#anyway don't you love adaptation across media????

[haru-desune]

Even if you haven't seen the blooming live recording, go with vibes?

#a3! #uhh i know ive shared the links before but I'm sure they're floating around somewhere #act! addict! actors! #anyway don't you love adaptation across media???? #harugumi #natsugumi #akigumi #fuyugumi #a3! blooming live #blooming live #I'm putting this at one week fir circulation reasons

[bigfatbimbo]

Velvette lover anon again!! Thank you for enjoying my rambles lol, I have a lot of Thoughts about Velvette (if that wasn't obvious lol).

I would absolutely love some dating headcanons about Velvette!!! I actually have a few of my own headcanons about her!!

- When you two first start going out, she views it as a casual thing. You're just a little side project in her mind, something to entertain herself with on her off hours.

- She's not one of those obsessive losers (like Valentino) who feels the need to always be in control of the one they desire.

- But that's not quite the case, as you slowly take over her insta page, as she starts making more and more time for the two of you to go on dates, when thoughts of you start slipping into her work day.

- She probably doesn't even notice how obsessive she belongs until someone like Vox points it out to her. She's quick to deny this fact, but she's never been one for ignoring reality and clinging to an idea just because it's "safer", so it doesn't take long for her to realize that she actually cares about you.

- like a lot. Like a LOT lot.

- though I don't think she shies away from this fact. She's adaptable! You don't rule the fashion business in the media age without being able to roll with the punches.

- She takes her newly realized feelings in stride, and actually makes more of an effort to spend time with you and romance you. Before she was fine if you got enough of her and called it quits, in her mind that just meant you were too weak to handle her. Now the idea of you leaving her fills up with a sickly devastation she hasn't felt before.

- Honestly at times it can across as a bit much (Velvette is nothing if but persistent) and at one point you will have to sit down and have a talk with her that amounts to basically "I'm not going to ditch ya! I really, really like you too."

- Now getting into more of the fluffy headcanons, I imagine that Velvette really likes dressing you up. She could spend hours putting you in different outfits and having you model for her.

- You hopefully have a walk in closet because she is gifting you a LOT of different clothing.

- Somehow Velvette finds that you make even the ugliest clothing look good, though she rarely ever lets you out into public without the "best of the best".

- Velvette will try to make you an actual model. It doesn't matter if you don't fit the "criteria" at all, to her you are perfect.

- It takes a lot of convincing that you're not ready to be a model. Your objections about "stage fright" being over ruled by "it's all online, babe! No one has to be in the room besides me!"

- Eventually you are able to convince her that modeling isn't for you, but she still keeps the photos on her phone for her to look at.

- Velvette LOVES matching couple outfits. Though she's a lot less obvious about it then other couples. The outfit doesn't actually have to match, maybe the bracelets compliment each other, or the couple scheme goes together.

- I feel like Velvette would really like showing you off. She knows that she got the best babe in hell and wants to rub it in everyone's faces. So expect a lot of public dates to fashion shows and fancy restaurants.

- Though, funnily enough, she finds that the dates she enjoys the most are ones in private. Where the two of you are cuddling on the couch watching shitty reality TV in un-fashionable tee shirts and eating a tub of ice cream.

- There's an intimacy there she isn't used to, one where she feels like she can let go of all her walls. Where she can be gentle.

I don't have any smut headcanons for her (I'm not the best at writing smut). So I'll leave that to you if you feel like it! Anyway I hope you like my headcanons!!!

UM GASP!?? these headcanons are the cutest thing i’ve ever read oh my gosh! i love your take on velvette it’s honestly so nice to read.

Infact, i’m going to save my personally headcanons (sfw and nsfw) for later because this has totally convinced me to write for velvette more.

Seriously like expect headcanons soon because she is taking over my brain

She’s my baby and i LOVE HER <333

#hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel velvette #headcanons #inbox open #hazbin hotel fluff

[mecachrome]

Hi k! I love reading your ojp scholarship, as he has crept up on me and taken over my brain. Weird question but why do you think he picked Lando as his guy to be a bit weird about?

hi anon 🥺 first off thank u for indulging me & also that is not a weird question at all!!!

ok obviously this is just me saying Anything so i apologize in advance T__T but tbh i think a lot of it ultimately goes back to the idea of lando's ~Proximity~ and how a very specific mélange of career circumstance laid out a foundation for oscar's interest extremely early on... which. let me explain!!! more behind the cut:

not to go on too much of a tangent but if you look at the current drivers in f1 who are roughly within a few years of oscar's age and could have feasibly been someone he'd looked up to coming up the ranks, i'd say the cutoff is like, 2018? so the group is basically charles/george/alex/lando, of whom the first 3 were alr in intrepid together (albeit in diff categories) when oscar had barely started karting at all. also alex moved up to single-seaters very early and his career/road to f1 is obviously a lot more complex than the others, so in reality the only ones oscar would have properly "followed" are lando and george, and then having gone through rfm & british f4 himself it makes sense that he'd lean more toward lando.

...idk how to put this succinctly but basically it's Like: so you're a kid in australia who believes in yourself so much you're willing to move halfway across the globe and attend boarding school by yourself while all your friends and family and the World As You've Always Known It grows and changes without you, and the team you're determined to prove yourself at has semi-recently achieved victory with a guy named lando norris, who is now british f4 champion and runs three separate series the same year you move to europe and goes on to win them all, who is extremely accessible on social media and is kind of awkward but charming and uses dumb unfunny gifs that match your level of online humor exactly, and all the while you're learning to navigate a new country, learning what it really means to prioritize the endless grind of motorsport, and you wouldn't dare look too far ahead into the future but sometimes you see him and think if he can keep winning everything then why not you?

So. also i think what always krills meeee about young_814 lore is that you have to really envision what they looked like circa 2016 like they were undersized dweebs for a majority of their lives!!! anyway. but also nasdlfnagk every time oscar is like i thought you were 30 with your goatee going on haha xD it's like U knowww he's flashing back to that image of little baby lando in his mind..... ok i need to relax.

there are of course other people oscar could have been weird about but in the end it's kind of just a Skill Issue thing / matter of attrition. like from the rfm pack max and logan and guanyu never progressed the same way lando did, and you also have to remember that by the time lando was a mclaren junior he was genuinely their Golden BoyTM, and i know we often talk about lando's competency kink but oscar is also similar to that but in like a ........ he needs to respect you on some fundamental level to be obsessed with you. so the fact that he genuinely rates lando contributes (imo) massively to the fundamentals of their dynamic!!!

also tbh to me one of oscar's biggest mental strengths is specifically that he isn't a very sentimental person, as in if he left to another team i don't think he'd be torn up or anything about not having lando as a teammate lol. but i DO believe he's someone who adapts very well to unfamiliar environments and is always willing to match someone's energy/meet them where they're at (again - especially when he respects them), so he's basically the perfect person to vibe with lando's idiosyncrasies and engage in all the lighthearted push/pulling they have going on. because like he genuinely thinks lando is funny and is more than happy to follow along his meandering bantz and the weirder lando is the weirder oscar is in response and that's just how they Work ?__? so At the end of the day it's: oscar was once a teenage boy who followed (still does) at ladbible instagram and watched the same gaming streamers lando likes or whatever and has seen lando grow into the man he is today (way more confident and "visible" and successful, very much a menace, brutally honest as ever) from this Very Specific vantage point of basically the only other junior after lando to have followed the same path to f1 and been Equally as good / achieved the same stock.

*__* does any of that make sense. 

do u ever think about how lando (extensively nurtured by the team as their only junior) and oscar (basically crashlanded belatedly into his seat) are the only driver pairing in team history to have both debuted with mclaren........ do you ever think about how in a way lando's karting success indirectly influenced oscar's move to europe. do you ever think about how if alpine weren't an abject mess we would have never gotten 814 as teammates and lando would have just been Another Guy On The Grid to him........ 😮‍💨

#ask #me: i'll be brief. also me: (writes 20 paragraphs)

[gleedyke]

Here comes my two cents on anti-Neil Gaiman posting that I hope comes across civilly and that if you choose to interact with you are also polite about.

Everyone has the right to like/dislike a creator and to separately like/dislike their work. I happen to like this particular creator quite a bit, and I do notice that not everyone GOmens posting does, which again, of course, is fine. Disagree with choices made, that's healthy, but the way I keep seeing "us (fandom) vs him" mentality on any type of post feels bad. This isn't a defense of him; I don't fucking know him, nor does he need that. I'm actually quite happy when I hear folks say they simply don't follow/interact with him if they dislike him. That's great energy, but the rest of us seeing it all over is less great. Thought some reminders posted into the void would help lighten up the energy around here, or at least get it off my chest lol.

