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estapa-edwards · 25 days

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HAPPY - E.EDWARDS

paring: Ethan Edwards x fem! reader

word count: 2k

requested? yes - “I want you to be happy,” “I’m happy with you,”with Ethan Edwards! :)

warnings: use of y/n.

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The crisp Michigan air bit at my cheeks as I made my way to the hockey rink. Memories flooded back as I approached the familiar arena, memories of a love lost and a heartache I couldn't forget. It had been months since Ethan and I broke up, but the wounds were still fresh, still raw.

Ethan Edwards. The name alone was enough to send a shiver down my spine. He was the star hockey player for UMich, with a swagger that could make anyone weak in the knees. But behind that cocky smile was a heart that had once belonged to me. A heart I had walked away from.

As I entered the rink, the sound of skates cutting through the ice filled the air. My heart raced as I spotted Ethan on the ice, his every move fluid and graceful. Despite the anger and hurt that still lingered, I couldn't deny the undeniable attraction I still felt for him.

The game began, and the energy in the arena was electrifying. The opposing team was aggressive, and tensions ran high on the ice. Ethan was in the thick of it all, battling fiercely for control of the puck and defending his teammates with unwavering determination.

Midway through the second period, a scuffle broke out between Ethan and an opposing player. Tempers flared, and before I knew it, fists were flying. The crowd held its breath as Ethan traded blows with his opponent, both players refusing to back down.

The fight was intense, a raw display of passion and aggression. But as the referees intervened and broke up the altercation, it was clear that Ethan had come out on top, defending his honor and proving his loyalty to his team.

The game resumed, and Ethan's performance was nothing short of spectacular. Despite the physicality of the match, he continued to showcase his talent, weaving effortlessly through the opposing team and scoring goal after goal.

As the final buzzer sounded, signaling UMich's hard-fought victory, the crowd erupted into cheers. Ethan's teammates surrounded him, celebrating their win and his standout performance.

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I waited for my friend Luca outside the locker room, lost in my thoughts and the memories that the hockey rink evoked. As I scanned the crowd, I felt a presence beside me and turned to find Ethan standing there, his eyes searching mine.

"Y/N, what are you doing here?" Ethan asked, his voice tinged with surprise and uncertainty.

"I wanted to see you play," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper, my heart pounding in my chest.

His eyes searched mine for a moment, filled with a mixture of surprise, longing, and pain. "I've missed you, Y/N," he whispered, his voice breaking. "More than you'll ever know."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I took a shaky breath. "I've missed you too, Ethan," I whispered, the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

He reached out, gently grasping my hand. "Please, Y/N," he pleaded, his eyes filled with longing. "Don't go."

"I want you to be happy," I said softly, my voice trembling with emotion as I looked into Ethan's eyes.

Ethan's grip tightened on my hand, his expression filled with a mixture of love and sadness. "I am happy when I'm with you, Y/N," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I've realized that without you, something has always been missing."

"You don't mean that. I was never that person for you," I countered, tears blurring my vision as I pulled my hand away, aching from the vulnerability in Ethan's eyes.

Ethan looked stunned, his gaze never leaving mine. "Y/N, you've always been the one for me," he insisted, his voice filled with sincerity. "I thought I could move on, but no one has ever come close to making me feel the way you do."

"I want to explain, Y/N," Ethan began, his voice gentle yet determined. "When I'm on the ice, playing the game I love, I'm in my element. But it's not the same without you. I find myself looking into the stands, hoping to see your face, hoping to share those moments with you. It's not just about the game; it's about sharing my happiness, my successes, and my life with you."

His words touched my heart, breaking down the walls I had built around myself.

"I miss our late-night conversations, the way you laugh at my silly jokes, and the comfort of having you by my side," Ethan continued, his eyes pleading with me to understand. "You make me happy, Y/N, in ways that no one else ever has or ever will." Ethan confessed, his voice soft and filled with raw emotion. "It's not just the big moments or the exciting times. It's the small things, like the way you laugh at my silly jokes, the comfort of your presence, and the simple joy of sharing my life with you. You complete me in a way I never thought possible."

I was overcome with emotion, the weight of his words sinking deep into my heart. A mixture of love, regret, and hope swirled within me.

"Ethan," I began, my voice shaking as tears filled my eyes, "I've been trying to move on, to find happiness without you. But no matter where I go or what I do, I always end up thinking about you. You've always been a part of me, Ethan, and I can't deny that. But I've also realized that I need to find my own happiness, my own path, before I can truly be with you again."

Ethan looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of understanding and pain. "I understand, Y/N," he said softly, his voice filled with sincerity. "I want you to be happy, even if that means finding it without me."

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I took a shaky breath, the weight of our shared history and the painful reality of our situation pressing down on me. "Ethan, it's not that I don't want to be with you," I whispered, my voice trembling. "It's just that I need to figure out who I am and what I want, separate from our relationship."

Ethan nodded, his eyes filled with sadness but also a deep understanding. "I respect that, Y/N," he replied, his voice choked with emotion. "Take the time you need. And if, or when, you're ready, I'll be here, waiting for you."

The weight of Ethan's words and the sincerity in his eyes were almost too much to bear. I took a deep breath, gathering my strength and trying to find the right words to convey my feelings without causing more pain.

"Ethan," I began, wiping away my tears, "I can't thank you enough for understanding. It means everything to me."

He gave me a small, sad smile, "Y/N, I'll always want what's best for you. Even if it's not with me right now, I hope that someday it will be."

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The summer had been a whirlwind of emotions for Y/N. After her heart-to-heart with Ethan at the end of the last school year, she found herself unable to stop thinking about him. Every song on the radio, every sunset, and even the simplest things reminded her of him.

She spent her days working, hanging out with friends, and trying to distract herself from the lingering thoughts of Ethan. But no matter how hard she tried, he was always there, in the back of her mind.

One evening, as she sat on her balcony watching the sunset, Y/N found herself lost in thought. The colors of the sky painted a beautiful picture, but all she could think about was Ethan.

She remembered their late-night conversations, the way he made her laugh, and the warmth of his embrace. She thought about the love they shared and the mistakes they had made. She wondered if they could ever find their way back to each other and make things right.

A soft breeze blew, bringing with it the scent of summer flowers. Y/N closed her eyes and let the memories wash over her, feeling a mixture of sadness and hope.

She knew that she needed to talk to Ethan, to share her feelings and find out if there was still a chance for them. The thought of facing him again was both terrifying and exciting, but she knew it was the only way to move forward.

Taking a deep breath, Y/N made a decision. She would go to Ethan's room and tell him how she felt, no matter the outcome. She couldn't continue to live with the regret of not trying to make things right.

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The leaves had started to change, and there was a crispness in the air that signaled the beginning of a new school year at UMich. Y/N found herself standing in front of Ethan's dormitory building, her heart pounding with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart before walking up the steps and knocking on his door.

