMN LIFE YOU’D KNOW HOW A FINAL BATTLE IS SUPPOSED TO BE CONSTRUCTED. YOU MOLDY AVOCADO

Chapter 345

“no you don’t understand, we have so many sixteen-year-olds whose coattails we’re all hanging onto. we have sixteen-year-olds who can take over people’s minds. sixteen-year-olds who can create portals to warp you halfway around the world in an instant. and let’s not forget the sixteen-year-olds who can act their damn asses off. we have the best sixteen-year-olds in the world. our sixteen-year-olds are so much better than yours you fucking losers”

Deku I swear. if I’m about to discover that the reason you weren’t there to stop Kacchan from being literally, actually, canonically murdered is because your distracted ass got yoinked into the void by some no-name villain chucklefuck, I’m gonna...

don’t listen to him Aoyama you were magnificent. you were my favorite in all of the stage plays

BUT IS PHASE TWO SUPPOSED TO INVOLVE DEKU IN ANY WAY THOUGH??? HELLO??? IS ANYONE LISTENING TO ME??? I’M FROM THE FUTURE AND THIS IS URGENT, PLEASE

“I fucked up Ochako, I fucked up so bad” omfg Deku

she doesn’t want to hurt you Deku she just wants to shower you in love. in her own special way. by stabbing you a lot

anyway have fun on this... tropical island??? I guess?? Kacchan will just have to hold down the fort in the meantime. which I’m sure will go absolutely fine

Chapter 346

“th-th-this is really bad, right?” yes Tamaki, yes it is. you’re stuck here on the Super Mega Ultra Radical Gnarly Cracked-Out Wonder Stage with Shigaraki Fucking Tomura and at least two of you are about to die and I’M NOT OKAY

so now we’re also getting this hilarious insight into the inner workings of the Mega Ultra Tremendous Stupendous Incredible Sky Coffin and it is truly, truly phenomenal

Horikoshi stop taking my sarcastic jibes and owning them completely challenge!! all the best sixteen-year-olds. all the finest greatest Hyper Ultra Sparkle Glimmer Wonder Battle Stages

this is genuinely one of the boldest lampshading efforts I have ever seen in fiction you guys

“yes, we acknowledge that this does indeed seem impossible to have pulled off, BUT have you considered that, fucking quirks though???? AND THAT THEY ARE, AS THE KIDS SAY, WILD??”

Chapter 347

lmao they’re shouting at Monoma accusingly and he’s all “I’M HAVEN’T BLINKED AT ALL YOU GUYS I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU”

don’t mind him, he’s just out here growing out his hideously malformed hands and fingers endlessly from every part of his body, normally, as one does. nothing quirk-related about it. anyone could do this if they simply exercise and maintain a balanced diet. this 100% is not a quirk y’all it’s just essential oils

SUDDEN MONOMA FEELS DELIVERED TO MY DOORSTEP???

awwww. the way he’s almost panicked, frantically wondering if he somehow fucked the quirk up and desperate for Aizawa to believe him that he’s trying his best. and Aizawa quick to reassure him. this kid is so desperate for approval. and unapologetically careening his way onto my top ten character list, welcome dear boy

so that’s that. see you in two years Deku. his last words spoken out loud to Kacchan were, and I quote, “wha --”

Aizawa is so hopelessly impossibly hot at all times and I don’t know how the universe can handle his existence. he’s even doing it without activating his quirk now. no ponytails or anything. just an eyepatch and a dream

don’t mind me, I’m just out here doing literal algebra to figure out how long it would take Deku to get back here if he traveled at the same speed as All Might did in chapter 90 (30 seconds per 5km, apparently). about 20 minutes, give or take. well shit. hopefully he’s a little faster than Kamino-era All Might was, especially since he can fly and has that Fa Jin shit too. or maybe Rody can fly him lmao. or S&S’s hot fighter pilot boyfriend

“what’d Sensei say, Deku?” “he said no, looks like I gotta uber. can I borrow your credit card, I promise I will venmo you back”

unfortunately for Deku he does not realize he’s accidentally gotten himself caught up in what will undoubtedly end up being the most erotic and bisexual of the various final battles

can’t believe Deku has like 6 love interests and out of all of them, Toga is the first one who actually asks him out. good for you girl. gotta shoot your shot

Chapter 348

FELLAS IS IT GAY TO BREAK OUT INTO TERRIFIED BEN DAY DOTS BECAUSE A GIRL EXPRESSED HER CARNAL INTEREST IN YOU????