1. I've been properly queerbaited by media. This is not fucking that. Take a deep breath and heal with me.

2. A lot of vitriol towards Neil, and frankly Michael and David too, seems to be about being straight men creating this. Have we still not learned to mind our business on this front. You don't know them, we don't know them, but everything we've ever seen from them proves they're on our side. You wanna be mad at a straight man for actually fumbling the bag Steven Moffat is right th- sorry I forgot this isn't about him I tried not to bring up Sherlock in point 1 I really did. ANYWAY. I'm not implying anything, but I have learned to mind your business a little when telling someone why they can't create something queer. That's all.

3. This is his story, and it's not over. It took so long for him to get an adaptation made that he actually wanted to do, and he's doing it. I point y'all to Percy Jackson (I know there's some overlap in demographics here) and how much better the new series is just because Rick Riordan is more involved in adapting it. Having an author of the original work handling the adaptation this thoroughly is a gift regardless of how you feel about him. Additionally, he's writing the rest of the story that he and Terry Pratchett didn't tell. In Terry's honor. For himself. For all the people with beat up original copies. For all the people who have just joined because they realized there is something magical here. But above all it's still his. Take a deep breath and remember this is a love story, and if you still are not content in the end there's always AO3 my friends.

TL;DR vent away on your Tumblr if you don't like Neil Gaiman, nobody is gonna like everyone and certainly nobody's perfect. But before spreading negativity against him on every corner of the GOmens tags, I encourage you to remember how essential he is to the work regardless of your opinion. And remember that those who do like him and his work are also doing so with the best of intentions. Aren't we all. Peace and love this new year. Wait and see. Etc.

#good omens #gomens #neil gaiman #i almost didn't tag this bc i don't actually feel comfortable up on this soapbox but i would like at least somebody to find comfort in it

[painted-bees]

OK, so normally I really don't like bringing up controversial or scary/disturbing topics, but I just came across this thing recently and.... ht tps: //m.yo utub e.com /watch ?v= u0YXBkKQnQA

Yeah ... :(

But, it made me really curious. How would your OCs Rafael and Magritte react to this phenomenon? How would it make them feel, what do they think?

(Of course I'm talking about when they're in the future, since ik their whole story takes place in the 2010s. But they are still Millenials, so Mags & Raf would be in their 30's and 40's respectively by 2023-24)

(And yes I am aware they're from Canada and this problem is mostly in American (from what I've seen))

I'm especially curious how Magritte will view it, since well... she's someone born with a significant condition that makes it hard to focus, sit still, pay attention, or have certain awareness of her surroundings, etc. (all the things the lady mentions in the vid) How would she feel knowing there's now millions of neurotypical children with the same problems but for a different reason?- Because of their overindulgence/obsession in social media/technology. (really do wonder what the neurodivergent GenZ & Millenials think about this phenomenon and how it's gonna affect the Gen Alpha ones)

Also - and I know I'm really reaching with this one but - how do you think they would combat or prevent this issue with their own child? Assuming they ever decide to have one in the future.. 😅

Yeah, sorry for that whole essay of a question. 😅

And you don't have to respond if this is too deep or personal of a topic for you (believe me I really don't wanna think about how this a reality either), but if you do, I really recommend you watching the vid in full.

so, for context, the video talks about how the current generation of kids are preforming at grade levels much lower than their current grade, and are presenting behavioral problems--that are, apparently, a result of phone overuse. [/simplified]

Raf would kinda deliberately avoid putting too much thought into it and wouldn't have much of an opinion aside from "it sounds like a very complicated situation" and "when in doubt, blame the parents [/hj]"

Margie, though, has some strong opinions about North american school structures/cirriculums haha. the children and technology aren't the problem. The world is changing, it will always change. Standardized grade school is a relatively new structure, and it has hardly changed at all since it was first concieved, especially compared to how much the rest of the world/society has changed since then. School systems have not and cannot adapt fast enough to accomodate the rapidly changing job market, technology, advancements in psychological understanding, etc. And, to Margie, the fact that schools apparently can no longer teach kids in an effective manner is proof to her that the public school system is becoming obsolete and needs to change or be replaced with something more suitable for the current era. Because, after all, "anything you learn after 4th grade is kinda useless in real life application anyways, I haven't retained any of it, lmao."

Margie really very dislikes the public school system and considers it an extremely stressful waste of her childhood 😂 she coulda spent all that time...learning and playing music instead of getting yelled at by teachers and parents and made to hate subjects/activities she might have loved if they had just been introduced to her differently.

As for their own kids, they can't have 'em and don't want 'em haha

#hi-note #Magritte #rafael

[sugarygxodness]

i know hobie age discourse is annoying and frustrating. i've been watching from the sidelines ever since atsv came out and tiktok is being absolutely insufferable about it. i've also seen the plethora of arguments from both sides about it. but i wanted to put in my two cents about hobie's age because it has been yelling for attention inside my heart and i need an outlet for it desperately.

so here is my official warning. ⚠️ if you don't want anything to do with the hobie age discourse, please ignore this post ⚠️ (i doubt anyone is going to see this post anyway)

first of all, i ship punkflower. i respect chaipunk as well, though i do not ship it. when i was watching atsv, it never occured to me that hobie would be older than the spidergang by any more than 2 years. so it boggles my mind that people left their theatre thinking hobie was any older than 19 years old??

second, as i've mentioned, i have seen the plethora of arguments coming from both sides. i have heard (incessantly) about the director talking about early concept hobie being 19/20 years old. i always always take early concepts with a grain of salt because that is what they are - early concepts. from the conception of the spiderverse trilogy, a lot of stuff can change. we know that even though early concept hobie was 19/20 years old, his age is now "up for interpretation". all of us were not in the writing room when they came up with hobie. none of us can say for sure what hobie's age is. so let's leave it at that - hobie's age is up for interpretation. i have also seen people talking about hobie being bitten at 16 years old in the comics and in the movies he says he has been spiderman for 3 years. quick maths - that makes hobie 19? well, maybe. it is also important to note that movie adaptations of comics very often leave out or change information. they do this all the time. they even did it with miles. in the comics, miles morales gets bitten at the age of 13. but in the movies, miles get bitten when he was a freshman in visions academy, 15 years old. if they changed that fact about miles from the comics to the movie adaptation, who's to say they did not do the exact same thing to hobie or any other character? using comic book canon to apply to movie canon is always iffy. across the mcu, there are many many comic details that get changed or left out for the movies. this is just something i want everyone to keep in mind.

third, this is my main point. i'm going to talk about hobie's age from a storytelling point of view. keep in mind, i am not a writer. i do not have any experience writing or making original characters. i just like overanalysing creative aspects of media that i consume and i also briefly studied literature in school. if there is anything you would like to counter about my upcoming argument or add to it, i would love to see it.

from a storytelling point of view, hobie being old than 18 years old makes absolutely NO sense. if we look at miles' conflict during atsv, his whole thing is that he feels betrayed by the adults in his life because all of them view him as this incapable clueless kid who needs to be protected. his parents, while being unaware of his identitiy as spiderman, are too protective of him and doubt everything that he does. while they eventually start to accept the idea of letting their child grow up, they only start doing so when miles is already stuck in another universe. the adults in the spider society betray miles too. miles, upon meeting more spiderpeople, probably thought that they would understand him more than his own parents could. however, the adults in spider society still look down on him and treat him like a child. this is especially evident in peter b, who constantly emphasises that miles "doesn't know any better". miles is 16 (in atsv) and while that IS technically a child, those rules don't really apply to spiderpeople. after all, though he is technically a child, he watched his uncle aaron die right in front of his eyes, he saved the multiverse, and he saves brooklyn from crime every single day. as unfortunate as it is, miles has had to grow up a lot faster than the average kid. miles views himself as an extremely capable spiderman, but it feels like nobody else agrees with him. that is miles' conflict throughout atsv.

so it makes no sense that miles feels constantly betrayed by the adults in his life, yet one of the members of the spidergang that he is surrounded with in atsv is an adult? the whole point is that he feels he cannot depend on the adults in the spider society, so therefore it makes sense that his closest allies (gwen, pav, hobie) would be teenagers. making hobie an adult completely throws this theme out of balance.

furthermore, i hear people say hobie holds a mentor role in miles' life. i disagree. peter b held a mentor role in itsv. this was when miles was newly bitten, had no idea how to use his new powers, and had just lost the only other spiderman he knew. in atsv, miles has grown very well into his role as spiderman. he developed his own spiderman techniques, learned how to use his venom shock and invisibility in an effective way, and successfully saves brooklyn from crime every day. this miles does not need a mentor. this miles feels betrayed by the people he thought he could trust. this miles needs allies. that is what hobie is to miles in atsv.

