#I think the people who were cast just really do the role justice

[mirai-e-jump]

Hero Vision Vol.1 (2000/Winter) Changerion Reunion Interviews ft. Takashi Hagino & Aizawa Kazunari (translations below)

Publication: December 31, 2000

Takashi Hagino & Aizawa Kazunari: After 4 years, a date in Harajuku

Hey you two, how are you doing these days? It's been 4 years since the end of the broadcast. You two had a fateful encounter in "Choukou Senshi Changerion," an unusual heroic show that still remains popular to this day. We asked Takashi Hagino and Kazunari Aizawa, who say they still get along well with each other, about their memories of those days, and what their future plans are.

Main Interview Section

"I'm going to say it now. I mean it, I'm really going to say it right now! Changerion was really entertaining! It was truly a masterpiece! Suzumura Akira, a happy go lucky, good natured, 182cm tall, cat eyed, beautiful private investigator, and his partner, Hayami Katsuhiko, a 183cm tall, hot blooded and direct individual with a handsome face, are both on the side of justice. Kuroiwa Shogo, the Dark Knight, is an elite who's handsome, also quite tall I guess, and is running for governor of Tokyo in order to seize control of the city. A slapstick comedy and super cool tokusatsu hero show, with a mixture of fiction and reality, something like this most definitely existed in 1996 Tokyo. On the day of this interview, I was so excited to hear their voices saying, "Good morning~!" The appearance of those two standing there looked really really cool! And so begins the converstions full of laughter between Takashi Hagino, who plays the main character Suzumura Akira, and Aizawa Kazunari, who plays his partner Hayami Katsuhiko."

-Casting!! Secret Stories?-

Hagino: At that time, the role was the same as it always was, wasn't it? I went to a party at some production company, and someone was like, "Ah, you there," and told to come in for an audition. When I went to it, Shirakura-san, the producer, and Nagaishi-san, the main director, were smiling ear to ear once they saw me. I remember thinking, "What, why are you smiling like that?" I was 22 at the time of my debut, so it was about 5-6 years after I dropped out of high school. Before that, the movies that came out around that time made me think that acting was really interesting.

"You've also appeared in a V-Cinema that contains slightly adult content."

Hagino: It's bad. Please don't watch it (laughs). Watch something else where I look cool.

Kazunari: For me, I had just started acting, and my manager took me to Toei's head office to introduce myself. I announced that I was new and would be in their care, and then a strange old man came up to me and said, "Are you the one?" (everyone laughs).

Hagino: Wait! Was he trying to flirt with you?!

Kazunari: Uh, no, you see, my shoelaces became untied in the hallway, so I had to sit on the floor to retie them. He came up to me and said, "What's wrong?" I said, "Ah, no, I'm an actor," and he said, "Come with me then!" Things got carried away, and before I knew it, I went in for an audition.

Hagino: So, who was that guy?

Kazunari: He was……a really good guy to say the least, I actually don't remember his name.

Hagino: You're terrible! (laughs).

Kazunari: No, no. Look, it's because, it's just…anyway, so, at first, I was reading the script without knowing which one of us would play the role. Then, when it was down to just a few people, they asked me, "Which role do you want to play?" I was like, "Well, Hayami, I guess." I wondered if this was it, and then I passed, I passed……huh.

Hagino: Can we get some more joy here?

Kazunari: Well, it's because I really didn't understand. I didn't really feel it when I was suddenly told that I got the job. What's more, I still had no idea how hard it was going to be. No, rather, you really don't know what's going to happen in this world.

"Thank goodness for untied shoelaces and nice people"

-I'm not awkward!-

Hagino: I was asked to read my lines in front of everyone. Naturally, the producer told me that in the future, he would never have me read my lines at the audition for a leading role ever again (everyone laughs). No, I thought it went really well, and while I was a favorite to play this role, somehow I was also the worst. One of the more important people there looked as if he was going "?" all while tilting his head. He looked really nervous. He said, "From now on, when we present leading role auditions to the higherups, we won't make them read lines." He also said, "If you go with this guy, then shut him up and pick him already."

"It's true, Akira's acting wasn't very good, and I felt so embarrassed watching that I wasn't even able to finish the first episode. But, I could never think of anyone else playing Suzumura Akira but Takashi Hagino, and I still think that way after seeing him again after four years."

Hagino: But, back then, I definitely had some momentum. I was always told "You're a perfect fit for the role of Akira!," and a part of me got carried away over it, it felt like my nose was growing just like Pinocchio, except this nose is of brilliant glass. If Pinocchio's nose was made of glass, it would be really beautiful and sparkling.

"He smiles cheerfully and says that such things give him "the power" to play a role."

Hagino: But, you know, it's going to break someday. When that happens, only then will you understand.

"Afterall, Akira, aren't you suppost to be an adult?"

-First Impressions-

Hagino: We first met in an elevator, right?

Kazunari: Yeah, it was in an elevator. When I was on my way to the audition area.

Hagino: I said, "Huh? What's with the long hair?"

Kazunari: Yeah, it was really long.

Hagino: Incredibly long, it was tied in a single knot, along with wearing black jeans and a black shirt. I noticed him and asked, "What floor?" He said, "8th floor, hurry it up."

Kazunari: You liar! No, I politely said, "I'm going to the 8th floor, please."

Hagino: Well, I don't know, I guess that's just how bad my impression of you was (laughs).

Kazunari: Somehow, I never thought that the two of us would be working together.

Hagino: Yeah, I had costume fitting, and they told me that my partner was coming, and then the absolute worst guy came walking in.

Kazunari: Hey now (laughs).

Hagino: Because we seemed so similar in type, I thought there was no way the two of us would be together. Then he came in. And, as you can see, he's handsome, incredibly so. And…uwah. He stands out just by standing still. I really have to do my best here. Even still, I feel good with this guy. I can't imagine anyone else, as I'm already spoiled being stuck with him.

"Oh? Hayami is smiling shyly as he listens."

-Dramatic Drunks-

Hagino: When we drink together, we end up staying up until morning, right?

Kazunari: Yeah, when I see him, all he does is drink.

Hagino: When drunk, this guy tries jumping backwards. He gets really mad. When he stomps, it makes a nice sound.

Kazunari: I see… (pretending not to know)

Hagino: I end up joining him (grinning)

Kazunari: It seems I do alot of unacceptable things.

Hagino: Not really. He says that like I'm trying to wring it out of him. Well, guess I'll just go home then… (walks straight past him)

Kazunari: I do drink abit too much.

Hagino: I feel like a fighter when it comes to alcohol. I'm trying not to lose my memory here.

Kazunari: This guy makes people drink all the time. He'll ask, "Want some sake?" It seems I don't drink for myself, rather, I only drink due to the influence of other people. (to Hagino) Hey, you, you're the reason I always end up getting drunk.

"As usual, they are the best of friends."

-Acting, Theatre and Films-

Kazunari: Basically, about halfway through Changerion's filming, my impression of him was, "Ah, this guy, he's actually really serious.

"Oh? Somehow, Akira looks very happy."

Hagino: That's because, you know, it took me a long time to properly get into the role.

Kazunari: In our current ranks, we don't get into such big roles on TV or movies. I often get a role at the last minute, and have to act on the spot, so I think that because I can practice for a month on stage, movies really require alot of power in comparison.

Hagino: It's definitely different from Changerion, where we could say, "Let's take our time and work on it." I won't be able to make it if I try to wing it. But, if you ask me if I can act in the moment, I can't play the role of a big shot, because I think it wouldn't come off as authentic, but it'll be the best I can do, so it's important to know how much you can work with in such a short period of time.

Kazunari: I think about it alot. When I get a role, I'll think about it for a long time, doing research by watching similar movies, reading books, and so on, then, build up an image. Finally, once on set, adjust it as I see fit.

Hagino: My perception of acting has changed. I'll still watch the videos, and think, "Wow, I really did it~." But, there are also scenes where I'll say, "Oh, I don't think I can do this now." There are so many scenes like that. Although, it's a great opportunity to get into the swing of things, because you end up transforming yourself. The more I got into the rhythm, my surroundings were also in rhythm, so I was able to stay on track. Changerion was a a unique experience, and I don't think I could have done it alone.

Kazunari: The final broadcast was on Christmas, right?

Hagino: For some reason, I don't want to talk about the final episode. It went something like, I drank alot before the shoot and just had alot of fun, since we basically had a day off…

"Does this mean you were having a rough time before the end of the broadcast?"

Hagino: No, no, that's not it. We had about four days off before we started shooting, and I'd never had such a holiday weekend before, so I got alittle too relaxed.

"Does that mean things ended on good terms?"

Hagino: Yeah ❤️, that's how it felt. That's why I don't want to remember.

Kazunari: Like-I-was-say-ing, you…

Hagino: No, no! For me it may be just a past memory, but it's an important one.

Kazunari: Yeah, it was alot of fun.

"Never ending stories and overflowing emotions. I was happy to meet them. Changerion, beyond time…and for all eternity."

