#otherwise it's a masterpiece of storytelling

[lisafication]

#tcoaal #oshi no ko #the coffin of andy and leyley #listen I'm sorry my friend made it and now everyone has to suffer with me #as an external bit of advice I would not advise playing the cannibal incest game #if you are deeply and viscerally uncomfortable with media depicting cannibalism or incest #otherwise it's a masterpiece of storytelling #and the most incredibly fucked up toxic and compelling relationship I've seen in years #but it's content warnings: yes #so you know #you know your limits better than me

[showtoonzfan]

I really don’t know why it’s so hard for Helluva/Hazbin fans to understand this, but people love picking apart shows that they think are bad. To some, Helluva Boss or just Vivziepop’s stuff in general are a bad train wreck, but it’s a FASCINATING train wreck. It’s just fun to dissect how awful every writing decision is, especially people who love to talk about character analyses, art, world building and narrative ect, it also helps you on what not to do when creating your own story and characters if you’re someone who wants to do that, or just someone who likes to talk about these things. For me, I love talking about characters and writing. And Helluva/Viv’s work is something that always had potential but is never used to it’s fullest, that’s why it’s so fun to pick apart and shit on it, especially since so many people are convinced that whatever Viv touches is a masterpiece in storytelling and characters, when in reality it’s embarrassing and sad, and it’s fun to tell people WHY you think it’s bad.

No one is saying you can’t like it, no one is saying you shouldn’t like it. No one is harassing you for liking the show and no one is bringing the creators down. No one is praying on Hazbin or Helluva’s downfall to be cancelled. However, if you’re like this fanbase/creator and think people can just not like something but keep it to themselves….sorry that’s not how the internet or free speech works lol I don’t know what to tell you. Everyone is a critic. You don’t need to read critical posts or watch critique videos if you don’t want to. The shows aren’t going anywhere or are going to be ruined just because people are hating/criticizing it, and I’m tired of the fanbase acting otherwise. It’s not damaging Viv or her team so move on. If you like the show, then like the show. No one is stopping you.

#vivziepop critical #spindlehorse critical #helluva boss critical #helluva boss critique #hazbin hotel critical #helluva boss criticism #helluva critical #helluva boss #Hazbin hotel

[avelera]

Some slightly more coherent thoughts about Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (ATSV) now that I've had a little time to process and long to return to the theater to see it again and again and again:

1 ) Go see it. Holy shit, go see it. Re-watch Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (ITSV) before you go if you have the chance but you don't have to, they recap it well enough and I promise anyway, the first thing you're gonna do when you get home after is turn ITSV on and then scream a bunch because it is all so tightly connected from the very beginning.

2 ) ITSV is a masterpiece. ATSV is more of a masterpiece in the same way that 11 is bigger than 10. They took everything in ITSV, which is a perfect 10/10 and made it 11/10 for this film. I shit you not. It cannot be otherwise expressed with words. Everything is just bigger, faster, bolder, more.

Ok, now getting into some of the more spoiler-y thoughts:

3 ) Loved me those themes of connection and loneliness. When you go back to ITSV, you see it's right there from the start. All of the version of Spider-Man are lonely. They are tired. They're isolated and unsupported and they are all suffering. Miles makes their lives better. They make Miles' life better. This becomes such a huge, huge theme in ATSV as Miles literally breaks the canon, he is the ultimate fix-it fanfic character, every Spider-Man he interacts with gets some element of their tragic backstory fixed. Peter B. reunites with MJ and has a child that brings joy back into his life. Gwen gets a friend again. Pavitr doesn't have to watch his girlfriend's father die. They are no longer doomed by the narrative.

4) Another post commented on how tired Peni looks when we finally see her, but she's not the only one. All of the Spider-People in the Spider-Verse look tired and it is, in fact I'd argue, Miguel's fault. He appealed to their sense of martyrdom to put together an organization that helps people and saves the world(s). BUT he made "maintaining the canon" an aspect of this (a wonderful meta commentary on Miles himself, btw, and all the comic book nerds who want to rehash the same story over and over instead of transforming it into something new and hopeful). Because they had all suffered so much, it followed logically for all the Spider-People that all of their parallel universe selves must also suffer.

This is the crab bucket mentality. Miguel dragged all the Spider-People into the crab bucket with him. He taught them learned helplessness. They're all tired and worn down because they have to keep reliving their own trauma by standing by and making sure these awful things that happened to them continue to happen, over and over. It's the mirror too for any marginalized community where the past generation believes the next one must suffer as they did. But it's exhausting for them to see the misery and do nothing. That's why they're all so tired. It makes sense to them that to be Spider-People, the next generation must suffer as they did but they are also, all of them, heroes and so it wears them down to watch this happen over and over. Miles brings back their energy and joy and their hope by refusing to be doomed by the narrative.

It's wonderful fanfic but it's also fantastic storytelling and it works on so many layers of the story, Doylist and Watsonian, all the way down.

5 ) THIS is a tightly knit story. Every. Single. Element. Ties back to the central story, the central themes. Every line either reveals plot, character, setting, or themes. It is so, so tight as a writer I was gaping. In necessary, if brief, moments of exposition they make sure to keep the screen busy and moving. There's no time for boredom. It is literally so fast that even as someone with ADHD I was sometimes overwhelmed as much as riveted. The few scenes that slowed down to simply fast movie pace felt achingly slow as a result and I bet you they were maybe 30 seconds long.

6 ) I AM. SO HYPED. FOR THE ENDING AND THE SEQUEL IT SETS UP? The perfect dark mirror story, not rushed but simply introduced so we can see that the final boss for Miles is himself. Unless they subvert that expectation, which they might! But it is so ominous to see Prowler Miles, it makes so much sense, it is perfect and deep and rich. Literally every time you think, "Maybe they'll rehash old material?" they don't they just keep introducing cool new characters and concepts and themes it's mindblowing.

7 ) They never leave you with one thread. Miles is going to face himself and fight to save his dad from the Spot and fight Miguel, presumably, in the next one. No single line only does one thing. No frame does one thing. And yet everything ties back to the core story of Miles and the Spider-People both on the Watsonian and Doylist level. I want to study every frame under a microscope. It's insane.

8 ) THE ART IT'S JUST. I'm not an artist so I'll leave it at this but THE ART.

9 ) I love Pavitr and Hobie. So much. I gasped when we saw Pavitr's world.

10 ) The Spot's animation was insane just insane and I think he's foreshadowed in the ITSV and it blew my mind on the re-watch.

I need to see it again. I could talk about any single element for hours. But I just can't stop thinking about the mastery embodied in this film. I know a sequel to a superhero movie that's animated will never win Best Picture but I do not exaggerate when I say that in itself might be an indictment of Best Picture. This film deserves Best Picture. It is the best movie I've seen in an unfathomably long time including ITSV.