anyway so since Deku apparently doesn’t understand how romance works either, he’s trying his best to give an actual response by recontextualizing all of this in terms of the one big thing he does understand: All Might

you’re telling me you never wanted to stab All Might to death and then turn into him?? wow I just can’t believe it

but also... okay lol. so I was thinking about this sarcastically, but was then struck by the very unironic thought that there sorta kinda is someone whom Deku does, both consciously and subconsciously, try to be like, and who he also kinda does apparently share the same heart and mind as. at least if chapter 403 is anything to go by lol. soooooooo. huh

god damn it Toga. absolutely none of what you’ve said or done here has been even the SLIGHTEST BIT reasonable. you can’t just tell someone you want to stab them and be their girlfriend. and if and when they try to let you down easy by responding with the MOST THOUGHTFUL AND GENTLE REJECTION ANYONE COULD EVER POSSIBLY MAKE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, because they’re actually the WORLD’S NICEST MAN, you can’t just respond by doing whatever it is you’re presumably about to do, which I’m guessing is gonna be really violent and unhinged

so Ochako is all “ever since we fought last time I’ve been thinking about you a lot!” and Toga is all “are you serious, YOU broke up with ME bitch” and now she’s standing behind her with a knife

“she’s the least predictable of our opponents” YEAH NO KIDDING LOL

“everyone knows that Toga is actually Ochako’s villain, like ffs Deku you haven’t even interacted with her since the Provisional Exam arc.” Deku they’re 100% right and you’re looking more and more the fool with each passing second

well all right lol. twenty minutes to get back to Musutafu. let’s just hope he doesn’t run into any traffic on the way

Chapter 349

what the fuck is OFA Dos’s quirk exactly and are we ever gonna get to it before I literally die of old age. at this point there’s gotta be a reason why he’s not using it, right?? so what’s the deal there? does he still somehow not know how? is it too dangerous? and I really need to know why II has the Bakugou gauntlets. tell me this isn’t one of the things we’re still waiting on answers for two years down the line because I swear to god I will cry

anyway so Deku’s saying he’s doing his best but he’s still “too slow”. WELL THEN MAYBE IT’S THAT TIME?? DEKU?? WHAT DO YOU SAY

NO FUCKING WAY LOL, CAN IT REALLY BE THAT EASY??!

OH WHAT THE FUCK, FUCK YOU NOT!CCHAN LOL YOU’RE JUST HERE TO COCKBLOCK HIM?

fuck. so has he used it since then?? is he gonna use it finally now that Kacchan’s alive and well again?? oh my god I need to shut up and stop asking questions and just keep reading. fuck

wow so Dabi’s literally just burning the All Might statue while he stalls for time trying to figure out how to beat his OP little brother who was literally engineered to be better than him sob. out of all the villains he’s probably the most screwed right now isn’t he

starting to get an inkling Dabi’s not happy that he doesn’t actually get to fight Endeavor. getting some subtle hints here and there that he might actually be upset about that

apparently wanting to fight Dabi and stop him from helping to destroy the world makes Shouto a pawn. wake up Shouto. stop being such a sheep, Shouto. can’t you see that saving the world is exactly what Endeavor wants you to do???!

this is just going to be seventeen chapters of Dabi talking about nonsense while they both stand around progressively getting hotter both literally and metaphorically isn’t it

Chapter 350

OH SNAP. [SLAMS HAND ON TABLE] HERE WE GO. IT’S FINALLY THAT TIME

well, well, well. to the surprise of absolutely no one. the real one who was responsible for everything this whole time

but I just have to pause real quick before we continue. because it absolutely cannot be a coincidence that AFO just happened to be there once again. just waiting in the shadows to magically swoop in the minute disaster strikes. and so, just like with baby Tenko, this immediately makes me suspect that Touya burning himself alive was not in fact a training accident at all. which is something I did not expect, and which, just. fuck, fuck, FUCK AFO. fuck this guy.

looks like the children's ward of a hospital?? wait, what??

how the fuck is he still so adorable. when exactly did the transition take place between adorable and sexily unhinged. right now Todoroki Touya still looks to be the absolute most adorable child on the planet

I miscalculated. I was not emotionally prepared to handle this chapter right now. I should not have clicked

really love to see that Touya didn’t just cave right away. wouldn’t have felt right, ngl. just doesn’t fit in with what we know about his character

oh shit wait we’re cutting back to Dabi talking to Shouto and he says he did come back home??

fucking why. goddammit what the hell. why is this the saddest fucking thing I’ve ever read. LOVE HIM!! SOMEONE!! ANYONE!! just love him, please. literally all he has ever wanted!!

