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quinton-reviews · 3 months

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Hi Quinton!! I have been a HUGE fan of your stuff since a friend sent me the Tobuscus Fallen Titans (I used to watch him back in high school and was like "huh, wonder what happened to him after those allegations") and I gotta say, it is REALLY FUNNY every time my fiancé and I watch the iCarly videos again, because when you cover Gibby's stunt double breaking his ribs, you cut to a clip of The Official Podcast. I used to play D&D with one of the main dudes from the podcast, so when he talks during that clip I do a goddamn double take literally every time.

Anyways, I remember an original Patreon stretch goal being a Fallen Titans on Homestuck! I was really big into Homestuck in my early 20s, and was wondering if that's still on the table at some point? If not that's fine, I understand plans change! I just love Fallen Titans lol, the Fred episode and the Neil Cicierega unFallen Titans are some of my favorite videos of yours!

That's a real funny story!

So here's the rundown on the Homestuck video. When I first started making long videos, they were actually inspired by the relationship I had with other YouTubers at the time. I used to watch, like, H3H3 and Filthy Frank, etc; and I'd always see people obsessed with the versions of creators from the past. Like, "Oh 2015 H3 was the best" and "Oh 2012 Frank was peak." So I had this idea that it would be crazy if H3 posted, like, a video he spent a decade on and you got a new video with 2015 H3 10 years on. (I don't watch H3 anymore ironically)

So the original idea for the "long video" format was that it would be cool if, throughout a long, analysis/review/recap video, you kept noticing someone get older. Maybe my months, maybe by years. That's why I always like to get a haircut when I start one of these videos. If you scrub through and you see my hair get longer and messier as it goes on I think that adds something magical you can't fake.

So... My pitch to the Homestuck video was that it would be funny to work on it just once per year. To record one segment, say "That's it for 12 months", and then come back around to it. And when I was making the iCarly and Victorious videos I actually recorded a few minutes of the video! I think it was two segments in total. But then I had a bunch of personal stuff happen and my work drive has been much lower, so any "back burner" video hasn't gotten much attention since then.

Now that the iCarly mini-series is done with, I want to focus on some short one-off videos I can make before April. But once that's done with, I would REALLY love to start work on a few more long-term projects which will take months or years to finish. I think returning to work on the Homestuck video, to at least get the first 20-30 minutes done, would be a great idea this summer.

Now, if you want to know my pitch for that video, here it is. The video is not a recap of the creative history of the franchise. I do not get into drama, community hell, lawsuits, or other YouTubers. My idea is this: you always hear about Homestuck as an outsider but you never hear about the actual content. Most franchises on Earth I know something about, even and especially if I've never been interested in them. I can tell you a bunch of facts about wrestling and MLP and the Fast and the Furious simply through cultural osmosis and having friends who are into those things.

I can't tell you the plot of Homestuck, who the characters are, what the themes are, nothing. I've known a lot of people who were into Homestuck but nothing about the series!

So I thought it would thus be funny to make a video about a bunch of people who know nothing about the series starting from the beginning and giving their reactions, even if it's been years since it all started. I call this part of the video the "Homestuck Book Club." So the next step is me picking out the members (who all have to have no history with it) and making sort of a podcast setup. We'd then read and record every six months or so, IDK.

This is why the video has been stuck in production hell! Everyone who wants to work on it and messages me about it already knows the franchise. I don't want spoilers, I don't want people writing for the video who get it already. I want to capture the "what the fuck is this" energy of three dudes just getting in the middle of it.

Also, I think that I really like the theme of the video capturing our lives as they go by, capturing us aging and changing. If you came back from the future and told me this video comes out in five years, I'd say great. If you told me it comes out in ten years, I'd say awesome. Until then, the latest edit will always be on Patreon, even if you have to dig a little.

#homestuck #quinton reviews #long videos

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onigiri-yuuta · 3 months

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Movie Night with (some of) the JJK guys!

Featuring! : Gojo Satoru, Yūji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Toge Inumaki, Yūta Okkotsu

Note! : Hi guys I had this idea in bed last night :P I hope you guys like this! Sorry for not including the older guys (except gojo) I literally do not know what to write for them :( Ignore grammar mistakes, my English is dying these days <3

Gojo Satoru

I feel like he's gonna be SUPER annoying.

Keeps on talking throughout the movie.

Passes comments on how the the protagonist could've done something else in the respective scene, or how they should've acted in some situation.

Scoffs when something bad happens saying everyone saw it coming.

Pretends to be the greatest movie critic out there.

Absolutely says he could've done a better job.

Asks you what you think about him being an actor.

Has huge jumpscares during horror movies but totally acts cool about it.

But he cannot escape your teasing after he actually screeches like a banshee.

Finishes whatever snack you choose for yourself after he finishes his.

Gojo also devours the whole popcorn bowl while ranting on about how bad the movie is.

Will tell you that your taste in movies sucks, and then laugh.

May or may not stop if you glare at him <3

Yūji Itadori

He's a sweetheart okay :(((

Since he's watched basically every movie ever, poor baby has a hard time not spoiling it for you.

You're sitting there biting your nails in anticipation, and then out of nowhere Yūji is like "Is it the part where…" and that makes you want to pull your hair out.

Is genuinely sorry for spoiling the movie for you, but you sigh and tell him it's okay as long as it won't happen again.

It happens again <3

Though a rare occurrence, if it's a movie he hasn't watched yet, he'd be super invested.

Like he's so quiet you forget he's beside you.

Unintentionally eats all your snacks in the heat of the moment and only realises it when he puts his hand in the bowl and grabs nothing.

Is sincerely sorry again.

Offers to go make you snacks, or sprint to the other end of the city to bring you whatever he chowed down.

You assure him it's fine <3.

Oh also, if the movie has a sequel (or if you're watching some drama with him), he totally convinces you to watch the next one.

Binge watches everything with you until the both of you notice the sunlight peeping out from the closed blinds.

Feels bad about making you stay up all night, but it's okay as long as you tell him it's fine!

Megumi Fushiguro

Super quiet throughout the movie.

You have to check on him to make sure he isn't asleep, but you find his eyes glued to the screen, extremely concentrated.

Though he does occasionally share his thoughts on the scene with you.

Is actually the one who prepared the snacks beforehand (because he knows everything about you <3).

Will share his snack with you if you keep on staring at whatever he has in his hand.

If you ask him to bring you something from the kitchen, it'll take some convincing.

Though when he gives in, he asks you to stop the movie and not watch it while he's gone.

Even though it's literally a few seconds, he thinks anything crucial to the plot could happen.

I think if he's too interested, he'd ask you to play the sequel/next episode.

Unlike Yūji though, he stops after a few episodes because he starts feeling tired.

Convinces you to go to sleep as well saying he'll watch the rest with you later.

Toge Inumaki

OKAY SO!

You decide to watch some horror movie with him.

Scoffs and acts like the bravest human being out there.

Claims he's played Silent Hills and FNAF, so nothing scares him now.

That's a big fat lie.

Is clinging on to you throughout the movie.

Has the biggest jumpscare when something pops up unexpectedly.

You get scared too, but when you realise his reaction you burst out laughing.

Whines when you tease him about it, but it's just SO funny.

If you're watching something normal, he's going to note down points he wants to discuss with you later.

Or just notes down his review of the movie.

Also eats up everything and is not sorry about it.

Though if you get upset he apologises and quickly runs to the kitchen and brings everything he finds.

Like Yūji, makes you watch every season or every sequel till morning.

Again, is absolutely not sorry about making you stay up the whole night.

Thinks it was totally worth it.

Offers to cuddles you to sleep, but you tell him you aren't used to this "gamer" routine.

Gets offended and goes to sleep without you <33

Just kidding!! Or am I?

Makes it up to you by doing your chores for the day.

Might also bring you a small gift since he feels bad for messing up your routine.

You tell him it's fine but still he promises cuddles to help you sleep even better!

He's a troll but he's a sweet guy <3

Yūta Okkotsu

Another sweetheart :((

You should make him watch Studio Ghibli movies with you.

It's either that he'll cry eventually, or he'll love them so much, he's going to ask you to watch them with him ten thousand times.

But anyways!

Asks SO many questions.

Thinks that his questions are bothering you, but you tell him it's fine because if he doesn't ask, he won't understand what's happening.

If you're watching some suspense movie, he's going to get so frustrated.

Has his arms crossed and his gaze is fixed on whatever is happening inside the screen.

Is totally bewildered when something he didn't expect happens.

Like his jaw literally drops and turns to look at you in shock.

You think it's cute <3

Unfazed by horror movies, Rika had scared him enough for him to be like this <3

Takes mental notes if you're watching something romantic.

He sees the most corniest thing and then thinks that he should try it out with you someday.

Aww that's so sweet <3

Barely eats anything throughout the session.

Only eats when you offer him something because he'd forgotten about the snacks.

Yes I love him okay bye <3

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theoddest1 · 3 months

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Hazbin Hotel episode 5 is a rushed mess.

May just make this a continual thing where I review the episodes from here on out.

-Right off the bat, the pacing for this episode is probably the worst out of all other episodes so far. Things just begin abruptly (Lucifer's first song with Al for instance), no build up, 5 months have passed in only 5 episodes of barely any progress or focus on Charlie as a character, a random character that didn't need to be introduced but was anyway ruined the flow further, and this stupid ass rivalry all on the basis of who's the "better dad" is legit the most random conflict of any conflict so far. That will get a point all on its own along with some of the other things mentioned. The pacing left no real breathing room aside from 2 moments: Al's rise to power and Husk n Al's convo. I wanna say the second song would be a 3rd but it just resolves an issue that was present for seemingly years and pulled a "Stolas" with having a song or sob story as an excuse for the lack of effort to reach out and be a better dad. Lazy writing and pacing overall.

-5 months....5 months have passed with barely anything revolving around helping sinners or trust built around the main cast SHOWN ON SCREEN. We are told important information opposed to witnessing the progress itself. This is not only lazy but extremely jarring cause it feels as though episodes were skipped and bonds feel unearned. They get easily resolved in what feels like seconds, and we're just supposed to....deal with it. Angel and Husk barely interact throughout this episode, which, after the crazy ride they had, with the knowledge of a SEVERAL MONTHS passing by as well, you'd think Angel would be shown to be more chatty with him....which he doesn't. Nothing crazy, just small bits of them interacting and enjoying each other's company. Nah. We get that next episode, and even THAT'S lacking. I'll tackle that in a separate post. But yeah, 5 months, and we have yet to see the other guests' views and how it has changed for the better or the process of them realizing WHY they would go for redemption. How that has affected them. Nothing of note has come about from any of these. No other sinners have joined. No other demons seem interested in Charlie's Hotel. Nothing. We are told things have been done, yet it feels like we are still at the starting line, or well, a foot away from it and miles away from the finish.