#spider-man across the spider-verse #atsv spoilers #atsv #itsv #spider-man #spiderverse

[bestanimatedmovie]

Choose your favorite!

Vote in the other polls!

What fans say:

Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus:

ITS SO FUNNY OKAY. Annika (the main character, played by barbie) is such a little shit she attempts to KILL Wenlock (the villain). Plus she has soooo much sass and attitude and she’s one of my favorite iterations of Barbie to date. Then there’s her love interest Aidan who is ALSO so funny and sassy and together they’re one of my fav het couples ever. Then there’s Brietta, possibly my first gay crush ever (AFTER she stops being a horse btw, I LIKE HER HUMAN FORM) and ohhh boy. Annika and Brietta are sisters and they are so everything to me. It’s just so refreshing to see two sisters at the forefront of a movie, without either of them being sidelined for a reason or other, showing that sibling relationships can be as important as any other. ANYWAY the cloud kingdom. ITS SO MAGICAL SORRY. It’s so pretty and beautiful and it’s a KINGDOM in the CLOUDS for gods sake. Isn’t that awesome? PLUS THE SCENE WHERE THEY PAINT THE SUNSET??? Goodness.

Rango:

The animation and art are beautiful. Everything is asymmetrical and not made to be stereotypically beautiful. The visuals itself is already amazing. Plus, it's a cowboy movie of animals! It's a story about finding your true self. PLUS! PLUS! The movie's animation makes it so that you can really really feel the dryness of the desert. It makes you feel thirsty yourself, as that was the main plot point. Also, THE MOLE CHASE SCENE WHERE ONE OF THE CREATURES WAS HANGING ON THE SIDE OF THE CART AND RELOADING AND SHOOTING A SHOTGUN WAS SO COOL WHAT THE HELL, THE ENTIRETY OF THE MOLE CHASE SCENE IS ALSO REALLY COOL.

The entire movie is gorgeous!! The visuals are spectacular, from light effects to fight choreography, the characters all have interesting design!! The music is amazing too (Hans Zimmer!!!) And blends with the scenes so well. Every frame is a masterpiece and has a beautiful composition, use of colour and storytelling (visually or otherwise) I love this movie very much adkasjsgaj

It's beautiful and funny and conveys a very unique story with good satisfying themes

#Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus #Rango #best animated movie #round 2 #tournament poll #tumblr's favorite

[theflyingfeeling]

Why I think Niko/Tommi is an amazing ship - The essay

In this literary masterpiece and research I will focus on why Niko and Tommi would make an amazing pair. Facts are based purely on assumptions of their characteristic traits and on my own subjective insight of their personalities. <3 I am also only inclusively focusing on them two and not on others in the band.

Characteristically I think Niko and Tommi would compliment each other very well. They are both introverted, whereas Niko is more outgoing and social and Tommi likes to keep his public distance. Niko tho had multiple times brought it out that he needs lots of alone time. So this has given me a picture of a CEO-guy who will handle the public image like a pro and wants to keep all the strings in his hands and go against anyone who dares to give him or his friends a hard time. And then he will hibernate in his own corner to charge the batteries and observe the situations and analyse what would be the next step forward. I feel like Tommi is an observer too, and reads people around him very well. He notices stuff and comes up with simple plans to avoid/solve/maintain the situation X and helps Niko to plan their next theoretical moves.

Tommi also gives me storyteller vibes. His using of Finnish is somehow so rich and again: his observer-nature supports this too. He knows how to keep stories interesting with the word-choices (which is most likely unintentional, he has just learned to talk like that) and intonations and rhythm of his speech. And Niko the lyricist and creative mind would love to listen Tommi talk and either relax listening it or let the inspiration wash through him. Tommi could talk hours and Niko wouldn't get tired. And similarly Tommi appreciates Niko's ability to come up with lyrics and melodies and prefers to fall asleep to his voice. Also they both have the worst (=best) sense on humor so they will just try to outdo each other in horrible dad-jokes and situational comedy.

Lastly I want to meantion that their size difference is so hot!?!?!? Niko would fit just perfectly in Tommi's arms! Also we have seen couple of video-clips of Niko being manhandled and that man likes being roughed up a little bit. Who is better to pin him against the wall/mattress/kitchen counter than a big and strong drummer? 😌 Otherwise I think they would both just enjoy quiet, mundane and domestic love where they can fully embrace their need of their own space and just quietly love each other. 🥰

Loppu

omg 😭😭😭 I love you, Niko/Tommi anon <3

a literary masterpiece indeed, because I for one am now fully convinced they'd be a great match 🥺💕 they really do seem more alike than one might imagine at first glance, and it's obvious Niko adores Tommi - then again, who doesn't? 🥰 your observation about Tommi's storyteller vibes vs. Niko's lyrical genius vibes is an excellent one and it reminds me of Niko's tweet about Tommi saying he's most definitely not gonna invite any of his bandmates to his wedding (<3) but they do get an invite to his funeral to carry his coffin made of lead (<3), and yeah, it's safe to assume Niko giggled at that for hours with hearts in his eyes for Tommi 😂🥰

If you don't mind, dare I also add what @johnnyporko and I talked about in the DMs that night you sent the first Niko/Tommi ask: they're both the hermit type of guys you know, so it's easy to imagine them retreating to some cottage in Lapland to chop some wood and have sauna and go skinny dipping in the lake and read in bed together in the evening (perhaps some old Donald Duck comics) 🥺

and yeah, the notable size difference was also mentioned 🙂

#thank you for such a thorough shippy essay anon 🥺💖 #have a nice saturday 🤍 #answered asks #anon asks #nikoxtommi

[fortunatelychaoticphantom]

Oh my god oh my god oH MY GOD

I was going to wait for the opportunity to rewatch Barbie so I could make sure my opinion was solidly based and not just vibes, but with all the nominations talk right now I am losing my god damn mind.

Barbie is a shit movie.

I've said before that I was extremely excited about the movie and genuinely enjoyed every single second of it but was absolutely completely and irrevocably disappointed with it. It was a bad movie for so many reasons, and I'm gonna start talking about it (despite it not being as fresh in my mind, unfortunately).

Barbie is an incoherent mess that has no idea what it actually wants to be;

50% of the movie is Barbie having an existential crisis, that turns into a quest, that turns into low self esteem issues, that turns into anti-capitalist and anti-establishment shenanigans, that turns into parental issues, that turn into feminist issues about societal expectations of womanhood, that turns into civil rights issues, that turns into absolutely nothing because not a single one of these issues is actually addressed in any sort of meaningful way, depends on handwaving solutions, if it bothers to give solutions at all, and is just a product low shelf bullshit feminism.