JESUS. I HATE THIS. I am so upset right now. out of all of the horrific and traumatic and terrible, awful things that have happened to BnHA characters in their flashbacks, the thing that hits me the most out of all of them is this one image of a sixteen-year-old boy standing before an altar, with his family very much alive and standing RIGHT FUCKING THERE IN THE NEXT ROOM, and yet somehow feeling more alone than he’s ever been. so alone he literally gives up all hope in this one moment. my god I feel all of it and it’s so fucking devastating I keep having to stop typing so I don’t completely break down sobbing

well damn. after a rush of 15 and 13-page chapters, which were all admittedly appreciated by me in my race to catch up to Light Fades to Rain before this coming Friday, Horikoshi finishes up the volume with one hell of a 17 page finale. once again the Tododrama delivers. this was fucking phenomenal

#bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha vol. 35 #way too many characters to tag so I am not gonna bother! #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha #lotta 'calm before the storm' chapters in this one #also I was kinda disappointed by the cover of this volume ngl #but at least monoma and shinsou got their little moment on the back #vol. 36 post should be up tomorrow #vol. 37 post to follow once I finish the rest of those chapters #and then I'll start posting the actual recaps again probably in a couple of weeks or so #once I finish catching up

[brookebeamsbig]

💭 harley quinn #32-37

it's time to process tini howard and sweeney boo's second story arc. unfortunately, harley is still hammering it out with the multiverse, but this time she is working with lady quark instead of against her. kinda.

now we have a new force to reckon with - the brother eyes.

howard is again enjoying throwing in dc deep cuts with the brother eyes (meaning I once again got to do a google deep dive). I do appreciate this true conceptualizing of harley in a broader, shared universe.

in howard's story, the brother eyes work for lady quark. on a craft level, this is an excellent setup for what howard's trying to do in this arc because so does harley. this creates a parallel within howard's tale that mirrors the overarching parallel howard bases her story reasoning upon.

because why are the brother eyes so interested in harley? in watching her and understanding her and mapping her? because she was once a sidekick who made something of herself. and they want to do that, too.

I like this idea. I like it a lot. it creates a unique story around one of the things that makes harley truly special. but I never said howard had bad ideas.

but before I get into the perils of howard's writing, I want to do a run down on some other important players in this arc.

in harley quinn #32, we get introduced to lux kirby, p.i. lux is a completely new character from this creative team, but I couldn't help feeling a sense of deja vu when they appeared. the "detective" seeking out a multiversal harley murderer felt a lot like something out of stephanie phillip's last arc. just sayin.

however, ultimately, I liked lux and what they brought to harley and this story. they were a fun catalyst and means to much of the action. I always vibe with a character like that. and they were a good friend. harley struggled a lot with her mental health and self-perception in these issues, and lux helped ground her.

speaking of friends, KEVIN'S BACK :DDD. and acting like kevin. god bless.

I was sososo pissed when howard essentially fucked kevin over at the beginning of her run. but she definitely put in the time here to make it up to us. that sequence where harley had to anticipate kevin's choices in order to locate him in the multiverse was genius.

there's also two groups of characters from the first arc that play an important role in this one - bud and lou and harley's college class.

y'all know I always love the babies. I appreciate that howard wanted to do something big and bold with them. I liked the twist where they were the suspected murderers. BUT a lot of their actions here were just convoluted to create conflict and drama. like... we can't tell harley the brother eyes are out to get her because... why???

and I thought it was fun having harley's class get dragged along in her adventures. but every time, it felt like howard got the concept but fumbled the execution. harley's class ends up on warworld? cool! but it feels too smooth and rushed and weird. harley's students get turned into omacs? oh no! except there was no emotional or consequential impact.

sadly, that's a common occurrence for howard's writing. howard has exciting ideas, but her writing is too surface level with bad transitions and flow. much of the time I feel like I'm reading her bulleted outline, not the final story.

she rushes pivotal moments. we end an issue with the brother eyes about to reveal harley's worst moments, but then we gloss over that at the beginning of the next one. she throws out plot threads and doesn't carry them through. we should be concerned that the warworld royal family has been turned into omacs, powerful weapons to be used against harley, but then we don't see them anything until they're healed.

that's not to say every single line or scene is bad. howard has said that harley's mental health is one of the most compelling parts of harley's character to her. we can see that reflected in the comics - in the storyline and themes but also in the moments that shine.

