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shortpplfedup · 6 months

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Only Friends Character Rankings Episode 12

And that's all she wrote friends! And how she wrote it was...weird? The show definitely pulled some punches at the end there, trying to thread a needle and ending instead in a kind of wishy-washy damp squib. The couples landed up right, but in the wrong way? Guu mai chorp. But these hoes still need their final sorting. Nick led the pack going into the finale, will he end up on top at the end? Only the mains this week in my final rankings, but first...

⭐A1. FUCKIN' MIX!

Then…can I be your friend too?

I'm sorry I can't hear y'all over my screams at the MESS Minx Mix looks set to cause. That man is too pretty to be allowed in public. I WANT IT JOJO, I WANT IT NOW!

🔻🔻🔻Z∞. Boeing (8)

I just happen to want something strong tonight.

In the end, Boeing is just a lonelyboy like all the rest of them, which is fine, but he also just...disappears after the Ray/Mew Voltron vanquishes him and he gets a consolation makeout from Boston, which is not. Anyway, Mond is a good actor, also he's hot and got to kiss a bunch of boys, so winning.

Top tier show sidepieces: Yo, Plug, Summer, Freddie Mercury 2, Sand's Mom, Ray's Dad, Daddy Dan, April, Mew's Moms (barely)

These characters were mostly on the side of the angels, and I thank them for their service.

Bottom bitches: Cheum, Atom, Gap

Yeah they apologised, but fuck em.

Onto our main six!

🔺1. Boston (2)

I'm friendless.

In the end, Boston's at the top of my mains pile, because MY MANS DESERVED BETTER. Not in terms of Nick, I think that actually ended the absolute best way: Boston made his case, Nick made his decision, and they parted more or less as friends (and I loved absolutely every conversation those two had in this episode). No I mean in terms of his shitty friends, especially MEW. Cheum at least apologised, even if perfunctorily, and he apologised for sleeping with Atom (yeah, he really shouldn't have done that). He and Ray let the water wash under their particular bridge, and seem set to be cool. They never really had much in the way of beef to be fair. But Mew...actually you know what, good. Some people you don't need to be friends with, especially people who are gonna judge you and try to make you feel shitty about yourself. The narrative leaves Boston literally alone at the end though, legit the last time we see him is sitting on the curb with tears in his eyes as Nick walks away. Thanks, I hate it. I hope New York is better to Boston, and I hope he continues to learn and grow and tackle those impulse control problems.

🔻2. Nick (1)

You should go back to living a fun and sassy life that you prefer instead of trying to please a daydreaming guy like me.

YOU COULD HAVE ACCEPTED THE GODDAMN PHOTO NICKYBOY. I mean I get why not, but justice for my mans. Anyway, Nick's legit my second fave main here, as he grapples with the in-your-face realities of Boston's separation of love and sex, and decides he can't handle it. And that's good, that he loves Boston enough not to judge him, and loves himself enough not to put himself through something he knows he doesn't want. Every single choice and every conversation these two have had since Nick apologised has been nothing less than stellar, and that's because Nick took accountability and chose honesty. Well done baby boy.

🔺3. Sand (5)

You're right. When I love someone, I become a dog. But at least my owner loves me.

Pathetic to the very end, consistency thy name is Sand. He could have at least thrown his bussy into that threesome, but nooooooo, he got jealous IN TWO DIRECTIONS AT ONCE 🤣. He's fine with both boys slangin the dick his way, but calls a halt when they leave him out? Sir that's when you stand back and admire. Sand's pick-me ass ain't never gonna be my absolute fave, but his self-awareness and humiliation kink work together to be kind of endearing in a guileless sort of way, and at least he's learned to take the money if he's going to accept the ownership. It's sweet in a weird kink way. Also, his and Nick's loser friendship pushes him several points higher up the scale. There's growth and acceptance there, and he's 21 so I'll let him have it.

🔺4. Ray (7)

You still love him so I dragged him here for you. But I wanted to join just a little.

Well when he's not drunk night and day Ray's still a rich asshole, but he's a ton more fun. I love that he knows the kids at community service don't like him🤣. I spot rehab therapy working on him a bit. That threesome set up was WILD, and I personally had a good time with it, but it's probably best that it led to talking rather than fucking. Ray's got a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG way to go, but at least he treats Boston like a human being (I AM SO BITTER AND I'M NOT GETTING OVER IT). He's never gonna clock Mew's shittiness (BITTERNESS ACCELERATING) but you win some, you lose some. By the way sir, don't listen to Sand, he absolutely will be your sugar baby if you beg a little.

🔻5. Top (4)

Because I have you, everything is fine.

Top's smugness was the single most genuine thing about him, so I actually quite enjoyed watching him be a smug motherfucker this ep as he gets everything he thinks he wants. You know what I enjoyed more though? Watching his soul leave his body when Minx!Mix walked into the hostel and laser-targeted Mew. Mew putting Top through hell is legit my favourite flavour of their weird little fucked up relationship, and I'm sorry I won't get to see Mew eventually fall for Mix (you KNOW he wants to top somebody, YOU KNOW IT) and Top cry about it while he screws a bellboy in a service closet.

🔹6. Mew (6)

Are you about to say "But you're my last, Mew"? If so, I'm going to go puke in the bathroom.

OK, that line was funny, but jeez what a prig. What a sanctimonious nag. What a judgy little hypocrite. In his own conception he 'won' but Mew's the biggest loser in my heart. No he didn't have to forgive Boston, but come on, he could've kept it cute OR kept it moving full speed instead of the fake nicey nicey only to stick the knife in after. It's good that he walks away from Boston in the end, because with friends like Mew you don't need enemies. He makes Ray worse. And he and Cheum form the feedback loop from hell. Bookie sold the fuck out of this character, I have nothing but praise for him, but Mew is the living worst. I won't mention the character he reminds me most of in all of fiction, but if you're a certain age and you think about it a little, you can probably guess.

#only friends the series #bless this mess #only friends weekly character rankings #i support gay wrongs #only friends #only friends series #bl meta series

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aspoonofsugar · 27 days

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Hi! Do you have an analysis of hell greastest dad? Do you think it's worth analizing?

Hi!

Yes, I think Hell's Greatest Dad says a lot about Lucifer and Alastor. In particular, I would call it a "set-up song" in how it sets up:

Lucifer and Alastor's foiling

Lucifer's arc in the episode Dad Beat Dad

Alastor's arc (or at least it does some preparatory work)

Future plot-points through foreshadowing

In short, it isn't a song, which pays off immediately and it isn't the thematic heart of the episode (More Than Anything is). Still, it works very well by introducing ideas and conflicts that are postponed. Just like Lucifer and Alastor's rivalry isn't solved because of Mimzy's arrival:

Before I start analyzing the song, here are some metas I am gonna reference in this post:

Alastor and Lucifer's foiling

More Than Anything

An analysis of Alastor

An analysis of Lucifer

LUCIFER AND ALASTOR'S FOILING: DAD LIKE ME

Hell's Greatest Dad is inspired by Aladdin's Friend Like Me.

Some examples:

At the same time, it is a twist on the classic Disney song in two ways:

Lucifer is the geenie advertising his selling points, but Alastor, another geenie, comes and picks a fight (1/2)

The two geenies offer different and complementary things (2/2)

LUCIFER AND ALASTOR'S FOILING 1/2: LIGHT AND SHADOW

Lucifer and Alastor have opposite motifs:

Lucifer has a light motif, as his name means shining one and his powers use light

Alastor has a shadow motif, as his shadow moves on its own and his abilities employ shadows

This imagery ties with jungian symbolism. According to Jung:

The light is the persona, the mask one wears. It is the part of the self a person shows to others. It is what is out in the open and it is often an ideal image.

The shadow is what's hidden and repressed. It is the part of the self the person is unaware of or ignores. It is often what one dislikes about themselves.

Throughout Hell's Greatest Dad, Lucifer and Alastor's conflicting motifs clash with each other.

Lucifer is surrouned by gold (light):

Alastor has a purple background (shadow):

Similarly, Lucifer tries to put off a mask of perfection and power:

Lucifer: Haha! Looks like you could use some help From the Big Boss of Hell himself Check out Daddy's glowing reviews on Yelp Lucifer Muppets: "Five Stars!" "Flawless!" "Greater than great!"

Lucifer shows Charlie his stellar reviews on Yelp, but the ones praising him are Lucifer-puppets. So, the reviews are from puppet accounts and an attempt to look better than what he is.

Alastor instead fights back by using Lucifer's hidden fears and insecurities:

Alastor: I'm truly honored that we've built such a bond Charlie: Awww! Alastor: You're like the child that I wish that I had Lucifer: Uh, what? Alastor: I care for you just like a daughter I spawned Lucifer: Hold on now! Alastor: It's a little funny You could almost call me Dad!

Alastor weaponizes his bond with Charlie against Lucifer. He exagerates his own contributions to the Hazbin Hotel and the closeness he has with Charlie.

At its root, both Lucifer and Alastor don't want to admit they are projecting something on the other.

On the one hand Lucifer doesn't want to face his shortcomings as a father, which Alastor brings to the surface:

Alastor: Sadly, there are times a birth parent is a dud

On the other hand Alastor doesn't want to admit he is envious of Lucifer's powers and freedom (as this episode reveals, Alastor is on a leash):

Lucifer: Who needs a busboy now that you've got the chef?

None of the two can fully overwhelm the other because neither is ready to face himself. This is why the song ends with the unexpected arrival of another character:

t's me! It's me! Mimzzzyyyyyyy!

Mimzy's color scheme in the song is purple, like Alastor's. That is because she herself is linked to the shadow. Specifically, she is linked to Alastor's own shadow.

To what he is hiding, like his past:

Mimzy: Oh yeah, we go way back, ran in the same circles when we were alive. You know, this one used to frequent the club where I used to perform. He's the only one I knew who could pound whiskey like a sailor then keep up with me on the dance floor!

To what he is repressing, like his need for validation and attention:

Husk: You and I both know Mimzy only shows up when she needs something. That bitch is trouble, and who knows what kind of demon she fucked with to come running to you this time? Alastor: it's nothing I can't handle. Don't worry Husker. Who in their right mind would cross me?

In short, Lucifer tries to get Charlie's praise and is mocked for it by Alastor. Still, Alastor himself shares a bond with Mimzy, where he uses his powers to satisfy her requests in exchange of respect. So, Mimzy takes over Alastor's song like Alastor inserts himself in Lucifer's:

Alastor: Can you butt out of my song? Lucifer: Your song? I started this! Alastor: I'm singing it, I'll finish it! Lucifer: OH, YOU TACKY PIECE OF—! Mimzy: It's me! Yes, it's me! I know you were all waiting for me!

To summarize: Lucifer wears a persona> Alastor steps in as Lucifer's shadow > Mimzy arrives to play Alastor's shadow.

LUCIFER AND ALASTOR'S FOILING 2/2: WANT (HEART) VS NEED (MIND)

Lucifer shows all the impossible and fantastical things he could give Charlie. According to him, he could even twist reality for her:

I'll rig the game for you because I'm the ref! Champagne fountains Caviar mountains That's just to start!

Alastor reminds Charlie of all the down-to-earth things he does for her everyday:

Alastor: I'm your guy, your day-to-day Your chum, your steadfast hotelier Remember when I fixed that clog today?

Lucifer is the want, whereas Alastor is the need. The Devil is the ideal, while the Radio Demon is reality. Both their approaches are needed in Charlie's quest. She has to dream big, but she has also to be pragmatic and face reality.

She needs both mind (Alastor):

Alastor: They say when you're looking for assistance It's smart to pick the path of least resistance

And heart (Lucifer):

Lucifer: Others say that in your needy hour There's no substitute for pure angelic power!

So, Lucifer and Alastor can fight all they want, but in the end they are both needed by Charlie:

Lucifer is linked to dreams and ideals. He is the legacy Charlie inherits and the biological family she wants to re-connect with. Finally, he is Charlie's guide to Heaven, as he sets up her meeting with Sera and Emily.

Alastor is linked to fear and the unknown. He is the ally Charlie finds by herself and the found family she chooses. Finally, he is Charlie's guide in Hell, as he introduces her to Rosie and helps her inspire the cannibals.

LUCIFER: DEVIL AND ANGEL

Lucifer's arc in Dad Beat Dad can be summarized by juxtaposing Hell's Greatest Dad with More Than Anything.

Hell's Greatest Dad focuses on how Lucifer is the "Big Boss of Hell himself":

The lyrics reference pacts with the devils, pentagrams and sacrificial lambs:

Oh, with the punch of a pentagram I wap-bam-boom, alakazam Usually, I charge a sacrificial lamb But you get the family rate (thanks dad!)

And the music plays homage to The Devil Went Down to Georgia, with Lucifer playing the Devil's famous golden fiddle:

At the same time, Lucifer is very self-centered throughout the whole song:

He keeps self-duplicating, as he himself sings how great he is. This ties with the fact he is trying to project an image of power and confidence. He is hiding under a metaphorical rug all his insecurities and flaws. He is repressing the shadow.

However, Charlie doesn't really want the Devil. She needs the Fallen Angel. It is this side of Lucifer that comes out in More Than Anything:

This song explores Lucifer's past as an angel and the pain of his fall. All things he tries to hide out of shame. Still, he shares them with Charlie together with his most genuine self. By doing so, he acts selflessly and puts Charlie's needs and wishes above his own. He puts his daughter at the centre of the scene:

Lucifer shows Charlie his shadow, which actually makes his light stronger:

In Dad Beat Dad Lucifer goes from Hell's Greater Dad, where he is linked to fire and demonic symbolism, to More Than Anything, where he is characterized by light and angelic imagery. From want (Champagne fountains, caviar mountains) to need (I'll support your dream whatever lies in store).

ALASTOR: GROUNDWORK

Alastor's part in Hell's Greatest Dad is similar to his role in Stayed Gone. Both times, a powerful demon is singing his song, only for Alastor to come and throw off their groove. Still, there are some differences:

In Stayed Gone, Vox is focused on Alastor to the point his whole performance is a cry for attention from the Radio Demon. Alastor in fact has central stage, as Vox sings about him and to him. In Hell's Greatest Dad instead Alastor is an afterthought. Lucifer is singing to Charlie with some occasional backhanded insult to the Radio Demon. Basically, in the first song Vox is looking for attention. In the second, it is Alastor himself, who wants to be looked at:

In Stayed Gone Alastor easily takes control of the song and by the end he dominates it. In Hell's Greatest Dad Alastor fails to do the same. Not only Lucifer puts up a fight, but by the end Mimzy arrives and steals the stage. This difference mirrors Alastor's spiral throughout the season. He starts wearing a mask of control, but slowly he reveals himself as controlled. This progression is shown in his songs. He dominates Stayed Gone, he fails to take over Hell's Greatest Dad and he loses his control in the Finale:

At the same time, both Stayed Gone and Hell's Greatest Dad set up important plot-points in Alastor's arc. On the one hand Vox's song implies him and Alastor have some unfinished business. On the other hand Lucifer's song foreshadows some deeper conflict going on between Alastor and the King of Hell. What is more, the song frames the Devil and the Radio Demon as intertwined characters.