#one of my favorites #changerion #choukou senshi changerion #suzumura akira #akira suzumura #katsuhiko hayami #hayami katsuhiko #my scans #my translation #hero vision #takashi hagino #hagino takashi #kazunari aizawa #aizawa kazunari #tokusatsu #toku cast #takeshi asakura #asakura takeshi #kamen rider ryuki #interview #I only read this around christmas #this whole thing is just an episode #it's only been 4 years...

[opera-ghost]

thought this needed to be shared on its own since the sweeney team have decided to edge us with releasing the cast album

this is from the second night of previews, february 28th. i gifted the full audio here, and shared a clip of the final sequence here as well

(more notes on the clip + the production under the cut)

after the verse about the beadle, annaleigh ashford attempts to swing onto the table and misses twice, before succeeding as the audience cheers. it was really funny in the moment and played into the vibe of the song as both ashford and groban continued to crack up. this seemed to happen on more than one night during previews from what i've read, which had me suspecting that it was a planned break-in a la the music man revival. but outside of previews i haven't heard of this happening again, so they could very well have just had difficulty with this bit during the first few shows. either way, the audience couldn't get enough of it. it was just amazing to hear this whole sequence live after only ever watching the movie and concerts (where the audience volume is significantly reduced). there was just the most contagious laughter at all the right moments, and it makes me really upset in hindsight that this number was butchered so much in the movie

so much to say about ashford and groban's performances in general. they clearly have so much fun with these roles and they do this particular number such justice, in my opinion. their visual comedy is just on a whole other level, and it really let the material shine along with their vocals. some people have criticized ashford for her accent/general characterization of mrs. lovett, but i'm so obsessed with what she's brought to the role. her lovett skews younger and, to me, she offers a mix of the iconic actresses who have taken a stab at the character before. others have had things to say against groban being cast as sweeney, but i personally enjoyed him very much, and he's of course at the top of his game vocally. this production plays things pretty straight and doesn't do anything super imaginative with the staging, but it really lets the actors performances shine

as a general note for the whole show, maria bilbao absolutely kills it as johanna, john rapson as the beadle makes parlor songs into one of my favorite bits of the show, and i want to print a little picture of nicholas christopher's pirelli and keep it in my wallet. gaten mattarazo is a great tobias, ruthie ann miles's beggar woman is as entertaining as she is soul-crushing. though he's since departed, jordan fisher had amazing chemistry with maria bilbao and his anthony was very sweet. jamie jackson as judge turpin was everything you could want out of that character, though i really really would've loved to see mea culpa here. i think the judge in this production especially feels a bit empty without it

this revival makes the weird choice to remove the factory whistle, which really takes away from a lot of the drama and overall makes it feel less sweeney-esque. although, i did read that they were maybe having technical issues during previews and added it back in later? but i watched/listened to some bits after opening and didn't hear it, so... still must be noted

despite some general criticisms i'm just so obsessed with this show, it's amazing to have a full staging of it on broadway once again and the 26-piece orchestra still has me in a chokehold. i highly recommend seeing it if you can!

#just needed to talk about this again bc despite my best efforts i am NOT off my sweeney bullshit yet #release the damn album for the love of god so i can move on /j #sweeney todd #josh groban #annaleigh ashford #save #audio gift

[zeglythofficial]

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY

Read at own risk

Is Noah C interested in R?

Pulled: The High Priestess

Tarot 2.0: woah he wants her kitty bad. She’s irresistible to him. If he opened his mouth around her he would bark like a dog. BARK! BARK! Was he on Teen Wolf?

Me: No….not every random male celeb you don’t know is from Teen Wolf.

Tarot 2.0: oh.

Is Jacob E interested in R?

Pulled: Knight of Wands (reversed)

Tarot 2.0: no! In fact she should be weary of him. Not a good card to pull with this type of situation. I don’t even see it working career wise either. This is a great example of “never work with your industry friends”, she would be disappointed after working with him.

Any other potential suitors for R?

Pulled: Queen of Pentacles

Tarot 2.0: absolutely. She’s getting many offers or at least people are lusting after her. Not surprising at all. She’s young and on the rise.

Any other potential suitors for T?

Pulled: Seven of Cups

Tarot 2.0: holy shit. Yes, woah. Can’t express how much kitty is being thrown at him. That’s overwhelming. Lots of temptation. Isn't he in the middle of the mountains with horses and shit right now? So no kitty up there but when he’s out in public again? Yikes.

How’s the sex life between R and J?

Pulled: Knight of Pentacles (reversed)

Tarot 2.0: Lazy! Sloppy! Boring! He is not laying the pipe like he should. No wonder she has so much energy, he hasn’t been putting her to sleep.

How’s R's future career?

Pulled: The Moon (reversed)

Tarot 2.0: She will go through a rough patch but will come out stronger. She will overcome some of her anxiety and do different projects. She also should listen to herself a lot more. She’s self-critical and overthinks her career decisions but she will be fine as long as she transforms herself emotionally.

How’s T’s future career?

Pulled: Ten of Wands

Tarot 2.0: Not surprising. He has many projects, so many that he will be stressed and burnt out in a few years. He won’t have many breaks and needs to spend time working on self-care. His future is important but not at the risk of collapsing from exhaustion and being overwhelmed. He will miss the finer things in life.

Why did T cry while R sing the first time they met?

Pulled: Justice (reversed)

Clarification: Queen of Cups

Tarot 2.0: Another karmic card. They were definitely meant to meet. She turned down this role, right?

Me: yeah a few times

Tarot 2.0: she avoided gaining karma then. Narrowly. The universe kept warning her not to miss out this opportunity and she almost did.

Me: she said she tripped in front of a THG sign in Vegas

Tarot 2.0: a place filled with bad karma

Me: she also called her agent about playing Lucy Gray right when the book dropped. She always wanted to play the character.

Tarot 2.0: all these signs yet she almost didn’t do it. That’s crazy to me. Pisses me off actually. Anyways, her and T talked along before they met. That zoom call was the first time he heard her sing but it’s not the first time they talked. He really wanted her for the role. He felt compelled to take this role actually. He was self aware of his inner feelings during that time. He tried his best to get this role because he had a feeling it would change his life and he would meet someone important. I’m also getting the feeling he didn't like other potential cast members for Lucy Gray. It would have been a huge injustice if they didn't meet. Thank God they did.

Has R visited the blog frequently, and read what we posted? or they just told her a slanted version?

Pulled: Three of Wands

Clarification: Strength

Tarot 2.0: She’s trying to move on from this blog but it keeps appearing. She’s trying to be strong and ignore it but temptation is her greatest enemy. She knows a lot about this blog actually? Who’s telling her? I think she’s lurking.

Do their friends/coworkers and family know about zeglyth? What do they think?

Pulled: The World

Clarification: Knight of Wands

Tarot 2.0: R and T are in their own world around each other. It’s magnetizing and other people feel it. When they think of Zeglyth, it’s about success and new opportunities. They’re slightly worried that R and T had a fling but no one will say anything.

How does T feel about R’s hate?

Pulled: Three of Cups (reversed)

Clarification: Ace of Swords (reversed)

Tarot 2.0: he thinks they’re losers! No life. GET A JOB! STAY AWAY FROM HER!

Why T defend R?

Pulled: Four of Cups (reversed)

Clarification: Four of Wands (reversed) and The Sun (reversed)

Tarot 2.0: He was a witness to a terrible time in her life. He knows her self esteem was low and how much this movie meant to her. I’m seeing a lot of anxiety leading up to the premiere. She was so worried she was going to ruin the movie for everyone in terms of backlash. T reassured her that wasn’t the case at all. He truly doesn’t care about what those losers say.

What did R and T think of each other when they first met (in person)?

Pulled: The Empress, Seven of Cups, Five of Cups

Dropped: Page of Pentacles, Five of Pentacles and Temperance

Tarot 2.0: damn these cards wanted to be seen, okay. The Empress? Pregnancy? T thought of pregnancy from the gate? No way. Arrest him! But in all seriousness, he knew he would love her from the moment they met. This is also an adjacent karma card. The potential to meet your life partner.

Seven of cups? A new person in your life to cause relationship issues! Of course this card appears. R and T cause issues in each other’s lives and with their partners.

Five of cups? R’s mental health was horrific when she met him. He made her feel better all the time. J tried but he wasn’t enough. T carried most of the emotional burden.

Page of pentacles? He was willing to work hard to make this project and friendship work.

Five of Pentacles? Someone was feeling left out in the cold. Was J with them when they met? Most likely.

Temperance? Soulmates! Two extreme people on opposite ends (spot on!) needing to find a balance to make it work. Communication!!

What are T intentions for liking all these model pics?

Tarot 2.0: I swear if I get a red flag I’m done with this reading

Me: :(

Pulled: Queen of Swords

Tarot 2.0: Oh!

Me: Do you hate him now?

