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#Chang Zheng 5
queerfandomtrifecta · 6 months
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So a lot is bothering me about the narrative structure of season two. If I didn’t have my own novel to work on and didn’t have several more edits commissioned, I’d write a fix-it fic for all of season two to fix the narrative stuff and to really delve into character arcs that felt off. Maybe I will anyway. Idk. If someone who actually has time wants to take any or all of this and write a fic, go for it. Can’t wait to read it. Anyway, this is a very rough outline that’s subject to change if I do write the fic, but from a developmental editing perspective, here’s my two cents nobody asked for on season 2:
Thematic elements: Atonement and coping with trauma, the crew leaving (especially in regards to Stede’s emotional wound where he’s worried about people being better off without him) and identity (especially in regards to Ed/Stede/Izzy). These are present in the show as-is, but they don’t play out well just yet. I’m focusing on these to make things cohesive.
Episodes 1-3: mostly perfect. Loved these and the pacing felt correct for the most part. I would keep the tone from these episodes through the season. Ricky would be introduced here. Zheng is fantastic and all of her stuff stays here.
What I’d change: Ned Low would be the primary antagonist for this season. Ricky would be set up through this season to be the primary antagonist next season. Ned Low’s record is Ed’s original suicide by proxy plan, and that needs to be introduced here. There needs to be a scene showing how Ned tortures people in these episodes. Izzy needs to bring it up as a concern to Ed. Ed doesn’t care about the crew’s safety, obviously, someone (Izzy) needs to mention Ned’s record and possible repercussions here. I’d also NOT play Lucius’s trauma reveal with Stede like a comedy beat. (Like seriously, I HATE that the show played SA as a comedy beat.) Black Pete would be shown crying of Lucius so it’s not just told randomly after the fact. Olu would be shown missing Jim.
Episode 4: The unicorn thing with Izzy was beautiful and I’d keep that. Stede and Ed going to Mary and Anne’s is fine. Buttons can APPEAR to turn into a seagull.
What I’d change: The Kraken Crew and Lucius need to stay paranoid longer. They need to tally things up and realize that Low’s record has been broken (I think Ed was too checked out from reality/high on rhino horn to even realize he’d broken it; Izzy has bigger things going on and likely also lost track) but that record being broken was NEVER shown in the original, just told after the fact. In order to NOT switch to a speculative genre randomly for a convenient metaphor, Buttons appears to turn into a seagull but he doesn’t literally. Revealed to the audience but not to Ed/Stede (more on this later). Stede doesn’t put it to a vote that Ed can come back. He’s the captain and decides that that’s how it’s gonna be. The crew is also gonna look to former first-mate Frenchie (whose trauma is in a box) for direction when Izzy is struggling. It’s Frenchie’s idea about the leg. Izzy is still struggling a little more after his new leg, and I think he should be shown happy at the end but with a bottle of something not far from him (but more in that later).
Episode 5: Ed’s influencer non-apology clearly written by Stede works. Ed and Stede need time apart. The cursed suit can stay for the levity of it. Ed and Fang can go fishing. The moonlight kiss scene works for the most part.
What I’d change: Izzy can be sassy with Lucius, and a bit of a mentor to Stede, but he’s going to be drinking in this episode. Not plastered drunk like ep 4, but it’s gonna clearly be a struggle and everyone is just Not Talking About It. Lucius might start to parallel that a bit and I’d like to see more interaction with them there. I’d also like to see the Kraken Crew (all the crew really) treating Izzy as their captain. Stede says he doesn’t feel like the captain and there should be a reason for that. If he forced them to let Ed back on the boat in ep 4, that can be addressed here. Izzy is following Stede so he can eventually persuade everyone they have to as well, though Izzy’s earned more trust than anyone at this point. I’d delve into him doing for Stede what he did for Ed pre-season one (“massaged the crew” when Ed’s moods seemed off to keep things running (I can’t remember the exact quote past that, but that’s essentially the idea). The Kraken Crew needs to be wary of Ed longer. They do not believe Buttons is a seagull. They all think Ed killed him and Stede says he didn’t see Buttons turn into a seagull, but he takes Ed’s side and doesn’t think Ed killed him. That starts a rift and an “us or Ed” thing that’ll play out later. Ed can try to interact with the crew and get the cold shoulder. He’s done nothing to restore his reputation. As far as the cursed suit goes, I would have them receive some sort of warning from Ned Low when they go to pawn the suit off on the other ship. Stede or/or Izzy would keep it quiet from the crew, who are only just now starting to follow Stede as the captain. Ricky needs to be shown here wanting to end piracy, and interacting with Zheng. After the moonlight kiss, I’d have them holding hands as they walk off. I think maybe Lucius would want to leave the ship here. The Swede and Buttons are gone already, and it makes sense for Lucius to want to leave but Black Pete to want to stay. They’ll both still be on board here though.
Episode 6: Calypso’s Birthday will be the plot for 7/8.
What I’d change: let me preface this by saying I haven’t worked Zheng’s plot fixes out fully. But. If we’re moving this to the next two episodes, something has to happen here. I’d keep the bit with the guilt room and with Ed giving away treasure to the urchins saying don’t be pirates, but have him say more in front of Stede about how piracy is bad for specific reasons that Stede just doesn’t clock as Ed wanting to stop. I think the plot will be along the lines of Stede engaging in more piracy. Ed will quietly be struggling with the fact that Stede is becoming a more and more proficient pirate in his own way, Ed himself not wanting to pirate anymore, and his tentative new relationship with the captain of a ship he is definitely not wanted on by anyone other than Stede. Zheng needs to interact with Ricky here about him wanting to end piracy. Izzy is a good first mate here but he’s still drinking. Lucius may start to parallel that here. Former first mate Frenchie picks up the slack and falls into a leadership role when Izzy is struggling too much, and this is eventually gonna cause him to have to deal with his trauma that’s bottled up, when he has to talk to Izzy about clearly not handling his own. Eventually, things will come to a head with the crew not wanting Ed on board. It becomes an “us vs him” thing with the crew threatening to leave if Es doesn’t. Stede will try to smooth things over but Ed will interrupt and say don’t bother, he’s leaving. He doesn’t know who he is but at least fisherman would be better than pirate. Episode ends with Stede heartbroken and Ed going off to fish in something that isn’t his leathers, so he wouldn’t be recognizable from a distance. Low pinpoints Stede’s ship but doesn’t see Ed on it, and plans to bait him out by boarding and torturing the crew.
Episodes 7-8: Nope. I’d keep almost none of this.
What I’d change: This part is also still rough and I need to flesh it out a bit more, BUT: Calypso’s birthday would be episode 7. The crew would wanna party but also wanna cheer up their sulking captain. They’re glad Ed is gone. Izzy is a good first mate here but still drinking. He encourages the party to Stede who agrees. They’re spending Ed’s treasure that he’s left, turning the poison into positivity by getting rid of the bad memories the Kraken Crew has of obtaining it. Stede and Izzy bond a lot here. Ned Low does interrupt the party (I think maybe he’s also “working” with Ricky but not really, he has his own agenda) planning to bait Ed back. The scene in Stede’s quarters would be Izzy and Stede, not Ed and Stede. Once again the crew are suffering for Ed’s actions, and THAT is how Ed can atone for it. He can save them, probably with the help of Zheng who he’ll have met when he goes off to be a fisherman. So there’s some camaraderie going there. Also, with help from Lucius and Black Pete, who will have to trust him in order to save the crew/themselves. Stede will be the one to kill Ned Low, and he and Ed will still impulsively sleep together as a coping mechanism at the end of episode 8. Izzy is still alive and well (though still drinking a lot; and I think this could be a key to Frenchie having to confront trauma instead of locking it in the box), and things aren’t smoothed out with Ed and Izzy yet, that’s for next season, Ed has ACTUALLY done something to earn the crew’s trust back, and it appears to be a happy enough ending for Ed and Stede. Also, IF Ed says “I love you”, Stede is GONNA say “I love you too” because WTAF was that in the show?! But I’d end the season with La Vie en Rose and fireworks, Izzy happy and celebrating with the crew, a happy moment for Ed/Stede, the antagonist defeated, and Ed actually having atoned for his previous actions.