to me, the r/s between hobie and miles in atsv is very reminiscent of the r/s between a new transfer student in highschool and an upperclassman. imagine this - miles just moved to a new unfamiliar environment and is a transfer student in a highschool where he knows nobody. hobie spots him, somehow decides to help him out, and gives him the ultimate tour of the school. not the proper "this is the gymnasium, we hold our pep rallies here" tour that the student council body would give miles. nah, his tour is more like "this is the best place to smoke weed without getting caught. this bathroom is almost exclusively for hooking up. this teacher once called me out for plagiarism, so he sucks." then he pats miles on the shoulder and tells him that he's got his back. if anyone tried to give him shit, hobie will not hesitate to make their lives hell. this is how i interpret hobie and miles' r/s in atsv. he is not a mentor!!! miles is capable enough to be spiderman without a mentor!!!

lastly, this isn't exactly my place to talk about it, but i have heard a lot of black people talk about how a lot of people place harmful stereotyping and adultification on hobie. and the infuriating tendency for people to be against poc ships rather than white ships. and that is A LOT of food for thought. that's all :)

i ended up writing a lot more than i thought i would. clearly i care too much. oh well atsv brainrot era go brrr

#spiderman atsv #atsv #atsv spoilers #punkflower #miles morales #hobie brown #atsv hobie #hobie spiderverse #if i hear someone say hobie is 20+ once more i will lost my shit #punkflower nation rise up #across the spiderverse #spider punk #spider man: across the spider verse

[maybe-not-a-robot]

Media Log 2024 Entry 3 - De Blob - 4/5

I remember very few things about this game from when I was a kid. the overtly anti-imperialist message was not one of them.

To preface this, I will tell a little story about myself: De Blob, the original game on the Wii, was a game I had and loved as a kid. Though, I had a strange relationship with it: I never played past the first level even once. Every time I booted up the game, all I did was play the first level. If I'm remembering correctly, it was because I was afraid of the enemies that appeared for the first time in the second level. My, how I've grown!

Anyway, this game is pretty damn good! To start with the positives, the gameplay loop of painting buildings and doing missions in ambitiously large levels is very enjoyable (and it ties into a scoring system so I'm obligated to like it at least a little bit). This gameplay loop is made much more enjoyable by what I consider the game's highlight feature: the entire in-game OST is adaptive! As you paint the levels, the music goes from a very simple percussion line to a full-track alongside other changes like the sky going from gray to blue and the ground getting more colorful. On top of that, it's just a really good OST all around, which is always a plus.

The game also oozes (like paint. Haha.) charm and style, which becomes readily apparent as you paint buildings from blank grays to vivid colors and patterns. The entire game is about revolution against an oppressive government and its graffiti-inspired style works well to sell that! The character designs are also very charming and use shape language well to convey their vibes.

Speaking of the revolution against an oppressive government - the weird thing about this game is that it's very overtly leftist. It's not like it's winning awards for discussing theory like Disco Elysium, but it goes farther than I'd expect a Wii game published by THQ to go. Besides this, the story isn't anything to write home about, but it's funny when it wants to be and weirdly fucked up when it wants to be. Ink is rarefied liquid misery, by the way.

Anyway, onto the negatives - mostly, the controls. While the movement feels good in open spaces, precision platforming is a major struggling point. The slippery controls make moving across smaller platforms or making tight jumps a chore, and wall jumps are even worse - you either stick to every wall you brush against or you don't stick to walls at all.

The other negative is the enemy design - honestly, mostly just the Elite Inkies. Having to go out of your way to find the right color to deal with them is a fine gimmick... until the game starts really overusing them. Then it gets really annoying really fast. The combat in general is fairly weak, really - I feel like combat doesn't suit the gameplay the best, and that focusing more on hazards would have been the best, as satisfying as slamming Inkies into little black stains is.

Overall, De Blob is a very charming and unique game (with a great port to PC from the Wii!) held back by some major flaws, but nothing so bad as to sour the experience. I'd recommend giving it a shot if you get the chance!

Also, like the Portal series, it's apparently a game that started out as a school project. Funny how that keeps happening.

#media log #media log 2024

[animehouse-moe]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks....

You're all good! This is the first time I've been asked this. I'm usually terrible with favorites so I always feel like I don't pick the "best" in hindsight, but I'll try to be as accurate as possible. These will also be in no particular order since they all occupy such different areas.

(edit: I just realized in my incredible morning brain state that this said male or female, but I only read the female part haha. So this is just the female lineup, I guess).

Iwakura Lain - Serial Experiments Lain

Lain's a character that has, and will always remain enigmatic. Subjectivity and personal experience remain intertwined with works like Serial Experiments Lain, so what each individual takes away from it will change. Personally, what makes me love Lain is her desperation to communicate, to connect with the people around her. To make friends, to do fun things with them, to understand the people that comprise her life. But that desire spirals, she gets absorbed (like so many do) and becomes something else entirely. Fracturing and separating herself, spreading those instances across the internet in a desperate way to connect. For existing prior to essentially all forms of social media, it depicts the struggle and addiction that trouble countless people in freakishly accurate fashion.

Iwakura Mitsumi - Skip and Loafer

Had to put them next to each other on this list haha. Iwakura Mitsumi though. I don't hate the approach of a lot of Shojosei in terms of high school slice of life/romance, but I find much more to love with the more grounded ones than the more fantastical, just a personal preference. Anyways, Mitsumi. She's just the perfect representation of high school life. A dash of confidence, a good bit of deep seated anxiety, lots of stress over school and friends, but a positive and hopeful outlook in spite of her stumbling and struggles that's wonderfully accented by blossoming feelings of love. She just occupies a space that is very rare these days, so of course I love her.

Ryougi Shiki - The Garden of Sinners

Okay, hot take since (spoiler) Saber's not going to be on the list. I just haven "completed" Saber's story if that makes sense. I've read a lot, experienced a lot, but I haven't gotten 100% of it like I have with Shiki. That said, Shiki's story. I mean, as a character they're so damn hard to really capture. After all, there's more than one of them, and their story is told through the experiences of others. Shiki as a character, and The Garden of Sinners as a series, just holds a special place in my heart as Nasu's first real creative work that remains untethered by the requirements of a visual novel. If Nasu's work on the VNs is the base level, then The Garden of Sinners stands a cut above from start to finish.

Hatsuseno Alpha - Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

A robot that is startlingly human, but surprisingly childlike. Alpha was is just the perfect vehicle to experience YKK through. Vast understanding and interest, but meaningful naivete and curiosity. She explores a world peacefully accepting its death, and is able to pull such beautiful moments from it. She doesn't struggle or bemoan the end, but rather takes it in stride and focuses on the beauty of humanity, how it's adapted, what's been lost and what's been created in its stead. It brings it all together under this character that is so deeply passionate about exploring life even under these circumstances, that you can't help but feel an indescribable warmth in her story.

Biwa - Heike Monogatari

Okay, maybe I'm cheating a little bit with Biwa here, but it's just a character that I think is incredibly beautiful. Witnessing the murder of her father, she's taken in by a clan doomed to death, where a man possesses a similar ability to Biwa. Together, she struggles to create the family she never had, all the while forced to come to terms with their deaths. She fights tooth and nail to keep them alive, but her attempts are futile. In the end, she is given her adoptive father's ability and completes what one might call the "cycle". Seeing life and death, the eternal struggle that will never change, she experiences her life, her family, her future and past to its fullest, and commits her life to telling the story of the Heike that she was so fond of. It's a beautiful story centered around Biwa's experiences, and her fear of death and not having a family, truly wonderful stuff. Also Aoi Yuuki kills it as Biwa.

Kusanagi Motoko - Ghost In The Shell

This was baby's first big kid series for me. I'd always watched anime here and there, but mostly things like Bleach/Naruto/DBZ. Ghost in The Shell was the first really big series I'd dip my toes into via those 4 minute YouTube videos at 480p. Kusanagi's nature as the bridge between technology and humanity is endlessly explored and just such a great idea, that through the countless (good) iterations, there's a wealth of her to experience. Undoubtedly an iconic series, and one that's certainly remembered very fondly by me.

Kirigoe Mima - Perfect Blue

Mima's an incredible character driven to the psychological breaking point. Under the scrutiny and pressure of being an idol, the facade begins to crack and what seeps out from the gaps is nothing short of incredible. Satoshi Kon remains a wizard in what he did with his works, and for me, Mima's character in Perfect Blue is the pinnacle of that. An implicit story of the stress and strain placed on idols (and the entertainment industry at large) by those that string them up and sell the souls of these girls, Perfect Blue and Mima remain in a realm of their own in a lot of ways.