- Lucifer is a joke. I don't mind me a goofy threat, it adds a charm to them but also shows that they take so little seriously due to their immense power....not Lucifer. No, that guy just....is a joke. Dude is in his mansion making fucking toy ducks for some reason and just has depression (show said it outright, not even depression is spared from "tell don't show")

He does literally nothing, doesn't seem to WANT to do anything, and no one respects the guy. Nearly all in the Hotel lack fear, intimidation, or admiration for the guy (Pentious is the only one who seems to exhibit admiration of some kind). The closest we got is being uncomfortable. That's it. Then there's his scuffle with Alastor. Tell me why he feels the need to argue with this sucka again? Cause last I checked, Alastor is a mere overlord, and Lucifer is The Devil. Wtf is this randomass rivalry that just...S T A R T S? Why does Lucifer get intimidated or moved by Al? It makes no sense. Lucifer has been alive far longer than humanity itself, but nah this random fuck who looks like he robbed a blood bank got him weeping insecurities? I'm supposed to take this sad excuse of a character seriously? How many of these carbon copy characters will Viv make until I finally end my suffering???

-Wtf is Alastor's deal? Why is he so pressed and annoyed? One moment he is as cool and collected as a cucumber and showing only SLIGHT annoyance (Vox and His song), then he goes to meetings and speaks with people far older, far more experienced, and/or far stronger than he show no interest and he gets pissy? How insecure is he that people not caring where he's gone or thinking his ideas are wack is what leads to his eye twitching and him throwing a random ass cuss. Seriously, THAT'S what got him to swear? That his idea for the hotel's name is stupid? BFFR! You can not be serious right now, THAT'S what gets him going? You'd think with how witty and chill he was in the pilot, he would find a quick and a effective smart-ass comeback, not essentially bitch at The Devil. This makes Alastor look like a thin-skinned wannabe, too cause these minor ass comebacks are why he has lost his edge along with some randomass song number?? And at the end of the day, Al just couldn't be damned anymore to even care by the end of the episode, he doesn't speak with Lucifer or give any stank looks, doesn't speak with Charlie, does NOTHING pertaining to the issues prior, nah, he just stands there and watches after telling Mimzy to go away. Some say he did this to simply piss Lucifer off, but that doesn't make sense (not saying it ain't true, just saying if it is, it's nonsensical). First off, if that were the case, why was he annoyed even BEFORE seeing the guy?

If he only wanted to get a rise, why is HE getting angry? Trolls usually don't care enough to be this pissed. Second, wtf would he even gain from doing this? What to help push Lucifer to be a better father to Charlie, request by Lilith to Al so that Lucifer can get his act together?? If so, that's the LAZIEST shit I have ever heard. Lucifer is such a joke, he needed a SINNER to get him back on track....

Regardless, this whole father shit by Al comes out of nowhere and ruins the goddamn flow of the episode. Prior to it all, Al has shown NO interest in anyone and has done jack shit. Wtf does he even do? He's done ONE thing so far and that was help for the commercial. Alastor has shown to be completely useless as of now.

-Charlie, why is she treated as tho she isn't a grown ass woman? She's babied to hell and back and despite being the daughter of Lucifer, hasn't shown any of her abilities to help the hotel. So Lucifer can summon shit but not her? Is she that useless? Also, gotta love how she never asks her dad about the Valentino situation to help Angel out. Man...what a great ass friend. She also doesn't find it weird that Al is just suddenly...babying her? She has zero awareness of everything, I guess, which is getting annoying now. You're over 200 years of age (went to high school in the 1800s according to what her comic was about, but guess that's retconned based on what happens in the following episode).

So she doesn't use her abilities to tidy up the place, she doesn't act her damn age, she doesn't do anything to help her sexually assaulted friend. What a damn joke, just like her dad.

-Mimzy shouldn't have been in an episode about Lucifer. Plain and simple. Her character should have been introduced in one of the earlier episodes. Not during fucking this. And we got a repeat of the pilot with Alastor's backstory retold. So they're down to retell his rise to power but not to make at least a proper recap of the events that happened prior? Key word....PROPER.

-Husk caring about Mimzy bringing trouble is actually fucking stupid. Because of the lack of proper build up to him now finding more reason to like the Hotel, it feels forced that he would be worried about what danger Mimzy brought. And on top of that, yeah...ALASTOR IS RIGHT THERE. You know who else is there? LUCIFER. I get it, Lucifer stood by and watched as the Hotel was being swatted, but he also sang a song about providing what Charlie asked for, meaning if she had asked her dad, he woukd be down to help, so WHY TF IS HE WORRIED???? Also , is Charlie just INCAPABLE of fighting for herself?? "She doesn'twanna hurt sinners-" so she had no defensive abilities??? What???? Also, that's a damn lie, she fought Katie Killjoy on live Tv. Are no other damn people capable of protecting the Hotel??? Why did Al need to step in for that? They were just LOAN SHARKS.

Anyway, the scene where Husk is probing Alastor about Mimzy and treating him as a pet is decently paced and the tone was pretty neat, sucks that this feels like their way of showing that Husk is also under a leash like Angel rather than him being treated as a joke, which btw...horrid way to compare the two. Wanna know why? One is subjected to an onslaught of sexual assault whether he was pushing Val's buttons or not, and forced to be assaulted by various men around him, passed around like a thing. The other is Husk, who legit disrespected Alastor and had to push at him to get such humiliation and terror, and guess what....Al still ended up pushing Mimzy away after she did end up bringing trouble, so he did essentially listen to Husk in his own distant way. This is the ONLY TIME we see Al be downright mean to Husk and probably the only time. Angel has been subjected to nothing but horrid assault after assault no matter the situation. So I better not see anyone say, "SEE LOOK, THEY'RE BOTH ABUSED" stfu. Nothing about their situations are even remotely similar. Just cause the chains are the same doesn't mean the users are. EDIT: Ima say this before people act like I excuse this. No, I am not excusing Alastor's actions. I am pointing out what happened on screen. Husk mocked Alastor, Alastor retaliated out of anger(much like how Angel retaliated at Husk in ep 4 after Husk kept arguing and mocking him) by pulling out the chains to shut him up. He didn't even hit Husk. Again, I'm not excusing it, just pointing out how vastly different Husk and Angel's situations are and how one overlord reacts compared to the other....who is a straight-up rapist.

-Both the songs are mid/ok but pulled down by the awful storytelling....shame. I at first was not fond of Lucifer's voice.....it's ok now, I guess. Idk. I'm still not really feeling it, though.

Episode sucked ass

Pacing was all over the place

ALASTOR AND LUCIFER ARE PISS BABIES

#hazbin hotel criticism #hazbin hotel critical #hazbin critical #hazbin critique #Hazbin Hotel episode 5 #vivziepop critical #vivziepop criticism

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bettsfic · 10 months

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i can't stay quiet about this anymore. for weeks now i've thought, noo i won't write about knights of the zodiac on my blog. nobody cares. BUT it is the weirdest fucking movie i've ever seen and i need to tell you about it.

knights of the zodiac is an american made live action adaptation of the anime/manga saint seiya. before this film, i'd never even heard of it, but that doesn't matter, because i watched an interview with mackenyu (who plays seiya) who said that the director told him not to bother watching the anime or reading the manga, because he wanted this movie to be its own thing. you know, which is always a great way to bring in your core audience.

with that said, i'm viewing this film entirely on its own merit, with no context of the source material. so saint seiya fans may not want to read this.

the movie came out this past may. i was excited about it for no other reason than mackenyu starring in an american action movie. i'm honestly a little surprised people weren't more jazzed about that. there aren't a lot of japanese actors starring in big budget american action movies.

other cast members include sean bean (who, spoiler alert, dies), famke janssen, and mark dacascos. in case you don't recognize those names, they are, respectively, boromir/ned stark, jean grey from x-men, and the iron chef. if nothing else, i think it's worth watching for the utterly bizarre casting.

the premise, sort of: mackenyu, who appears to be contractually obligated to play angsty younger brother characters (i think this is the 7th thing i've seen him in where he is an angsty younger brother), has an older sister who is missing. he's a poor orphan boy who gets by on winning cage fights. or something. so boromir finds him and tells him he's destined to be athena's bodyguard, and he gets on board with this alarmingly fast, but not after antagonizing athena (who is not yet athena) and throwing out some snarky one-liners. he trains in the middle of nowhere with a masked lady who repeatedly kicks his ass, and he never changes clothes the entire time. there's other stuff too but it's secondary to the absolute batshittery of this movie.

i saw it on premiere night, which was also the premiere night of the new guardians of the galaxy movie. again, A+ move by the promotional team. so there i was on a saturday at 7pm. prime movie going time. and my best friend and i were the only ones in the theater.

although i had no real expectations for this movie beyond Mackenyu Hits Things And Is Sad, i believed one of two things would happen: it would be as terrible as it sounded, or it would actually be phenomenal. but no, it was neither bad, nor good, but a secret third thing: it scratched a deep and rabid part of my id.

and by that i mean, it appeared to be a very high budget love letter to glaringly submissive men.

here's my letterboxd review that i wrote in the brief hypomanic episode succeeding my initial viewing:

okay so first and most importantly, this scene made me actually scream:

it's a joke line, sure, but 1) he definitely means it, and 2) he immediately calls her "princess," which if you've ever read my fic, you'll know that that's a one-hit KO for me.

(putting this under a cut because it's already long)

you see how athena is framed above seiya? that is one of approximately 1000 shots where this occurs. to every male character. at one point, mackenyu perches gingerly on the back of athena's motorcycle. in fact the only male character who attempts to be dominant aggressive and toxically masculine becomes the punching bag of the film.

in the beginning, seiya is in a cage match where people are getting angry at him for "dancing," which means he doesn't fight so much as avoids getting hit and looks pretty doing it. a solid third of the movie involves a very large lady beating the crap out of him. the premise of the film is getting him to devote his entire life to a goddess and obey protect her at all costs.

i'm probably the only one who watched this movie and was like, hmm is this kink coded? am i insane for seeing this? usually when i think of kink coding i think of quentin tarantino's foot fetish, these long gaudy shots of women's feet hanging out of car windows. it's in the imagery and shot composition and power dynamics.

here, the imagery is a lot of kneeling men, the shot compositions repeatedly place the men lower than the women, and the power dynamics are simply that the women have all the power, and the men have a little, as a treat. jean grey is a straight-up femdom, leather and all.

by the end of the climax, seiya is naked, having been stripped of his (magical and very powerful) armor as pre-athena becomes athena and uh, blasts his clothes off in the process. there's probably something to be said there about, you know, literally stripping him of his power.

i think what i find particularly remarkable about this is that the repeated feminization of the male lead is treated as a good thing. a self-actualizing thing. it's the process through which he accepts himself and his destiny. that's the reason i say it's a love letter--i've known a lot of submissive men and many of them really struggle to accept that part of themselves. i had a friend once who was so ashamed of himself--not just that he was submissive, but that submission was an integral part of his identity--that he had a breakdown in my car over it. so i think it's nice seeing a vaguely positive portrayal of finding oneself through (textually) devotion and (subtextually) submission.

god help me, seiya spends the entire film being irritating and bratty. this movie is my personal kryptonite.

don't get me wrong, it's a terrible movie. the writing is awful, the direction is awful, and if it gets a second film, i'll be shocked. it received a 1.9 (out of 5) on letterboxd and a 4.4 (out of 10) on imdb.

but i've also always been a lover of the star wars prequels (and oh boy there's a lot to be said there about submissive men) and so my patience for bad writing is infinite in the face of interesting things happening on a character level. in a world of disneyfied stock plots and bloated marvel franchises, i appreciate when a movie tries to do something different, even if it doesn't do it very well.

anyway, i can't in good conscience recommend it, but i for one plan to watch it at least a hundred more times.