I thought the multiverse sequence in harley quinn #37 was the strongest part of this arc. (this does not count the framing narrative.) each scene portrayed harley's fears and doubts about her own capabilities and power in a creative way. what if she became the controlling one in her relationship? what if she was good but still so unstable she had to be locked up? what if she pushed everyone who cared about her away?

sweeney boo's art also had some great moments depicting harley's mental state from her spiraling to her negative self-talk.

however, as with everything in this run, the depiction of harley's mental health has its downsides. howard leans too much into sentiments like "oh no, everyone will think I'm bad!" "oh no, everyone's just putting up with me! "oh no, I'm such a screw up!" and "oh no, I'm going to get in trouble! better hide!" it reads too childish and infantilizing for a capable grown woman who has a PhD in psychology and a lifetime of living inside her own mind.

of course, I think harley's going to have worries, doubts, and fears as she navigates being a hero. exploring this is good since this is the story route we're taking. but howard often fails to strike the right balance.

unfortunately, this bleeds over into the depiction of harley and ivy's relationship. there's this idea that ivy has to handle or deal with harley. that harley's too loud and too much. that harley could disappoint ivy at any moment. harley shouldn't be a problem. harley should be a partner.

along those lines, when harley and ivy aren't fighting, ivy isn't doing... anything. she's just there. in a way that feels eerie. like we're still in knight terrors: poison ivy #1. you can see it in the facial expressions.

harley hides her shenanigans from ivy for most of howard's twelve issues because "oh no, ivy's going to be mad at me!" even when harley finally tells her what's going on, ivy sits it out. and it just... really sucks. ivy is harley's PARTNER IN CRIME. always has been. she should be IN ON THE SHENANIGANS.

I do acknowledge that this might be a broader dc editorial problem since ivy has her own ongoing and concurrent story, but STILL.

this second story arc was far from one of my favorite harley quinn tales, but at least now we can move on from this multiversal madness. (please gawd let us move on from this multiversal madness.)

#harley quinn #poison ivy #harlivy #dc comics #comics #harley quinn 32 #harley quinn 33 #harley quinn 34 #harley quinn 35 #harley quinn 36 #harley quinn 37 #comics review #spoilers

[kat-and-their-cats]

Favourite Episode Masterlist

#tma #the magnus archives #tma poll #podcasts #tma season 1 #tma season one #tma 31 #tma 32 #tma 33 #tma 34 #tma 35 #tma 36 #tma 37 #tma 38 #tma 39 #tma 40

[kingedmundsroyalmurder]

Blue Castle Book Club Catch-up Post 2

"because she wanted to make one foolish, extravagant purchase in her life"

Okay, I see what Valancy is going for, but I do feel compelled to point out that her whole marriage has kind of been a series of foolish, extravagant purchases. She has bought herself many treats. Which, genuinely not judging -- I think Valancy should get all the treats she wants, and I love me a pair of cute shoes. It just also very much reminds me of when I want fancy coffee and go, 'I should get nice things once in a while too!' while deliberately not thinking about how I literally just got fancy coffee last week.

"Valancy always had a sense of stepping from one world to another—from reality to fairyland—when she went out of Port Lawrence and in a twinkling found it shut off behind her by the armies of the pines."

The fairyland motif reappears!

"She looked at Barney, hunched up beside her. His silence was very eloquent. Had the same thought occurred to him? Did he suddenly find himself confronted by the appalling suspicion that he was married, not for a few months or a year, but for good and all to a woman he did not love and who had foisted herself upon him by some trick or lie?"

I know Valancy is anxiety-spiraling here, and LMM is very good at portraying her mind running away with her with no regard for reason or logic, but I desperately wish that she had one friend she could confide in. Because literally anyone would look at what just happened and go, "Valancy, he likes you and he was worried you were going to die in a very upsetting and dramatic way. Yeah, he's shaken up about it. This is the silence of a man who is much more likely to be going 'oh God my wife almost got run over by a train' not 'Curse my wife, that lying hussy, tricking me into the marriage bed through fiendish deception!'"