This last point is made clear by both Dad Beat Dad and Hell's Greatest Dad referencing the Pilot multiple times.

1-Hell's Greatest Dad references Inside of Every Demon is a Lost Cause in three ways:

Alastor changes the surroundings by using neon lights, like in the Pilot

Alastor dances with Charlie in the same spot they dance in the Pilot

Lucifer summons a slot machine, like Alastor does in the Pilot

2-Both in Dad Beat Dad and in the Pilot, Alastor is trying to win Charlie's favor and to steal her away from a loved one. In the Pilot he does so with Vaggie, whereas in the episode, he gets in Lucifer's way.

3-Both the Pilot and Dad Beat Dad have a character explain Alastor's backstory:

Vaggie: He began to topple Overlords who have been dominant for centuries. That kind of raw power had never been harnessed by a mortal soul before. Then, he broadcast his carnage all throughout Hell just so everyone could witness his ability. Sinners started calling him "The Radio Demon" (as lazy as that is). Many have speculated what unimaginable force enabled him to rival our world's most ancient and destructive evils.

Mimzy: He appeared in Hell suddenly, making a splash quicker than anyone had ever seen. At first, people wanted to dismiss him. but soon, overlords started going missing, and not small ones neither. We're talking heavy. hitters. No one knew what happened to 'em, until these strange radio broadcasts started going out. All you could hear were screams. Every time an overlord went missing, there'd be a new voice screaming in the broadcast! That's when Alastor revealed himself as the radio demon, and anyone that would mess with him… well, let's just say, his broadcasts never lacked new voices.

Why are there so many connections between the two episodes? It is to cement Lucifer and Alastor's foiling. For example, it is telling Alastor gets major focus in Lucifer's debut episode. Not only that, but all these calls back reveal their bond has been prepared and foreshadowed since the pilot:

Alastor looks at the Morningstar Family's portrait and narrows his eyes in the Pilot.

This is why the Pilot itself is full of phrases Alastor says that are given to Lucifer in the series proper:

Alastor: Well, I'm starved! Who wants some Jambalaya?

Lucifer: Sooo.... Who's up for pancakes?

Alastor: Yes, sir! This is the start of some real changes down here! The game is set! Now… Stay tuned. Hahaha…!

Lucifer: Come on, little lady, why the frown? In the last 10,000 years You're the first one to change this town!

Alastor: After all, the world is a stage and the stage is a world of entertainment.

Lucifer: The stage is wrecked, the crowd is gone But by God, Charlie! The show, it must go on!

Basically, the Radio Demon and the Devil are incredibly similar, to the point that they convey the same ideas in opposite ways. In particular, the Pilot tells us what their shared arc is gonna be:

Alastor: Hahaha, why does anyone do anything? Sheer, absolute boredom! I've lacked inspiration for decades. My work became mundane, lacking focus, aimless! I've come to crave a new form of entertainment! Hahaha!

Alastor and Lucifer are at their root two artists who are uninspired and find new drive (for different reasons) in Charlie's big lofty dream. The ways they will approach this journey and where their foiling will go is left to be seen.

FORESHADOWING

Hell's Greatest Dad has some foreshadowing for The Show Must Go On:

This frame and Lucifer's line about him charging sacrificial lambs for his help hint at how the final battle is gonna go. Dazzle, who plays the sacrificial lamb in the song, dies, which frees Lucifer from his pact with Heaven. As a matter of fact Lute kills a Hellborn, which goes against the rules, so Lucifer intervenes and saves his daughter. In short, Lucifer helps Charlie in exchange for Dazzle's life.

Here it is everything I can think of when it comes to this song! I hope you like it :) and thank you for the ask!

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel meta #lucifer morningstar #lucifer hazbin #alastor #alastor hazbin #my meta #dallina17 #asksfullofsugar

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lilenui · 9 days

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A question, if I may be so bold: what is it you like about Shino and Yamagi, as characters and as a pairing?

You've been in the fandom much longer than me and I'm curious what resonated with you about that relationship in particular, in the first place. (The curiosity is possibly motivated by having spent so long picking apart my own obsession with the show, I turn to wondering about others' enjoyment of it as a change of pace!)

Ohhh. I don't think I can answer these questions without giving a bit of backstory, so! I started watching the show on 16th of December 2015, around the time the first cour was finishing airing, just before the two-week winter break. I binged the first 13 episodes and the rest - as it aired. And even on that first watch, there were three pivotal scenes which made such strong impression on me I distinctly remember myself watching them, I remember my reaction.

The first scene was Shino pulling Yamagi out of the Mobile Worker during the first encounter with the Turbines (but of course). Essays could be written on that moment alone. It's just such a well crafted sequence, rising orchestral music perfectly timed with their clasping hands and Yamagi's reaction, his little gasp and a hand Shino grasped held to his heart. It definitaley raised an eyebrow, but most importantly, it set the tone for what Shino and Yamagi's narrative came to be: a collection of small, personal and intimate moments weaved into the grander narrative, very effectively showcasing personal stakes for the people involved in the fight. Of course everyone in Tekkadan has their own personal stakes, but what elevates Shino and Yamagi for me is how palpable was Yamagi's yearning, like his whole world depended on Shino's survival.

The second scene was Shino mourning his comrades after the Brewers fight. This scene floored me, it was as if a whole new emotional dimension to his character was torn open before me, and sucked me in immediately. I was instantly invested in this character. Murata's fantastic voice acting had a lot to do with that as well. Shino was cute before, if a bit loud, but all these new depths and layers!! Funeral Rites as a whole was a double whammy to me, stellar episode from beginning to end. And to top it off, it ends on Shino seeking Yamagi out to thank him. This is my third key moment, it solidified to me that whatever it is between Shino and Yamagi, is real and undeniably there. Yet another private scene loaded with tension and subtext. The dissonance between what the characters are feeling and what they're saying also added a whole different, poignant layer to the dynamic. Shino just a few minutes ago demonstrated he is a character of some considerable heft, but now he's also showing how considerate he is, that he values and acknowledges any act of kindness he's awarded and it's directed at Yamagi personally! In private! He made it so, so easy to become invested on Yamagi's behalf. I became obsessed within a span of few days, and from then on, my pathological attachment to them was being forged through months and months of pain and fearful anticipation.

Didn't help that it's such a smartly written relationship, nuanced, subtle. I think the fact that they are not the main characters helped a lot in this case. It doesn't beat you over the head with overly dramatic gestures, the strength of that relationship lays in how normal and relatable it is. It's just two boys, one has a crush, the other is oblivious, but not hopelessly so. I really wanted this for Yamagi, and I wanted the sunny boy to survive, I wanted them to defeat the odds. I was always aware all the necessary components for an effective tragedy were already there, but I dared to hope! Paradoxically, the more obvious the looming tragedy, the more I deluded myself it can be avoided because it's too obvious. Needless to say I got burned so badly I don't think I'll ever hope for anything ever again. I'm still hurting. I still think it was a colossal waste of a beautifully established queer romance. It could've been historic. Making fanworks for them is how I cope, and I think I'm going to be coping for a long while yet.

Apart from all the above, their interactions are just so great! They're filled with warmth, but also some bite. Yamagi is head over heels in love with Shino but he's not oblivious to his faults, he gives banter and push back. Sometimes he forces Shino to confront realities he'd rather avoid. They are a good match because their contrasting personalities are not so much at odds with each other but rather they compliment one another. And it's by design because, just like Mika and Orga, the two were designed around each other since the beginning. Shino is the Sun, Yamagi is the Moon. Much like Shino needs (and enjoys) Yamagi to discipline him at times and bring some sense into him, Yamagi needs Shino's energy to push himself beyond his self imposed limitations. The CD drama showcases this aspect really well, imo. I love that Yamagi's presence forces Shino to go a couple levels of intensity lower, so he can meet Yamagi where he's at, and that's where we see the real tenderness in Shino come out. Also because their scenes often just happen to involve physical contact of some sort, that in itself generates a lot of great chemistry. Now, most of that comes from Shino just being the guy with no sense of personal space, but it's also more opportunity to show how different is the touch he has for Yamagi and the other guys. Because Yamagi is not just "one of the guys" and never has been. I guess in Shino's mind Yamagi has his own category. He's so protective of him, and looks at him with such fondness. It's his own, patented "looking at the one I want to protect" type of smile. It's such a mutually uplifting relationship. I'll die on the hill that Yamagi triggered the resolution to Shino's character conflict, he is responsible for Shino's growth just like Shino is responsible for Yamagi's.

They're a solid unit and a great team, much like in personal life, their skills and capabilities compliment one another. I could go for an entire season of just this dynamic. I love me some back-to back buddies and I prefer the dynamic to be equal. Most my previous ships were that, though admittedly this is more of a Shino and Eugene's thing. "The one who waits, and the one who goes into action" is more of a traditional heteronormative ship dynamic, but I still love it because of how good Yamagi is at wrecking Shino's posturing. Yamagi demands to be Shino's equal, and he is. It's pretty much solidified between us that Shino is destined to be dragged by the dick by his sarky twink and honestly, more power to him.

When it comes to the characters themselves, looking back at my other anime blorbos, it's undeniable I have a type(s). Feels like I tend to gravitate toward either the sanguine or the sardonic, and nothing in between. Shino and Yamagi embody these traits to a T, albeit and in a more subdued fashion and maybe that contributes to me being so into them. Although they also carry unique emotional vulnerability that effectively breaks the trope. Shino is this larger than life, louder than life, unreasonable, bombastic man, but he is also the one with deep rooted insecurity and feelings of his own disposability. Yamagi is the stoic, sarcastic, sophisticated man in the making, yet he is the one with the all encompassing, melancholic infatuation. I adore Yamagi's entire character as a concept. He had my heart in a vice. I don't know how anybody can not feel for him. I think I've already said a lot about why Yamagi is so special to me above. He's this strong, uncompromising, loving soul trapped in a fragile body. Completely out of place for his surroundings but still capable enough to make himself indispensible. I honestly think he's cool! We cannot forget he drove a freaking train, jumped out of a moving vehicle, and climbed a mobile suit! It's like he can go from vulnerable to takes-no-piss attitude in a second. Like he's very cute and all, but he's also a bit of a bully. There is no extravagance in his looks and mannerisms (beside his fabulous hairstyle) and it's very refreshing to see in a gay anime character.

As for Shino, in general he seems like a character created with a lot of love. I think all in all, he's one of the most well crafted, multifaceted characters in the entire cast. I love all his little quirks and eccentricities. His free and unabashed expressions of emotion. The way the good and wholesome aspects of his personalty contrast with the reality of who he is, a trained soldier willing to kill for his cause. He's the character who shows this contrast within Tekkadan really well because of how vividly his jovial personality clashes with his circumstances, I think. I love juxtapositions like that within characters and Shino has those in spades. Most notably, the self-sacrificial undercurrent which manifetsts outwardly as him willing to take the protective role, no matter the cost. His lust for life and utter devotion to his family combined with the casual acceptance of his mortality give me chills. Or the mask of a horny goofball covering the more reflective bits of his nature. I like that he seems to be incapable of guile. Like he's so genuine and so utterly lost whenever he's witnessing the gang's scheming sessions. He's great with children, he's free of prejudice, he's a great caretaker and a rock solid support for his mates. And if I'm being honest, I was not at all surprised when he was revealed as bi, like maybe it's feeding into the stereotype, but I've personally always saw enough flamboyancy there for that to be a possibility. I think this doesn't just serve his romantc plotline, it also informs his character more broadly, in that his capacity for love is virtually endless. I just wish he was let out of the closet more openly and allowed to live his truth. Goddamn he deserved better.

Also he's just hot!! Excuse me, but how is Shino not the hottest guy in IBO? Like I realise he's not intended for the audience to be necessarily perceived as that, McGillis and Gaelio are obviously the intended heartthrobs, but it's no coincidence Shino demolished "most desirable" ranking within the small queer community I watched the show with, lmao. Have people seen his original character artwork by Yu? The dreamy eyes, full lips, lashes for days? That's Tekkadan's true pretty boy right there! It's weird because he's the hot and dangerous war-man, and my cute baby boy I want to protect with all my might at the same time. I cannot with these conflicting feelings :u

Anyway! I think I've rambled so much and it still doesn't feel like I even touched anything beyond the surface. Hope there's at least something to read there (-u-)v

#wordsandrobots #ask #ibo #norba shino #yamagi gilmerton #shinoyama #gundam ibo #typo galore #delay in posting brought to you by perfectly timed internet outage #I think my router is dying #halp #sorry this took so long pulling words out of my brain how I feel about Shino and Yamagi is like pulling nails out of concrete ><

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jasbaklonbri · 2 months

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My issues with the Avatar Live action show. (Spoilers)

before I get on with this… rant I guess, I want to stress that I do not “Hate” this adaptation, I actually think it’s pretty…. decent. Mixed in terms of being an adaptation but as its own thing i do think it actually is good. If a newcomer gets introduced to the franchise through this show, I’d mostly be okay with that (though would still stress to watch the original, especially hinting about the rest of the story if they’re really invested) before I go into my biggest problems I should quickly list its positives.

The characters, for the most part, are done well, they meet the core criteria of what made the original characters so beloved. The acting, for the most part, is good, overall the cast does a really good job at their respective roles. Costumes are amazing, sets, while not exactly 1:1, are still overall awesome. soundtrack is really REALLY good, stellar work all round. The action is not only great, it’s BRUTAL AS FUCK, it does not shy away from the themes of war and death and I love that 😈 some of the expanded editions to the lore are really interesting, big shoutout especially to the inclusion that zuko’s crew is also the battalion he defends in the war room, that was actually brilliant 👌 on top of that, references and inclusions of stuff from expanded material I mostly really liked, from the comics, to legend of Korra to even the kyoshi novels. As for the writing and story…. I can accept no adaptation is perfect and there will be changes, I think it follows the moments of the show decently and that the writing is… adequate. overall rating for me is a decent… 6/10… almost was a 7 but… no.

okay now for the stuff that sucked!

