#then they are best friends! and 2 episodes later they never will be seen again

[aardvaark]

only murders in the building s3e8 spoilers ahead!

this is the best photo i could get of the strips of paper that have been pieced together so far. all we can see is:

"02/16/2023

mmence on

sion, and

until and

(line gap)

society,

performing

composer

however,

right to

where it"

now that’s… fairly vague, lol. not too much to be gathered, except that it relates to the play itself - words like "performing" and "composer" seem to show that. in other words, it’s probably not the autopsy report or someone’s diary. the first unfinished word is probably "commence". this makes it sound formal. again, unlikely to be a diary or a letter to a close friend or something.

so what could it be? personally, my current standing theory is that it’s Maxine’s review. i have a few reasons for this:

we know that Maxine has written a review. yes, she was originally writing by hand and her pen ran out of ink, but she mentions in episode 2 that it was some of her best writing which sounds like she had finished it later, plus it’s her job to write these reviews, im sure she must have finished it. and so there exists a "vitriolic" absolute pan of the play somewhere. one that we’ve never seen and which Maxine didn’t show to Oliver. maybe we can’t see it because it’s been shredded.

the language, from the small bits we can see, would make sense for a review. first she states when the play "commences" for its opening night. then she reviews the various elements of the play, such as the "performing" and notes things like who the "composer" is and whether they did a good job. the word "however" makes me think that the writer is giving some sort of a negative opinion there. which, you know, is what the review is.

Maxine is a character we were introduced to in the second episode but really haven’t explored. i don’t necessarily think she is the murderer; in fact, i can’t even think of a motive she’d have. but, i think they introduced her for a reason.

a scathing review could absolutely generate anger or violence in someone. imagine you’ve put your heart and soul into your performance or crew role for months, only to get insulted and for the show to be an utter failure. it could mean the end of your career or the loss of a lot of money.

but even if it is Maxine’s review, and even if someone was upset by it, why would that lead to Ben’s death? i do have a theory for that. it might not be the correct one, but it’s my best shot at the moment:

Cliff and Donna (the mother and son producer people) have repeatedly expressed that this play is high stakes for them. it’s Cliff’s producing debut and they need it to be perfect. the problem is, the show was far from perfect - something that they may have already realised to an extent, but which that pan confirmed. plus, a terrible review by a famous reviewer would lose them money and reputation. if one or both of them got their hands on Maxine’s review, it makes sense that they’d destroy it and want to put an end to the show in a way that can’t be blamed on them. an accidental death on stage - with the autopsy report altered to day there wasn’t any poison, and we know it was altered cause it was negative for meth - would solve their problem, as well as draw them a lot of press attention (any publicity is good publicity), and finally, would prevent the review from ever being published because no one would publish a scathing review of a recently deceased young man’s performance. i can imagine that the producers would have access to and knowledge about the set and theatre, which would allow for the spooky ghost stuff that seemed like more than a coincidence in "Ghost Light". they’d also have access to Ben’s room to plant the poison cookies (because c’mon, he was clearly talking to a plate of cookies in the dressing room video).

additionally, Donna’s speech to Loretta in the bathroom makes me suspect her more. and Loretta’s song, while clearly more about sacrificing herself for her own son in that moment, could double as meaning that Donna would kill for Cliff’s sake to protect his reputation in the industry. and as Loretta says, poisoning as a murder method tends to point to a woman murderer - this is actually true according to data on homicides. Donna is a woman, she would do anything for her son, the review would ruin his reputation in her mind, she poisons Ben to end the play.

then there’s Ben’s apologies in episode 1. to Cliff… well, he forgets Cliff’s name for one thing, and then he basically just says he’s sorry for being so annoying to them and complaining about his dressing room. then he continues to complain about his dressing room before moving on.

while Donna may have done the first murder, i don’t think she did the second. perhaps it was Cliff, pissed at his non-apology and wishing the man was dead for real. perhaps it was someone else entirely (probably a man since they haven’t had a male murderer so far and have even pointed that out).

but again, this is still a very loose theory based solely on the possibility that that document is the review. what else do y’all think it could be? or what else could have happened if it is indeed the review?

#omitb spoilers #omitb #only murders in the building #omitb theories #omitb season 3 #omitb s3 #wren speaks

[bengiyo]

She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat 2 Eps 17-20 (Finale)

Last week gave me everything I wanted and more. The whole squad went over to Yako's place for a curry party and everyone had a great time. Later, Nagumo got a diagnosis for her condition and got to have personal time with Yako. Kasuga and Nomoto continued to work on their communication and making sure they aren't trampling over each other. They're continuing to work on this move. Seriously, we had a curry party and a s'mores party last week. We planted strawberries together. Let's finish this.

Episode 17

Looking for housing is so stressful. I was wondering if we'd get into housing discrimination in this.

Red beans in Japan are different from what we eat here. Theirs carry a naturally sweet profile that doesn't mesh well with creole cooking.

I feel like those beans needed to boil longer, but that's me thinking in my home cooking terms.

Yes, ladies, tell each other how happy you are to see each other.

@furritsubs thank you for the note about Azuki beans.

I'm really enjoying the way they're handling this situation. The realtor wasn't trying to be homophobic, but the systems he was upholding with the landlord references reinforces the status of same sex households. I also like that they acknowledged how circumstances closet people in ways that hurt them. This is good payoff from the news bit we saw earlier in season with Kasuga.

Getting a tasty treat in before going back into the fray is so valid.

Kasuga being even more affectionate about Nomoto's food now that they're dating is exactly what I wanted.

Episode 18

Oh fuck yeah, let's continue to unpack how structural homophobia makes people scared to share something that should be a joyous occasion.

Amused that Yako is the primary person using Nomoto's given name.

Are we going to have a takoyaki party next??

COME THROUGH, YAKO!!! You gotta help your folks get through this bullshit, but never let them forget that it's bullshit!!

I am relieved that we checked in with Ms. Fujita about divorcing her husband at the same time as we're working through LGBT housing issues. Single divorced women likely also face huge challenges in housing when marriage is the goal we're being pushed into.

Wow, Sayama, you are in contention for the Yihwa Best Girl Award this year. You are an ally. Love the way she examined how what she said might have been hurtful.