All of this is rough, but it’s my original thoughts. If anyone wants to use the base of this to write a fix-it fic, go for it. I may do it myself if I can find the time between work writing responsibilities.
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Alternate Doctor Who Companion Endings
The Hartnell Years
Barbara: becomes an Aztec queen
Ian: Stabbed by a TARDIS-possessed Susan running with scissors
Susan: Eaten by a normal-sized Earth woodlouse while shrunk
Vicky: Conscripted into a civil war between large-sized non-Earth moths and ants
Steven: arrested for mugging a man for his Rolex in 1066
Katerina: journeys with the Doctor for eight multi-part serials before falling in love with a Samurai and staying in Edo period Japan
Sara Kingdom: becomes a Golden Era Hollywood stunt actor
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The Troughton Years
Polly: Becomes a fish person
Ben: Conscripted into being a Highlander
Jamie: New face new man
Victoria: Killed by a Cybermat
Zoe: vanishes in Foam
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The Pertwee Years
Liz Shaw: falls in love with a Silurian
Jo: accidentally drops the Doctor's tupperware box of anti-matter
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The Baker Years v1
Sarah-Jane: stays on Peladon to pioneer feminism
Harry Sullivan: accidentally replaced by a Zygon
Leela: steamed
Romana 1: a Mishap with a giant squid on a methane refinery. Regenerates.
Romana 2: becomes a vampire
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The Davison Years
Nyssa: stays on Earth to become a paleontologist
Tegan: goes home with the wrong Doctor (it was a choice of 5, whoops)
Adric: gets lost in an Escher building. Left behind.
Turlough: succeeds in killing the Doctor. Sent home by the Black Guardian with an extremely silly hat
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The Baker Years v2
Peri: turned into a bird by a slug
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The McCoy Years
Mel: stays and joins a rebel punk roller derby team and takes on alien!Thatcherite non-Britain
Ace: becomes a Time Lord (with a baseball bat)
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The McGann Years
Grace: stays dead
Chang Lee: stays dead
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The Eccleston Years
Adam: promoted and eaten by a gelatinous ceiling
Captain Jack: is so successful on Trinny and Suzannah that he gets and stars in his own future!TV show, How to Look Good Naked. Becomes a celebrity. Stays.
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The Tennant Years
Rose: possessed by Cassandra
Martha: blows up Earth with the Oster Haagen key
Donna: refinds her real life husband from Silence in the Library after being downloaded
Mickey: becomes parts in a clockwork spaceship
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The Smith Years
Amy: becomes an Angel
Rory: finds out his fiance sexually assaulted another man the night before their wedding and leaves to build a better life
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The Capaldi Years
Clara: genuinely leaves and never comes back after that moon bullshit because she's fed up with his abuse
Bill: stays on the Cyber-infested spaceship to lead the colonists as they start a new society
Nardole: Cyber-converted, but is the quirky comic relief robot. The Doctor leaves him with Bill, in case he's useful.
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The Whittaker Years
Yaz: joins Zheng Yi Sao, is now starring in Our Flag Means Death s3
Graham: stays in the frog universe with his dead frog wife
Ryan: seduced by King James VI and I, becomes prince consort
Dan: goes to space with his grumpy dog friend on new adventures
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blackmoonlightexpress · 10 months
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Fun Facts behind TTEOTM!
Creative Team
Till the End of the Moon is the second TV drama produced by newcomer Otters Studio (獭獭文化), which was originally set up for dangai/BL drama Immortality (皓衣行), also featuring Luo Yunxi.
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The Hangzhou-based Otters Studio is a subsidiary of Nanpai Entertainment (南派泛娱), the company owned by Kenneth Xu (aka “Third Uncle" 南派三叔). Xu is best known as the novelist and screenwriter behind "Grave Robbers' Chronicles" (盗墓笔记).
A big part of TTEOTM's core creative team also worked on Immortality. And a lot of the Immortality team came from Ashes of Love (2018) with Luo Yunxi. This includes...
He Fang (Screenwriter) - Immortality
Luo Xuan (Screenwriter & Associate Producer) - Immortality
Huang Wei (Costume Designer) - Immortality
Guan Dazhou (Music Director) - Immortality
Wang Yirong (Lead Producer) - Immortality
Wang Haiqi (B Unit Director & Action Director) - Immortality & Ashes of Love
Tsang Mingfai (Makeup Designer) - Immortality & Ashes of Love
Shen Xufei (Special Effects Director) - Immortality & Ashes of Love
Hua Tian World Concept - Immortality & Ashes of Love
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Wang Haiqi was the stunt coordinator who trained Luo Yunxi in Ashes of Love
Part of the creative team came from Huanyu (Bai Lu's management company, aka the production company of Yanxi Palace). This includes award-winning art director Luan Hexin, Huang Xinyao (Yue Fuya) and Liu Min (Nan'an).
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This is the second time Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu have paired up in a drama. They previously played a couple in modern workplace romance Love is Sweet (2020). Bai Lu expressed interest publicly in pairing up with LYX again in a costume drama numerous times.
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In addition, a number of Love is Sweet actors have minor roles or cameos in TTEOTM:
Zhao Yuanyuan (Qiao Na aka Yuan Shuai's colleague who has a crush on him) plays the Moon Goddess
Cheng Chang (Jiang Jun's father) plays Ye Xiwu's father
Deng Jinghong (Jiang Jun and Yuan Shuai's shady client) plays Ye Xiwu's brother Ye Zeyu
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The popularity of TTEOTM has generated renewed interest in Love is Sweet on iQiyi. In the first half of 2023, Love is Sweet is ranked #5 on Yunhe's "old/classic drama" list, receiving 360M views (10M views/episode), equivalent to airing a new medium-budget drama.
Two actors in Ashes of Love also have minor roles in TTEOTM:
Wang Yifei (Shuihe aka peacock princess in Ashes of Love) plays the Devil God's lieutenant Siying
He Zhonghua (Heavenly Emperor aka Runyu's father) plays the King of Sheng, again terrorizing Luo Yunxi's childhood
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In addition, a number of TTEOTM actors play minor roles in the unaired Immortality:
Huang Yunyun (Yue Yingxin) plays Song Qiutong
Zheng Guolin (Qu Xuanzi aka Susu's father) plays Jiangxi
Huang Haibing (Zhaoyou) plays Nangong Zhangying
He Zhonghua (King of Sheng) plays Nangong Liu
Geng Yeting (Ye Qingyu) plays an unknown role
Production
The source novel (黑月光拿稳BE剧本) was optioned by Otter before it was complete due to strong early hype around the IP and interesting characters & premise. It's one of the top 10 most-saved web novels of that genre on the Jinjiang platform. Its title literally translates to "black moonlight is guaranteed a bad ending screenplay".
The screenplay was written for 40 episodes, which was edited into 50 episodes of probably 45 mins each. The original plan (based on governmental records) was to air 34 episodes as part 1 and 16 episodes as part 2. However, the NRTA (Chinese government agency that regulates TV) closed the loophole around airing two seasons back to back early this year, which is why TTEOTM was edited back down to 40 episodes of 55 mins each so that it could air in one go.
TTEOTM changed its Chinese title twice. It was originally named 月照千峰为一人 (The moon shines for one person). It was then renamed to 长月无烬 (long moon without Jin/ember, also a pun for without limit or endless), which is the official publication name proposed by fans of the web novel. Right before the booting ceremony, it was renamed 长月烬明 likely for auspicious reasons (especially after the LYX accident and Immortality not airing)
Some keen netizens have noticed that if you break apart the characters of its Chinese title, 长月烬明, it becomes 长月火尽日月, which literally means....
长月 (long moon) - how people refer to the drama, in its short form
火 (fire) - Chinese internet lingo for explosive or popular
尽日月 (to the end of sun and moon)
(Gotta give one to Chinese people for coming up with auspicious names)
Luo Yunxi was injured right before production began when filming his final scene in Light Chaser Rescue. He got punched in the mouth by a costar which required emergency surgery and left a scar on the top left corner of his mouth. Production was delayed as a result. Bai Lu had to film her solo scenes first starting Oct 19, 2021. The booting ceremony took place on Nov 6, 2021 after Luo Yunxi joined the set.