Tarot 2.0: no! Thank god it’s what I expected. He sees a beautiful girl with sexy clothes (or lack of clothes rather), he likes the pics and moves on. This is not like that one celebrity who was purposefully liking young girls' pics on purpose. T is a typical man who has wandering eyes and is a visual creature.

Why does T like and unlike instagram photos of Rachel?

Pulled: The Empress

Tarot 2.0: oh this card AGAIN? He’s down bad. He’s flirty and obsessed. I’m sensing hesitance though. He’s aware of how liking thirst traps looks and regrets it. Also I’m hearing the word promise here. Maybe he promised himself that he wasn’t going to like anymore pics from her….that lasted a day lol if that.

How does BB feel about it? Does she know about it?

Pulled: Justice

Tarot 2.0: woah. What a card to pull at this question. Another karma card. She’s trying to be understanding and compromise but she’s not happy about it. Doesn’t think it’s fair and is trying to be “the cool gf” but it’s not working. It bothers her deep down. She’s very aware of R though. That’s one person she doesn’t want him to interact with online. A random influencer makes her sad but she’s livid about R though. But she didn’t tell him to unlike it. She doesn’t want to bring up R at all actually. The name R is banned from her lips!

Is R upset about the fact that T is ghosting her?

Pulled: The Emperor

Tarot 2.0: Yes, very upset. She’s emotional about it. This girl needs Jesus or something. A therapist and straight jacket (it will tie her hands from grabbing her phone!). No way someone not talking to her for a day is making her this upset. Hmm. I don’t think he is completely ghosting her now that I’m reading it. Maybe he is very dry, one worded responses or taking a usually long time to respond and she knows the last time he did that, he stopped talking to her for days. She doesn’t understand what she did wrong. She’s unbelievable. She called this man the devil yesterday and pouting because he’s not answering like he usually does. Is that what you wanted, R?

Why is J so emotionally distant?

Pulled: Nine of Wands

Tarot 2.0: He’s tired of her. She is draining to be around. She even talks to him while he’s trying to sleep. Sounds exhausting. Literally. He’s close to giving up entirely.

Doesn't J get upset over the hate R gets?

Pulled: The Empress (reversed)

Tarot 2.0: Ouch. The complete opposite of how T sees her. He finds her overbearing and a huge burden. He wishes she would shut up sometimes and stop constantly getting herself into trouble. A part of him used to feel bad but he doesn’t care anymore. Don’t get mad at me but he’s lowkey right. I hate agreeing with this man. But she needs to relax.

R loves the attention Zeglyth gets but why?

Pulled: The Lovers

Tarot 2.0: She loves him. It’s that simple. She refuses to let him go. They’re soulmates. It’s a spiritual thing at this point. Which is why they’re so hot and cold. They’re resisting what’s meant to be. And I lowkey agree that they should for now. Their back and forth feelings are annoying. They need to stay either hot or cold. They'll even meet in the middle one day. While I they’re cold now, I’m sensing their turn hot soon actually. They’re both crazy to me.

how does J feel when R posts him like this

Pulled: Knight of Wands

Clarification: The HangMan

Tarot 2.0: it’s an ego boost but he’s not happy. He’s feeling trapped. It’s embarrassing to him. He also ignores her if she asks him if she can post things online about their relationship. He desperately wishes she wouldn’t but she ignores him too and ends up posting. Very immature.

Why is T done with R currently?

Pulled: The Devil (reversed)

Tarot 2.0: Oh this is hilarious. R called him the devil yesterday and T said “aight bet!” What a turn of events. He’s trying to be free of her. He’s becoming aware he’s too emotionally involved with her and wants it to stop. I think his birthday put things into perspective. He’s reflecting and thinking about how the relationship won’t work right now.

Is R's recent posts of J a way of her acting out of spite towards T?

Pulled: The Magician (reversed)

Tarot 2.0: it’s more for fans actually! Or her “J haters”! Aw she’s putting on a cape and defending her man like Superman! Shouldn’t it be the other way around? J’s silent and embarrassed. But T seeing her love stories is an added bonus.

T’s irritated but he thinks she’s of course you guessed it —

Me: A fool.

Tarot 2.0: you’re so smart!

Maybe also ask if T plans on ghosting her forever?

Pulled: Eight of Cups (reversed)

Tarot 2.0: He has a deep fear of his feelings so he’s choosing to not focus on them. He’s accepted they will always be there but he needs to occupy his time elsewhere. Career, BB, family, friends. He’s having fun and not thinking about it so much. But no, he will never be able to cut communication completely. He’s tried but can’t let her go.

Is it big?

Tarot 2.0: my heart is very big! Thank you for asking me !

Me: IS IT BIG?

Pulled: The Hierophant and The HangMan

Tarot 2.0: Call him the HANGMan, The Tower of God, The Elephant Man–

Me: chill out

Tarot 2.0: Snow lands on top! EIGHT INCHES OF THAT SNOWSTORM!

Me: *flickers water on her*

Tarot 2.0: You didn’t need to do that. I was already wet–

#my answers #tarot 2.0 #written in the stars

[zahri-melitor]

Batman Eternal

I think for a weekly, event comic that was promising to deliver the Bat Family, it underperformed. Some people had a good event, some people had a mediocre event and were underused, and there were a few absolute shockers.

The Good:

In terms of a 'push Bruce to the limit' event, it was interesting in that this one pushed Batman, the Bat Family AND Bruce, separately, to their limits. I'm used to events being 'pick two of the three'. That said, it still underestimated the effectiveness of its supporting cast.

Bruce had a solid event, in that it was focused on him and broke him down to build him back up by running him ragged and keeping him guessing on 'who caused this'. Honestly I don't have a lot to say about Bruce's plot, sorry. It was an okay mystery running through various rogues? I think making Cluemaster Who Dunnit was not the right choice (Arthur should always be a bit pathetic), but I can see why they picked him in the story that's returning Steph and after making Riddler the big bad for Zero Year.

Selina actually had a reasonable event. She got her entire backstory rewritten and ended up controlling crime in Gotham at the end of it, but eh, the former happened to a lot of people during n52 and the latter is something Selina ends up doing every now and then. Her plotline involved organised crime and Carmine Falcone, so it was even something associated with her long term story arcs.

Jim Gordon: look, once we get past the incredible miscarriage of justice that was Jim being arrested and convicted for manslaughter (please, please, explain to me how Jim shooting the signal box input was what caused the trains to crash, rather than the railway routing that meant there was timetabling and no fallback override for two trains SHARING TRACK while running in opposite directions), it was essentially just an excuse to put Jim in Blackgate and start up the plots there. Which you know, went pretty well. Jim got to be the strong man, show off his personality, and presumably this all sets up the Superheavy plotline (sigh).

Julia Pennyworth. Look, I don't hate the idea of Julia, so much as am confused by the very tight timeline constraints required for her existence (post about this coming), and I resent that DC let the team basically invent a new Oracle without being allowed to acknowledge that Oracle is Barbara Gordon. It's like it's an important role in Gotham! Anyway. In terms of what Julia brought to the page, I did appreciate that the writing team seemed committed to increasing the number of women characters populating Gotham, I am happy to have someone not Alfred running comms for the Bats, and I can see several ways she'd be an interesting character to have around, long term, for storytelling. I could grow to like her. But man. I had a really hard time swallowing her existence while Barbara's in the same event having her character destroyed.

Harper Row is so clearly Scott Snyder's pet. Honestly, I really enjoyed her design and the general arc of her story; adding an electrical engineer to the group is actually a relatively unoccupied niche and gives her points of differentiation, but by handing her such a major part of the plot while other, fan favourite characters were appearing and getting not much at all was setting her up to fail in the eyes of the audience.

Steph ranks up in the 'had a good event' category. She essentially reran her origin story combined with aspects of her War Games plot (before everyone yells at me, I particularly noted the correlation with the part of the story where Selina hid her with Holly coming through here with Steph hiding from Arthur and her getting dumped at the Rows for protection. Go actually read War Games). I liked the concept of the Spoiler blog being what she used as her name inspiration here. I again wouldn't have minded if she had actually interacted more with other Bat characters (everyone got very siloed here) but you know what? The story brought her back and set her back up in her default sort of background state. Seriously, they picked from Steph's biggest stories here (her origin, War Games, and actually parts were in conversation with War Crimes, which is a phrase I never thought I would say), and that was a reasonable decision imo.

The Mediocre:

Luke Fox got an interesting plotline with Jim Corrigan and the Spectre. Unfortunately it rarely interacted with the rest of the story (apart from leading to Arkham blowing up). This could have been a separate mini.

Tim got to appear in actual Bat titles, doing actual Bat things, and while being abrasive I could squint at him and see his original characterisation. Tragically despite this he basically didn't get to interact with existing characters he knew for most of the plot. Got handed the idiot ball on occasion to show off Harper. I wish he'd had more opportunities to spend time with characters I know and enjoy him with.

Kate Kane was there, for this event. She got to spend some time with Barbara and Jason. She also really didn't do much of anything. It felt like an obligatory 'you currently have a solo' appearance.