Feeling like you somehow failed because you didn't get married in your 20s is so real. I sometimes struggle with this in my 30s.

This show uses its characters to illustrate its political points in a way that feels gentle and accessible, but also carries a sense of urgency. Women are facing extreme reproductive pressure right now, and it's clearly not making those who don't already want husbands and children happier. Hell, it's making them resentful to the point of divorce as they get older.

Hold on. Gotta cry a bit about Nomoto telling Kasuga that being told outright that hiding who they are upset her made her feel better got me.

Episode 19

Takoyaki Party let's goooooo!!!

A party where you cook together like this is always so much fun. We had fun with some friends' kids a few weeks ago teaching them how to make pancakes and letting them add their own toppings before, during, and after cooking.

Nagumo managed to enjoy a bite of food with them. Hold on. Crying again.

We've seen takoyaki a few times lately, and I am very impressed with this cooker.

Yako, tactful as always, is gonna check on Nagumo. I love her.

This is so important. Couple formation does affect the friends around them, and I'm really glad Yako let Nagumo voice that she supports her friends even as she knows she's going to miss the dynamic they've had. Yako is so right to point out that a change doesn't mean it's over, and their friendship will last if we all continue to reach out.

This realtor scene is so good. I like how politely she asked for them to disclose their relationship with the express purpose of securing ideal housing, and we're getting into how the financing of housing can affect people's privacy. She's also owning that landlords can discriminate against couples. I also appreciate that their meeting room was private.

I'm ready for the moving in party!

Episode 20

They got the house!!

A crab cream croquette party!!!

Wait, where's Nagumo? I wanted her to try a croquette too!

We are on the bed together. This is not a drill.

Yes, let's acknowledge that they have liked each other since season 1.

The intimacy question is on the floor!

They are finally hugging!

NOW KISS!!!

That was very sweet, and felt right for them. I'm glad they had that moment in the old place before they moved.

Cried because of Ms. Fujita and Nagumo possibly getting hired.

So glad Yako and Nagumo are still hanging out! That's really how some friends groups will be. Two people will just gel at a party and grow close.

Oh hell yeah we're at casual intimacy now.

I'm so excited to see where the TV goes next season!!

Oh my goodness Kasuga is wearing a lighter sweater!!!!!!

Final Verdict: 10, Go Watch This Immediately and Then Show it to a Friend. Seriously, do not make excuses for yourself. You owe it to yourself to watch this show. Between this, Ossan's Love Returns, and What Did You Eat Yesterday? coming back, we cannot stop supporting our shows about older people getting together and forming their own forms of family. This show built on the foundation of its first season and made every little detail feel so potent and impactful. I did not expect the pen pal to grow into a trusted confidant and core member of this friend group, nor was I expecting the women at the supermarket to help Kasuga as much as they did. This season was excellent, and will be joining WDYEY on my comfort watch rotation.

Big thanks to @furritsubs and friends for making this watch possible.

#Ben watches #tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #japanese gl #gl series

[djarins-cyare]

So it’s been a year…

One year since Disney released episode 1 season 3 of The Mandalorian

One year since I published chapter 1 of Be-All And Endor

I don’t really remember much of the first 20 weeks of that year, just that it was a flurry of proofreading and finalising and uploading (the hard parts) and comment reading and new friend making and massively appreciating (the wonderful parts).

Proofing and publishing 2 chapters a week with average lengths of around 10k words was exhausting. But for the first 8 of those weeks I had Din Djarin on the screen (intermittently *ahem* but this isn’t a post about the quality of s3) and for the rest of the year I had my readers leaving comments and sending messages, and it was… overwhelmingly the best year of my life.

I mean that. The best year. Ever. Because of you. Any of you, all of you, if you’ve ever even just clicked on my fic and given it chance, you’ve raised the hits on it. Even seeing that metric tick up has made me so thankful.

Because I didn’t think I could write. I always wanted to be an author but never believed in myself.

I did an English degree with writing in mind, but told myself nobody ever does anything with an English degree. I took creative writing modules, and when the published author who ran the class gave me scathing feedback, my dream fully died. I got an okay grade, hardly anything to be proud of, and I graduated and went to work in another industry.

I suffered from clinical depression.

One day many years later, I found a favourite author online and messaged him to ask when his fourth novel in a series was being published, and (emboldened by the anonymity of being online) cheekily offered to proofread it for him. Except he took me seriously and sent me the prologue to see what I could do. Like, for a real book you can buy on Amazon. After feeling sick for two whole days I went all Autistic Obsession on it and sent him back the most thoroughly proofed bit of writing anyone had ever seen. And I got the job. (I say ‘job’, I’d volunteered for free in exchange for the privilege of reading it in advance, so I can only ever call it semi-professional since I didn’t earn from it).

This, amongst other things, lifted me from my depression. I came off the pills and felt happier, more creative. Once the proofing was completed, the author encouraged me to write my own stuff, but whilst I’d gained some confidence… my brain was empty. I had no clamouring stories to get down on the page, no gems ready to polish.

Then in summer 2021, a friend sat me down and showed me the first 3 episodes of the Mandalorian. And my brain chemistry was instantly altered. I binge-watched the first two seasons, by the end of which I was unequivocally in love with Din Djarin, and then I binge-watched them again.

Around that time, I moved to a different country. Well, Wales is still the UK, but it’s a different country to England, and I was now 170 miles away from my friends. I went because as a single woman on a middling salary, London is too expensive to live in and having rid myself of an overbearing long term relationship, I was NOT keen to get into another one just to pay the bills. The pandemic meant I could work remotely, so I upped sticks and moved to Cardiff, resolving to visit my office in London (and my friends) once a month. It’s 2 hours by train, totally doable.

So what to do with all the spare time I suddenly had?

By Easter 2022 I’d started writing. 9 months later (yes, it’s my actual baby), Be-All And Endor was complete and I began publishing alongside season 3’s release.

Now… it has over 62.k views and 1.2k kudos 🥹🤯

Did I think it would be this popular? No way. I can’t even believe it now. I still see SO much wrong with it, which is why I’m still proofreading and editing it.

