#I love actors who can play multiple demeanors at once

[respectthepetty]

Who do you think are the best actors in gmmtv?

Oh Cheez Whiz on a cracker, what kinda ask is this, Anon?! Do you know what you have requested from me? The impossible! But I'm gonna make it possible with some strict criteria:

It has to be GMMTV's current roster, so actors like Singto and Toptap are out (😩)

I'm only choosing from the male squad because if I get the ladies involved, it'll never end so no Jan and Aye (😥)

They must have acted in at least three BLs under GMMTV, so people like Mond and Perth are out (😪)

I'm not touching on if they are problematic because I'm trying to be like Jesus's mom and forgive triflin' heifers

I'm capping it at ten because . . . damn, this is gonna be hard

Know that if this list wasn't exclusive to GMMTV, it would be only one name - MaxTul

Okay, so working within these parameters, here are the actors I think are the crème de la crème of GMMTV in no particular order:

Ohm Pawat

This man can do it all, and then some. He was in 2016's Make It Right which is required BL watching, he matched Singto's energy in He's Coming to Me, and he has my entire dash in a frenzy again over Bad Buddy.

Gun Atthaphan

He has played multiple characters, at once, three times now, so at this point, he could be the entire cast of a show if GMMTV wasn't a coward. He is beautiful yet scrappy, and I truly believe he could beat any of these other men acting-wise and physically. In a street fight, my money would be on him every time.

First Kanaphan

My babygirl only serves the best performance each and every time he is on the screen. 2022 finally gave him the spotlight he so rightfully deserves with Not Me (where he played with Gun) and The Eclipse, but he held down the wacky plot of The Shipper against Ohm back in 2020, and had me rooting for him, the square, in Moonlight Chicken. Stay hydrated, babe!

Sing Harit

The Warp Effect and 3 Will Be Free added together equal one BL, so he has done more than the requirement, really, and he has been doing it almost a decade since 2014's Love Sick! Watch this man be a puppy in The Warp Effect, then play Todd in Not Me and tell me why a guy with this range hasn't been a main lead?! I DEMAND ANSWERS!

Neo Trai

Neo is a mini Sing. He played a clown so well in Cause You're My Boy where he was a love interest to Phuwin only to play his clown brother in Fish Upon the Sky, and played another clown in Tonhon Chonlatee. So when he got serious in The Eclipse, he demanded my attention. He played two different characters in Vice Versa, and now he is about to enter his villain era in Only Friends. He kills every role he is in, and I'm sure him and his abs will kill me and my mutes by the end of the year.

Fourth Nattawat

This baby got in by the skin of his teeth based on his two-minute moment in Bad Buddy. I'm counting it because he deserves to be here. He acts with his entire physical body. When Uncle Jim told his character not to be poor AND a homo in Moonlight Chicken, Fourth's whole demeanor captured exactly how the audience felt. I can't wait to see what this tiny toddler does next.

Khaotung Thanawat

I cannot write about this man and be rational. Just know he is pretty AND talented. I was rooting for him in A Tale of Thousand Stars and Moonlight Chicken, yet I don't even think they were actual possibilities. Once he starts to tear up, it's game over for these hoes. Cause understand, if Khaotung is acting in it, I'm supporting his character's rights and wrongs. BRING ME ONLY FRIENDS RIGHT NOW!

Fluke Pusit

I've already stated my case for him, but let me recap the highlights: he kisses like his energy is restored with each lip touch, and he has kissed the most GMMTV's boys. He has acted well in even his smallest roles, so I remember him each time, and he carried his weight against Ohm and First in The Shipper. He has chemistry with anyone, and it's by high time he got a lead. The Warp Effect was sooooo close = Sing x Fluke, anyone?

Mark Pakin

Look at at our man's resume: I Promised You the Moon, Bad Buddy, My School President, Moonlight Chicken, and The Warp Effect. Oh, and he is an actual world badminton champion. The directors I trust with my life, Jojo and Aof have each used him TWICE (Only Friends loading), and Aof is about to get him a third time in Last Twilight. He is being paired twice with Neo to prove they can hold their own against the OGs OffGun in Cooking Crush, which I have faith that they will exceed expectations. This man does not miss. Never. Not ever. Not fucking once.

Nanon Korapat

Nanon may be a nepo baby, but nobody puts baby in the corner. This man can ACT, and he isn't afraid to look ugly doing it. The way his face contorts to show every single emotion as he is feeling it should be studied. The way he moves his neck, hands, and overall body to exude his character's thoughts is marvelous. Oh, and The Gifted? That series was gay solely because Nanon decided to make it gay. That's powerful acting.

Bonus round: Because they aren't technically under GMMTV, but I love older men who have done their duty.

Nat Sakdatorn

Daddy. Sexually and figuratively. He played in 2016's Fathers about two gay men trying to raise their child in a country with no legal protections for queer folks, then he played Chopper's dad in Never Let Me Go. I want to see Perth act against him again because their emotions show on their faces so well, but first I want to see him kiss another man like Friend Zone or 609 Bedtime Story. However, if I'm being honest, I just simply want him to take off his clothes again like in Mama Gogo. God, this man is fine. Oh, and he can act.

Kob Songsit

I can only see him as Kinn's manipulative ass father in KinnPorsche, but Kob has been acting for 34 years, and played in the queer staple The Love of Siam. He has played supportive fathers in Until We Meet Again, Chains of Heart, Don't Say No, and the ongoing Be My Favorite, and he played the older gay version to younger Khaotung's character in 55:15 Never to Late. He has gone on the record stating that he wants to show people being gay is okay and being SUPPORTIVE of the queers should be the norm. He earns his paycheck every damn day. Thank you for your service, sir!

I gave you a dozen amazing actors, but I would love to know who some of y'all consider the best of the best and why.

And also, remember, if my back is up against a wall, and I had to answer . . .

MAXTUL!

#GMMTV'S best according to a rando on Tumblr #ohm pawat #gun atthaphan #first kanaphan #sing harit #neo trai #fourth nattawat #khaotung thanawat #fluke pusit #mark pakin #nanon korapat #nat sakdatorn #kob songsit #MaxTul above everyone else!

[odanurr87]

Flash Review: What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?

Park Seo-Joon as Lee Young-Joon, and Park Min-Young as Kim Mi-So.

Release date: June 6 - July 26, 2018

Episodes: 16

Available on: Viki

Summary: Lee Young-Joon is the Vice Chairman of the YumYung Group, a large corporation and the family business. He’s smart, successful, and supremely confident to the point of narcissism. Kim Mi-So has been his secretary for the past nine years, proving herself to be extremely efficient in the execution of her duties and the only person who can keep up with his ego and intellect, anticipating her boss’ will and seeing it carried out. One day, out of the blue, Kim Mi-So announces she has decided to quit her job and start a new chapter in her life, what takes Young-Joon entirely by surprise. This event forces the two to review their relationship, as Young-Joon realises he doesn’t want to let her go, and Mi-So starts seeing other sides of her boss’ personality as she realises he might have feelings for her. As this is a kdrama, the return of Young-Joon’s hated older brother, Lee Seong-Yeon, complicates matters when he suddenly enters Mi-So’s life, turning himself into a rival romantic interest. Meanwhile, Mi-So starts looking into an old kidnapping case connected to the two brothers.

What I liked:

The pacing and execution of the romantic relationship. One of my main complaints when I reviewed The Secret Life of my Secretary (TSLS for short) was that I felt that show took too long to develop the relationship between the boss and his secretary, dragging the deception more than it should have, and even when the leads eventually admit they have feelings for each other, 24 episodes in, it didn’t quite feel believable and the wrap up felt a bit rushed. The Vice Chairman and Secretary Kim manage to get there by Episode 8, selling it every step of the way, giving us another eight episodes to see how their relationship progresses and concludes. Romantic misunderstandings, that staple of most romcoms, are thankfully kept to a minimum, something I was extremely grateful for. For instance, when the beginning of one such misunderstanding rears its ugly head at the end of Episode 8, Secretary Kim doesn’t waste a second to clear the air with the Vice Chairman and declare her feelings for him, marking the beginning of their romantic relationship. They still have their disagreements (Secretary Kim is definitely not a pushover) and face their share of obstacles and objections to their relationship; we see how their relationship plays out in the workplace, sometimes with hilarious results (Mi-So can be very protective of her boyfriend!); we’re treated to the expected bouts of jealousy from the two leads, the apparently required drunk scenes, etc. In short, it’s what you’d expect from a good Hollywood romcom but longer.

The absence of the “family member X trying to usurp power from the lead brother” trope. So refreshing to do away with this trope every once in a while. You will find no evil conspiracy here directed at any of the leads, a staple of kdramas where a chaebol’s involved, giving us more time to explore the relationship between the Vice Chairman and Secretary Kim, which is frankly what this show is all about. We still have that jerk relative that shows up to cause trouble, but he’s mostly harmless. I will address this plot in the next section.

The humor. The humor in this show is comprised of four elements, which I’ll proceed to highlight in bold. If you’ve watched the show, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is Kang Ki-Young, who plays Young-Joon’s best friend, councilor, and president of the Yumyung Group, Park Yoo-Sik, as he does a fantastic job providing comic relief, taking advantage of the fact that he’s the only person who can make fun of Young-Joon and get away with it. I particularly liked his interactions with his clumsy and forgetful secretary, a pairing many viewers shipped. While I was taken aback by how much I liked him in Bring it on, Ghost, I was definitely less surprised to see what a great job he did here. Easily the best supporting character in the show. However, I feel Park Min-Young’s Kim Mi-So gives him a run for his money, not for being a prankster but because of how she reacts in any number of situations (as does Yoo-Sik), from trying to hide her boyfriend from her sisters, through punching a stuffed cow to make room for her virtual boyfriend, to trying to suppress her feelings of jealousy when faced with the prospect of having a rival for Young-Joon’s affection. You could call it situational humor perhaps, but seeing Mi-So’s facial expressions and her demeanor in these situations is priceless. These two are not the only actors/characters who partake in the show’s humor, but I believe they’re the standouts. Next on the list are the show’s well-placed sound effects, from weather effects to animal sounds, which really bring out the humor in certain situations. The sound effects in this show are 100% on point. Last but not least is the inclusion of a certain animated devil who pops up from time to time when Young-Joon or Mi-So are having lewd thoughts. As Young-Joon says at one point, “Fighting!”

Secretary Kim’s many facial expressions. Pity the sound effect wasn’t timed right in this scene.

What I didn’t like:

The older brother and the execution of his storyline. Perhaps I am less inclined to like his character because I initially watched the episodes out of order. During the first few episodes, Young-Joon’s brother, Seong-Yeon, clearly appears as the more likable of the two, returning home after years abroad, ready to make amends, only to find a brother who has nothing but contempt for him and a family who still favours Young-Joon. One should sympathize with him under the circumstances. However, for my part, Seong-Yeon showed his true colors even before he regained his memories. As I mentioned earlier, his return also results in the two brothers holding an undeclared contest for Mi-So’s affections, with Seong-Yeon believing he has the upper hand because of a past connection with her. When Seong-Yeon boasts how he’s going to exploit this connection to get her that was the moment I went, “This dude’s an asshole. He’s really going to exploit a painful memory simply to one up his brother.” Young-Joon, on the other hand, was actually doing his best to protect Mi-So from it, even at the risk of losing her. However, beyond Seong-Yeon’s likeability as a character, from a narrative standpoint, I just can’t believe the two brothers haven’t settled their score after two decades. Further, his transformation from jerk to good brother after he regains his memories seemed a little rushed, a little forced, with some scenes seemingly set up to cast him in a more favourable light. I have my strong doubts that someone who’s experienced that kind of mental trauma would make such a recovery in such a short amount of time (days? weeks?). Ultimately, he came across more as a plot device than a character.

How the parents handled the kidnapping. Letting your kids believe a lie for decades is not the way you handle a traumatic experience! It strikes me as unbelievable, irresponsible, and utterly reproachable, that the parents would rather scar their children for life than send them to therapy, especially when time proved that the lie had not improved the brothers’ relationship and possibly made it worse. There’s also some inconsistency with the character of the mother, who at one point looks to Mi-So to take care of Young-Joon, hinting she knows of their relationship, only for her to later ask Young-Joon not to date Mi-So because that would make Seong-Yeon unhappy. The gall of this woman. Fortunately, Seong-Yeon intervenes (this is the favourable light scene I mentioned earlier), as the mother was about to make yet another parenting mistake. I’m also slightly skeptical she didn’t figure out the truth behind the kidnapping earlier, specifically, the moment Mi-So’s involvement is revealed, a secretary Young-Joon personally selected over more qualified candidates. It’s a relatively minor detail though.

OTP: Damn, these two can kiss! If that’s not chemistry, I don’t know what is. Every moment these two are together is just perfect. I’ll admit I disliked Young-Joon’s unhealthy possessiveness, but I understand this was a conscious choice to show how much his character changes as a result of his love for Mi-So, eventually willing to let her go and choose a new path. I know some people disapproved of Mi-So’s decision to stay as Young-Joon’s secretary, seeing it as a regression and arguing she should try something new, but I disagree. At the end of the day, what’s important is that Mi-So is no longer pressured by circumstance to follow a path but is now finally able to decide for herself knowing she has someone in her life who will support her regardless. I’d question the timing of her decision but not the decision itself. She can always quit later. I also appreciated this show wasn’t afraid of showing the two characters actually tie the knot. Makes for a good change of pace.