Luo Yunxi was the first actor to be cast, according to an interview with the producer. It is rumored that he might have even picked which novel to adapt as Otter initially optioned both "Black Moonlight" and "Black Lotus Casebook". Bai Lu is also the "only choice" for Li Susu according to Yu Zheng.
Yin Tao (Who Rules The world, Love & Redemption, and Ancient Love Poetry) was originally considered for director, but he worked on the Blood of Youth instead. In the end they went with Kuk Kok Leung, an award-winning veteran TVB director who has adapted 7 out of 8 Jin Yong novels. One of the Cantonese songs Luo Yunxi kept singing on set is the OST of the 1983 Condor Heroes where Kuk served as Assistant Director.
Sun Zhenni (Pianran) and Zhao Shiyi (Fuyu) won their roles through open casting call. Sun Zhenni was a big fan of Bai Lu, and the two became close friends during the shoot. She is 1/4 German Jewish through her paternal grandmother.
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Chen Duling (Ye Bingchang / Tian Huan) briefly dated Xichao Wang (who plays Jing Mie, the demon god's other lieutenant). They were apparently introduced by Yu Zheng (boss of Bai Lu's studio).
Luo Yunxi and Sun Zhenni are the only actors who dubbed themselves in the drama. Bai Lu is dubbed by Duan Yixuan, who is also the voice behind Linglong in Love & Redemption.
This is the second time Luo Yunxi plays a dragon god (Runyu is the first). This is also the second time Bai Lu plays a character who leaps off the tower to her death in a costume drama.
Post-production was rumored to be delayed and then rushed due to a number of reasons, including covid which hit the special effects team hard and the last minute change of the 40-episode rule.
Promotion
During the premiere day, celebrities posted on Weibo to promote the drama in support of Luo Yunxi (usually actors only ask for this favor when it's a really important project to their career): Huang Xiaoming, Tan Songyun, Wu Jingyan, Chen Yuqi, Cheng Xiao, Victoria Song, Zhang Ruonan, Huang Xuan, Chen Yao. The most noteworthy ones were Chen Xiao (whose drama was also opening on the same day) and EDG (the esports team that LYX supports)
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chuplayswithfire · 6 months
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thinking about ways i would change the pacing of events in season two to give them more room for breathing, while keeping to the same number of episodes that were available, this is probably what i'd have done:
Episode 1: Impossible Birds: add back in the missing cutscene with izzy and ed featuring ed throwing a knife past izzy, with tally marks - use that scene to explain that these tallies represent the number of raids they've gone on since the end of season 1. izzy is complaining about ed's blackbeard routine, ed snipes that he thought izzy wanted them to be pirates, well this is what pirates do. he's taking that record, putting blackbeard back on the map, isn't that what you wanted, iz? izzy acknowledges to himself that this is not what he wanted.
Episode 4: Fun and Games: right off the bat, i think they could have, instead of the crew voting Ed into a banishment that lasts a single day and which the crew are therefore pretty easily swayed on, they put him on probation in ep 4, with black pete suggesting the bell and frenchie and wee john the outfit, and stede pointing out that ed's very injured so it's not like they couldn't overpower him if something goes wrong. ed's annoyed about the whole thing and still half dead and fucked up from the gravy basket, and after hearing the terms, the crew says he has 12 hours to think about it before they're leaving this area. he takes off for shore, grumbling about it, meets the rabbit and then mary. meanwhile, stede and buttons follow to convince him otherwise and so buttons can explain the gravy basket. they still encounter anne and mary, they still do that whole thing, buttons changing is what convinces ed to do the probation, we end the episode with ed wearing the probation outfit and begrudgingly thumbing the bell. expand the scene where the crew are working on izzy's leg, just to have them talking in general a bit - oluwande is talking to jim about zheng, saying he misses her a bit.
Episode 5: Curse of the Seafaring Life: at the start of ep 5, we imply that it's been a few days to a week maybe, and ed is still on probation. he gives his corporate apology as part of his on-going efforts to show penitence and make up for what he's done, and we get a sense that he's been doing grunt work around the ship - repairing sails, fixing things that were damaged and broken - throughout. the crew's responses to the apology are pretty much the same as in the show, with some "it has been nice to have someone else doing all that shit though, right" about how he's been working. their acceptance of the apology is now equal parts because of the work he's done as well as a joke about corporate apologies working. Ed still feels frustrated about being on probation and stede has had more time to say he hasn't really felt like a captain, so he and stede have their captain voice exchange pretty much verbatim from the show. ed and lucius have been more or less avoiding each other all week, adding more nuance to ed living rent-free in lucius' mind, and ed offering to let lucius push him overboard. ed fishing with fang is part of him finally getting to meaningfully connect with another crew member again since the probation started, and is overall less about sitting with himself and more about him sitting in the moment, not just rushing to plan the next move, fishing is a great activity for having to be here, in this moment. the end credits stinger is the scene with zheng, ricky, and auntie.
Episode 6: Calypso's Birthday: finally, now on ep 6, probation has ended, we indicate that it's been a few weeks, someone mentions off-handedly that lucius and pete have been having a lot of all day marathon sex ever since they became engaged. when they head off to get party supplies, someone mentions maybe they should fetch them, and they all decide to leave the lovebirds to it. because of the added scene to episode 1, we've heard of ned low, and realize aw shit ed planted a seed of trouble back when he decided to go after that record. no other changes. meanwhile in town, olu sees signs of zheng's presence and that she's been here and laments a little about missing her, and wondering if maybe that's a good thing, if she's still pissed at him for what happened.
Episode 7: proceeds as happened in the show, that little bit strengthened by the passage of time, and also olu having actually been talking about zheng.
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04/09/2024 Daily OFMD Recap
TLDR; Rachel House; Jes Tom; Kat Buchanan; GypsyTaylor; Big Gay Energy Podcast; Unicorn Day; Uproar; Watch Party Reminders; Fan Spotlights: OurDragMeansSlay; Cast Cards; TealOrange & Garlic Soup Prompt Week! Love Notes; Daily Darby/Today's Taika
== Rachel House ==
Rachel House's new directorial movie topped the charts in Taranaki!
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== Jes Tom ==
Gonna be in New York in May? Well Jes Tom and lot's over other asian comics will be performing at the 2024 Asian Comedy Fest! For tickets visit: asiancomedyfest.com. 2024 Asian Comedy Fest IG
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== Kay Buchanan ==
Kay Buchanan, one of the prop designers for OFMD s2 dumped a bunch of prop pics today for Izzy's leg! Src: Kay Buchanan IG
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== Unicorn Day! ==
Yesterday was National Unicorn! Some of our lovely crew put out some dedications For Our New Unicorn! Img Src: @blueberreads
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== More Uproar News! ==
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Uproar is coming to digital on April 30 so those of you who couldnt get in to a theatre to see it can purchase and download it at home!
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For those still interested in theatres-- if you happen to be nearby, @elby3000 was kind enough to note that theUproar opening date at Salem Cinema (Oregon) of April 12 at Blue Fox Entertainment may be in error. The theatre's website lists opening as April 19 (subject to change). Just in case you happy to be looking for one there!
== Watch Party Reminders! ==
== Flight Of the Conchords ==
Today we're on Season 1 Ep 5 and 6. Join OFMD Crew, and @iamadequate1 this week for Flight of the Conchords watch parties! You can watch each day at 4pm PT, 7 pm ET, 11pm BST! If you don't have access, feel free to join us on the #RhysDarbyFaction Discord server, you can hit me up for an invite.
Hashtags:
#FlagOfTheConchords
#OurFlagMeansDeath
== Taskmaster NZ ==
*Please Note*: @ineffablecollision was kind enough to let us know of some desyncing issues! Thanks friend!
"During the TMNZ watch party, depending on where you watch, you *will* get desynced! I don't know if TVNZ kept the ad break bumpers, but Ch4 has one missing (TMNZ has four ad breaks compared to TMUK's three, so they cut to fit), and YT has them cut altogether!"
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Series 1 continues Weds at 11am PT / 2 pm ET / 7 pm BST on any of the @saveofmdcrewmates socials.