The Characters that weren’t good:

Aang is not bad in this, character wise and acting is overall good, Gordon Cormier does a good job, he looks and sounds the part. My issues are how the character is written. Ill get into more about his biggest issues later on as it mostly has to do with writing and a few particular scenes, but for now I’ll harp on how repetitive and annoying his dialogue can be sometimes, way too many times has the character had the same “guilt scene” which hits the exact same beats: he sees devastation, he says “this is my fault”, he’s reassured it’s not. Again and again.

sokka is awful in this. And to be honest it’s not really the writings fault, Ian Ousleys portrayal does not do it for me, his line delivery is too monotone-ish, his emotional delivery is lacking, he has the same blank facial expression throughout the show. He has a decent one liner here and there, but the comedy and character is MILES away from the over expressive, hilarious and badass original.

zukos actor is decent just enough, and honestly it’s a little unfair to compare Dallas Liu to Dante Bascos performance, but admittedly I felt he was comparatively more underwhelming at times. Though if anything I was more annoyed at the look of his Scar. Don’t get me wrong, its leagues more noticeable than it was in the god awful movie adaptation… but it’s still not great. Remember how grotesque his scar is in the animated show, even at a distance, his skin is shrivelled, he can hardly open his eye, even his ear is half burnt off, they could of gone all out in showcasing his disfigurement, the greatest source of his self shame and most brutal showcase of his fathers cruelty and abuse… but no it’s just a dark red patch around his eye, it’s not even ugly to look at. Disappointing.

Bumi, while acted and portrayed really well by Utkarsh Ambudkar, is written very badly. His motivations have completely changed from the original, and no it is no where near as good, unlike in the show were he “toys” with Aang to teach him lessons about the journey ahead of him, offering wisdom and compassion to his old friend, keeping his identity a secret allowing Aang to realise who he is, making an emotional reunion when he realises another piece of his lost past is still alive: here Aang finds out immediately it’s him, and Bumi instead is pissed and petty that Aang left to the point HE TRIES TO KILL HIM, completely disregarding the point of the message and character from the original show. Oh and not to mention the ending scene with him, but again I’ll get to that scene later.

finally, biggest problem I’ll harp on the characters themselves is the diminishing, lack of focus and editing of the three protagonists flaws. Aangs childish immaturity, kataras inexperience, Sokkas rudeness and distrust. There are reasons why the show took these out or didn’t focus on them, but in my opinion this was a huge mistake to do. Character flaws are integral to character growth, throughout the original show we see the characters learn and grow with and out of said flaws to become more rounded and stronger characters, Aangs journey to embrace his destiny and responsibilities, Kataras growing wisdom and strength, Sokka accepting his wrongdoings becoming more open minded and accepting. Diminishing these ultimately take away a lot from these characters and it does them and the fans a huge disservice to outright ignore them at times.

Aang and Kataras bond is there… but it’s Seriously lacking!

I’m a Kataang shipper. Before I go into detail with this I think it’s important to point out a certain bias I might have with this, but regardless of any opinions about the original shows romantic themes, I’d still argue that Aang and Kataras relationship is one of the core and integral bonds of the original show (the others being Katara and Sokka, Zuko and Iroh, Aang and Zuko and Zuko and Azula (book 2 onwards) so getting this right is in my opinion important to any adaptation. Overall their relationship is fine in this iteration, but MAN it’s just not as good.

Imagine my utmost disappointment When in this version: Katara is not the first person Aang sees when he wakes up! Now I know that seems like a petty thing to harp on but really think back to the original show, how beautifully written their friendship was, how they constantly support and empathise with each other, how Aang is a source of Kataras hope, how Katara is an emotional rock for Aang when coming to terms with his loss and grief. All of it starts with the foundation of their first meeting in that first episode. After a hundred years of sleep, Katara accidentally discovers Aang (with Sokka) and rushes to save him, the first person Aang sees as he opens his eyes is her, he immediately, and essentially asks her out. Katara introduces him to her village, she’s enamoured by his playful attitude and abilities, there are hints of a blooming crush between them (mostly from Aang) they promise to explore the world together, they go penguin sledding, until finally, when Katara realises and breaks the truth about Aangs 100 year absence and slow realisation that everything and everyone he knew is likely gone, Katara tries to reassure him mentioning there may be a bright side: Aang responds with “I did get to meet you”. all of that build up and setup of the friendship (and budding romance) of our two leads is masterfully established in one, 23 minute long episode. Really think about that. It takes the original show 1 episode to set the core points of the two lead’s relationship in what takes this show AN ENTIRE SERIES TO PROPERLY ESTABLISH! Not only is all of that practically absent in this iteration, but plenty of scenes and moments are either missing or lessened, Such as when Katara calms Aang out of the Avatar state, or how they begin to train and learn their waterbending together (more on THAT later), cave of two lovers is now given to Katara and Sokka?? (really missed the point of that episode) or how about the mutual understanding of each others grief through their own grief, oh yeah that’s another thing, in this version Katara, nor Sokka for that matter, ever mention to Aang that their mother is dead?! Not once. I don’t even think he ever knows, or maybe he finds out off screen? Big thing to not mention guys??

Now there are plenty of scenes in the show that do help build up their friendship here, but by missing core scenes, especially those from the first episodes, it just makes it harder for the show to establish that bond towards an audience, and again just pales in comparison.

No statue room???

I’ll be a little more brief here, but the fact that this moment is completely missing infuriates me. You have the quintessential moment where Aang is in full view of the scope of his legacy, a monument to hundreds of all the past avatars, a moment for our characters and the audience to visually realise the weight and burden that Aang Carries upon his shoulders… and you completely take it out??? What the actual FUCK???

Kyoshis premonition almost ruins the show! as awesome and badass as Avatar Kyoshi was in this version, this one tidbit is by far not just a weird addition, it’s arguably one of the biggest fundamental flaws of the show, not as an adaptation, but the show in of it self. The idea apparently (according to behind the scenes comments) is that kyoshis premonition to Aang of the northern watertribes destruction is to give him more of an assentive to head “straight to the point”, removing the unnecessary detours and filler of the original. The problem with that is even for that reason, this addition is completely pointless, because Aang already has enough assentive to head to the north: LEARN WATERBENDING!!!

In the original show after Katara and Sokka save Aang from zukos ship in the 2nd episode, they establish that they must find Aang a water bending master so he can begin his first step in becoming the avatar, in fact rewatching the first few episodes, AANG MAKES THE SUGGESTION FIRST TO KATARA SO SHE CAN MASTER HER WATERBENDING! Even the god awful movie understood that that was enough reason to head north! And if you really want more reason and imperative for them to get there as soon as, why not just reiterate that there is a WAR GOING ON! The attack on the south, the genocide of the air nomads, accidentally bringing an invasion to Kyoshi island, these are all good enough reminders for the Gaang to showcase the need for Aang to head to the known one place in the world where Aang can possibly master an art integral to achieving his destiny. But even worse than that, this addition seriously hurts the show going foward, because now, after Aang has been shown the impending doom destined for the north, he STILL detours from it, not once but twice! (And according to one gossiping bartender, possibly a few more times!!) in an attempt to try to showcase his nobility and compassion to always help those in need, every time he decides to stop to help a new problem, HE IS LITERALLY RISKING THE DESTRUCTION OF AN ENTIRE CIVILISATION!!! Priorities dude!!! It’s not like he’s given a time frame, for all he knows this premonition could happen at anytime, it could be already happening??? It is by far one of the biggest, if not THE BIGGEST flaw of the show.

Muddying the rules of the spirits and spirit realm

Aside from kyoshis future sight, too many instances does this show, in an attempt to expand ideas of worlds spirituality, often just make things more confusing. Another example is when Aang accidentally drags Katara and Sokka into the spirit world, which even with the reasoning they give it makes no sense whatsoever and it only serves an excuse to combine moments from other episodes into one. Or how about when wan shi tong… for some reason… explains that spirits can only talk to the avatar and only they can communicate with and talk to spirits… except that rule is completely ignored when Katara and Sokka can clearly hear what koh is saying? ooops???

Hai Bai has no agency or resolution in his inclusion here, he’s not even the central threat despite HIS forest being burnt. Instead of going on a full rampage against humanity for their destruction, he’s now just really angry about being wounded? Instead of hai bai kidnapping people, it’s now Koh, who while still really creepy in this version, his abilities are now greatly diminished. Instead of his lightning quick speed to remove the faces of anyone who show any ounce of emotion in his presence, here he can only prey on negative emotions, and is never shown to be especially fast (except the two jump scares). again it just pales in comparison to the intensity of the original scene.

Kuruk should know why his advice is horseshit!

while I like the inclusion of some details of the lore outside the original show, using it during Aangs scene with Kuruk significantly hurts his first scene, because now we have the writers completely miss the point and lessons of Kuruks life. Kuruks advice to “walk the path alone” to “distance himself from his friends” is not just obviously poor advice on its own, but considering that the past avatars are aware of events after their death, it especially doesn’t make sense coming from Kuruk! Avatar Kuruk HAD friends! the kyoshi novels go into detail about his closest companions as well as his secret deeds of hunting dark spirits. Yes Kuruk did it in secret and inadvertently and purposely distanced himself from the people he loved so that he could in his mind protect them, and that’s excusable because Avatars never have hindsight about some of the consequences of their actions, in fact past avatars often use their mistakes and their consequences as advice and warnings to the current avatar. KURUK SHOULD BE ADVISING THE EXACT OPPOSITE!!!

One of the major consequences of pushing his friends and keeping secrets was that when he eventually died mysteriously at a young age, his companions felt they had failed in their mission to serve and protect their friend, pushing one of them, Jianzhu, to fall into a path of political meddling and corruption, and being consumed with keeping his power and influence through back handed tactics like kidnapping, torture, intimidation and murder, eventually becoming Kyoshi’s earliest nemesis and one of her greatest enemies (highly recommend reading the Kyoshi novels 😍) Not to mention that Kuruks “advice” leads to an incredibly forced scene and trope where our hero attempts to push Katara away and “nobly distances himself to protect his friend”, only for the advice to be immediately ignored a few minutes later, making it entirely pointless.

AANG NEVER LEARNS WATERBENDING???

yes, through the entirety of BOOK 1 WATER, Aang never learns waterbending! Katara offers to show him some techniques she knows in one scene, but for some reason he’s hesitant to take her offer, which would have been interesting to explore, except they never really address it?? Worse even when they finally reach Pakku in the north, all that happens is that he’s kind of scolded for not starting his training, but not once is it seen or mentioned by pakku that he’ll teach him ANYTHING. If there’s enough time to have Katara shown water healing lessons as well as arguing and fighting Pakku to teach her combative techniques, WHY THEN DOES EVERYONE IGNORE TRAINING THE GOD DAMN AVATAR!!! The fate of the world rests on Aang learning the 4 elements, but for some reason they completely leave it out?

Now Katara is mentioned to teach him in the future like in the original, but the problem now in this version is that while Katara is gifted and talented, unlike the original show she’s never formally trained (outside of healing lessons) by Pakku or a master to warrant her to become Aangs official waterbending teacher. They are literally leaving the training of the most important person of their time to an AMATEUR!!!

a baffling diversion?!?!

Finally my last big problem with the show is the handling of the ending scene. Take in mind that the fire nation sends an entire fleet, no, hundreds upon hundreds of ships to invade, subjugate and snuff out an entire civilisation, and to take out the avatar, once and for all. Also consider the sheer loss of life and devastation that was unleashed by the ocean spirit upon them when zhao murdered the moon spirit, they got hit back hard and then some, honestly it was spectacular to watch! The problem, according to Ozai: “it was all according to plan”…..

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCKING FUCK?!?!?!

apparently it’s revealed that the North Pole wasn’t the “real target”, but instead a “clever ploy” to instead… invade Omashu?? First of all, who are you creating a diversion for??? We don’t see earth kingdom soldiers coming to assist the fight in Agna Q’ela? It’s not like we ever see waterbenders helping to defend Omashu when we were there earlier, it’s not like anyone outside the protagonists was aware of Aangs premonition (oh by the way why didn’t Kyoshi warn Aang it was a “diversion”??) WHO ARE FUCKING TALKING ABOUT???

and again, just to reiterate, you are saying you sacrificed an ENTIRE INVASION FORCE, big enough to destroy a whole society, which led to a huge loss of life and ships which YOU CLAIM was “to be expected”…. In order for you to take one city???? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING JOKING??? That’s not just bad writing, that is beyond STUPID!!! Oh and just to add, unlike in the show where Bumi willingly surrenders to avoid the destruction of Omashu, instead opting to wait for the right opportunity to free it later, saving his people doing so, here we see him bruised and bloodied after a siege! Yeah, one of the most powerful earth-benders in the world is taken out offscreen!!! CHRIST ALL BLOODY MIGHTY!!!

okay… rant over… 😮‍💨😮‍💨

#avatar the last airbender #aang #atla remake #kataang #avatar

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thessalian · 2 months

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Thess vs the Benefits System

Not that I'm actually on benefits, but I pay attention to things about the benefits system in this country regardless. At least in part because I only avoid being on benefits - or rather, having to be dragged from pillar to post through the benefits system with no particular success - through sheer luck and the grace of my mother, who did very fucking well for herself back when that was still a possibility on starting an entry-level job with nothing but a high school diploma (or equivalent). The thing is ... basically, everybody's screwed but the wealthy at this point.

Look, the benefits system under the Tories hasn't exactly been stellar anyway. Theresa May set up the Universal Credit system, which has been a complete shit-show, and there have been such serious crackdowns on the receipt of disability benefits that the people having to talk to and turn down claimants were having to deal with desperate claimants so often that they had little cards next to their phones telling them how to deal with someone expressing suicidal ideation. (I don't know if that's still a thing, but it wouldn't surprise me.) There have been people turned down for benefits while undergoing radical chemotherapy and worse. Anyone claiming disability benefits have had to walk a very fine line when presenting themselves at interviews - disabled enough to qualify, but not so disabled that they look to be confused and faking. Now, of course, the Tories are saying that the disabled will have their benefits cut - not just payments, but access to free medication and that sort of thing - if they don't get work from home jobs.

And then there's Labour. Labour is now broadcasting that under a Labour government, no one who can work will be able to have "a life on benefits". I mean, news flash: they can't have an actual life on benefits anyway, but that statement is fucked-up in that ... what are the criteria of "can work" at this point? In a system that seems to think you can work while undergoing radical chemotherapy - literally poisoning yourself in the hopes that the cancer'll die before you do - that's a tricky question.

The worst part ... no, okay, the worst part is how absolutely fucking inhumane this is. But the second-worst part is that no one is talking about how to make the people doing the hiring actually hire people. At this point, just about everyone is doing layoffs, cutting staff to the bone, and even when they do hire, they hire below a decent living wage. Hell, a lot of the people who are on benefits are actually in work right now - they're just not paid enough to keep body and soul together in this economy. So if you want to cut back on the number of benefit payments, there are things you have to do:

Make employers actually hire the number of people they need instead of underpaying someone to do the work of three people as a "cost-cutting measure"

Make employers actually pay a living wage - not just minimum wage, which has not kept up with inflation, but a wage that a person can actually live on

Make employers actually hire and accommodate the disabled - allow work from home, allow noise-cancelling headphones in the office, ensure that your premises are accessible, don't bitch at people about eating at their desks or bathroom breaks or getting up to stretch their legs, etc

But are either of the main parties prepared to step in and tell the moneymakers what they can and cannot do? No, of course not. They don't really want to make employers accept their employees working from home, because either they or their generously-donating pals are heavily invested in commercial property. They don't want to make employers accommodate disabled employees because employers don't want an employee they can't exploit by making them do the work of three people for the wage of less than one. Basically the main parties don't want to make the moneymakers do anything that will affect the profit margins, because a bunch of people with more money than any reasonable person can spend will be cross with them and not give them money anymore.