Verdict: Initially, I dropped this show like a bomb in the middle of the first episode, as the thought of having a hardcore narcissistic boss as one of the leads did not appeal to me one bit, and having just finished watching the disappointing The Secret Life of my Secretary I really didn’t want to waste much more of my time on a show that promised to be similar. I was utterly wrong, as it turned out. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? is a great office romcom, with Park Seo-Joon and Park Min-Young easily delivering on the romance and the comedy, aided by Kang Ki-Young and a solid supporting cast. This is an easy recommendation and definitely worth watching multiple times.

Rewatch meter: High

#kdrama #kdramas #what's wrong with secretary kim #park seo joon #park min young #kang ki young #review

[ikaythecinephile]

Fading Innocence

Manila in the Claws of Light ( Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag) is a drama film that was released in 1975. It was directed by Lino Brocka and was based on the novel “The claws of brightness” by Edgardo M. Reyes. It was restored in 4k resolution in 2013 by the World Cinema Foundation and the Film Development Council of the Philippines. The film stars Bembol Roco, who has starred in multiple films and Hilda Koronel, an award winning actress, these celebrities are known in the Philippines. 

The film received numerous awards in the 1976 FAMAS awards, including best picture, best director, best screenplay, best cinematography, best actor, and best supporting actor. It also received positive reviews from critics, having an average score of 8.4 in rotten tomatoes and has been picked as “The NY Critic’s Pick” in The New York Times. Not only that, it is also the only Filipino film ever to enter “1001 movies you must see before you die” book. 

The story focuses on 21-year old Julio Madiaga, a boy from the province who went to Manila to search for his lover, Ligaya. Working as a construction worker, he soon learns the hardships of living in the city as he struggles to find jobs to make ends meet while looking out for his lover. As the story progresses, we can see his demeanor change from innocent, hopeful to a tired and vengeful person. 

In my opinion, this film is one of the most amazing Filipino films i have ever seen in my entire life. I would definitely recommend this movie for people who love and enjoy film. From the cinematography, music, and acting, everything was spot on. The emotions I have felt while watching this movie were the same as the emotions I have felt while watching one of my favorite movies.

Music was one of my favorite things in the movie. The music used in the film helps the viewer's experience more emotions and help make a scene. Without music, some of the scenes in the movie would not have the same feel as it would if music was used in it. Not only does it help heighten the mood, but it can also establish tone and change the perception of the viewers towards a scene. A great example would be the ending of the film, without the music score, the ending would be anti-climatic and the scene would lack emotion. Another thing I would like to point out is that the movie also uses sound and music at the right time. They use it at the right moment such as the fire scene in the slums area, where they used no music which helped the scene more unsettling. 

Another thing I love about the film is the cinematography. The use of random shots was perfectly used in this film to showcase and create the atmosphere of a scene. It shows the environment the characters are in and helps the viewers know the setting of the scene. A great example of this is when Julio was working in the construction area, the movie used random shots of the area such as the cement blocks which perfectly shows the setting of the scene. 

Furthermore, I love how the film uses close ups such as zoom-ins. They use zoom-ins to showcase a character’s feeling at what's happening at the current scene. Not only does it perfectly capture the emotions, it also helps the viewers focus on the subject matter which is the character. Not only that, it also gives viewers a sense of paranoia or makes the viewers feel claustrophobic. Several scenes of the movie use this to show what the main character (Julio) is feeling at the current moment. 

Lastly, the use of lighting in the movie was also amazing. The lighting used in the film perfectly captures the overall mood of the movie. It captures the gloominess of Julio’s everyday life as the movie progresses. Not only that, it also captures Julio’s memories with Ligaya whenever he gets flashbacks. It contrasts with the gloominess of the present time and the brightness of Julio and Ligaya’s happy past. 

Another factor on why this film is a great film is because of the acting. Bembol Roco was able to show a range of emotions throughout the film. He was able to portray an innocent and kind person who turned into a gloomy and vengeful person. Not only that, he was able to show the emotions someone goes through when someone they love has been missing or has died. Especially in the end, you can feel how hopeless and angry he has become when he found out that Ligaya died. 

I would also like to praise Hilda Koronel, the woman who played Ligaya. Even though she only had a small screen time compared to the other actors, she portrayed her character well. She was able to show the pain and how broken Ligaya was when she went to Manila. She was able to show Ligaya’s traumatic experience and the fear Ligaya feels during her scene with Julio. It was painful to see her cry in fear and pain as she hugged Julio in the bed. 

Moreover, the film was able to portray the hardships one goes through when someone moves from the province to a city. It was able to show how one’s innocence fades away once they move to an urban city, how they are shown a different culture compared to their old life. Not only that, they were able to show the hardships and problems people go through just to feed themselves and have basic necessities such as home, food and clothing. The movie for me is just raw and realistic. It shows a normal human being who just wants to be financially stable and be with his significant other. 

Overall, I recommend this movie to other people. It is realistic and raw, and will make you think about people who are in poverty. I consider this movie one of the best films of Filipino cinema. Everyone should at least watch this once because this is a powerful film.

#film #film review

[septembercfawkes]

Working with a Large Cast of Characters

Every once in a while, I work with a writer who tells me they are worried they have "too many characters" in their novel. In some cases, this might be true, but from my experience, most of the time, this is actually a slight misdiagnosis. The problem isn't the number of characters, it's how the characters are handled.

Readers can surprisingly remember a lot of characters. Like usual, I'm going to point to Harry Potter as an example (really, is anyone surprised? 🙃). Even if you are only looking at the first book (which is the shortest), the audience is still interacting with a lot of characters. You have not only Harry and his family, but his close friends, other students, the faculty, non-faculty residents of the castle (like Nearly Headless Nick and Firenze), the Weasleys, and even pets (Hedwig, Scabbers, Trevor, Fang, and Norbert), not to mention off-page characters, like Lily and James.

So how do we make a big cast of characters work?

First, consider if your story actually benefits from a large cast of characters. Some genres and settings do not. You obviously don't want to put a lot of characters in Gary Paulsen's The Hatchet. It doesn't work with the premise and setting. Other stories and premises almost beg for a big cast--stories that have a lot of worldbuilding and societal aspects. But I think the average person can deduce whether their story could actually have (or needs) a large cast.

A lot of the tips in here can really apply to any size of cast of characters, but they are particularly important for large casts.

Pick the Right Character Names

For sure one of the best ways to confuse your audience with your large cast is to use names that are difficult to differentiate. After all, we are dealing with reading and writing, so that is visually what the audience is looking at.

Watch for these qualities:

Rhyming names - This might sound like a good idea (and you might even point at Tolkien as a reason to do it), but you should almost never use rhyming names. It makes it harder for the audience to see those characters as individuals. People may be tempted to do this with twins (which feeds into the "Twins as Clones Epidemic"), particularly if the twins are "clones," which in that case, they should probably be combined into one character anyway.

Look or Sound Similar - Beyond rhyming, you should really be watching out for any names that may be similar on the page. Cognitively, we often notice the first and last letters--and especially the first. Beyond that, we notice the length and syllables. If you introduce two side characters around the same time and they both have H-names that are short, like "Henry" and"Harry," it will be more difficult on the audience.

Too Many Common/Traditional Names - Some names are just common and traditional. Which isn't bad in and of itself of course, but they can sometimes be difficult to differentiate when there are a lot of them all at once for side or minor characters. "Tom," "John," "Joe," "Robert," "David," and "Michael" are some examples. Fine names, but if you have a bunch together, you'll need to differentiate using other methods.

Also:

Stick with the Same Name - If you are worried about people not keeping track of your characters, try to call the characters by the same name every time. For example, you might introduce one character as Alfred Johnson, and then sometimes call him Alfred and sometimes call him Johnson, and maybe he's also a fireman, so sometimes you call him "the fireman." Instead, almost always use one name, like Alfred. (Note: this may not be a problem with all stories, but it will help with a large cast in particular.)

Note: Use an usual name to make a character stand out. But also keep in mind that if it's too difficult to pronounce, it may also be difficult to remember, since the reader may just scan over it.

If you do have characters with similar names, make sure to differentiate other characteristics and try to introduce them in completely different scenes. Also, the more important the character, the more likely you can get away with similar names, because the more differentiated they will be.

Learn more on picking character names here.

Use Character Tags

Character tags are words or descriptions repeatedly used in association with a character. The great thing about character tags is that, for the reader, they immediately bring that specific character back into their mind, with very little work. In A Series of Unfortunate Events, Count Olaf is tagged with having a unibrow, shiny eyes, and a tattoo of an eye on his ankle. All of his henchmen are tagged too. One has two hooks for hands. One is androgynous. Another is bald. The sisters use white powder on their faces. In fact, in the series, most of the characters are over-tagged simplistically to make them more into caricatures, which suits the kind of "unreality" the author is working in. But this sort of thing works of any kind of story.

For a tag to be effective, make sure it is specific and not generic or vague. For example, you probably don't want to tag a female character with long hair--a lot of women have long hair, so it's not memorable (unless in the worldbuilding long hair isn't allowed). The best details to pick as tags are the things that are most noticeable about that character--that's what the viewpoint character is going to notice first anyway. This post talks all about picking the right details.

Note: Character tags don't always have to be physical descriptions. They can be demeanors or dominating personality traits--you may use words like "cute," "greedy," "whiny," but almost always the tags include some physical description. In Harry Potter, Ernie Macmillan is tagged with the word "pompous." But this brings me to the next section . . .

Choose Specific Demeanors and Dominating Emotions

There are some people in the world who walk in the room, talk to you for a few minutes, and you immediately get a sense of who they are. This effect can be especially helpful with large casts.

Some of you may remember Disney's remake of the movie Tron. Like it or hate it, in it there is a side character who does this exact thing, Zuse. I remember talking to my family member about how even though that character wasn't in the movie much, the actor immediately told me what kind of person he was.

People have their own worldviews, lifestyles, voices, and emotions. Try to convey that with how your character presents herself. Again, if you need to differentiate them, try to make it specific. I love the story of how Johnny Depp came up with Jack Sparrow's demeanor--he actually took two unusual people (one fictional) and smashed them together to create something new. I did a post on that and demeanors here.

If you pay attention, you'll notice most people in the real world have certain dominating emotions. Some people always seem miserable and whiny. Others might be too optimistic. Some smug. In reality, we all have a dominating range of emotions--and our characters should too. You can learn more about that here.

Note: Other than specific, special circumstances, make sure that you don't give the same demeanors to multiple characters. And even if they are similar, for example, both are arrogant, try to find a way arrogance manifests differently in each character.

Remind the Audience of When the Character was Last on the Page

This is pretty self-explanatory. Sometimes you need to jog the audience's memory of a side character they met who hasn't been on the page for a while. The above techniques can help, but sometimes you'll want to slide in a bit more. For example, if the protagonist meets Jennifer and learns Jennifer rescues wild birds, you might slide in a line like this when she returns to the page later: "I wondered how the injured robin was doing."

What you don't want to do is spend a lot of words backtracking to when we last saw that character (unless it's important to the story of course). Find some words or a line that associates the current moment to the last to jog the audience's memory and help them place the character.

Focus the Story and Limit the Viewpoints 

Sometimes the writer has a big cast of characters and they like so many of them, their perspectives and personal stories, that they try to write more plot and viewpoints than fit the story.

You can absolutely include more than one plot (in fact, you should, in some sense) and more than one viewpoint, but they need to work together to focus and clarify the main point of the story, not muddy it.

In rare books, you can have loads of viewpoints. In college, I read Brownsville by Oscar Casares, which basically has a different viewpoint for every chapter, but it works because the book is really about the city, Brownsville, rather than the characters.

But most stories, especially commercial stories, aren't like that. Focus on a few main viewpoint characters. In some cases, you can still sprinkle in scenes from other viewpoints, but almost always the scene needs to have a function beyond just giving that character's view.

Remember that just because one character's view and personal story line doesn't fully play out on the page doesn't mean it's nonexistent. In fact, having that is an important part of writing authentic side characters. Not to mention that it's helpful for you as an author to know it.

Anyway, with side characters, sometimes "less is more" when it comes to helping the audience make a meaningful connection with them. Often a smart line of subtext that suggests a traumatic past is more effective than putting the whole backstory on the page. Let the audience fill in the blanks so they become more invested in the character. (You can also consider putting the information elsewhere, like on your website, so that readers who want to learn more, can.)

Choose the plots that speak to the main elements of the novel. To some degree, this is based on your own judgment and vision for the story, but other elements, like considering your target audience and the appeals of your novel, are helpful too.

One of the most effective ways to focus a novel with a large cast of characters is to consider the theme and ask which character stories best relate to it. In Hamilton, almost every "character story" explored relates back to the theme of legacy: Hamilton, Burr, Eliza, Angelica, Washington, Lafayette, Hercules--and provides different manifestations and views of it. More on that here.

In the end, the main thing is to focus the story and differentiate the characters. If you have a large cast of characters, the audience will likely need more of the narrator's guiding hand to keep things straight. Focus on the most important characters and let the side characters be side characters. You can learn more about crafting great side characters in this post.