#Quartermaster
#OurFlagMeansDeath
Taskmaster
== Fan Spotlight ==
= Big Gay Energy Podcast =
Our Big Gay Energy Podcast interviewed Gypsy Taylor and we learned some pretty amazing things. Some highlights:
Stede's cravat was fabric left over from his old couch
Ed kept the teal robe (the one he wears the morning after calypso) as a memory of Stede and then Taika kept the robe after the show.
Please check out the whole episode below!
Where to Watch Where to Listen
= Our Drag Means Slay =
Hey all! Are you in the Chicago area? Why not checkout Our Drag Means Slay on April 27! It's $25/ticket and doors open at 5:55pm! For Tickets
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= Teal Oranges & Garlic Soup Week! =
A new celebration week is coming up in June for all things Jim/Oluwande and Archie/Jim/Oluwande/Zheng (or any combo in between!) Prompts will be released on April 15th!
When: Sunday June 23 - Saturday June 29th! How: Create or Share - Fic, art, and other fan creations!
Please follow them on Tumblr! @garlicsoupweek You can visit: Linktr.ee Or follow them on Twitter!
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= Cast Cards =
Today's cast card is Jennifer Onyeiwu, one of the lovely pirates that asked Stede out for a drink in "Man On Fire". If we ever get a s3 I hope she comes back-- thanks @melvisik!
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== Love Notes ==
Hey lovelies. This weeks turning out to be a bit of a doozy. I hope you all are practicing some self care. It's been a lot lately. I have seen a lot of you mentioning re-watching the show, which I love. It feels like we are getting past the raw part of our grief into being able to celebrate it as a group again.
Be kind to yourselves lovelies, be kind to yourself and others. There's enough hate in this world that we don't need to add undo stress to others or especially ourselves.
Love you crew.
Img Src: @BethDrawsThings IG
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== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==
The theme today is, there are two wolves inside of me, both of these gifs represent them
Darby Gif Courtesy of @ofmd-ann
Taika Gif Courtesy of @gentlepanpirate
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earring-stede · 6 months
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Updated predictions for OFMD season 2 episode 8: Finale
These are my updated predictions based on episodes 6 & 7, the trailer for episode 8, and all the BTS from the previous weeks
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I knew that Izzy was gonna be caught, but now I know the whole crew of the Revenge will also be captured, along with Spanish Jackie and most of the Republic of Pirates. In fact the only people not caught during the raid, are Zheng and Stede who escaped to the forest, and Ed who completely missed the Raid after he left Stede.
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As I previously predicted, Stede and Zheng will be hiding out together under the bridge from episode 1. Stede will comfort Zheng since Ricky wiped out most of her fleet. The English, however are hot on their heels, and their chase leads them to the beach.
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Meanwhile… Ed has been living his regular life as a fisherman. I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes across one of Stede’s letters in a bottle while fishing. This prompts him to find Stede and return to the Republic of Pirates, which he finds in ashes. He will then fish out his leathers and reunite with Stede on the beach, which will mirror Stede’s dream sequence from episode 1.
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Zheng, Ed and Stede will then liberate the crew from the English, and then use the uniforms of the slain soldiers to infiltrate the Navy. I don’t know what their goal is, perhaps revenge, perhaps to take back the republic, or stop Ricky once and for all. Let me know your theories.
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The mission is a success, and they escape on the Revenge, however Izzy is badly hurt, and Wee John is missing from the rest of the promotional material. I now think the funeral scene I discussed in a previous post could come after their escape. Which raises the possibility that Izzy could die. I don’t know for sure - it could go either way. On one hand, I think it makes more sense for Wee John to die and Izzy to live, as discussed in my previous prediction posts. However, most non-spoiler reviews of episode 8 emphasise Con’s performance, and Wee John isn’t mentioned. This could indicate a dramatic death scene for Izzy, and that Wee John just might be absent from the second half of this episode like he was in episode 5. I am on the fence over who will die. Let me know your theories and I will place my bets with my episode 8 bingo sheet next week.
As for how the episode ends, we can see in the trailer that most of the crew will continue to sail on the Revenge, with Zheng as its new crew member. Although we don’t see Ed or Stede. This could mean that they have chosen to retire together, but my prediction is that they choose to continue to live at sea as pirates, BUT, under their own terms. The antagonist of this series is normality, and Stede from the beginning has asked what if we did things differently? I think the show is setting up this new form of piracy that would work for both Stede and Ed. What if instead of raiding and pillaging, they act as a beacon of light and a safe space for other pirates wishing to change. By saving these lost souls at sea, the crew sound less like pirates, and more like… mermen?
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ladyluscinia · 6 months
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Just gathering all of my scattershot reaction posts from the last few days together for myself:
2x08 Reaction #1 - If they wanted a good end "just in case", why set the season up to make that so hard???
2x08 Reaction #2 - That finale was fundamentally confused about what it wanted to say
2x08 Reaction #3 - OFMD really dropped the ball with Zheng / women (again)
2x08 Reaction #4 - Izzy's death somehow fails to advance Edward's arc despite that being the point???
2x08 Reaction #5 - OFMD wouldn't be the first romance to struggle writing the middle bit, unfortunately
2x08 Reaction #6 - Izzy's death is not Lucius's death, and a seagull doesn't change that
2x08 Reaction #7 - Izzy re-framed as Edward's mentor kinda sucks
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edandstede · 5 months
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i think canon izzy is an interesting character who is played very well but every day i’m SO FUCKING GLAD his arc came to its natural end and he died because all his fucked up racist fans have shown their entire arses with their behaviour. now what i REALLY hate is how almost ALL the conversation post s2 is around this one white dude - people doing insane mental gymnastics to minimise his actions and explain why he was actually right for abusing ed or why he didn’t actually do anything wrong and why ed is really the toxic violent one making izzy his victim and i am not even TOUCHING that backwards meta claiming stuff i couldn’t even dream up while high. something about jesus and aids? yeah because that makes sense you insensitive out-of-touch dickheads.
seriously if you hate the show now then prove it and shut the fuck up, move on, it clearly was never for you if you can misinterpret it this badly on purpose. the izzy you’re a fan of doesn’t fucking exist, you made him up in your heads and got mad when the canon character didn’t fit your woobified poor meow meow version. you wanted izzy to be a victim so fucking badly and he just isn’t. he is NOT. he repeatedly threatened and goaded and emotionally manipulated the main character - an openly gay indigenous brown man who expressed his emotions and wore effeminate clothing, who was actively depressed and suicidal - and he fucked around and found out as a result. he had ed released to him like his fucking property by the english after almost having the man ed loved executed in front of him and you think ed is the antagonist here? you think ed is wrong for reaching his breaking point and lashing out exactly how izzy repeatedly begs him to? he wanted blackbeard and he fucking got it.
anyway like FUCK ME there is a whole cast of excellent and interesting characters who don’t get talked about nearly as much, ESPECIALLY characters like jim and olu, roach and zheng, spanish jackie, hell ED HIMSELF. they’re sidelined by fandom racists constantly to make room for this one dude who was an out and out homophobic racist bully and dick for 90% of the show.
stop pissing your pants for 5 seconds and accept izzy (a side character there to accompany ed’s arc) was a canon antagonist with internalised issues who dealt ed (one of two main characters) a LOT of damage, but ultimately actively tried to change and embrace the crew and their ways on the revenge. he found his place in that family, that is a GOOD THING, and he died having found a peace most pirates like him don’t ever get to have. yes, ed lashed out and hurt him, and it was a direct consequence of the violence izzy THREATENED OUT OF HIM. izzy himself acknowledges his part in ed’s pain at the end, so you can too! how about that? if you can’t wrap your head around these very easy to understand plot points then just fuck off at this point y’know? literally just fuck off and find a different show because clearly the canon story of this one isn’t for you.
you cunts are fucking insufferable and have made this character one i don’t wanna touch at all, any post about him just makes me recoil because some fans just could not be normal about him.