Jason Bard: look this is where I'm conflicted. If this was simply Random Cop #34, I'd have probably bumped it up to good but unrealistic (in terms of the speed run to Commissioner), but as a Jason Bard story? About all they kept or knew of Jason was that he's a cop, he was mentored by Jim Gordon, and that he Has A Limp. I am still outraged they made Babs give him the limp, I think making him a minor antagonist of this was a waste of bringing back Jason Bard, and the endpoint left him in a position where he's moderately unusable by other writers (there was a slight set up for 'transition him over to a detective agency' but there was no resolution on why anyone in Gotham either among the GCPD or the Bats would trust him after this).

The Bad:

Hush. No, not so much in his story (it was boring, it was Tommy being Tommy, yawn), but in the fact for no apparent reason Tommy is running around with his head bandaged. WHY? No reason was given. Using the bandages as his 'costume' is actually painfully irritating, because he wore the bandages during the original Hush as he was healing from facial reconstruction surgery. Here, he was imported into New 52, with his face wrapped in bandages, and no reason given. He wasn't trying to become Bruce and steal his identity. He was just...in bandages. Because that's how he looked in Hush and the fanboys think of him, despite the fact he basically never appeared in bandages again AFTER the initial Hush storyline. I'm infuriated in the pointless iconography that misses the original intent that this is.

Barbara had a terrible event. Even if I excuse everything as she was still grieving over Dick's 'death' and Jim being in jail, and the fact she was undergoing personality surgery in her own title (Batgirl #35 sigggghh), a complete random 'ship Barbara and Jason together' plotline came out of nowhere premised on the fact Barbara was missing Dick? Or something? And their age gap in n52 nonsense is only a couple of years, rather than Babs being ABOUT TEN YEARS OLDER and having babysat Jason. Ugh.

Speaking of: Jason Todd did somewhat better than some of the others in that he got to actually hang out with Barbara and Kate for a storyline, and honestly pairing him up with Kate is a route DC should look at more often in terms of character mediation, but lost 1000 points for the Jason/Barbara stuff. Also had a terrible costume (but what's new there).

Crystal Brown I am so sorry. Not only did you get yet another completely new look and personality, you lost all the few characterisation elements we had for you, you collaborated with your ex-husband, and you betrayed Steph at one point. You should be awarded damages for pain and suffering.

Lincoln March/Owlman: you were in this event SOLELY to confuse Steph and delay her cooperation with everyone else. I resent your entire existence in this timeline and it irritates me that Scott Snyder set up an entire previous event essentially to introduce you to the main universe and then waited going 'did you get it?' You are not Thomas Wayne Jnr sorry.

#z canon read throughs #reading new 52 #this was certainly an event #things happened #I wish the plots had interacted more often #batman eternal

[daisies-on-a-cup]

i do love that the entire main cast of hannibal, including jack, plays a role that fits society but once that role is removed, be it due to the tragedy/trauma they just went through or the exposing of their true selves to the wider public and inner circle, they quite quickly move on into their new roles that seemingly give them a much greater confidence than their previous roles. because although we were led to believe that it was just will that was lying to himself about his true nature, and hannibal was only truly invested in will's transformation into that other self, it is often alana's and jack's evolution that strikes me the most. it is even more evident by the way they dress themselves, going for bolder clothing, in both cut and color, as well as how they hold themselves. alana leans more towards brighter colors, deep reds and plunging black and white necklines. jack's dress, although largely keeps the same color palette, darkens slightly along with his attitude towards those around him. however, to that point, jack is the one unmoved character from hannibal's influence- jack did not change in any radical way aside from some more cynicism, jack was the only one hannibal could not manipulate entirely despite jack having lost all of his close friends and his wife. that was the role jack played, the loving husband and strict boss that knew how to still be a friend to his coworkers, but hannibal and the rest of the cast took that role away from him. what was left to play was the exact same character, but without the social network he had had before, resulting in someone who is a bit more tired, a bit more cynical, a bit more willing to dole out some quick physical justice on the man who started it all

going back to alana, her role consisted of not quite meek but also not bold coworker and in-between lover and friend for both will and hannibal. she was too hesitant to voice her true opinion because she was dedicated to her job and the rules and morals that accompanied it. she was also a steadfast believer in the goodness of the people around her, refusing to believe abigail helped kill those people, believing and helping will when he says he can't remember events during his time at the bshci, refusing to believe hannibal is a serial killer and then-- that was proven abundantly to her. though hannibal does not kill her, he does tear off the blindfold she had been wearing the entire time very brutally. the lens of goodness she had been walking through the world with withered, and what was left was a woman physically and emotionally disabled, but not broken. what i think a lot of people miss about alana is that she is stubborn and will do what she thinks is right. she used to uncompromising in that regard, but that changed once she walked into the dangerous game everyone else was playing. it's why she agrees to help mason, asks hannibal for help, and removes herself and margot and their son far from the situation as soon as she has gotten what she wants. she has no qualms about bending her morals or the laws to secure herself and her family, whereas before, everything had to be done in strict accordance to them

alana's and jack's transformations as characters might, arguably, be more extreme than will's if only for the reason that they had really believed that who they were before was a better, kinder version of themselves that they had to kill in order to survive, whereas, for will, neither side of himself was all that appealing in the first place but one offered him the complete and total freedom to see violence, bloodshed, and gore as a restorative and liberating act rather than the disgusting immorality everyone else saw it as

#nbc hannibal #hannibal lecter #will graham #jack crawford #alana bloom #idk i just think theyre neat :]

[prhvlbop]

my thoughts on most cast members are not fully developed yet (even the ones i've already posted about, honestly) but there's something i really like about daan and karin's social dynamic. i think they're good character foils, in the sense that understanding one of them gives you a better lens to understand the other one from?

i know i've recently made a post about daan, but he was traumatized by his family at a young age and responded to it by not seeking help until after they were already out of the picture -- he didn't act on any agency he had before then, or take risks in order to minimize the damage they had on his life -- and upon being forced to make a decision on what to do with himself in their absence, as a kid, he ends up seeking out a similar dynamic in the form of the baron, who sort of impressed and insisted upon him who he should be and what he should be doing, and structures his life under his influence. he has never invested any part of his identity into himself, only other people. and now in his adulthood, he still takes a backseat to his role in his own life, despite having the agency to insist otherwise. there's nothing he truly wants to do, and every decision that he makes for himself is one he has been lead into. most events of his life were not decisions he actively made, but came to pass through acquiescence. it's as if he has dissociated through every memory and every event, even now. he takes an immensely passive role on Himself.

karin was always stubborn and independent due to her family's negligence and lack of personal affection, and at some point in her childhood is unsure if she's either genuinely entrusted to her babysitter or was kidnapped by her -- a fact that can only be confirmed by her own memory and perception of events, which becomes the main thing she trusts. she has never invested any part of her identity into other people, only in herself. it's hitting her in a sore spot that unexplainable events are happening when she KNOWS her best tools to protect herself are to trust herself and trust her gut, which is the basis for a lot of the 'gas leak' jokes. she is kidnapped and violently resists it as much as she feels able, and becomes both paranoid and distrustful with a strong sense of personal justice. it's what she wants to do, and is a decision that she made for herself in the face of opposition. most decisions she has made in her life, for herself, were in the face of opposition, struggling for any sense of security that makes things seem both safe and correct. she reacted to her own lack of agency (in lack of affection from her family, in lack of control over her life due to kidnapping, in injustice being done to her without her input) with deep-seated anger, paranoia, distrust, dogged stubbornness, individuality, and self-isolation. the first thing she does upon a new game start is, literally, run away from everyone else. she takes an immensely proactive role on Herself.

which makes a fun 'immovable object' versus 'unstoppable force' conversational dynamic! of COURSE she can't stand him. he repeatedly caves to whatever her complaints are with passive nonchalance, because he's only used to people that assert things onto him. she can't stand that he doesn't react with equivalently strong emotion, because it emulates her lack of control over the situation and her own life. she's obsessed with pursuing rigid facts to rely on in the face of human deceit and cruelty, and he's vague and alexithymic in the face of human deceit and cruelty. he very much has a Blank Soul, emotionally corrupting himself into a hollow shell of apathy, and she very much has an Endless Soul, emotionally corrupting herself into a hollow shell of hypervigilance. and i just think it's so funny that she both wants to get a rise out of him so badly and it's also the exact way to never get a rise out of him at all because he's so used to being dictated!!!

#termina #I would apologize that I keep putting posts in a public tag but honestly every time I have I see at least one person who is very glad for i #so this is for whoever the single person who enjoys reading my blog post will be. #daan #karin #fear and hunger

[utilitycaster]

It’s so interesting how spot-on you were with the thoughts about toxic Beaujes folxs fleeing to D20. The same person who’s been starting shit on twitter just found out that CR doesn’t allow mass-produced zines, and used that fact to make some batshit generalization about how “that’s why the fandom is corporatized and violent and racist towards any canon-contradicting fanon like all my beaujester friends told me and now I’m parroting it uncritically”.