You cannot make the benefits system tougher to navigate or crack down harder on benefits claimants unless you have other options for them to pursue. If you want everyone who can work to be able to work, you have to make work more accessible, whether through accommodating the disabled or just actually hiring people. But no. Apparently the strategy for both parties is "blame the poor - call them benefit cheats to make everyone hate them and then crack down on them for some goodwill from the voters".

I like to hope that won't work as well as they think. As I said, a lot of people who are in work, and working really damn hard - have to claim benefits just to survive. If working doesn't guarantee you a life off benefits, then what the fuck is the point? A lot of people are reliant on food banks because either they already don't qualify for benefits or because they can't feed themselves even with benefits and a job. The more people understand what it actually is to be poor (and there's more and more all the time coming to that understanding) the less likely they are to tolerate what feels more and more like cruelty for cruelty's sake when it comes to those who collect benefits.

Even if I'm probably wrong, I can hope that. Hell, I might not be that wrong, because there are a lot of lifelong Tories going, "This is ... bad, and I don't think I'll vote Tory this coming election". I just wish they had something less ... Tory-clone to vote for to have it make any tiny bit of difference. The one independent we managed to get elected in a recent by-election in Rochdale ... well, we're talking literal Trump clone. As in, actually used the phrase "MAKE ROCHDALE GREAT AGAIN!"

Gods help me but this country is a shit-show.

#Thess on politics

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couch-kimchi · 8 months

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Leila's Cravings

Korean Dramas

In no particular order, I have chosen all the Korean dramas that I’ve enjoyed, uberly obsessed of, loved and learned a lot from. I’ve been watching Korean dramas since 2004. It all started when Lovers in Paris was shown in our local television. I only relied on what was shown in our country since then. 2009 came and gave Boys Over Flowers that really changed my viewing habits.

2010 was a very special year for me because I became a K-drama addict. I certified myself. LOL. I just took advantage of our 24/7 internet server. I’m even sleep-deprived now since my time in front of my laptop occupies most of my waking moments when I’m at home. Heh.

So let me give a rundown of Korean dramas I’ve enjoyed all through the years starting from 2004, that I would gladly recommend to anyone.

LOVERS IN PARIS. “I’m not a Cinderella. I’m just a woman in love with a man.” This is a line from Kang Tae-young that’s vivid in my mind up to now. Her character is adorable and the love between her and Ki-joo is simply beautiful. Park Shin Yang’s performance is one of the best I’ve seen from a male actor. I was completely touched during his break up scene and the part where he played the piano is simply captivating. FYI, Lee Dong-geun is the primary reason why I love second lead guys more than the male lead.

SAVE THE LAST DANCE. Eugene and Ji Sung is such a perfect match! The kind you’d root for no matter what. I love it when the story started moving to Seoul. It is where the growth of their characters and love story begun. When Ji Sung started to live his own life again as Hyun Woo, not knowing Eun Soo, they started from scratch again. Since the heart can tell, they still fell for each other. Ji Sung is so adorable! The OST of this series is love!

MY GIRL. The two LEE! Lee Dong Wook and Lee Da Hae is one of the cutest pair the HONG Sister’s created. Lee Da Hae’s portrayal of Yoo Rin is so lovable and Dong Wook was a dashing debonair! The “lie” theme of their pairing was an added charm in their relationship. Just pure cuteness on screen!

GOONG (PRINCESS HOURS). A stellar performance from Yoon Eun Hye as she became a Princess. She successfully made Chae Kyeong come to life. Eun Hye’s chemistry with Joo Ji Hoon is off the charts, IMO. The settings, the overall feel of a modern day Royal set up was beautiful. A must watch series!

COFFEE PRINCE. Another series from Yoon Eun Hye. From a lady in Goong, she transformed herself as a boyish barista. She plays Go Eun Chan, a bread winner who had no choice but to work in a shop where only men are allowed. I enjoyed her with Gong Yoo. Their scenes are just the sweetest. Eun Hye is adorable and passable as a guy! But honestly, it was really Mr. Voice, Lee Seun Kyun who really captured my heart in this series.

BOYS OVER FLOWERS (BOYS BEFORE FLOWERS). The drama that changed my Korean dramaworld and catapulted Lee Min Ho to super stardom!! Not only did this show spread K-drama virus around Asia, it made every cast known worldwide. Who would forget this? Four HOT guys in one screen. Enough said. Lee Min Ho and Goo Hye Sun are enough reason for me to repeat this to the nth time. I don’t know how many times I’ve watched this series already. I think there’s no explanation why I loved it, it’s illogical. LOL.

YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL. Jang Geun Suk’s adorable face and wonderful singing voice was shown multiple times. Sold. Geun Suk’s pairing with Park Shin Hye is simply sweet and fluffy! Shin Hye became his twin brother and joined AN.JELL. The story focused on the life of a band in showbusiness and how pig-rabbit melted Tae Kyung’s heart. The love triangle is cute. Shin Woo’s character reminded me so much of Ji Hoo (Boys Over Flowers) since it is obvious that he won’t get the girl. And yet he’s always been there for her. Typical story but fun and with heart.

PASTA. The story is simple and the plot has no-frills at all. But here are the reasons why I still love this:

a. Dearest Chep (Lee Seun Kyun) is endearing.

b. The on screen pairing is cute and charming.

c. Noh Min Woo is delightful.

Enough for me.

PERSONAL TASTE. Lee Min Ho. Need I say more?

Kidding aside, what I really enjoyed about this series is Gae In’s weather forecast that’s like her personal diary. I can always forego flaws especially when dearest Min Ho is concerned. The issue of the Sang Go Jae can happily go down the drain. I enjoyed most parts rather than the whole. Watch it since Lee Min Ho is the hottest architect in the face of K-dramaland. His chemistry with Sohn Ye Jin can make you wish to have a roommate like Jin Ho.

COFFEE HOUSE. Perfect 10! Highly recommended.

It IS Kang Ji Hwan and Park Si Yeon’s sizzling chemistry exploding! They are by far the best couple who had the most passionate kiss I’ve ever seen. The story itself may drive you nuts, or I mean Lee Jin Soo. But at the end of the day, you can really learn something fruitful from this. Great laughs mixed with powerful emotions. Simply a brilliant display of talent and a different level of K-drama experience.

MY GIRLFRIEND IS A GUMIHO. If you want to spend one of the best 16 hours of your life, watch this! Lee Seung Gi is lovable and he’s paired with the gorgeous Shin Mina, no more to ask for. The Gumiho myth is mixed with reality making this series a story with heart. Most people I know loves the Hoi couple to bits. I can’t blame them! Not only did this couple show the cutest and sweetest things ever but they had managed to show that the best kind of love is living with that person and enjoying every given moment to the fullest.

SHINING INHERITANCE (BRILLIANT LEGACY). From the start this captured me since I find it very poignant. I’m very weak when it comes to family stories so when Eun Sung arrived having such love for his father, I’m owned! Han Hyo Joo’s character made me stick to watch this 28 episode K-drama. I love grandma’s story of success that made me hate Hwan for few episodes. Though, I truly enjoyed the spoiled brat that is Lee Seung Gi (Hwan), especially those scene while he was working under Eun Sung. I was completely on a laughing spree though I shouldn’t have felt that way. Bad me. I guess, the premise of the show is to teach Hwan what to VALUE. That money is hard earned even when he has plenty; that life is still better even with less of it; that we can enjoy the simplest things and be truly HAPPY; that we can have true value that even money can’t buy; that a person’s character is more important than anything.

This show made me fall for Lee Seung Gi even more. He’s a genuine actor that can make a simple scene uber sweet with him in it. He has this ability to make audience have this “blind spot” when it comes to him. That in itself is very unique. He has his own pull that can draw you in. Or maybe I’m just so easy to get! LOL.

SUNGKYUNKWAN SCANDAL. I am crazy for crazy horse Yoo Ah In, forever. It is a sageuk drama, yes a historical set up. It may appear boring, but it isn’t! Moon Jae Shin is on fire every time he appears! The story has a beautiful premise, with wonderful cinematography to boot. The Jalgeum Quartet is love. And KBS even awarded the best couple in this series. It’s NOT Yoo Chun and Park Min Young.

DREAM HIGH. I love that this drama showed we can stand up each time we fall and that mistakes are made to teach us to become a better person. It’s a recurring theme for everyone in DH not only the students but the Professor’s as well. Everyone made a wrong decision or had said something wrong that influenced others like what happened to Kyung Jin and Baek Hee. I love that everyone learned from their mistakes and stood up. Fallen and bruised as most characters had been but they still managed to reach out for a brighter tomorrow.

Dream High is not just about aspiring to be an artist/singer or about reaching for their dreams. It’s about becoming a better version of one’s SELF. Such a great drama find in 2011! And memorable too since Sam Dong (Kim Soo Hyun) and Hye Mi (Bae Suzy) made it special ♥ SamMi FTW!

49 DAYS. Hands down for actress Lee Yo Won as she portrays two roles brilliantly and had chemistry with two actors as well! I really enjoyed the lessons learned here, not trying to sugar coat this series but it was well written and I’m content with the open ending. It must be because I’m a true blue Ji Kyung and Han Kang shipper! Jo Hyun Jae is back from his military service and it’s good to see him again with such manly aura. And Jung Il Woo is simply extraordinary as he plays the Scheduler. I was a content camper watching this because Kang-ah is LOVE!

BEST LOVE (GREATEST LOVE). I have a soft spot for Gong Hyo Jin and eversince Pasta I find her adorable. Her simplicity makes her unlike any other actress and uses it to connect herself to her character making it relatable. Her chemistry with Cha Seung Won isn’t to be questioned because they have it. But among all the Hong Sisters drama I’ve watched they managed to make me fall deeply in love with its second lead more than the OTP. I have to blame my undying love for Pil Joo because it’s my main reason for watching this. Yoon Kye Sang is the epitome of a perfect guy. And he’s memorable in my K-drama book.

CITY HUNTER. Another hit drama for Lee Min Ho. He’s now paired with the adorable Park Min Young. It’s an action packed drama with heart. Yes, they were able to combine violence with humane bonds that is present on each relationship and pairing. Father and Son is not just present in genes but more because of love. Yoon Sung and Jin Pyo may live in a cruel world but they had managed to fight for their own beliefs. I shed a tear or two in this series and it managed to capture me during times when the story simply tackles on love, family and friendship. It has subtle moments amid the chaotic theme that truly captured me. Lee Min Ho is brilliant as he has never been before. His Royal Hotness made spoon and bottled water the best weapon. He managed to break my heart and revive it all over again with his action scenes! Lee Min Ho is proving to be the most versatile actor of his generation.

HEARTSTRINGS (YOU’VE FALLEN FOR ME). Silence and music are beautifully woven in scenes that can make you feel nostalgic. Here you can experience how scenes are much better without words. Just a smile, just a stare, just that sound of raindrops can bring you the feeling of comfort and the magic of love.

If you are into stories of youth, watch this. It is a melodrama but you can still simply sit back, relax and feel the love more than words can say. BTW, Jung Yong Hwa is a sweetheart. He surely made me crazy in love with him. Though Lee Shin can be a pabo (fool) sometime, he really makes up for it since his love for Kyu Won is the sweetest thing to have in K-dramaland. The immense chemistry of the Dooley Couple successfully brought to life how good a feeling is having to love for the first time. Also, the OST is love! The songs are awesome! Even the mix of modern and traditional instrument is pleasant. Hear it for yourself.

FLOWER BOY RAMYUN SHOP. This drama is hotter than the ramyun they’ve cooked and served. And I’m not just talking about Lee Ki Woo here, I love him as Kang Hyuk. To be called wifey by him is such a delight! But that aside, Jung Il Woo is lovable too though he’s eccentric and childlike here, Chi Soo was the one who captured Eun Bi’s (Lee Chung Ah) heart nonetheless. This was really a fun watch! The Ramyun boys are a treat and their bonding made this drama worthwhile to finish. You’ll leave satisfied to your hearts content.

THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN. I love me some Kim Soo Hyun and he’s back being the King of this epic series. To be honest, I really loved the first part more when Prince Hwon (Yeo Jin Goo) fell in love with Yeon Woo (Kim Yoo Jung). I enjoyed the exchange of wit and letters from both. How I wish that they’d stayed kids forever like that. Then again, we have to see Soo Hyun’s acting prowess and be swept again by his charm. Together with the beautiful Han Ga In, both fought fate and made their love stand against all odds. Jung Il Woo as Prince Yang Myung made his presence felt in this series too, loving Yeon Woo all his life. You’d definitely be mesmerized by the scenery and gorgeous set up from the Joseon Era and cry along with Prince Yang Myung. Watch it, Soo Hyun made it bearable, for me atleast.

THE KING 2 HEARTS. Lee Seung Gi is a grown man here, though not leaving behind his quirky attitude that we all love! I’ve never seen him act the way he did in this series. I’m in awe of him more. Ha Ji won is kick ass and made the North Korean accent so sweet to hear. Together they form one Korea, one heart. It is action packed since Ji Won is here, you would not miss her amazing skills even kicking his Royal Highness to the curb. Interesting plot but I think you’d enjoy Ha Ji Won’s aegyo and dance moves more than anything.

SHUT UP! FLOWER BOY BAND. This is such a warm and very comforting watch. I ended this drama having a huge smile on my face that I think will linger on and on. Sung Joon is phenomenal and he became uber handsome to me. I fell for him along the way. The OTP is just so cute for words and I enjoyed every moment, wishing for more! But those two aside, this drama feels like home. You know, that love, that protection and that security, and comfort we feel when we go to a place we can be ourselves? This drama feels more than just a drama. I truly understand why others fell in love with this. It is worth your time and even your tears! It simply hits the right spot, every-single-time. No matter who the character is, you will be drawn and swept away by the emotion they feel. It was so powerful and so moving.

They say that most lessons are learned the hard way. Shut Up Flower Boy Band emanates that thought. The trials are meant for good at the end of the day. Sometimes the pain can really be piercing, as shown by the characters and yet they all became a better man after. They succeeded alone but having that heart of togetherness still. The bond that the Eye Candy formed is tough and you can feel that resonate in their music and whenever they perform together. It feels so euphoric! I would not mind repeating this to the nth time just to feel them again and again and again.