The door opened, revealing Ethan's surprised yet welcoming face. "Y/N? What are you doing here?" he asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Can I come in?" Y/N asked, biting her lip nervously.

"Of course," Ethan replied, stepping aside to let her in.

Y/N walked into Ethan's room, taking a moment to glance around at the familiar surroundings. Memories of their time together flooded back, making her heart ache with longing and love.

Ethan closed the door behind her, his eyes filled with curiosity and concern. "Is everything okay, Y/N?"

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Y/N turned to face Ethan, her eyes filled with determination. "Ethan, I've been doing a lot of thinking and soul-searching over the past year. And I've come to realize something very important."

Ethan looked at her intently, sensing the seriousness of her words. "What is it, Y/N?"

"I love you, Ethan," Y/N declared, her voice trembling with emotion. "I've tried to deny it, to push it away, but I can't escape the truth. I love you, and I want to be with you."

Ethan's eyes widened in shock, his heart racing as he processed Y/N's confession. A flood of emotions washed over him - surprise, joy, relief, and overwhelming love.

"Y/N," Ethan whispered, stepping closer to her, "I've loved you since the moment I met you, and hearing you say that now means everything to me."

Y/N's eyes filled with tears of happiness as Ethan pulled her into his arms, holding her close. The weight of their past mistakes and the uncertainty of the future seemed to melt away, replaced by the love and connection that had always been there.

They stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, knowing that they had finally found their way back to each other. The next school year was sure to be filled with new challenges and adventures, but one thing was certain: Ethan and Y/N were meant to be together, and their love story was far from over.

Pulling back slightly, Ethan looked into Y/N's eyes with a soft smile. "I've missed you so much, Y/N. I've dreamt of this moment every day."

Y/N's heart swelled with love and happiness as she brushed a tear from Ethan's cheek. "I've missed you too, Ethan. And I promise, this time, we'll make it work."

Ethan nodded, his eyes shining with love and hope. "I know we will, Y/N. Because no matter what, we have each other. And that's all that matters."

Feeling a surge of joy and contentment, Y/N leaned in and pressed her lips to Ethan's, sealing their love and commitment to each other once more. The kiss was soft, sweet, and full of promise for the future.

As they pulled apart, Ethan wrapped his arms around Y/N, holding her close and resting his chin on her head. They stood there in comfortable silence, savoring the warmth and love of their reunion.

Took a different take to this idea!

#ethan edwards x y/n #ethan edwards x reader #ethan edwards #umich hockey #hockey

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everythingelseisextra · 8 months

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August Reading List

(Two of these were read in late July but I felt the need to include them. I primarily read what I'm tagged in. If you'd like me to read something you're proud of, please tag me!)

@zablife

Windflowers: A beautifully written fic with lots of symbolism and a hopeful, if not dark, tone. Nothings Going To Hurt You: A little sweet, a little anxious, and a lot of comfort. Atmospheric and touching. The Changretta Calls: 1, 2, My Sun, My Moon, and All My Stars, and 3, and, lastly, My Sun, My Moon, and All My Stars part 2: My God, what a wild ride. Dark, grungy, and a real treat to read, this truly is a testament to Lee's writing prowess.

@runnning-outof-time

The Woman On the Boat and What It's Like To Feel: Absolutely an emotional rollercoaster, with a protagonist that's easy to root for and an ending that's both swoon-worthy and sweet. Back to Her: A twisty, complex story with a satisfying conclusion. A Much Welcomed Distraction: Short, cute, and flirty! Super easy read and a pick-me-up on a bad day.

@emotionalcadaver

Barren and Lady of The Various Sorrows: A heartbreaking piece that shows the complexities of a difficult situation. (I would write more, but I don't want to spoil it!)

@cillmequick

Night Shift: Lyrical and beautifully descriptive, this fic is a glimpse into a deeper, touching relationship. Disobedience, Aftermath, and Wildflower Girl: Short, easy to read, but packing a grief-filled punch, this ultimately hopeful miniseries is worth the read. I binge-read it in about 15 minutes.

@weaponizedvirtue

The Face I Hide Behind, The Face I Hide Behind 2: If you're looking for spectacular writing, unique and completely fresh ideas, and the perfect portrayal of a strong, war-wrought relationship, this is the fic for you. Quiet moments of intimacy are written with a subtle, skilled hand in this series.

@moral-terpitude

The Farrier's Son, The Farrier's Son 2: Well-written and a complete standout when it comes to miniseries, this Tommy x Male!Reader is one of my favorite fics.

@look-at-the-soul

Save Yourself: A brilliantly and powerfully written oneshot with loads of angst and an ending that'll fill you with a myriad of emotions.

#tommy shelby #peaky blinders #tommy shelby x reader #thomas shelby #peaky blinders imagine #tommy shelby imagine #peaky blinders x reader #thomas shelby x reader #tommy shelby fanfic #peaky blinder imagine #thomas shelby angst #thomas shelby imagine #thomas shelby fanfic #tommy shelby fanfiction #peaky blinders fic #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders fanfiction

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quincywillows · 3 months

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a scattered and overall supportive review of percy jackson season 1

let me just say first of all, it's extremely fun to be enthused about a tv show like this again. the adaptation isn't perfect, but it's a lot of fun, and you can tell there's plenty of heart and good intention behind what they're doing. i'm very much enjoying tuning in every couple of episodes and catching up -- and avoiding the relentless commentary of the internet while i do so lol.

but now it's time for MY commentary!! to preface, i was a huge fan of the books when i was younger, am a stalwart long-term advocate of the original five books as some of the best children's lit of our lifetime, but i also enjoyed the films a decade ago for what they were and think people (including cough rick cough) are way too harsh about them. justice for logan lerman. anyway

i'm not going to do like a play-by-play, but in summary, here are my takeaways from the first season -- what i thought worked, what did not, and things i'm optimistic about going into the future seasons.

the good

for an adaptation of the original series (which, to be fair, i have not reread in years), i felt this was honest and faithful. there were tweaks, obviously, but none that took me too out of it or felt irredeemable. there was a lot to like about this show, so i want to start right from the top with my highest highs.

the worldbuilding / production design. i absolutely loved getting to see how they imagined certain iconic characters, locations, and sequences from the books. it was so exciting to get to see camp halfblood for the first time on screen (at least, in this adaption) -- that moment in episode two definitely felt like a turning point where we picked up from the somewhat laggy pilot episode. i especially loved the design of mount olympus, aspects of the underworld (hades and his upside down castle were baller, though how did percy and grover get up there lol; and i absolutely loved the choice for asphodel and the ghosts being rooted like trees, i never would've thought of that myself but it was so chilling and unique... just wish i could see it better through the terrible lighting, but we'll come back to that), and of course, camp. even down to the small details, like the camp beads... it's just very cool to see it come to life.