So I think this might be my last post on this unless some more wild shit goes down (very possible) not because I disagree but just because I am also trying to be conscious of overshadowing my genuine excitement for The Ravening War. But yeah...like, I followed a few people who were CR fanartists until Beauyasha started happening and unfollowed them once that went down; it was extremely exhausting watching a bunch of (mostly white) people in their early 20s suddenly claim a show they'd watched over 200 episodes of was hopelessly problematic simply because their ship didn't happen. It was a truly vile combination of normal shipping drama plus appropriated social justice language about said shipping drama plus, as others have noted, middle-class white queer people [a demographic I fit into myself] shoving aside narratives about POC or working class people because they aren't explicitly queer narratives (or even narratives about queer people that aren't to their exact specifications of what queerness looks like; see people who refuse to respect Molly's pronouns or who erase Vax's bisexuality because he was primarily romantically involved with a woman).

The zine thing is fucking wild in particular for the following reasons:

The two CR-centric zines that person has mentioned as not ultimately moving forward were both zines that intended to pay the artists, ie, at least partially for profit rather than charity zines.

I am not personally in a creative industry but I've been reliably told by basically everyone who is that CR's policy is boilerplate.

CR has a pretty extensive history of showcasing and hiring fanartists; this is not opposition to fan content, which is how this wack job is attempting to portray it.

Similarly no one is devaluing fan content; they're just saying "you are throwing a big old hissy fit in public about the hypothetical scenario of The Ravening War not honoring a ship that has, and I am not joking here, six fics on Ao3 in total." (For reference: Lapin/Theo, a ship that person actively dislikes, has 56 works, which, idk I feel that's almost ten times as widely accepted fanlore.)

Their twitter currently is bragging about their cookbook zine (which as far as I know wasn't based in fanon but was just a cookbook with fanart in it) and not about their currently active charity zine (which is the one about Belizabeth and Citrina). Also that charity zine is available for free which really undercuts the "for charity" aspect. Anyway a cool thing to do is to not buy it, but just donate directly to the International Rescue Committee or your refugee-supporting charity of choice.

Anyway. This was an opportunity to rant a lot but I will leave you with this: I am not the right person, obviously, to enumerate every possible issue with CR's portrayal of characters of color nor the lack of diversity of the cast. I think discussions of racism and lack of representation in actual play are important to have. But it's telling that fanartists, specifically, who left CR over Beau and Jester not getting together but pretended this was about social justice, always seem to go to D20. Or NADDPod. Or Friends at the Table. Or have their art featured in the TAZ graphic novels. All majority white or entirely white main casts.

They rarely seem to go to, say, Rivals of Waterdeep, or Into the Motherlands, or Three Black Halflings (and those are still some of the better known examples, frankly). People complaining that Critical Role hates lesbians for having a lesbian relationship they didn't like never seem to check out The Broadswords, or use resources like this to find women-led actual play. It's about getting clicks; they want to find an existing fandom to adore them rather than use the power they claim to wield to popularize something underrated.

Anyway that's the last reason why I think I'm done for now: I think the best and most satisfying thing is to starve them of attention, and to enjoy the Ravening War and art and fic about it from fans who are happy to be here.

#answered #Anonymous

[batfamhyperfixation]

Thing I Like Explored In Fanon While the Batkids Are Growing up (Even if they're not all in canon)

Dick grew up at a circus -> Taught his only purpose is to entertain and make others happy (Sarah Lynn style), so he feels an obligation to take up the mantra of Robin and keep it up even when he doesn't want to, and just him having to overcome this idea of what he is supposed to be and overcome this self sacrifice for his own happiness

If you don't know who Sarah Lynn is, here are some scenes of hers and some videos:

Jason grew up on the streets of a crimeridden city and now has justice system trauma because of that (bro would be a major BLM supporter and fight for those in poverty). He has this stance of "it's not GCPD's city, they don't do shit for the people; it's not the villains' city, they don't protect it's citizens; it's not Bruce Wayne's city, he doesn't live here with us, he doesn't know what it's really like out here; it's my city, I'm the one out here living in the streets with other people who were cast out and broken by these forces, I'm the one they can truly rely on, so I need to take my job seriously" and the reason he first agrees to become Bruce Wayne's ward despite his biases is because he knows he can more easily provide for others that way, either through getting better weapons to fight for them, or utilizing his access to education to learn and then teach those who don't have access (and that is why he is so big on reading the books he now has access to with the library), or to steal and filter Bruce's money back out into the streets.

Tim being scared of injuries due to his dad's paralysis, Bruce's broken back while he was Robin, and Jason literally dying not long before Tim took his role. Where most of the kids don't bother to look before they leap, Tim always has these incidents in the back of his mind, so he hesitates a lot more than the others. He is the one who thinks things through because he knows he can't afford to be risky, he can't afford to hurt himself. He won't let that happen to him, and he won't let an injury hurt the people around him either. He saw first hand what Jason dying did to Bruce, and he won't make anyone else turn out like that because he dies.

Also, Tim feels guilty being too close to Bruce. His dad, after waking from his coma, was jealous of Bruce and Tim's father-son relationship, and now Tim always feels like he is betraying his dad by being too close to Bruce. Now Tim has to try to be close to Bruce without the constant guilt that comes with it.

Damian grew up with villians and was taught violence is his nature, that is what he was made and taught to do. Now he is with Bruce and the batfam, and is dealing with the struggle between 'it doesn't have to be this way, violence is not what I have to do, I can love.' and the 'This is the only thing I was taught to do, there is nothing else for me,' and he is just internally struggling with who am I supposed to be and he realizes he is focusing so much on what his mother would want and what Bruce would want, that he doesn't even know what he wants, let alone who he is so he has to find himself along the way

This is getting long so if I finish it with the rest of the Batkids (Duke, Steph, and Cass) I'll add a part 2 link to here

#batkids #batfam #bat family #jason todd #damian wayne #dick grayson #tim drake #batfam hc #batfam headcanons #batfamily #fanon

[pixiemage]

Ignoring for a moment that everyone dislikes Chris Pratt, ignoring for a moment that it would’ve been amazing to see an actor in the role specifically from the voice acting industry (because the entire movie is a cast of screen actors so if you call HIM out for it you can’t ignore the fact that Jack Black and Charlie Day and Seth Rogen and basically everyone else involved is known for their SCREEN acting not their VOICE acting)…ignoring that, for the moment. What is it about the two sentences he had in the trailer that has people immediately hating his performance in a movie that isn’t even out yet? Is it that people think it’s actually bad, or is it just the current trend to hate every bit of news we get about Chris Pratt in relation to this movie? (And no I’m not mocking, I’m legitimately trying to understand. I’m honestly asking.)

Is it because you don’t think Pratt’s voice works for the Mario you envision? Fair enough. But in that case you should be calling out the casting director who chose him for the role. Actors for all these animated roles - including Jack Black, who I think everyone agrees is legendary for Bowser - are contacted because of the way they sound. True, based on the cast we have, there’s some level of notoriety at play here too, we can’t ignore that. But there are plenty of other big name actors who could have been chosen. They weren’t picked.

Or maybe do you hate it because Mario has a Brooklyn accent? Is it because he’s not using the stereotypical Italian we hear in the games? People claim Chris Pratt “didn’t even try” but…he IS clearly using a specific accent in the trailer, and he doesn’t even have final say in what the character is meant to sound like. If that’s your problem, then you should be dissing the director and the folks in charge of the movie because it would have been THEIR call to have Mario and Luigi talk like that. In the voice acting industry, actors may have some freedom in their performance, but there IS someone in the room instructing you on what it is the role requires and what it is they want you to do in front of the mic.

(Voice actress here. I may not be in the big leagues like some actors are but I know how the industry works. Bigger actors may have more sway but they’re still being paid to do the job that the company they’re working for gave them. If the role asks for an accent, well, by Jove, you’re doing an accent.)

And if you ARE salty about the Brooklyn accent because it’s “not canon accurate”…this isn’t even the first time we’ve seen the Mario Bros portrayed with that dialect. I mean their origins are that they were in construction first and became plumbers later, and in a lot of non-video-game Mario media, both Mario and Luigi grew up in Brooklyn. For anyone who doesn’t know about it, go watch Film Theory’s video about the new movie and how old canon might tie in. His theory may not end up being 100% accurate but by god does he make some excellent points.

Anyway, I’m not saying you have to like Chris Pratt, of course not. I’m just saying not everything comes down to just him, and you can’t judge a film based on two sentences from a trailer. If you don’t trust him then try to trust that Illuminations and Nintendo know what they’re doing. Nintendo has always been a perfectionist for how their characters are being portrayed ever since the old Mario Bros movie was a complete train wreck. Trust that they’re going to do the Mushroom Kingdom justice in the new one.