#i would love to tag this so i can find it later but i really don't want it to show up in the official tag #so uhh #film meta

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pendragonsclotpole · 3 months

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i’ve been keeping up with dominic noble’s lost in adaptation series for pjo, and i just finished watching his review of episode 8. he made a point of saying that he didn’t consider the tv series an offense to the book, and i’m glad he did because i think a lot of show fans hear the criticism that some books fans have of the show and misunderstand why we’re so upset.

i think the tv series is a good, decent adaptation that attempts to appeal to a younger audience/an audience as young as the book series first readers when it was published. it modernizes a few things (shoutout to that completely unnecessary scene of sally listening to olivia rodrigo), expands on a bit of the central characters, updates the relationships the gods have with their children, and keeps the spirit of the original series, if not always the execution.

i think if the tv show had come out in 50+ years, long after a book accurate and beloved adaptation had come out, the show would be a fresh take on a classic children’s story a la lotr. but the issue is that the last adaptation came out close to 15 years ago and while it was good and entertaining for a blockbuster movie, it wasn’t percy jackson.

it wasn’t the story we got to see and get to know: a complex tale of parental neglect, greek gods and mythology, and most importantly—a young, misunderstood boy trying to navigate the complexities that arose from the circumstances and consequences of multiple sets of beings, far more powerful and older than him, trying to control him and take away his agency, all because of the circumstances of his birth, which were not his fault and which he didn’t ask for. sure there was magic, sure there a suspension of disbelief, but at the heart of the story there was enough darkness and realness for the story of the book to mean something.

we spent years listening to rick riordan promise us that he would find a place to create a faithful adaptation of the book. but he didn’t. and that’s okay, because at the heart of it all, he wrote pjo to appeal to a set of kids younger than i am now and closer to the age i was when i first met percy jackson. i understand the dozens of fans that love the show, even the book fans that enjoy it as an adaptation, but to me, the girl who admired the brutality of sally jackson turning the man who abused her to stone, who loved the emotional complexity of a dad who could never quite say the right thing to his own child and always left them feeling so disappointed and like a mistake and alone, who never quite fit in with the other kids and felt unwanted, who wished she had some sort of powers and the capacity to rebel against the forces older and more powerful that controlled her, i just can’t love the show as much as i love the books.

i know what i just wrote sounds weird. no, i don’t want to essentially kill and turn any men that may harm or abuse me to stone (tho people if you get the chance, godspeed). but i do love the idea that sally when given the choice, had the power to petrify a man who likely petrified her. she made her choice to get rid of him. she made a choice many women or victims of abuse in general don’t often get a chance to make, and it was presented in such an unrealistic way, in the guise of a medusa’s head, that it felt even more real. i love that a man that is meant to be from an idolized and integral part of your mother’s past, who in many ways is a god, can be a horrible father and partner, and say the wrong things and never be enough. i love the idea that we can all be tempted by the wrong things but eventually make the right choice and be the hero we needed all along.

i think i’ve rambled long enough, and i hope you all can understand what i mean. obviously some of the points i mentioned have yet to be adapted. i hope the show gets to bring to life all 5 books and potentially even beyond. i think the tv show is good, funny, entertaining, a little slow at times, and not enough action or tension. i love leah, walker, and aryan as annabeth, percy, and grover. i think the designs are beautiful. i think it is a good adaptation and i think with a rewatch it’ll grow on me, but it just isn’t the percy jackson i grew up with. maybe that’s on me. maybe i’ve grown up idolizing a book series and appreciating what it meant to me, instead of reading it and appreciating it for what it is: a children’s series. maybe the tv show and book series are mediums meant for other kids and new audiences to enjoy. in which case, enjoy them. i’ll still watch along to see some iteration of the books i love be brought to life, and to appreciate a good show but a part of my heart will always yearn for a faithful book adaptation.

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cutestkilla · 23 days

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An ask game for writers to procrastinate working on your WIP(s)

Thanks for tagging me @theearlgreymage @wellbelesbian @shrekgogurt @orange-peony @bookish-bogwitch @aristocratic-otter @youarenevertooold and @thewholelemon!

1. 🦈Tell us the name of your/ one of your WIP(s):

The only WIP I’m really actively working on right now is Hiding Out in the Open.

2. 🍄Describe your WIP/one of your WIP(s) in the format of “___ + ___ =___”

Psychology Podcast Hidden Brain + AU where Simon and Baz never got together but Simon still lost his magic and got spelled by Smith = Non-linear AWTWB-era Baz negging Simon with podcast links but actually secretly being sweet the whole time until they’re having real conversations and like, excavating some trauma until Simon figures himself out (or does he?) (He does, I’m not a monster.)

(I needed more terms for this equation, a few higher powers maybe.)

3. 🌍What tags or warnings will one of your WIP(s) need if you intend to share it?

Well, so far I’ve warned for anxiety/panic attacks, implied/referenced child abuse, mentions of cannibalism, mentions of eating bugs, AND mentions of animal cruelty. SOUNDS FUN RIGHT?

4. 🧭An alternative title to one of your WIP(s)?

So this fic is titled after a Feist song. The alternate title was a combination of a Ron Sexmith song that Feist did a great cover of and the name of the fictional podcast in my story:

Secret Heart, Invisible Mind

5. ⚠️Which WIP you're most likely to finish or update next?

Oh, it’ll be this one for sure! I have nothing else even approaching any kind of written state.

6. 💾What is your document of your WIP/ a WIP called? (not the stories actual title but what you’ve saved it as)

Well, it’s just titled after the fic. But before I had a title and was just dreaming things up, I had a doc titled “Hidden Brainstorms”. There’s also a doc in the folder for this titled “Enemies Closer” that’s filled with research I did for an episode I have to invent…

7. 🖍Post Any sentence(s) from your WIP.

“You stood him up? What the hell Basil? I cancelled my plans for this.”

8. ♻️A scrapped idea for your current WIP.

Okay so I am an idea hoarder, I rarely fully scrap an idea until I’m done writing a story, I just park them all in a dumping ground at the end of my doc for ongoing review. But one for sure scrapped idea I had for this back in the start was that Shep would co-host a podcast at some point in this story.

9. 🤔What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

Welllllllll, I may have an entire (shared) Trello board for a fic that @artsyunderstudy and I have been excitedly talking about co-writing. I won't say much but it’s a Canonverse AU, featuring older strangers-to-lovers Snowbaz, and it’s a ghost story. Your basic SPOOKY SEXY SAD CATHARSIS type of deal.

10. 🤡How many WIPS are you actively working on?

Actively? One. Two if you count the Trello board which I periodically add ideas to. Three if you count the Wedding fic draft I have 20K written for and could start writing on again at ANY MOMENT.

11. 🛠Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now?

Well, I’m about to be struggling with writing the scene where Baz listens to the podcast episode I have to completely invent. I have a full first rough pass at this chapter done, except that part where I just copy pasted a bunch of research notes to come back to…

12. ❤️Not a question, just a second Kudos to send.

🙏YOU get a kudos, and YOU get a kudos, and YOU get a kudos!

Tags in case you wanna: @artsyunderstudy @hushed-chorus @ivelovedhimthroughworse @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @fatalfangirl @facewithoutheart @skeedelvee @emeryhall @mooncello @monbons @angelsfalling16 @larkral @chen-chen-chen-again-chen @run-for-chamo-miles @brilla-brilla-estrellita @best--dress @onepintobean @martsonmars @messofthejess @ileadacharmedlife @urban-sith

#tag game #writer asks #carry on #hiding out in the open #my writing #sort of #i even procrastinated procrastinating tbh

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ecargmura · 14 days

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Tadaima, Okaeri Episode 2 Review - Yukku and Hi-kun

I feel like I am way too hyper fixated on this show to the point that I listened and watched the opening song throughout the entire last week. The first episode was cute and now, the second episode, is also cute. It’s mainly family slice-of-life in an omegaverse setting. The slice of life feels more notable in the first half of the episode where it feels like vignettes of Yuuki befriending Hikari and becoming the baby’s unofficial older brother and Masaki’s unofficial little brother in a way.

I’ve been snooping around Youtube reactions and social media and some people had been wary of Yuuki when he was introduced in the ending of the first episode. I was legit shaking my head at their comments because Yuuki is the opposite of his first impression and legitimately a fan-favorite character in the fanbase. Like, the readers really liked him to the point that he even got his own romance subplot with Matsuo. The subplot between them is even evident in the opening where they are shown together.

But yeah, Yuuki’s a great character. He’s gloomy and anti-social, but he’s proof that Hikari’s innocence can melt even the coldest of hearts. He never had friends growing up, but the Fujiyoshi family become his friends, which is sweet. Hiromu even pointed out that they sudden have a big kid in their atmosphere now. Masaki gets attached to Yuuki because he had reminded him of his old self where he was supposed a lot more self-deprecative and even rejected Hiromu’s confession when the latter had confessed to him in the past. Hikari’s attachment to Yuuki seems to be that he likes people with Masaki’s aura in a way? Like Masaki and Yuuki are similar in vibes, but Masaki’s a lot happier as he has a family. There’s a reason why Hikari doesn’t like Matsuo despite knowing him longer; the baby is almost two and he already has a preference. If you’re wondering, Yuuki is a Beta, so he’s not affected by an omega’s pheromones compared to Hiromu who’s an Alpha; Matsuo is also an Alpha. Also, notice how Yuuki isn’t really as shy or withdrawn as he was with Hikari or Masaki when Matsuo is around him.

The second half of the episode dives into more of the omegaverse lore as Masaki goes into heat and is out the whole day. This means Hiromu has to watch Hikari by himself, so he has to enlist the help of Matsuo and Yuuki who visited out of worry. As Yuuki and Hikari play around, the three discuss about heats and how it’s hard to deal with even for omegas themselves. It’s even harder for the Fujiyoshi family as they have no one else to rely upon during the heat cycle as Masaki’s parents passed away and Hiromu is estranged from his own. Yuuki does comment how there are a lot of difficulties when marrying those of different sexes as it’d be harder to find someone to rely on. Fortunately, the Fujiyoshi family has Yuuki and Matsuo to rely on during these times now, so that’s good.