Nozomi - Sonny Boy

Well as they say, the proof is in the pudding, and the pudding in this case is Nozomi's name. Translating from Japanese it means "wish" or "desire" in English, and is the personification of Nozomi's role in Sonny Boy. As close to a catalyst as one can be, she spurs on the wishes of the characters around her, providing the foundation for our main character Nagara to grow and develop. In the end, the desires of each individual can be connected to Nozomi, even in her death. She's arguably more central to the plot of Sonny Boy than Nagara, so of course I see her as a deeply special character.

Kamikoshi Sorawo - Otherside Picnic

A somewhat different pick to help round out the list. Sorawo Kamikoshi, and Otherside Picnic at large, are certainly things that I don't think most people would fall in love with. But I did. The vitriol that her character expresses, the toxicity and self hatred and destruction. Her character is a very damaging and "bad" one, but that's what I love about it. There's no grand scheme behind Sorawo's personality, or any ideal that her character chases. She follows the whims and curiosities of her life as she willingly casts herself into the abyss of the Otherside alongside Toriko, and along the way, she learns to slowly grow and improve as a person while maintaining her core personality.

Osaki Nana - Nana

The duality of Nana as a character is just so well done to me. A character with two sides isn't anything special, but I think the way that Yazawa approaches her as a character, and introduces those cracks in her façade and the struggle that they represent is just really, really good. It has me really desperate for Yazawa to return from hiatus and continue on with Nana.

And that's the list. I know I've left off characters like Tohru or other massively popular (and well written) leads and characters from shojosei series, but a lot of what I desire out of a character can't quite be found in a lot of what ends up popular and translated (and what I tend to remember) I feel. If you take a look at the list, for example, you'll find that the majority of my favorites are from older series, as well as ones that feature more "tragic" or "twisted" characters. Personally, I find a flower most beautiful after you've understood how it's wilted and withered before it fights to bloom once more. Endless blooms that grant an eternal summer are undeniably beautiful, but that beauty tends to lack context and in turn can become simplicity. So that's my list, as imperfect and everchanging as it is. If I'm asked once more in a year, it will probably look startlingly different, but that's how these things will go with me.

#serial experiments lain #lain iwakura #lain #mitsumi iwakura #iwakura mitsumi #skip to loafer #skip and loafer #shiki ryougi #ryougi shiki #kara no kyoukai #garden of sinners #alpha hatsuseno #hatsuseno alpha #yokohama shopping log #yokohama kaidashi kikou #ykk #the heike story #heike monogatari #motoko kusanagi #major motoko kusangi #kusanagi motoko #gits #ghost in the shell #mima kirigoe #mima perfect blue #perfect blue #satoshi kon #sonny boy #shinichiro watanabe #sorawo kamikoshi

[kattitude130]

well i went and made another another kagerou project playlist (really i just edited the same one again) theres a few official orders out there, but i wanted to make my own that i personally thought might be good for newbies. i even included the spoken prologues/epilogues (or whatever you'd call them) from the albums!

if you'd rather listen/watch them in chronological order of release (i'm usually the same way), unfortunately i don't have a list or playlist for that, but you can find that kind of information on the fandom wiki

i tried to find a place for every song, but what's not included are the official covers, which can be found on the album Mekakucity M's (you will likely find it split between "Mekakucity M's 1" and "Mekakucity M's 2") i highly recommend them whether or not you prefer human over vocaloid!

if you dont know what the hell im posting about at all-- the Kagerou Project ("kagepro") is a mixed media series about kids with special powers stuck in a timeloop (simplest way to put it). the full story is told across vocaloid songs, light novels, a manga, an anime, and more. the interesting part is that these different stories are not necessarily adaptations of the same story, but rather depicting different routes/timelines of the timeloop and have different endings. if this playlist interest you, the official order is music -> manga -> novels -> anime, plus an animated short film that has a currently unknown placement (some later songs are likely adaptations of some novel chapters, and frankly i think you could swap novels and manga and not lose out on anything, but i dont want to make it too complicated... anyway) i have been a huge nerd about it for over a decade now so feel free to ask me questions because it is a bit convoluted, not gonna lie, but i love that kind of thing. ok anyway please give it a shot!!

#kagepro #kagerou project #special shout out to youtube user Azami Medusa for uploading high quality videos with subs in the captions a few years ago #before that it was just 10 year old 360-480p subs #its the future you dont have to struggle like child me did #also hello fellow kagefans i know youre here because theres only like 5 posts a week in the tags #(i also see everything you guys post there keep it up) #feel free to give advice on the order im willing to tweak it but ive done so many times already #my post #im also not a TOTAL expert even if im obsessed youd be surprised the amount of new things i still learn just by rewatching the videos #so many years later

[queensquidly14]

YO! I'm Squidly14! It's a pleasure to meet ya! I make digital, traditional and sometimes I'll make 3D if I'm feeling it! My art is usually shit quality most of the time...Mainly cuz I'm still using that damned Paint3D cuz I haven't found an art app that works for me, But sometimes my art looks pretty good, So Yeah! Thanks for reading and I hope my you like what the future holds for me and my art!

(ART BY @chickes0up) Love you honey <3

Lore time! Hey! I'm Squidly! I'm an Inkling! Which, if you don't somehow know what that is, I'm a cross between a humanoid being and squid! My homeland is in Inkopolis! But as I got older I decided to go on my own adventure! On my journey, I came across what looked to be a digital pen and drawing pad, But turns out...You could create a whole UNIVERSE with it! and I thought to myself..."Hmmm...I've always wanted to be a person who would look after my loved ones and friends...and I COULD make my OCs become a reality!" and so I did, I created what I called "Begalinių galimybių pasaulis" which means "World of infinite possibilities" But I just shorten it to "Pasaulis" for easiness....But...As time went on...I noticed things changing about me physically...My hair...It was lush, full, wavy...normal hair, and I could no longer transform into my squid form...I panicked, So I quickly traveled back Inkopolis, But before I noticed it....Once I got back, My body was back to the way it was...So I just assumed it was me adapting...I eventually found social media! You're all quite nice! funny, weird...kinda cringe...and sometimes just downright bone chilling...But I'll manage! Anyway...That's probably all I have to say about myself...If you...wanna be apart of Pasaulis, come ask me! I'm always happy to see if I can help you! (Also I'm 19 IRL but my online sona is somewhere between mid 20s to early 40s)

I don't remember where I got this base from but if you know please comment so there is credit is credit is due

Diehard Dawko Follower

Avid Astralspiff Viewer

Pretty Pezzy Spectator

Esteemed ElasticDroid Enjoyer

Behaved BigPuffer Beholder

Persistent PointCrow Onlooker

Funny Filian Fan

Chill Chibidoki Witness

Cool Caseoh_ Consumer

Cute Kwite Listener

Spectacular Special Edd Gawker

Jealous JSchlatt Observer

Illusive IronMouse Watcher

Jokester Jimmyhere Testifier

Zesty Zentreya Bystander

Lovable Lolathon Looker-on

Preppy Penguinz0 Deponent

Messy Matt Rose Seer

Beautiful Blaire White Attendant

~~~ FANDOMS I'M IN ~~~

- FNAF

- Bendy and The Ink Machine/ Bendy and The Dark Revival

- Phighting!

- Hazbin Hotel

- Helluva Boss

- SCP

- Friday Night Funkin'

- Disney

- Backrooms

- Lethal Company

- Team Fortress 2

- Dark Deception

- Geometry Dash

- KinitoPET