And then the other 50% of the movie is a meticulously crafted satirical metaphor for the treatment of women under the patriarchy, with intense emotional gravitas, unbelievably incredible acting, and a(n almost) perfect and complete narrative arc for the characters and the main conflict.

And yet, watching this shit show I am contantly asked by the narrative to take the first half of it seriously, but not the other half.

That's not how a movie works.

You cant make half a satire and half a hartfelt exploration of womanhood in post-modern society. It doesn't work like that. And the very simple fact is that only one of those narratives was actually well crafted and coherent, and it wasn't Barbie's. Don't even get me fucking started on that bullshit America Ferrera speach. I hate it. I hate so much. I was actively enraged while watching it. It was bullshit crowd pleasing half baked ramblings that literally had nothing to do with the godamn movie!!! The whole point, the whole Barbie storyline was about America's relationship with her daughter!!! What the fuck was that speach even about???!?!? At no point in the movie was the things she talked about an issue!!! I hate it. I hate. And I hate anyone who likes it. It's bad writing. It's bad storytelling. It's bad bad BADDD!!! The movie wanted it so much to be the emotional pinnacle, but it wasn't - I'm Kenough was. It's just so bad in so many ways that I can't even fully express here yet.

Look. There was a lot of potential in this movie, and so much love went into crafting it. But the bottom line is that this is a bad movie, created by a conglomerate for the sole purpose of selling products, while trying to be cool with kids and self critical without actually being critical (I can't even begin to form coherent thoughts on the mess that was in-movie Matel, so I just won't). This made the honest part of the movie a fucking mess, while leaving the metaphor close to a masterpiece, and yet I am expected to think otherwise for some reason unbeknownst to me.

This is a bad movie. Barbie is a bad character. Neither Greta Gerwig nor Margo Robbie deserve a nomination for this, no matter how talented they are, and they are.

Ryan Gosling is literally the only good thing about this movie. This was one of the greatest performances I have ever seen in my life. Award shows are absolutely pointless and stupid, but his is a worthy nomination nonetheless.

I really am sorry if you loved this movie. This is absolutely not about you. Like I said, I truly enjoyed watching it. I just don't think it has any merit beyond the Ken storyline.

#barbie #ryan gosling

[overobsessedfanboy23]

So... episode 95... happened...

Spoilers below as always

I... wasn't expecting it to... be like this.... goddamn...

Third Go Rush and Bridge episode to ever make me physically cry. The first was Nyandestar sacrificing herself for Manabu, the second was Kuaidul's death, and the third was... I guess the ending of this episode. It was... sort building the entire episode. This episode does a really good job at making you feel the loss of so many lives in such quick succession even if it obviously can't show all 8 million of them. This felt as though I was witnessing a widescale tragedy of the swift extinction of this species, which is exactly what it set out to do. Even though we didn't know any of these characters personally (apart from Nishaw who I'll get to), just seeing them work themselves to death was enough to leave an impression and paint a picture of who they were... it's... brilliantly agonising.

I still have some problems with the setup. From the summary, I had a problem with Valvelgear wanting to keep their deaths secret at all and Tazaki of all people helping to keep it secret but I think the episode did manage to explain those things in a way that made enough sense for me to be okay with them. Honestly Valvelgear insisting their deaths would burden Yudias too much and Tazaki getting involved and having to bear the weight of this knowledge he has to keep secret due to sheer coincidence upped the tragedy even more and is a point in this episode's favour.

My only remaining problem personally is the way Asaka ends up involved. I think Tazaki asking her to replace the people in Valvelgear with some of her employees is a pretty big leap in logic that the episode didn't explain very well for me. It still felt just like Asaka was the one involved because of the Sevens parallel.

That being said, it's basically my only problem with this otherwise masterpiece of an episode. And the ultimate payoff of Asaka keeping a similar secret about Dudi Nishaw and his fleet was genius and well worth a bit of contrivance to get us to that point. This episode is so thematically and emotionally on point that I can forgive its story flaws.

Like I said in its own designated post, this parallel is genius:

It's a good message on its own and I love the way this theme ties in with the earlier statement about Dudi's character: that while he struggles to make decisions, he always ultimately makes the right one. With these words, he proved that further, even though he may not even know exactly why these words were so meaningful. It's brilliant. This episode got me so much more attached to Tazaki, Asaka, and Nishaw than I ever was before.

Asaka and Tazaki know that their decision to keep all these deaths a secret is the wrong choice but they're making it anyways to respect the last wishes of Valvelgear and keep Yudias from losing hope. They are making a wrong decision for the right reasons and I genuinely love that. I don't think it's a flaw in the storytelling whatsoever. I think it's great that they're allowing these characters to be flawed and make poor decisions because it adds depth to their characters and complexity to the narrative.

Overall, this is the kind of episode I was waiting for from this arc: something that fully explores this narrative and captures the weight of it that the previous episodes were missing. This story needed an episode like this and it delivered.

...but yes I also pray these deaths aren't permanent holy fuck-

#yugioh go rush spoilers #go rush spoilers #galixon tazaki #asaka mutsuba #dudi nishaw #valvelgear #go rush episode reviews #gonna go back start tagging these

[ofmermaidstories]

hello! i’m sorry for the long ask ahead, i just have a LOT to say 😭

so I read surrender, your bakugo fic, around last year. i was new to the fandom then so i didn’t really know the characters too well, i wasn’t that deep enough into the story to be fully invested in anything. and neither was I a huge bakugou simp (I like the villains more, shamefully admits it) BUT one thing was for sure – you got me hooked. you pulled me into the bakugou simp train, and i didn’t expect that at all. effortlessly, you made me fall in love with him, and I hope you don’t mind that I’m letting it all out. I just think you deserve to know how much i appreciate your story! but anyways, I read the fic again because its just been a tough time for me, and I went back to it because I remember it made me happy, and I’m so glad that its still able to make me feel giddy and blushing like its my first time reading it.

first of all, i think surrender is an absolute masterpiece. i don’t have enough words for it (I’m literally rambling rn) but PLEASE. PLEASE ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN SUCH A MAGNIFICENT STORY AND THAT THROUGH THE SCREEN, your stories bring joy and warms people’s hearts. I think your writing style is so beautiful, emotional, passionate, and absolutely intelligent. I love the way that the story is written in the characters’ voices yet still keeps the writing format of storytelling, I love the way that you’re able to flesh out their characters so much. these characters, the ‘reader’, they all feel real. they feel like real people, and having to witness the development of their friendships, the familial bonds between the heroes and us, and the bond with bakugou – its stunning. its so human, its so gentle, and its captured me by the heart. i think you have a gift for writing, and please never ever think otherwise.