A professional proofread/edit takes a long time, and if you’re wondering what I’m doing to it, it involves the following:

Checking for things like clichés, non-inclusive language

Checking all adverbs to see if a better word can be used (e.g. ‘bellows’ instead of ‘shouts loudly’… adverbs usually end in -ly and it’s not good to overuse them)

Rephrasing any passive sentences (simply put: ‘the ship is flown by Din’ is passive; ‘Din flies the ship’ is active)

Reducing average sentence length (shorter sentences are easier to read)

Going through every single damn polysyllabic word (e.g. anything that has more than 3-syllables) and seeing if a shorter synonym can be found (this helps the rhythm, as too many long words slows things down and can make readers stumble… and I use them a lot 😖)

Checking the 50 most frequently used words and seeing if I can find synonyms for those (helps give more variety in the language)

Ensuring Din’s name isn’t overused or underused, and adding epithets (e.g. ‘the hunter’ or ‘your Mandalorian’) where it’s overused but it’s too confusing to just say ‘he’/‘him’

These are the big things, but there’s more too - I’m streamlining decisions I made to use certain phrasings throughout; tweaking Din’s word choice here and there to ensure his voice is captured the best way possible; revamping some of the photos. And with all the tiny tweaks, it’s slowly padding things out too… when publishing was done it was 393k, now it’s 403k, although it’s not extra content as such, just better described.

I’m up to chapter 13 so far, and I’ll probably be doing this for another 2 years to get through all 40, because (a) I want to write other things too so that slows down the proofing, and (b) I so badly want to be proud of this project… everyone’s telling me I should be, and I am in a way… but it’s more gratitude to others than pride in myself… and I feel like if I get this proofing done and finally have a story I’m truly happy with, I can at last let myself be proud of what I achieved here.

I confess, I’m so envious of those who can post something without obsessing over it. I know it’s a facet of my autism, and I’ve long since accepted that my neurodivergent brain will not let me be cool about things other people are cool about. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that I should turn it to my advantage, so okay… I’m gonna make this fic the same quality as a published book on your bookshelf. And meanwhile I’m gonna enjoy and love all the fics that people can write and publish with far greater speed than I can, because the greatest thing about this fandom is that every contribution is worthy of appreciation, no matter the author’s experience or writing method. Quality fic isn’t synonymous with proofreading, and I hope it’s clear that I’m describing my obsession with perfecting my own writing, not other people’s. I’ve read so many amazing authors on here, and I want them all to know how much I love their work (any recs are from the bottom of my heart).

So anyway, this long and rambling post has turned into something unintended… I guess you now have some insight into my mind and the origins of Be-All And Endor and the future of it. Not what I meant to do, but I’ll leave it in for context.

Because the real reason I started writing this diatribe was because I wanted to express my true and undying gratitude to everyone who has ever read, commented, or left kudos on my fic over on AO3, and/or messaged me, followed me, interacted with me, or reblogged my masterlist here on tumblr 🧡💚

I know I am insanely lucky to have received the level of support I have, and I don’t take that for granted at all. I want to give back to this fandom, and I love reading and reccing other people’s fics, meeting new moots, and hopefully soon I’ll be publishing new fics for you all to read too. Fresh material is percolating, so it won’t be too long now.

So thank you to everyone who reads this post, you’re the absolute best and I love you more than I have the vocabulary to describe. Please accept a grateful forehead kiss instead 💋

#well this was longer than intended #but we all know brevity isn’t my strong suit #cannot express how much i love you all #so i rambled and i hope my gratitude comes across in there somewhere #thank you for supporting me #the mandalorian #din djarin #din djarin x reader #mandalorian #the mandalorian x reader #mando #mandalorian x reader #mando x reader

[lorelaiblair]

My thoughts as I rewatch Wednesday, part 3

Part 1 / Part 2

-xavier has the weathervane and wants to trade with ajax, but ajax goes to uriah’s heap with enid, why didn’t he trade? he is apparently xavier’s best friend and he probably knows what tyler did to him?

-why does donavan hate outcasts so much? he was once married to and had a kid with one? what happened to his wife? does he recognize the hyde attack patterns?

-seen people say wednesday manuipulates enid into trading assignments with her and that literally makes no sense. enid was so excited to spend time with ajax! it was a fair trade!

-eugene with yoko and bianca, i love that weirdo

(took a break 12 minutes in to make brownies and listen to the ologies episode about thanatology, just thought y’all should know that)

-i wish wednesday had severely hurt those pilgrims (i love lucas later on, but my dude??)

-wednesday cleaning his vomit is disgusting.. please please stop, he is capable of cleaning himself off

-“what the fudge are you doing in here missy?!” stop. stop it. never speak again. (i don’t really have a problem with real/other people saying this so idk why it bothers me so much when she does)

-enid and ajax are not two different species (in the way they’re implying at least) they’re outcasts, they’re somewhat popular, they have the sameish friend group, they fit. this conversation doesn’t fit them together, it does fit considering them with other people though. it fits considering wednesday.

-“i can’t believe he asked me!!” honey, my sweet girl, he didn’t.

-“who i speak to is none of your business” damn right!!

-GOODY ISNT A NAME. GOODY IS NOT A NAME!

-hate xavier, all my homies hate xavier

-he never believes her. he doesn’t believe her once without his own confirmation and then even when she proves herself right he STILL doesn’t believe her and then later he claims he always believed her. he lies straight up

-“are you mansplaining my power?” yeah, he really is

-“my dad the expert” YOU DONT LIKE YOUR DAD, YOU HAVE DADDY ISSUES AND MAYBE ITS WHY YOU’RE SUCH A SHIT PERSON, SO WHY ARE YOU AS A MAN WITH DADDY ISSUES USING WHAT HE HAS SAID TO PUT DOWN OTHER PEOPLE?!??

-enid clawing the side of that bus, my love, my girl, she is everything

-why does weems hate morticia so much??? please i need to know

-no because kimbott the therapist frfr scrapes roadkill off of the street and puts them in wedding dresses..

-how does donavan, a man once married to a hyde, not recognize a hyde when he sees one??