~~~ OTHER SOCIALS ~~~

Youtube

Roblox

Steam

Others coming soon~!

~~~ DA RULES ~~~

REBLOGGING MY ART IS MORE THAN OKAY! INFACT! I ENCOURAGE YOU TO REBLOG IT! I WOULD LOVE MY ART TO GET OUT THERE!

I Love roleplaying! I'm fine with anything as long as you're okay with too! I'll do NSFW, SFW, Head canons, Special AUs, Just nothing that's creepy or morally wrong!

ANY discrimination towards someone's religion, sexual orientation, identity, race, Controversial topics, etc will NOT BE TOLERATED ON MY PAGE

DO NOT use tone tags around me, I'm fucking TIRED of that shit, I can handle shit, and if you don't like/can't handle it, grow up

My page is meant for anyone who wants to escape and have fun! don't ruin it :)

Constructive criticism towards my art is fine, just don't be a dickhead about it and/or outright hate on my art

Swearing is fine, I personally don't give a shit, just remember to tone it down when needed and obviously no slurs or offensive language

absolutely NO TRACING, COPY & PASTING OR STEALING my art! fanart is fine and all (I will make a fanart tag for it soon, but stealing or tracing my art, character design, saying you made the character, etc will force my hand and report you for stealing

I have an opinion too! So I will USE IT and TALK MY SHIT! If you don't like it, sucks to suck! just unfollow/block me, I don't care, If you try to change my opinions/beliefs.

NO NSFW of my characters unless you get EXPLICIT permission from me and the character isn't underage (You freaks)

I will draw NSFW FOR FRIENDS ONLY! and it will never be publicly posted it will it DM'ed to you directly, unless you want it posted publicly (With mature filter on ofc)

IMPORTANT! IF YOU ASK FOR ANY DRAWING REQUEST YOU HAVE YOU HAVE TO DRAW SOMETHING FOR ME IN RETURN (I don't have any PayPal right now cuz Idk how that works XDD)

I also do "Ask me anything" of my OCs! I'll make a list of the main ones soon but you'll MOST LIKELY see my OCs just randomly posted on here! (Just no NSFW if the characters a minor)

----DNI LIST----

Under 15 (I can't control what you see but I don't want you looking at my content, It's not straight up CORN, but there will be artistic nudity, pretty suggestive themes, vulgar swearing, etc)

Art "Fixers" (Let's face it, you're pretty fucked up to think you're doing ANY good)

NSFW exclusive accounts (You be wearing Victoria's Secret when your pussy ain't even a secret)

Proshipper (You're actually just a pedophile don't deny it you FUCKING MONSTER)

Vtuber Hater (I like Vtubers)

Anti-Furry (I have furry friends, also they're not that bad)

Anti-Fujoshi/Fudanshi (I am a half Fujoshi)

DSMP stans/fans (You're cringe)

South Park stans/fans (You're annoying as FUCK)

MLP Stans/bronies/fans (You ruined my childhood)

My Hero Academia stans/fans (You're VERY cringe)

Bluey stans/fans (You're kinda weird)

DDLC Fans/stans (Bro what?)

You believe Zodiacs actually mean something (Booo)

Therians/Fictionkins/Kins (I was groomed twice by therians/kins, and I can't emotionally handle it right now, I need time to heal, Please forgive me, But I don't HATE you, I just don't know who to trust)

Racists (Oviously)

Antisemitic (Kinda cringe ngl, isn't that just nazism?)

Homophobic (I'm Bi oviously)

Transphobic (Dude it should be obvious, but also don't talk about it too much I do get uncomfortable if it's shoved in my face)

"Degenerates" (Pedophiles, Zoophiles etc)

Race swapper (Idgaf what race you swap It's still bad in my eyes)

Identity Swapper (Like swapping sexuality, gender identity etc)

If you believe your "Head canons" are actually canon (Bro 💀Separate canon from fanon)

EXTREME activist for ANYTHING (Idgaf your not helping your cause by screaming in other people faces)

Talk about any of the wars (I'm sorry but I can't mentally deal with that right now, it's too draining, just let the innocent people live, that's all I'm saying)

#kawaii #my art #oc #splatoon #inkling #cute #goober #new to tumblr #hello world #squidlys ocs #squidlys house of art #sillyposting #silly little guy #so silly #bisexual #tomboy #personal #about myself #squidlys yapping sessions

[spacevixenmusic]

What's your opinion on the subject of filler and episodic television? Is it "dying" as some have bleated on about? Are stories that keep up plot momentum better or worse?

By "episodic," I don't strictly mean that there's never any continuity so much as the Myth Arc across a given season is flexiable enough so certain episodes can be ordered a certain way with enough care. By contrast, any given Netflix series may be episodic but with a set order that cannot be flexible.

First off, we have GOT to clearly define the word "filler" so people can stop misusing it. "Filler" occurs when a show is being adapted from a different original source (typically manga, games, or visual novels), but the studio ordered more episodes than are needed to complete the adaptation, and writers must create additional episodes full of stories NOT included in the source material in order to "fill" the episode quota. You can usually spot this in extremely long-running anime series when the plot catches up to source manga (Dragon Ball, One Piece, Bleach, etc) and the writers have to get creative while they wait for a new volume of source material to be released.

Anyway, what was the question again? Oh right, episodic shows.

Serial vs episodic: neither is better or worse, they're two different types of storytelling, and they work to different ends. I'm a fan of both honestly!

Episodic shows only seem to be "dying" because there's been a huge rise in the popularity of serial shows lately. If watching reaction channels has taught me anything, it's that modern audiences have started really undervaluing episodes that don't drive the plot forward or reveal new Lore or Character Development. And y'know, it's fine to have a preference for serial shows, I get that, but I don't understand the sheer disdain for light-hearted episodes or self-contained adventures that don't lead into something bigger. You can blame Marvel movies if you like, but I blame TVTropes and CinemaSins and Youtube comment sections personally. These places have fostered and created a generation of people who LOVE feeling they're somehow "smarter" than the show they're watching, rather than just, y'know, watching the show and coming to their own conclusions all the same.

I have a special fondness for episodic shows that take on a mini adventure every episode. A staple of my childhood was a show called Mighty Max, about a kid who fell into the possession of a magic baseball cap that could open hidden portals that took him all over the world. Every episode, he and his two semi-immortal guardians would be tasked with saving people from weird B-movie sci-fi and horror creatures, which required them to travel to foreign countries on the regular. Max would get a message that the world was in peril and have to find a portal located in some completely random location, - for example, the frozen food aisle of a local grocery store - that would drop him off in the middle of the wilderness in Sumatra or an ancient castle in Scotland or wherever. By the end of each episode, the world would be saved and Max would try to get home before curfew so he wouldn't get in trouble with his mom, and before the credits, would take a moment to talk about the geography and culture of the place he visited in that episode. No overarcing plot (just some occasional recurring villains), just a classic case of Putting A Guy In A Situation, and it played a huge part in my love of travel and culture and geography, which then led to my love other multi-cultural media, like Cowboy Bebop, The Fifth Element, and Adventure Time.

^ That's the sort of thing modern audiences seem to dislike though. Episodic shows aren't "dying" so much as people are just less fond of them than Serial ones these days.

#anonymous #filler #mighty max

[neonscandal]

"JJK really went from a loved manga to a mid-to-bad story with insufferable fans 🙏 may more of us hate it in the future. It snatches the spotlight from genuinely good shows and its another case of "general shonen fan will call any trash 'goat' if the fight is well animated".

I used to be a fan, until the start of the culling game. And after this controversial, inconsistent and inhumane adaptation of shibuya, im glad that I have no interest in both manga and show anymore"

Do you think Culling Game really that hard to understand? Cause I saw quite a llt got turned off to JJK since that arc....

⚠️ Content Warning (no real spoilers) for the Culling Games arc. Nothing in depth to warrant burying beneath a "Keep Reading" but fair to mention just in case.

I don't know how to say this without generalizing negatively but the sentiments very much sound like they came from a cishet dudebro. I've noticed that shonen series' that have a fanbase made up of vocal queer people and/or womxn fans are widely renowned for their "insufferable fans" and this specifically is applied to JJK and MHA across social media. I wonder why.

From the lack of sexualization of female characters/students, the immediate shutdown that Nobara was going to fall for Yuji or Megumi in typical shonen fashion, the cast of men being curated for the female gaze across the manga and anime adaptation (Gojo, Geto, Nanami, Toji, etc.), the overt queer coding and presence of canonically queer/trans characters... also, the simple fact that the canonically attractive and OP characters aren't insufferable assholes? Maybe that's just a me thing but it seems like these factors have been rubbing certain people the wrong way.

Re: the animation of Shibuya and the practices that delivered the work with such an insane timeline and not to the quality of the team of animators' liking... that's valid. But that is a Mappa shortcoming in an effort to snatch up all the prolific and iconic adaptations they can, not a JJK shortcoming. As such, throwing the baby out with the bathwater there doesn't seem like a particularly sound argument but just a means to pile on.

A/N: As it stands, Mappa held the reigns on AOT's final season (taking over from Wit Studio due to production schedule), S2 of Vinland Saga (taking over from Wit Studio due to production schedule), JJK S1, JJK 0 movie, CSM adaptation of S1, Hell's Paradise adaptation of S1, JJK S2, CSM movie adaptation for Reze Arc, Zom 100... all since 2020 and does not encompass other, smaller series'.