#writing tips #writing tip #writing tips and tricks #characters #OC #writeblr #writer problems #writing advice #writing help #writing lesson #creative writing #fiction writing #fanfic #fanfiction #author #editor #nanowrimo #harry potter #a series of unfortunate events #pirates of the caribbean #writerblr #writing a book #am writing

[hujikin]

How Kubo developed Romance in bleach (IR mostly)

http://www.well-storied.com/blog/the-dos-and-donts-of-crafting-your-storys-love-interest (Here is the link I used to reference for any writers out there.)

Types In Bleach

Enemies to Lovers

Friends to Lovers

Love Triangles

Second Chances at Love

Rags-to-Riches Romances

Star-Crossed Lovers

Opposites Attract

Fated Romances

Pretend Relationships

Love at First Sight

Royal Romances

Arranged or Political Marriages

Isshin’s and Maskai’s love and destiny gets repeated in Ichigo and Rukia (sigh* Kubo o.o)

Here Kubo introduces love tri and displays jealousy in Orihime (I know some I/H is gonna say some ish about how IR isn’t romantic blah blah well look Orihime displayed a jealousy towards Rukia and her effect on Ichigo and this is after Rukia had said (lied ill explain) that she didn’ t like Ichigo so why feel jealous of a close friend? Why would Kubo put this in if it was unnecessary? She wasn’t jealous of Tatsuki, because Rukia is special to Ichigo in a way she is not.

Rukia shows the series signature fake smile as she puts up her actor front and denies feelings for Ichigo but we get a look into her inner thoughts and she mentions “love, companionship and friendship” And how her like or hate for Ichigo is troublesome. She wouldn’t mention love of she wasn’t thinking of it or feeling it. She also separated love and friendship, if all she felt was a simple friendship for Ichigo she wouldn’t need to say love. Then we take into consideration her expression Bleach’s signature fake smile; a smile in the series that shows that you are pretending, lying, holding back emotion and/or putting up a front. Multiple characters have used this smile (below). Why would Rukia use a fake smile while answering about her feelings for Ichigo? She has never been one to beat around the bush this here displays that Kubo wanted Rukia to have feelings for Ichigo different from friendship, something that was growing. He even titled the chapter Needless Emotions.

#1: CHOOSE THE TYPE OF CHEMISTRY YOU’D LIKE TO BUILD.

Chemistry is that potent magnetism that draws two people — or, in our case, characters — together.

• A bond over shared interests or experiences • A broadening of one another's horizons • A grounding balance between dichotomous personalities • A shared admiration for one another’s spirits

Love interests that do not have lives outside of their story's protagonists aren’t characters at all, I’d argue. They are objects, cardboard cutouts, prizes to be won.

Your love interest should exist as a fully-formed individual, with a life outside of the protagonist's story. ( >.> hmmm lol)

Ichigo is stubborn, short-tempered, strong-willed, impulsive, genuinely compassionate and empathetic towards others . outspoken, hot-headed demeanor 

Rukia is grim, somber, stoic, straightforward, tactical, compassionate, selfless and had a difficulty making friends.

Before Rukia came along Ichigo did not smile because he blamed himself for his mother death. He was dealt with guilt and what some could say depression (rain in his heart) for years until after saving Rukia where we see his true smile for the first time, and this rain reappears many times to display Ichigo’s inner distress. Rukia is used as the cure to that distress multiple times, like here for example (below). One minute Ichigo is crying and covered in rain then after his powers are given back the rain stops completely and from then on out no one is getting rained on, not ginjou, Urahara, especially Ichigo, and so on, its as if that specific rain storm was related to Ichigo’s emotional turmoil and as soon as Rukia arrived and fixed everything it stopped. Also notice how of everyone Rukia is the only one that isn’ t getting wet by the rain (Kubo all the f-ing symbolism for nothing)

Rukia comes into the first arc as a character that looks defeated and emotionless because she blames her self for Kaien’s death, she is alone and the only family she has doesn’t speak to her. Ichigo teachers her to trust other, to make friends, to smile as well, and gives her a stronger will to live. Everything that Kaien once did for her Ichigo now does for her. She puts her trust in others and now feels joy. If we see Rukia changes in expression from the first chapter to the end of the SS arc you see just how much of a positive impact Ichigo has on her.(look below)

They balance each other out and as Orihime said they have pure chemistry, Rukia brings out a great Ichigo, an Okay Ichigo, and makes Ichigo feel better 

chapter 181> chapter 1 (Ichigo and Rukia change in expression

#2: DEFINE YOUR PROTAGONIST’S ROMANTIC INTERESTS.

To choose the best type of chemistry to pursue in your story, you may find it helpful to first understand what your protagonist needs in a relationship. Not what they want or what they think they need, but what will truly bring a little love into their life. 

In the throughout the series we see an emotionally conflicted Ichigo constantly battling with his inner demons (literally). In the beginning we see him emotionally conflicted with his mother death, then with his hollow, then with his vasto lorde form (which I/H love to claim as an I/h moment even though that form caused im anguish/ despair lmao *look below*), then when he lost his powers, and so on. Rukia constantly ,not in all these moments but most, play a pivotal part in Ichigo’s emotional stability. Kubo makes her Ichigo’s rock (ray of light, stopper of rain/angish) he makes her someone Ichigo needs to get back to normal for four Arcs (Sub-shingami, SS, HM, and Fullbringer). He makes her the reason why Ichigo can smile again. He makes her what Ichgo needs. Not once has he made Hime that. Throughout the course of the series he made her a friend, a girl in love with Ichigo, a healer and comical relief ; but not once has she made her someone that resolves the main problems Ichigo has emotionally and mentally. Ichigo was literally depressed for a year and a half up and she couldn’t do anything for him and throughout the F.B Arc Ichigo doesn’t smile once... we get one of his fake smiles that makes Yuzu sad but that's about it

GIVE YOUR LOVE INTEREST AUTONOMY.

This trope, which disproportionately affects female love interests, is a form of objectification that's sure to leave a bad taste in many readers' mouths. To counteract this, treat your love interest as the protagonist of their own story, giving them autonomy in the form of their own goals, desires, and needs. 

Hime has displayed this trope after the SS arc Kubo makes her a Kurosaki-Kun machine. Her feelings for Ichigo become the largest part of her character or her role as a healer or as a damsel. When they aren’t fighting hime is imagining him in Shojo like scene which is comical in a Shounen ( he went from Ichigo to Usui lol). We understand that she is working but often times when she is in a panel its because she is going to see Ichigo she doesn’t have her own story in the series. Not even some panels showing her working. Just her alone at home thinking about Ichigo, talking about Ichigo (to or not to Tatsuki), Her walking to Ichigo’s Job, Her going to Ichigo’s house, you get the point...

MAKE YOUR LOVE INTEREST IRREPLACEABLE.

Further your love interest's development as a character by giving them a role in your story that is unrelated to their romance with the protagonist. 

Rukia place in Ichigo’s life is unique. When Rukia disappears the first time Ichigo speaks on painfully feeling her absence (ch58). Then when he mentions Uryu he says that he’s absent but at least he would remember Rukia (instead of saying “oh yeah Uryu got hurt pretty bad so it makes sense that he’s absent...”) Then gain he mentions this odd feeling about how the world keep going even with out Rukia all in this chapter. This become reiterated in one of Kubo’s signature poems in Vol. 49(below) Ichigo now directly wonders again how can he keep up with the speed of the world without her in it ( It still makes me laugh when I/H deny this...) Then take into consideration that Rukia is the rain stopper (sadness stopper) in Ichigo’s life (another role only she has) Then the chapter where Ichigo gains his fullbringer powers, right before Rukia get a full page dedicated to her as Ichigo thinks of moment that could trigger his power and it is Rukia. Then when he loses his fullbring Rukia brings back his powers again. Rukia being the one who changed his world in general. Kubo again making all these specific decision, put Rukia’ s importance to Ichigo on the forefront. 

ENSURE INFLUENCE IS A TWO-WAY STREET.

Relationships are a push-and-pull, a give-and-take. Protagonists are often challenged or transformed by their relationship with the love interest, but don’t forget to allow the relationship to shape your love interest in return.

Throughout the series Rukia is a positive influence to Ichigo. Not once has she ever caused negative development for him. The Ichigo has given Rukia people in her life that she can call her friends. He brings back joy in her life or as Renji says “ a shine in her face” (below) Because of Ichigo, Rukia gains the courage to finally confront Kaien’s family and she too begins to smile again. Because of Ichigo Rukia gets a second chance she can’t protect Kaien but she can protect Ichigo, he brings back her humanity and they give each other balance.

Kubo built all of this up only to go left in the end...

#IchiRuki #pro ichiruki #anti bleach ending #anti bleach 686 #anti kubo #anti ichihime

[aj-thegreatest]

Another character for @princesscallyie verse! I plan to write a story about her hopefully soon! Name: Topia Spectra

Age: 16

Gender: Female, She/Her

Birthday: January 14, Aquarius

Species: Ghost

Alignment: Young Blood Alliance (Charles Girls, C ranking)

Powers: Has the standard ghost powers (intangibility, invisibility, flight), but also can drain the misery of others in order to strengthen her powers (like her parents). Can transform/disguise herself into various human forms. Can and will be emotionally manipulative to others (Enemies, Allies, etc.) in order to get her way. Is a great actress, often taking multiple personalities and facades to completely cover her true appearance.

   Background: Topia is the child of Penelope Spectra and Bertrand. She was born because Spectra wanted a daughter but also believed that with both of their powers combined, in addition to Spectra teaching her how to control her abilities to gain dominance and power over others, Topia would be a force to be reckoned with. Because of this, Topia has a stronger control over her powers and has a better relationship with her mother than her father. After her birth, Spectra and Bertrand still kept a professional relationship with each other, only acting as Topia’s parents.

   Through growing up, Topia often kept to herself, only really talking to her mother for guidance, advice, and anything else she needed help with. While Topia had a strict relationship with her mother (being more like a mentorship than an actual mother/daughter relationship), she did have fun hanging out with her mother and getting better with her powers. Topia and Spectra would regularly travel the Ghost Zone Realms, practicing her powers and transformation on unsuspecting ghosts.

      Topia would sneak through the scarce portals that lead into the human world, adventuring and gaining experience with her powers. Mostly she would sneak through movie theaters and stage plays, aspiring to be like the actors on the screen or stage. This was the first push for her to become an actress, stealing books on acting, observing actors while watching them, and practicing her skills while in the humans world. Soon, she developed the skills to be a pretty good actress, but strives to be better.

   Recently, Spectra has started a romantic relationship with Dora Mattingly, a medieval ghost with the powers to turn into a dragon. This causes her to not spend enough time with Topia as often as she should, loosening up on her a bit. As a last ditch effort to get her mother’s attention, Topia decides to travel to the human world to get revenge on the person who trapped her mother in the Ghost Zone. However, she directs her attention to the person’s child for an easier target.    Personality: Topia is mostly cut off emotionally, acting very cold and distant to people unless she is using them for her own personal gain. She only shows hints of positive emotions (joy, excitement) to people she trusts deeply/ has fond feelings for. Topia often makes sarcastic or mean remarks as a reflex, caused by how she was raised. She will make a genuine apology only if her remarks offend the few people she cares about; with someone else she’ll just roll her eyes and tell them to get over it. Topia is extremely intelligent in psychology and sociology, manipulating this to produce misery in others and to strengthen her powers. She is also very good actress, taking on personas to trick people into trusting her. Topia, in her free time, likes to watch dramas, plays, and musicals to analyze their acting skills. She has a interest in fashion, wearing classy clothing and reading fashion magazines on the latest trends.

     Appearance: Topia has slightly tan skin, green eyes, and pointed ears. She has dark grey hair highlighted with light grey. Though Topia does change her outfit, she first appears in a light blue bundled turtleneck with a white blazer, blue skirt with a gold button, and short black boots. While it is not shown in the picture, she does wear Dora’s ring to prevent ghost detectors and ghost sense going off.

Relationships:

   Spectra: Topia has a good relationship with her mother: she only talked to her while growing up, Spectra mentored her and taught her all that she knew, and they always did everything together. Spectra and Topia would have mother/daughter outings, consisting of traveling the ghost zone to trick other ghosts, seeing the sights around the ghost zone, and watching musicals and plays at home. Spectra loves her daughter deeply, seeing many aspects of herself in her. While she hasn’t had enough time to spend time with her, Spectra supports her decision to venture into the human world and keeps in touch with her once every week.

   Bertrand: While Topia doesn’t have the strongest relationship with her birth father, she still appreciates him and talks to him every once in a while. Sometimes he, Topia and Spectra will hang out as a family, talking about what’s been going on and other stuff.

   Dora Mattingly: Topia isn’t happy about Dora being Spectra’s new girlfriend and acts coldly towards her. Dora understands and tries to talk to Topia about how she feels, but mostly gets shrugged off by Topia. Dora does care for Topia and wants what’s best for her, showing it in small ways like sending her gifts from the Ghost Zone and encouraging her while Topia talks to her mom. As a temporary parting gift, Dora gives Topia her ring to keep her undetected from ghost sense.