the casting. i wasn't sure about some of the casting when the news was breaking, but i'm very happy to have been pleasantly surprised all around (and have majorly avoided people bitching about every single thing). there wasn't any role where i felt like someone was horribly miscast, and you could tell that everyone involved really wanted to be there and committed. i thought the casting of the gods was especially inspired at times. some of the highlights for me personally:

adam copeland as ares. i had no idea he was apparently a wrestler turned actor until my sister told me, but i thought he was absolutely spectacular. very charismatic, with just the right amount of cringefail that ares needed. i found him thoroughly enjoyable in all his scenes.

lance reddick as zeus. having just played horizon zero dawn recently, oh my lorde was this an inspired choice. he was absolutely brilliant. i'm so so sad about his passing, i don't know how they're going to recapture his performance, but i have faith now that they'll find a way.

timothy omundson as hephaestus. i love that they took a softer, more mad scientist approach to his role than like ugly basement blacksmith vibes... i just thought it was really refreshing. his scene with annabeth, where we got so much humanity from him in such a short span of time, was one of my favorite scenes of the season.

jason mantzoukas as dionysus. i mean. what else can be said. obvious choice, but he was so fun lol. i hope they give him more to do next season.

other standouts beyond the main youth cast for me were jay duplass as hades (his brief appearance in 107 was thoroughly enjoyable) and dior goodjohn as clarisse (she was by far the acting standout of the first couple episodes to me). also very happy to see jessica kennedy parker and sinclair from the 100 get work, lol.

walker as percy jackson. it was really wonderful watching walker grow as an actor even just through the first eight episodes. the difference from 101 to 108 is almost night and day. you can tell how much he cares about the project and percy as a character, and he upped his game with every episode. i cannot wait to see what he turns out in the coming seasons. to be fair, i thought all of the youth cast did a decent job, and i'm giving them a lot of leeway and room to grow since they are literally child actors -- it takes time to hone your craft, and im optimistic they're all going to do a great job as the series goes on. but walker was, definitively and thankfully as the protagonist, the standout.

charlie bushnell as luke. i was so excited when i heard he got cast because i loved him in diary of a future president, and he did not disappoint. i kind of wish he had more to do, but all of that was forgiven in the finale when he had his final confrontation with percy. oh, the acting popped off then -- i can't wait for him to get to chew up the scenery more in the coming seasons.

grover and percy's friendship. it was so sweet to see this come alive, and i thought walker and aryan had excellent natural chemistry together. they were so endearing, and i really believed their friendship basically from the start (them swapping their sandwich fillings is a tiny detail from the pilot that has stuck with me since; i just loved that choice so much). they definitely provided a lot of my favorite moments in the season, and i think evoked the most genuine "aw wow" moments from me.

percy's relationship with sally. since sally was, understandably, absent from the original novel, it was awesome to get the flashbacks here that allowed us to more deeply understand their bond. i thought walker and virginia did a great job with this, and the young actor who played little percy also did a surprisingly great job (he was actually one of the stronger youth actors in the pilot imo lol). you totally understood why percy was doing everything he was, because that mother-son bond felt believable. big shout-out to the absolutely baller line "i am sally jackson's son." one of the first writing moments where i was like oh snap!

the music. a good score really can't be understated, and this one did not disappoint. did just what it needed to do. i also loved the closing title sequence and the art direction there with the epic music -- just such a nice touch that i'm so glad they included.

some of the writing. i'll get more into some of my qualms with the writing below, but there were definitely some great moments that deserve their flowers. i thought they did a great job weaving in some early themes without being heavy-handed about it (percy having to define who he is for himself, mostly). there were some genuinely funny moments that made me laugh out loud, including "i am impertinent," annabeth's "i'm multitalented," and the entire exchange on the road side when the trio to ares are like no... we're fine... ahaha bye... oh and percy trying to drive the taxi out of the garage at the casino was absolutely hysterical.

pivotal scenes hitting their mark. when the show needed to deliver, i thought they really delivered. i absolutely loved the staging and acting in the final luke and percy confrontation -- the lighting of the fireworks was such a cinematic touch. percy's arrival at olympus and scene with zeus was also a big standout. i loved a lot of the st. louis arch episode, and thought the hephaestus golden chair sequence was really well done. overall, the episodes i thought were strongest were without a doubt 104, 105, and 108.

expansion where expansion was welcome. one of my favorite aspects of the series is how it's giving more nuance to the monsters and "villains" of the books. i loved that we got a little more motivation for alecto beyond evil -- that she clearly wanted to accomplish her own mission and retrieve the helm, whether out of loyalty or fear. i loved how medusa got much more depth and humanity, that we're sort of reexamining the fairness of how myths are told rather than just taking it all at face value. i'm really looking forward to seeing how that continues in the next seasons.

the decent

percy and annabeth. to be fair, i think my issue with this is more on the fan reaction than the show itself. i think the show is doing a decent, if somewhat awkwardly paced job, of building their friendship and offering small little hints of what could blossom in the future in classic youth awkward ways -- unexpected hugs, banter, etc. i think walker and leah are both doing a good job, and i look forward to seeing how it develops. but my god, people on the internet are really jumping the shark so hard here. i can't handle seeing more "uwu percy is in love" posts when it's like. y'all. THEY ARE 12. THEY JUST MET. LET THEM ORGANICALLY BECOME FRIENDS FIRST... i just hope the creators don't feed into that and also jump the shark. like yes, we all know where this is going, but can't we enjoy the actual journey to get there instead of forcing what isn't there yet? in any case, on the positive side, some of the moments between them i really enjoyed: the conversation on the train when grover was asleep, the hephaestus chair sequence, annabeth giving him her camp beads before going to olympus (that was a slay... that was a legendary slow burn start moment worth hyping up), the way percy smiled at her in their last scene... that's the good stuff. let's not rush through what we're getting folks. the water is fine.

lin manuel as hermes. here is the thing. i thought lin did a good job. i thought his casting was apt, and fun, and he did a great balance of hermes charisma and like, a darker edge. it's just... the thing about lin manuel is that he's lin manuel. and this is coming from someone who likes him, but it's like he shows up on screen and i'm just like. hey it's lin manuel. it's a bit of a "takes you out of the moment" stunt casting, but i'm not mad about it. i wouldn't call it a bad thing. hopefully it'll wear off (though i doubt it). i guess i'm just deciding that hermes is just lin manuel, which honestly, would kind of track.

the youth acting. mentioned this above, but again, some of that early delivery was rough. but i am giving a lot of grace, and i think they've already improved plenty in the first eight episodes. i felt the same way about shadowhunters back in the day when i thought kat mcnmara was hard to watch in season 1, but by season 3 she was my absolute favorite cast member and came so far. i have no doubt these kiddos will do the same. so very much looking forward to that.

the not so great

the pacing. this was definitely the weakest part of the story writing wise. it wasn't irredeemable, but it did hinder the first half of the show (which didn't lock in for me until about 104, when the stakes truly shot up at st. louis). and that also affected how dynamics and plot points were able to unravel. the biggest victim of this...