QUEEN IN HYUN’S MAN. The best fusion sageuk I’ve seen yet (as of 2012) I love that everything blends well with the story and we are not just wishing to be back in the modern world all the time. I enjoy seeing Ji Hyun Woo in the Joseon Era as well. It’s my first time ever watching him and I’m surprised that he’s a good actor. His pairing with Yoo In Na is sizzling. Sparks flew everywhere even if they are just staring at each other and far apart. One of the best chemistry on screen, and felt natural at that. I’m always taken aback with historical set up. But this drama just made me cling to it until the end. The writer is amazing! What a wonderful masterpiece yet again from the writer of Coffee House. Hands down, a drama that makes you believe that love works in mysterious and marvelous ways. Epic and oh so beautiful! Another MUST WATCH!

BIG. Yup another Hong Sister’s drama. If you are a fan of the sisters, try this and you’ll fall in love with Kyung Joon in Yoon Jae’s body. Or to make it simple, you will fall in love with Gong Yoo,100%. Little Kyung Joon is asleep all throughout the series, though I wish he literally woke up in the end and grabbed that umbrella. *sigh* This drama begs us to leave most things to our imagination. So don’t expect much. Gong Yoo’s lovable on screen pairing was made to life by Lee Min Jung. Gil Teacher found her ground and found her true love too. I’m happy she was able to distinguish who her heart truly beats for. This drama is not among my fave from the Hong’s but still enjoyable. Go with what is presented and you’d just be fine.

ARANG AND THE MAGISTRATE. This drama gave me the creeps — both in a good and a bad way. Overall, I still love the feel, the ambiance, the scenery. It brought a different level of experience that I enjoyed. Arang is such a fierce character! She learned how to value her own life and gained the will to take a risk and fight for it. With a hero like the magistrate (Lee Jun Ki), where can this love story go? No limits.

ANSWER ME 1997 (REPLY 1997). Have you ever experienced falling in love with your friend? Are you like Yoon Jae? Or more like Shi Won?

This series directly hits the heart, even in the simplest of ways. Nostalgic, pure, heart wrenching and uber fun. Saying this is an understatement. You will love to reminisce about the life in the 90′s. If you were in Grade School or High School at that time, you’d laugh just like me because I guess it’s one, or if not, the best time in my life. The story was made even more special because of Seo In Guk and Jung Eun Ji. I don’t care if they were KPOP Idols, they rocked this series BIG TIME. They made the friends-in-love theme so enticing. You’d want to grab hold of a Yoon Jae in your life. I suggest you watch this with your friends and your family too! To miss this will be a regret in your K-drama life.

FLOWER BOY NEXT DOOR.Go Dok Mi (Park Shin Hye) isn’t your typical bubbly K-drama heroine. She decided to lock herself in her own apartment, living in her own world. Though comfortable as it may seem to her, the outside world is where she really wants to be. Good thing Enrique Geum (Yoon Shi Yoon) opened the door to help her breathe in life and experience what it truly means to live.

The drama made me love Enrique’s youthful exuberance and his quirky personality. But it was really Jin Rak (Kim Ji Hoon) that I personally fell in love with. Mr Post-it man stole my heart and run away with it. Having said that, this drama has its moments of glory and failed in some. The world of Dok Mi is a familiar ground that this drama illustrated beautifully, just by listening to her inner thoughts added a unique touch making her more relatable. Another winning drama from tVN.

THE MASTER’S SUN. This is another drama that is close to my heart. Its the first I’ve watched So Ji Sub in a full series. He captivated my heart playing Joo Joong Won, the cold-hearted Master that melted under the warmth of a sun, Tae Gong Shil (Gong Hyo Jin).

To find that one person who can take away your fears and who can make you feel alive again is truly special. Joong Won and Gong Shil is like a magnet that automatically joins together. When you force to separate them, the pull they have within is far stronger than any I had felt. Their love story is just like how their first hug scene transpired. It was unexpected. Gong Shil just came in his life, rushing in scared and needed comfort badly. But as it goes along, it turns out that Joong Won is the one needing help after all. His dark world finally found the light its been longing to have.

The immense chemistry off-screen resonated on-screen. It is a delight to see, feel, and hear. Skinship is scattered around, and the OTP’s touch scenes made a different kind of sensation that only the SoGong couple have. This drama will make you realize that waiting for that one special love, is worth it. Falling in love in a series will never be the same again after watching this. To date (2013), the best Hong Sister’s drama for me.

ANSWER ME 1994 (REPLY 1994). This can’t be compared to its predecessor. Though they do have the same feel, nostalgia and amazing attention to detail, this show broke the second season flop big time.

My love for this drama truly owes it to each character who is part of the Sinchon Boarding House. It’s amazing to feel the family bonding and the friendship that was built under one roof. They are blessed to have a home where everyone shared the heartiest meals and have the best support group. The story is more than just the romance that was built within its frame, but moreso it displayed the kind of universal love that truly warms the heart.

It’s my first to watch Jung Woo, the Oppa whose love for Na Jung can’t be quantified, its felt. Though I was captured by his Oppa role at first, it was really Chil Bong (Yoo Yeon Seok) who took my heart and I wasn’t able to have it back. The pendulum swing wasn’t felt by Na Jung (Go Ara) herself but the fan wars surely did. I was literally brokenhearted having to experience the unrequited love the way Chil Bong did. But having to experience his love for Na Jung is worth the tears still.

Watch this with an open heart. Because the love that both Oppa and Chil Bong gave to Na Jung is better seen that way. Highly recommended. If I have to go through Chil Bong’s heartache, I will still repeat this and savor what it means to love with all of you and even learn to let it go.

EMERGENCY COUPLE. Choi Jin Hyuk!! There is nothing more left to say.

I really enjoyed watching this series because of Song Ji Hyo and Choi Jin Hyuk’s awesome chemistry. The teasers were wonderfully made, its enticing enough not to miss the series. It did feel like much could have been done, especially in Jin Hee’s arc. But that aside, I still had an amazing time recapping and watching this series.

Jin Hee grew from a naive character to a woman who can stand on her own. She was so dependent when she married Chang Min that she felt low not having a life of her own. It is a consequence of not being complete first before entering a serious relationship. The separation was pivotal, it made both character realise that love will always be present no matter what. You just have to open yourself even when you know it will hurt. Watch it, and enjoy the antics! You will definitely love Choi Jin Hyuk, even if you already do.

ANGEL EYES. The best drama of Ku Hye Sun to date (2014). Hands down, what an amazing performance that she has Lee Sang Yoon to thank for. It is a first for me to watch Sang Yoon and I fell in love with him! I guess, the chemistry was so palpable and heartfelt, it was easy for me to watch this and not be reminded it is a melodrama. It felt like a cried an ocean but it cleansed my soul. The feeling was that good!

Yoon Soo Wan and Park Dong Joo defined a love that even if its tormenting, they choose each other still. It is a story of finding oneself and loving wholeheartedly no matter how painful it is. This series is among the most precious I have ever watched. It brought an amazing experience that I wouldn’t mind watching again. Every character is loveable and warm.

We don’t like the pace of walking. It seem that the world today is so fast, speed matters. But watching this series I learned the value of taking things slow especially with love. Waiting can be taxing and tedious. Who has the patience to wait? Dong Joo and Soo Wan have and both enjoyed the fruit of waiting for each other. The essence of “togetherness” is really evident seeing how both endured the trials that came their way that when they separated, we all felt their pain. It was so piercing, you want them to be together again.

This is one of the most beautifully written love story. You wouldn’t mind falling in love and experiencing it. Highly recommended.

MARRIAGE NOT DATING. I can’t believe I almost let this drama slip away! I wasn’t reeled in to watch this since I kinda predicted how it’s going to be and the premise wasn’t as enticing. How amazing it is to be proven wrong?!

This drama is feel good and so easy to digest. I really enjoyed how the drama focused on family and relationships. The most important thing why this became a drama craving was the “communication”. We heard it been said a million times over that communication is vital and I love how the drama gave emphasis on that. Jang Mi (Han Groo) and Ki tae (Yeon Woo Jin) are a perfect example to show what great communication can do in a relationship. They were successful in making it feel organic and relatable. Their conversations were meaningful and delightful, even the arguments. They are so adorable! For them there is no eternal love, only a love they both want to last. Awww.

The transition of Jang Mi and Ki Tae’s fake relationship to a real one worked well, turning a bad relationship to the best one could possibly have. Knowing the foibles, worst habits and dark past of the person you are in a relationship with and loving them despite of that is a true testament of what true love is. You can not just have good qualities, nobody is perfect. Accepting the imperfection is an important part of a relationship. I’m happy to have learned it better through this drama.

Watch this and feel the spark of a love with no pretence.

THE TIME WE WERE NOT IN LOVE. How can you notice if someone is looking at you when you are looking somewhere else? One will surely miss a lot. Good thing Choi Won (Lee Jin Wook) didn’t spent his whole life just being the best friend for Oh Ha Na (Ha Ji Won) and stepped up to be more!

Best friends to lovers plot is one of the best storyline but the hardest to execute. This show did just okay, though I hoped for the best. Well, this show didn’t lack fan service, so don’t be dismayed and give this show a try too. The chemistry is exploding on screen. The 1+1 couple brightened each scenario, whether they are bickering or simply sharing aegyo to each other. Nobody can replace the memories they have built in time. Their memory bank is full of great milestone to choose from.

I fell in love with Choi Won. At first I was so frustrated and mad at him. I thought that with his persona, finally a man was strong enough to fight to protect the woman he loves from getting hurt again. Choi Won was the right man to stop Cha Seo Hoo (Yoon Kyung Sang), though the only advantage he has is that of a friend. But then, he took a step back because Choi Won isn’t the kind of man to stop Ha Na’s heart from beating even if it was for somebody else. Choi Won chose to understand and support Ha Na’s decision. This is Choi Won’s love language. Ha Na’s happiness is more important than his own.

Everything ends well in dramaland! Watch this and enjoy the 1+1 couple fight, kiss and make-up endlessly.

OH MY GHOST. Do you want to know what love is? This drama definitely showed it. I highly recommend it to anyone who just loves the feeling of falling in love and staying in love.

Take the journey with Na Bong Sun (Park Bo Young) as she discovers what it is to love and be loved by Chef Kang Sun Woo (Jo Jung Seok). Their chemistry is perfect and electrifyingly good!! You would enjoy every second of them on screen. Whether or not Na Bong Sun is possessed by Shin Soon Ae (Kim Seul Gi), the joint forces of their chemistry is overwhelmingly amazing to experience. This is the kind of drama that can be enjoyed from start to finish. Don’t miss it.

MISAENG / INCOMPLETE LIFE – Work politics can never be portrayed better than what this series presented. I’ve watched Im Si Wan ever since he appeared in The Moon that Embraces the Sun and his cute cameo in Reply 1997. This time, he showed a different side of him more than just his pretty face. Though I was hoping a love line with Kang So Ra, I think they are still enjoyable as officemates with Kang Ha Neul.

The cast is completed with the addition of Lee Sung Min who made me a certified fan through this drama. He simply brought so much heart as a mentor. I believe we need more people like him in this world. Someone whose tenacity and fervent persona drives anyone with him to become better. He is surely stubborn, yet his hard work is incomparable. Watch this and learn why work is work and why passion can drive you towards a better destination.

HEALER – Just three words. Ji Chang Wook.

Some of you may have more adjectives to describe how awesome this is. But for me, it was really discovering an amazing talent in Ji Chang Wook, I’m swept away by his character. He’s a chameleon who can switch from dorky, to manly to clumsy to stubborn to the sweetest thing a K-drama hero could ever be. His chemistry with Park Min Young captured my heart. It was a treat seeing them fall in love. This is a highly recommended drama to watch. If you like action, suspense and romance, this is a treat you don’t want to miss.

TWENTY AGAIN – Lee Sang Yoon is back as Professor Cha Hyun Seok. You will definitely fall more in love with him, there is no escaping his charms! He teams up with Choi Ji Woo again, truly it is better the second time around. This series is a timeless piece that can be enjoyed no matter what age you are! There is always a special spot in my heart when the past era is smoothly blended in the present.

Add to that, Sang Yoon is swoon worthy! Even if Hyun Seok is grumpy most of the time, his love for No Ra is timeless. This is worth watching anytime.

ANSWER ME (REPLY) 1988 – I will shamelessly admit, this is my favourite Reply series to date (2016). Even if this is already the third, PD Shin Won Ho did not fail to surprise me. Despite of the heartache, this series is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Every detail, every character, every possibility is once again explored. The trademark of the Reply franchise is unparalleled, every series is uniquely made. All thanks to Ryu Joon Yeol coz he made this series beyond special for me. He successfully brought to life an unforgettable character – Kim Jung Hwan. This is not to say that Taek (Park Bo Gum) did anything less to love Sung Deok Sun (Hye Ri). However, I was hopelessly devoted to Jung Hwan. He was the only one in my heart.

Though this series was never about the husband hunt for me, the heartache I’ve felt wasn’t anything less than what I expected. Prepare your heart once you decide to watch this. You have been warned.

CHEESE IN THE TRAP – Discovering new actors who are not afraid to do something different made this series endearing. The premise brought from the webtoon, added interesting character that has depth I was interested to explore.

Park Hae Jin did a tremendous job as Yoo Jung. There are only few actors who can be both lovable and despicable all at the same time, Hae Jin is one of them. He had an amazing chemistry with Kim Go Eun. Seol and Yoo Jung were tailored to fit. Despite of the drama frenzy off-screen, Seo Kang Joon did a great job as Baek In Ho! SLS is evident, but this time I realised that this syndrome can be less painful too especially when done right.

Keep an open heart and watch something different. Judge it for yourself.

OH HAE YOUNG AGAIN (ANOTHER MISS OH) – As of 2016, this deserves the TOP ONE in my K-drama list of all time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

As they say, you have to be complete before you love someone. That said, I never thought that love can be found when the heart is completely shattered into pieces. How can the heart mend and be whole again? Park Do Kyung (Eric Mun) and Oh Hae Young (Seo Hyun Jin) proved that real love can exist even in the worse possible state. It all begun with a leap of faith! All it took was for Do Kyung to open his arms and catch Hae Young. From then, he struggled hard not to let her go ever again.

It is the first time that I have watched Eric of Shinhwa and Seo Hyun Jin in a drama series. It was such a delight to experience how amazing love is seeing both of them performing at their best. The chemistry is so intense, I believe it is REAL. Shipper heart aside, to date RicHyun is definitely a K-drama couple to beat! From every touch, every kiss, and every hug they shared, there is an incredibly sweet intimacy no other OTP can possibly have! They are beyond astonishing together! I can only think of happy thoughts whenever I see them both.

Love is defined with no specificity. Each character here has shown love in various of ways. You will discover the amazing talents from the veteran actors, Ye Ji Won in particular. You would want to party all night with her.

Be ready to be mesmerised! Once you watch this, it will be hard to resist repeating it all over again.