It was heartbreaking to see what Masaki looks like while suffering through his heat. He legit looks haggard, complete with dark circles and such. While the grown-ups understand the gists of the heat cycle and what omegas go through, Hikari thinks Masaki is sick and in pain, which is why he cried a lot harder after seeing him in a rough state. Hikari’s still innocent to the world of omegaverse which is why his mind comprehends things a bit differently than adults. Also, it was interesting to see how Hiromu reacted to Masaki’s heat as it is the first time the heat cycle is shown in animated form. I think it’s animated well as an omega’s heat reacts to an alpha’s instincts, which was what happened with Hiromu. Also, I do like that while this story is an omegaverse one, the verse lore is present but only when it revolves around the adults. With kids, Hikari exists because of omegaverse logic, but he’s just a normal kid outside of the complexities of the world.

Also, fun fact of the day, Yuuki’s mother is voiced by Yuna Kamakura, who was in Gakuen Babysitters (the character design for Tadaima Okaeri is also the CD of Gakuen Babysitters) as Midori’s mom and she was also in Sasaki and Miyano (the director of TadaOka was the director of SasaMiya) as Sasaki’s sister. I always see her name in the most unexpected places but she seems rather talented because I didn’t recognize her voice at all until I saw her mention her role in a QRT of a post. I do hope she gets that big break because she’s talented!

Speaking of voice acting, I want to praise the voice actors in this episode. They did a really great job here. I did like how Masaki’s voice actor Atsushi Tamaru had a playful tone when he and Hikari were in the supermarket and Hikari wanted to buy milk with his favorite anime character on it. Hiromu’s voice actor, Toshiyuki Morikawa, changes from playful when around Hikari to serious when with others was nice to listen to! Atsumi Tanezaki always makes Hikari be so adorable that it’s crazy how she’s able to produce such a voice. Yuuki and Matsuo’s voice actors did a great job here.

Anyways, this was a cute episode in spite of the somber vibes of the second half due to Masaki’s heat. Hikari is always adorable as heck and I legit gushed during the scene where he was copying everyone by huddling and covering his eyes like them. Next episode will be a bit of conflict as someone seems to come into the picture. While I know who it is, wait and find out next week! What are your thoughts on this episode?

#tadaima okaeri #masaki fujiyoshi #Hiromu fujiyoshi #hikari fujiyoshi #yuuki hirai #Tomohiro matsuo #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal #bl anime #omegaverse

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thedeaddrawsblog · 1 month

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Okay can we talk about something for a moment???

(Warning: Spoilers for the new Thundermans movie)

The Thundermans have a LOT of things they introduced into the series but never touched in again.

…

So I made a list of things I want them to revive or at least expand on-

- Billy and Nora (or even Chloe) getting their thunder sense. They only mentioned it in season 1 episode 13, and literally never talked about it again (from what I remember.) I want to see them expand on, use it in battle, and more importantly, I want to know if it’s just a Thunderman trait or if other heroes have that trait. Do villains have that trait? After all, they did reveal in the movie that superheroes and villains get their powers from a plant.

- speaking of the plant, is there multiple plants? Why was the thunderman family chose to keep it safe? How many generations ago did people get powers? Why those people? What created the plant?

- also I’m just saying it now, I need Max and Phoebe to hang out with Billy and Nora. Like we barely see them interacting. I’d literally do ANYTHING for an episode of Max and Nora hanging out, Phoebe and Billy hanging out, vise versa… I know there was like one episode in the series, but that’s only one and Max was being a dick.

- I NEED to see an episode of what it would be like if Max did take over the world. Like how he did it. Did he become a superhero to get a bunch of secrets and feed them to Dark Mayhem? Or maybe it’s just an alternative au when Phoebe failed to turn him, and said the original uncut scene instead, where she asked him if he’d rather be a hero or a villain. Obviously we wouldn’t be able to see them as teens, but maybe they could explain it in the beginning. Like maybe Colosso is telling a story. Like clue style.

- OH. SPEAKING OF CLUE, maybe a murder mystery episode??? I think that would be awesome. Kinda like the blue bean episode where max turned blue. But like. ✨murder✨

- So… I can’t be the only one that wants at least a little queer rep, right…? And I’m not the only one who thinks Max is a little… fruity… (as long as Jack Griffo is okay with it) give him a boyfriend or something PLEASE 😭

- Because Max and Phoebe are I think like… 25…. I’d like to see them attempt being adults. Key word: attempt. (basically I just to see them get an apartment and what not, and obviously the Thundermans are sad, and their siblings find it hard not having their older siblings in the house.

- And I think maybe even Chloe not knowing much about cousin Blobbin, their pop-pop, or grandma (I forgot what they called her) would be interesting as well.

- also what happened to Blobbin???

- anyway

- I’m just kinda writing stuff out

- I think they were already thinking about expanding on it, but since several of the Thundermans friends +Wong have powers, I’d like to see how they deal with keeping it a secret or if they somehow get the powers removed. Like maybe they use that ball thing they used to trap Dark Mayhems powers. OH. WHAT IF THEY ACCIDENTALLY GAVE THEM MAYHEMS POWERS IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO TAKE THEIR POWERS?!

- Okay this kinda goes into Phoebe and Max becoming adults, but I wanna know if they went to college or if they are going to college.

- also, Max talks about having Evilgram in one episode (maybe a couple), and I’m curious if he kinda just forgot about it or deleted it. He probably deleted it, but I think it would be cool seeing Max find Evilgram on his old phone and miss that phase of his life. Maybe that could even tie in with an evil Max episode.

- ALSO I WANT TO SEE MAX USING HIS GADGETS IN BATTLE. HE SPENT SO MUCH TIME MAKING THEM IT’S UNFAIR IF HE CANT USE THEM.

I’m probably missing a lot of small moments but honestly I’m just going back and rewatching some of the episodes and I’ve been kinda jumping around so i do t remember all of them-

Anyhow I think it’s awesome that the Thundermans are coming back to life (that is if the movie gets good reviews. PLEASE LIE AND SAY IT WAS GOOD EVEN THOUGH THE CGI WAS CRAP. THE PLOT WAS ACTUALLY GOOD.)

#the thundermans #the thundermans return #thoughts #max thunderman #phoebe thunderman #billy thunderman #nora thunderman #chloe thunderman #hank thunderman #Barbra thunderman #max thunderman is a twink you can’t convince me otherwise.#angst?

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electronickingdomfox · 2 months

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"The Prometheus Design" review

Novel from 1982, by Sondra Marshak & Myrna Culbreath. I didn't like any novel by these authors, and this one is just as bad. The writing seems less messy though, except at the very end, when they start with the philosophical, unintelligible discourses. But otherwise, it's pretty much in line with the old Bantam books. There are also continous references and throwbacks to the old episodes, despite the novel being set post-TMP, which gives the impression of a lack of fresh ideas. The previous Pocket novel ("The Covenant of the Crown") captured much better the feel of the older, more mature characters from the movies.

The plot involves aliens that are experimenting with humans to prove the point of "The Enemy Within": that the strive for greatness in humans comes hand in hand with their most violent impulses. This is what the novel calls "the Prometheus Design". And even if I can see the theme of reaching for greatness and surpassing the gods in the Prometheus myth, I fail to see what it has to do with "aggression" (after all, it's not Prometheus or the humans who are aggressive in the myth; it was the gods who punished the titan). Whatever, guess the authors liked the ring of it.

The main problem is the characterization. Kirk is again this submissive wimp, while Spock is this over-powered, authoritarian (and pretty obnoxious) character. And the plot device by which Kirk is stripped of command, so it's transferred to Spock, is just ludicrous. It's obvious the authors wanted so bad to push a dom/sub dynamic into their relationship, which is, in my opinion, completely antithetical to Kirk and Spock's friendship. Vulcans are again the coolest in the galaxy; humans suck again. In fact, the way Vulcans are portrayed as supremacists that look with such contempt at humans, I don't understand why they joined the Federation in the first place... What happened with IDIC, and Spock's gentle, understanding nature? I don't know. As for McCoy? Well, I guess he trails behind Kirk and Spock...

Spoilers under the cut:

The Enterprise is investigating a series of riots and disappearances in the planet Helvan, when the landing party (Kirk, McCoy and a few others) are approached by a different kind of aliens (named the no-mouths because... they have no mouths). The no-mouths extend their finger-tentacles and probe their victims all over (WHAT!!?). And afterwards, the victims fall unconscious and have lapses of memory, associated with feelings of rage and shame.

Back in the ship, Kirk has a couple of nightmares after the encounter (though in general, he's not any worse than other times when the ship fell under alien influences). Nonetheless, a Vulcan Admiral called Sevaj (who is like the most badass, awesome Vulcan ever) comes onboard and seizes command of the Enterprise and the mission, just like that. Sevaj determines that Kirk is unfit for command, and that all humans who were approached by the aliens are also unfit. But not Vulcans, of course: they're immune to the effect (proof? he gives none, might as well have pulled this out his ass). So the only choice for Kirk is relinquish command to Spock, which he does immediately, since he lacks any backbone in this novel. You may wonder what kind of Captain is Spock. After his encounter with V'Ger, and his understanding of "this simple feeling", and the importance of emotions, and all that, he should have mellowed a little, right? Wrong! As soon as Spock seizes power, he becomes a complete fascist, falls into full "Vulcan command-mode" (WHAT!!?), and starts treating Kirk like crap, suddenly addressing him just as "Mr. Kirk". Okay, let me make an aside: this is NOT how things work. For starters, it should have been McCoy the one who can determine whether the Captain is fit or not for command, not some random dude, awesome Admiral or not. And if unfit, Kirk could have been confined to sickbay, or his quarters, or if truly problematic, to the brig. But that doesn't mean he's suddenly stripped of rank, and can be ordered around, and even punished!, by someone with a lower rank, like Spock.

Nonsense aside, Sevaj explains that the sudden riots, disappearances and accelerated development, that are observed in Helvan and other planets, are all related with some mysterious aliens that are experimenting with aggression in living beings (the so-called "Prometheus Design"). And these experiments will soon destroy the galaxy if they're not stopped. Thus, the Enterprise has to return to Helvan. At this point, the novel spends a good while describing Kirk playing chess with Spock and Sevaj (but he sucks at chess because he's dumb human, and we learn that Spock let him win all those past times). And then Kirk engages in some sort of homoerotic combat/dance with Sevaj (and he also sucks at it, because he's weak human). I don't know, there are lots of invented Vulcan shenanigans and mumbo-jumbo in this part. After one of these training sessions, Spock is changing clothes inside a replicator machine, that creates and destroys clothes around one's body (WHAT!!?), when the machine malfunctions and almost kills him. And Spock is left naked, just so you know. There are several more murder attempts on Spock and Sevaj, and Kirk is the principal suspect, because of the alien influence. Though to be honest, the two Vulcans are so obnoxious, that I'd suspect anyone in the crew as the murderer...