the luke reveal. from the start, i was worried about this. since luke was only really in episode 2, i had doubts about whether the reveal of his betrayal would be at all satisfying or earned. i don't know that i can speak on it for sure, since i knew what was going to happen as someone who read the books, but i still feel we should have gotten more of those luke-and-percy-bonding scenes and convos earlier in the series rather than tacked onto the finale as flashbacks. it worked there, but i think it could've been better. thankfully, all of that didn't hinder the delivery of the finale confrontation, which as i said, was a standout moment for me.

the fight scenes. with rare exception, i was pretty underwhelmed with many of the monster battles and confrontations this season. given that's such a huge gimmick of the novels, i hope they're able to revisit and polish up the pacing of these in the future... i just felt that scenes like the museum clash with dodds were so rushed and anticlimactic. or not even confrontations at all, like the scene with crusty. we got a bit more of this at the back half of the season, in the sword fights with ares and luke, but i wanted more of that epic feeling throughout. i'm hoping it's maybe just a budget concern and that it'll improve in the coming seasons -- especially as the bosses get bigger and the stakes get higher -- but i'm not sure i'm optimistic just yet.

some of the dialogue. it was... wooden, to say the least. i think the worst moments of this were when they were trying to force Kid Bants -- which just felt stilted in the earlier episodes -- and whenever they were explaining greek myths point blank to the audience. there were moments it worked, but many where it didn't, and i hope they flesh out how to better info dump in the future episodes. i didn't mind the change of having percy be more familiar with the myths and thus more aware, but they could afford to finesse how they relay that information to us in the audience without basically reading from wikipedia in percy's voice.

the ugly

oh my god i can't see. i can't SEE. this show went to the teen wolf academy of employing one lightbulb and it's actually criminal. there were so many scenes where i really wanted to see what was happening because the stakes were high or the scenery was so pivotal -- the entry into the underworld for the first time, the vastness of medusa's basement of stone, THE FIELDS OF ASPHODEL -- but the lighting was so god awful i legitimately couldn't see a thing. in asphodel i literally could barely see the trio's expressions, it was that bad / flat. the audience is smart, we understand it's dark out. we can suspend our disbelief so you can add some visibility to this thing. i was turning up my brightness constantly but it wouldn't go any higher. please, disney execs, rick, anyone -- GET ANOTHER LIGHTBULB. i'm losing key immersive aspects of the show to this and it's a bummer. when they were walking through waterland for the first time and annabeth was like "wow can you believe this craftsmanship" i was like i don't know, girl, I CAN'T SEE ANY OF IT. begging on my knees that they fix this next season.

well, that ended up longer than expected, but oh my gods it is so nice to be writing paragraphs about a tv show again. all in all, i'd say 7.5/10 from me in this first season. there's so much to be keen for here, and i'm really happy with how it's going so far.

friends and fellow demigods, what did we all think?

#percy jackson #pjo tv #pjo tv show #pjo series #pjo #idk what y'all are tagging with lol #maggie watches tv #maggie.txt

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cjsarchive · 11 days

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First Date-Damien x Reader

I touched up my makeup in the bathroom mirror, preparing for my date with Damien. We weren’t going anywhere fancy, we were going to the zoo then the aquarium, but I still wanted to look as good as I could. It was our first date after all.

“Hey, you ready to go?” Damien asked as he walked in.

“Yeah, I was just touching up,” I told him. He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“You look very pretty,” He gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“So do you,” I teased, kissing him on the cheek in return making him blushed slightly. I giggled at the sight. I made sure I had everything I needed, and we made our way to the zoo.

We arrived at the zoo, got our maps, and headed in. Damien had a smile on his face just looking around and taking in the atmosphere. Luckily, it was quite early so it wasn’t very crowded. I smiled and grabbed his hand, bringing his attention to me, “You ready to see some animals?”

“Uh huh! Where do you wanna go first?”

“It’s your first time at the zoo, where do you wanna go first?” I read the map to him and told him what animals would be at each exhibit.

He thought for a moment, “I don’t mind what we see first. How about we just follow the path? Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah, of course! Let’s go!”

We spent a few hours walking through the zoo checking out all the animals. Damien expressed so much amazement at all the animals. His excitement was so infectious and it made for a great trip. From the big cats, to the bears, to the birds, to the reptiles, every animal was a brilliant experience. As it was early, many of the animals were out and roaming, I made sure to get tons of pictures and videos. The standout animal was definitely the lions.

We walked up to the glass and looked around. “Over there,” I pointed to one lion resting in the shade while another lion was walking beside it.

Damien gasped and stared at them in awe, “Woah! They’re so majestic!” I couldn’t help but laugh. One of the lions started walking towards the glass.

“Hey, it’s coming towards us!” The lion walked right up to the glass and stared at us. It jumped up and started pawing at the glass. Damien laughed at it as the other people around us exclaimed in amazement. It stared right at Damien and he pressed his hand against the glass in admiration.

“It’s so cute!” He smiled at the lion before it began walking off and around the pen. Damien had a love for cats and it was always so wholesome to see. He’s amazing. I had so much love for him, I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around his waist and lean it to kiss him on the cheek. He gasped and looked at me before settling into my arms. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a gentle but warm kiss on the lips.

Afterwards, we went to get something to eat before going to the aquarium. “The lions were definitely my favorite! Did you see the way it looked at me?!” Damien rambled on excitedly, “Ooh! And the red pandas were adorable! The otters were definitely one of my favorites as well! No wait, I loved the farm! The sheep especially were very cute! This was so much fun, can we do this next year too?” I smiled at his rambling. He’s was so precious.

“Of course, we can do this every year if you’d like! I love seeing you so happy.” I grabbed his hands and kissed the back of both of them, making him blush and making me laugh.

The zoo was great, but you could argue the aquarium was just as if not even more spectacular. Walking around and seeing all of the colorful fish and playful sea creatures was a great sight. Damien got a kick out of seeing the river otters splash around. The aquarium wasn’t as large as the zoo, so we took a couple laps around the whole thing. We soon found ourselves standing in front of a huge screen of different species of fish. Being engulfed in the deep blue light as a big screen of sea animals swam past us was wonderful. Damien put his hands around my waist and pulled me into a hug. I stood in shock for a moment before hugging him back.

“Thank you so much for this day.” He said softly into my shoulder, “I love you. More than you know. You are the most wonderful person.”

I felt my face heat up and a blush creep onto my cheeks. Damien always knew how to enthral me, even without his incubus powers. I ran my fingers through his hair and he nuzzled into my touch. “No problem, Damien. I love you so much.” I pulled away then leaned in to give him a loving kiss. I poured all of my love and affection for him into the kiss.

We rested our foreheads together and just enjoyed each other’s holds as the fish swam past us in beautiful waves of color.

#seduce me the otome #seduce me #seduce me otome #seducemeotome #smto #seducemetheotome #seduce me damien #seduce me damien x reader #Izroul #I wish this was longer but it was hard to without making it super repetitive😭

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somethingwittyandweird · 5 months

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What's your favorite game you played this year?