now can we get some quality posts about literally anyone else
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eliza1911o1 · 6 months
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So interesting that, when we have gotten communication between Ed and Stede this season (particularly in ep 4), Stede has never once brought up Chauncey. The dude not only stole Stede away from eloping with the love his life, but also died right in front of him in the same way as his brother moments after verbally abusing him
S1 was heavy with Stede’s internal thoughts and feelings, from the Badminton ghost to full childhood flashbacks; in s2, we’ve seen this shift over to Ed, such as with Hornigold and memories of his past. Since the emphasis has been on Ed’s, we have rarely been shown obvious cues to Stede’s anxieties and insecurities, though we’re well aware of them. Then, just as Stede has finally achieved everything he thought he needed to be, it all falls apart and, for the first time in quite a while, scenes of Stede as a child come back
This post reminded me that Stede has actually become more and more unhappy with himself and never reconciled with his emotions of inadequacy, no matter how happy he seemed. This is what makes Chauncey important, or, at least, his lack of mention
The Badmintons represented everything Stede was born into (particularly the insecurities his father imprinted onto him) that persuaded him into piracy. They aligned with norms, they bullied him for acting differently, and they even succeeded due to/within the limitations of norms as officers. Stede has always been told that being kind, liking nice things, enjoying intellectual activities, being adverse to violence — all that made him, him — were the wrong things for a man to be. This doesn’t change when he becomes a pirate; others still continue to point out his failings (Izzy in ep 5, Ned in ep 6, Zheng in ep 7). Stede has long internalized his strengths as his shortcomings, so while his personal methods and, truly, some luck are the real reasons things always manage to work out, he attributes his growing skill in piracy to be the true answer
Both Badminton’s die right at his feet and though Stede still takes on the responsibility and guilt, they really die due to their own carelessness. Killing Ned is done to cement his position, paralleling Nigel’s death in s1, but different in that it is an active choice. When Stede becomes a “real pirate” after killing Ned, for the first time this season (someone can correct me on this but it’s 3AM and I’m not double-checking rn) we see flashbacks, a moments of doubt and anxiety, quickly squandered because everyone likes him now, right?
Just when Stede finally manages to prove himself notorious as a worthy pirate, everything else begins to fall apart; Ed leaves, his crew almost leaves, he almost dies, yet again, and he’s back to feeling as weak as he always has. Everything, literally, blows up
Stede knows he isn’t a capable man (people always keep reminding, so it’s hard to forget), he knows he’s a failure and a mistake, he knows trying hard just brings misfortune to those around him, but he so badly wants to prove everyone otherwise and the only way he knows how to do that is by becoming something in their eyes. however, in doing so, Stede keeps surviving, untouched, while everyone continues to be put in harms way or, when it becomes too much, leaves him. Nigel and Ned dying bought respect, but Chauncey’s death reminded Stede of what he always felt like; a failure who ruins nice things. Now, at the end of the season and at his lowest, Ed has also left, so there’s no one to tell him otherwise
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scarefox · 7 months
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Ok, I gotta do it. Here is a list of BLs that imo are painfully underrated because they are not your classic BL. I enjoyed them way too much for them to be so underrated. It's a crime actually:
Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Soul
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Dr. Prakan is a well-known surgeon dedicated to saving people’s lives. However, while he is trying to save lives he is constantly visited by the last person he could ever want to see. Death will show up every day trying to take the souls of the people that the doctor is trying to save. They work for completely opposing sides. One must collect the souls of the dead, the other must save lives before they reach that state. Is it possible to fall in love with the one thing you try to avoid, and how can the love story between death and a Doctor last?
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(TW: lots of hospital-typical dying and accidents)
The Pornographer (watch order: 1. The Novelist, 2. Mood Indigo, 3. Pornographer - Spring Life, 4. The Novelist: Playback, 5. Pornographer: Continued Spring Life)
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Kuzumi Haruhiko is a university student. One day, he causes a bicycle accident. The accident causes novelist Kijima Rio to break his arm. Kuzumi doesn't have insurance or money to pay Kijima for his injury. Kijima then asks Kuzumi to transcribe a story he is writing. Kuzumi is surprised to learn the story is obscene.
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Innocent (watch order: 1. Innocent Special, 2. Innocent, 3. (Not That) Innocent)
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As a child, Zheng Yu Shi was involved in an accident so traumatic that it led to his development of a second identity. Going by the name of Noah, this second identity has grown up with Yu Shi. Quiet and very reserved with his emotions, Noah has spent years as Yu Shi’s vigilant protector. Living with Dissociative Identity Disorder, Yu Shi is used to having Noah around to take care of him. But when he meets Wu Zheng, things between Noah and Yu Shi begin to change. Aware of Yu Shi’s growing feelings for Wu Zheng, Noah takes over, using his distrust of Wu Zheng as an excuse to keep the two apart. Despite his best efforts, Noah can’t keep Yu Shi and Wu Zheng apart forever. As the relationship between Wu Zheng and Yu Shi grows, Yu Shi begins to realize that his faith in the world is slowly starting to be restored. With Wu Zheng by his side, will Yu Shi find a way to heal from the wounds he’s been carrying for so long?
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(TW: child abuse, implied rape in the past)
Eien no Kinou (Eternal Yesterday)
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Koichi is cheerful and popular in the class. Mitsuru is talented and not good at socializing. The two high school students are strongly attracted to each other due to their opposite personalities. However, one morning, Koichi is hit by a truck in front of Mitsuru. Koichi got up on the spot and smiled as usual, and although he was indeed "alive", his classmates gradually began to forget about Koichi's existence.
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(TW: kind of major character death / undead situation)
Color Rush (S1 !! I still couldn't bring myself to watch S2 cause I love S1 too much to move on, it's one of my comfort shows and Yoo Han is a big part of that but he isn't in S2....)
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Monochromatic people (known as 'Mono's) live in a world where they are not able to see colours and therefore view their surroundings through varying shades of grey, black and white. However, every Mono has a fated person (known as 'Probe's) who is able to trigger their grey-scale world into colour, inducing what is termed as a 'Colour Rush'. Yeon Woo is a Mono. He’s aware that other colours do exist but has never experienced them for himself, nor was he interested in doing so. However, Yeon Woo’s life is forever changed when he meets Yoo Han, his Probe, and experiences his first 'Colour Rush'. Terrified that he would be obsessed with Yoo Han because of Yoo Han's ability to make him see colours, Yeon Woo tries to avoid Yoo Han, but why does Yoo Han insist on drawing close to him?
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(TW: depressed main, suicide attempt)
Love Tractor
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Seon Yul, a temporarily relocated city man, meets Ye Chan, a rural man who adores the countryside. Seon Yul comes to the countryside to experience life knowing nothing about farming and Ye Chan appears before him. As Seon Yul learns to adapt to rural living and engage in farming activities, he becomes increasingly attracted to Ye Chan's sincerity and enthusiasm. Together, the two embark on a chaotic and romantic countryside journey of healing and love.
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Nobleman Ryu's Wedding
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On a warm spring day during the Joseon Dynasty, the wedding of Ryu Ho Seon and his beautiful bride, Hwa Jin, takes place. But come their wedding night, Ho Seon becomes suspicious of his beloved. And with good reason, for his bride is a man! And now Ho Seon finds himself face-to-face with the bride’s brother, Choi Ki Wan, who explains that Hwa Jin’s loathing of political marriages drove her to disappear before the ceremony even began. Needless to say, Ho Seon quickly tries to annul the marriage, but his ailing mother is opposed to such a move. The pair must now maintain their union, one that can never be revealed to a single soul! When Kim Tae Hyeong, comes to congratulate his friend Ho Seon, he falls for Ki Wan and immediately commences to court him. Now both Ki Wan and Ho Seon find themselves in a difficult position. Caught between honouring his ailing mother’s wishes and the unending flood of love letters for Ki Wan, Ho Seon is only too aware that there is little time to waste. To further complicate matters, Hwa Jin chooses to make her impromptu return at this time. The only way to soothe the pain in everyone’s hearts is to return everyone to their rightful places. But is this easier said than done?
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The Miracle of Teddy Bear (bear with me this might sound nuts (haha 2 puns in a row) but this is actually a crime mystery)
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Taohu is a giant white teddy bear and has been Nut's object of comfort for ten years. However, he isn’t an ordinary teddy bear, he has the ability to communicate with other objects and items in the house. One day, unbeknownst to Nut, the teddy bear was miraculously turned into a young man, however, that young man can't remember anything about himself. Taohu tried to find his own background, but everything became complicated when he found out that his background was connected to the dark secrets of his owner's family. He had to hurry because his time as a human is running out and he wanted to discover the secrets of his background so much, but he also wanted to be closer to the person he loved the most. Will Taohu be able to find the answers to his questions and reveal all the secrets he wishes to know? And would there be another miracle that may allow him to fulfill his wish?