i also love how the dialogues just feel so personal. every word they speak is so them, its right down to who they are as who you wanted them to be. i love how you made YN so kind, and that her quirklessness, while a source of insecurity, didn’t really hold her back from being the radiant sunshine she is. i am a SUCKER for grumpy man x sunshine sweetheart tropes, and you absolutely nailed this one. LIKE HOLY SHIT I was actually rolling in bed and kicking my feet in the air whenever bakugou just stares at us when we smile. i can actually feel reader’s radiance, such a gentle soul. and bakugou – I’m not gonna lie, I think bakugou is challenging to write (I’m a writer myself, and I struggle writing him in romantic aspects.) I definitely get the appeal of bakugou in smut one shots, but I always wondered, “how would bakugou fall in love?” how is he like when he’s in love? we all know bakugou isn’t gentle (reference to a scene where bakugou feels he is too explosive in YN’s flower shop, and I can’t help but feel its a good allusion to how YN grew up in a soft, peaceful, quiet yet fragile environment as a quirkless person and Bakugou struggles controlling his explosiveness, and I just love how he’s trying so hard to take care of it – to tackle gentleness with gentleness) and it made me wonder how Katsuki is like in soft romance. and you just... blew my mind. really. your fic made me see bakugou in a new light, a beautiful new light, and I love him. I’m in love with everything about your story, and I look forward to reading more of your works because I just want to say that you made me fall in love with fanfiction all over again.

i’ve been reading anime fanfiction since 2021, but life was tough. i eventually stopped reading and drifted away from fics, but now I’m getting back to it and I cannot thank you enough for lighting this fire in my heart. that your stories are making me feel warm and I’m able to love something again that I once cared about. also, side note, but I think you’re such a cool person! I’ve seen your interactions, and your art is so stunning. it looks so soft, so gentle, and if someone asked me how I want love to be, I would say I want them to look like your art.

but yes, thank you for sharing your fics with us. its really beautiful, I wish I could say more because it really does mean a lot to me, and I want writers to know how appreciated they are. I’M SORRY THIS WAS TOO LONG, BUT LIKE THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH PLS HAVE A NICE DAY AND I HOPE ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE

Also an addition BUT I WANT BAKUGO SO BAD 😭😭😭

anon. 🥺 you’ve had to wait a while for this reply, and i’m so sorry—but i kept lingering over this message, like a little talisman. warding off insecurity and doubt. 🥺 i wanted to like—idk! give you a response worthy of your attention. reflect the sparkle and warmth of your words back to you. 🥺 especially considering how you mention that things have been a little tough, lately. 🥺

i’m glad the fic could be a distraction—or something fun. 📖🌷 welcome aboard the bakutrain! lmaooo. he’s such a funny, particular character to be into, i think; like canonically he’s such a lout! a horrible little gremlin! and with villain stannery it’s understandable, like, they’re villains LMAO, you expect them to act and react in certain ways—but when a hero character is so consistently unpleasant? idk, it’s just fun LOL. but i guess that’s also the attraction, at the end of the day, right? 🥺 in the same way that the tension between good and bad is so important to villain characters and their stories, i think a contrary character like bakugou is so much fun in a romance—because how does he fall in love? 🥺 he treats everyone—villain, hero, civilian, peer or mentor—the exact same way, so what does it take to get him to let his guard down and like, idk, stop barking at people??? you’re so right; that passion of his translates so well to smut one-shots, where it can be so easily physical. it’s just—how do you make the leap from being in bed together to being in love??

this is why i love the grumpy x sunshine trope too, though. 🥺 i know it’s a trope built on exceptions (you’re the one that softens him up; you’re the one he shows that side to), but i just—idk! those exceptions bring such a great emotional payoff, with a character like Katsuki. i think of like, kiribaku or bakudeku as examples—they’re absolutely ships that also rely on another character to be emotional foil to Katsuki. 🥺

i’ve said this before and i’ll keep saying it forever, but Weeds/surrender’s Reader is my baby. 🥺 my favourite child. i’ve always had a soft spot for quiet girlies—people who aren’t explosive personalities or need to like, shoot for the stars. people who enjoy tending to their lives or the people around them. romance is so often (by necessity) filled with Big Personalities—characters who can move a plot forward with like, action or passion. but the reason i was so attracted to the idea of x Reader fics in the first place was the promise of wish fulfilment that came with it—and i wanted a gentler character to be apart of this world. 🥺 i wanted Katsuki, who’s so used to sizing people up and learns so late what it means to truly rescue people, in canon, to like… meet and see someone he otherwise might not. to meet and see and then choose, because there’s something amid his determination and his strength and his fury that wants and responds to the optimism and doubt and sincerity in Weeds. 🌷🪻🌿🪲

idk anon—your words were so kind. 😭 getting this ask meant so much. 🥺 i hope things get easier. 🥺 whether that means backup arrives, or the universe cuts you a break—whatever you need it to be. i’m glad you found your way back to fics; you deserve to enjoy them when things are calm, too, so here’s to the immediate future easing up and letting you read them in peace. 📖💕

#ofmermaidstories-asks #anon… please 😭 i really don’t know how to convey how much this meant! thank-you 🥺💕 #surrender-fic verse

[theatrebooknerd56]

Megamind is the greatest cinematic masterpiece of our time and you can't convince me otherwise

I mean the character development, interesting concept, commentary on male entitlement and "niceguys", foreshadowing, the character dynamics, playing with the idea of "destiny", killing the hero at the beginning and seeing what happens when the "villain" wins, showing how the expectations and perception people have of someone effects behavior and actions, the color indications with her dress, I could go on for hours it is the GREATEST movie EVER made

Megamind is the PINNACLE of excellence in storytelling and characters.

#megamind #megamind is a masterpiece

[bigbongdongsolong]

Belladonna of sadness is such a

🪧

Kanashimi No Belladonna by Eiichi Yamamoto, 1973

Now that u watched this masterpiece time to throw some light into the ori go back of the story for future ref.

Via EG

The content of Belladonna's story was radically different from any other animated feature up to that point, Japanese or otherwise, but its method of storytelling was just as radical.

It becomes apparent early on when viewing Belladonna of Sadness (Kanashimi No Beradona) that this film is quite unique. Certainly the first, and possibly the only animated film that might be classified in the pinku genre. But even though the film is supposedly animated, nothing seems to be moving at first. You instead see a series of elegantly designed still drawings depicting a harmonious wedding between a peasant couple in 14th century France, as a woman sings her narration in the soulful style of a 70s rock opera.

This is the film's only joyous scene, as moments later the new groom is pleading with the local land baron to reduce the marriage tax he can't afford. The baron instead decides to exercise his "droit de seigneur" with the bride. It is here, several minutes into the film, that full animation is finally used, in order to depict the rape of the virgin bride with metaphorical imagery much more disturbing than what a literal depiction of the same events could provide.