LET’S EAT SEASON 2 – Nothing can beat the yearning of delicious food — make that KOREAN FOOD!

This K-drama is plot-free and just entices you with what matters most in life, food. I watched this for the love of Seo Hyun Jin and I happily sat and observed her in awe. She can do ANYTHING! Plus, her chemistry with Yoon Doo Joon made watching the sweetest thing to do. I truly enjoyed their banters. No matter how opposite their views are, they can sit down and enjoy each others company. They made eating alone a sin, because a meal is better enjoyed with others.

Watch this! Word of warning: Eat first before you watch. Or else, you’ll crave badly and say “goodbye diet.”

#Asian Dramas #Korean Drama #KDrama #Lovers in Paris #Boys Over Flowers #Another Miss Oh #Master's Sun #Reply 1997 #Reply 1994 #Reply 1988 #Heartstrings #Healer #Angel Eyes #Princess Hours #City Hunter #My Girlfriend is a Gumiho

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rookie-critic · 1 year

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City of Angels (1998, dir. Brad Silberling) - review by Rookie-Critic

The third stop on my Nicolas Cage weekly movie nights was an odd choice. After two absolutely unhinged films like Con Air and Face/Off, why would my friends' next choice be a rom-com between Cage and Meg Ryan that happens to be a remake of a beloved 80s film by auteur Wim Wenders? The answer was simple: The song "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls was written for this movie, and that was intriguing enough to give it a slot, and honestly I'm the kind of person who wants to devour an actor's entire filmography, especially for an actor like Nicolas Cage, so I didn't mind at all. I didn't have super high expectations going into this one, I'd never even heard of it before and, looking at the reviews, they didn't seem too favorable. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well written, well acted, and just generally well made this was.

Cage and Ryan both give absolutely stellar performances, with Cage actually managing to draw a tear out of me with a line delivered towards the end of the film. Special shout out should also go to Dennis Franz, who is unforgettable as Nathaniel Messinger in the film. While the story may seem a tad ridiculous on the surface; an angel wants to become mortal after falling in love with a human woman, the film does a very good job of bringing that frankly wacky premise down to Earth and making it believable within the rules the movie sets up for itself. I know I've already mentioned that Cage gives a stellar performance in this, but I don't think I've really sold it enough, so I'm going to keep talking about it. This isn't Cage unhinged, this is Cage subdued. It's such a straight-laced, non-bombastic performance that I'm not sure I've ever seen out of him before. Even taking Pig into account, which by all metrics is a more subdued performance from his average outing, still has aspects to it that are wacky, and only one scene in this entire film sees Cage approaching his normal levels of insanity, but even then it fits within the confines of the character. I know that a lot of the charm surrounding Nicolas Cage is his crazed, frantic acting, but when I see him in films like this, like Pig, it makes me a little sad, because I know that he's more than capable of giving a truly incredible performance. One that's memorable for how good his acting is as opposed to how bizarre and bonkers it is, which, again, has its own charm and appeal. I don't necessarily want Cage's reputation as a wildman actor to go away, I don't want his legacy to consider how genuinely talented he is, as well.

While I don't understand the Tomatometer's 57% for this film (inversely to how I don't quite understand Face/Off's 92%), there are aspects of it that don't work for me. For one, while the dialogue is amazing, Ryan and Cage have absolutely no chemistry. Cage is definitely not the rom-com scene partner that Tom Hanks is to Ryan, and it shows. It really is their chemistry because, as I stated earlier, their performances are both stellar, but I just got nothing in the romance department out of them. Another lackluster piece of this puzzle is that it does lean over into overly sappy territory more than once, for sure. A lot of the music cues, while the songs themselves are good, were almost too much. One in particular, when Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" plays during a pivotal romance scene, was actually too much. This very possibly could be because of that song's connection to the ASPCA commercials from the mid-2000s, and if that is that case I can't really hold that against the film, but the on-the-nose nature of the song's titular line and the style of music it is was more of a hindrance than a help, as was the case for the scene where "Iris" plays.

One last thing I'll say in the con category is with a specific scene in the film in which we are shown flashes of black-and-white clips that don't really seem pertinent as well as black-and-white versions of things that had happened earlier in the movie. From what I understand, the black-and-white aspect of this is in reference to original Wim Wenders film, Wings of Desire, in which it is a major plot point that angels can't see color, which is all well and good except for the fact that this had never been established in City of Angels up to that point, which makes it very jarring and confusing as to why that was been presented that way. It also still doesn't answer what those other, unrelated clips were. The closest thing I think for them to be are shots from Wings of Desire that were placed there as a way to homage the original film, but I have no idea if that's true or not, and it still wouldn't make sense as to how they relate to Seth in this film. Regardless, City of Angels was great. It's one of the better genuinely fantastic performances I've seen out of Cage, the writing was awesome despite its leads' lack of chemistry, and most importantly, I had a fun time watching this with friends. What more can you ask for?

Score: 8/10

Currently available for rent/purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.) and on DVD & Blu-ray through Warner Bros./Regency.

#City of Angels #Brad Silberling #Nicolas Cage #Meg Ryan #Andre Braugher #Dennis Franz #Colm Feore #Robin Bartlett #Joanna Merlin #Sarah Dampf #film review #movie review #1998 films

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yesterdanereviews · 11 months

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PK (2014)

Film review #560

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

SYNOPSIS: An alien arrives on Earth, and has his communicator with his spaceship stolen. Now stranded on the planet, he attempts to learn how to survive and learn the ways of the people here, but he is especially confused by the concept of religion. He meets Jaggu, a reporter who is looking for her next big story. She is intrigued by his naivety and how his simple questions challenge the conflicts between different religions, and how those that profess to know what God wants are the ones who know least about religion. Jaggu and PK show down with Tapaswi, a religious leader who has come into possession of PK’s communicator, claiming to be a religious artefact, and the pair try to expose him and get PK’s communicator back to he can return home...

THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: PK is a 2014 Indian sci-fi film. The story primarily revolves around PK, an alien who, in the film’s opening, lands on Earth, and shortly after has his communicator with his spaceship stolen, meaning he has no way to get back home. Attempting to adjust to life on Earth, he turns to God for help, but is perpetually confused by all of the different religions and their rules. He eventually encounters Jaggu, a reporter who is looking out for a worthwhile story, and becomes interested by PK’s naïve take on the world, and how it provides genuine insight on the world from a fresh perspective. Opting to tackle the absolute minefield that is differences and conflicts between religions, PK from the outset sets itself a dangerous task, but the comedic aspect of the film never strays into being offensive or controversial, focusing on what the religions have in common, rather than their confrontations. This might seem to be a bit simplistic, but this is one of the film’s greatest strengths; it manoeuvres through it’s subject in such an expert manner that it creates an entertaining experience full of life. On top of this, the dialogue and performances are precise and genuine, and again, are professionally executed.

The film is essentially divided into two halves: the first half deals with the more comedic aspects and a very “fish out of water” situation surrounding PK being stranded on Earth. The second half switches to a more drama and serious tone, with PK trying to expose the religious preacher Tapaswi, and get back his communicator that Tapaswi is claiming to be a religious icon to his followers. Again, when the film gets serious, it still maintains it’s expert exploration of it’s subject: avoiding being controversial, but still making a significant statement and creating some intense emotional moments. Even though the film is almost split down the middle, the change of tone doesn’t feel artificial, and feels like it moves on just when it needs to. If I were to find a fault in the plot, I would say the forced romance element that shows up at the final part of the film and about “letting go” just didn’t really need to be there, but even then, it is handled so well in terms of dialogue and acting, and producing a emotional reaction that it doesn’t really matter that it wasn’t really necessary, because it still produces something worthwhile.

The cast work so well in their roles, and although they are roles you are probably familiar with, such as PK being a clueless alien adjusting to life on Earth, they are still brought to life vibrantly, as mentioned, through stellar acting and sharp dialogue, and in the end it feels like you come out of it with a well rounded experience that never hits a lull. Despite having a few bumps in the story with a few elements that it could have done without, I think it is necessary to give PK high praise as a film: it is lots of fun, but also very heartfelt, alongside making a powerful statement without being mired in controversy. The film deserves the praise it received, and in particular, the absolutely solid script and dialogue, enhanced further with a host of strong performances. Not quite perfect, but deserving of it’s huge success.

#movie #movie review #pk #sci-fi #film #film review #2014 film

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writerchickmarie · 7 months

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John Lloyd Young At The Space - Only The Best - Simply The Best

There is nobody else who can do what John Lloyd Young can - not only with a song, but with an audience.

Those of us who have followed him and his career for quite some time know this. We know about his phenomenal vocal range, the way he interprets a song and makes you feel every emotion with each word and note, his knowledge and storytelling on stage, and his care for each and every person who is there to see him perform.

And now, many more people are discovering all of the things that make JLY so special, as we longtime friends and fans knew that they would. It's a wonderful ride that we get to enjoy along with him - and we all definitely enjoyed every moment from The Space.

There were those who were able to be in Las Vegas in person, and for those of us who couldn't attend that way this time, thankfully there was a livestream so we could all participate in the music and the joy.

The energy was off the charts the entire time, from the intensity of the first notes of "My Prayer", right into the fun and enthusiasm of "Oh What A Night" and the exuberance of "Show And Tell".

Through all of this, JLY was backed by a stellar band, led by Chris Lash on piano. Chris has played Jerry Lee Lewis in several productions of Million Dollar Quartet, and was also a conductor for Jersey Boys at the Paris Theatre in Vegas - which, of course, makes him the perfect person to work with the Tony-winning, original Frankie Valli on Broadway. And everything ran seamlessly throughout the evening, on all of JLY's "Best" set - Jersey Boys and beyond.

Next up was one of our absolute favorites...JLY's powerful, heartfelt version of "Only The Lonely", complete with the cry in his voice that moves every single audience member. Then a favorite for a different reason - "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me", with JLY coming around the room to as many people as possible for some always thrilling audience participation. It's kind of cool to watch it from the livestream vantage point...almost as much fun as actually being in the room and participating!

The two standout moments came next. JLY's "I Only Have Eyes For You", arranged by Ron Melrose from Jersey Boys, is on a whole other level, making any other version of the song pale in comparison. Then it was "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" - but with a twist. JLY mentioned the trip to Italy that he and several others just got back from a couple of weeks ago, where he sang some favorite songs in Italian. On this night, he had Chris go back and start playing part of the song again so he could sing it in Italian for us. It was so beautiful that I cried...and it is very much appreciated that he shared this for those of us who were not able to be in Italy on this particular trip. I could definitely see him performing this special version more often, and maybe even recording it.

This began the Jersey Boys portion of the show, where JLY also told several entertaining stories about working with Clint Eastwood on the movie. And during "Walk Like A Man", he proved that he still has the dance moves as well! He then performed the always beautiful and moving "My Eyes Adored You", with more interesting stories to go with it.

The next story was about singing to, and with, Smokey Robinson in Cuba during the US Arts Delegation, leading into JLY's breathtaking rendition of "Ooh Baby Baby". He followed up with "Unchained Melody", which is better than ever, before he came around the room again to serenade everyone with "Cara Mia".

The next song is a personal favorite of mine, and I'm so glad that JLY included it in his Only The Best set. His "Maybe I'm Amazed" surpasses Sir Paul's original, to the point that when I hear the original come on the radio, all I can think about is JLY performing it. And it was beyond wonderful again for this show.

We closed out the evening with "Working My Way Back To You", and everyone on their feet (both in person and at home) for "Sherry", singing along to end the evening that was on a continuous high note from start to finish.

You could tell that JLY was having as much fun as we all were, and that he is in stronger voice than ever. There is so much more on the horizon, and the best is truly yet to come. I can't wait to see what's ahead!

#john lloyd young friends #john lloyd young #concert review #the space las vegas #livestream

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kaelio · 3 years

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What's your favorite point at which to get Garashir together romantically in the canon timeline? (like, right away, after "Cardassians" after "The Wire" after "The Search" etc.)

Garashir is so good that the answer to this question completely depends on the tone of the work, or more--depending on when they get together in canon, I prefer a particular tone. Not sure which comes first, cart or horse there. But let's look at some of the potential getting-together events:

After "The Search": A nice, cozy entry point. Means they're together a lot of the series, so you have some good alternate viewpoints on events as they unfold, a lot of meat in the alternate scenario where they're together most of the runtime. Great potential for a nice hurt/comfort intro and angst/fluff as you move forward. Great choice.

Around "The Die is Cast": they kiss before Garak heads off. Great angsty entry point. So, Garak returns to all he really has left... the one thing he thought he was leaving behind, dear Julian! Might even delve into some thoughts like Garak's unrealistic fantasies of somehow getting both his role on Cardassia back and Julian, both. I've seen some great fics set around this period for their initiating event.

"The Wire": the wire is their love episode for their love :> By this point, they must be so sure they love each other smooch smooch smooch. Julian faced down Tain, saved Garak, forgave him, what a truly stellar declaration. "But it's problematic because--" that part makes it good too >:)))))

Julian joins Garak when he goes back to Cardassia at the very end and then they're together in a span in 1 day-3mos or whatever: Truly splendid. Maybe the best. Canon-compliant, thematic. beautiful.

Julian shows up like 1-3 years later: Verrrrry meaty depending on how it's done, and again has some great fluff/angst potential. In what capacity does Julian still serve the Federation? Starfleet? What's happened to Cardassia? Who, at the end, did they really want to be and why, and why is it together? Fantastic. Really good for a nice, mature evaluation.

Right after Garak attempts to blow up the Great Link: hahaha this is such a great time to do it honestly. garak does a garak and julian's like welp that's my little guy. that's my scamp. i can't not love him. 🐊

After like 8.5+ years: ohhhh. This has to be done SO well for me to like it. I actually think this is the stage where I’ve had the highest % of fics not really work for me. Garak can’t be pining the whole time. It’s not fair to him. Julian hasn’t been kind enough to him for that. Garak has to have something else going on, or Julian has to be VERY apologetic. Either way it’s just such a long time.... Whatever the narrative is, has to acknowledge that.

Funniest: 5 minutes after they meet. julian, by the time he breathlessly reports to Ops about the spy, has already crossed the mouth/hand-stuff threshold

#ask #garashir #garak #bashir #ds9 #star trek #feel free to ask about any I forgot

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babydaddyleorio · 3 years

Text

bnha: having a theatre s/o

For my thespians 😩☝🏾

Izuku

-Izuku absolutely loves helping you practice.

-He would go over the script with you, taking the place of the other characters as he reads just so you could practice your role fluently.

-Another thing to keep in mind is that Izuku can not act to save his life.

-He’s kind of nervous and occasionally will say things like “oops, wrong line” or “where are we again?” when reading from the script. His voice has a ton of forced emotion and he also tends to awkwardly move his body when he follows the stage directions.