Back in Helvan, Sevaj and Spock beam down alone to learn more about the no-mouths. Despite their superiority, they're captured immediately and strapped to experimental tables to be dissected (and Spock is naked again). So Kirk, McCoy, Uhura and Chekov go to the rescue, and manage to capture one of the no-mouths to interrogate him. Needless to say, Kirk gets zero gratitude from the Vulcans, and instead is threatened with more punishment for not following orders blindly (sigh).

Kirk must be addicted to punishment, though, because he disobeys again when he interrogates the no-mouth. From him, he learns that these creatures are simply following orders from other, higher beings: the true designers of the experiment. Kirk is also shown the path to these new aliens' lair.

In the last part, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Sevaj go find the designers to make them see reason. They're captured, Kirk has sex with one of the female designers because reasons, and kisses other female designer for reasons too. Also, the designers turn Spock and Sevaj into giants, and force them to fight to the death... while half naked. The aliens explain why their experiment is so important to avoid the destruction of their own race. Well, I say "explain", but in the end I didn't understand much of their reasons. Finally, the heroes convince them to stop their experiments through some "power of friendship" speech, so the aliens leave. The End.

And I'm sorry if this review seems disjointed, but this novel left my brain pretty disjointed too.

Spirk Meter: 9/10*. Kirk and Spock share a permanent mind-bond. At one point, Spock refers to Kirk as t'hy'la (and the novel clarifies that he's using the term with multiple meanings). There are constant comments about how strong and special is Kirk and Spock's "friendship", even suggesting that the aliens chose them as experiment subjects because of their unique link... And I'm probably forgetting some examples; it's more like a continous obsession with each other. I'm not giving it a 10, though, because other novels are more sincere and open, just plainly call love "love", and are not afraid to show it. Here instead, I get an impression of "denying the obvious". Like, there's an effort to hide the homoerotic intent behind Kirk and Spock's strained relationship, and Kirk's sudden womanizer tendencies towards the end.

There's a bit of Spones too, when Spock treats McCoy's wounds while caged, and eases his pain with a mind-link. But let's be honest, McCoy is more like a pet here.

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

#star trek tos #star trek novels #novel review #spirk #k/s

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medea10 · 4 months

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My Review of Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku-hen

Okay, new season, new characters, new gang, same opening theme song…

Wait, what?! I mean, the graphics are different, but still.

HISTORY: Takemichi. Time travel. 2005 is a cunt year. I’m not going over it again. Here’s season one and here’s season two. Read up.

SEASON THREE: Previously on Tokyo Revengers, Takemichi returned to 2006 after a glimpse of the most depressing future yet. But that’s going to have to wait as a gang he has no recollection of just kicked the ever-loving crap out of him, Chifuyu, and most of his bros. This is Tenjiku. This gang has Tokyo Manji outnumbered. Many of their captains are so soulless that they’ll beat you within an inch of your life. And worst of all, Kisaki has joined this group. Seeing as Kisaki would be so defiant as to go to another gang five seconds after being thrown out of a gang for trying to turn it into a bloated monster, it gets Takemichi thinking. What if Kisaki is also coming from the future like Takemichi?

While we have that to ponder, we see the leader of Tenjiku, Izana popping up around Mikey. Turns out there’s more to these two leaders than you would let on. And finally, Takemichi knows another person in Tenjiku. It’s not one of Kisaki’s cronies, it’s actually a childhood friend. His name is Kakucho. Despite him and Takemichi being old buds, Kakucho is going to remain loyal to Izana and Tenjiku. Although, Kakucho does distrust Kisaki. So, there’s that! Takemichi (despite the promise he made last season) returned to the future to see what he could find out about the Tenjiku gang. This ended badly. Oh sure, he got some info from reformed Cocaine Bear from last season Taiju. But Takemichi and Naoto wound up gunned down by Kisaki, Kakucho, and Izana.

Back in 2006, Takemichi tested if his line to the future is cut off. It is. He shook hands with the young Naoto and no-go, future Naoto is dead. Takemichi’s muttering about the future hit the ears of Hina. Okay, so she knows but will pretend she didn’t hear a thing…for now. And then we learn that Izana is actually Mikey’s half-brother. Mikey’s family tree is fucked up. Add to that, Mikey’s (deceased) older brother Shinichiro was the original leader of Black Dragon. He planned to let Mikey be the leader, but of course he started Tokyo Manji. But then we learn Izana was the 8th generation leader of Black Dragon (the prior leader to Taiju). Okay, my head is spinning with everything happening here.

NEW CHARACTERS: Onto the Tenjiku arc characters. There’s really only two notable new characters here. One more thing, Hulu hasn’t dropped any of these episodes in English so I’m only giving Japanese seiyuus here.

Izana Kurokawa is the leader of Tenjiku. This is a person that up to this point Takemichi knew nothing about. This season, he’ll know it all. First of all, he’s revealed to allegedly be Mikey’s half-brother. Second, he was once the leader of the Black Dragon gang (the gang that was started by Shinichiro and was to be given to Mikey.

And then there’s Kakucho! Kakucho was friends with Takemichi back when they were children. But Kakucho went away. I think he went into a group home because his parents died in some sort of accident. I gathered since the anime really didn’t talk much about Kakucho, but the scar on Kakucho’s face tells a big story. While there, he makes a life-long friendship with Izana.

*Izana is played by Nobunaga Shimazaki (known for Haru on Free!, Yuki on Fruits Basket 2019, Yuno on Black Clover, Eugeo on SAO: Alicization, Sengoku on Horimiya, Shinichi on Parasyte, and Sunakawa on Ore Monogatari)

*Kakucho is played by Seiichirou Yamashita (known for Ishikawa on Horimiya, Raiden on 86, Edward on Black Butler, and Clay on Soul Eater NOT)

SHIPPING PART THREE: This does dip into spoilery territory, so I’ll try to mind my words.

Hina! Yes, Takemichi x Hina is still a thing. They’re cute together. She sees him as a personal hero. And I honestly think that Hina’s love for Takemichi grew when she knew what Takemichi has been doing in terms of leaping through time. There is however one person who has been eyeing Hina for a long time. And that’s Kisaki.

Back in season two, we do get a flashback of Kisaki and Hina together when they saw Takemichi do something impulsive yet heroic. I kinda thought that there might have been something there, Kisaki-wise. Who knew I was going to be right? Hina said some kind words to Kisaki about him being so smart that it reached his cold, calculating heart. Kisaki loves Hina and that’s all I can talk about as I want save it for the finale portion. Let’s talk about another ship.

Koko x Inupi. I wasn’t expecting it. I probably should have since our bro Inupi slays in them heels. I’m just a little confused by it. Koko was in love with Inupi’s older sister and Koko’s crusade of earning more and more money was driven because Inupi’s sister was burned in a house fire. But she dies, Koko still strives for more money, and he kisses Inupi because…??? Dead sis, something…Um, let’s talk about another ship.

Emma x Draken is…oh!

YEAH, THIS PART HURT: Emma’s death. Yeah, just going to come out and say it. She dies.

Now, you would think that Emma dying wasn’t going to cause a ripple. Fuck are you huffing? This ripple caused a major tsunami that shook the foundation of Tokyo Manji to its core. First of all, Emma is Mikey’s little sister. He barely got over his older brother’s death. Second, Emma was Draken’s girlfriend. But then Kisaki came in swinging and knocked Emma off…while Takemichi just stood there.

I saw a lot of comments about this part and a lot of anger towards Takemichi. I am actually going to defend him to an extent. Have you ever been in a situation where you had the opportunity to stop something and you were just frozen in your tracks and couldn’t do anything? It happens! I know he can be impulsive sometimes, but coming from personal experience, I can’t hate on him when this fear hits.

I can however fucking hate Kisaki and Izana. Women are supposed to be off-limits. So, this is the plan Kisaki had to warp Mikey. I hate you.

ENDING: Tokyo Manji vs. Tenjiku. This is not going well for Tokyo Manji. Their fight between Tenjiku did not start well and they are very much outnumbered. Smiley and Mitsuya are out of commission for the big fight as they were taken out prior. Mikey and Draken are not going to come to this fight as…fucking Emma died. Mikey’s sister, Draken’s girlfriend! Mikey is wrecked and Draken hates everything. So, it is up to Takemichi, Angry, Chifuyu, Hakkai, Inupi, and…this one guy I can’t remember his name up against over 300 grunts, 4 angry big boss guys, Koko, Kakucho, that dick-head Kisaki, and Izana.

There were some solid hits from Tokyo Manji. Angry went full “Blue Ogre” mode which somehow surpasses his twin brother Smiley’s wrath. And I’m going to admit this. Up until season three, I didn’t know that Smiley had a twin brother. So, color me surprised when I see the blue-haired wonder show up all of a sudden. Back to the fight, Inupi got into Koko’s mind as we got a backstory involving them. All the while, Takemichi pulls his immovable Homer Simpson spirit during the fight. Even Kisaki shooting him in the foot couldn’t stop him. But you have to admit, these boys are outnumbered and not going to win this fight. IN COMES DRAKEN AND MIKEY!

I knew it was going to happen. Didn’t know how or the provocation, but I saw it coming a mile away. The reason was that Hina let it slip out to both boys that Takemichi has been going back and forth from the future to prevent his friends from dying. Mikey vs. Izana actually lasted a lot longer than the October and Christmas massacres with the main bosses. Mikey’s kicks only worked part of the time against Izana. What Mikey doesn’t know is that Izana learned how to fight from his own older brother Shinichiro.

We get some flashbacks of Izana’s youth (as well as Kakucho). Izana gets the surprise of his life to know that he has an older brother. Shinichiro made a big impact on Izana and was happy any time he came to visit. It wasn’t until Izana was going to get the Black Dragon gang passed down to him that everything changed. Shinichiro just happened to mention having a younger brother and that just didn’t sit right with him. Younger Mikey seemed okay with the idea of having another brother. Izana was not thrilled. Add to that, Izana blames Mikey for Shinichiro’s death. Kazutoro strikes again! Izana ends up suffering a pretty big mental breakdown during this showdown. The other Tenjiku members were in an agreement that Tokyo Manji won and to just back off gracefully. No. That’s not happening. Kisaki goes and does a stupid thing that ends with both Kakucho and Izana getting shot.

WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TAKE THAT GUN FROM KISAKI?!

Oh, now you’re going to be a punk-ass bitch after shooting Izana and Kakucho. Yeah, they’re dying. We get some more flashbacks including an important fact that you can be both shocked and not surprised at the same time. Say it with me now.

IZANA IS NOT RELATED TO MIKEY, EMMA, AND SHINICHIRO!

Emma’s cunt mother said it to Izana when he ran into her. And then Shinichiro admitted the same. Izana and Kakucho hold each other’s hands as they both die on the ground…or so it seems. More soon! Mikey announces the fight is over and that Tokyo Manji won. Kisaki bails with Hanma. Draken and Takemichi trail this asshole. Once Takemichi caught up to Kisaki, that’s when he learns something important.