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(TW: mentally ill mother, abusive parent, death, murder attempt)
Something in My Room
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Phat just moved into a new rental house with his mother. There, he meets Phob, an amnesiac ghost, and has to help Phob solve the mystery of his death within forty-nine days of Phob's death. Will they succeed?
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(TW: horror elements, suicide, cancer, death of a parent)
I Will Knock You
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Thi, a college student, had a part-time job as a tutor. One day, one of his students got into trouble with high-school gangsters. Thi went to protect his student and confronted the leader of the gang, Noey. After that day, Thi ran into Noey so many times, he started to learn that although Noey had a badass look, the boy was ridiculously silly. Noey just came up by himself that Thi was running after him. Thi was so done trying to explain that he had zero interest in him, but fate played funny tricks. Thi was contacted to be a tutor for a new student. That student was Noey. They learned more about each other. Noey started to change himself and made a move on Thi.
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(TW: cringefail4cringefail ... lol)
My Ride
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This is the story of Mork and Tawan, a motorcycle taxi driver and a medical resident in Bangkok hospital. While they might seem to come from different worlds, one day they meet by chance when Tawan hires Mork to take him across town. This first ride leads to another and another, and soon Mork finds that he can't stop thinking about the handsome doctor. Meanwhile, Tawan also feels drawn to Mork, and an unlikely friendship is born. Might it lead to more?
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3 Will Be Free (polyamory m/m/f)
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Neo is a stripper who is running away from the loan shark Thana and his gang, after having an affair with Thana's wife Vanika. One day, the criminals find him in the bar where he works. In attempting to escape, he ends up bumping into two people who will change his life: Shin, a gay boy, the son of Thana, who is frustrated at being rejected by a friend; and Miw, the manager of a gogo bar who is running away from her past. Accidentally, they end up killing one of the gang members who was chasing Neo, which makes them enemies of the gang. Now all three need to find a solution to escape from this situation together, while at the same time managing the physical and sentimental attraction that arises between them.
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(TW: attempted rape)
Bed Friend
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When it comes to work and the relationships he maintains with his coworkers, Uea Anol gets along well enough with almost everyone. But there is one very big exception and his name is King Kunakor. Good friends with his best friend Jade, King is the one man at the office that Uea simply cannot stand. A cocky Casanova with a serious reputation, King is everything Uea hates in a man. But when a company outing ends in a drunken hook-up with the one man he can’t stand, Uea begins to see King in an entirely different light.  Initially planning to move on after their one-night fling, Uea and King agree to keep seeing each other on a strictly physical basis. With no strings attached, will these two be able to keep things between them simple and carefree or will their emotions eventually get the better of them?
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(TW: attempted rape, homophobia, bad coping, MDL comments are dumb af about this one so don't go there)
Utsukushii Kare (My Beautiful Man)
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Seventeen-year-old Hira, who is at the bottom of the class, tries to remain invisible at school, never wanting to open his mouth and expose his stuttering speech to his classmates. He views the world through his camera lens, detached until one day, Kiyoi Sou walks through the classroom door. The impact is instantaneous. Hira finds himself pulled into Kiyoi's gravity, following him everywhere and attending to his every need. Popularity comes easily to beautiful Kiyoi, who is always surrounded by his classmates. He uses his status to get what he wants, ordering around the boy who stares at him with his big eyes and seems to worship him like a god. Hira contents himself to merely exist within Kiyoi's orbit, asking for nothing in return…
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(TW: bullying, amok shooting fantasies, MDL comments are dumb af about this one so don't go there)
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human-sweater-vest · 7 months
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hi welcome back to me once again screaming about our flag means death and its use of gnossienne no. 5. heads up for spoilers for the first three episodes of season two and each episode the theme pops up in going forward.
cool cool cool. so it's been established that gnossienne no. 5 is the love theme for ed and stede as it was used during many of the pivotal moments of their relationship in season one. I'll do a brief recap but for a post breaking that down more see this bad boy.
the main thing with my previous analysis is that the instruments and tone changed each time the song came in, sometimes being loud and brash, other times being a whisper in the back of a quiet realization. therefore, I was so incredibly excited to see if/when/how it made its reappearance in season two. below is a compilation I'll update with each episode .
episode one and two don't have any use of it as far as I caught on my first watch through. please let me know if you catch it!
episode three:
5:40 - when stede boards the revenge for the first time after ed destroys it. he's looking for his love and it makes sense that this would be our first instance of the song in the season so far. however, the slow and almost hesitant piano of the song is cut off by the sheer destruction of the ship. we know how much the revenge means to stede, it was his lifeline and his home and the place he and ed found their love for each other. naturally it being destroyed would halt the music. it's also fun that we make it all the way to episode three without it appearing because that's when ed makes his first appearance in season one. good symmetry. good soup.
12:35 - when stede enters the captain's quarters alone to clean up the daggers the song comes in and we hear the iconic melody instead of just the notes leading up to it. he's fully allowing himself to stew in the mess the man he loves has made and how he's a direct cause of it. the main part starts as the camera shifts to a dagger right before stede pulls it out, perhaps indicating that their love has wounded them. he knows that ed is gone but the crew hasn't revealed where or why. the music then ends on a sour note and cuts out as izzy starts to speak, breaking the spell as he's confronted with the reality of one of the people who has been both complicit and victimized by ed's breakdown.
16:06 - as stede admits to zheng yi sao that he feels like he's the cause of ed's destructive streak and that he let him down, the theme once again comes in, this time softer than the previous two appearances in the episode. notably it's also piano, keeping in line the same tonal theme of simplicity and hesitance. it once again runs its course until an interruption happens with auntie bursting in to announce that she found "the jackpot" aka a dying ed stored in the secret room.
episode four:
00:00 - right at the start as ed is coming back to life. it ends abruptly as ed hits stede in the face, showing us that things aren't going to be all lovey dovey.
26:05 - it starts as ed says "buttons, people don't change" (before buttons turns into a seagull, proving this to be false). this is a really important one for several reasons. the first of which being that stede has once again left him alone in the woods, but this time he comes back for ed. ed is confronted with change, assured by it, things can be better. the second and infinitely more exciting to me, is the fact that this version is played on the harpsichord. where did we hear the harpsichord version last? the bathtub scene of season one, when ed decides to change for the first time. when he trusts stede to change with him.
episode five:
26:03- "you wear fine things well" part two. y'all. Y'ALL. it's the same exact version as the first time this scene happened. the critical difference is that they're experiencing it as reality and not a lovestruck delusion. they're flawed and fucked up and the moon isn't as full but the song is still the same. they're still in love.
episode eight:
12:10 - "I feel it in my soul, a love like ours can't disappear in an instant" Y'ALL I FUCKING CALLED IT I KNEW WE'D GET A BIGGER ORCHESTRATION OF THE SONG. we have strings as well as the piano and the theme is joyful and beautiful and reflecting that ed finally admits to himself that he loves stede. this is it. I'm buying dinner and going feral as my original tags promised. y'all this season was a doozy and you can best believe that if we get a season three I will be losing my noodle on how they decide to orchestrate the final usage of this song.
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ornaciashinoda · 6 months
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OFMD2 EP6-7 SPOILERS
Idk you guys, I'm just a bit disappointed in the writing right now, especially considering how impressed I was by the first 5 episodes. I loved Izzy softening up and allowing himself to have fun with the crew for instance, but this is a character who behaved an entirely different manner his ENTIRE life. The change of personality is just so sudden that its off-putting. With Zheng Yi and Olu too, I just felt like they didn't have enough established moments to have captivating chemistry. Zheng Yi as a character was wasted completely, I hope she survives the canon ball so we can see more of her. Lol.
There was so much going on and just so many jumpcuts. I could tell the ideas were there, which is what's sad about it. If the season was a bit longer all these topics could've been explored so nicely which is such a shame. Like Stede founding acceptance and praise for the first time in his life, in piracy of all things, corrupting his gentleness as a concept has SO much potential. However it was just so rushed that it didn't feel natural, felt off character.