EDIT: To clarify, I’m not trying to change anyone’s opinion on the trailer! I don’t have much of an opinion either way, I’m just excited for the movie as a whole. But I’m also just really curious about the reasoning behind why folks either like or dislike certain vocal performances. I made this post for curiosity’s sake and so I could see the trailer from other people’s perspectives :) So feel free to share your own breakdown of it! Let’s just try to keep the replies friendly ^^

#Nintendo #mario movie #illuminations #super Mario bros

[tobiasdrake]

*deep breath* Echo. Echo's flashback that kicks off episode 3 is where we really start to see how ill-conceived an idea it was to try and address Ronin within the context of "Clint Barton is one of two lead protagonists in a superhero story."

Because this flashback? This flashback is supposed to add nuance to Echo's character. It's meant to make her as sympathetic as Clint. We learn about the hardship she's been through and the hurt that Ronin caused her, and we start to go, "Okay, I can see where she's coming from. I don't want her to win. But she deserves a happy ending, at least."

...

But what it actually does is make her more sympathetic than Clint. Because Clint is a serial murderer, and the show never actually elaborates on what the Tracksuit Mafia actually does that's so bad. They're just. Like. Generic crime bros. That's it. They... do crime, whatever that means, and that makes it okay to slaughter them en masse.

But crime means a lot of things. Selling weed is doing crime. Human trafficking is doing crime. Stock market manipulation is doing crime. If you want me to think Clint murdering Maya's dad was okay, I need to know what severity of harm his crimes were causing.

Because what you've shown me is a desperate man who would do anything for his disabled daughter, who loved her so much but was racked with poverty and forced to turn to crime because he lives in a country that treats care as a luxury. And a brutal serial killer who murdered him out of spite because watching people he looks down on die makes him feel better about his family getting cosmically deleted.

You haven't made me sympathize with Echo just as much as Clint. You've made me stop sympathizing with Clint entirely. I no longer want him to get home to his family for Christmas. I am now fully invested in Maya getting the justice she deserves. You're right, show, even though you didn't mean to say it: Clint should burn for what he's done.

But he won't. Because a Hawkeye show co-starring Clint Barton cannot bring itself to truly condemn him, even when it inadvertently makes such a compelling argument for it. Maya is still cast in the role of "The bad guy that has to learn that she was in the wrong," all the same.

#marvel #marvel cinematic universe #hawkeye #maya lopez #echo #clint barton

[mirai-e-jump]

Hero Vision Vol.14 (2004/Spring) ft. Kamen Rider Blade Cast Interviews Takayuki Tsubaki & Hironari Amano Segment (translation below)

Publication: May 20, 2004 (between episodes 17-18) Takayuki Tsubaki (Kazuma Kenzaki) & Hironari Amano (Sakuya Tachibana)

"In the show, you play the roles of senior and junior, but in real life, from Tsubaki-kun's point of view, Amano-san is his senior when it comes to the entertainment industry. Do you ever confide your problems in him?"

Tsubaki: Yes, I do.

Amano: (suppressing his laughter) That's a liiie~.

Tsubaki: Ah! But, what about the time we went out to dinner together, or……ah, actually, I can't remember (said lacking confidence).

"When on set, who's the one that's most supportive and follows up with others?"

Amano: No matter who it is, if someone was yelled at or feeling discouraged, everyone follows up with them by saying, "Don't worry about it!" Everyone's so upbeat, and we're always laughing on set.

"When it comes to acting, do you ever talk about things like, "Going forward, let's do this"?"

Amano: Hmmm……For me, I'm not sure where my role is heading. I try not to establish the role from the beginning, but rather, add new elements as the opportunities arise. At first, I thought Tachibana was a calm, cool person who didn't show any emotions, but to my surprise, there are scenes of him losing his temper and yelling early on in the show.

"Do you and Tachibana have anything in common?"

Amano:……The tendency to worry. But, even though in the past I wouldn't tell people about my worries, recently, I've started to actually do so. I've come to realize just how easy it is.

"Tachibana also has a soft side for Sayoko."

Amano: I want to make Tachibana look more human. It's normal for a human to have many sides. There's the face you have during work, and the face you have in your private life. Now, Tachibana is trying to be strong by not relying on others, and it makes me think, "This isn't how a Rider's supposed to be!" (laughs). It may not be the usual justice of the past, but I think it would be great if Tachibana could overcome his obstacles and gain some confidence.

"Tsubaki-kun, do you think there are any similarities between yourself and Kenzaki?"

Tsubaki:……(vaguely) The stupid part of him? (laughs).

"Is it true that you became an actor because you wanted to learn how to express your feelings due to not having any?"

Tsubaki: I don't have any emotions at all, it's like I'm not a normal human, so it's really fun to "become" a human being when I get into the role. When I was younger, I was so loud, that people would often tell me, "You're noisy!"……Various things have happened since then, and I think I've calmed down abit. I also thought that while I'm a Rider, it would be easier for me to be Kenzaki if I didn't have "myself" in mind, so I've decided to think only about Kenzaki for the rest of the year. That's also why when I'm on set and Morimoto-kun is standing right next to me, my blood starts to rush. I think, "Why can't we fight even though I'm here?!"

Amano: Before we start filming, I try to reduce any tension (in order to become Tachibana), but this guy, he does the role the entire time. That's why he speaks in such a weird way. Even when we all eat together, he'll suddenly say, "You Bastard!," and "Get lost!" He would then start beating on Morimoto-kun, whose face looked as though it were saying, "Ehhhh~?!" (laughs). Morimoto-kun would then also act back.

Tsubaki: Morimoto-kun and I have to fight everyday anyway…..

"You'll soon start filming for the movie, where you'll have to think even more about Riders.

Tsubaki:……I don't know what will happen to me if Tachibana-san betrays me any further (said seriously).

Amano: I like how over such trivial things, you'll suddenly start speaking normally! When he talks to me over the phone, he's like, "Tachibana-san! it's Kenzaki! Where are you right now? Please call me back!" It's like he's prank calling me (laughs).

Tsubaki: For Morimoto-kun, "Hajime?!," is what I'll say when I call him. "I'll kill you," is what he'll say in response……

Amano: Ah, but when you talk to me and Morimoto-kun, you do talk normally.

"Morimoto-kun seems like he's trying to match Tsubaki-kun's pace (laughs). Maybe Tsubaki-kun is the type of person who needs to be taken care of by everyone?"

Tsubaki: That's right. But, it can't be helped, since Tachibana-san is currently acting so violent.

Amano: You're talking about in the show, right?

Tsubaki: Ah, right.

"Do you have a favorite line from the show?"

Amano: For me it's, "My body is falling apart!" People will constantly say it as a joke when on set. Hearing it actually makes me very happy.

"It's known that Tsubaki-kun's lines and way of speaking have become a popular topic of conversation among the fans (laughs). I think it's because they love the ridiculous feel of it."

Tsubaki:……I have mixed feelings about it. I'm glad it's being talked about, but still……(saddened).

Amano: During the dubbing process, the tension is so high, that it gives me alot of energy. In the recording room, everyone goes, "Hah! Hah!" (panting) for even the smallest action scenes. Recently, Tachibana's body has been falling apart to the point of hyperventilating due to the excessive panting (laughs).

"Have there ever been times during filming where you thought, "I really messed up big time!"?"

Amano & Tsubaki (at the same time): The snowy mountain scene in episode 3!

Amano: It was so cold that I couldn't move my mouth.

Tsubaki: My face was frozen. But, you can't tell just how hot or cold it is on when watching on the screen, so either way it's still bad.

"We'd like to thank you for all the hard work you go through when filming everyday."

Amano: Before that, I fell asleep for the first time on the Yamanote Line and circled it completely. I got on the train at Ikebukuro, then suddenly realized, I was back in Ikebukuro again. I looked at my watch and said, "Huh, I'm still here, so why is it so late?! Shit! I circled the line!" (laughs).

Tsubaki: I'd be totally fine with it if that happened to me.

"Would you consider yourself athletic and physically fit?"

Tsubaki: No, I'm just young.

Amano:……Would it be alright if I got upset? (laughs). He's not athletic at all! When we were at the snowy mountains, we all snowboarded together, but after like 2 or 3 times, he said, "I'm leaving. I'm tired. I'm sleepy." I was like, "Hey, hey, hold on, Blade!" (laughs).

"You really go at your own pace, don't you? Since you were young, have you always thought you were alittle different from other people?"

Tsubaki: By the time I realized it, people were already calling me weird. But, since we all start out by crawling, in a way, aren't we all weird?

Amano: Oh, that's pretty deep.

"Amano-san, what was your childhood like?"

Amano: I wanted to become independent as soon as possible, so I started looking for part time work by the time I was in my fourth and fifth year of elementary school. One of my friend's mother recommended becoming a child model as a way to earn money with ease, so I ended up joining an agency on my own. I've been in the entertainment world ever since then.

Tsubaki: I become easily emotional when I watch dramas, so….

"So you also wanted to inspire people?"

Tsubaki: (firmly) No, I just wanted to do it myself.

"How honest of you (laughs). Do you feel you're more likely to grow when receiving praise?" Tsubaki: I want to be criticized for my performance. I'm obviously still not good at it, so I need to be told these things in order to become better.