#wednesday addams #enid sinclair #wenclair #wednesday 2022 #wednesday x enid #wednesday #wednesday is soft for enid #enid x wednesday #larissa weems #eugene ottinger #yoko tanaka #bianca barclay #xavier thorpe #wednesday and enid #wednesday netflix #netflix wednesday #wednesday series #donovan galpin #tyler galpin

[chrismcleaneatspants]

General season 2 opinions. MASSIVE TDI 2023 season 2 spoilers ahead (as well as a huge wall of text.) You've been warned.

Ok, so here's everything I like about the season (I can count them on my fingers)

-There were some funny jokes

-MKulia was entertaining and it's now in my top 5 favorite ships, but it's not perfect, as I'll explain later

-Hockey dudes were a joy to watch I suppose

-Bowie stole the show as usual

-There are a lot of neat challenges (The canoe, slide, and dog challenges was a particular stand outs to me)

-MK herself was really funny

-MacArthur's cameo was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one, and she bounces off of Chris really well

-Duncney is still broken up lol

Honestly that's about it in terms of positives, cuz I have a million other negatives for this supposed sequel to (imo) the best written season of the show.

-The Relationships were the single worst aspect about this season full stop. Ripaxel and Praleb are probably the worst couples the show has ever subjected me to. For Ripaxel, they basically removed anything interesting Ripper had going on and Axel wasn't allowed to live up to any kind of hype she created because one lame ass poem turned her into Ripper's girlfriend for the remaining duration of her run, only for the both of them to be tossed aside in episode 7 in perhaps the worst double elimination in the entire show.

-Praleb started off ok. I thought it was gonna be a one-sided crush plot initially before Episode 6. They had a couple cute moments before episode 8, of which their screentime became suffocating because afterwards is was this painful back and forth where Caleb tried explaining himself and Priya would be mad at him, then ally with him, then be mad at him again like it was so tiresome. By the time they got together in the finale again, I was wishing they had just followed up on Pramien instead. Caleb by himself was funny in the first half of season 2 and Priya was great in season 1, but the two of them together were insufferable

-Speaking of Priya, she went from one of the best characters in season 1 to one of the worst in season 2. Why did she have to make it all the way to episode fucking 12 after winning season 1?? Just for some generic heterosexual romance? They also made her so dumb with shit like knowing Julia is manipulating her but then getting a surprise Pikachu face when Julia manipulated her??? You spent your entire life preparing for this show, how the fuck did you not see this coming???

-Segwayying into Julia, she's the worst antagonist full stop. I've never seen such an absolute downgrade of a character. She was a goat in season 1 who was aware of her situation and acted accordingly because the stakes were real. Here? Reality basically warps around her just to keep her in the game. She does things characters would never fall for in season 1 and they just go with it?? They insist on keeping her in the finale and do basically nothing interesting with her. She's not even as funny as Island Heather at the end of the day.

-I mentioned MKulia earlier, so I'll just get to it here: I like it in concept. Two evil sapphics causing chaos together is really fun. My main issue is that it was very sudden. They both were not fans of each other at the end of season 1 and now I'm supposed to just believe they became friends off screen? I mean, I guess, but it's kinda cheap. I would have really liked it if it was straight up enemies to lovers ngl. Also the fact MK had very little agency outside of being Julia's lackey doesn't help either. I want to point to the fake contract thing, for instance. Why did Julia do that? That sounds like an MK thing to do.

-Time to dive into other characters: Damien is an absolute fucking tragedy. At the end of season 1, Damien had one ambition: win next season. They kinda did that, sure, but they regressed Damien into being a complete coward to do so, not to mention he didn't even go all the way either. Damien didn't get a W until episode 6 and tbh that was his only W. By the end of his tenure, I was left confused on what the point of his run was. (I'll come back to this later.)

-What was the point of Nichelle? Like seriously, what did she contribute to the season at all? They didn't do the ironic underdog story with her, and considering she was getting all egotistical and aggressive, i thought she was gonna be the antagonist for sure...until Julia got rid of her in episode 5 in a way that really shouldn't make sense cuz like Nichelle is an actual celebrity that stars in blockbuster movies, I'm pretty sure she could sniff a fake contract a mile away, right?

-Hockey dudes were great, but I felt like they were very dumbed down at times? Like they were just generic dumb dudes that just meandered around a lot of the time (Wayne in particular just straight up floated away from a challenge at one point)

-Bowie was alright too. His line delivery is great as usual, but let's not kid ourselves: In a well written season, he'd be going straight for Julia the next time his team lost. Bowraj was nice to see even if the season didn't really do a whole lot with it

-Am I the only one who thinks this season is a tad bit misogynistic? Like this is the shortest them phase the show as ever had (to the point where i'd argue teams don't really matter) and 4 of the 5 team phase boots were girls. Millie and Emma in particular were really bad. Like, you could make Millie a team phase boot without like shitting on her that hard. And Emma got like fuck all closure outside of breaking up with Chase off screen like wow, way to utilize such a high potential character, Fresh. And this is saying nothing about how the girls that did make it to the merge had plots basically dominated by romance and like nothing else. And then there's MKulia which is apparently intended to be a friendship but like is written like a romantic one at times. It gives me all-stars gwourtney vibes and (as a fan of gwourtney myself) not in a good way. At least MK and Julia were somewhat in character I guess, but they had their edges really sanded off and honestly as a friendship (situationship?) it's a complete downgrade from Millie and Priya in so many ways

-And another thing: who's the protagonist this season? Outside of Praleb, who am I supposed to care for? Who am I supposed to root for? By the halfway mark, the show doesn't really make any convincing arguments to root for like anyone there outside of maybe Damien? And he went gone in episode 10, so like, hockey dudes? No one has an interesting enough narrative for me to care.

-The immunity idol stinks as usual. Like, why did Damien do THE SAME FUCKING THING HEATHER DID IN ALL-STARS?? That actually pissed me off so much holy shit. The immunity idol as it stands in the show is basically a shitty plot device made to keep characters in as there's no real strategy revolved around it.

-Oh and another minor thing: Owen's cameo sucks, and that's entirely due to him not being physically aged up at all and just being a vehicle for the same dumb jokes they always make with him. so stupid

-Anyways, I spend an entire season with two shitass straight relationships taking up screentime, a whole multiude of potential plotlines from last season (pramien) and this season (scary girl's revenge, millie being the new ripper, damien's comeback, julia having internal conflict over her friendship (feelings?) for MK) being set up and just nothing being done with them, and characters in general just being nerfed or borderline out of character (Ripper) and what am I rewarded with?