A sign of things to come, as this is only the first in a series of tragic events that push this woman, through desperation, into the world of witchcraft.

Belladonna of Sadness is the product of an animation studio that knew it was doomed, and it shows. Osamu Tezuka's Mushi Productions, which had been so successful producing TV series like Astroboy and Kimba in the 60s, was faltering badly in the early 70s for a variety of reasons related to the oil crisis and Japan's economy in general. But in actuality, Mushi Pro's first venture into feature animation, 1969's 1001 Nights, had been successful enough to spawn a second film in 1970, Cleopatra.

Tezuka, always a trailblazer, had decided that Mushi Pro's feature films would be made to appeal to adult audiences so as to expand the potential for animation as a film medium (whether these first two films succeeded in that regard is debatable). But even though these two features did relatively well at the Japanese box office, the economy was beginning to take a toll on Mushi Pro, and Tezuka refused to downsize. When Tezuka left the studio in 1971 to focus on manga, the remaining employees must have known they were on the road to bankruptcy.

A filmmaker has two choices in a situation like this: cut your losses and go out with a whimper, or pour all your remaining resources and effort into one final, revolutionary labor of love. The folks at Mushi Pro chose the latter option and Belladonna is the result. Predictably, the film had a dreadful theatrical run of only 10 days and Mushi Pro went bankrupt within a few months.

A sort of late 60's psychedelic Art Nouveau revivalism inspired by the likes of Aubrey Beardsley's Victorian parodies, which were likewise inspired by erotic-grotesque shunga prints, thus coming full circle back to Japan.

Belladonna is an adaptation of La Sorcière, the 1862 novelized history of satanism and witchcraft in the late middle ages. The book was written by feminist, freethinker, and Frenchman Jules Michelet, who, like many other post-revolution French intellectuals, was eager to condemn the barbaric European forces of the prior few centuries. In Michelet's story, the practice of witchcraft is not simply the leftover trace of ancient pagan traditions, but an active rebellion against an oppressive church and system of government. While the church expected serfs to suffer and slave away during their time on earth with only the promise of a better afterlife to console them, witchcraft provided a glimpse of happiness in the here and now. Where the church feared the imperfections of nature, witchcraft embraced them. Where the church could only respond to ailments with prayer and holy water, witchcraft offered painkillers and psychoactive potions from datura plants.

According to Michelet, the spirit of rebellion and experimentation found in 14th century witchcraft was a progenitor of the enlightenment values yet to come. Furthermore, this was a movement led by women, those who likely suffered the most at the hands of the church and the feudal system. He insinuates that society's emancipation from oppression is contingent on female liberation and sexual empowerment. It's easy to imagine how these ideas must have resonated with the revolutionary leftist Japanese filmmakers of more than a century later (yes, they were working in animation too).

The film adaptation of La Sorcière is often very faithful to the book, to the point of replicating much of its dialogue. It tells the story of an archetypal witch (unnamed in the book, named Jeanne in the movie) who suffers a series of misfortunes that lead her down the path from being a chaste, obedient peasant's wife, to giving in to her awakened earthly desires, to finally blossoming into the bride of Satan himself.

The process of selling one's soul to the Devil can be interpreted literally or metaphorically, but keep in mind that at least according to Michelet, those who would enter into such a pact in the middle ages presumably believed they were literally sacrificing eternity for just a glimmer of relief from a cruel and bleak life. A pact with Satan was the ultimate act of desperation, not just a casual mistake. On the other hand, none of the "powers" that Jeanne acquires from the Devil require any sort of supernatural explanation. They are simply things that Medieval society has withheld from her: an independent spirit, a liberated sexual libido, communion with nature, an inquisitiveness that allows her to discover the medicinal properties of plants, an air of confidence that enhances her powers of persuasion.

Her relationship with the Devil may be nothing but a psychological coping mechanism for the brutality she suffers.

The content of Belladonna's story was radically different from any other animated feature up to that point, Japanese or otherwise (Ralph Bakshi included), but its method of storytelling was just as radical. The film was designed by illustrator Kuni Fukai, whose drawings may appear to be more Western than Japanese.

But his style seems to be a sort of late 60's psychedelic Art Nouveau revivalism inspired by the likes of Aubrey Beardsley's Victorian parodies, which were likewise inspired by erotic-grotesque shunga prints, thus coming full circle back to Japan. Much of the film features Fukai's drawings directly, with the camera panning over still frames, but the film often transitions seamlessly into full animation thanks to animation director Gisaburo Sugii.

This extra motion tends to happen during the film's numerous sex scenes, but they are generally not visually explicit. Instead, they are animated in a variety of highly stylized expressionistic ways, taking full advantage of animation's ability to caricature form and motion. Because of the film's aesthetic appearance and radical themes, it sometimes appears to be very much a product of its time--the early 70's--which is either good or bad depending on who you ask (the biggest giveaway is its great psychedelic rock / jazz fusion soundtrack which is occasionally reminiscent of J. A. Seazer). But it's important to remember that it is based on source material from over a century before, and that there really are no other comparable movies from that period that would justify an implication that it's at all derivative.

The story of an archetypal witch who suffers a series of misfortunes that lead her down the path from being a chaste, obedient peasant's wife, to giving in to her awakened earthly desires, to finally blossoming into the bride of Satan himself.

Japanese animation was still in its prolonged adolescence in 1973 (you could argue that it still is today). It was only five years earlier that adult political and social themes had begun to make an appearance in anime with Horus, Prince of the Sun. There had not been much experimentation with form or design aside from Tezuka's own independent shorts.

It's closest-related cousin is probably Hiroshi Harada's adaptation of ero-guro manga artist Suehiro Maruo's Midori, similar both for its technique of alternating short scenes of full animation with a "slideshow" of still images, and also for its story of unrelenting cruelty. The film probably has more in common with films from the likes of Koji Wakamatsu than it does with other anime.

Granted, it certainly took longer to make and cost a bit more than a typical pinku film (though it's clearly a low-budget flick), but like many of the best films in that genre, Belladonna manages to promote some form of feminist ideology while simultaneously exploiting the entertainment value of crass misogyny.

#kanashimi no belladonna #belladonna of sadness #internet archive #movies #cult #Japan #women #satanism #witchcraft #misogyny

[kittenofdoomage]

This may be an odd ask, and maybe you've answered before, but, well...

I really admire your talent at writing, and I especially admire your ability to put your writing out into the public eye for everybody to read. How do you do that?

I struggle so much with wanting to put my own stories and art out there, fanfic or otherwise, because I worry about what people will think, or how they'll feel about my stories and drawings. Do you ever have that problem? If you do, do you have any advice on how to just...get over that worry?