You've activated my “review of my year in gaming” trap card! I was already going to make this post in some form or another, you've just given me the perfect launching point. So, the first thing you should know about asking me for favorites: I never give just one. How could I, when it's been such a banger year of games? (Heads up, this one's going to go long.)

I loved Tears of the Kingdom to death, and it took home my most hours played on Switch. It is a shining example of what devs can do with an extra few months to polish a game. There were so many remarkable moments that testified to how much care and ideas the devs were able to put in. I loved how it used the time since the first game to develop familiar places and characters, adding depth (no pun intended) and also making sure every familiar location had some new twist. The story was a much stronger followup to BotW, and I think this overall has my new favorite ending sequence of anything in the series (I'd love to make a full post sometime about how the final Ganondorf battles just keep getting more spectacular with each new title). I am so, so, so, so normal about this incarnation of Princess Zelda.

Also in my favorites this year is Fire Emblem Engage, which hit at just the right time to scratch my strategy itch. As a long time FE fan it’s not a surprise I enjoyed this one- though it lost the political intrigue of its predecessor in favor of a more traditional/tropey story, I still had a lot of fun with all its gimmicks and gameplay innovations. Also it is hands-down the most visually appealing game in the franchise, a title previously held by the series’ GBA entries which are masterworks from the peak era of beautiful sprite art. From the incredible crit animations to the spectacle of super attacks to the battle maps which are so beautifully detailed that the game lets you free roam around them after a battle just to appreciate them better.

I finished the Link’s Awakening remake this year! It was a charming trip back to an older era of Zelda design philosophy and I found it fascinating to compare the ways where the classic puzzles and challenges differ from what the game would be like if it were made today, as well as the places where modern technology allowed for better QoL changes that weren’t in the original. I really enjoyed the music as well, which I find to be a standout among the series still.

Here at the end of the year, I have to give a shout out to Sea of Stars. It has everything you want in an indie darling- very pretty pixel art, very nice music, turn-based battles with timed hits I joke, but Sea of Stars does a great job balancing evoking/paying homage to icons like Chrono Trigger and bringing new gameplay to the JRPG formula. I like its pared-down take on JRPG combat which revamps skills/mana into a much more dynamic resource that’s constantly being spent and regenerated, and I’m a known sucker for character combo attacks which this game has in spades. The later parts of its story are told with a lot of heart, and again I am a known sucker for certain character archetypes. Surprisingly also, I think the movement and exploration is absolutely a standout- not something that’s typically emphasized in the genre. But this game constantly has you hopping across stepping stones, balancing on tightropes, climbing walls and ledges… the emphasis on interesting traversal and verticality is a strength few games like it can boast.

Before my final pick, I’m including a special section for all the games I didn't play myself but watched my friends play and still want to praise: Hi-Fi Rush, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Mario Bros Wonder, Pizza Tower, the Minish Cap Switch rerelease, and more all came out this year and all of them have brought killer music, excellent gameplay, and stunning visuals that I’ve enjoyed to no end. Anyone considering to pick up any of them would find a quality product without a doubt.

With all that said: I think ultimately it has to be Tunic in the end. Underneath its premise of a Zelda/Souls-like adventure game there is a wealth of secrets that goes as far down as you have the courage to delve. It’s a game built to evoke nostalgia for games that you didn’t understand yet, posing as a game that you watched an older sibling play or a game you could only find a poorly-translated foreign copy of. It obscures everything and teaches you its secrets through context, exploration, and discovering in-game pages of the manual (remember manuals?). It’s a game made for lovers of secrets and puzzles, full of hidden paths and trophies that reward inquisitiveness and observation (and taking paper notes). It was when I saw that it not only has a conlang, but that it gives you the hints you need to fully translate it, that I knew I had to get it myself. It spurred me to screenshot every in-game piece of menu text, then spend evenings cross-referencing it to identify phonemes and construct a key.

The rush I got on completing that key is one of two moments I knew this game was absolutely special. The second standout moment is when the game teaches you its hugest secret, and then invites you to prove your mastery of it by presenting you a huge, multi-part puzzle. But, Tunic does the same thing that one of my other all-time favorites, Outer Wilds, does so well: powerups via knowledge, “unlocking” abilities that you always had, you just didn’t know that you did. The pieces to this puzzle are hidden in plain sight; it’s only when the game tells you what you’re looking for that your understanding shifts, everything clicks, and your eyes are opened to the path you have to follow. I don’t say it lightly, but I consider Tunic to be a one-of-a-kind title, and one that delivers completely on its unique vision.

In case that brick of text doesn’t make it clear, I love this game.

I love all of these games.

It's a fine time to be alive.

#i talk a lot tag #skysometric #loz #totk #sea of stars #fire emblem #fe17 #link's awakening #thank you so so much for giving me this space to make this post #sorry-not-sorry about the wall of text jumpscare #i mean everything i said sincerely and honestly still have more to say about some of these #that i'll save for another time #long post

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marvel-starwarsfangirl · 10 months

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Secret Invasion Ep. 1 Review

Guys, I am in love already. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for with this Marvel shows. I absolutely love the thriller aspect and the feeling that no one (outside of Nick Fury) is safe. I have no idea what will happen in future episodes and that’s what makes me both excited and nervous for our favorite characters.

Speaking of characters, I love them all so much. Talos is my favorite ever since Captain Marvel and man this show solidifies why. He is so kind and has such a big heart. I’m afraid that it’s going to get him killed unfortunately. I also love his friendship with Fury; they are such a fun duo. Speaking of Fury, this man is going through a lot and I’m looking forward to seeing how his character will change. This episode makes it clear that he will have a lot of growing to do.

The rest of the cast was also amazing. Among the standouts beside Fury and Talos, was Sonya Falsworth. Olivia freaking Coleman was incredible. Everyone saying she was spectacular was right. She is so on beat and has great energy. Kinsley Ben Adir and Emilia Clarke were also both very good but I feel like they need a bit more time to really sink into their characters.

Overall, a spectacular episode and I can’t wait for what comes next. If Marvel can stick the landing, this honestly might be my fave show they gave us.

Read more for spoilers

Talos my beloved can I give you a big hug??? He really has lost everything and Ben Mendelsohn does a fantastic job portraying that. His wife is dead, his little girl is angry at him, his best friend was gone for years, and his own people think he’s a traitor. That’s just heartbreaking. What’s even worse is the fact that Talos doesn’t want to hurt his people despite everything that’s happened. And that’s understandable. But that moment when Fury shot the other Skrull dead and Talos just looks so dejected really tugged at my heartstrings. As Fury pointed out, Talos’ weakness is mercy and I honestly think this will be why he dies. I don’t want him to, but if it gets G’iah away from Gravik, then Marvel’ll do it.

And Maria Hill. Rest in peace queen. I was a little surprised when ‘Fury’ shot her because I thought it was maybe because she was a Skrull in diguise. But no, it was Gravik and it was Maria Hill. This will certainly affect Fury’s character and Im curious to see how. I wish she had more to do but I won’t forget how awesome she was.