I'll concede, it makes sense that the culling games left a lot of readers lost in the forest, myself included. Not the point of the games since we know, to what end, Kenjaku!Geto hopes to achieve at this point.

I think readers were stymied by how much time was spent on developing unique characters who were offed like.. a chapter later. A necessary evil to maintain the living core cast of characters who would later have to take on the Big BadsTM while also moving along the point system for the Culling Games. It seems like Gege Akutami took their time to cultivate these mini-fights though it wasn't clear to what end from a plot standpoint... yet. Empirically, we've seen small details woven back into the story which didn't seem apparent at the time given the exposition style of the mangaka.

As a reader, I love guessing at the end of stories. You can see the crackpot theories that pepper the Manga With Me tag. But the Culling Game arc spans long enough to lose the plot and make it so much harder to forecast where the story is going. Especially when Gege Akutami generally seems like a troll of a person anyway.

I think the Culling Games happening immediately after the Shibuya arc was a choice. Based on anime only fan reactions to Shibuya, what's to come is not for the faint of heart fans. Especially when you consider the losses suffered in Shibuya are immediately eclipsed by the regular losses and disappointments within the Culling Games. However, as a fan, I'mma let Gege cook even if they're using my tears and angst as seasoning because we haven't seen enough of the story to determine the Culling Game's true place/meaning within it.

I think, story wise, they started off too strong with emphasizing Gojo's overpoweredness. Subsequently, they had to write in caveats and build ways to close the gaps between him and other characters to allow for the story to press forward with or without him. I still don't know how this story is going to end though I think I have a new hypothesis from the last time I guessed at who would survive.

At the end of the day, it's definitely that person's opinion to jump back in once more of the story has been fleshed out should they choose to do so because a lot of people don't like dealing in uncertainties. Whatever they decide, don't let it sway your enjoyment one way or another, anon. ❤️

#neon asks #anon asks #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #manga #anime #mappa #mappa studio #culling games #culling game arc #gege akutami

[fuckyeahjasonschwartzman]

im becoming a fan bc of spiderverse and i love your blog <3 ive seen a couple wes anderson movies/scott pilgrim but are there any movies or shows you’d recommend? thank u!!

okay so fair warning, outside of the animated movies, the wes anderson ones, and spvtw, pretty much all jschwartz movies and shows are going to contain something mildly graphic at the least. usually it's weird sex which I think is awesome but I can't recommend viewing if you're a minor (most of my followers aren't tho so I'm not worried)

anyway, here are recs with my personal thoughts! (reading the little reviews is not mandatory but suggested? I guess if you want a better idea of what you're getting into)

Shopgirl (2005)

Besides Steve Martin's absolutely rancid performance, I'm actually a huge fan of this movie and I think it's so enjoyable. it's not a masterpiece, but there was clearly a lot of intent and thought put into the design choices and cinematography (I've written papers on the color symbolism!) and though the story isn't amazingly coherent because it was adapted from a much better written novella, it is still at least enjoyable. I love the atmosphere, and I think it's a very unconventional romance film that explores the unhealthy relationships that are glamorized in similar media as sexy and desirable (ray porter is a character that existed before, and yet still makes fun of toxic love interests like christian gray). and I like how it extremely accurately represents what it's like being a severely depressed lonely woman.

I'm inherently biased here because I watched this movie for the first time while I was in an abusive relationship and it still really resonates with me. most people luckily do not experience that so I'm a bit of an outlier here :')

2. I Heart Huckabees (2004)

I have no deeper reason for loving IHH I just find it delightful. it's weird, it's confusing, its kinda gross, it's shocking and you don't start understanding it unless you think about it really hard for a while. it's essentially a beginner's guide to different schools and concepts in philosophy, which I'm a big ol sucker for. lovely message that I believe is handled better than a lot of movies who go for the existentialism thing. not a fan of the director, but this movie is pretty enjoyable and leaves you with a lot to think about (if you're into that). LOVE the score.

3. Spun (2002)

INITIAL WARNING THIS MOVIE IS DISGUSTING. and I love it. it's so fun and experimental especially with the editing and cinematography, the pacing is insane, not to the mention the animation, the color correction, the everything... has one of the most amazingly satisfying closing shots in a movie, ever. but it's definitely not for the faint of heart, if you can't sit through watching someone snort meth off a urinal stall or a close up of someone injecting themselves with a needle, this is definitely not for you. (not to mention the sex, again).

4. Marie Antoinette (2006)

yayy finally an option that most people agree is good! unless you're French. I was almost named Antoinette after my French g-g-gma (got named after my French g-g-g-gpa Raymond instead), plus rococo is a huge interest of mine so I adore this movie. it was shot on location at Versailles, the costumes are GORGEOUS, and almost everything is accurate! it has a mixed classical-modern soundtrack and aesthetic that I find very effective in getting its message across. however I do tend to like this movie more than most because I know who everyone is and what's happening already! it's based on a biography by Antonia Frasier which is sitting next to me as I type this lol.

5. Funny People (2009)

HEAR ME OUT. OKAY. mark taylor jackson was my "ohhh shit this dude's hot" moment and this movie was The Beginning for me. YES, it's an Adam Sandler movie co-starring Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill. AND YES. I FIND IT TO BE AN EFFECTIVE DRAMA. I don't like drama in film in general, I find most to be very unrealistic and unrelatable for me so I get bored easily, but I do think this weirdly works? I love how it's kind of an introspective look at Adam Sandler's career, with liberties taken, and the characters seem to actually have some chemistry and realism to them, even in the sillier moments. jason schwartzman is super cute. need I say more.

6. S1m0ne (2002)

ok, admittedly jason isn't in this one too much. and yet it's still worth mentioning because it's an insanely underrated and likeable movie! if anything al pacino is hot, and the entire premise is so unsettling and dystopian in an ACTUALLY WELL HANDLED sci-fi manner (good sci-fi concepts tend not to be "what ifs" but allegories for things that are actually happening already). S1m0ne is a criticism of hollywood, celebrity culture, and mass media, and it's genuinely just so creative to me. another contender for the best ending shot in cinema. ALSO, very pretty cinematography and a very fun early 2000s feel to it. the writer/director also wrote the Truman Show iirc!

7. Bored to Death

saving TV for last. let me tell you one thing! if you're looking for jason schwartzman at his best, you need to watch this show. it is so funny, so entertaining, and best of all, every character in it is so terrible and fucked up and it's wonderful. it's crazy, but grounded in reality, which makes it even crazier. jason schwartzman plays a hopeless romantic author who's boredom and disappointing love life lead him to becoming an "unlicensed private detective" who accepts jobs through craigslist. also there are zach galifianakis and ted danson, who play the two other main characters. the entire premise of the show is these three guys getting high and solving mysteries together and it's phenomenal. there's an actual episode where jason runs down the streets of brooklyn in full leather bdsm gear. there's an episode about furry sex. It's so weird and perverted and SUCH a good comedy noir(?) I can't not recommend it, despite having the worst fucking ending out of anything ever cause it got canceled.

tldr: I like bad movies

there are a ton more I could go ok about but these are the ones I personally enjoy the most. good luck

#jason schwartzman #I can't morally recommend the overnight or slackers but if you want to feel like the high mg edible just kicked in then those are there too

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

🖋️"what inspired you to write your WIPs?"

📖"what has surprised you about your WIPs?"

💻"what perspectives do you write in?"

🖥️"what types of writing do you do?"

❤️"what are your favorite scenes from your WIPs?"

😭"what are the biggest challenges writing your WIPs?"

Hello! Thanks for the ask! (From this game)

This is a lot of questions! Haha super excited though. Sorry I took a bit to get to this. Long of course so it's under the cut.

🖋️"what inspired you to write your WIPs?"

The Secret Portal

TSP's inspiration can be traced back to the Rainbow Magic series. I was obsessed with these fairies as a kid, and at one point role played a story with my stuffed animals on two girls discovering they were fairies. In fourth grade during a creative writing unit, I thought back to this story and decided to change fairies (since I thought I was too old lol) to "people with powers" and I added a portal or something. It has since evolved so much and I don't know where the inspiration has come from. Most media I consume is somehow ingrained into my writing style.

School of the Legends

SOTL was inspired by my love for fairy tale retellings. Whatever After and The Land of Stories stick out the most if I'm being honest.

📖"what has surprised you about your WIPs?"

The Secret Portal

TSP has surprised me by how far it's come. How interesting I find it. How it keeps evolving into something I'm more and more proud of. Smaller stuff, like Lexi deviating completely from her original purpose of a self insert, Gwen becoming more important than I thought, how natural the chemistry between the characters has been, my many ah ha! Moments. How much I've grown as a writer and how amazing it is that I can track my growth across over a decade of my life. The positive reactions I've received. How much it keeps getting better. I love it more every day. Hard work is paying off.