Kisaki loves Hina. He’s a strategian by heart and had a 10-year plan to rise the ranks of the gang underworld and to make Hina all his. And during this interaction, Takemichi caught a glimpse of a future moment where Kisaki proposed to Hina and she rejected him like one of those rejection scenes from Tomodachi Life. But one thing Takemichi learned this night with Kisaki was that he was not a time traveler. He’s just bent to the point of wanting to warp Mikey and steal Hina from Takemichi or kill her. And then, things took a turn for the worst…for Kisaki.

These are the following three things that are acceptable to say for this scene: *Truck-kun saved the day *Best re-dramatization of Phil Ken Sebben’s death ever *Australian fatigue driving PSA in a nutshell

Okay, I will also accept the phrase, “Ding-dong, the dick is dead”. I am not going to sit here and feel sorry for Kisaki. He was a smarmy bastard in the past and future. And the shit he did in the past should never absolve him. Emma did nothing wrong. Not a fucking thing! Her only crime is that she shared the same blood as Mikey. I’m sick of getting the sad boo-hoo moments for characters who were maggots through and through. You want people to say nice things in your passing, don’t be a dick-bag while you’re alive!

In this aftermath, there were a total of five arrests and three deaths. The arrests were all the top men from Tenjiku. The deaths were Emma, Izana, and Kisaki. Kakucho survived being shot. He’s got a lot to mull over now that his best friend is dead and the gang is pretty much done. It is unknown about Takemichi and the future as we see him talking to Kakucho in the hospital and he hasn’t stopped trembling after witnessing Kisaki be flattened by a truck. So, we don’t know if Kisaki’s death changed the future for the better or if Takemichi can even go back to the future considering what happened to Naoto.

Okay, I loved this season compared to the Christmas Massacre arc. I just wish the season was an episode or two longer just to fulfill my wants of seeing if the future changed for the better or worse. That last future Takemichi was in had Kisaki and Izana in it, so that must mean Naoto is alive again. I’m going to keep with my thoughts and be a good girl who doesn’t look at manga spoilers. For now! I’m sure there’s gonna be more content in the future. The manga is finished with an astounding 279 chapters and the anime is just under 40 episodes currently. I’m sure there’s more to unfold.

Knowing the setup, I’m pretty sure there’s another gang about to pop up or Hanma is gonna avenge Kisaki or some other drama with Koko and Inupi. Again, I don’t know because I didn’t read the manga. But we still need the conclusion of Hina and if she’s past the point of being saved from a grizzly murder. Kisaki is taken care of, that’s good. I still don’t trust Akkun and he’s still around. Every stinkin’ timeline, he’s the one who does the deed. In the meantime, let’s wait a bit for the next installment. Nothing has been announced as of posting this review, but I’ll remain positive.

Once again, because of Disney+’s acquirement, watching the whole season can be troublesome to those who don’t have a multitude of streaming accounts. Season one can still be found on Crunchyroll. Christmas Massacre and Tenjiku arc will be on Hulu.

#anime review #tokyo revengers #hanagaki takemichi #mikey #draken #tokyo revengers tenjiku-hen #izana kurokawa #kakucho #tetta kisaki #seishuu inui #manjiro sano #hajime kokonoi #emma sano #shinichiro sano

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jakesuit0 · 5 months

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Memory of a Memory Review

Finn and Jake rush to help Marceline at the calling of a wizard. It’s sweet that Finn and Jake run faster when they find out it’s their friend in peril. Finn and Jake show a lot of care for Marcy in this one. We’re at the point where they view Marceline as one of the most important people in their lives. This is really the last episode where Finn and Jake’s relationship with Marceline feels ever-evolving, this is basically the status quo of their dynamic for the rest of the series. The “wizard” knowing to turn to Finn and Jake, implies that Ash has done his research on the current state of Marcy’s life, and has probably been spying on her. Claiming he’s her spirit animal is absurd but funny. It’s an obvious hint that he’s lying, but it’s easy to believe that it could be true in this weird world.

Ash claims he can’t be the one to help Marcy because he has no arms. It’s a funny excuse that works to add more suspicion. Finn and Jake enter Marceline’s memories to erase a sleeping spell. It’s an exciting premise on the face of it, given we still know almost nothing of her backstory. We start at an early point in Marceline’s life, and move mostly in chronological order throughout. We see a destroyed city, our first brief look at the world five or so years after the mushroom bomb dropped. It also serves as confirmation that Marceline lived through the apocalypse. She looks two or three years older than in the “Simon & Marcy” flashbacks, but maybe two years younger then when Simon abandons her. Her age, and possession of Hambo, places it between “Simon & Marcy” and the second flashback in “Everything Stays”. So, where the fuck is Simon? She’s running around all by herself. There’s a couple possible hand waves. Simon could be behind a tree taking a shit. He was at a period of his life where he had less control over the crown, so maybe he flew off on a crown-induced escapade, or purposefully distanced himself when he knew he was going to have an episode. He could also be searching for ways to summon Hunson Abadeer. It’s not exactly canon-shattering, but it's definitely a bit of a continuity error. The crew had some idea that there’s a deeper connection between Ice King and Marceline, as evidenced by hints in “Holly Jolly Secrets” and “Marceline’s Closet” this season, but this scene is clearly a result of them not really having the Simon and Marcy backstory planned yet. The most striking disconnect is little Marcy calling Hambo her “only friend”. In “Betty”, Marceline instead refers to Simon as her only friend during that period of her life. Marceline sews Hambo’s button eye back on, like Simon how sews a button back on Marcy’s overalls in “Simon Petrikov”. Simon must have taught her how to sew in the interceding years. She tells Hambo she’s hurting him because she loves him. This might be a coping mechanism she picked up on from Elise and/or Simon.

Finn and Jake pass by Marceline picking her nose, showing for the first time how gross she can be while by herself. Next we get to see the infamous fry eating incident, and they even got Martin Olson back for this short cameo. Marcy looks a few years older than in “Marcy & Hunson’s” flashback. I don’t think Marcy was with Hunson this whole time, it wouldn’t make sense for them to be on Earth together for a few years. This must have been one of Hunson’s infrequent awkward visits, possibly the first time they saw each other since their reunion in the previously mentioned episode. She may have even gotten the bass axe during this visit. It’s cool seeing Adventure Time already building on its pre established backstory, and they continue this trend in the next memory. Ash helps Marcy move into the treehouse, referencing “Evicted!”.

Next, probably a couple years later, we see Marceline clearly feeling checked out of her relationship. Ash comes home, revealing he sold Hambo to a witch (Maja) to get a new wand. Marceline dumps Ash, and Olivia Olson’s voice acting here is incredible, especially the “it’s over you psycho!”. Marceline dated Ash during a time when her self-esteem was at its lowest, feeling like a monster that didn’t deserve any better. Ash was probably a rebound after her relationship with Bubblegum, probably starting a relationship with him within a few decades of her breakup with PB. Ash and Marceline’s relationship is very uncomfortable to watch. The “Mar Mar” pet name makes me queasy. Ash still somehow manages to have one funny line, saying he didn’t ruin “all” of her life to defend himself. The episode just gives us tiny glimpses into a few parts of Marceline’s life. Later episodes make this up, but it would have been nice to get just another couple memories in this one. It’s funny in hindsight how we skip over all the biggest parts of Marceline’s past (Elise, Simon, the vampires, PB). If this was a later season episode, Simon and Bonnie definitely would have made appearances.

Finn and Jake jump into the memory core, which has an unbelievably cool design, with white silhouettes over the black background. Each of the memory balls has a corresponding symbol, and I’ll do my best guess to analyze the meaning behind many of them:

-A portal to the Nightosphere: a memory involving Hunson, possibly the events of “It Came From the Nightosphere” -A roll of yarn: the first memory Finn and Jake entered of Marceline sewing Hambo

-A weight: working out after her break up with PB or Ash

-Marceline’s high heels from “Evicted!” and “Henchman”

-A tree: the memory of Marceline moving into the treehouse

-A wolf: her dog Schwabl

-A snowman: Simon and the ice crown

-The shovel and/or grave: the death of Elise

-A hand: no idea, maybe meeting the tribe of humans in “Everything Stays”?

Finn and Jake return to the physical world, and Ash reveals he had Finn and Jake erase the memory of their breakup. Her memories of moving on from the breakup must have been altered by this too. Ash intends on bringing her back to his place. This is basically just a metaphor for date rape drugging and has to be the most traumatic thing Marceline has experienced in the present timeline of the series. Another sign of abuse is Ash’s negging, with the “that’s a relief” to Marcy saying she’s going to freshen up.

Jake tracks Ash and Marcy down with his rarely used super-scent. Jake bashing the shed to get Ash’s attention, only to find it's the house of a defenseless goblin, is the funniest joke of the episode. Finn runs in to tell Marceline the truth. Marcy says that Ash doesn’t like her hanging out with “mere mortals”. In addition to showcasing another red flag, controlling who she sees, it provides more context to the time of their relationship. It’s the second Marceline episode in a row where bad people from her past are shown to reinforce Marcy’s past ambivalence to the lives of mortals. She was probably part of the ghost gang from “Heat Signature” shortly before or after her breakup with Ash, more company that reinforced her low self-esteem.

Finn brings Marceline into his own memories, set inside his childhood home with Joshua and Margaret. We can see Jermaine in one of the pictures. There’s other dogs too, presumably from Joshua and Margaret’s extended family (maybe the grandmother mentioned in “Ignition Point” is one of them). Marceline sees baby Finn perform the “Buff Baby” dance. It’s second only to “Bacon Pancakes” in terms of viral sensation. It’s funny and cute, but a bit overrated. It also shows how young Finn was when he became obsessed with fighting evil. Finn looks a few years older than the flashback in “Memories of Boom Boom Mountain”, but a couple years younger than in “BMO”. Finn showing Marceline his memory of seeing her memory is such a clever solution, foreshadowed by the cleverly named title of the episode. She immediately seems to believe Finn, even before seeing the memory. This shows the trust she’s gained for Finn over the series, and that she has always known that Ash is a terrible person capable of evil. She has a muted reaction to this, but you can tell she is hurt inside.

They really go all the way with portraying Ash as a stereotypical misogynist, with him literally telling her to get back into the kitchen. He’s a loser who can’t even make his own sandwich. Marceline and Finn beat up Ash, which is a justified response to attempted sexual assault. He’s one of the most sociopathic characters in the series, and the most despised character among the fans. He has his own hatedom. He’s fun to hate, but he’s a good character that provided a great foil to Marceline while showing the reality of how some men behave towards women. Jake stomping him with a giant foot is a perfect ending. The episode follows the route of “It Came From the Nightosphere” in using Marceline as a way to explore trauma more specific to the experience of a young woman or teenage girl. It’s also really nice to get some good Marceline drama that’s not tied to Princess Bubblegum or a parental figure for once.