If you don't answer this, that's totally okay. I just really enjoy your stories and am envious of your overall demeanor/attitude when it comes to writing. I generally get a very "this is my story, if you like it that's great, if not who cares" kinda vibe from you, in the best way, and I wish I could find a way to be like that.

...sorry, rambling. 🤐

It's not an easy thing to do, that's for sure, and over the years, I've had to learn not to react to those who can't just scroll on by with certain things. Putting yourself out there is hella scary, and even after literally decades of writing, I still get nervous when I'm posting a new story. Of course, that's only natural; to me, my stories are pieces of me, the worlds I've built in my head, the scenes I've replayed at 3am when I can't sleep. Fanfiction, storytelling in general, and any kind of art/creation, it's a very personal thing, and there is always a risk (esp. with certain subject matters) that someone won't like it and might say something, at which point, the block and/or delete comment functions are very much your friend. You have to focus on the good that your creations create, like that little oneshot you wrote might have made someone smile today when they might not have otherwise, or the sketch you weren't entirely happy with might make someone go "wow, I wish I could create like that" (I do this frequently with artists because I can barely draw a circle and I've seen renaissance masterpieces of the Winchester Brothers).

I started small. My first fanfictions were in lined exercise books, passed around my friends in Year 8. And at the risk of aging myself, I didn't find actual fandom, and didn't post on here, until 2014. If you have friends you're confident to share your work with, ask them to read it first (I do this a lot 🤣). There are a lot of groups on Tumblr that can give you friendly sounding boards and helpful resources too, like the @fanficocean.

The most important thing I can say is don't stop writing the stories or drawing/painting the scenes you want to see. Even if you don't share it today, or tomorrow, or ever, don't let that stop you creating.

(Now I'm rambling)

Have a great day, Anon ❤❤❤

[eldraftsman]

(Archive) Animated movie of the day: Up (2009)

Originally posted: January 15th, 2023 What makes life worth living? Is it the accumulated experiences we gain? The dreams and aspirations we set out to accomplish? Or maybe… something simpler? Can those dreams get in the way of what truly matters?

One of the most critically lauded Pixar films, the opening is so powerful most people would agree it's already a narratively satisfying experience, if a heartbreaking one. A sentiment I agree with: an entire married life of good and bad times, unfulfilled dreams intertwined with lovely everyday experiences, and the void that comes when one half of that whole parts. All in just seven minutes, it could have been a masterpiece of a short film on it's own merits.

Which provides an interesting contention point: some claim the movie peaks at that point and is followed by an underwhelming wacky adventure, which is kind of missing the point of the story. While you can discuss whether or not the execution was on part with such a striking opening(and I can see the decidedly sillier comedy clashing a bit with the surprisingly down to Earth drama of set up), the contrast is needed for the core of the film to shine. And shine it did: this was nominated by the Academy for Best Film when it came out. Even with their contempt for animation they couldn't deny it's greatness.

You need to feel how deep the loss of Carl is, and how ingrained his sense of failure to Ellie's dream is for it to dawn the stronger he is missing on the other things life still has to offer or have already offered him. How that grand dream never coming for her didn't stop her life being worth living by his side, as it's those small experiences that made it valuable. How to move on, keep going and meeting new people was the most meaningful way to embrace the true spirit of said dreamed voyage: an adventure to share with others you care for.

In the words of Doctor Seuss:

"Don't cry because it's over, be happy because it happened"

Oh, fuck it. I wasn't planning on bleeding into another day but there's a LOT this movie does that makes it a masterful showcase of visual design and storytelling. From the different, subtle shifts in color grading that can completely change how the same space feels, to it's almost religious commitment to shape language and how that communicates character.

Sure, it's unsubtle but tells SO much about the contrast of personalities that it gets the point across without words. The fact Russel is round the same way Ellie's furniture is designed isn't a coincidence. Both in the general(his friendly nature) and in the specifics of the movie's conflict (his role being a new person for Carl to share his life with), the decision is pretty deliberate and pays off big time

Also explains why Charles Muntz is so triangular. Specifically triangles pointing downwards. Unstable, passionate. Dangerous. Tragic. The perfect foil for Carl, but arguably more so for Ellie. She could treasure the little things even if some of her wildest dreams couldn't be achieved, which made her life fulfilling. He couldn't move on from his own, so he gave everything away for a fool's errand.

And of course, shape language gets reinforced with body language. One frame. You can really tell the kind of characters they are with just that.

In case it's not obvious I love this movie. Some of it's comedy is a little too goofy for my taste, sure, but the overall package just hits the right way. Sure, it's romantic and it's central plot device doesn't lack a sense of the absurd, but those emotional peaks render any complaint I could have otherwise completely void.

#roskirambles #animated films #adventure film #fantasy films #comedy film #drama film #disney #pixar #up #pete docter #bob peterson #tom mcarthy #ed asner #cristopher plummer #jordan nagai #michael giacchino

[lil-tachyon]

Hey logan, i'm trying to get into sci fi more, do you have any media, movies or otherwise you'd say it's a must watch for someone starting to get into it? Thanks

Super broad question! And precisely the thing I love to talk about. Although unfortunately I really don’t watch a lot of movies or TV so the best I can do for you is list some stuff I like and hope that you find something you enjoy. If we were talking sci-fi literature, that’s something I would probably write a full essay on- if anyone’s interested in reading my thoughts on that and getting my really long list of recommendations, just let me know. I might even do it on my own anyway, just for fun…

I guess if we’re going to talk about “must-watch” sci-fi movies then we have to talk about Star Wars first just to get it out of the way. I’ll keep it brief, far too much ink has been spilt regarding this franchise and you can find more in-depth opinions somewhere else. The original trilogy is great- there’s a reason it launched one of the biggest media franchises of the past 45 years. Endlessly rewatchable, somehow still looks better than basically any other big budget SFF popcorn movie and just plain fun. If you somehow haven’t seen the OT yet, get to it. 

You don’t really need to watch any other Star Wars stuff aside from the OT. The prequels aren’t exactly essential and they’re unquestionably worse in terms of dialog, acting, pacing (i.e. the nuts and bolts of storytelling.) If you’ve never watched Star Wars before you won’t have any nostalgia for them so you can skip them. Don’t even bother with the Disney sequels- pointless and incoherent. If you DO for some reason want more Star Wars in your life I can give you two recommendations: 

First is the masterpiece that is Genndy Tartakovsky’s (creator of Samurai Jack) Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) (no, not the CGI Clone Wars show you’re probably thinking of). Split into 25 episodes ranging in length from two to twelve minutes, the whole show is only about two hours long but boy is it sweet. There are no main characters and not much in the way of an overarching plot. Instead the show is composed of a series of rapid-fire vignettes that take place across the entire Star Wars galaxy and tell dozens of unique microstories. It’s pulpy and fun and never takes itself too seriously and the whole thing is on YouTube because for some reason Disney actually hates everything that made Star Wars good and hasn’t taken the time to copyright strike it.