Don't get me wrong, there were still some lovely moments and I still love the show dearly. It's just the pacing that was a bit disappointing for me unfortunately. I hope the finale will help tie eveything together a bit more smoothly though!
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moononmyfloor · 26 days
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In the 1st Quarter of 2024 Cdramaland...
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1. The Hope
Nothing can be better than a Zhang Ruoyun drama to start the year with. One of the best High School shows I've seen in the recent years, it had an amazing balance of explosive emotions of youth and jaded realism. It would appeal to viewers of all age ranges and I felt so so much nostalgia and relatability from beginning to the end. It was funny, it was smart, it was beautifully acted down to every minor role. (I pretend that last 30 minutes didn't happen, though)
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2. Wang Qiang (as Li Ran from The Hope), Zheng Hehuizi as Yang Caiwei from In Blossom)
LOOK at that babie😭🥺. Don't you want to pinch his cheeks? One of the most darling characters I had pleasure of watching recently, I wish a bright, bright future career for Wang Qiang. He portrayed the classic outwardly-prickly, marshmallow-inside teenager archetype with amazing nuance.
And Yang Caiwei oh Yang Caiwei.... as one of the shows and characters that created quite the buzz recently, I don't have anything more to add to the discussion. I can only say: lady, thank you for taking up a role that is FINALLY convincingly scarred, unkempt, dirty and not strikingly goddess-y from the first glance, and playing her with such gusto the true, genuine beauty of the character was drawn out with no external effort at all.
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3. The Hope
This drama utilized music so beautifully than 99% idol romance dramas ever would. Atmospheric music that elevated the scenes with lyrics that fit, not to mention writing three whole songs to be FULLY performed in-drama for character purposes. It felt like a musical at times. Talk about dedication.
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4. Pan Yue's, from In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li (Only few)
I mean
How many costume drama wardrobes can top these embroidery and visibly high quality fabric? Not to mention they actually look wearable in daily life, and not just ornate for "main character's costumes" reasons. They are actually quite simple, if you think a bit- but immensely tasteful. AND
My FAVORITE thing about not just his, but all costumes in this show that I've rarely seen other dramas do is: They repeated the costumes! Many times! Almost all of them! And that added so much to the groundedness of the character. Rich young master having a runway-worthy wardrobe? Nothing new. Him wearing them again and again because that's what a normal, reasonable person does? I'm sold.
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I loved the plain but in an elegant and carefree way styling of the two leads of Shen Li whenever they were having recluse times. *This* is exactly how I imagine immortals too- just vibing and not decked in gold from head-to-toe because they are simply beyond it. Whenever the show changed to the typical bejewelled guzhuang garb in heaven scenes, it immeadietely visually reduced the show to just another xianxia. First Till the End of the Moon and now this😭. Guys, pick a consistent style and rock it proudly! A signature look is very important especially if you are aiming to create an impactful all-powerful character! I see no reason the gods couldn't do all the grand court and fight scenes in these robes either, honestly that would've served drive home the nail that the gods function on a different wavelength than humans.
(Also Wtf was even that Shen Li in a Greek goddess like getup? [last image] Not that it's not pretty BUT *waves hands around helplessly..)
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5. In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li, The Hope, Baking Challenge
In Blossom posters had a perfect balance of traditional Chinese ethereal elegance mixed with gothic horror mystery vibes.
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I LOVED the "how I imagine the peaceful cottagecore fairytale like life of my great-grandparents" vibe of Shen Li posters. It's giving lore.
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Really liked the "hooligan teens on retro album cover" aesthetic of The Hope posters too.
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The whimsical food posters of Baking Challenge were also fun.
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6. Detective Chinatown 2
I didn't even know a Detective Chinatown S2 was even coming like...until it did and it was like a second new year because I LOVED that show and it was the most unexpected pleasant surprise of the year- especially when almost all the main cast members were returning. And the first few eps were amazing too and didn't do a disservice at all to the previous season and I got my hopes up thinking we'll get to see a continuation of the Roy Chiu-Janine Chang arc too... only for the show to pull the rug and did the exact same thing as the previous season- the main character withdrew from the story by midpoint. Oh my gods. I want to find this show's creators and give them a good shake. Have some Janine jiejie pics from first season though just for the nostalgia's sake.
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7. Baking Challenge
If you aren't deterred by barely-legible machine subs, give this one a try. It's a fun little food drama that doesn't take itself seriously yet has a lot of heart. And for The Untamed fans, there's our Lan Sizhui (Zheng Fanxing) in it, and he's still the same cutie pie!
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8. Pegasus
I watched five episodes, it's a solid show, fun too, it's just that I'm not very into racing AND Hu Xianxu is still a baby in my head😭😂 To convince me that he's a rich CEO with his own romance and adult problems will take at least 20 more years!
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I see him parading like this and couldn't help but want to laugh hysterically lol. IT'S NOT HIS FAULT. He's an amazing actor! But still..
I hope he doesn't try to force-rush his shift to adult characters, either.
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More posts by me
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originallypoki · 6 months
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Our Flag Means Death S2 Spoilers!
Something people doesn't seem to realize, is that pacing has a key impact to a story. Yes, the tale you want to tell can be the best someone has ever come up with, but if your pacing of it is awful, it pulls the whole story down with it. To rushed pacing? It loses meaning and impact, because there's no time to become attached. To slow paced? It becomes boring and uninteresting, finishing the book, show or movie feels more like a task than actual fun.
The first 4 episodes of season 2 of OFMD were awesome. The pacing was perfect, we had enough time to register what was happening and to sort out our emotions. I was a bit thrown off by ep 5. Because, while still good paced, you can start the see the problems because of the missing 2 eps ( for example the skipped fight, instead choosing to tell, not show. )-
Then episode 6 and 7 happened. And oh boi, I wanted to drop the show, only my love for it keeping me going.
I know that it isn't David Jenkins and the production team's fault, since the 2 episodes got cut, giving us the total of 8. But I can't excuse the decision to cram the plot of 10 eps into 8. If you have so little time left, why don't just cut some 'unimportant' storypoints?
Like Ned Lowe, he was introduced and died in the same episode. His purpose was to give GentleBeard development I know, that still doesn't give him enough importance to let him stay in the shortened version. Just like the second break-up from GentleBeard we got in ep 7.
Instead we got very out-of-character characters, Stede for example. I can see why he acts the way he does in ep 7. It would make sense, had he more time to have proper character development! Instead he feels weird, plus the very very uncomfortable second-hand embarrassment scenes (like the fight with Zheng). And sadly after ep 3, I couldn't feel the same chemistry GentleBeard had in S1. While there were cute scenes, like the end of ep5, I felt like something was missing to make me actually care. It's just my feelings, so not very important, but it was a bit disappointing.
The end of ep 7 gave me hope. Because it was a perfect way to introduce a villain, who's a genuine threat to our heros. And I maybe like Prince Ricky a bit to much. Then ep 8 came crushing down while drowing my love for OFMD, that made me ignore everything wrong with the second half of S2.
I like ep 8, well the first few minutes. It felt like I finally had time to see what's happening and David Jenkins didn't leave us completely clueless. ( Let's ignore the logic holes since it was is a comedy show and they were always there. ) And I was way to busy squieking like a pig of happiness to think critical.
I have many criticism points, but will only focus on one;
Izzy's death. And by god, I. Am. Pissed. Killing a character that is beloved by the fandom isn't the problem. While I love him, he's my favorite, I also love a good ol' angst. But he was in the middle of his redemption arc, and ending this with death is just such weak writing. I have nothing against killing a character off for development. Iron man for example, his whole story is about becoming a better person and jumping over his ego. And it ends just like Izzy in death. But Tony was through his arc, his death was the final, showing he has changed, showing he would do everything to save the universe and more important, the people he loves.