-Even though he’s not that good on the stage himself, he offers great advice when It comes to the way you perform. He will tell you If you need to add more expression in a particular scene or If you accidentally skipped doing something.

-If you have to design the set, Izuku is right alongside you drawing out sketches and coming up with the correct dimensions for props. He has such a serious look on his face as he’s doing mental calculations on where something should go and you think it’s so adorable.

-Izuku always makes time to go see your plays.

-When he gets there, he is literally so invested in what's happening and is following the storyline very well. He laughs at the cheesy jokes being made and his eyes will water If something sad happens. The person beside him will slyly offer him a tissue because he’s literally bawling his eyes out.

-When the play is over, he stands in the hall and waits as his eyes search the room for you. Once he finally sees you walking towards him through the crowd of people, he immediately perks up.

-”You were incredible, y/n!” He would beam with the biggest smile on his face, hugging you tightly once he reached you.

Kirishima

-Kirishima is most definitely your biggest fan.

-He will pick you up from rehearsal everyday with a smile on his face and will ask you "So, how'd It go?" and when you tell him It went good, he would then smile harder.

-“I’m so excited, I can't wait to see you perform!” He would shout while pumping his fist in the air and a laugh would fall from your mouth at how eager he was.

-Kirishima is another person who has no qualms helping you build the set, in fact, he actually looks forward to It. He loves to help you paint cool designs on the props or move certain things around the stage.

-He will be very quiet If he notices that you’re practicing because he doesn’t want to distract you.

-Loves doing improv with you. You guys end up making the most hilarious scenarios with each other and will end up breaking character with your uncontrollable laughter.

-Kirishima also enjoys the exercises and warm ups you have to do to get your voice and body ready for acting. This is his time to shine.

-If you’re nervous before you go on, Kirishima will reassure you. He would give you an encouraging speech or do deep breaths while holding your hands just in case you need some type of comfort.

-Kirishima makes sure to get a front row seat so he can be the first one to see you.

-His eyes will legit light up once he catches a glimpse of how stunning you look with your costume on. His eyes are always searching for you through the whole play, and will definitely whistle and clap loudly once your performance is over.

-You guys will go out to celebrate because Kirishima insisted on treating you to food for your stellar performance.

Todoroki

-Todoroki is familiar with the Idea of plays, but he’s never really seen one before. That’s why when you tell him that you’re going to be in the school’s next play, he’s kind of unsure of what to expect.

-Todoroki genuinely wants to know about this since this is something you enjoy, so he will binge watch plays on YouTube to get a clue on what you’ll be doing.

-Once he finished his marathon of various plays, Todoroki would be rushing to tell you about everything he discovered when researching them, but he stops dead in his tracks once he sees you in your costume

-He has to do a double take right quick because wow

-You look amazing.

-Whether your costume is a princess from medieval times or a 63 year old man, Todoroki still couldn’t believe how great you look.

-Todoroki thinks that you’re such a great actor and loves the confidence you exert when you’re on stage.

-He would be so inspired by you that sometimes when he’s looking at himself through the mirror in his bathroom, he would clear his throat and try to recite lines from the play with a deep voice.

-If It’s finally premiere night, he most likely invites the whole class.

-Once Intermission starts, he texts that you’re doing great with a smiley face at the end of It.

-After the play is finished, he would give you a banquet of flowers with a box of chocolate (or your favorite snack) in his other hand.

- “Your acting skills are outstanding, Y/n. I am really proud of you.” He would grin as he watched you bury your nose in the bundle of roses.

Sero

-Sero loves watching you rehearse your lines. It’s like music to his ears when he hears how you enunciate your words and how entrancing the tone of your voice is.

-And if you’re in musical theatre? He’s definitely toppling over once he hears how breathtaking your singing is.

-Sometimes Sero will sit in the empty audience and watch as you practice with your other classmates. He’ll stay the whole time, either observing you or will do his homework, and the director doesn’t mind either since Sero is so chill and supportive of everyone.

-And because the director likes him so much, he will also help you guys even if he’s not a part of the class. They assign him to go work in the workshop and bring out wood to help technical theatre and to tape things they can’t reach.

-Sero knows all the lyrics to the song you perform and mouths the lyrics to you just in case you forget them.

-He also has a whole playlist dedicated to theatre and you guys sing Hamilton loudly in the car whenever you hear a song come on.

-If you write your own plays he supports you 100%.

-He likes sitting in bed and flipping through your script while holding a flashlight under his covers and would probably spend all night reading It.

-He would definitely text you in the morning how amazing your writing Is and that you would make a great playwright

-Literally won’t shut up to his friends about the play and It’s to the point where Denki has to take some tape from his elbow and stick It across his mouth.

-Sero will come to every showing you have. You really appreciate him too because It feels nice to have someone supporting you from the crowd.

-At the end of your play, Sero will give you a standing ovation with a ginormous smile shaping his lips.

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akidachi · 3 years

Text

me @ all TMA fans now that the show is over

[image ID// photo of bernie sanders with the text “i am once again asking you to watch Yu-Gi-Oh! gx //end ID]

yes yes i know recomending the cardgame anime spinoff is propably the weirdest thing i could be doing but trust me it has a LOT of thematic smilarities and depending on your reason for liking tma you may very well like gx as well

a quick bullet point list of reasons to watch gx from a tma fans perspective:

explores themes of loss, sacrifice, inhumanity, consequences, depression, the inevetability of fate, spitting in the face of said fate and all that fun stuff

subverting the traditional associations of light and dark as good and evil

“you can still be friends with someone you want to use”

(yes i know that one is more a81 but it applies)

GREAT protagonist character development

completely breaking the protagonist down to their bare essentials throughout the course of the series (but especially during s3)

Canon Typical Guilt Complex

strong supporting cast

characters with supernatural powers

canon non-binary character

on that note

canon nblm character

canon (?) mlnb character

european (?) character that ISNT italian, german, french or brittish for once (a personal pet peeve of mine)

the struggles of growing up and the uncertainty and fear of what the future may hold

and last but not least

the slow series long descent into despair that every ygo spinoff has to some extent but damn if season 3 didnt set a high standard it got dark

all that said i do think i should warn you that wheni say the show gets dark i mean it gets dark. the ygo series overall might shy away from a bit of blood but it is not at all afraid of diving into heavier themes and making you feel it. do not be fooled by the lighthearted nature of the first season it is not afraid to make you cry.

which seems strange for a show thats seemingly just a childrens cardgame anime but when you take into account that ygo started out as a horror manga, and only switched over to the cardgame structure when the duel monsters arc took off, it makes a lot more sense.

(further talking and content warnings below the cut)

all that said heres a couple content warnings (in no particular order):

child abuse

childhood trauma

emotional and financial abuse

less than stellar family members in general

memory loss

medically induced amnesia (yes these are seperate instances)

themes of suicide

themes of depression and isolation (canon typical Lonely content but its all of gx s4)

unreality / dream logic (kinda. again, s4)

cults

brainwashing, mind control and manipulation

loss of physical and mental autonomy (of a sort)

genocide

implied death of children

confirmed death of children

mentions of real world tragedies (offhand once or twice in s2)

significant mental and emotional torment of the main character

temporary character death

permanent character death

(no neither of these are the typical “shadow realm” ygo deaths im talking about regular dying, and not of the fun and peaceful kind either)

(yes several of these are on screen)

also please not that some of these content warnigns apply to all of, or multiple series of ygo

especially themes of suicide, child abuse, and genocide, all 3 of which are covered in every ygo series on SOME level with varying severity

it may seem tempting to skip straight to season 3, as a lot of the more tma esque content is found there (though s2 goes hard as well in my opinion) i really do recomend watching the show from start to finish, as pretty much all the characters experience some level of character development, and seeing them all change throughout the series is an absolute treat.

also on the dub vs sub debate i really do reccoment watchign GX subbed. not bc dubbed anime are nessecatily bad but bc Dub and Sub GX are practically 2 entirely different shows with the amount of changes 4kids decided to make, as well as season 4 not having a dub at all as 4kids wanted to move on to 5ds instead.

(on a semi related note if the anti establishment aspects of tma are more your jam youll propably like 5ds, which has themes of poverty, classism, said eat the rich and litterally abolished the police force by the end of the series while also being about playing cardgames on motorcycles at the same time)

(honestly i could propably make a whole post on the central themes of each ygo series they really take a theme and apply it EVERYWHERE)

also a more recent note

if you like tragedy and big sad

WATCH VRAINS

its like 1 tiny detail away from being a tragedy

i knew what was coming and it still wrecked me

#textposting #not art #i know this is my art acc but my main has like 40 followers and i need yall to listen to me on this one please #the magnus archives #tma #yugioh #ygo #gx #yes i do still stand by all these points despite being deep in the vrains pit #on the topic of vrains #if you liked the tma ending you MIGHT like the vrains ending too #flavors of both sad and bittersweet with a good amount of ambiguity

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absolutebl · 2 years

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What do you think about BL series couples that one has childlike attitude and innocent looks, other is stern and almost a father figure?like Cir x phugun from tt2? Personally i am conflicting myself about those.i find them sweet and i also think that cant be healthy..what is your take?

I tend to think they are just lifestyle D/s. CirPhu had an entirely Daddy/boy dynamic. So I try to convince myself that's what's actually going on and it's all negotiated and safe. (Although it's MAME written so we know, probably not.) Still, under those circumstances, it's feels fine to me.

Cir is even called Sir, I mean, come on! That CAN'T be unintentional. Frankly as a lifestyle Daddy he’s pretty stellar.

When it's done well, I don't mind it, but it will always make me cringe a little.

It's taken a really long time for me to be okay with the super cuteness that comes from Japan in particular. And I will still wince. Phugun is really in that arena. Frankly, CirPhu made me wince a lot.

This is an entirely personal thing. I'm don't like babies or children and never have. Even when I was a child I didn't like other children. I was never intersted in dolls. I hate things like Funko's pop vinyl or Hello Kitty. And I tend to avoid most anime because of chibi.

confession time

no shade on whatever kink you're into (so long as it's safely practiced) but age play doesn't work for me

I'm also personally turned off (as a dominant) by the kissing of stuffed animals, the wearing of ears or tails, the old raver pacifier thing, baby talk, all that. It doesn't offend me, but I do take it as a signal marker of "not my type."

But that's because age play is a hard limit for me. I find it the opposite of sexy. But that's me, clearly there are many who do not feel this way.

all that said...

If you are intersted in exploring a show that specifically sets out to play with a cutesie dynamic, as well as some gender exploration under context of cuteness:

Colorful Love: Genderless Danshi ni Aisareteimasu (I could only find it on DramaCool) is a hella queer romcom-ish farce from Japan that kinda defies labels, rather like the main character, but the lack of tropes (among other things) makes me think this is neither BL nor GL, but some other fae-esk creature from the chibi side of life. Recommended for the cute charm but you’ll probably find it... odd. Still this is what Japan does, pushing boundaries within the confines of their own very specific cinematic styles, so in that regard it's also quite interesting.

#don't say no #thai bl #chibi #cute in bl #japanese bl #Genderless Danshi ni Aisareteimasu

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pebblysand · 2 years

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[THOUGHTS ON PEAKY BLINDERS, EPISODE 4 - SERIES 6, “SAPPHIRE”]

in no particular order, just as i’ve had them (but i've tried to organise a bit). obviously, spoilers ahead. if you missed my recaps of the previous episodes, see ep1, ep2, ep 3.

first off, i have to start this by saying i didn’t really want to watch this episode. i couldn’t watch it live on sunday and voluntarily waited until after work on monday to watch. i could say this is because i wanted to actually have time to sit with it, digest, etc. but i also have to acknowledge the fact that last week, I Just Couldn’t Wait. i knew this week was going to be depressing af, and ugh, i didn’t really want to watch it. this is not really about the episode itself, but i reckon it’s worth noting.

ON RUBY’S FUNERAL:

i still can’t believe ruby’s dead. rip.

i don’t know how i feel about the funeral. i loved how unreadable tommy was. also, god, arthur turning down tommy’s request to read the words… it would have been heartbreaking if it hadn’t been so clear that tommy was very capable of reading the words, that arthur was clearly incapable of reading them, and that still tommy asked him to, as though to rub it in his face, even tacking on that ‘you’re the eldest’ pressure. there’s always been such a toxic and manipulative tone with his relationship to arthur - it feels like a decades-old sibling rivalry, like tommy can’t even help himself but fucking with arthur’s head, even at his own daughter’s funeral.

‘we could have afforded a golden carriage but gold doesn’t work, that was the last lesson ruby taught us.’ - yeah, i called this last week. the ‘man tommy can’t defeat’ is not a man, it’s all the stuff you can’t control with money or power - namely health. (more on that later i suppose 😭😭)

‘we will make it peaceful and honest and good and send it back down the river better than it was.’ - i appreciate stephen knight’s arc is the redemption!tommy arc but god, do i personally not care.

as always, the sound work in this series, and particularly s6, is incredible. as i’ve said before, s6 has a bit lacking in terms of the ‘signature’ peaky music (which is obviously intentional and sets this season - and the previous one - apart for their general darkness), but the rest of the sound work remains stellar. that funeral scene: the silence, the background wind, the contrast with lizzie’s screams - i once ventured onto google scholar to see what academic papers had been written about peaky (i know, i’m weird) and most of them are film school papers about sound - i definitely can understand why. absolute chef’s kiss.

this being said, tommy is of course the Worst Husband Ever.

ON THE GYPSY CAMP:

the only thing i’ll say about that gypsy camp scene is that all those i’ve seen complaining about the lack of violence/kill count this season have been heard 😆

oh also, i think even tommy, at this point, knows there was no curse. it’s just something/someone to blame. killing these people doesn’t make him feel better/avenged, does it?😔 plus, if it really is a curse, why are you researching cures to consumption, tommy? are all of these children who die every year also cursed? please.

*singsongs* Esmee Is Full Of Shite And This Is Where You Have Heard It First 🎵 (no really, if there is a secret son we’ve never heard about that he reckons can “replace” ruby i will SCREAM).

ON LIZZIE/TOMMY:

i loved the first scene between them when he tries to justify his actions. tommy yells about stepping off the boat, etc. and he’s like: ‘DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!?!’ i thought this was an incredibly powerful scene because of course, no, she doesn’t understand. no one does. half of what he thinks doesn’t make sense anymore and obviously, the reason why becomes clear at the end of the episode. but, in the meantime, i just really loved the way stephen knight is showing tommy gradually losing it without actually telling us he is, it’s absolutely brilliant. there is so much trust put in the viewer in this show. to be like: you used to trust this character, this used to be a very reliable and logical character, but now we’re going to show you all of these details that don’t line up with who he used to be, and trust you to understand what is going on under the surface. it’s such powerful writing and such a risk to take in the unreliability of their main character who used to be very reliable, i’m honestly is awe. and the great thing is that it worked because a lot of us predicted tommy’s brain “tumour” situation.

also, when lizzie says ‘you are beyond the help of doctors.’ jesus christ the easter egg. 💔

i also wrote this in my notes while watching: ‘this season has lots of vibes of stephen knight sitting by himself, talking to himself about himself for waaaay too long during lockdown.’ i stand by this comment.