Second recommendation is the Mandalorian. I didn’t believe it when people started raving about it, but it really is great and tells a poignant, self-contained, original story. It’s not perfect and it definitely suffers from the Disneywars curse of really obnoxious references to the OT, but it’s absolutely worth the watch.

Damn that’s so much more time than I wanted to spend on Star Wars. I always forget how much of a SW geek I am until I start talking about it…

Quick list of the other big “essentials” that I’ve seen and can recommend before I get into more personal stuff (in no particular order):

Alien (1979) - Weird and creepy and gross and with impeccable visual design in every single frame. I need to rewatch it, only seen it once.

Akira (1988) - Massive, groundbreaking, unsettling, beautiful. Brought cyberpunk into the visual realm, brought anime to the West in a whole new way. I could rewatch it a hundred times. 

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - A foundational film that moves at a foreboding crawl and leaves you feeling unsafe and unsure of what you just watched. (Also my dad’s band referenced the monkey scene in their big-label debut music video, so that should be reason enough to watch it)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - UFOs, the American West, and the most 70s-looking cast imaginable. It feels more a product of its time than most of the others on this list, but I love it for that and it does nothing to make it any less impactful or engrossing.

The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) - I waited waaaaaay too long to watch these. I only got around to seeing them this past year in fact. I had always just written them off in my head as nothing more than cheesy 80s action flicks but my God are they good and so much different from what I expected. The first one is basically a sci-fi slasher film and the second is probably the best sequel film I’ve ever seen and takes everything in a totally different direction that still manages to build on all the groundwork laid by the first. Please watch, don’t be like me and wait until you’re twenty-six. 

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) - My favorite Ghibli movie. For being a film about people flying airships and fighting bugs in a giant toxic jungle, it really has a lot of important stuff to say and says it very well.

Castle in the Sky (1988) - Hits a lot of the same plot beats as Nausicaä and, imo, suffers a little bit in comparison but still a great anime sci-fantasy romp. 

The Thing (1982) - Disgusting sci-fi horror in the glacial Antarctic wastes

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) - The first, the best. Sure, it’s inconsistent in terms of quality, but it’s at least consistently weird and inventive and the good episodes are really damn good. Also something I love about it is the acting- it’s very over-the-top expressive and exaggerated. Feels more like it’s meant for the stage than for the small screen. You don’t see a lot of TV like that these days. 

The X-Files (1993-2002, 2016-2018) - Absolutely in my top 5 TV shows. It was great to watch as a 14-year-old because I was still young enough to find it scary, and it’s great on every re-watch because I can really appreciate how much chemistry Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny have and how fun, goofy, and overall weird it is. As I recall it starts to decline noticeably in season 8. Season 9 you’ll have to grit your teeth to get through. The 2016-2018 revival is half composed of unwatcheable “storyline” episodes and half surprisingly good-to-great “monster of the week” episodes.

Cowboy Bebop (1998-1999) - My number one favorite anime, I love everything about it. So much effort goes into small background details and characters that only appear for a few seconds and it really goes a long way to making the whole universe of the show feel so real that you could see yourself living in it. Also the soundtrack is top-notch, I listen to it regularly. 

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996) and End of Evangelion (1997) - Another one that I took too long to get to and to be honest I probably would’ve been more into it had I watched it when I was younger, but it’s still great and I recommend it. Features a classic “inflation suit” episode

Stuff that’s less “essential” but I really like it:

Planetes (2003-2004) - My second favorite anime. Starts off as a workplace slice-of-life and slowly builds into a really, really emotional conclusion. Can’t recommend it enough.

Forbidden Planet (1956) - A sci-fi adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest (I’m an illiterate piece of shit so I can’t tell you how good an adaptation it is). It’s slow-paced and eerie, and way more atmospheric than its decidedly 1950s visuals would lead you to believe.

Digimon: The Movie (2000) / Summer Wars (2009) - A short story: as a kid I probably watched the Digmon Movie about a million times. It was huge with kids my age and was probably an entire generation’s first introduction to ska-punk. It’s a great movie. Anyway, fast forward about a decade and a half and at some point I sit down to watch Summer Wars with my brother on no other information than that we heard it’s good. And it is! But pretty soon into the movie we both notice something odd- it seems to feature almost the exact same plot as the Digmon Movie. After a bit of digging we find out that they were both directed by the same guy and it seems he just had this idea in his head for a story that he really wanted to make for over a decade because Summer Wars is basically a more mature and less merchandisable remake. Watch them both!

Samurai Jack (2001-2004, 2017) - the first cartoon I saw as a kid that really made me say “finally, something for me!” I wouldn’t get another TV show aimed at me that was “cool” and “epic” and “badass” until ATLA came out. Nothing beats watching a samurai fight a million robots and bounty-hunters on an endless quest to go back to the past. Also the season 5 revival is great and I genuinely don’t get why a lot of people seemed to really hate on it. 

Moon (2009) - It’s been a LONG time since I watched it, but I liked it quite a bit. A lonely lunar miner runs into what seems to be his double and things get spooky…

Prospect (2018) - More space miners running into trouble! Really great costume and prop design on a super small budget (but you wouldn’t know it from how good it looks). 

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989) - Listen- I’m not a gundam guy. I don’t care about all the different robots and I’m not about to watch 40 years of TV to try and figure out the story. Which is why War in the Pocket is great because it’s six episodes long and it just tells a really touching story punctuated by cool robot battles and you don’t need to know anything about Gundam to enjoy it.

Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (1987) - A story about a space race set on an alternate world. What really sets it apart is the visual design- every detail from books, to currency, to texts to vehicles, to architecture is unique enough to feel totally alien but also grounded enough to somehow feel familiar. It’s quite an achievement. Trigger Warning: there’s a very uncomfortable rape scene in the middle of the film that seems to come out of nowhere. I’m still not sure why they chose to include it.

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999) - Military police get up to some real nasty stuff in alternate history fashy 1950s Japan. Very depressing, all my friends complained to me about how sad it was even though they went into it knowing what it was about and agreeing to watch it with me. You just can’t win sometimes!

That’s about all I have for now. I know it’s all kind of basic bitch stuff but like I said, I don’t often watch movies/TV. Hope it helps and thanks for the great question!

#sci fi #send me an ask! #long post

[bestmusicalworldcup]

Ok I feel like I must have missed a whole bracket or three because there are some significant omissions otherwise, please dear god tell me if I'm being an idiot?

Assassins - my number 2 musical of all time after Les Mis. Sondheim's masterpiece of political commentary. The great American artist with an incisive understanding of the seduction of the right wing in American politics.