The Skrull cause itself is heartbreaking. I don’t agree with what they’re doing, but from their perspective, they have no home and are being told to hide their true selves on earth. I’m sure there are plenty of people in real life who go through similar situations. I wonder how their plight will develop through the series. Will they eventually settle on earth or will something else pop for them? Only time will tell.

One last note, what was Sonya doing when she moved the owl’s eye to turn on a camera? It made me a bit suspicious of her not gonna lie. Could she be a skrull or is she just taking extra precautions? Is the Fury we’re seeing even the real Fury. With the exception of Talos, G’iah, and Gravik, I’m not sure who is who.

#marvel #MCU #secret invasion #nick fury #samuel l jackson #talos #ben mendelsohn #maria hill #cobie smulders #gravik #kingsley ben adir #sonya falsworth #olivia coleman #g'iah #emilia clarke #talos my beloved

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violeteyebeams · 6 months

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The Rebuild of Scott Pilgrim

It's been ages since I used this page to give my wider thoughts on a thing, but I just finished Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and... hoo boy, holy shit, do I have Thoughts™ that I'm not sure where I can put elsewhere for now.

Spoiler free verdict tho? It's good. Damn good. Especially if you're aware of an enjoy the previous source material. It's got great character-writing, spectacular animation, and some very nice music, to name a few things.

And that's basically all I can talk about without dipping into spoilers, do without further ado...

The show starts off with a pretty faithful adaptation of the first issue of the original comic. We meet Scott, Wallace, Kim, Stephen, Knives, and everyone else and the story plays out as you might be familiar with. Although you do notice some slight differences from that original. Ramona working for Netflix instead of Amazon, an extended scene with the Evil Exes, and Scott talking about Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons during his first conversation with Ramona instead of Pac Man. Some changes you might see and go "Huh, neat" and then move on, simply thinking they were fun, if not inconsequential changes made during the adaptation.

But no. Those are just a small taster as to what's to come later.

As stated, the first episode adapts the first issue of the comic, right up until the fight with Matthew Patel. It goes as you expect, beat for beat almost, but then... Scott is seemingly killed off. Patel wins the fight, and not Scott.

As the title says, Scott Pilgrim has quite literally Taken Off. He is GONE for a majority of this series! Instead, the series chooses to focus on Ramona as the central protagonist.

And that's far from the only wild deviation the story takes too. If you're expecting a simple animated adaptation of the comic, this is very much not that. Bryan Lee O'Malley said that this was going to be a different take, and boy was he not kidding.

As Ramona tries to figure out what happened to her would-be suitor, we see her and the other characters in Scott's life take the spotlight, and even the Evil Exes get more of a shine this time around. Ramona getting a chance to talk with them and go deeper into their past and why she left them to begin with. They actually feel like characters and get actual characterization rather than simply being one-note (if not still entertaining) antagonists for Scott to beat and move on from. Not only that, characters like Kim, Neil, and even Knives get whole new story beats and arcs to explore. Even JULIE POWERS gets an interesting new wrinkle about her. The only downside there tho, due to the character/story reshuffling, is that folks like Envy Adams are relegated to the sidelines, unfortunately.

Not that Scott himself is left out entirely. He's still very much there. But they do something very interesting with him. Having him be the crux of a side plot surrounding the concept of age and what holding onto toxic feelings can do to us in the long term, even after the events of a happy ending, like the one he gained at the end of the original comic.

And if the post credits teaser at the end of the eighth episode is any indicator... we MIGHT be getting more of this? Maybe? We see a budding relationship between Gideon and Julie, with Julie seeming to have some more villainous intentions aside from just finding Scott to be an obnoxious loser. Especially as she seems to have aligned herself with Gideon for whatever reason.

All of this is of course, backed up by a fantastic performance from all of the returning movie actors and some killer animation from Science Saru. These have to be some of my favorite animated fight scenes in a good while. The one between Ramona and Roxy is an especially stellar standout I can see myself coming back to every now and then.

It's a wild series, I had one hell of a time with it, and I can't recommend it enough. Definitely give it a watch.

#Vee's Ramblings #Scott Pilgrim #Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

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boozles · 4 months

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Boozle's 2023 Top Ten Dramas

I've been really enjoying reading everyone's top lists of the year, and I've actually been thinking about my own for a few weeks now, because I knew how hard it would be for me to put my lists together! Basically, in terms of Asian drama series, I watched a lot this year. According to my MDL, I have completed 99 dramas for the whole year. (Disclaimer: not all of these were BL, and a handful were short films. Regardless, I still think that's a ridiculous amount and I understand why people think I have no life x_x) So, I think you all can understand why these lists are going to be a little difficult for me!

Note: Everything I say here is my own personal thoughts and opinions. I'm not trying to attack anyone for liking something I don't, or disliking something I loved. We're all pals here, okay? <3

Top Ten Dramas (Note: not all dramas were released in 2023.)

(i) He's Coming to Me (2019) After watching Something in my Room last year, I swore to never watch another 'ghost boyfriend' series because gosh, even if ghosts are my favourite spooky thing, my heart cannot handle the pain of a sad ending. However, Ohm and Singto sucked me in, and this was just lovely and even gave me a happier ending than I'd expected. I'm a little sad that I was so late to this series, but it has definitely found it's place in my heart.

(ii) My School President (2022/23) I still can't believe that I originally thought this was gonna suck and only started it because I wanted to see what everyone was fussing over. I became so invested in these lads and gosh, I fell in love with the cast (minus Prom, who still irks me). Fourth, Gemini and Mark were absolute standouts in this, and I honestly cannot wait for My Love Mix-Up! because they will be fantastic.

(iii) Moonlight Chicken (2023) This is a surprise to no one, because it seems like it's on everyone's favourites list. Again, though, this was a surprising hit for me; I originally only planned on watching for First and Khaotung because I didn't really know Earth and Mix very well (I only started watching BL at the tail end of 2022, so I feel like I was still a little bit of a newbie at the time) and I just fell in love with EarthMix. They have chemistry that is just so mesmerising and belongs to them. The writing of this series was also just perfect, and the cast was wonderful. It deserves all the accolades it's been getting, and I honestly think this will always be a favourite of mine.

(iv) Choco Milk Shake (2022) In all honesty, I expected this to be weird because it's literally about a guy's pets coming back as humans and his dog falls in love with him and his cat falls in love with his uncle. It sounds like it should be creepy, but it really isn't. I sobbed like an absolute baby during this, and whilst I found the ending a little confusing, I loved it. I really hope we get that rumoured second season.

(v) The Gifted (2018) & The Gifted: Graduation (2020) Okay, I'm including both seasons of The Gifted because I loved them both for their own reasons. However, one of the main things I loved about this series was that it made me appreciate actors I'd never cared much for before. I didn't get all the fuss about Gun Attaphan until I watched this (and yes, I'd already seen Not Me), but I thought he was spectacular in this. Chimon and Nanon were fantastic, and I really loved Mek and Victor, even if they weren't as porminent and I'd have liked.