Grade: A

#adventure time #memory of a memory #finn and jake #jake the dog #finn the human #marceline

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lookismstuff · 9 months

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Reaction to Ep 461

SPOILERS ALERT

I've been rooting for Daniel (Hyungseok) vs Logan (Taesang) forever so I'm pretty pleased. Then again now that I remember it, wasn't Logan defeated already in the homeless/first love arc?? I thought it was impressive that Danny did it but did later events make Logan dismiss it as trivial? Or did PTJ forget it? But then again in one of his vlogs he mentioned that older arc specifically as Danny's trigger for growth so yeah maybe Logan simply just deleted it from his brain?

Anyway some of the other fights unfortunately happened off-screen when in fact these are what readers had been waiting for.

Well, let's open for a jump scare review.

HAHAHAHA [INSERT EVIL LAUGHTER]

The fight between Vin (Hobin) vs Changyoong itself imho is a bit underwhelming, but the fun side of it is Changyoong is utterly traumatized by scared of Vin.

Vin has no choice but to show his polycoria now since there's no replacing his super dark sunglasses for now (here's my begging PTJ to insert real consequences of this condition, especially since Vin's happened because of an accident).

Again I'm pretty satisfied with the Daniel vs Logan fight, even more so because there's a new flashback of a humiliating bullying scene that we've never seen in the school episodes (earliest arc). And to those who think that it's too much...well where I come from there are such awful bullies it's bordering on human rights violation (or even a crime).

But the most satisfying comeback from Danny is not the fight itself imho. It's the way he basically told Logan that he didn't care anymore (in my last review I mentioned that he doesn't think Logan is worth his time...and I was right).

Also glad that PTJ erased whatever feelings of amicability between Vin and Logan that was briefly present during the God Dog arc. I feel like it's distanced Vin further from his earlier bully self (I do wish that he would apologize to Duke/Deokhwa tho, especially since he's now a huge fan).

Also too bad that we are not privy to two action scenes. First, no onscreen action scenes with Jay at all. Like none. I get that things are going at the speed of lightning right now but I enjoy watching Systema and Arnis duels and Jay's action scenes were always enjoyable to me due to the elements of surprise (kinda like reading Gray/Sieun's fight scenes from Weak Hero).

Second, Jake (Gimyung) was there (he's the sleeping dude in the ambulance) AS AN ALLIED MEMBER HECK YEAH. AND I'M GLAD TO SEE HIM IN CASUAL CLOTHES (looking much younger and fresher after a staycation in a hoodie). But we saw nothing of what he did.

Well at least he left this in his wake (which impressed Taejin and a new goon Jo Yisoo).

Overall, I'm looking forward to reading the next episode. I suppose having Jake around means that out of the three experiment victims, Samuel (Seongeun) is going to be rescued by Jake, then Johan (Yohan) by Zack, and Big Danny by Danny.

#lookism #lookism manhwa #lookism webtoon #kim gimyung #kim gimyeong #jake kim #daniel park #park hyungseok #vin jin #jin hobin #hong jaeyeol #jay hong #lookism episode reaction #allied lookism #lookism spoilers

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absolutebl · 1 year

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Recommendation for something to watch and complete on a off day? I am also off today. Something soft and full of love preferably....

10 Soft BL's to Binge In A Day

(Since I don't sleep and watch high speed I binge full length Thai BL but I'm assuming you want something shorter than that, so I've limited myself to a 5hr runtime.)

1. Semantic Error (Korea Viki) - Sexy older boy discovers pouty younger boy has outed him as a slacker, starts out bullying him, accidentally falls madly in love. Korea hits it entirely out of the Parks by doing a university BL with everything we expect from BL just done exactly right. Korea's signature quality executed perfectly with added bonus good story, great pacing, stunning visuals, and fantastic chemistry. You cannot ask for more from a BL, let alone a KBL. Full review.

2. Seven Days (Japan grey in 2 parts Seven Days: Monday - Thursday, Seven Days: Friday - Sunday) - one of the best live action yaoi mangas ever made. The leads have excellent chemistry although it’s low heat, there’s still more kisses than Cherry Magic. Popular first year Seiryo has a policy of going out with any girl who asks… for one week. On a lark, third year Yuzuru tests to see if that policy also applies to boys. Seiryo agrees that it does. Along the way they accidentally fall in love. All the angst is just teen confusion.

3. Our Dating Sim (Korea Viki) - I enjoyed every aspect from the casting to the very simple premise to the quietly smooth execution. Sure it’s very low stakes, but that makes it high domesticity and extremely warm and gentle. This is a fuzzy blanket of a story. Do we call this cozy BL? Why not? This one is going to live in my rewatch pile, I can tell already, and you know what’s best about it? Every single episode is in that pile. There’s no skipping with this one, it might be good natured and calmly sweet but it’s tight and the pacing is excellent. It perfectly suited KBL’s short-length tendencies. Full review.

4. Light On Me (Korea Viki - Korea does an elegant pastiche of traditional live action yaoi but all tropes are cleverly deployed to bolster one of the most riveting love triangles ever put on screen… and I don’t like love triangles. LoM strategically tailors classic BL tropes to 2 different semes resulting in pristine pacing, plot, and character development, explicitly serving narrative (not just to tick boxes). LoM is a master class in this trope drops. (If you write fanfic or romance you should study this show.) Full review.

5. Takara-kun and Amagi-kun (Japan Gaga & Viki) - I gnawed on my knuckles and squealed a lot with this show. Reserved cool kid who must learn to communicate to keep the tiny disaster nugget he’s madly in love with. It is beyond charming: soft and gentle, packed with cuteness and high school angst, thirst, & yearning. Was there plot? Not really. Was it emotionally tense and paced well enough for me not to notice? Absolutely. Did I enjoy the hell out of it? Oh yes. Full review.

6. HIStory 2: Crossing the Line (Taiwan Viki) - super low stakes sweetest story of the bad boy who falls hard for the senior on the volleyball team and then works to earn his love. You know it’s Taiwan so the kisses are great but in this case it also ends well. Only trigger is that the side couple is the stepbrothers trope, and some don’t like that.

7. Cherry Magic (Japan indie subbed) AKA Doutei dato Mahoutsukai ni narerurashii - the sweetest, fluffiest, most charming bit of adorable ever, full of found family and pastry and serious slapstick, the characters are utterly bonkers, but cute about it.

8. Wish You (Korea Netflix or Viki, you want the movie version) AKA WISH YOU: Your Melody in My Heart - low stakes high pining romance about a pianist who falls in love with a busker who is on his way to being the next big idol.

9. Restart After Come Back Home (Japan indie subbed or Gaga?) - this one is perfect if you just want a beautiful loving movie, and one that is well filmed and complex enough to appeal to those who don’t normally watch BL or romance (if you have a reluctant partner).

10. You Are Ma Boy (Vietnam YouTube) - is there angst? Nope even what could have been angst (a gay idol) doesn’t materialize, it’s just cuties in a cafe confusing each other with cat & mouse games. The side het couple is a touch disturbing, tho.

Also Old Fashioned Cupcake, it's a bit more complicated than soft but a FANTASTIC binge watch.

(list updated May 2023, not responsible for ones that come after that date)

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seriouslycromulent · 2 months

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What I've Been Up To (Larroquette love)

A couple of weeks ago, I started watching a lot of films and TV shows centered around John Larroquette. This is not out of character, of course. If you've visited my blog before, you might know I spent a fair amount of time gushing over him in 2022 after I finally made my way through The Librarians series for the first time, and followed it with a re-watch of the original Night Court.

After that, I watched him in Boston Legal, only to get sucked into a vortex of awesomeness called James Spader. (What can I say? Like most nerds, I have an obsessive personality.)

I've since left that rabbit hole, and leapt into a few others throughout 2023. And now I'm back to gushing over JL.

Maybe it's the new Night Court TV series. Maybe it's the overwhelming increase in great fanfiction that I've come across recently. Maybe it's because the world seems to be constantly on fire and I need a salve to help soothe my psyche. Maybe it's a combo of all 3.

Either way, I'm still leaning in, and I just want to thank my fellow nerds for sharing sources and leads on where I can find more Larroquette goodness. I'm not blowing smoke here either. I truly appreciate this.

Not only because I'm slowly running out of things to watch, but because it's nice to know there are others out there who see what I see in him. You don't know how rare that is.

Anywho! Back to geeking out. Here is a rundown of films, TV shows and TV mini-series-esque things that I've watched starring JL in the past 4 weeks:

* Walter and Henry (watched on Tubi) It was ok. I didn't dislike it. I am a fan of James Coburn and it was nice to see John play a saxophone. I remember him mentioning that he played reed instruments in his musician days back in NOLA. So I'm going to assume that he didn't have to take lessons to sell those scenes.

* Some of the McBride film series (watched on trial version of UP Faith & Family streaming service) These weren't bad. Somewhat Hallmark-y, but I would actually like to see the rest of them, especially the ones JL directed. But about 4 or 5 of them aren't available for streaming, and those include the ones he directed. The ones I saw include - - McBride: Anybody Murder Marty? - McBride: Tune in for Murder - McBride: It's Murder, Madam - McBride: The Chameleon Murder - McBride: Murder Past Midnight

* Camera Store (watched on Tubi) I know JL said in an interview that he didn't like shooting this film, but I thought it was really thought-provoking. You can tell by the reviews on IMDB that some people didn't like the slow burn of the story. But for those of us who like day-in-the-life character pieces, it was very well done. One person described it as a modern-day Death of a Salesman. And I'd say that's pretty accurate. It's definitely not for everyone, but it's certainly worth a watch.

* The 10th Kingdom (watched on Amazon Prime) I think this miniseries was a big deal back when it came out in 2000, but I never saw it. I'm not sure why because I've always been a big fan of fantasy. However, now that I've seen it, I can't say I loved it all that much. So maybe that's why I didn't watch it back in the day. I think it had a great premise, and I loved how they wove a lot of different fairy tales into one big story that played out over 10 episodes (or five 90-min episodes on Amazon).

But I think I had trouble trying to figure out who the audience was supposed to be for this. I'm guessing they wanted it to be for the whole family, but some of the dialogue skewed far older at times and it left me wondering the rest of the series. Especially when it came to things on the topic of virginity, infidelity, and sexuality in general. It was just every now and then, the characters would say something that made me go, "What was the TV rating on this again?!" Also some of the scenes between JL and his daughter were incredibly dramatic, but very out-of-place with the rest of the series' tone. They were good scenes, but it's like it became a completely different series for like 20 minutes. But ... oh well. I'm glad I saw it and can now reference it in the future.

* Wedding Daze (watched on UP Faith & Family) Talk about Hallmark-y! Well, I think this one actually was a Hallmark movie to be fair. The subject matter definitely wasn't my cup of tea, but overall, the cast wasn't bad. Well ... JL, Karen Valentine, French Stewart, and the actors who played the daughters weren't bad. Everyone else was kinda ... m'eh. But it's not bad if you like these types of stories. Interestingly, one of the actors who played one of his daughters (Jaime Ray Newman) also played opposite him in one of the McBride films. It was the McBride: Murder Past Midnight one. In it, she actually came on to JL's character at one point in the story. I looked it up. She shot the Wedding Daze film first, so the McBride role came later. I'm sure that scene was interesting to shoot. All in all, I can't say I recommend Wedding Daze though.