-Soar Losers. The most boring nothing finale in the entire show. The choices for finalists suck, Wayne, while being the least bad option for a winner (and i do still like him a lot), is still a mid ass winner in the grand scheme of the entire show. And more praleb drama? fuck off I hate them so much. The challenge did not feel finale worthy at all, and honestly it was the worst challenge in the whole season. On top of being a bunch of nothing, the show decides to bring back the worst trope it ever had: losing hair as karma. I almost ragequit the episode on the spot that shit makes me so irrationally mad. I think it's even worse here because Julia still had hair after the fact, which makes it seem like they were aware it's not a popular TD trope but wanted to half commit to it anyways for the sake of tradition or something. Terrible finale to an already decently sized letdown of a season, but it has some ok MKulia moments I guess. The finale was just emblematic of the entire season, where things just happen and you're just expected to go along with everything. (Also side note how come Chase wasn't the one to jump off of the cart for pizza immediately?)

TL;DR reboot season 2 imo was a step down in every conceivable way from season 1 apart of i guess comedy and it's left a very sour taste in my mouth. I'm probably missing a few points that I'll add onto later but man it feels nice putting my opinion out there.

#total drama #total drama 2023 #td spoilers #prileb #mkulia #ripaxel #bowraj #td mk #td julia #td caleb #td axel #td bowie #td chase #td damien #td emma #td millie #td nichelle #td priya #td wayne #td raj #td ripper #td zee #td scary girl

[kiirotoao]

Still blows my mind knowing that the airport scene exists. It brings awkwardness, tension, lies, and we’re even introduced to the notion of a finished painting - which, in some ways, represents all three of those things combined. Without the airport scene, we would have never gotten conflict. Without conflict, we would have never gotten the fight. Without the fight, we would have never gotten the apology. Without the apology, we would have never seen trust be rebuilt. Without the trust being rebuilt, we might not have ever seen the van scene.

All thanks to the unfortunate dishonesty in the airport scenes, we have amendments, growth, and payoffs later on. For Byler, it’s comfort, ease, and honesty. Mike declared his “best friend”-ship with Will again and they both wanted it. Will revealed that that painting was for him. Mike said what Will “didn’t have to” - what Will gave, instead. Their love came around for each other; they conjured up speeches for each other, no longer holding their hearts back. Yes, even with Will’s circumstances in the van scene. He gave Mike his soul with that encouragement as did Mike to Will in Will’s room four episodes prior.

Imagine if Mike and Will were all good at the airport. Imagine that they hugged just fine, no problems or suppressed feelings to get lost in. Imagine them being comfortable enough to provide physical comfort (like Mike did in season 2) with every heart-to-heart. Imagine Will never brought up the painting again. Imagine all the awkwardness, tension, and lies, gone or completely not about each other. The show and the fandom reaction to Byler would be pretty different, wouldn’t it?

But we did get that airport scene. We did get the setup of all the issues for them to be fixed. Call it forced proximity, call it the naturalization of distance making the heart grow fonder, call it whatever you like. The Duffers wrote Mike and Will with an awkward, tense, and dishonest start in the beginning of season 4. And unlike Mike and El, Mike and Will made clear amends in that same season, again, leaving them in comfort, ease, and honesty with each other.

Their relationship lasts. It has lasted the threat of death, it has lasted hell and back, it has lasted multiple fights, it has lasted 6 months with little to no contact. It has lasted seasons which have taken years. And yes, seasons 1-3 did highlight all the good things that Mike and Will did while they lived near each other so it was relatively easy to maintain their relationship, but after that distance, things changed. Will was rudely awakened of such at that airport scene. That change is the kicker. That change caused the both of them to act differently around each other when they first reunited. But despite the clear changes in their relationship and behaviors, they fused back together in about three episodes - two days time! After 6 months of “maybe a couple” calls total! That’s not just quick reconciliation, that’s gravitation at play. Mike expressed loss without Will. Will expressed need for Mike. After all that time, their relationship was still pretty damn strong for them to make statements like they did.

And this happened not because they were together, but because they were apart. And not just because they were apart, but because they felt what it was like being apart, didn’t like it, and wanted what they had back.

And it all began because of Mike’s stiff little bro pat at the airport, which is a whole journey in itself.

#I think I might make a 2 parter for Mike and why his awkward bro pat is so important to Byler too #also wait HI guys I think I feel comfortable being here again so. yeah. I’m here #byler #byler analysis

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

Full Thoughts on TDP Season 5

Under the cut, because there are many of them!

Starting off with things I liked:

Rayllum! It was so good to see them on the same page again, and they have a perfect balance between deep, romantic devotion and the shared laughter and gestures of best friends. Their dynamic this season was my favorite iteration of them so far

Janai and Amaya were wonderful as well. I was really bracing for Amaya to leave for Lux Area without telling Janai and a whole bunch of drama to ensue, but no! They communicate! They trust each other! It's so refreshing!

Side note: Lux Area was gorgeous the detail in every shot of the city and Bookery was so good. I want to live there. I will take on the night creatures if need be

I hoped we'd get an apology from Amaya for Rayla, and I'm really glad they took the time to put it in the show instead of a short story or anything like that. It was also cool to see Amaya recognizing the similarities she and Rayla share and acting as more of a mentor to her, I hope we see more of them together later on

The reoccurring message that oftentimes the best way to be strong is by going to other people for help- first Amaya's story, then Rayla trusting Callum, then Zubeia's talk with Avizandum. It's a very good moral

That whole thing with Soren and Elmer! Breaking the cycle of cruelty! I love Soren so much

Callum using dark magic again. I thought I would hate it if that happened, since we've seen a corruption plotline with him and with Claudia already, but the way it was done sort of added a good sense of realism. I like that Callum isn't a Perfectly Moral Mage just because he can do primal magic; it feels deeper and more complicated if he has to recognize that the easier, darker choice is always there, and sometimes he won't be able to resist it, but he has to try each time anyway

So many little moments that I'll probably be going into in separate posts because the dynamic between the characters was on fire. It was so good to see the team really working together, their chemistry was so good