ON ARTHUR&TOMMY:

man, i thought this was going to be The Moment. My Moment. i thought this was going to be when my theory was finally, finally going to become FACT re: arthur being the black cat last season. i think i held my breath the entire time. i was ready to scream: i fucking knew it!!!! but then it didn’t happen. 😡 now i genuinely think they just forgot about the black cat question lol. finn is apparently back next episode so at least maybe we’ll get confirmation the billy thing was real, though that is so unsatisfying.

i would say that this arthur&tommy scene was a cute scene, with all the childhood memories and the brotherly feels. that it seemed to come full circle on that famous quote from s1e1 ‘i think, so that you don’t have to,’ reaffirming that all these years later that arthur never actually wanted to be lead (always wanted tommy to ‘win’) but honestly, i don’t know. tommy is so manipulative with arthur. the way he tells the story about them fighting, then gaslights arthur about who won, then comes back on it in the end, it’s like a domestic abuse relationship pattern, constantly alternating between the good and the bad, the baton and the reward… then, asking him to go sober because ‘the family needs you’ 🙄, pulling just the right strings, so that he feels even worse when he inevitably fails. honestly, if i’m right and arthur was the rat last season, tommy deserved it. i think deep down tommy knows he deserved it.

tommy getting back on the booze was predictable but sad.

‘i stumbled and crashed. now, i’m sat on me arse in the ground like a fucking tunneler’ - what a great quote.

‘i’ll change the fucking world’ - will you, though, tom?

ON CHARLES:

that whole scene 💔.

i thought it was super interesting, btw, that tommy said ‘go see your mum,’ talking about lizzie. has he ever referred to lizzie as charles’s “mum” before? in s4, when tommy grabs grace’s portrait with him before fleeing the house, charles definitely still says ‘mum’ or ‘mama,’ when referring to grace. i think this is super interesting, especially considering the scene that comes after this one, with the ira woman’s song (more on that below).

i also wanted to comment on what a lot of people have been saying about charlie getting less love/attention from tommy than ruby. first, i’m not sure that’s true - ruby was literally scared of tommy last season, so i can’t imagine he really was a good father to either of them. but also, if that is the case, i wonder if that’s because he can’t really look at charlie without thinking of grace. which, don’t get me wrong, is really sad for charlie but it may be an explanation.

also, frances: ‘if someone touches you, you won’t shatter’ – well, isn’t the bar fucking low this season? i mean, this quote has been all over tumblr the past couple of days, of course it’s incredible. everyone knows it, and as a writer myself, i can tell you that so does stephen knight.

ON ‘BUSINESS’:

mosley continues to only be terrifying in reference to diana who is absolutely horrifying. he tries to one-up her all the time and still, she’s always worse. considering how much mosley made my blood boil last season already, her character is a real feat.

also, for the record, i was a bit of an idiot and kept thinking: what rebel song is she going to sing? the whole time we were waiting. and then, she started to sing i fucking SCREAMED. and, above all, what i particularly adored about this scene was how nothing was said. i love how layered the writing is in this show, how much the viewers are trusted, but also how there is room for everyone else. because, if you’re just a casual fan of peaky, you probably watched this like: ‘cool, here’s a creepy song and a bunch of creepy people.’ but then if you recognised the song… the darkness in tommy, him calling lizzie charles’ mum earlier… how gorgeously heartbreaking. and, if you push the comparison further, i think it’s interesting how dark the lighting in this scene was, especially over tommy, compared to that scene in s1. this is a very dark/sad moment both in s1 and s6 and yet, s1 is so much lighter and brighter than this series. the lights at the garrison are so unbearably bright on drunk!tommy, much too bright for a pub, and his presence is so blindingly strong and there. now, in the middle of his house, you can barely see him. like he’s slowly disappearing (which, he is). 💔

ada is still my queen and karl is definitely not living up to his namesake 😫😫

arthur looking for drugs was just… i don’t know what to say at this point. for the record, i don’t know if tommy did or didn’t beat him too hard but fair enough it is 100% his fault that arthur is this fucked up regardless.

lizzie and the horse. she’s not here anymore 🥺

tommy got boston - interesting that he’s probs gonna give it to alfie anyway.

i know the typewriter scene was meant as a throwback to lizzie/tommy beginnings (just like the ‘black velvet band’ song was a throwback to grace) but why on earth would tommy shelby write his own mail? this bugged me. he must have secretaries who can do this lol.

i love that they let cillian’s hair grow a bit this season cause his hair is a bit white and i love that subtle sign of tommy getting older.

gina is fucking mosley - who is surprised? not me. gina is pathetic at this stage.

ON THE ENDING:

tommy telling the doctor: ‘you want tea? you look like death.’ i mean, he kind of is death in a way.

i don’t know how i feel about tommy’s brain tumour. i obviously adored the scene, it’s obviously an acting masterclass, the way tommy accepts the news, keeps it all in, the ‘give me a number’ in front of lizzie - it was absolutely heartbreaking and incredible. the guys on the peaky blinders podcast said that it was great that tommy finally ‘had an out,’ that finally, at the end of the show, he would be allowed to “pass.” i do like that conclusion, but i’d like to state that he’ll be “passing” in the Worst Way Possible, needing around him ‘people who love [him] very much’ (what a horrible way to say it) and losing his brain little by little. it is so heartbreaking when you know how much value and power his intellect had and what it could do. and now it’s just slowly slipping away without him being able to do anything. and, the worst part is, he can feel it, knows it, which is clearly why he didn’t want to go to the doctor’s in the first place. thinking about last week’s episode, and ada being called ‘the smart one’ … tommy’s started hallucinating, having seizures, losing his grip on reality and rationality, which was so essential to his character. as i said, we’re live-watching tommy shelby slowly disappearing. it’s painfully realistic, and yet so horrific. the guys at the podcast said a good summary of this episode would have been ‘everyone is sad’ and i completely agree. when you think all he asks lizzie for is ‘a minute to [himself]…’ i don’t know if this stephen knight trying to remind us that tommy isn’t a good guy even though he have sickeningly grown to love him, and that he needs to “pay” for his sins but he is now paying in the worst way. i am utterly heartbroken for him.

also, honestly, who even ‘loves him very much’ at this stage? i don’t want to suggest the worst but i’m scared he’ll die alone like michael corleone (see more below).

i also hate to say this but when did he get that tuberculoma? because he already had it on the boat back, but was ruby even sick when he left? i haven’t dared look at how contagious the early stages of tuberculoma are cause i’m afraid he’s the one who gave tb to ruby actually. can you imagine?

i’m getting more and more convinced that michael will take over. the similarities with the godfather at this point are just too much: the death of a daughter, vitto corleone dying of a medical condition rather than getting shot, michael corleone dying alone, submerged with grief… i hate to say it but i do think this is where we’re heading and god, i really hope michael doesn’t disappoint. i really liked him in s2-4 and i think if he can sit down and think for a bit, he can do great things. better than bloody duke shelby, 😆. also, that would tie in nicely with polly’s prediction which would be both right and wrong, and the leitmotiv of her “voiceover” this season.

lastly, i wanted to mention this great post which i reblogged yesterday about peaky’s darkness this season, and how cathartic it may feel. i think to me, this very much feels like a depth-of-pandemic-lockdown season. like, had i watched this this time last year, when i was depressed and locked at home, this would have felt so cathartic and right. and, don’t get me wrong, it still does in a lot of ways (we now have another war to top it off) but i do think for a lot of us, things have been ever-so-slightly improving these past few months, at least in our day-to-day. and so, i think, the reason why the darkness this season is also getting so much criticism is that for a lot of people, there is a disconnect between the grimness of it all, and our current mindset. i personally do really like and identify with the dark in a lot of ways, though.

and (a bit of a lighter point to finish off), but it if tommy does die, it does explain why cillian murphy said stephen knight hasn’t yet spoken to him about the film yet 😆😆

anyway, these are my thoughts, i hope you’ve enjoyed them. i still reiterate what i said last week, i know a lot of things this season haven’t yet made sense, but i do believe in stephen knight’s ability to pull it off in the end. peaky has always been a show that has been better to binge than to watch weekly and i remember being ‘disappointed’ by all of the seasons since s3 on first watch, then completely wow-ed on second. so, let’s see what next week has in store for us!

#peaky blinders #season 6 episode 4 #s6e4 #tommy shelby #arthur shelby #spoilers

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beautifulterriblequeen · 3 years

Text

AMA reread headcanon #2

I’m having further thoughts about Moonshadow assassin capabilities after rereading this ama question, which basically asks, Why didn’t Viren hide Harrow in the dungeon or somewhere, away from the Moonshadow assassins?

The given answer says, “I think hiding him anywhere was never really an option. The Moonshadow assassins would have had ways of locating him and slipping in no matter where he was...”

My initial guess, last fall, was this: since there already seems to be some kind of internal life-force sensor that Moonshadows can use--the way Lujanne simply touches Zym’s egg and determines that his life is fading--perhaps that skill can be honed and shifted from merely sensing all life around you in a beautiful symphony, to seeking one life force in particular, no matter where it is, for the purposes of hunting it down and taking it. A sort of Moonshadow Cerebro, if you will, which probably takes a lot of practice to achieve, and maybe a lot of focus to hold onto during a mission. Perhaps this is what Runaan was meditating on, the morning of the full moon: Harrow’s and Ezran’s life forces, pinging softly in the distance, somewhere in the castle.

Yeah, creepy and dark, turning a Moonshadow connection to life into a tracking skill for death. *shudders* I love it.

But yesterday, I was staring at this line and wondering whether there was more. See, it’s one thing to sense your target no matter where they are. But it’s another to do that slipping-in thing that the creators mentioned.

Viren says in S1E2 that Moonshadow assassins can “penetrate any defense.” Any at all? How would that work if you put Harrow behind a slew of locked doors? Magical barriers? Defensive monsters? All of the above at once?

One of the other AMA answers, paraphrased on reddit, got me thinking:

"Moonshadow elves partially slip into a dimension of the moon granting them full stealth mode."

If a partial shift into the dimension of the moon grants invisibility yet leaves them present this dimension, what would a full shift grant?

Here’s my guess, then, for a second layer of Moonshadow assassin skills that can be put to use on a mission: an accomplished and practiced assassin can focus their life force during a full moon and project themselves fully into the dimension of the moon--the world that Rayla visited in TTM. Doing so is basically dying, and they have to be perfectly poised and precise in order to come back into the real world exactly where they mean to--and not inside a wall or something--within a probably-short time limit like the 7 minutes it takes your brain to die if you lose access to oxygen or something. It’s a very risky move! But if anyone is going to push themselves to the limit of death--and beyond--to accomplish a mission, it’s a Moonshadow assassin.

The implications of such a skill are fabulous. Only the best assassins can probably do this, and they'll probably need a completely full moon to do it. But the effect would be terrifying. There you sit, surrounded by three dozen guards, behind eight magical wards, where not even a stray spider can sneak in, and suddenly there's a whisper of movement right behind you, and then you're dead. And not one of your guards sees a damn thing. They’d panic and bolt, and the word would get out: Moonshadow assassins are unstoppable.

The key here is what Viren believes the assassins are capable of. He knows better than to try to hide Harrow. His only suggestion was to try to mislead the assassins with a soul switcheroo, which could call back to the idea of Moonshadows being able to track a single life force. Whether Viren expected their tracking to follow Harrow’s body instead of his soul, or simply to be confused by two separate sources, I couldn’t say. But his soulfang solution seems like the TDP equivalent of trying to hide your heat signature from infrared scanners by hopping into a hot tub with a breathing straw.

So here I am with this really cool headcanon about a powerful and frankly dangerous Moonshadow ability, and I ask myself, Self, what kind of cool thing could this ability be used for?

I’m so predictable. You know where I’m headed, right?

I am super invested in Runaan's story arc, and in his character development. I'm eagerly awaiting S4 to see what happens next! We all want our favorite broody assassin set free so he can go be dramatic and stabby and also soft with his husband. It's basically a universal headcanon at this point that Runaan will be freed from his coin at some point, in some way.

You know which version of “Free Runaan” I'm not sure I've ever seen? Runaan rescuing himself. Considering his thematic elements and his coding, that's actually a really important idea. People in trauma aren't helpless damsels out of a fairy tale. They're people. And they deserve agency just like everyone else.

Within the plot of TDP, such a concept would need to be folded in with everything else that’s going on, though. Rayla still has to find her truth, and to deal with her motivations and choices. She deserves agency, too, as does Ethari, Callum, Claudia, Viren, Aaravos, Nyx, and anyone who might get included in the coin storyline.

It would be great to see Runaan use a Moonshadow dimension-slip to escape his coin to somewhere else. Where would he go? Well, there are a few possibilities, but “the real world” probably shouldn’t be one of them. If he can get out of hell on his own, and then need some guidance getting back to the real world--and to his family--from there, that lets multiple characters decide if and how much to lend a hand.

Trauma lies. It tells you that you’re alone, the only one who feels so horrible. But that’s not true. It’s never true. So the more characters who contribute to Runaan’s freedom, the better. Especially since it’ll be really good for him to experience, considering he’s spent his life holding everyone at arm’s length. It’ll be a good message of cooperation, and of forgiveness, and those are some of TDP’s strongest themes.

But so is agency! Having a voice, having a say in your own fate. I’m not sure how much of a say Runaan has really had in his own fate. That’s some information I’m also eagerly awaiting! Seeing him get to participate, even a little, in his own rescue from the hellcoin would be amazing, and maybe it could happen with a cool, scary, dramatic Moonshadow power like being able to walk in the land of the dead for a few minutes or something.

Runaan’s a badass, okay, show it to me, give. But also, just imagine some wild twist like Rayla struggling for most of S4 to find him and her parents, fighting, making allies, learning secrets, doing stealth stuff, figuring out who to trust, all building up an absolutely stellar arc for her, and at last she somehow gets that coin pouch, and she dumps it out, and while she’s so relieved to finally have found her parents again... Runaan’s coin is blank. Dun Dun DUNNNNNN, cue the credits!

#tdp speculation #tdp theory #tdp meta #runaan #moonshadow elves #moonshadow assassins #tdp #tdp ama #tw trauma #haha but what clues would be in the credits sketches then #the animal doctor listening to the coin with a stethoscope #zym biting it #ethari holding like seven tools at once and wearing goggles as he studies it #janai using her sunforge blade on it while amaya gazes admiringly #claudia suddenly hearing a commotion inside her own belt pouch #help me i gotta stop thinking it's too much fun

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