* Chuck, ep. 202 and ep. 414 (watched on Amazon Prime) I've heard about these episodes for years, but I never took the time to check them out because I wasn't a big fan of Chuck. I basically gave up halfway through the 1st season. But for the love of JL, I made myself watch these 2 episodes where he guest starred as super spy Roan Montgomery. And what can I say? They weren't bad. I actually enjoyed them for the most part. It was also fun to see Lesley Ann Brandt playing another sexy badass. (Methinks, she's been typecast.) I also imagine John probably liked playing the scenes where he was tied up. To be fair, he probably enjoyed the whole thing. He looked like he was having fun pretty much the whole time. Still not a fan of the show though.

* Sanford and Son, ep. 505 (watched via a link provided by another fan) Having grown up on reruns of this show, I loved learning that JL was a part of it, even if it was early in his career and he probably has very little memory of it. After I watched it, I told my mom about it, and she said she remembered that episode after all these years. So that episode definitely had some staying power for a young actor, I think. I mean, how many actors can say they played a white version of Lamont Sanford? LOL! It was a funny episode that kind of gave you a behind-the-scenes look at what the TV soundstages of the 1970s used to look like. Plus, it had Robert Guillaume in it too. Thank you fellow JL fan for sharing it!

---

OK. That's it for now. As I mentioned before, I don't have a lot left to watch that's available featuring our guy. Madhouse and Richie Rich are both on Tubi, but I saw those back in the '90s when they came out, and I don't really think they warrant a rewatch.

There are a lot of things in the shared folder I could enjoy, but I'd have to download them and I don't know if my computer memory can take it. Which sucks because I'd really like to watch Baa Baa Black Sheep. My mom remembers that show too. We'll see what I decide next.

I'm sure I'll land on something else before this obsession quietly gives way to another one in a month or so. Until then, watch this space face.

#john larroquette #fandom

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inconsistentlywrittensoul · 2 months

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Buffy Season One Review

I’m on my first Buffy rewatch in a long time - I think over a decade? I have watched the entire series enough times that the episodes are all still kind of burned into my brain, but I’m curious what my reaction will be now I’m a bit older.

Anyway, I’ve finished Season One, and I thought I might do a quick review of each season as I go. Can’t promise I’ll be able to keep it up, but I’ll give it a go. So…

Season One Review

S1 is… fine. It’s okay. It’s not as good as later seasons, but it’s not bad; it’s shallower than later seasons, but having expected that I found there’s a surprising amount of depth here. (Partly because I’m watching after reading @herinsectreflection’s excellent analyses, which inspired this most recent rewatch.)

I actually don’t think there are many bad episodes in S1 - the problem is, there’s hardly any good episodes either, and none that rise beyond just being ‘good’. They’re mostly just perfectly serviceable - the metaphors are a bit blunt, the humour’s a bit broad, the MIDI soundtrack kind of sucks, the vibes are kind of cheesy and immature, and overall, it’s just…

It’s Power Rangers. It’s a bit deeper and scarier, and the action scenes are worse, but basically, Season One is Power Rangers. And that’s not bad - I kind of like Power Rangers, and it’s not a bad season by those standards - but it’s not what Buffy is trying to be, or what it will become.

Season Score: 5/10 - It’s fine.

Big Bad - The Master:

In some ways, the Master is perfect. It makes sense that Buffy’s first villain is this kind of ancient and powerful vampire - he’s not as interesting as later villains, but it feels appropriate that Buffy has to beat this more generic Big Bad to move on to them. And he has a strong enough presence that he can actually bear the mythic weight that is placed upon him - it makes sense that he’s the one that killed Buffy, that he sired the Bisexual Vampire Squad; it never feels inappropriate that he has this important place in the mythology of the series, and he can carry that weight in his rare later appearances.

Unfortunately, in this season, he’s a Power Rangers villain. He sits in his lair, sending out minions and screaming in frustration when they fail. (Even finally facing the hero directly in the finale, beating them easily before they get a power up and return the favour - classic Power Rangers villain stuff.) He spends most of the season both trapped and sickly - while at full power he’s a compelling, intimidating presence, for most of the season he seems weak and kind of effete, like a homophobic Bond villain. At his best, he's montrous yet civilised, brutal but witty; in his weakened state, he lacks the contrasts that make him compelling.

Still, he is charming, he does work well in the finale, and he’s always a delight in his rare later appearances. So…

Big Bad Score: 5/10 - He’s fine. (... and not in that sense.)

Rewatch Reevaluations

The biggest change in my perspective since my last rewatch is around Angel. When I was younger, I didn’t really think much about the age difference between him and Buffy; now I’m older, I’m extremely aware of it, but also, it seems like the show is too. The episode where he shifts from ‘random mysterious stranger’ to ‘potential love interest’ is Teacher’s Pet - an episode about an older sexual predator preying on teenagers. Then in ‘Angel’, we don’t just see him creepily staring at Buffy, we see him lie to her about it afterwards, in an episode where the age difference is a major topic of discussion.

In general, his obsession with her comes across as way more creepy and pathetic than I remember, and while part of that is just my interpretation, I do think think the series is aware of it; I think him following her around and staring at her from afar is meant to be kind of offputting. I’m curious how I’ll feel about their romance going forward - I remember on previous watches I thought their breakup in Season 3 was unmotivated, and I suspect I’ll feel very differently about it this time around.

I’m also generally more aware of some things after reading @herinsectreflection’s essays. In particular, I’m noticing Buffy’s relationship to death - from her ‘seize the day, because tomorrow you might be dead’ philosophy in the first episode, to her rebelling against and accepting it in the last… and her Faith-like smile as she enjoys mortal combat with vampires at the beginning of ‘Prophecy Girl’. I’m also much more aware of Giles as a very flawed figure torn between paternal affection for Buffy and sending her to her death - which is explicit in a few episodes, but I’m more aware of it as an ongoing arc, rather than just some isolated emotional beats.

Other than that, one thing I’m noticing is how much weight the show gives to the death of minor characters. It’s easy for an action/horror show to start treating death casually or flippantly, but so far the show is careful to give each death an emotional impact, to make every death matter… at least ‘til the end of the episode, at which point they’ll be promptly forgotten about. Sorry Jesse.

And unsurprisingly for a 90s show, I am finding the sense of humour a little mean and kind of misogynistic, especially towards Cordelia. That said, though Xander is often the face of this meanness, I honestly don’t dislike him, even in S1. The thing is, either the show is aware that he’s being an asshole, in which case it’s an intentional character flaw, which is good; or it isn’t, in which case I tend to blame the show itself rather than the character. Maybe that’s a little generous, but it lets me enjoy the character, so I’m willing extend that generosity. I am curious how I’ll feel about him going forward. I'm glad at least Cordelia gets to be more of a character towards the end of the season - it does make the jokes around her feel a lot less mean.

Honourable Mention Award for Underrated or Forgotten Characters Who Deserve to be Mentioned Honourably

3. Zookeeper Furry from ‘The Pack’. Just a really solid one-off villain performance, in an era where performances tend towards the broad and cheesy side of the spectrum.

2. The Black Cat from ‘The Witch’. Looks like stock footage, never shares a shot or even a set with another character, and achieves nothing except slightly startling Giles, after which he just continues as if nothing happened. Yet despite doing basically nothing, it achieves greatness by earning a place in the opening credits. Truly an inspiration.

1. Principal Flutey. With how much he gets overshadowed by Principal Snyder, it’s easy to forget how great Flutey is as a character. From tearing up Buffy’s permanent record and taping it back together again in front of her, to being eaten by Hyena-possessed students, Flutey is a delight whenever he’s on screen - he’s genuinely a highlight of Season 1 for me. Principal Flutey, I salute you, and hearby mention you as honourably as I can.

Episode Rankings

Might not do this for every season, but hey, it’s a short season, so why not. Starting from the top:

'Prophecy Girl' - Obvious choice, needs no explanation.

'Angel' - Strong character work, introduces a bunch of ideas that’ll be important for the rest of the series, and solves the problem of making a single vampire a threat by giving her guns, which I respect.

'Welcome to the Hellmouth'/'The Harvest' - A solid introduction to the series; I wouldn’t call it great by most standards, but it competently introduces everything the setting, characters and the premise of the series, which is impressive in its own way. Luke is perfect in his role - he’s a compelling presence that feels like a genuine threat, but he’s not so interesting that he distracts from the important things.

'The Pack' - A solid guest performance from the zookeeper, Principal Flutey’s last stand, and some juicy thematic and character goodness makes leaves this Monster of the Week episode at the head of the pack. (… I am so terribly sorry.)

'Nightmares' - Character! Themes! Imagery! This episode has it all, at least by the standards of Season One.

'Out of Mind, Out of Sight' - The first episode that treats Cordelia like an actual character. Also, invisible assassin school! Everybody loves invisible assassin school.

'The Witch' - A perfectly competent MOTW episode, this gets a boost for featuring the cat that accomplishes nothing.

'I Robot, You Jane' - Yeah, the 90s hacker schtick is goofy, but this ep’s not bad - I like the goofy robot demon and the surprisingly good demon prosthetics for its non-robot body that barely appears in the episode. I like the idea that scanning a magic book can summon a demon into the internet itself. Also, Jenny’s here.

'Teacher’s Pet' - Another MOTW episode that does its job adequately. I’m inclined to think of this as the Most Typical Season 1 Episode - it perfectly represents the season at its baseline.

'Puppet Show' - I kind of like some of the ideas in this episode, but the puppet’s a creep and parts of the plot feel contrived. (Why are they sure the demon will leave as soon as it has the organs? Why would Giles get into a guillotine under any circumstances?) Overall… Eh, it’s fine.

'Never Kill A Boy on the First Date' - There’s some good stuff in here, especially around Buffy’s relationship to Giles and to her own Slayerhood. Unfortunately, the plot just doesn’t work - even this early on, one vampire just doesn’t feel like enough of a threat to build an episode around, and generic serial killer vamp is no exception - he's certainly no Luke. It’s a plot entirely concerned with setting up the larger arc around the Anointed One, and that would leave this episode feeling empty and boring even if it was for an arc that was actually, you know, good.

So that's Season One. I enjoyed it fine, but... I'm definitely looking forward to the series really getting good. If somehow you've actually read this far: Thank you for putting my words into your brain. I take it as a great compliment, and hope you liked them - or, failing that, that they invoked in you a great fury, such as only the worst opinions may conjure.

In any case - and regardless of whether I can be bothered to write any more of these - I will continue my rewatch into the Actually Good seasons of Buffy.

#i'm actually a couple of episodes into s2 #and honestly #even Some Assembly Required is a significant improvement #it's not great Buffy #but it IS Buffy #the show has arrived #it's become itself #btvs #btvs rewatch #review #meta #btvs S1 #long post #really long post #maybe went a little overboard on this one

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