   Ellis (while Zethius Spark)- Out of most of the Young Blood Alliance, Topia admires Zethius Spark the most. She appreciates his hard-working and ambitious nature, and talks to him the few times his at headquarters. Ellis is receptive and talks back to her, but it’s mostly to get more information for the Vanguard League. However, there are few times that Ellis genuinely enjoys their time together and her as a person. Topia does wonder where he goes all the time, but stays in her lane.

    Charles’s Girls: Topia doesn’t like the group she’s in. At all. When she was assigned to Charles’s Girls, she heavily suggested to Drake to reconsider putting her in another group that fitted her qualifications (her standards) . However, Drake was firm with this decision despite her protests. Topia is still unhappy about this, but follows her mother’s advice (“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”) and remains confident that she’ll be promoted in the future. Because of this, she tries to make friends and play nice with her team and other member of the Young Blood Alliance (if tolerable).

   Artemis: Topia does talk to Artemis, since her mother was acquaintances with Ember for a period of time. She likes Artemis because of her quiet demeanor and abilities, and usually talks to her when she’s bored or asking for her opinion on something important. Topia would like to build this relationship for her own devices.

   Roxanne: While Topia questions Roxanne’s kind nature as being authentic, she does relate to her reasons joining the YBA being self motivated than actually joining for its mission statement. When Topia learns why she joined the YBA and that she was basically forced under circumstances, she decides to help her with her financial problems so she’ll be able to leave in the distant future. When Roxanne questions this kindness, Topia denies this being a kind gesture and says she’s only doing this to get rid of competition. Topia also doesn’t realize that out of all her relationships in the YBA, her friendship with Roxanne is probably the most equal and heartfelt on both sides.

#princesscallyie #callyieverse #topia spectra #my art

[monstermonii]

Scripted AU (Shingeki no Bahamut)

Literally my favorite AU for shows with lots of drama and darkness.

Alternate Universe where the show all takes places on a set for a TV series, the actors themselves get along very well even if in the show they’re out to kill each other-- but the characters they play are still similar to who they are.

Nina Drango

- Greenhorn actress, was chosen for the role because all of her blushing and embarrassment around hot boys is authentic

- Genuinely a bubbly person, and quite athletic

- Forgets her lines all the time, shows up on set early to rehearse them

- You will not beat her to the refreshments table, say goodbye to all the rice krispies treats

- Offered to do voice overs for her dragon, director said no

- Overly flattered by paparazzi, do not leave her alone with them or she’ll accidentally spill spoilers

Charioce XVII

- Azazel and him? Best bros, follows Azazel around everywhere

- Shy, and way too quiet, but sweet as honey, loves animals. Keep the paparazzi away from him please

- Couldn't stop smiling when he was told that he got to touch the dragon

- Had problems speaking up at auditions, but his appearance and demeanor he put up landed him the role

- Crush on Nina very real

- Remembers lines on first read

Azazel

- Will absolutely ruin a scene with a bad pun

- Can be pretty arrogant, but his acting skills are no joke he’s been in the show business since he was a kid

- Speaks up for Charioce, was originally the one who suggested him for the role

- Gets frustrated with himself when he can't remember a line right or the director keeps making him do a scene over and over again when he thought it was perfect

- Makes short people jokes at Nina all the time

- Annoyed by paparazzi, has broken a few cameras but they deserved it

Mugaro/El

- Grew up in the show business as well

- Idolizes Azazel, still thinks his puns are bad though

- Not a morning person, can't start a shoot without coffee despite his age

- Nina really does have trouble telling if El was a girl or boy, El still won't tell her

- Doesn't mind paparazzi, likes the attention

Kaiser

- Takes his role very seriously, studies his line meticulously

- Almost always nails the lines perfectly

- Oh my God do not let the set get dirty he’ll trip over everything

- Mr. Disaster on set

- No seriously why is this man so clumsy

Jeanne D’Arc

- Famous actress, a natural at all of this

- Blonde is her natural hair color, what a relief she didn't have to cut or dye it

- We know its all acting but if she doesn't move you to tears then nothing will

- Wants coffee a very specific way, but doesn't get mad if the intern doesn't get it right (the first two times)

- Very friendly to interviewers and paparazzi

Rita

- BFFs with El, does all of the talking and they do the listening

- Short temper, do NOT mess up her food order

- Puts on a show around the paparazzi, but really hates them

- “I need a drink”

- Loves her role, lets her be salty for once instead of bubbly and cutesy

Favaro

- Comes on set late, leaves early

- Flirtatious with all the pretty interns, turned down by Jeanne multiple times

- Made Nina pee her pants with laughter one time from improvising a scene

- How does this man know his lines, he hardly practices

- Is that guy that hints to something “big” happening next episode to the paparazzi

- The something big is that he actually has a line this season again

#shingeki no bahamut #scripted au #nina drango #azazel #charioce xvii #favaro #kaiser #kaizer #rita #mugaro #el #jeanne d'arc

[carcinogeneticistwastaken-blog]

A FILM REVIEW ON “IN WHICH A LEGISLACERATOR INVESTIGATES THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF A ROBOTICS ENGINHILATOR UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT HIS INVENTION IS THE MURDERER BUT IS SLOWLY CONVINCED OF HIS INNOCENCE IN TIME TO SAVE THE PLANET FROM A ROBOTIC TAKEOVER” OR WHAT HAS COME TO BE MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS “I, ROBOT,” STARRING WILL SMITH

WELL, TO GET THINGS STARTED, I’VE FINALLY GOTTEN TO THE ACTUAL PURPOSE OF WHY I CREATED THIS BLOG IN THE FIRST PLACE: MOVIE REVIEWS, NOT SHIT-FUCKING IDIOT NONSENSORY VOMIT POSTS ABOUT MINIONS AND THE VALIDITY OF WILL SMITH’S DEATH (WHICH, AGAIN, HE’S NOT DEAD, I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TO SAY THIS, BUT I GUESS MORE THAN FUCKING ONCE BECAUSE IT DOESN’T SEEM TO PENETRATE FAR ENOUGH INTO ANYONE’S THICK PANS FOR THEM TO GET THE PICTURE!). SORRY ABOUT ALL OF THAT BULLSHIT TO WHOEVER WAS HOPING FOR QUALITY CONTENT; IT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN AND I’LL STICK TO THE BASICS ON THE PRIME SHIT WITHIN THE REALM OF FILM, JUST AS PROMISED.

MY FIRST CHOICE FOR A MOVIE REVIEW, OF COURSE, IS AS THE TITLE CLEARLY STATES, IN WHICH A LEGISLACERATOR INVESTIGATES THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF A ROBOTICS ENGINHILATOR UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT HIS INVENTION IS THE MURDERER BUT IS SLOWLY CONVINCED OF HIS INNOCENCE IN TIME TO SAVE THE PLANET FROM A ROBOTIC TAKEOVER. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ELEGANCE OF THIS TITLE IS PRETTY MUCH LOST TO THE CURRENT GENERATION OF THIS WORLD, AND IT’S COME TO BE REFERRED TO BY THE MOST INSULTINGLY CRUDE TITLE OF I, ROBOT. THE TITLE ALL ABOUT TAKES A KNIFE TO MY SPONGE CLOTS, BUT THE FILM ITSELF STILL HOLDS AS A CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE, ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE UNIVERSAL CONSTANT OF WILL SMITH, WHO HAPPENS TO STAR IN IT. WHAT COULD WE REALLY EXPECT FROM THE STAR OF THRESH PRINCE, THOUGH? I DON’T THINK THERE’S TRULY EVER BEEN A MOVIE WITH WILL SMITH IN IT THAT I’VE FELT THE NEED TO SAY WAS WORTH AS MUCH AS A PILE OF BARFBAGS. CAN WE EVER REALLY, TRULY BE LET DOWN BY THE KING OF CINEMA, WILL SMITH? THE ANSWER IS NO, MY DEAR READERS, NO WE ABSOLUTELY CAN NOT.

NOW, THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS MORE OF A COMPARE/CONTRAST TO THE FILM THAT ALTERNIA GRACED US WITH, AND THE EQUALLY TASTEFULLY ALBEIT RADICALLY DIFFERENT FILM THAT HAS BEEN PRODUCED HERE ON EARTH C. THEY ARE BOTH FILMS WORTHY OF MULTIPLE AWARDS, BUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO RENDITIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO NOTE, ESPECIALLY IN THE MANNER THAT THEY HAPPEN TO AFFECT THE STORYLINE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR TWO PROTAGONISTS, SPOONER AND DR. CALVIN.

I’LL BEGIN WITH WILL’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PSYCHOTERRORIST DR. CALVIN (PSYCHOLOGIST FOR YOU HUMAN READERS), PLAYED BY BRIDGET MOYNAHAN. THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN IN WHICH A LEGISLACERATOR INVESTIGATES THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF A ROBOTICS ENGINHILATOR UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT HIS INVENTION IS THE MURDERER BUT IS SLOWLY CONVINCED OF HIS INNOCENCE IN TIME TO SAVE THE PLANET FROM A ROBOTIC TAKEOVER IS A STORY OF VACILLATION, WHICH IS ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVORITE METHODS OF ROMANCE FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN IT IS A COMPLEX CONCEPT THAT IS LOST ON MANY, AND UNDERSTOOD BY FEW. REALLY, IT’S ESSENTIALLY IRRESISTABLE ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE WELL KNOWN TROPE OF TENSIONS BETWEEN THE LAW AND ANY PRESENT MEDICAL SPECIALIST. A TROPE LIKE THAT CAN ONLY ADD TO THE RICHNESS OF THIS PLOT! IT’S ALMOST BLATANTLY OBVIOUS THAT A KISMESITUDE IS ABOUT TO BLOOM IN THE MOST INSPIRINGLY HATEFUL OF WAYS, AND ITS FRUITION BACK AT WILL SMITH’S APARTMENT MIGHT JUST BE THE SINGLE GREATEST MOMENT IN FILM HISTORY (PLEASE RECOGNIZE THIS AS A HYPERBOLE, BUT THE MOMENT IS JUST REALLY FUCKING GREAT!). SUCH A ROMANCE CLEARLY BUILT UP A SENSE OF STABILITY BETWEEN THE TWO CHARACTERS THAT THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY LACKED! THEIR HATRED FOR EACH OTHER WAS CAUSED BY THIS VARY INSTABILITY! NEITHER COULD FEASIBLY GO ABOUT WORKING WITH EACH OTHER, LET ALONE HAVING THE ABILITY TO STAY IN THE SAME ROOM AS EACH OTHER WITHOUT HAVING THEIR NUTRITION SACKS MAKE A QUICK EXIT THROUGH THEIR CHUTES, HAD THEY NOT EVENTUALLY COME TO RECOGNIZE THEIR HATRED AS WHAT TRUE KISMESITUDE IS. THIS ALSO MAKES THEIR VACILLATION ALL THE MORE TOUCHING; THEY HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND THE INSTABILITY OF EACH OTHER, AND FIND THEIR BLOOD PUMPERS BEATING ALL THE FASTER AND MORE PASSIONATELY FOR IT!

NOW, WHILE I ENJOY THE LEVELS OF COMPLEXITY THAT COME WITH VACILLATING RELATIONSHIPS, THE VERSION THAT EXISTS PRESENTLY HERE ON EARTH C ERASES THAT ENTIRELY! AT FIRST, I ADMIT TO BEING ABSOLUTELY INFURIATED; WHO COULD, IN THEIR RIGHT MIND, CUT OUT SOMETHING SO QUINTESSENTIAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH WILL SMITH’S SPOONER AND MOYNAHAN’S DR. CALVIN? TO CHANGE SUCH A TENDERLY WRITTEN ROMANCE HAD ME TEARING OUT MY HAIR FOLLICLES FOR A GOOD FEW **HOURS** BEFORE I REALIZED THAT MAYBE THIS CHANGE WASN’T SO BAD AFTER ALL. WHILE IT **COMPLETELY** REWORKED THE DYNAMIC OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE POINT OF THEIR ABILITY TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER WAS JUST ABOUT NEAR NONEXISTENT, LET ALONE ALLOWING FOR THE FEASIBILITY OF A ROMANCE!!! AND THEN IT DAWNED ON ME THAT I WAS COMPLETELY OVERLOOKING THE SUBTLETIES THAT COME WITH SLOW-BURN FLUSHED ROMANCES, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE PRESENT WITHIN HUMAN FILMS (THIS IS NOTHING AGAINST FILMS DIRECTED BY HUMANS, AND WHILE TROLL ACTORS WERE DEFINITELY PRESENT WITHIN I, ROBOT, I THINK IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT FLUSHED ROMANCES ARE FAR MORE FAVORED!). SOMETHING I’VE COME TO APPRECIATE ABOUT THE PRESENTATION OF ROMANCE IN HUMAN CINEMA, IS THAT THERE ARE SUBTLETIES TO DEVELOPMENT THAT MIGHT HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN OVERLOOKED IN THE TROPES OF TROLL HOLLYWOOD. I, ROBOT SKIPS THE KISMESITUDE ENTIRELY AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT, LOGICALLY, THERE WERE FLUSHED EMOTIONS PRESENT THE ENTIRE TIME, BUT SIMPLY BY HAVING SPOONER ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AT REPEATED POINTS, THEY ARE ABLE TO OVERCOME ANY POSSIBILITY OF KISMESITUDE AND REACH WHAT I THINK IS BEST TO CALL THE PINNACLE OF RED ROMANCE! IT’S A MOVE ONLY A FUCKING GENIUS, WELL-VERSED IN THE WAYS OF HOW RED ROMANCE, WORKS, COULD UNDERSTAND, BUT EVEN THE SLIGHTEST CHANGE IN DEMEANOR CAN CHANGE HOW A COUPLE APPROACHES ROMANCE, AND SEITZ KNEW THIS FROM THE MINUTE SHE PUT HER PEN TO PAPER.