Things I wasn't as much of a fan of:

The problem with the show really relying on people to read all the supplementary material is still present. I was pretty confused about who Kpp'Ar was until I looked him up on the wiki, and again, people who didn't know about Soren getting sick as a kid from the Book 2 novelization really wouldn't have gotten his part of the dream sequence. It doesn't ruin the show or anything but it does make it a little confusing at times

The plotline with the coins is starting to feel a little drawn-out. Runaan's presence would bring up enough complications between Rayla and the rest of the group that he needs enough time out of the coin to give that the weight it deserves, and I'm really hoping he gets out next season so we can have at least season 7 to go into that. Also, Ethari needs his husband back

As good as it was to see rayllum back together, I do still think we needed a scene of them actually talking things through. I'm sure it'll appear in a Reflections story at some point, but again, you don't want your show to lean that heavily on the bonus material

This is more of a nitpick than anything else, but the characters' faces in the early episodes felt really stiff. They'd be having a monologue where you could really hear the emotion in their voices, but their faces just... didn't really move

And finally: too many crabs. This is not a flaw with the season this is just because I personally am freaked out by crabs and I've never been so horrified in all my life as when the true nature of Finnegrin's ship was revealed. It'll haunt me forever

Overall I liked it a lot, and I'm really excited to see where it goes next! Claudia feels like she's on the very edge of the point of no return, if she hasn't already crossed it, and it'll be very interesting to see how she reacts to the loss of her leg and (most likely) the loss of her father next season. I'm also very excited for the nova blade, that sounds like a gorgeous piece of weaponry and seeing whoever wields it (my money's on Rayla) fighting Aaravos is going to be epic. This season has definitely ratcheted up my investment in the show, which I'm very excited about

#the dragon prince #tdp #tdp callum #tdp rayla #rayllum #tdp amaya #tdp janai #janaya #tdp zubeia #tdp avizandium #tdp soren #tdp elmer #tdp finnegrin #tdp runaan #tdp ethari #ruthari #tdp kpp'ar #tdp spoilers #the dragon prince spoilers #ray rambles

[daeyeol4you]

The Chay Rewatch Ep. 4

As part of my KP Rewatch, I’m going to be commenting on each episode and analyzing the different Chay scenes. He’s my favorite character, and I thought I’d put down my thoughts (as well as timestamps for his scenes) as a fun way to express that.

Ep 1 & 2, Ep 3

This one is gonna be two-parter because Tumblr has character limits, please look at the reblog for part 2

Episode 4 - The Chay Drought ends, KimChay begins

Gang we are finally back to seeing Chay outside of the previously on segment

Y’all when I tell you I was so excited for this episode

I’m so intrigued by what Porsche says in the sauna. Nampueng why the hell did you say that to baby Porsche? It does develop her character beyond the silent attic wife trapped by Korn though. Clearly, growing up as an adopted child in the mafia world hardened her enough that she felt okay saying this to a child.

Also her saying this about Chay is very telling. Porsche is the heir, the one trapped by parental expectations in a world he doesn’t like (like Kinn???). He has the responsibility to bear whatever he has to in order for Chay to be free. Chay was always meant to be outside of the mafia narrative and escape in a way Nampueng knew her first born never could. Or maybe she wanted to raise a fighter and a strategist, who knows.

Time: 26:00 – 31:19 – Return of the Best Boi

Our longest Chay scene yet, this scene is so long and I kept pausing it to write down every thought in my head.

Chay, I thought we’d never see you again

Sidenote, what’s the name of the friend Chay is with? I think the fandom named him Ohm? Because I’ve seen that name used in fanfics

 “We’ve got a kind graduate that will share his experience with us.” – I know this may be a translation thing, but isn’t Kim still a student at this university? We see him on campus later on in the series getting ragged on for not going to classes, so did the MC actually mean senior? Or maybe he graduated and then is doing his master’s at the same school?

Also, very glad we somewhat got an age on Kim since if he’s a graduate or a senior that puts him in the 21-24 age range, and since Chay is looking at schools to apply to, he’s probably 18/19 age range (yes I know Barcode was younger than that at the time of filming, but Jeff is definitely older than 21-24 so I’m not going to go by actor age). Not the worst age difference, but definitely one that exists.

Chay’s Outfit: Chay immediately stands out in the crowd with his baby blue school uniform and khaki pants. Almost every other student is wearing a very, very pale pink or blue shirt with dark shorts or skirts. The viewer is immediately capable of picking out Chay among the crowd and keeping an eye on him, a hard thing for costuming to achieve when the scene is meant to be a bunch of students all dressed nearly the same. Also, Chay’s school crest says BOC International and he doesn’t have his name sewn onto his shirt like the rest of the students (I’m assuming those are names, if I’m wrong please correct me)

“Who’s that?” “It’s Wik. How could you not know?” – Chay babes, please don’t attack your bestie like that.

Chay’s friend not knowing who Wik is when Chay literally has a whole obsessive fanboy thing going on, very interesting. I understand this is to tell the audience who Wik is, but it also says a lot about Chay’s relationship with his friends. Chay is really good at hiding things when he wants to, we see that throughout the series. The only person he doesn’t really hide anything from is Kim, and that’s honestly partially because Chay has the self-confidence of a god and Kim likes ferreting out secrets.

“I want to study here because of him.” – Oh Chay, you cute little delulu stalker. I know this gets ignored because there are so many other, bigger red flags in this story, but Chay deadass stalks Kim. And no joke, Kim falls for him because of it and later stalks him back. Soulmate behavior I guess. Chay’s red flag is a high school story red flag instead of a mafia storyline red flag so it gets buried. And Chay’s friend 100% sees that. Bro nods his head while internally going damn the delulu runs deep in this one.

Kim’s Wik Outfit: The brown leather jacket with the red lining and silver studs, the insane amount of silver jewelry, the white pants! This is such an outfit. The tendrils of hair artfully hanging in his face. Good shit. Did I stare at Jeff’s hands to see if he was wearing his family ring? Yes, and I won’t be taking questions about it.