But Valancy's one friend is dead, and she has no one else. So when her one social connection goes silent (and thank you to whoever it was -- @akallabeth-joie maybe? [ETA: found it! It was @purple-crayoner]-- who pointed out that the silent treatment was Mrs. Stirling's weapon of choice when she was mad at Valancy) she immediately assumes the worst and doom spirals.

A progression: "They had gone around the lake one June evening in their disappearing propeller" becomes "In silence Barney steered his boat into the sunset miracle that was Mistawis." Valancy is already writing herself out of their life.

And Barney, who has apparently never developed a coping mechanism in his entire life other than 'go silent and run away' (honestly: mood)... goes silent and then runs away. Honestly, my man could have left a note. A short "Gone out, don't wait for me to eat, may not be back until tomorrow' probably wouldn't have convinced Valancy that he still wants her around, but it is the considerate thing to do for a housemate, whether you love them or not.

I'm honestly finding myself running out of patience for Valancy's doom spiraling about Barney, but that's a me problem. I have spent a lot of time and mental energy teaching myself to believe people when they tell me things, largely because I have been on the receiving end of a couple, 'you don't really like me, you're just pretending to like me, I know you're just looking for an excuse to leave!' relationships. It's honestly kind of exhausting to manage. Again, I wish Valancy had just, like, one friend who could let her sleep over and be a sounding board.

But instead she goes to see Dr. Trent, who doesn't cover himself with any glory but makes some fairly understandable assumptions. You probably shouldn't call patients idiots to their faces though. Especially when it's you who made the mistake.

(Also, this is the USian in me speaking, but it makes sense that she wouldn't have sought a second opinion? Doctors are expensive and he was the specialist. This isn't a GP saying go see an expert, this is the expert saying 'here is my diagnosis.' Especially because the other available doctor, Dr. Marsh, isn't a heart specialist.)

#blue castle book club #blue castle chapter 35 #blue castle chapter 36 #blue castle chapter 37

[bebebisous33]

Jinx / Doctor Frost / BJ Alex : Guilty Truth or Dare ⚖️ (part 1)

#Jinxmanhwa #Jinx #징크스 #JINX @_MinGwa #jinxchapter50 #jinxchapter 51 #JooJaekyung #BJAlex #Ahnjiwon The essay "Guilty Truth or Dare ⚖️ (part 1) is finally finished. I hope, you'll like it. Retweet/like it as support. Feel free to comment. Thanks.

Please support the authors by reading the Manhwas on the official websites. I am also using doctor Frost and Bj Alex as references. This is where you can read the Manhwas: Bj Alex, Jinx and Doctor Frost. But be aware that the first three Manhwas are mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here is the link of the table of contents about Jinx. Here is the link…

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#알렉스 #Ahn Jiwon #Analyses #Baek Junmin #Betrayal trauma #BJ Alex #Chapter 1 #Chapter 19 #Chapter 20 #Chapter 29 #Chapter 3 #Chapter 30 #Chapter 33 #Chapter 35 #Chapter 36 #Chapter 37 #Chapter 42 #Chapter 43 #Chapter 44 #Chapter 45 #Chapter 46 #Chapter 49 #Chapter 50 #Chapter 51 #Chapter 7 #Chapter 8 #Cheolmin Hyung #Choi Heesung #Coach Jeong Yosep #doctor Frost

[skitskatdacat63]

Wildest front of the grid I've ever seen

Though I'm crying at the commentary, why did they have to roast them like that 😭: "Certainly though grumpy old men at the front of the grid. The drivers on the first two rows have a combined age of 140, a combined race starts of 875."

#BRO THE OLDEST RIGHT THERE IS RUBENS AND HES ONLY 37 😭😭😭 #ageism in f1 truly does exist ✊️😔 #i wonder what theyd think if they got time transported to now and saw 42 yr old nando at p3 #calling 32/35/36/37 yr olds grumpy old men my god 😭 #but i think the wildest thing actually is that none of their teams exist in this form on the current grid #like imo all of these teams are technically extinct #brawn is mercedes/force india is aston/toyota is gone/sauber is uhhh not exactly sauber but is certainly not bmw #also all guys who havent been on the grade in a decade sob sob and all 90s drivers!!! #they cursed nick heidfeld yet again by saying 'will he finally get his win??' YOU KILLED HIM OKAY #i wanna know if theres an archive of the quali for this bcs the whole grid is really baffling tbh #catie.rambling.txt #2009 belgian gp

[loveleetoons]

February 03, 2024. 034-037 30 minute class mode on line of action. Today's session felt a little bit like a slog. Hoping to keep pushing through these feelings.