I’LL LEAVE MY THOUGHTS AT THAT FOR NOW. THIS REVIEW HAS BECOME EXPONENTIALLY LONGER THAN ORIGINALLY INTENDED (I’M A SHIT SUCKING IDIOT TO EXPECT ANYTHING ELSE OF A FILM STARRING WILL SMITH THOUGH), SO I’LL POST MY OTHER THOUGHTS ON OTHER ASPECTS OF THE FILM AT SOME OTHER TIME THAT ISN’T RIGHT FUCKING NOW.

IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS THAT ARE **DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE MATERIAL** FEEL FREE TO MESSAGE ME. IF IT’S ANY PAN-MELTING BULLFUCKERY, THEN CONSIDER YOURSELF PREEMPTIVELY BLOCKED.

--KARKAT VANTAS, AUTHOR OF LOVE AND LOSS IN THE DEPTHS OF SPACE

[marulikestea]

Mystic Messenger

Mystic Messenger is an otome game mobile app developed by Cheritz, a south Korean company also responsible for creating Dandelion & Nameless.

(WARNING, SEMI-SPOILERS AHEAD!)

Aside from its fresh take on its story and playthrough, here are other factors that add quality and class to their game:

It's free. FREE.  

NO ADS!

It does not force you to purchase in-game stuff like the dress-me up stuff or extra story chapters in usual otome games (with enough patience and hard earned hourglass, you can unlock EVERYTHING)

Amazing opening video with cool 2d animation and song entitled "Mysterious Messenger" by Han.

Full voice over audio especially in calls

Cool soundtrack with signature music for each character

Nice artwork

Diversity in the pool of potential love interests by providing a female character

Multiple endings per character

With enough patience, you can earn hourglass to unlock almost everything!

GAMEPLAY

Mystic Messenger stands apart from its other contemporary otome game (or maiden game) counterparts due to its concept of gameplay. It incorporates features from modern-day standard chat applications in smartphones to narrate the story and interact with its characters instead of the typical dialog with background format to visualize the scenario of the game. 

Text messages, chatroom conversations and visual novels respectively.

Incoming calls, phone logs and contacts under the call section of the app.

You can call, text back, and participate in chatrooms (it even shows stickers/emoticons) with the characters to increase your likeability points, that will affect the flow of the story.

You can even see the profile pictures and status of each member.

You can also reply to emails from potential guests for the party, as part of its storyline. By successfully convincing them, they will decide if they will accept your invitation to RFA's fund-raising gala. Of course, the number of guests also have an impact to the game's ending.

The side menu: Photo album, Email inbox and Guest list respectively.

As you proceed through the game, CG images presented as "selfies" and special visual novel art can be acquired and collected in the Mystic Messenger's image folder.

Waiting for the ufo icon in the chat menu to reach the honey buddha chips gives you random amount of hearts too. 

And finally the hourglass feature, a form of currency which lets you unlock special stories and recount missed calls and chats. It can be freely obtained from participating chats (randomly given) or by collecting 100 hearts and exchanging it for 1 hourglass.

STORY

The story starts right off the bat as you download the actual Mystic Messenger app on your mobile phone. After opening it once it's been installed, you immediately get a mysterious message from a stranger named "Unknown". He explains to you that he has found a lost smartphone lying around the subway station and wants to return it to its rightful owner. But without any contact info or call records inside and only a messenger app (to which you answered his text from) as his single clue, he elicits your help into returning back the device. Once you agree to help him, you will be instructed to go to an apartment (its address was stored on the phone) and open the lock on the door to get inside. Depending on your answers, you may get a bad end immediately.

After entering the passcode that Unknown claims to have been saved on the smartphone's notes, you open the door and realize that your phone is acting strangely again. Without warning, it enters a private chatroom, where you see messages from five people with the following usernames: Yoosung, 707, ZEN, Jaehee Kang and Jumin Han.

707, or Seven, is the first one to notice your presence and alerts the others of your sudden appearance in their chatroom. He then does a quick search on you and is surprised to see that you're in Rika's apartment, based on the IP address.

As confusion and accusations (of you being a hacker) start to erupt from all the people present in the chat, they demand to know who you are whilst you tell them to do the same. Yoosung then proposes to introduce themselves to you first in order keep things calm and civil, and also to make you feel less guarded and more cooperative in the process.

After getting a better sense of who they are, as well as their faces from the photos they've posted, you explain to them how a person named Unknown led you to the apartment. Upon further probing from Seven, you also mention that all the chat records from Unknown have been erased. Due to the current gravity of the situation, Seven contacts V, the leader of the group, to inform him about what has happened.

In just a few moments, V logs into the chatroom and tells everyone that he's already been briefed by Seven about the recent events. V reveals to everyone that Rika was the only one who knew about the apartment's password. Though the place was originally owned by V, he respected Rika's privacy and didn't ask for it. He also mentions that the apartment contains important documents and classified information, and other stored sensitive materials. Because of this, its location was not disclosed; only V and Seven (who is in-charge of its security) know where it is, and therefore asks you to keep it a secret as well to maintain its safety.

In line with this, V theorizes that you may have been led in the apartment by Rika or someone she had trusted to continue her previous work: hosting parties. He then asks the other members to trust his judgement and let you become a member of the organization.

At some point, Seven does a background check on you (and finds out that you're a cute girl in the process, lol). After confirming that you're safe and not dangerous, they introduce you to the RFA, as V had requested.

Rika's Fundraising Association, or RFA for short, is a non-profit fund-raising organization that aims to help other people in need by conducting parties for charity. Founded by Rika four years ago, it has already hosted two successful parties together with the current 6 members, whom she knew personally and recruited into the organization.

The parties sponsored by the RFA provides the opportunity for anyone to freely make donations regardless of class and nationality, as well as form business connections with others who attend their events.

But ever since Rika passed away one and a half years ago, the organization has not held any parties. It is in everyone's hope that you, who had stumbled to her apartment by some kind of divine intervention or God's sign, will continue what she has done.

Regardless of your choice, you will be forced to become a member of the RFA and take over rika's previous work.

For the next 4 days, you learn how to use the messenger app and also gradually get to know each member of the organization in the process. On the fourth day, depending on the bonds you've formed with each character, a route will be decided for you. You will also get notified by V about the date of the party, which will take place a week from that time.

Regardless of what route or which character you get, you will need to invite as many guests as you can for the party.  

All the decisions you've made will determine the ending of the story.

CHARACTERS

I. Casual Story

Yoosung★

Cutie Yoosung. The first route I got in Casual story.

Yoosung Kim is the youngest character in the group, seeing as he is only 21 years old. A university student at SKY University, he is also a LOLOL game addict who currently ranks 2nd in the shooting star server (next to Seven who ranks 1 as the player “Hacker God”).  

Yoosung is usually portrayed as a very cheerful and bubbly person who likes to cook a lot (especially omurice) and wear hoodie-type clothes. He also exudes an innocent disposition, to the point of being gullible; which makes him a favorite and constant target of Seven’s pranks. 

On the flipside however, Yoosung’s character can be somewhat dark and unstable, as seen from his demeanor whenever his cousin Rika is involved.  

It is also revealed in one of Seven’s phone calls that Yoosung is a yandere.

In his story route, it is revealed that he was once an academic nerd that showed a lot of promise and potential based from his multiple achievements. (He even got a job offer from Jumin once he’s graduated from uni) He considers Rika to be his role model and idolizes her like a lovesick puppy to the point of acute obsession. 

When news came of Rika’s death, Yoosung had a hard time accepting its reality and blamed V for everything, which severely strained their relationship.

Upon reaching college, he became laidback in his studies and got hooked to playing games. Though once in awhile, he would join several clubs that interest him bet never staying in it for long. 

If you choose to fall in love with Yoosung, your major hurdle inthe story will be his tendency of always overlapping you with his image of Rika. It is up to you whether to fuel his way of thinking or make him realize that you are your own person.  

Zen

Born Hyun Ryu, Zen is a very handsome 24-year-old musical actor and model who likes to brag about his perfect beauty.  Aside from being a complete narcissist, Zen can be a total flirt and a hopeless romantic; he doesn’t shy away from voicing out his desires for having a girlfriend (It’s been three years since his last relationship).  Though despite his rather shallow behavior, Zen is very passionate about his work and practices very hard for his roles (even exercising everyday to maintain his physique ) in order to get recognized for his skills rather than his looks.

Zen’s also extremely allergic to cats to the point of sneezing just by mention of it and is known to have a strong dislike for Jumin, because of his arrogance and his insensitivity towards Zen’s “cat-related” predicament.

Though Zen seems like a normal human, his tendency to compare himself to a “god” has some sort of weird merit. Aside from his rather good looks, he also possess monster-like healing powers, like recovering from a leg fracture in a span of 3 days. He also experiences prophetic dreams occasionally, as shown a few times from multiple story routes.

Zen also possesses a bit of a bad boy side, as he was a member of a motorcycle gang back in the old days. He also drinks beer a lot and smokes as well, though he expresses his intention to quite on the latter. Zen is also a bit of a foul-mouth, as Jaehee describes from one of your chats with her. 

During his route, it is explained that his career rose to fame because of a video that Seven uploaded that became a viral hit online. He’s also grateful to Rika for recognizing his talent and giving him the opportunity to broaden his horizons, as well as inviting him to join the RFA.

Later on in the story, he gets into a scandal with Echo girl on top of getting an injury from one of his rehearsals, causing him to suffer from extreme stress. 

After visiting him in his home, Zen talks about his family issues, as well as his estranged relationship with his brother, whom he used to look up to when he was young. Apparently, Zen comes from a conservative family who strictly values success through academic excellence. His mother, being a teacher an all, had high expectations from him and considered his beauty as nothing more but a hindrance and an eyesore, so she pushed him really hard to study. During those years, his brother became his only support and ally, saying that being beautiful is nothing to be ashamed of and that he only has to be himself and not mind what other people think of.  By the time he reached middle school, Zen has gained confidence about himself and realized his dream: to become a singer and an actor. But as years passed, his brother slowly became like his mother, berating him of his naive dreams of becoming an actor and told him to aim for a much better goal. Feeling betrayed and wanting nothing more than to pursue his goals, Zen ran away from home and barely survived the following years by making ends meet, to the point of resorting to “evil means”.  

If you choose to become Zen’s love interest, you have the option to support him and be understanding of his public occupation; or you can be selfish and not care about the consequences of your actions to his career. 

Jaehee Kang

Jaehee Kang is the 26 year old chief secretary at C&R International company, and works as an assistant of Jumin Han. She is also the only female member of the RFA and is in-charge of the overall planning and execution of the party.

Her outward appearances (of having short hair and wearing no-grade glasses) border on the androgynous side but as it turns out, this was one of Jumin’s conditions before hiring her to the company, as to prevent his father from making a pass at her. Usually overworked and haggard from Jumin’s constant demands, she’s still able to keep up and finish everything assigned to her efficiently. 

At first glance, Jaehee may come off as a rather stiff but organized person who is devoid of emotions like a robot, as joked by Seven and Jumin. But in actuality, she’s a very caring individual who deep inside craves for close friendship ties.

She also a huge fan of Zen and is a member of his fan club. She really cares about Zen’s welfare and is always concerned about his career, to the point of always reminding him that a romantic relationship might ruin his image and career. Because of this, Seven would always tease Jaehee that she likes Zen, to which she vehemently denies. During her free time, she watches his DVDs and buy merchandises related to his performances.

A very capable and self-reliant woman, Jaehee’s mature disposition and independence stems from her past when she had to live with her uncle’s family after her parents’ deaths. Not wanting to be a burden to them, she strived hard in her studies in order to graduate early and get a job. Though unfortunately, she didn’t have any fond memories with them as her aunt didn’t like her and felt that she was stealing all the good luck of their family to herself. 

In Jaehee’s route, Jumin overworks her yet again and assigns her to be in-charge of two presentations for the company, one concerning a coffee business and the other for Jumin’s cat-related project. As she researches about both projects, she slowly comes to like coffee and starts to enjoy making the presentation. But Jumin wasn’t all too pleased that she was focusing on the coffee project more than his venture, so she is forced to choose whether to continue working on what she wants or prioritize Jumin’s project.

During Jaehee’s time of difficulty, you can either encourage her to take the path she wants or you could push her to ...   

II. Deep Story

Jumin Han

Jumin Han is considered to be one of the most powerful and influential characters in RFA. The 27-year-old son of a corporate CEO of C&R International, he is usually referred by Zen as the “Trust Fund kid”. Growing up in a different environment compared to the others, his sophisticated lifestyle and formal upbringing is evident in his manner of speech, tasteless jokes and lack of “commoner” understanding during chat conversations, which usually puts Zen and Jaehee on edge. 