“I’ve realized that you’re my good memory. The empty calendar is now full of your name.” “Your laughter that makes me feel like it’s Friday.” - Now I want to dissect this song because this song foreshadows the KimChay relationship so hard, and you don’t really pay much attention to it during your initial viewing because obviously the viewer first time round has no idea what kind of angst KimChay is headed for. Why Don’t You Stay gets all of the praise (obviously she’s the work horse of this drama) while this song gets crumbs. Kim singing this song in front of the person he’s going to fall in love with, who turns into the one good thing in his life, who’s ‘tutoring sessions’ (i.e. the two spy missions and medley of dates afterward) take over his calendar, and who’s laughter makes his heart warm (and 100% haunts him after he makes Chay cry)

I’m really interested in how big of a star Wik is. Chay’s friend doesn’t know him, but he’s obviously popular enough that his university (probably in exchange for some extra credit since Kim skips so much) has him as a headliner for their open house. He even draws a good-sized crowd who seem very knowledgeable about his work not just randoms who are touring the school like Chay’s friend.

I’m sorry bowl cut, drumstick boy has the best reactions throughout this scene. During Wik’s performance, dude is rocking out, and his exuberant thumbs up to what Wik says kills me. He may not be as wild as Chay, but bro is a big Wik fan so I support him. In comparison, Chay is very calm and quiet while watching his idol. He only shows his emotions when he can’t answer the questions and rants about Wik’s MVs.

Kim comes off so cold throughout this scene. The look on his face after he finishes his bit and the MC comes back on stage is dead inside. He is done. He does not want to be here. He wants to go write some songs and add pictures to his conspiracy board. I’m not saying that Kim dislikes performing and being Wik, no. I just think Kim likes the music more than he likes the performance. The public persona of Wik definitely helps him stay away from Korn’s machinations, but I think if Kim could have his music without the people aspect of being a musician he would in a heartbeat. But he puts up with it to stay away from his father.

Chay knowing all of the answers and correcting people. The looks he give the people who answer instead of him is as close to murderous as he gets in this series. If not for the laws of this land and the fact that Porsche doesn’t let him have a knife, he would have stabbed a bitch.

Anyways, there’s my obsessive fan boy! I am not joking when I say Kim fell for him because of his obsessive stalker tendencies. And his friend hyping him up, saying he’ll get the next question, and even trying to get the MC to pick Chay when literally less than an hour ago he had no idea who Wik was or the scale of Chay’s obsession. Need me a friend like that.

Speaking of, the absolute change in Kim’s expression when Chay goes on his little tangent. Bro deadass finally had some life in his eyes. He is shook and falling in love all at the same time. MC has to nudge Kim to get him out of his heart eyes moment.

I maintain that if Kim hadn’t gone all Kimlock Holmes about Porchay being Porsche’s brother he still would have obsessed over the cute boy who has the same obsessive red flag as him. KimChay are freaks who love a bit of stalking.

Bowl Cut’s “Even I didn’t know that. Who the hell are you?” – bro does Wik only have obsessive fans? Also yes, fear Chay’s power Bowl Cut Boy.

I am not gonna lie Barcode towering over people around him is so funny to me. He is baby, but that baby is six feet tall.

Chay is so happy when Kim offers to give him something else!!

#kinnporsche #kprewatch2023 #kimchay #kim theerapanyakul #porchay kittisawat #porchay #kinnporche the series

[my-name-is-bunnyfoxy]

For the TMNT Ships Ask Thing:

Caseynardo (Leo x Casey)

and/or

Aprilnardo/Leopril (Leo x April)

I love these 2 ships so much. I know they are kind of rarepairs (though, MM gave a lot of love to Leopril and there has been a lot more Leopril stuff. Which is great!), but I love them.

They are very dear to my heart. Personally.

Caseynardo 2012:

I've never heard of it until long time later

Now I'm just kicking my feet

YESSSSSSS

Silly goofball jock x serious and quiet nerd RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

SCREW LEORAI

TO MAKE THIS BETTER LEO IS PRETTY MUCH BI IN THE SERIES (He's stated to have a man crush on Captain Ryan)

THE WAY THEY LOOKED AT EACH OTHER IN THAT ONE EPISODE

I'm aware they were kind of trash talking big foot in a foot too big but they were STILL bonding!!!

Please read Breaking the Ice by @fabuloustrash05 . I stopped studying for a few minutes to just read it and I'm proud. Disclaimer don't ditch your studies to just read fanfics that is not my message.

Anyways the fnafic solified my love for the ship.

Opposites attract

I can also see them as two friends who act gay but actually aren't or maybe they are.

Or two guys who seem gay but~ (inset bisexuality)

It's amazing. A solid 10/10.

2012 Aprilnardo:

We sadly don't get too much content with them but like-

I remember I was kind of introduced to this ship because I followed one of my idols who shipped it and made fanart of it and it was on DA. This was back before it got deactivated my account.

I LOVE 'Eyes of the chimera' episode. They were basically supporting each other all the way.

Ngl the transfem Leo lovers made me love it even more because I love me some lesbians. TMNT is already filled with some lesbians so why not add more!

I love how April is always by Leo's side and we see how much she cares for him.

I love the idea that April used to be into Space Heroes and then Leo got her back into it.

(For those who headcannon as both autistic) they would so totally talk and rant about their hyperfixation.

I wish though they had more moments together.

They are legit underrated.

The ship will get 9/10 for me.

I'll include rise and the mutant mayhem version cause why not.

Rise Leo x Cassandra:

Meh not bad

It's okay at best

I do feel like they could have become very close friends if Cass left junior under Leo's care in the bad future.

They are both reckless and over energetic and yet still have a lot of insecurities and issues that they have to cover it up.

Not a bad idea I suppose.

I guess 4.5/10. I don't know. We didn't get much of them so I mean.

Rise Leo x Junior:

ABSOLUTELY NOT

DNI IF YOU SHIP THEM

LEO WAS LITERALLY A FATHER FIGURE TO CASEY

"But I'm shipping the teen version of Leo with junior not adult-" NO. IT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY BETTER.

ALSO IMAGINE DATING YOUR FRIEND'S SON. THAT WOULD BE SO DAMN UNCOMFORTABLE.

AGAIN, LEAVE MY PAGE IF YOU SHIP THEM.

Negative 0/10. Get the f out.