(vi) A Boss and Babe (2023) Ah, my first experience of ForceBook. I would die for these men. This was a bloody brilliant series, and if you want my honest opinion, it really showed how fantastic Book is at acting, because Cher is nothing like any other character he has portrayed. I loved the backstories and the little nuances, and the supporting cast was fantastic, too. This series deserves more credit and respect (but can we pretend the Our Skyy 2 episodes never happened? Because they were so weird.)

(vii) Beyond Evil (2021) This is probably the best Kdrama I watched all year. It had everything I need - murder, mystery, tortured men with tragic backstories, plus twists and turns in every damn episodes. The acting and writing was superb and I'm honestly depressed there isn't going to be a season 2 (as far as I know?).

(viii) Only Friends (2023) Okay, I know we all have our complaints about things that went wrong with OF, but you know what? I still loved it. Yes, I still think the creators made mistakes with allowing fan opinions to influence the editing and I'm bitted about the treatment of Boston in the end, but I loved these characters and their stories. The cast put their heart and soul into their performances (especially Khaotung and Force) and I really hope we get to see them in future series' together again, as they all work so well together.

(ix) I Feel You Linger in the Air (2023) This was another series I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did, yet I was there with the rest of you, bawling my eyes out when it ended. Despite the fact my dream career is a historian, I often don't enjoy historical dramas, so I put this off for the first few weeks of it airing until all the gif sets finally forced me to check it out. The cast was fantastic, and the writing was brilliant. I will be broken hearted if they don't get a second season, because they deserve it.

(x) I told Sunset About You (2020) & I Promised You the Moon (2021) I'm including both series as one since technically it's just season 1 and season 2. I loved these shows. They were the most realistic portrayals of young teenage queer love that I have seen in so long. I know a lot of people get angry with Teh in IPYTM but by gosh, my heart just hurt for that confused boy; Billkin's crying is so tragically realistic and as much as I too hated that he was hurting Oh-Aew, I also could understand the confusing feelings that come with growing up. Oh-Aew was just...perfect. PP Krit really just cut my chest open, crawled inside and made a little home for himself with this performance. My only issue is that these two haven't been in anything else together since, and I really hope 2024 fixes that, because as much as I support their music careers, I need them on my screen again.

Honorary Mentions: (i) Kiseki: Dear to Me (2023) (ii) The Warp Effect (2022) (iii) Home School (2023) (iv) Our Dating Sim (2023) (v) La Pluie (2023)

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fcb-mv33 · 1 year

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Honestly what an absolute breathtaking season from Max this year.

The start of season raised questions about if Max could fight for the championship but he really kept him head down and has fully dominated, not without some slip ups but he always recovered so beautifully. Max came into this season under a huge media and fan vendetta against him, but he kept cool and calm, left his racing do the talking and fucking hell was his racing beautiful.

Breaking the most wins in a season and now having 15 wins, 9 of them not coming from pole. Now he has 35 race victories as of the end of this season. Spa, Hungary, Zandvoort, and Austin were the standout races that showed why Max is champion. P10 to P1 and P14 to P1 was just spectacular.

Very very proud of Max this season, and there is so much more to come from the 2 time World Champion.

#honestly this was just a beautiful season from him #absolutely breathtaking the way he’s conducted himself #so so proud of this boy #max verstappen #rambles #f1 #formula 1 #red bull racing #🦁🧡

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destinyc1020 · 5 months

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How was Wonka?

You know what, I actually enjoyed it! 😊

It wasn't anything spectacular (there were some things I felt that could be better), but overall I felt like it was an adorably cute, whimsical, and charming family-friendly movie. 🥰 I'll have to tell my sister that this is one she can take my little nieces to lol. 😊

I loved the music... Timmy did a better singing job than I thought he would lol. 🤭 I'll just say too that it was nice/refreshing seeing him in smthg more light-hearted for a change.

The standout for me (aside from Timothée) was Calah Lane. She was so adorable! 🥰 She did such a great job! I had never seen her in a film before, but she was great! 🥹👏🏾

Congrats to her and her Critic's Choice nomination! 😁 I'm rooting for her. She seems sweet.

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dansnaturepictures · 5 months

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25/11/2023-Walk from Whitefield Moor in the New Forest

Pictures taken in this set: 1 and 10. The brilliant moon which it was special to see rise out in the open landscape here and Jupiter which is visible beside it tonight which was fascinating to see a mysterious shape in the sky before we knew what it was. 2. Gorse which looked stunning in the sun in flower there is a fair bit of it around currently. 3. One of two Carrion Crows it was great to see well at the car park. 4, 5 and 9. Wonderful views on the walk, it was brilliant to take in lovely views of the pines, other trees including birch, high gorse bushes, heathland, bog, moonlit towards the end puddles and reedbed caressed by the exquisite November sun today on a smashing walk. 6. A jolly Robin immersed in a hawthorn bush where the crow was above and a Song Thrush was in too. 7. The standout bird species today, a dashing Fieldfare I enjoyed getting a top view of and we saw loads of these today flying over and it was amazing to hear their gushing calls from the trees beside us at one point in the walk. An exceptional experience taking in these phenomenal birds. 8. An eyecatching Redwing in the sun a key bird to see today as well in a thrush fest with possibly a Mistle Thrush seen too.

Another immersive and powerful experience on the walk was as we walked back to the car at dusk a raucous yet tranquil large group of Jackdaws and Rooks calling and flying over as they went to roost. Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, handsome Stonechat, cheery Meadow Pipit, a sunlit Woodpigeon, Jay and a Sparrowhawk flying over mobbed by the thrushes were other key birds seen on the walk. It was brilliant to see a few Fallow Deers with females and a stag, always an evocative sight of the landscape often seen on this walk and we got intimate views of New Forest Ponies seeing Grey Squirrel too. Holly berries were a great sight too. A special time out on a sunny, elegant and spectacular late autumn/early winter day of wild wonder.

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oscarupsets · 1 month

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The Academy is back at it again with a musical!

For a non-epic, Gigi had a relatively large budget and ended 1958 as the 5th highest grossing film of the year. The Defiant Ones generated a modest profit from a small budget.

Out of all the musical winners we've seen so far at the Oscars, I much prefer the songs from Gigi. They are whimsical and catchy, and add to the plot rather than distract. We'll see more of this songwriting at a later date!

I rewatched a bit of Gigi this morning because I remembered enjoying it, but not enough to remember the details! It's acted and filmed like a play, despite being actually based on a novella. Overall, it's a cute one. The colors are vibrant and the characters are all enjoyable.

Sidney Poitier appears in his first leading role in The Defiant Ones. He does a spectacular job, and even sings quite a bit! The plot and the message are rather simple. These two men discover the similarities and differences between one another that go beyond race, while also being chased by a posse of angry men and dogs. The message was successful and the film was good, but in 2024 it feels slow and drawn out. I have no doubt it was a great film in 1958, but it's not a standout today.