Though Jumin can be quite rigid, serious and awkward, he’s a very reliable person in times in need and actually gives really good advice when situation calls for it. He deeply values his relationship with others, especially with his childhood best friend V, and is shown to be very loyal and understanding.

He also exhibits a more caring side when it comes to his pet cat Elizabeth 3rd. He is not ashamed to display his affection towards her and showers her with much love and attention, earning him the title “cat mom” from Seven.  

Although Jumin’s very capable when it comes to his job, there are things that even he couldn’t do, such as driving and taking sharp photos (they’re always blurred). At times when he’s extremely stressed or at odds with his father, he would come up with bizarre business proposals (that are mostly not profitable in the long run) which usually tend to focus on cats, much to Jaehee’s dismay. 

If  you chose Jumin’s route, you will learn about the reasons behind his indifference when it comes to women. Having grown up with a playboy father, Jumin has since been exposed to the ugly side of women who want nothing more than to get his family’s fortune and fame. Thinking that all women who come near him are like that, he has remained distant and cold, to the point of being teased by Seven as gay.

But things suddenly change when his father decides to remarry again to a certain celebrity named Glam Choi. Blind to his new love, he agrees to his new lover’s proposal of having her student marry Jumin. This event forms a rift between Jumin and his father, and also affects his performance at work.  

Jaehee becomes worried of his current predicament, and thus asks you to go to his place to help him calm down and take care of him, to which you oblige. 

Your first meeting with Jumin unlocks his deep-seated feelings of love; and because he has not experience such strong and pure emotions before and has no way of knowing how to express them, he does it in a rather roundabout and forceful way. 

 To make matters worse, he becomes more twisted after Elizabeth 3rd goes missing. Fearing that everyone he holds dear will run away from him, he prevents you from going back to the apartment, and insists that you stay with him for as long as he needs you to be. 

It’s up to you whether you want to trust him and stay with him until he’s able to let go or you can chastise him for his possessive actions and run away.

707

Seven or Luciel (his baptismal name), is the quirkiest guy among the RFA. He is also considered as the OTP of the main character in the game. At a young age of 22, Seven has already made a living out of being a hacker from a secret agency. He’s also known to have rather bizarre tastes, from collecting expensive sport cars, consuming only honey buddha chips and dr. pepper and the like. He also likes to build stuff like a cat or dog robot, and dreams of making his own spaceship to fly off into space.  

Throughout all the routes, Seven comes off as the comic relief of the group. He would always try to make a joke of things and is never truly offended if any of the members scold or berate him because of his antics. 

He’s also known from breaking the fourth wall every now and then, which often leaves the other members confused about what he’s saying. At times, he would also go as far as cross-dressing just to get  a kick from Zen or Yoosung, his usual victims.  

Though he acts as a cheerful goofball most of the time, it's only a front that he puts up to hide his depression and pessimistic way of living, which stems from his dark past and current profession. 

Seven’s route has proven to have the heaviest back story among all the characters of the game, and is central to all the major plot events of the entire storyline. 

When he was still a child, Saeyoung (his real name) and his younger twin brother Saeran was often abused by their drunk mother. Both of them were a result of an unplanned pregnancy with a powerful politician who was a presidential candidate at that time. Not wanting to destroy his chances in the election, the twins were kept hidden by the mother in exchange for money. 

His younger twin had a weaker body, and thus more prone to their mother’s bullying; so it was always up to Seven to look out for his brother and protect him whenever their mother throws a fit.  At times, when she’s in a drunken stupor, Seven would sneak Saeran out of the house to let him have a glimpse of the outside world, to which his twin is grateful for. 

During spare moments, Seven would  study in secret from a programming book that he got in order to become a hacker and support his brother, once they’ve managed to run away.

At some point, Seven meets with a young Rika and V in a church. Both of them become aware of Seven’s circumstance and tries to help him by suggesting he change his identity and work for a hacking company. At first Seven refuses because he doesn’t want to leave his brother behind. But V was able to convince Seven and promised that they will take care of him in his stead. Trusting his words, Seven left his home, and became a full-fledged hacker.

During the seventh day in Seven’s route, Unknown was able to bypass Seven’s security. Sensing danger and fear of your safety, Seven immediately goes to the apartment and saves you in time from Unknown, which turned out to be none other than Saeran. It is then revealed that Saeran had joined a cult called Mint Eye and is out for revenge against Seven for betraying him and abandoning him with their abusive mother. 

This revelation devastates Seven, and is enraged with V for lying to him and not keeping his promise.

Throughout your interactions with Seven, you will be relentlessly be pushed away by him because he thinks that he doesn’t deserve happiness; and that everyone he loves will be destroyed because of him.

If you choose to remain by his despite everything and make him realize that no matter what sordid past he has, you will accept all of him, then you will be able to unlock the after events  of his ending, which brings closure to all the loose ties in the Mystic Messenger storyline. 

III. Others

Rika

The founder of RFA and V's lover/fiancee. It's been said that she jumped off a cliff due to her mental illness but her body was never recovered. In reality, she succumbed to her illness and later formed a separate cult called Mint Eye, whose main goal is to recruit the existing RFA members and take them to paradise along with the other worshippers.

V/ Hiyun

 The acting leader of RFA. He's a famous photographer and Rika's lover/fiance. After her supposed death, his been showing less of himself in the RFA and seems to be always busy and out of town. In Seven's route, it's been revealed that he was actually been going undercover inside Mint Eye, in order to get closer to Rika and to monitor her activities. 

Unknown

The one responsible for bringing you to the apartment to infiltrate the RFA in the first place. Later in the story (especially in Seven's rout), he's revealed to be a member of Mint Eye, as well as Seven's other twin Saeran . Having a weak constitution since birth, he was brainwashed by the cult into thinking that his brother had abandoned him at the hands of their abusive mother and is now out for revenge.

Miss Vanderwood

A male agent who also works at the same secret agency 707's works for. Forever nagging at Seven to finish his work ASAP, he also has little patience with regards to 707's messy living environment to the point of cleaning his living quarters himself. 

Elizabeth 3rd

Jumin's pet cat. Her name was originally given by V, but is usually called “Elly” by Seven, much to Jumin’s annoyance. Likes to torment Jaehee whenever she’s under her care, and also a constant source of Zen’s allergy whenever Jumin brings her up in their conversations. 

CONCLUSION

When I first heard of this game from a friend of mine, I was totally in denial. I  didn’t want to succumb to the growing fandom of this otome game (blame my pride and hipster ideology) and even laughed my ass out at the sheer idea of playing Mystic Messenger. But during a long (none-Ian) weekend that bored me to tears, curiosity got the better of me. So in the end, I wound up installing this app just for the lolz and started playing it...

...only to fell DEEPLY IN LOVE with the story, its characters and everything else in between.

Welp, there goes my pathetic pride, lol 

What I love most about this game, aside from its amazing concept and storyline, is the authenticity and humor of the conversations in the chatroom. The manner of how the script was written is so engaging and real that it feels as if your chatting with actual people and not 2d characters. From the spamming galore, typos, chat stickers and even the act of posting images inside the chat, you wouldn’t think that its just a game at all.

What’s more, aside from the funny conversations and breaking the fourth wall moments  that certainly brighten my day, there are rather surprising good advises and food for thought from the characters that can be applied in everyday life. Whether it be about business, love life or career goals, the message delivered certainly gives an impact to anyone who’s in that kind of situation. It’s not every day you get a legit advice from a non-human character right? 

  Jumin and Jaehee’s money advice, lol.

Another major aspect that is worth mentioning is how relatable the characters are in the game. Everyone has a certain characteristic that I can connect to, making the interaction with each of them more believable and easy to empathize.  It gives them more depth rather than the usual cookie-cutter character trope that is boringly indistinguishable from existing otome games.

If I were to do a breakdown of the traits of the characters and align it with my own, I’d be:

22% Jaehee - Because like her, I suffer the same career path problems that she has (Earning well but has yet to reach her dream job). I also constantly doubt myself and my skills, and is cautious and pessimistic by nature.

22% Jumin -  Because I sometimes suck at jokes; But more importantly, I become very possessive when it comes to the people I love, and must constantly keep myself in check lest the people I care for get suffocated.

22% Yoosung - Because we both share the same past of being a former honor student that later on fell from grace due to addictive gaming. We also have a nagging mother, as have similar gullible tendencies.

22% Seven - Because I’m a total troll and an outright geek. AND A SADIST TOO, HAHAHA. Oh, and my profession is also related to programming. 

12% Zen - I can be a total narcissist sometimes (as evident in my multiple OOTD posts in this bloody blog, lol); But in terms of love, passion and emotion, I have the same fire as him too. Oh, and my family’s also conservative.

The RFA family

The only things that I saw that need improvement are minor grammar and spelling errors for english text; a few behavioral bugs here and there;  and  the inconsistent art style presented in its CG images.

But other than that, this is one of the most amazing otome games I’ve encountered in a long while. 

I definitely get the hype from this fandom now, ROFL.

   The 707 effect. Super psyched to have found these at a local Korean mart near my workplace. 

To end this post, I’d like to make a virtual toast of Dr.Pepper to the makers of Mystic Messenger. 

Keep it up Cheritz! Kudos to your hard and relentless work and more power to you guys!

I’ll always be waiting for Mystic Messenger’s additional special stories, OK? XD

#game #mobile #mystic messenger #otome game #cheritz #mobile game

[singsongsappho]

I Need Help!!

I’ve created a Kingdom Hearts oc that I’m writing a fanfic on and I want to give her an english and japanese voice actor but I can’t think of anything. Underneath is a copy of her character bio. If you guys could look through it and send me some suggestions that you think would be good for both her english and japanese voice, that would be awesome. Thanx guys!!

Kaen Character Bio

(Original template from http://visionarydame.deviantart.com/art/Kingdom-Hearts-OC-Blank-Template-399123361)

This is based on Kaen at the beginning of the story, before she meets Sora and the others, though she, at this point, already knows Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, and everyone in the Disney world.

Introduction of Character

Name: Kaen (Japanese for flame; pronounced KI-EN)

Age: 15

Gender: Female

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Currently unknown since love isn't her first priority at the moment

Nickname(s): Little Flame (Used by Scrooge McDuck), Ki-Ki (Used by Huey, Dewey, and Louie; pronounced KI-KI, not KEE-KEE).

Alias(es): None

Date of Birth: February 17

Status: Active

Astrological/Zodiac Sign: Aquarius/Rabbit

Species: Human

Ethnicity: Caucasian (White)

Blood Type: A+

Affiliations/Organizations: Currently none

Occupation: Keyblade wielder/apprentice

The Character's Appearance

General Appearance: Naturally straight, ginger hair that goes to the bottom of her shoulder blades which she wears in a low ponytail and bangs she keeps out of her face with a black barrette. Grass green eyes with long eyelashes. Thin, long eyebrows that are slightly darker than her hair. Pale but not pure white skin. Wears a black t-shirt underneath a half zipped navy blue vest with a pocket on each side, blue jean shorts with a black belt over sunset-colored-ombre leggings with zippers down the sides, and black sneakers.

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 103 lbs

Handedness: Ambidextrous

Tattoos/Birthmarks/Scars: A thin scar going down to her elbow from her shoulder on her right arm which she doesn't remember how she got it.

Jewelry/Accessories: A pink, stained glass star charm she has hanging to her belt that she's had since she could remember, a black buckle choker, and black gloves that connect around her middle fingers.

About the Character

Personality: Kaen can come off as abrasive, skeptical, and sarcastic to people she just met, but she just acts that way until she knows if she can trust that person. When she warms up to a person, she turns into a joking, kind, and still sarcastic person, but she usually doesn't mean to be mean when she's being sarcastic. She still is skeptical and practical, not one to jump to conclusions and analyzes her situation instead. When she gets extremely emotional though, which isn't often but still happens, she becomes impulsive and throws caution to the wind, becoming extremely protective of her friends and loved ones and ready to defend them at all cost.

Favorites: Music, books, animals, cookies, sea salt ice cream, people who put others before themselves

Least Favorites: Bullies, people who think she's weak because she's a girl, people who think she's weak because of her age

Hobbies/Interests: Playing music on piano, violin, guitar, flute, and clarinet, singing, reading, practicing her fighting skills, playing with Huey, Dewey, and Louie

Phobias/Fears: Monophobia: the fear of being alone,  athazagoraphobia: the fear of being forgotten or ignored, minor atychiphobia: the fear of failure

Habits: Twirling a loose strand of her hair when in deep thought or nervous

Mannerisms: Calm when talking, becomes more serious when in battle. Usually has a calm, playful demeanor.

Skills/Talents: Playing multiple instruments, very agile and flexible, though not perfectly so, solving things in her heading quickly

Best Qualities: Usually calm during most situations, kind, wants to protect others, puts others before herself, even when she's seriously injured or in trouble

Worst Qualities: Gets suspicious of and doesn't really trust most people she doesn't know, doesn't care for her own well being when she's protecting other people, gets impulsive when she get's upset or emotional

Morality/Ethics: Thinks that there is at least a tiny bit of good in everyone, and those who can't protect themselves need protecting, but that bad people who intentionally do bad things need to be stopped

Goals/Motivations/Dreams: Wants to, one day, take and pass her Mark of Mastery exam and become a Master, so she can go out on her own to discover her past and family, and to protect those who need it the most

The Character's Relationship With Others

Reputation: Those who know and are close with Kaen know she is a nice and smart girl, wanting everyone to be safe and happy. They trust her with their lives and everything else. She is popular with young kids, always wanting to play with them, since she never really had a childhood of her own, at least one she can remember.