Amano: Well said, I can see just how serious you are (is impressed). I tend to get carried away when I receive praise. But, I also become discouraged when I'm criticized. It's like my weakness…..

"Finally, would you please give a message to the fans?"

Amano: Eh? Ah…(timid) please pay attention to how I grow in the future……

Tsubaki: Tachibana-san! You're the senior here!

Amano: Ah, you're right. We're all working very hard on this, so please continue to watch us!

Tsubaki: Please watch usss!!

#kamen rider blade #kamen rider #kazuma kenzaki #kenzaki kazuma #tachibana sakuya #sakuya tachibana #kamen rider garren #my scans #toku cast #takayuki tsubaki #tsubaki takayuki #hironari amano #amano hironari #hero vision #tokusatsu #toku #my translation #interview #ryoji morimoto #hajime aikawa

[jackoshadows]

Rosamund Pike on Moiraine, season 2. (Google Translated from French)

PREMIERE: At the end of season 1, Moiraine loses all of her powers... In what state do we find her? ROSAMUND PIKE: Moraine is no longer the same woman. She is traumatized and lonely, like a wounded animal that pushes away everyone close to her. In this world, being cut off from the One Power for a woman is one of the most painful traumas, equivalent to the loss of a child. You will therefore see how a hitherto incredibly powerful character will attempt to face her enemy without her greatest weapon. What new aspects of his temperament have you discovered? PIKE: She seems much more vulnerable. She feels like she's missing a fundamental part of her identity. And that doesn't happen in the books, it's an exploration by our writers. I was a bit appalled: I liked Moraine for who she was and I didn't want to see her suffer. So it was a challenge, not entirely pleasant, but very interesting. Losing the Unique Power means losing the link with his Champion. How is Moraine and Lan's relationship impacted? PIKE: Their dynamic takes a hit! In this world, the Aes Sedai and their champions are linked psychically but also physically: this link allows them to stay longer without sleep, without food, but above all to feel what the other feels. Suddenly, Moraine and Lan find themselves in a deafening silence, cut off from each other. They never needed to communicate because they always had this intense connection that did it for them. So Moraine starts to establish a distance, she doesn't feel worthy of him, she pushes him away and becomes very cruel. Daniel and I were apart for a lot of Season 2 and we missed working together... Are we going to delve deeper into the mythology of this universe? PIKE: Oh yes, and it's amazing! The first season allowed to establish the rules, and season 2 deepens them. We go further in the exploration of the characters: there is a new enemy of size, the Seanchan, a people who come from the other side of the sea. They enslave the women who can channel magic, and the use as weapons of war. Their aim is to dominate the world: we see them seizing cities, terrorizing the inhabitants. But there are also some very interesting new female characters like Elayne Trakand, a new novice to the White Tower and future Queen of Andor. She meets Egwene, and their personalities collide. Finally, wouldn't the main theme of this series be sisterhood? PIKE: 100%. This is one of the great attractions of The Wheel of Time. And that female power is portrayed in an eclectic way, there's not just one example of what it should look like: in Season 3 that we're shooting right now, there are two incredibly powerful roles played by women from 70 years. And then we celebrate women, but not only! We also play with genres, creating fluid characters. Our casting director is always on the lookout for bright and unusual faces that are unrecognized by the public. I won't be very interesting when you get to season 3 because there are so many exciting new characters! (Laughs.) What can you already tell us about season 3 of The Wheel of Time? PIKE: With the third season, we open the field of possibilities. We're currently doing an episode that's really avant-garde, almost psychedelic. We have the possibility to push things this far thanks to the support of the studio. I think we're making a series that I hope will be watched in 20 years. The goal is not to just reach our time, but to do something timeless.

Very possible they were filming Rhuidean for season 3 before the SAG-AFTRA strike.... One of the best parts of the books IMO, so I hope they do it justice!!

#Rosamund Pike #Moiraine #Moiraine Damodred #The Wheel of Time #season 2 #WOT cast #season 3 filming... were they filming Rhuidean before shutting down?

[ultfreakme]

Black Adam is the Supehero film we need

I mean it. A film like Black Adam was sorely needed when it was first announced and still badly needed now during it’s release. It does this thing, that most superhero movies these days don’t do; it takes its characters seriously. It never pokes fun at their names, their suits, their powers. No. These are heroes who are on a mission, and it’s so refreshing seeing a superhero movie that isn’t so insecure about itself. The Rock and the cast are proud of the characters they’re playing, they respect them and that makes all the difference. From the get-go, the confidence and care placed in the source material helps set the tone and immerses the audience. You will love and respect them as much as the writers and cast does.

:read more:

The biggest highlight of the movie to me, is how explicitly critical it was of American Imperialism and the military. It’s prevalent throughout the movie. Khandaq is an African, Arab country invaded and abused by entitled Americans, under the pompous thumbs of their military. The titular characters are all from Khandaq, fighting for their freedom and their rights. Teth-Adam(Black Adam) is a villain only to Americans because he gets in their way. His methods are not pure or benevolent, because his people have been enslaved and used for thousands of years. Of course he’s angry. Of course the people of Khandaq support this man- this god-- who is freeing them from the people who would care even less for their lives. Why should they empathize? Why should they have any mercy when these American assholes have been invading, abusing, killing and restricting their freedom for so long?

FUCK NO.

And you know what? He’s never condemned for it. The Justice Society of America(JSA) enter thinking they’re in the right, but when they learn what’s up, they admit that they’re wrong.

I did not expect such scathing and overt undressing of how shitty the situation is for countries occupied by the american government but here it is. In a comic book movie.

I say comic book movie because MCU at this point is thinly veiled military propaganda.

The trailer makes you think you know everything but I promise you, you don’t. The promo material shows a very tiny part of what Teth-Adam is about. Teth-Adam’s character is very subtle, he’s not bombastic and he does not verbalize his emotions and thoughts but as you watch the movie, you’ll realize there’s more to him than “I’m no hero” (and that line is not what you think it means, the movie will give you context for why he keeps repeating that).

The JSA are extremely fun, Aldis Hodge and Pierce Brosnan were amazing, they brought such presence and weight to the characters. Noah Centineo and Quintessa Swindell are also wonderful, they have amazing chemistry and the amount of thought they put into their characters was shocking tbh. You can tell what each character is about just based on the way they move (Cyclone’s twirly, light-stepped, often very free. Atom Smasher is extremely awkward, shoulder’s hunched, unsure how to fit into a space). Black Adam’s physicality says so much about his character like y’all, they thought through everything for them.

The civilian characters; Amon and Adrianna are freaking amazing too. Amon is very much the heart of the story, the one who shows JSA and Teth-Adam what being a hero is really about. Maybe not directly, but he represents what a hero’s supposed to be, what their end goal is with all these heroics. Adrianna is who keeps the story centered and human. She’s who reminds these people with god-like powers that this is not about their petty squabbles and fights when there are so many regular people relying on them for help. She keeps them on track.

It was so nice to see the civilian side play as big of a role as the human side.

This is not a cinematic masterpiece. But it’s a darn good movie with an important message, a heartfelt production, amazing effects and acting. You won’t be bored for a single second and you will walk out of it feeling awesome. 

#black adam #black adam 2022 #teth-adam #atom smasher #dr. fate #cyclone #hawkman #amon #adrianna #WATCH BLACK ADAM

[fandomshatepeopleofcolor]

I love that you have this place for us Poc! ❤️ Just discovered your blog

it bothers the hell out of me that some people read fiction and sometimes can also assume that an author is using something from real life ALL the time. this is referring to the white/eurowhite readers when it comes to acotar. the eurowhite readers (which there are alot of ofc) white wash all of the bat boys and lucien vanserra DESPITE knowing that for one, lucien is part black from his father. the second which is my main point with the eurowhite readers in acotar is that because SJM uses the name of a race called “Illyrians” in her books to refer to a race of poc and because “the map looks just like the UK/Europe!” they all ASSUME that because illyria (where balkans are, no longer referred to as illyrians) looks like the Prythians map and because it’s the same name that it means they’re eurowhite characters. There’s been no confirmation of them being europeans but they ASSUME they are when telling other poc readers that “they aren’t Poc” DESPITE SJM referring to them as “golden brown skin” “brown skin” “Light brown skin” multiple times the ENTIRE series. Most arts they’re in they’re brown too! Aside from the ones that whitewash them. Maybe she stole the name (which is like her taking the name of a race and denying they’re that race) BUT STILL she never confirmed they’re european in her fantasy version of illyrians they just assume and use this argument whenever someone says they’re poc. racist asses unable to accept the fact that they’re canonly referred to as BROWN. not WHITE. not PALE. GOLDEN BROWN. does that sound like white to you?