School of the Legends

SOTL is not that far in development but I'm surprised by how fun it is to think about. How hilarious the first couple chapters have been overall. Also, I really like a lot of my ideas for adapting fairy tales and stuff.

💻"what perspectives do you write in?"

The Secret Portal

TSP is told in a multi POV format. One major theme is perspective and the inner workings of each character, and I honestly can't imagine it in third. It's taken a lot of work, and the character voices are becoming increasingly more distinct. There are chapters without one focal character told in third person.

School of the Legends

SOTL is told completely in third person, with one focal character per chapter. I think most of my projects from now on will be third so the exhausting and diligent work from TSP doesn't have to be repeated. Only two other works I have planned feel fitting for it anyway.

🖥️"what types of writing do you do?

I obviously do a lot of original fiction, primarily sci-fi and fantasy. Only one idea that I haven't completely scrapped is realistic fiction, and that will likely stay the same. I love realistic fiction, but find compelling narratives hard for some reason. This idea doesn't even have a plot so that's also telling.

On the side, I do a lot of media analysis. I love reviewing movies and shows and analyzing the crap out of them. Not only does this help me process and document all of my opinions but it also gives me a better understanding of the property, writing process, and story progression that leads to my development as a writer.

❤️"what are your favorite scenes from your WIPs?"

The Secret Portal

Favorite scenes aw man. For TSP, the grilled cheese sandwich debate has a special place in my heart. It's unfortunately very long so obviously I'm going to have to cut it down, which I'm working on, but I'm keeping it as is. Also, the intense moments that I'm proud of stand out. Ash getting manipulated, Noelle and Carmen arguing, Jedi's entire backstory, etc. I become super proud of myself for being able to get invested. Any scene with Robbie and Akash honestly.

School of the Legends

For SOTL, it's not that long, but I love the opening scene for Tierney's chapter electric shocking his brothers. But I am also proud of Úrsula's chapter for being pretty nuanced.

I guess both the wholesome shenanigans and also heavy scenes.

😭"what are the biggest challenges writing your WIPS?"

The Secret Portal

Biggest challenge for TSP is honestly world building. I can figure out character and plot enough with hard work but my brain hurts from world building. Which kinda sucks because I want Alium to be distinct. The good news is, it's coming along, and I like the tiny little processes that I make over time. Little things add up, and Alium is becoming more and more of its own thing. I like that, even if it's hard.

School of the Legends

For SOTL, it's stringing together a narrative and structure. I have a lot of characters and plot ideas but can't connect most of them. There are just so many fairy tales. I have no idea how I'm going to work with this. Maybe just making it a string of one-shots with an overarching plot could work. I dunno. We shall see where it goes.

Thank you so much for all the asks!!! This was so fun! Hope this was a good read!

#writing blog #writers on tumblr #writing community #writing ask games #behind the scenes #the secret portal #tsp #teaspoon #school of the legends #sotl #my wips #ask answered #writers of tumblr #writing on tumblr #writeblr community #writeblr

[mendimore]

The Danmei Series 01: Tf is Danmei?

Note: This is an effort to convert more unsuspecting fandom children into danmei because I need more people to talk to about this. Enjoy!

Danmei.

If you haven't heard of it before, HAHAHA, you are in for a ride.

Basically, Danmei is a Chinese fiction genre (the name directly translates to indulging in beauty)that features m/m relationships.

Mendi, isn't that just bl? Yes, but specifically Chinese.

Well, Mendi, what difference does that even make? It's all the same thing.

No. It is not.

...Okay, it is a little bit.

BUT, danmei is its own genre for a reason. China, just like any other country is rich in culture. I acknowledge this may be a bit biased, but I am overjoyed that Danmei is flourishing. But, anyway, let's talk about it.

If you have heard about Danmei media in the West, even just a little, It's pretty likely that you came across one of MXTX's works. MXTX or Mo Xiang Tong Xiu is the pseudonym for a popular Danmei author on Jin Jian Wen Xue Cheng (jjwxc) a popular web novel site(a whole lot of Danmei authors publish their work on this site).

MXTX has three novels, and if you hear about the MXTX fandom, it refers to the enjoyers of all three of her novels. These three works consist of Scum Villain's Self Saving System(svsss), The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation(aka Mo Dao Zu Shi, or mdzs), Heaven Official's Blessing(aka Tian Guan Ci Fu, or tgcf). The first of their works to become very popular was mdzs, which has several adaptations(basically any adaptation you can think of). If you were into cdramas at all around 2019, you might have heard of The Untamed. The majorly successful live-action adaptation of mdzs. Or maybe if you are in the anime/donghua community, you heard about the mdzs donghua adaptation. And if you were a fandom child who found Ao3 at the right time, you might know of "Sexy Times with WangXian" which broke Ao3 with the number of tags it had and forced Ao3 to have a tag limit, or a fanfic of the lead actors of The Untamed making Ao3 illegal in China.

Have I scared you? Sorry. Truly, the mdzs fandom is not as problematic as it sounds. I started my own Danmei journey with mdzs, and it holds a soft spot in my heart. I also have way too many opinions on the adaptations and how new viewers of mdzs should approach it to get the maximum emotional value, but that is a discussion for another time.

Anyway, Heaven Official's Blessing, also skyrocketed in popularity when it came out. It has its own donghua that you can find on Netflix with a fully English dub. As well as an extremely beautiful manhua and audiodrama. But of course, I encourage you to read the novels first, especialy because these adaptations are not finished, unlike mdzs.

Scum Villain is the heavily underrated middle child as far as adaptations go. It absolutely does not mean that it is bad. It isn't. I don't wanna get into the debate about how someone isn't a true mxtx fan if they haven't read it, and how it's so much better than the other books. I personally disagree with the last statement. I do also hold a lot of love for Scum Villain, Shen Qingqiu is one of my favorite MCs of all time, the premise is a lot more relatable than the other two, but it's pretty clear that svsss is Mxtx's oldest work. She has definitely been improving. Obviously. go read it, especially if you enjoy her other two works.

But, before you come at me for only talking about one author out of ALL the Danmei out there, I would like to point out that MXTX works are probably the most accessible in the West in regards to Danmeis. They were the first to get a full English translation and along with 2ha (The Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun, another very popular danmei written my an author under the name Meatbun), I was able to see them perching on their own little stand in Barnes and Noble.

So, you may have noticed something. I talk a lot about the web novels. maybe if you're into bl or yaoi, you will notice that a lot of those adaptations are in the form of graphic novels. Why is it that there is more emphasis on the actual novel? I know I know, why do these people want to make us actually just READ words instead of look at pretty pictures of pretty people. Disgusting. I understand your pain. I actually do not have anything largely conclusive to tell you why this is, but based on my observations here are two contributing factors: 1. it's easier to hide subtext, specific cue words, and satire in text media(I mean it's pretty clear when a character is desperately holding on to another character, yelling "My, love, when will you return," when you skim through a manhua, then if there are just a bunch of words), this also means its easier to hide from censorship; 2. the Chinese language itself is very poetic and if you have interacted with Chinese people, the number of references and idioms will drive you nuts as a language learner, in manhua form it can lose some of its humor and imagery, particularly with Danmei because a lot of the subject matter and the nature of the romances is kind of idealized and poetic; 3. Danmei is actually very plot-centric, the romance is often like a little cherry on top of the mounds of story, drama, and character, and so when you see even manhua or donghua adaptations of the stories, I would say that often quite a bit of the depth gets lost for the characters and the story, it's the same as what happens with a lot of blockbuster films. I'm sorry but book >>> movie almost every time.

Of course, there are options for you if you are stuck on graphic novel-style stories. Chinese manhua generally has a distinctly pretty and clean style. It does depend on the artist, obviously, but if you are a huge fan of pretty art, I tell you Manhua knows what's up, just give it a shot.

Anyway, all this yammering and I haven't talked about the actual content.

Many things set a lot of Danmei apart, content-wise. Chinese fiction has its own fantasy genres of wuxia and Xianxia. Wuxia, translating directly to martial hero, is a low fantasy genre that centers around martial arts in a historical au including sects, master-apprentice relationships, cool fights, etc. It has a lot less supernatural or magical elements, and instead often focuses on what is feasible with the human body alone. Xianxia on the other hand(translating directly to immortal Hero), can vary with very cool magic systems and worldbuilding based on Daoist and/or Buddhist influences. Xianxia is high fantasy and often includes supernatural themes, immortality, spiritual cultivation, etc. It may include mentions of the three realms. where you can ascend to godhood, haunt the mortal realms being unable to find the land of the dead, or go through the cycle of reincarnation.