Love Interest(s): None

Friend(s):

Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck

Scrooge McDuck

Donald Duck

Daisy Duck

Goofy

King Mickey Mouse

Queen Minnie Mouse

Chip and Dale

Master Yen Sid

Enemy(ies): Currently none

Relationship(s):

King Mickey and Queen Minnie Mouse: Current guardians/surrogate parents of Kaen. Kaen has known the King ever since she woke up with no memory of her family or her life before that point. Mickey decided to take her in, training her in the art of the Keyblade alongside Yen Sid while living in Disney Town in Disney Castle. She met Minnie when she first got there, becoming close in a few minutes. Mickey and Minnie are considered surrogate parents to Kaen, loving to train and fight with Mickey and playing music, tending to the garden, and reading with Minnie. She knows that, even if and when she finds her real family, she will always love the King and Queen as parents and friends.

Donald and Daisy Duck: Surrogate aunt and uncle to Kaen. Donald and Daisy first met Kaen when she first arrived at Disney Castle, finding a connection with her in their shared skepticism and sarcasm and somewhat adopted her as her surrogate aunt and uncle. Donald taught Kaen how to use magic and cast spells, while Daisy taught her how to cook and play flute, violin, and piano. Kaen loves her aunt and uncle, knowing she would always consider them family, no matter what.

Goofy: Surrogate Uncle to Kaen. Goofy met Kaen when she first came to Disney Castle, along with Queen Minnie, Donald and Daisy. They bonded over their determination to protect others and joking yet kind nature, creating a uncle and niece relationship much like her and Donald. Goofy taught her some defense and fighting styles other than that of the Keyblade, as well as some jokes that always made her laugh. Kaen loves her other surrogate uncle, and will always love him, no matter what.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck: Kaen's best friends and surrogate cousins/brothers. Kaen met the triplets when they were pulling a prank on their uncle, Donald Duck. She decided to help them out and they became fast friends, as well as partners in crime. She loves to hang out with them, whether it be playing, coming up with a new get-rich-quick plan, helping with the ice cream shop, or playing pranks on others, mostly Donald. Kaen considers the brothers her best friends as well as little brothers and is always ready to get into trouble with them.

Scrooge McDuck: Surrogate great uncle/grandfather to Kaen. Kaen met Scrooge one day when he was trying to come up with a new business idea. He was baffled by the knowledge she possessed at her young age and asked her if she wanted to help him out. He, along the way, decided to help out with her music lessons with Daisy, teaching how to play the clarinet. He considers the young girl his granddaughter and she considers him a grandfather/great uncle and is always willing to help him out with a new business venture.

Master Yen Sid: Surrogate grandfather/teacher of Kaen. Kaen has known Yen Sid as long as King Mickey, being with her when she first woke up with amnesia. He decided not to outright tell her about her past, fearing what to much information at once might do to her young mind and, though hesitant at first, Kaen agreed to this, deciding that, one day, she would find the answers herself. Yen Sid decided to take Kaen under his wing alongside Mickey, training her in the art of the Keyblade, somewhat bonding with her in the process. Though he won't show it, he considers the young girl as the granddaughter he never had, with Kaen thinking of him as her surrogate grandfather alongside Scrooge McDuck.

The Character's Abilities

Powers/Abilities: Magic

Origin of Powers: Being a Keyblade wielder, it comes with the territory. Learned to use and control them under Master Yen Sid and the Royal Magician, Donald Duck.

Element(s): Spells

Strengths: Fire, lightning, and healing spells

Weaknesses: Water, ice, and time spells

Restrictions: Can only use them when holding her Keyblade

Alternate Form(s): Currently none

Fighting Style: Weapon and magic based styled combat

Weapon(s): "Ember's Song" Keyblade

Weapon(s) Appearance(s): The black grip is centered in a ring of pink, red, orange, and yellow flames making up the hand-guard. The shaft is five long, slightly wavy flames that go from red to pink to orange to yellow making up a staff like you'd see on sheet music. The music notes on it are black quarter notes, starting at what would be a low G going up to a middle B on the piano. The teeth are three, giant eighth notes. The keychain connected to the Keyblade by a silver chain with a single eighth note with a pink, flaming heart as the bottom of it for the token.

Preferred Weapon(s): Keyblade, weaponized hand fans, bow and arrow

(On a scale of 1 - 10; 1 being terrible and 10 being the best)

Knowledge: /10

Conceptualization Power: /10

Motivation: /9

Will to Act: /9

Agility: /8

Power Control: /9

Swordsmanship: /9

Hand-to-Hand Combat: /5

Long Range Accuracy: /7

Offense: /9

Defense: /7

Social Skills: /6

The Character's Familial/Biographical Information

Birthplace: Unknown

Family:

(Mother, Unknown)

(Father, Unknown

(Other Possible Family, Unknown)

Familial Background: Since Kaen has amnesia, she doesn't have any memory of her family. Since waking up and living in Disney Town, the inhabitants of the town and castle have become her surrogate family, with the King and Queen as parents, Donald and Goofy as uncles, Daisy as an aunt, Huey, Dewey, and Louie as cousins/little brothers, and Yen Sid and Scrooge McDuck as grandfathers/great uncles, in Scrooge's case. She knows that, even if and when she finds her family, she will always consider them her family too, no matter what.

Character Background: Kaen never really had a childhood, at least, one with a biological family. The first memory she has is waking up in Yen Sid's tower with him and King Mickey, not remembering anything before then, except her name, how to play the guitar, a basic knowledge of the Keyblade, and two songs that she doesn't remember the names of. The only things she had from her life before was a music box that plays the two different songs and a pink, stained glass star charm, along with a scar on her arm. She was told by Yen Sid that they couldn't tell her about her family or past because if they tell her one thing, it could unlock all her other memories at once, causing serious mental damage. Being a really smart girl, she understood, deciding it would be for the best. She began living in Disney Town, training under the King and Master Yen Sid, learning how to use the Keyblade. She has yet to regain any of her memories, but sometimes gets random glimpses in dreams that she only remembers for a small amount of time. She wishes to become a Keyblade Master someday and go out to discover her past, being able to protect those who need it most as well.

#kingdom hearts #kh #i need help

[geekpellets]

Halloween 2019 part 1

Lifechanger Lifechanger is about a doppleganger who has to switch bodies every so often in order to survive, killing everyone he swaps bodies with. That’s not the problem. The problem is, he’s in love. Oh oh! Wacky Shenanigans ensue (not really). There are a lot of characters in this film, but most of them only exist to be replaced with the doppelganger. The only two characters with any real impact are the doppelganger and the woman he loves. Now, the film does a good job at showing why someone would fall in love with this woman. Lora Burke does a perfect job of portraying someone who’s smart, sad, funny, and hopeful. The doppelganger is played by multiple actors. Most of them do a fine job with portraying the character consistently. I will say, I didn’t feel the thrill, terror, or suspense, when one actress depicted the doppelganger killing someone. I felt like she depicted it with a bit of unintentional comedy do to exaggeration, but otherwise she did a good job too. We’re in the head of the doppelganger the whole time, and it does prove to be an interesting position. Is the movie paced well? That’s a tough question. It’s a short movie, and I was never bored. I do think things could be cut, and the movie could be shorter, but at that point this wouldn’t be a feature length movie. If I’m being honest, this would make an amazing 20-30 minute short film. As a film that’s an hour and twenty-four minutes long, it is good, but it is repetitive. Once you go through the first cycle of the doppelganger swapping bodies, not much else changes in the film. I kind of wish he could stay in one body longer. Would it be less exciting? Yes, but it would also be less repetitive and more dramatic, and this film really wants to be a drama anyway. The movie does a good job at creating a melancholy mood, every when things are looking up. The killing isn’t really suspenseful. The suspense really lies in how this doppelganger is going to convince this girl he’s stalking to fall in love with him. It’s really an interesting concept, and it could have been a straight romance. It could have been a romantic comedy. This same feel under different direction could feel like entirely different genres, and that’s pretty fascinating in itself. The movie doesn’t rely on comedy often, but when it does show up I found it pretty effective. I’m surprised that such a dramatic reflective philosophical film as this had such good practical effects, and a solid commitment to practical effects. This isn’t a bloody film, but it certainly finds other visually lovely ways to disturb. Kudos to that. This was a good time waster. There’s a novelty to it, and if that novelty attracts you then it might actually be worth tracking down. Generally, however, it probably isn’t worth the extra effort. If you happen to stumble upon it on cable, on chiller, or any of the over saturated streaming services you might already subscribe to it’s worth a looksie. The Shape of Water The Shape of Water is about a mute woman who falls in love with a fish monster. The Shape of Water has great characters, imo. Good protagonists. Good side characters. Good antagonists. There’s no character I didn’t like, and no performance I didn’t like. Now, I WILL say that Octavia Spencer’s character being the stereotypical sassy black woman isn’t conceptually appealing to me. In general Hollywood’s milking of “sassy black” annoys me. That said, I did find the character funny and her relationship with the protagonist super endearing.  At least she’s a layered character. Michael Shannon’s character is a very typical Del Toro villain. He fits in with the villains of Pan’s Labrynth and the Devil’s Backbone if not in demeanor than in performance. Still, he’s probably the most complex Del Toro villain (although that’s not saying too much), and he is incredibly entertaining. This is a movie that’s two hours long with no big surprising or plot twists, and I don’t care at all. It was awesome. A lot of that is because these characters are so entertaining and likeable, and they have great interactions and relationships with each other. A lot of that is because this movie is a visual feast for the eyes. Visually, I think this is the high mark for someone who is already known for impressive visuals. Even though the movie takes place in an alternate history not that different from our own, it feels like fantasy. The atmosphere is so grandiose in the way that many of the old films this movie receives inspiration from make the every day seem grandiose. Simultaneously, the mood is often melancholy. The world is often depicted a gray, grimy, or worn down. There are moments where the mood is switched up to something joyful, but you don’t trust it because the world itself isn’t depicted as a joyful world. I think this movie succeeded in eliciting every emotion from me that is was trying to. It’s charming, it’s thrilling, it’s uplifting, it’s dark, and it surprised me at point despite this not being a particularly complex movie. There’s something to be said for doing something conceptually simple, and doing it this well. The practical effects are amazing, as one should probably expect from Del Toro at this point. However, the CG effects are also amazing. The way the CG is used to compliment the practical in this movie is perfection. I think this is one of the great examples of how practical and CG effects can support one another. There’s blood, it’s ace. There is also CG blood. It’s still recognizable as CG, but this may be the best CG blood I’ve ever seen. I’m a Del Toro stan. I will put that out there right now. I feel no shame for that. In my opinion, this is Del Toro’s best film. There’s still an argument to be made for Pan’s Labyrinth, there’s still an argument to be made for The Devil’s Backbone, but I truly believe he reached new heights with this one. 

#Lifechanger #The Shape of Water

[master-duke-of-dollars]

“The Name’s Bond.”

“James Bond”

These classic words from the debonair 00 British Secret Service agent are known around the world.  Based on Ian Fleming’s 12 novels, the legendary James Bond first appeared on theatre screens in 1963, when the first movie – Dr. No – was released. The franchise has been the longest-running film series in history!

For more than 50 years, this suit wearing MI 6 division commander saved the world ~24 times.

His manners are top notch; coinciding a luxurious lifestyle that’s attributed to his knowledge of top-shelf alcoholic drinks, love of fast European manufactured cars, confident demeanor, and cultured characteristics that have stood the test of time as the standard for being a true gentleman.

Times have changed since Sean Connery took on the now famous James Bond role, so we must ask ourselves the following question:  Is James Bond’s lifestyle still the epitome of an elegant gentleman??

James Bond History and Numbers from the Legacy

Ian Fleming was irked by the inability to live the life he dreamed of. Motivated by his brother being in the military, he authored the ultimate spy stories! Personally, I find the books to be more enjoyable than the action-packed films; but, I feel that both are time well spent!

There is no mistaking that the movies have filled the Eon Production’s money coffers to the brim!!! Let’s look at few stats taken from 007james.com

The numbers are adjusted for inflation and in accordance with the CPI

[table id=12 /]

The James Bond character has been played by 6 different actors; each one making bank!

[table id=13 /]

Now the debate begins – who was the best Bond?

I thoroughly enjoyed Sean Connery’s performances, and the movies back in the early days had a better feel to them in my humble opinion. It felt much less based on action and much more on the plot, let us really see the character of Bond — demonstrating the characteristics so well known today. Pierce Brosnan came in a close second, but the action based movies to me didn’t give enough time to enjoy more punch lines (an example coming later in the post). [Note from Jack: Brosnan is the quintessential Bond.]

Unfortunately, in the bond series, there are various scenes between him and the lovely bond ladies that are a bit too aggressive to us. Maybe this is why I feel pretty strongly that Dukes are the better gentlemen these days.

Who’s your favorite bond? Let us know in the comments!

What Makes James Bond a Gentleman?