If Izzy died at the start of or before S2 I wouldn't complain, because it would've been perfect for him. Maybe if he died a more impactful death I wouldn't write this. But you can't make a character finally change and then destroy the meaning of it by killing him off in the fucking middle of the change. It would've had so much more impact seeing how he becomes a part of the crew he loathed not even a few weeks ago. Episode 5 did that great, while a bit fast. I like how he and Stede get along. Growing closer. It was a bit too fast paced, and I hoped for them to finally communicate, not talk. The same with Ed, I wanted him and Izzy to finally talk to eachother and not through eachother. However, giving us acutally communication while Izzy's fucking dying is not how you give impact. (And credit where credit's due; I really like that dialog, it was beautiful and the right words choosen to explain how Izzy feels)
Not to forget what a meaning it conveys. Izzy always did what he thought was right, even when it was completely wrong. But when he finally grows and begins to do actually what is right and let's go of Ed, he dies?
Still, I wouldn't say that they shouldn't have done a season 2 at all. It has great potential and I can see what they were going for. So, while it has it's problem's, it's nothing what a good fanfic can't fix. So I look forward to the amazing works that will build up on this hot mess and / or 'correct' it.
So bye, I'll go cry and give the last three episodes of S2 of OFMD, the last 20 minutes of S2 Go treatment T^T (except that GO S2 was fucking fantastic through the whole season)
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the-gentleman-pining · 6 months
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I have so many thoughts on season 2 and so much to think about,, people are sooo fucking fast with their meta commentaries on the show and I feel like I'm gonna need a MONTH just to finish digesting the first three!
I almost wish there was a month between eps instead of a week because I NEED TIME TO BREATHE THERES SO MUCH HAPPENING!!!!!
anyway I just wanna put some small thoughts out there
1. yes the pacing sometimes feels like there were budgetary constraints BUT we can hold that truth WHILST celebrating what *has* been made!!
2. I fucking love the direction this is going so far overall, even if I wish time had been spent differently in some areas (I personally think developing relationships for Archie/Zheng wasn't necessary to integrate their characters, not to keep Olu/Jim together but just as a time saving thing!). I feel like then there could've been more time spent with a window into the crew's feelings on the change in Stede, and why *that* might cause them to leave the Revenge for other pursuits. HOWEVER I think we're headed to a destination where the Found Family all get their own happy endings, even if that's not all together on one ship, and I think that's romantic!
3. Izzy Hands.
4. Everyone's acting this season is insanely good. I'm RIVETED.
5. Wee John drag let's GO
6. The lesbians. Holy SHIT I love the lesbians. So unhinged and unhealthy and refreshing I'm obsessed. (BUT WHY DID THEY JUST HUG??)
7. THE FACT THIS SHOW ACTUALLY TURNED BUTTONS INTO A BIRD DESPITE NEVER HAVING IMPLIED THE EXISTENCE OF MAGIC BEFORE THAT POINT I LOVE THIS SILLY SHOW
8. Ed and Stede are so fucked up and do not work together yet it's JUICY and I'm eating it like,,, good soup
anyway I'm waiting for the final ep like a dog waits for its dinner,,
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zemantler · 6 months
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Hey Mac! I just saw the new video you made about episode 4 and 5 of Our Flag Means Death and wanted to share with you a perspective I thought might be interesting to you.
(p.s sorry its so long and wordy! I tried to condense my thoughts as much as possible😅)
I read an article recently by Screen Rant (https://screenrant.com/our-flag-means-death-season-3-release-date-cast-story-everything-we-know/) which says that our boy David Jenkins himself mentioned that if the show gets renewed for a third season then season 3 would be the final. He apparently also said that he has the entirety of the show beginning to end already mapped out, and this information kind of changed everything for me in terms of how I view the show and the way it is being created.
Shows that go for 5 to 10 seasons (roughly) are shows MADE for streaming, that being said their formula is usually to follow a storyline that can be started and ended every season and it's the characters that keep us coming back. OFMD isn't like that, I think the key is to think of it more like a long movie. and what we know about movies, or just classic storytelling in general (literally one of the first things you learn in elementary or middle school) is that a story has a beginning, a middle and an end. If you think about the seasons of the show like this-season 1 beginning, season 2 middle, and season 3 end-it kinda makes all the pacing issues and the ‘Ed problem’ make sense (or just seem more intentional-again David says he has this all planned out) and you can follow the trajectory of the show actually pretty clearly from there. Take for instance season 1, you said it yourself it's like season 1 (baring the last two episodes) is like setting up the story (love story) with rose coloured glasses on. That being said the show also lines up with a rough outline of what your classic hero's journey looks like-call to adventure (the opening of Stede and the crew in ep01s01 and the flashbacks of Stede and Mary's unhappy marriage), meeting with the mentor (Ed-who is also the love interest-and the whole 'teach me how to pirate i'll teach you how to etiquette' deal). You can think of the last two episodes of season 1 as like the crossing of the threshold (aka glasses come off) cause not only does Stede realize he wants to be a pirate indefinitely and leave Barbados for good, but also because season 2 opens with the next part of the hero's journey which is meeting new enemies and allies (Zheng Yi Sao, Archie, Richard Banes,etc.(Does Izzy count as a new ally?)). 
Again, it's all very classic in format, but usually just not how tv shows made for streaming choose to operate-cause most of the time network execs are literally just trying to make the most money by keeping a concept going probably longer than they should-but I digress. Also again, if you factor in the part where season 3 would be the last season it's not unusual at all.That being said I think the reason they decided to have the crews trauma and ESPECIALLY Eds issues only start being addressed in the 5th episode is because they are hoping to have this be one of the plot points that drifts its way into season three and subsequently have resolution occur at that time as well, instead of forcing hollow resolution in the final three episodes of s02 and then have nothing to work with in season 3-this is another point that Screen Rant made in their article.
Using the three acts/hero's journey formula, we can start making really rough guesses as to how season three might pan out and given the circumstances of season 2, it kind of feels more right to me. Not to mention our dude Taika is the guy who wrote the initial screenplay of Moana which focused more on family than the screenplay which actually got made into the Disney film, so I can't imagine him and David of all people just glossing over all of the emotional reconciling parts of the core relationships. Anyways I thought this was interesting to think about and might also help in easing the nerves over the last 3 episodes of this season, again there is always the possibility this might not be true, or work out this way, but I thought it clicked too perfectly in my own head just to not talk about it. Like seriously the hunch is hunching right now!
Anyways Mac, loved the video and hope you have a great night! 😊
Hi!! First of all, thank you, I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Hope you'll have a good day too. Wow thats a lot of text, sorry if I misunderstood something.
While I understand what you mean, series dont really work like that. There are lots of "series like long movies" -plot based, not too stretched out, character dynamic focused, few series long, etc. For example, Good Omens, Sherlock, Hannibal (i think, never seen it) and more...
Movies start plotline in the beginning and have to resolve them in the end. BUT that doesnt mean there cant be a cliffhanger at the end, to help a sequel continue the story. And thats how (good) movie franchises are born- multiple movies are made to elaborate on the first original story, because there simply wasnt enough time to tell it in its entirety in one movie.
Series like ofmd go hannibal etc.. Were made to be series, because they couldnt possibly fit the entire story in a movie format. But when you make the decision to make a series, you also have to comply to the series format. So if its not a limited series, it will probably have multiple seasons, overall theme and will start a plot in first season that will to some extent, continue until the last one, while at the same time having multiple sub plots that will end with each season. They have to end at the end of the season, otherwise the overall season experience wont be satisfying. You watched all that and for what? Just to wait another year to actually see anything happen?
Now i can finally explain what I meant by all this :D OFMD in its entirety cant be like a movie, for its a series. They are formatted differently. If we wanted to compare it to a film, then the only way to do so is to make each season a new movie in a franchise. Each season has to have a satisfying experience on its own while ending in a way that leaves stuff that the next season can work with.
You cant make a bad season and then try to excuse it with "Its only a filler between act one and three" because while that would be excusable in movie, it's not really in series. because then youre just left with a second season that feels unfinished and rushed.
But even story wise, it just doesnt make sense to start redemption arc of the protagonist in act 2, get him together with the love interest and then actually redeem him in act 3. Its weird idk
I'm not saying that this season is bad when it hasnt dropped in its entirety yet tho. Dont quote me on that. I love ofmd and i really am enjoying this season. It just has more flaws than the first one.
Sorry that i rambled a bit and also sorry if it doesnt make sense. Im in school rn its hard to write something sensible while trying to pay attention to geometry or whatever we're doing
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