Im a a poc who doesn’t mind SJM not being clear about race, it’s somewhat refreshing not to have it be so “black white asian” like it is IRL, and I don’t mind her using the same name, but she makes illyrians her OWN and made them brownskinned even if people in europes “Illyria” were “Olive skinned” and not brown. It’s obvious she tweaked it and made them darker so either way they aren’t white like these readers want them to be. And if there are White casted for these roles in her possible Acotar Tv show? It’s only going to piss all her Poc readers off so I hope her team is careful and Hulu when they do casting. Bc I know they would all get canceled for whitewashing, whole show burned to flames via twitter for it, regardless of her using an IRL country’s name.

Also don’t believe those that thinks she’s racist again as a black reader they woman’s best friend is black, she’s a obama supporter, Anti republicans and trump, Young and super modern and she’s not a dumbass. People call her racist for her blurred lines of race and for supposedly “Posted about Breonna taylor for Attention and more money from Poc readers” When …where tf is the proof that was her reasoning? Maybe she just wanted justice for her. As a poc I hate seeing poc acotar readers act like she’s racist like use your brain and not bias to make it seem like something it’s not. Idk your stances on her but this is just mines.

Ok so here's the thing... I'm trying to read more diverse books. Like my white bestie from college wanted me to read acotar and the rest of the series but i honestly just watched a youtuber do a rundown of the first 3 books. and it was fine? so I will say this about sarah j maas: like her books do seem v white to me. BUT I also can't really say anything definitive about her works because I'm experiencing them through a white youtubers lens. so if she didn't pick up on diversity in the books I didn't think of it as diverse. you're welcome to have your opinion though but in general.... don't stan white authors.

Like I'll give you an example.

a favorite author of mine that wrote american gods, good omens and coraline is on this v site so that's why I won't name him but like even he's done some problematic stuff. like ok the biggest example is the marvel comic 1602 where he had a chance to race bend steve rogers but instead had a white steve rogers that was raised by native americans.

like just please don't waste your time stanning white authors. next thing you know they turn into jkrowling.

mod ali

[negative-speedforce]

Alright, your turn! If YOUR OCs starred in a movie, who would you pick to play them?

(I know you have a ton of OCs, feel free to just do the ones you can come up with a good answer for - I struggled to pick people for this and I have like half the OCs you do lol)

Alright so some of these people aren't actors or anything but they're definitely who I imagine the characters looking like-

Siv: Romy Flores, 100%. She's got the face, the nose, the "don't give a fuck" attitude. All she'd really need is gray contact lenses and either a haircut or a short wig.

Hailey: Lynk Lee isn't 100% perfect for Hailey, since Hailey has a more stocky, muscular build, but in the hypothetical movie, if she were to do some weight training, she could definitely do Hailey justice. Also, she'd need green/blue contacts for Hailey's post-death heterochromatic eyes.

Jay: Cameron Russo is the closest I can get to how I imagine Jay looking, though I would hypothetically want to cast someone who was both transmasc and physically disabled, since Jay is both.

Cassandra: Donye Taylor is absolutely perfect for Cassandra- though if she were to play the role, I'd prefer her hair in braids or natural curls.

Arya: Cayley Spivey, 100%! This, but with elf ears and a shaggy mullet! (fun fact: Spivey was the fancast for Siv's original design)

Esme: Ava Max is my current fancast for her. She's got the bleach blonde hair, the "party girl" vibe and the angular yet cutesy face.

Gina: Lorna Baez would make a pretty good Gina, imo, though she's a little older than the actual Gina was when she died, what movie doesn't have a 20-something playing a teen?

Ember: Marina Summers, a queen who starred in S1 of Drag Race Philippines, is absolutely perfect for Ember!

Cat: Even though she doesn't necessarily look entirely like Cat, I've never been able to imagine anyone but Anna Cathcart as her. I think its just the vibes lol.

Kyle: This random-ass hockey player from Minnesota, Ryan Johnson, has been my faceclaim for Kyle since I first created the character.

Max: Heng Sokvisal makes a pretty good Max, just slap on a pair of glasses and we're good to go!

Khalil: Shameik Moore makes the perfect Khalil imo. No comments, just vibes. (though since Khalil works as a makeup artist I'd definitely give him some gold eyeliner or something)

Reggie: Winnie Harlow's pretty much perfect for Reggie, though she'd need blue contacts because Reggie has xer dad's eyes.

Ameerah: Amandla Stenberg makes an absolutely amazing Ameerah, I'd definitely want her to have the light blonde hair like in the picture, and she'd need pink contacts to match Ameerah's description.

Rania: Denise Bidot, 10000000%. She's been my faceclaim for her for like, FOREVER.

Director Hawke: Julianne Moore, specifically in her "President Coin" look. Director Hawke was loosely based on President Coin, so I've always imagined her looking somewhat like her.

Meredith: Rachel Zegler, but with glasses and lighter brown hair.

Onnie: Same as Siv lol it's her multiversal variant

Jessi: Same as Esme, multiversal variant

Pippa: Veondre Mitchell is the perfect Pippa! She was actually the one who I initially based Pippa's appearance off of.

Hyun-Ki: Park Sung-Hoon is a pretty good Hyun-Ki. From his dramatic looks to his honestly kinda gorgeous voice. I don't doubt he'd make a great Hyun-Ki

Thalia: Teyonah Parris is Thalia, there's no doubt about it. Ever since I watched Wandavision and saw her as Monica Rambeau, I knew that she'd be perfect to play Thalia in her hypothetical movie.

Reyna: K-Pop soloist AleXa is a pretty good fancast for her, though she'd need some pretty good SFX makeup or CGI due to Reyna being a near-human felid species.

Athena: Alaqua Cox (AKA Echo from Hawkeye) is how I imagine Athena looks, but with a white streak in the front of her hair (and a lot more seductive of an aesthetic)

Laila: Youtuber Beth Crowley is my faceclaim for Laila, though as Laila I'd want her to either don a short bob or a short wig, and amber contacts.

Marie: Haruna Ono is a great faceclaim for Marie, though she'd need SFX makeup for Marie's Romulan features and her Borg implants.

Qiara: Due to Qiara's nature as a being of pure energy, she doesn't necessarily take the same form at all times. However, the one she frequents the most could very well be portrayed by Chiquis Rivera.

Liah: Raquel Rodriguez would make a great Liah, she has the right height and build for her, she would just need SFX makeup for Liah's Cardassian features, and hazel contacts.

Samira: Desiree Akhavan would make a pretty good Samira. She definitely fits how I imagine Samira to look, and she's got the right vibe to play her as well.

Sohelia: Golshifteh Farahani is a pretty good faceclaim for Sohelia, though she'd need some light makeup to make her skin more ashy, due to Sohelia being half-vampire.

Vanessa: Skater Erin Jackson is absolutely perfect for Vanessa, though for most of the movie she'd be replaced with either a puppet or CGI double for her monster form.

Dolores: Diane Guerrero is perfect for Dolores. She'd just need some minor makeup in order to look more like a vampire, i.e. ashy skin, red eyes, fangs, etc.

I don't have faceclaims for Eric, Jacob, Antonio, Cory, Soraya, Aldrich, Matt, or Victorie yet.

#ask revan #oc shit #practically-an-x-man

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

What was the hardest role to cast?

Cami Patton: Juliet. Juliet was a really hard role. We didn’t go out to a lot of people. We did read a lot of people and we had the list of ladies that we felt could be right, that were offer only. It didn’t have to be a big name but certainly that’s a wonderful thing if we get it. So, we kind of did both approaches and it was really informative about the character and the more you saw of people reading it, the more you realized exactly how difficult a role it is to cast and what you’re asking of that person. And when we went to Rebecca, who if I remember correctly was the first person we actually officially went out to, at least once I was on board. And initially she passed. She read it, she took her time, she read the books, she really responded to it and took it very seriously but passed.

It was really hard to think of who else we wanted to offer it to that was going to feel as right. So, we started the process of testing people and just before we were ready to test, she called her agent and said, “Can you find out if that role is still available? I can’t let go of it.” Thank God. And I only tell that story because she has told that story. We were all just like… “Oh my God.” Through the roof excited when she said yes.

When she passed, did a part of you want to call her and try and twist her arm a little bit?

Cami Patton: It’s a tricky thing. It’s a very personal decision to take on a role or not. Same as for me to take on a project or not. You have your reasons and if fundamentally one of those reasons is you just don’t think you can do it justice, it doesn’t serve anybody to talk you into doing it. Do you know what I mean? You kind of have to trust people’s instincts at some point. I don’t think there was ever for her a question of whether or not she would enjoy working with Graham, who is just the best. She’s got a lot going on in her life. At that time, she was still doing Dune and Mission Impossible. She’s a very busy lady. So, I think honestly, it was more, “How do I pull this off?” And she somehow figured out a way to reconcile that.

There have been times where I’ve had talent on the show reach out to whoever might have passed to say, “You’re missing an opportunity. You gotta come do this.” Whatever. And that sometimes often works. I’m sure it means a lot for someone to hear from someone who’s actually in the process on the show to speak to it. But rarely will I try to really talk somebody into something if they’re thinking they don’t wanna do it.

#rebecca ferguson #silo #silo apple tv #tv