#my art #daily doodle #daily sketch #gesture study #line of action #daily study #daily drawing #gesture drawing #034 #035 #036 #037 #34 #35 #36 #37

[lonestarbattleship]

The Combined Atlantic and Pacific Fleets in Panama Bay, on January 21, 1921.

In the first photo, the ships present in this image are (from left to right): "USS PAUL HAMILTON (DD-307), USS FARQUHAR (DD-304), USS SIMPSON (DD-221), USS THOMPSON (DD-305), USS PARROTT (DD-218), USS RENO (DD-303), USS DORSEY (DD-117), USS DENT (DD-116) and USS WATERS (DD-115). Chilean destroyers are in the center distance."

In the second photo, the ships present in this image are (from left to right): "USS STODDERT (DD-302), USS MELVILLE (AD-2), USS TEXAS (BB-35), USS PARTRIDGE (AM-16), USS BIRMINGHAM (CL-2), USS ARKANSAS (BB-33), USS IDAHO (BB-42), USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41), USS WYOMING (BB-32), USS NEW YORK (BB-34), USS NEW MEXICO (BB-40) and USS PENNSYLVANIA (BB-38)."

In the third photo, the ships present in this image are (from left to right): "USS SICARD (DD-346), USS HATFIELD (DD-231), USS NORTH DAKOTA (BB-29), USS DELAWARE (BB-28), USS BRAZOS (AO-4), USS PROMETHEUS (AR-3), USS UTAH (BB-31), USS OKLAHOMA (BB-37), USS BRIDGE (AF-1), USS NEVADA (BB-36), USS SCHENCK (DD-159), USS ARIZONA (BB-39), USS BLACK HAWK (AD-9), USS DICKERSON (DD-157), USS DAHLGREN (DD-187), USS HERBERT (DD-160), USS COLUMBIA (CA-16), USS CLEVELAND (PG-33), USS TACOMA (PG-32), USS SEMMES (DD-189) and one other destroyer.

Panoramic photograph taken by M.C. Mayberry, of Mayberry and Smith, Shreveport, Louisiana.

NHHC: NH 86082-A, NH 86082-B, NH 86082-C

#USS Texas (BB-35) #USS New York (BB-34) #new york class #USS New Mexico (BB-40) #USS Arkansas (BB-33) #USS Idaho (BB-42) #USS Mississippi (BB-41) #USS Wyoming (BB-32) #USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) #New Mexico Class #Wyoming Class #USS Utah (BB-31) #USS Oklahoma (BB-37) #USS Nevada (BB-36) #USS Arizona (BB-39) #Nevada Class #united states navy #us navy #navy #usn #u.s. navy #January #1921 #my post #dreadnought #battleship #USS Paul Hamilton (DD-307) #USS Farquhar (DD-304) #USS Simpson (DD-221) #USS Thompson (DD-305)

[catclyssm]

quick update/explanation as to why i'm being so slow on here recently... my 20 hour contract has apparently gone out of the window at work and i've been working full time hours and will be for at least the next month so i'm just exhausted all of the time and rarely get the energy/motivation to write on here... and!!! and i just had to buy a brand new tyre for the car i've got while mine is being worked on to get it back on the road so it really is just one blow after another at the moment.... i'm more active on discord at the moment if u want to talk/plot though

#(ooc.) #personal // #i wanna write on here and tetcho #i also wanna start aven's blog up #instead i just sit on star rail for three hours and stare at pinterest because my brain is fried between trying to #look after my horse and get to work #i am not a high energy person #i'm so tired all of the time #this is why i got a part time contract!!!! #and yet :') #i have a #35 hour week then a 37 and then a 36 to look forward to

[simbohargreeves]

Mom is passed out on the floor somewhere so the girls are helping with bed time

#the sims 4 #ts4 #maxis match #s4mm #ts4mm #ts4 gameplay #ts4 challenge #100babies #100babies challenge #34 - gwen #35 - harper #36 - ingrid #37 - jack

[crehador]

LOVE the head pat chat function in street rivals lmao a kagami on my team just failed like 3 dunks in a row and sent a gomen emote and me and furihata smashed the it's ok head pat button so fast lol

#crab plays #knb #street rivals #it honestly wound up being a good thing bc the score was 35-36 our ball (we were 35) #bit under thirty seconds left on the clock #i was hoping we would get the clock down pretty close to zero before dunking it #to not let the other team score again lol (they had a moriyama shooting threes) #anyway with all the fucking around under the net with the failed dunks #i wound up scoring with like literally 1 second left on the clock lol #37-35 win :3 #so honestly!! hope that kagami doesn't feel bad #he was catching all his own rebounds anyway so truly it was daijoubu

[cerenemuxse]

Edward being excited, fucking screaming and crying over his baby twin sisters <3 (1900, colorized, SD)

Oh, and Coppernob is there, I guess.