At the 31st Academy Awards, Gigi became one of seven Best Picture winners to win every Oscar it was nominated for. The Defiant Ones was left to fight over the remaining categories, walking away with awards for screenplay and cinematography.

According to AFI, one of the co-writers of The Defiant Ones became one of hundreds of people blacklisted from Hollywood due to his possible connection to the Communist Party by the HUAC. At the ceremony, he won his award for screenplay under a pseudonym. Later, AMPAS repealed an amendment banning these blacklisted individuals from being recognized at the Oscars, and his award was restored in 1993.

The films were good, but do not hold as strong in 2024. Neither are pulling consistently high current reception, and both are lacking from some of the major film lists.

Unofficial Review: I don't think this is an upset. Gigi swept at the Oscars, but maybe it was just because the other contenders weren't any stronger.

#oscars #academy awards #31st academy awards #gigi #gigi 1958 #the defiant ones #the defiant ones 1958 #1950s #film #1950s film #oscarupsets

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troius · 1 year

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A brief review of Bleach:TYBW

Really enjoyable, if not perfect. Spoiler-free thoughts under the cut:

The actual animation is great. Us longtime fans of Bleach will remember that while the anime was in general competently animated, and occasionally visually spectacular (see: the Lust), it could also slip into mediocrity (see: the Rukia-Rudbornn fight contemporaneous with the Lust Arc), and could be god-awful (BOUNT ARC). So it’s nice to know sitting down that what you’re going to get will have a minimum of artistic competency, and will at times be genuinely breathtaking. The only issue, really, is that it’s a little static at times, but...we’ll get to that.

The music is good, Shiro Sagisu was I guess clued into the fact that this would be visually darker than the previous anime, and seems to have re-recorded his previous themes to fit the tone. The music doesn’t stand out the way it did in the previous anime, but I think that’s intentional, and it’s certainly not a negative, just a creative choice.

The voice actors (note: I watched the dub) are mostly pretty good, once they get their feet under themselves. Almost everybody is rough in their first couple of scenes, I’m a little concerned that the people putting the dub together didn’t give the talent enough time to rehearse. Nonetheless, by the end it’s all humming smoothly, and the new VAs acquit themselves well with the original cast.

The fidelity to the source material seems strong, although I’m not the one to vouch as I haven’t read TYBW. But nothing seems tonally off, nobody’s characters seem wrong, all the interactions make sense. It’s very clearly a Tite Kubo story they’re telling, without compromise to any other storytelling vision.

So if all this stuff is good, then what flaws exist? I can really only name you one! And it’s really just that the series is a little too faithful to the original works. Kubo’s paneling in the manga is godly, but when converted to animation storyboards can make the animation feel very limited-- we don’t have shots conveying movement, or space, because such things aren’t necessary in manga.

Similarly, page economy means that you can’t afford to throw out character moments willy-nilly in manga, but it’s asking a little much of the TV viewer to jump right into deep emotional investment when we’re reintroduced to characters in the middle of life-or-death fights. Some brief interactions would have done a great deal to familiarize characters who we haven’t seen in a decade, especially as the manga itself was serialized right after the Lost Agent Arc, meaning that everybody had seen those folks last month.

Something that I think is indicative of this is that we had two standout fights in this cour, and they both included lengthy flashbacks which contextualized the combatants and why they were fighting! But as fond as Kubo is of that technique, we can’t expect them in every fight.

Anyhow, this second part will probably be ameliorated in the 2eme cour, now that we’ve seen everybody almost die and been reminded of why we care about them. But I do think it would be worth the anime staff’s time to think about what does and does not work in terms of directly converting panels to frames.

#Bleach #Troius watches Bleach

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nitrateglow · 3 days

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Scattered thoughts on the West Side Story remake

In general, I really enjoyed the film, largely on the strength of the performances. Everyone ranged from pretty good to amazing, with Rachel Ziegler and Ariana DeBose being the standouts. And Rita Moreno's supporting part was brilliant-- I like how she was given a substantial role and not just a lame ass cameo.

The music and dancing were great too. Ziegler's voice is just gorgeous. One trend I don't like in some modern musicals is casting famous people who cannot sing (Russell Crowe in Les Mis and Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan in Mamma Mia still haunt my nightmares). While not everyone here is a 100% unknown, I like that everyone seems to have been hired because they can actually hit the notes.

I thought the beefed up backstories for some of the characters were really interesting. (Chino's buffed up personality and background were my favorite of these new touches. He goes from being a breathing plot device to a truly tragic figure in this version.) I know some people don't like how Tony was made into an ex-con, but I appreciate that this time around they wanted to make him feel more like a credible ex-gang member. That's something I never bought in the 1961 film.

Speaking of the 1961 version, I haven't seen it in a few years, so I can't compare the two in more detail, though I do remember enough to where I can say I preferred the staging and direction in certain scenes in the older film. A lot of it has to do with my personal aesthetic preferences though.

Like, I'm not as crazy about Spielberg's staging of Tony and Maria's first encounter at the dance. The dancing between the rival groups is spectacular, but there's so much going on that the lovers get overwhelmed by it. The blocking of the scene has them retreat behind the bleachers to have their first dance (a parallel to showing Romeo and Juliet's instant chemistry through a conversation in sonnet form). However, I much prefer the 1961 film's dreamy approach, where time slows and only the lovers remain in focus. I get not wanting to repeat such an iconic moment or it coming off as corny in the 2020s, but I don't think it was replaced by anything of equal inspiration.

Actually, this brings me to a general issue I had with the remake's more pronounced "gritty and realistic" approach. One on hand, it makes sense-- the original show and 1961 film were noted for their realism, or at least, their very expressionist-tinged realism. It's meant to contrast with the romanticism of the lovers, who like Romeo and Juliet, want to go "Somewhere" their love won't be poisoned by divided loyalties and violence.

However, the more pronounced sense of unvarnished reality has two drawbacks in Spielberg's version. One, it makes the "falling in honestly and truly love in less than 48 hours" thing a bit harder to swallow. I can buy love at first sight in heightened, operatic reality-- less so in a setting that wants to resemble everyday reality.

Second, there are a hell of a lot of moments where characters break into song and the extras around them give them "wtf" looks. It's like the gag in Enchanted where Giselle starts singing in the park and Robert's like, "what now," only that movie's a meta-parody of animated musicals and WSS wants me to invest in this world and these characters. Having other people go "0_0" when someone sings takes me out the movie. You can't have your old-fashioned musical and your 21st century "lol irony take nothing seriously" schtick in the same film.

But overall, I really enjoyed this one. It's a remake that isn't just a rehash of a beloved film and it makes decisions that distinguish it completely. I plan on rewatching the 60s version, actually, just to reintroduce myself to it, since it has been over half a decade now.

#thoughts

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