Into The Woods - my second favourite Sondheim, a genius deconstruction of narrative and storytelling tropes. Also maybe my favourite movie adaptation of a musical? It's flawed but really good fun.

Parade - also probably in my top 5 musicals of all time, a heartbreaking story of racism and antisemitism and injustice, Jason Robert Brown breaking my heart over and over again - "did you ever hear her laugh?" and "you don't know this man" are lines that are scored into my soul!

The Last Five Years - I don't feel as strongly about this one but it's such a solid musical, no bad songs, many really good songs, and a clever structure that keeps you bouncing between joy and despair the whole time.

Ordinary Days - this is a niche pick but my favourite small cast musical. I have a tattoo based on the final song of this musical that is somehow about love and friendship and loss and grief and the philosophy of aesthetics and LIFE. "The colour of feeling that life is OK" is a beautiful sentiment.

I was only including musicals that won the Tony Award for Best Musical for this tournament, but I have opened up submissions for a Best Snubbed Musicals tournament. I will add these musicals to that tournament.

And I should mention that I love Into the Woods so that's a great pick.

#best musical world cup #best musical #broadway #best snubbed musical world cup #musical theater #musical theatre #theater #tony awards #theatre #musicals #assassins musical #into the woods #parade musical #the last five years #ordinary days #stephen sondheim #sondheim #jason robert brown

[angeltannis]

so the latest movie I watched for my Watchathon was Psycho (1960), and honestly I don't have anything to add that hasn't already been said before - wow, this was a great movie. Probably the first I've watched of these old films that was genuinely fuckin' disturbing in places.

Somehow I had escaped spoilers for this movie altogether, so other than knowing there was an iconic shower scene I knew literally nothing else. I didn't even know the Bates Motel and Norman Bates came from this film 😅

I was shocked that they [spoilers I guess] killed the lead halfway through the movie. That was crazy to me!

Tbh while it makes sense from a storytelling perspective, I personally wasn't wild about the "big twist" with Norman (whom I otherwise REALLY enjoyed as a character). I liked better the idea that there genuinely Was a fucked up old lady killing people and that Norman felt duty-bound to her as her son, to cover up all the horrible things she was doing. The actual plot being "He's just CrAaAzY!" was kinda meh. Guess you can't expect too nuanced a take on mental health from something this old lmao

The reveal with his mother in the chair was sufficiently horrific, at least 🤣

9/10. I had nitpicks but overall this is a masterpiece of a film. I actually want to check out some of the later media adaptations that focus on Norman now...

#me seeing Norman Bates in this movie: omg Norman Bates?? From Borderlands 3?? #the great horror movie watchathon

[farm-witches-fic-recs]

Cheers to the weekend, friends! 

The coven loves sharing these recs from our community. We’re making this a monthly feature, so you’ll have more opportunities to tell us about your favorite fics and highlight new authors!

Check out this week’s Friends of Farm Witches recs and leave them some love!

+ + + + + + + 

Dismantle, repair (itakethewords) **WIP** “I love the premise of childhood friends and the outside the box elements while still keeping some familiar elements too.”

Everything we need (@samwhambam​, @sparklesmagiclightlove​) “I’m recommending these two together because they both take place in a 19th century frontier AU and have a similar feel. Our boys fall in love slowly and quietly in a world that doesn’t blink at same-sex love but otherwise feels true for people who love historical fiction. They’re both very soft and beautifully written. (See also recommendation for Falling slowly)”

Falling slowly (@thedidipickles​) “I’m recommending these two together because they both take place in a 19th century frontier AU and have a similar feel. Our boys fall in love slowly and quietly in a world that doesn’t blink at same-sex love but otherwise feels true for people who love historical fiction. They’re both very soft and beautifully written. (See also recommendation for Everything We Need)”

Going down (@concannonfodder​) “Oh my. David and Patrick start out stuck in an elevator on New Year's, and it just evolves into such an intense and thoughtful story. It's such a lovely depiction of them coming together with all their baggage and finding something special in each other. The world-building is top-notch and the characterisation lovely. At times heartbreaking, funny, hot, it's also written with a love of New York sewn into it. One of my favourites.”

In morte veritas (@missgeevious​) “In Morte Veritas is a breath-stealing roller coaster ride. The emotional arc is a stunner; by turns sorrowful, hilarious, tender and steamy, and triumphant. This writer is an excellent storyteller, their world building is so solid you will forget you’re being told a story, you’re just in it. This is inspired by the rom-com, Last Holiday, but you don’t need to know the movie at all to enjoy the fic. I honestly think it’s leagues better than the movie! (no shade to Queen La)”

My heart is like paper (yours is like a flame) (@smallumbrella369​) “This is something so tangible about everything in this fic. The paint, the music, the descriptions--I can picture it all. It's so well written, powerful, heartfelt, and very, very sexy.”

Room seven (@ladyflowdi​) “This author is one of my favorites. She writes very hot, very hilarious and in character stories. This work is part of the wonderful multi author series The Room(s) Where it Happened. Her chapter is my absolute favorite. It is hilarious, pee in my pants funny. It is extremely scorchingly sexy and it is SO in character, it is one of those rare times in fic, you can hear the actors voices saying the lines. Read the entire series, but spend a little extra time with this explicit masterpiece!”

The snow it melts the soonest (Amanita_Fierce, MoreHuman) “Everything! It’s so beautifully narrated, and the soundscape gives it a real-ness, you feel like you are there in that snowy park with them. There is such beautiful, Heartfelt emotion in this fic. It fills my heart with joy every time I listen to it. It is just so pure and lovely. 

The way the fic builds is lovely. The way Patrick’s awareness builds. 💙 And  the way  David slowly reveals parts of himself to his ‘friend’. 🖤 You just feel so much for David in this fic. I love that it’s pre canon/pre ‘softened’ David: many fics naturally and rightfully portray him as prickly, damaged, etc (so that an early meeting between D and P is just painful and he’s not ready)- but in this one, them ‘meeting’ earlier just works. 

This is the first magical realism (?) fic or ANY story I ever read and I was floored by how much I loved it, how much it resonated, and how it made me feel. We all need a little magic in our lives these days ❤️

Finally i want to shine a big, bright spotlight on podficcers. The work and effort and time that goes into a podfic must be incredible, and I wish that the podfics and podficcers would get billions of kudos and millions of comments in return for what they give us! Thank you, you amazing, talented people! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Your creations are much loved and appreciated!” 

Witch’s Brew (@hagface​) “Witch's Brew is great. David is a witch, Patrick is looking for a love potion... I'll leave it there. It's one of my favorite slow burn SC fics.”

#friends of farm witches #FOFW Friday Recs #sc fic rec #sc fanfic #schitts creek fic #SC fic #schitt's creek fic #schitt's creek fanfic #sc podfic #david x patrick