CW: a bunch of unorganized thoughts /srs so if things don't make sense, my apologies. This is a running theme in my blog, haha-

I had names for his sisters but I'm currently going through and renaming them because of a couple names 🙃

ANYWAYS, I am mentally ill for this. Despite all the bullshit he went through (because of his own actions), there are at least a few sweet moments. Those moments being meeting his little sisters. It's tradition to introduce the newest members of a class to the oldest of said group.

But when these two came into his life, things got better for him. However, those twins turned out to be chaotic shits but he still loves them nonetheless. Their names are Hansel and Gretel. While I'm not sure when the actual FR 124 and 125 were built, I'm assuming not the same month. The definition of being twins is dependent on who you ask. For example, Hansel and Gretel were built the same year, 1900, but not the same month. Since they were the two additions around the same time, they considered themselves twins. They're fraternal twins, btw. Don't look identical but they're twins.

FR 22 looks nearly identical to Edward. The similarity is so strong that they used to get mistaken for one another. The differences between them is that FR 22 has a flatter nose, one eye wrinkle, one eyelash, and smaller eyebrows. Other than that, they share the same features.

Each of the Larger Seagulls had one or multiple nicknames. Edward had multiple. The very first nickname he got was "Bunny." This was a reference to the bunny that Alice follows in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," which is where Edward's given name came from, AND because Edward has the tendency to twitch his nose like a rabbit. <3 The second nickname he garnered was "Seagull" because the idiot loves seafood, ESPECIALLY shrimp. However, this nickname was MOSTLY used by his sisters, who used it very lovingly thank you very much. They all love and support each other, even when disagreements happen.

FR 37 was going to be named Dorothy, but here's the problem. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" wasn't written until 1900. FR 37 was built in 1896, 4 years prior to the publication of the book. She's the reason why I'm going through and renaming some of them. Hansel and Gretel kept their names. The original names for the rest were Aurora (FR 22), Drizella (FR 34), Anastasia (FR 35), and Cinderella (FR 36). Part of the reason why I'm going through and renaming them is to add some Scottish fairytales, too.

Also, if Edward had stayed on the FR and "TGR but There's a Roleswap" never happened, he would've seen all but one of his little sisters be withdrawn and scrapped. FR 21 was the second to last of the Larger Seagulls to be withdrawn and (possibly) scrapped, leaving FR 37 as the last remaining member for an entire year before facing a similar fate. The first to be withdrawn would've been Hansel, FR 124, the second youngest. That had to fucking hurt when he found out that the twins' lives were cut short, both having a short service lifetime.

#her train of thoughts #engines of sudrian rails by muxse #ttte edward #eosr goldilocks #eosr fr 34 #eosr fr 35 #eosr fr 36 #eosr fr 37 #eosr hansel #eosr gretel #eosr old coppernob #my memes #tormenting characters since 2013

[anastpaul]

Quote/s of the Day – 1 September – Waiting and watching patiently .......

Quote/s of the Day – 1 September – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 31:8-11, Luke 12:35-40 – cripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “Let your loins be girt aboutand your lamps burning …” Luke 12:35 “For patience is necessary for youthat, doing the Will of God,you may receive the promise.For yet a little and a very little whileand He that is to come, will comeand will not delay.” Hebrews…

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#hebrews10:36-37 #luke12:35 #stanastasiussinaita

[totallystanfordpines]

I've decided that every time I click my pen, I owe Stanley one dollar. This is a completely acceptable and reasonable expectation seeing as a good chunk of my pen clicking happens at night, when I should be asleep in bed and not working on whatever weird mad scientist experiments I have on the boat. You would think that I would listen to my own fact, where I said a bunch of stuff about how sleep is good for you, but I am the world's dumbest genius for a reason.

#at the time of writing this i owe Stanley 34 dollars #35 #36 #37 #38 #43 #and an extra cup of coffee in the morning #totallystanfordpines #stanford pines #stanley pines