Danmei can be based in some Chinese historical settings as well, separate from wuxia and can be from ancient times or during the more recent period of militant china, often with some emphasis on Peking opera.

Of course, Danmei has plenty of works set in contemporary or futuristic timelines as well that are similarly unique in their own way.(right now I just started Little Mushroom, and I really enjoy the futuristic worldbuilding so far)

Additionally, I mentioned before that Danmei is in fact very plot and character-centric.

Ha, yeah right, Mendi. Plot. The plot is romance, that is the genre, what plot could there possibly be.

Well. A whole lot.

I gave you a little taste with the mentions of some cool worldbuilding, but you will get a taste of insurmountable joy and boundless despair, reading some of this stuff. Many of your favorite tropes appear often, from enemies to lovers to pretty guys with long hair falling down cliffs(ok that is just an MXTX thing, I don't care if you think my taste is basic because i love MXTX, the stories are good). Also, you get a dose of east asian ideals and culture. For Asian Americans like me, it was very refreshing to feel somewhat understood in a way that I didn't see in Western media. The emphasis on family relationships, age hierarchies, reputation, and the way your asian aunties will gossip about you both right in front of you and behind you and have no sense of boundaries, and dramatic-ass idioms(iykyk). The way that these relationships are built is through the plot, and that is something I miss sometimes with a lot of the romances I've read. There are plenty of points of interest, from being do-gooders trying to be a good person and then getting roped into and wrongfully blamed for some elaborate scheme, or a hefty, intricate revenge plot based on some deep hatred and a not so healthy does of body horror. You will have a blast.

So, now that I have sold you on danmei content. Let's talk about another factor why you may not already be a Danmei enjoyer.

Danmei is enjoyed by many women in China and internationally, which also means there is a lot of controversy regarding the fetishization of m/m relationships. While I agree that this is a problem, I disagree that enjoying a gay romance is fetishization. it can be, but it more than often is not. Just like how I can enjoy a poetic, well-set-up, straight romance, I enjoy a lot of really beautiful Danmei stories in much the same way. For a lot of Chinese women, Danmei allows them to remove the societal constraints put on women in a relationship. it's a way of escapism, this might also be a reason as to why a lot of these romances are so poetic, even if tragic at times. Having the stigmatism of fetishization might push more heteronormativity into media. As long as you can enjoy the romance healthily, appreciating the characters as characters, and the plot as plot, and not specifically enjoy the fact that the relationship is between two gay men, you should be in the clear. The fact that some people are driven away from these stories because of the stigmas around boy's love saddens me. You don't have to be a connoisseur or anything, but if the sole reason you reject a piece of media is because it has a gay pairing in it, that is pretty homophobic. Although I will say, there is a difference between not wanting to read it because it's gay and not wanting to read it because you don't want to read smut. I understand some Danmei has smut, and some people aren't comfortable reading that, ok. But if you are intrigued by the premise, I would say just do your best to skip the smut scenes, if you really don't wanna, ok, but I think for things like smut, you can really get away with not reading it usually. Also if you think all danmei has smut, you are sorely mistaken. There are plenty of Danmei fics with no smut, and a lot of the adaptations sometimes don't even have real romance, which is sad, but if that is your concern, seriously don't. Also, in regards to censorship, if that is your issue. Unfortunately yes, it is an issue, but, there are plenty of options in the Danmei world, I'm certain you will find something.

Anyway, some of this is just my opinion, I am still actually relatively new to Danmei, I have read my fair share, but if this encouraged you to get into some Danmei, I have fulfilled my mission.

I will be back, probably talking about mdzs adaptations next time or some recs or working on some reviews, but I hope you enjoyed!

NOTE: About MXTX official translations, I have heard some mixed reviews. I, personally, read all three of the works as popular fan translations online, so I have not reread the full official translation. I have heard there are some distinct changes, including smushing some of the chapters together, which is something I am not sure about. it's unfortunate, but its only something to keep in mind. The novels should still be faithful to the original story.

#danmei #mxtx #mxtx mdzs #mxtx tgcf #mxtx svsss #mxtx novels #gay romance #chinese #2ha #little mushroom #rant post

[highaver]

anyway here's a quick run down of some things you might have seen actor bal in! aside from some bit parts in a number of long-running tv shows and movies & etc, these are some of his bigger projects.

The River Dragon (2006, film) - He's thirteen/fourteen in this movie and I do in fact need you to bully him about him being a baby. Balfour plays Halfdan, a young boy from the Danelaw who befriends a dragon in the River Ouse. There was a period of time where they played this yearly in that weird between-Christmas-and-end-of-year period, and it's based on a beloved children's book.

Other Lives (2007-9, tv) - A recurring role in this drama, Balfour played Jamie Wilson, the troubled son of one of the main characters. His character got killed off after three years of variously stupid plots because he was the designated Cautionary Tale Character and, honestly, he was glad to see the back of this one. It was not good. But he did get to go to Newcastle to film it, and he enjoyed that.

The Veil of Time (2012, film) - Balfour played the supporting role of Gregory, a young man from 18th century Derbyshire who was killed in mysterious circumstances. His story becomes the obsession of the main character of the film, Eva, while she's visiting the stately home in which he was killed. He got some recognition for this one on the back of a very solid performance.

The Prizefighter (2013, tv) - This is about the time when he was like "oh, I'm a period drama guy, I do period dramas". Set in the 1920s, he plays Adam Flynn, the brother of main character Amelia, who is in love with the titular prizefighter. He's a horrible, awful dude in this one and the feedback he receives the most is "wow, I was so glad when you died!" It wasn't great but it did get multiple seasons after he was written out, so whatever.

The Dead Water (2015, tv) - Balfour plays Ned Braithwaite in this tense murder mystery about a late-nineteenth century merchant ship crew. Notable for: how cosy he looks in the costumes, his curls, one particularly intense interrogation scene and the fact that the final scene of the first season leaves his character's fate entirely ambiguous. Is he dead? Does he get back home? Who knows, this show got cancelled after one season because nobody watched it and now you're going to stumble across it years later and be desperate to know what was meant to happen in season two.

Run Wild (2019, film) - His comeback project! Balfour plays Scott Miller, a Mancunian country musician in a band trying to hold itself together while the relationship at its centre falls apart. He was required to sing and play music for this film, which led to him learning how to play both the harmonica and banjo. It's his finest film yet, and he was praised for a strong start to his return to what had previously been a very, very mixed career. There was also a lot of speculation around the bts of this film as to whether he had a fling with Alfie Hoult, who was one of the duo of musicians who worked on the music, on social media. I personally would not blame you for falling in love with him a little bit in this movie.

The Highwayman (2020, film) - Uh oh, they've realised he can sing! In this R.obin H.ood retelling, set in the 18th century, Balfour plays A.lan-a-Dale and, boy, they sure do make him sing. He's playing someone from Lancashire and his accent has been perfected, thank you. This film isn't his best but was pretty decent. It's not the worst adaptation out there. The bar is low, but a solid character-first plot can get you a long way.

The G.reat B.ritish B.ake Off (2020, tv) - A charity episode that will go down in history. Balfour burned everything he tried to make except for some brownies, broke his oven, burned his hand and spent half of his time getting bleeped for swearing. There is more than one supercut of his disaster episode online. He spent most of it with his head in his hands going "why did I do this, why did any of you let me do this" but, don't worry, it was for the bit.

Wild Hunt (2021, film) - Balfour plays William, a 15th century farmer from Yorkshire who is haunted by spectral hounds. Full-on folk horror, came out in October and got a whole lot of attention, least of all for the fact that he's in every single shot and is pretty much carrying the whole thing himself. He's spoken a lot about how emotionally exhausting it was to film, but he's very proud of it. It's definitely not a film for the squeamish.

Peaked (2022, tv) - A limited series romcom. Balfour plays Joe, a handsome baker who falls for a thief, Marcus, who just pulled off the heist of the century and has decided to lay low in the Peak District until it all blows over. It's modern, for once, and a role where he actually just gets to be goofy and cute. You probably heard about it on social media because it's gay and he takes his shirt off a lot.

Herald (2023-, tv) - A drama/thriller about an investigative journalist, Alyssa Roydon, who uncovers a political scandal. Balfour plays Lucas Niven, a rival journalist with whom Roydon develops a toxic romantic relationship. Season one was highly regarded and one of the most watched programmes on television that year. Season two is set to begin in mid-2024 and is more organised crime-oriented.

Hare Spell (2024, film) - A folk horror/thriller about an accusation of witchcraft that tears an isolated village apart in 17th century Scotland. Balfour plays Thomas Kerr, the husband of Janet, the accused woman. It releases in early 2024 and reviews very well. He is very much back to breaking hearts and performing at his best in this one.

#hc. #hc. modern.