Top Shelf Indulgences

“Vodka Martini…….shaken not stirred”

Throughout the movies, 007 orders various top-shelf liquors, sometimes stating preferences for limited edition bottles.

Here are a few examples:

Champagne Bollinger R.D. 2002: ~$300 / 750ml bottle

Belvedere Vodka: $80 /1.75L bottle

2005 Château Angélus Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion: $430 / 750ml bottle

Macallan 18-Year: $240 / bottle

Drinks from the movie Spectre, written up by www.eater.com 

Groomed, Tailored, & Irresistible

Tom Ford or Brioni Suits

Even as 007 loses suitcases, changes countries, and continuously escapes imminent danger – he always finds a way to look dapper. His tailored suits from Tom Ford are quite the quality….and price tag: ~$5,500 each!!!

Image from: http://www.jbsuits.com

Manners and Confidence That Always Get the Girl

In each movie, Bond is able to use great manners, confidence, and mysteriousness to woo any girl he encounters. It’s as made up as the Axe Effect. He’s calm and composed. Always the man with the plan, knowing what to do even when the situation looks dire. James Bond never gives up and always, always goes back to save the girl!

M (his manager) gives him the opportunity to take leave on the government’s dime after saving the world, and the movies never show him doing so without a companion along for the adventure.

As stated above, we don’t condone the aggressiveness in some of the interactions he has. We treat our other halves with respect and love at the Duke of Dollars Kingdom.

5-star Only World Traveller

Not only does Mr. Bond stay in beautiful hotels in fabulous places, he does so in the best rooms such as the presidential or VIP suite. Here are a few places he stayed in the different films:

The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas: ~$500 / night

Hôtel du Cap – Eden Roc in France: unknown

Hotel Danieli in Venice, Italy: ~$500 / night

The Langham in London: ~$700 / night

Drives fast expensive cars

Here are just three of the many cars throughout the bond movies. The prices below are the current price, not the prices from the past. In the books, James Bond actually drove a pre-war Bentley, but Goldfinger made one of the cars below famous: any idea which?

1. Aston Martin DB10

2. Aston Martin DB5

3. Toyota 2000 GT

Aston Martin DB10 – ~$500,000

Aston Martin DB5 – $1,000,000+

Toyota 2000 GT – $560,000

The answer is the DB5 – the most famous car in the world thanks to the Bond movies.

Always Completes the Mission

In our culture, the commitment and consistency bias mental model is a staple of being successful. We want to be friends with and trust people who are consistent and do what they commit to.

How many missions has James Bond failed out of the 24 we’ve had the opportunity to watch? 0.

This important trait is very gentleman-like because of how valuable that is with a future partner.

Technologically Sound

One of my favorite scenes that show the relationship between 007 and the quartermaster. It is a challenge to stop laughing after the punch line @~1:20 :

“Just took a few seconds Q…”

The New Age Gentleman – A Master Duke!

In this essay, we’re stating that standards for being a gentleman have changed. It’s time we define a new class of gentlemen; we’ve stated our reasons below.

It Costs too Much to live like Mr. Bond!!

According to CNBC, it would cost $1,500,000 to live like James Bond in the movie Spectre – an $800,000 apartment, $250,000 car, $6,000 watch, $4,000 suit, $2,100 hotel, $850 phone, and that doesn’t even include the plane tickets!

The movie is only 2 hours long! To achieve FIRE using the 4% withdrawal rate, Bond would need more than 5 MILLION dollars invested.

SN – the movies fail to mention that Bond was only able to spend like this while on missions. His focus for most of the year is on paperwork and intelligence. When duty calls for an out of state assignment (once or twice a year),  he uses the unlimited bankroll of the British Government to fund his lifestyle.

On the other side of this lavish spectrum comes the Dukes of the Duke of Dollar Kingdom. Although the opportunity to take on some Extreme Dating does happen within the budget, our life choices are not even close to the luxurious Mr. Bond.

Because Dukes live frugally and live with end goals in mind, we are able to spend much less – reducing the FIRE number we require. Why does this matter? Because instead of fancy vacations, expensive cars and watches, we indulge in our newfound time by building relationships in our lives – increasing our overall happiness!

We want to also note that once we have achieved our kingdoms, saving up and going to extravagant places can be on the bucket list! Tell us in the comments some of the ideas you have for FIRE. What will you do with your new time?

Do Cars and Clothes Matter? Stability is better!

The Financial Independence lifestyle might not create the most extravagant dates or the designer clothes and suits, but it allows for the most important things in your life.

Have you always wanted a classic car or fancy suit but don’t think you can afford it?

Once your kingdom is built, we say go for the gusto! Financial Independence isn’t about withholding from the dreams you have; it’s quite the opposite, leading you to better control your life to get the things you truly want. All it takes is a commitment, some creativity, and lots of hard work!

[Jack: sometimes my wife and I will dress to the 9’s and “play fancy” for a date. This doesn’t always involve a huge dinner bill or ritzy hotel, but we make a point to adopt overly debonair mannerisms for the night. Netflix in PJ’s is just as fun

The best part of being a Duke? You don’t NEED the fancy life. You can hold the door of a Camry for any lucky lady and she will love you just the same!!

In Millionaire Next Door, the fancy clothes and cars that the U.A.W.s (Under Achievers of Wealth) have are not quite so fancy to the bank account. 

Late on a car payment? How about struggling to pay off the car? How about the mortgage? These are things of the past…Dukes use their wealth to rid themselves of the gremlin armies of debt!

By doing so, we open up our lifestyles to focus on passions instead of stressing out to pay those we owe. We budget, we invest, and we prepare for curve-balls. This financial stability leads to knocking out one of the biggest stresses in relationships – finances.

Like the great Bobby McFerrin wrote for us…don’t worry, be happy.

Happy Families Require Commitment

Time with family is an imperative part of your life. You can’t help one of your family’s mini-dukes as they learn the basic multiplication tables if you’re not there when they begin studying them. Dinner at home with the family leads to healthier and happier family members.

Working overtime and long hours once you’re out of the “grind years,” does nothing but take time away from those you care about the most. Our journey to a financial kingdom contests this!

Once you have that F-You money, overtime is a thing of the past – allowing you to focus on priority numero uno – your family!

Dukes Build Homes Not Bachelor Pads

There is a huge difference between real, unwavering, and trust-filled love relationships compared to quick, passionate, fly-bys. Builders of a financial kingdom understand the importance a spouse in their life, so they choose carefully. They add to their happiness for years vs minutes or hours.

You may not get every girl you want or have them automatically at the drop of your name. Ladies may not unrealistically fall in love with you after hours stuck on a train, but you will have that very special person in your life who gives you gifts money just can’t buy!

By being a Duke, instead of a 00 womanizer such as Bond, the only thing you chase after are brave, intelligent spouses with longevity as the motivation to build a wonderful life. One of the most important decisions you make in your life is who you marry, not who you hook up with!

Dukes build homes, not bachelor pads.

It’s like the old question to any gentleman goes: “If you had a daughter or son, how would you want them to be treated?” I’d prefer an answer from those who have financial kingdoms and respect in mind.

Are Fancy Dates a thing of the Past?

We’d never suggest such a thing!

Going on a date with your loved one doesn’t require a fancy car or even a fancy dinner. A fancy date with suits and a beautiful dress, make-up, and candles can be an extravagant experience every once in awhile – plus it’s super romantic. We, of course, are fans of the Extreme Dating policy.

Dukes can afford this without having to suffer the consequences due to their overall financial stability mentioned above.

Just as fun, heading to the grocery store in your sweats and buying your favorite foods (and dessert of course!). Getting back home, you turn the Bluetooth speaker volume up, preheat the oven, and let the cooking collaboration begin…adding in some dances to your favorite song with your other half as you wait!

Disclaimer – I can’t do this LOL [Jack: me neither, but I try]

Once the meal has finished and you both have sung too much and danced until your feet hurt, light the candles on your dinner table, dim the lights, and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Concluding Thoughts

Our responsibility, motive, and passion has been and will continue to be passing on the values to live that successful life so many dream of. Being a gentleman doesn’t require unlimited funds from the British government.

We hope to have convinced you that the new age of being a gentleman has begun, join us as we change the culture to appreciate the truly finer things in life: time, communication, trust, respect, and fun.

Lastly, although the idea of being a gentleman feels like it mostly relates to the behavior of men, in actuality women have the choice of accepting the different traits that men strive for. In other words, it is just as important for women to decide what the definition of a gentleman is because men are incentivized (as in, they want to find a spouse) to acquire the behaviors associated with that definition. If women ever fawn over men in high heels, you won’t be able to hear yourself think over the click-clack of 5″ manpumps. Likewise, a dating culture that frowns upon objectification and womanizing will help to encourage young bucks to max out their respect games. We are hopeful that the cultural winds are blowing in that right direction.

What gentleman traits do you think are most important to exhibit or require? Do you agree or disagree with our case study?

Tell us what you think by leaving a comment – we’d love to discuss it with you!

Image resources:

Header: Deviant Art

DB10: Top Speed

DB 5: Wikipedia

Toyota 200 GT: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1967-toyota-2000-gt/

Case Study: Who’s the Real Epitome of a Gentleman – James Bond or Master Duke?? "The Name's Bond." "James Bond" These classic words from the debonair 00 British Secret Service agent are known around the world. 

#Celebrity

[wanderingwolfofthenorth-blog]

Mastery Journal Assignment - Film Analysis

What is the point of going through the motions only to get to the end and find what you were looking for was never there in the first place? Would it be easier to cut out all the middlemen and save time if it meant you would be turned down within the first five minutes? These questions are the foundation stones for the short film Full Disclosure (2005) written and directed by Douglas Horn.  

Walter, played by Brent Sexton, has decided that the only way to find true love and to save time, as well as heartbreak, is to go with the policy of full disclosure. Walter figures that if he just lays it all out before his dates, he can avoid wasted time and potential heartbreak. He does all of this with the use of props such as pictures of himself waking in the morning, and letting out farts in the middle of conversations. From the start of the film, it becomes apparent that his tactical choice will only end in defeat as multiple women react very negatively. Brinn, who comes off as being very prudish in her tone and her demeanor does manage to compliment Walter’s need to set the record straight before there is not even a record.

The primary plot motivator of the film is plainly the dialogue between both Walter and Brinn. As in the movie, almost every scene takes place at the same table at the same restraint during the same conversation. The dialogue must jump the audience from point to point in plot development. This choice can be very boring because if the conversation makes no sense or lacks definition then why would an audience continue to watch. What Full Disclosure does well to add little cutaways between points of dialogue to emphasize the previous disclosing of truth. One such scene comes after Walter explaining that he will watch a movie only to figure it out early and ruin the secret. The scene cuts to both Walter and Brinn sitting on a couch watching a movie as Walter gives away the secret of The Sixth Sense. The addition of such cutaways breaks up the dialogue enough so that when the conversation starts the director again and put emphasis on how either Walter or Brinn is reacting to that truth.

Full Disclosure is a single conversation between two people on their first date. Shot in close frame styling with a repeating course of shots and reverse shots. Hollywood uses this technique to develop the dialogue between characters using such editing method makes sense. This also enables the director to focus strictly on Walter and Brinn during their date and not focusing on much going on around them. The movie takes place in a restaurant with other patrons, but because of the film's editing what they do has little context in the film. The film does include a few close-ups for dramatic effects, such as in the first few shots of women reacting to what we can only assume is Walter’s attempt at full disclosure. If the director has gone for more fixed shots showing both Walter and Brinn interacting some of the actions and reactions would have been lost. As well the use of shot and reverse shot film work establishes a clean and neat pacing.

All the lighting in Full Disclosure is ambient or fixed lighting common in a restaurant setting. However, the lighting does change as these characters continue to disclose information about themselves. At the start, the lighting is very bright drawing attention to both Walter and Brinn. Keeping the lights bright makes the audience think things are going well. But like most romantic movies when the love interests do not see eye to eye the lights are dimmed. The director did an excellent job using this technique when Walter and Brinn come to a true deal breaker. The restaurant looks to be closing so it makes sense that the light would be dimmer because the establishment is closing. But what the use of lighting does it make the moment much more severe in nature and even suggests that this may be the end for Walter and Brinn. In converse to this darker scene, the next scene is shot in a much brighter light as the two celebrate their ten-year anniversary. The more brilliant light brings the audience emotional state back up to happy because the couple has made past the dark time and now overcome the deal breaker. The purpose of the lighting was to establish the movement of time but to add emphasis to the emotional state of the two characters. Hence why it goes from light to dark to light once again.

After viewing Full Disclosure, I feel that one of the best formal choices I can make for my own short film would be the use of shot composition in the way of lighting. By lighting I can show the change of emotional states between my characters brings attention to big dramatic moments with a simple shifting of light. Even with the best performances from my actors there is no dialogue to expand the plot. I will need to use every trick I can to make sure the audience knows how intense the scene is and the use lighting to make it comical in the end.

A good short film will use creative short cuts to get around budget or time restraints. For myself I will be cooking a large meal to provide the dirty dishes and living in feeling of my character’s apartment. This will both feed the cast and crew and make set design very easy to achieve. As well using my own apartment would bypass issues on location and time restrictions because I live here and I can say when we shooting needs to be done or the set needs to be cleaned up. Both these tricks should allow me to get past possible hindrances to my film.