Rise Leo x April:

I've seen and been bombared by a ton of art regarding this ship on YT.

Controversial opinion: It's cute.

They both have the same energy and another controversial opinion but, Leo has a way closer relationship with April then Donnie. I've kind of seen more scenes with them together then with her and Donnie.

Though just like last time I prefer her being an older sister figure to him that Leo looks up to.

They both care for each other and love each other no matter what.

April pretty much comforts the turtles about their insecurities so she would do the same with Leo.

Probably a 6/10 or something. Again, prefer them as siblings but don't hate it. I'll kind of indulge in it tbh-

Mutant Mayhem Leo x April:

Better then 2012 Donnie's lmao-

They do have sweet moments

It's sweet they went to prom together

Mah boi was simping real hard

I feel like they should have gotten more scenes

I do feel like maybe April and Leo won't really happen or be cannon though. I don't know man. I'll see how it goes in the Tales of TMNT that will happen in 2024.

I'm really hoping they don't make it into a toxic love triangle or make it creepy or toxic.

I'll take this ship anyway as one of the only few good Leo romances.

It took them after 1987 to finally give Leo a good love interest.

the way he looks at her AHHHHHHHHH

The fanart of them together is really cute and wholesome (that made me remember that I still had that art request from you just sitting in my files- I didn't draw it because I didn't see MM yet- I'll try and get to it at some point I swear-)

Hope we get more scenes of them together

I'm unsure where I sit with this ship just yet. Again I'll see how it goes in the show.

For now, 7/10. I feel like a bit too high but you know what, whatever. The ship is okay so far.

Now...

Is anyone interested in Caprilnardo~?

#tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt 2012 #tmnt fandom #rottmnt #tmnt 2k12 #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt leo #tmnt casey jones #tmnt april #april o'neil #tmnt april o'neil #rottmnt april #rottmnt april o'neil #rise april #rise cassandra #rottmnt cassandra #rise casey #aprilnardo #caseynardo #leopril #rottmnt aprilnardo #rottmnt casey jones #rottmnt casey jr #rottmnt leo #rise leo #rottmnt leonardo #rise leonardo #caprilnardo #tmnt ships

[firstyok]

- My School President End Notes -

So, I've finally finished watching My School President, after a ton of push from my friends, and here I am! It was a wonderfully sweet, adorable and innocent high school BL show, which stole my heart and made me emotional in too many ways.

In this review, I'll address a few of the best things that I enjoyed the most regarding MSP. So, stay tuned for what's coming ahead!

1. Musicality of the Show

I've never seen a BL show with so many amazing Osts, and musicality stuffed inside it. When I started out with the first episode, I was freaking hooked to the intro, like it was so good. Then the other songs which were introduced later in the show, or which then band has sung, over all I adore and cherish each and every song and composition the show has brought it. There were happy songs, romantic ones, and even realistic ones.

But the best part was how they've had also introduced the funky dancing numbers as well. As a huge music lover, I enjoyed every bit of soaking into the dance and music of the show. The actors did an immaculate job at portraying marvelous skills through their singing and dancing skills, and I just simply loved it all. Music has to be the major theme of the show, over all - because it certainly caught my entire attention just from this aspect.

2. Messages on Following your Dreams

Another strong message that I've felt through out the show was how they've consistently emphasised on the beauty, yearning and struggles of following what one truly loves. What makes the concept more appealing that they've successfully portrayed the realistic harsh side that drags you down from moving ahead. I was utterly heartbroken when Chinzilla didn't win the Hot Wave awards, because personally I've been a massive fan of their music. But once, that part portrayed how life is not always fair, and you'd always have someone who is better than you in every competition in your life, and that part hit hard.

When Gun auditioned for another music show recommended by Tinn, he was disappointed again because he wasn't the best one out there, which is always relatable. Even if we do our best, it is guaranteed that world will treat us kindly. But what matters the most is keep going, polishing your skills and passion, and doing it for the love of it - that is one thing that will fruitfullly keep you motivated on your journey. The constant feeling of giving up, the repetitive defeat of the band members felt too emotional for me, because I could feel it on such a deep level - that was a freaking realistic truth from such an innocently adorable high school BL show.

3. Innocence in Love

My School President has become the quintessence of the first childhood love. The most delicate and sweetest kind of love that blooms between two kids for the first time in their life and the portrayal of this wonderful thing has been successfully executed in the entire show. The confession scene of TinnGun was literally my favourite out of all confesion scenes, maybe because the quick and realistic approach of it. The way Tinn just hinted it out casually when Gun asked, and how even Gun somehow understood exactly what he meant.

The whole interaction was subtle and yet so deep, which actually happens in real life. That's what attracted me the most. I loved how TinnGun represented the purest form of love, without physical vulgarity or lust - it was simply two people wholeheartedly in love. Love is unconditional, love is about seeing the other person happy, and TinnGun have manifested this kind of love effortlessly through their charismatic performance, and I absolutely cherish it.

4. SoundWin

C'mon, I had to mention them because they flourished a new kind of interest in me throughout the show. For me, they were the most appealing part of the show - I was always looking out for more of their chemistry and interactions. I think SoundWin had the best kind of love story development I've seen so far - realistically speaking. When these two first were introduced to one another, has anyone of us thought they're gonna be a thing? Well, not for me. They two had the most casual and realistic romantic development that I absolutely loved.

Their love wasn't based on first sight or physical attraction, but as they proceeded on getting to know one another, getting to share personal stories with one another, they fell. Honestly, their chemistry is extremely sizzling, prove me wrong. Like their bandmates say, even when they bicker, chemistry is overflowing and I totally agree with that. It was so satisfying to see how Win silently cares for Sound when he had wrist pain, or how Sound constantly looks out for Win especially he's feeling broken, especially after the Hot Wave. I just am being fan of cute bickering couples, so automatically SoundWin just effortlessly pulled me in.

5. Packed with Supportive Characters

The show has the perfect combination of the best supporting characters ever, whether it is about the positive parenthood from the parents of TinnGun, or about the genuine friendship that is emphasised among the band teammates. I've immensely enjoyed how genuine, well-wishing people are around this entire show. It depicts how there are actually kind people around who are willing to have your backs and always end you whenever you're feeling down. My favourite supportive characters has to be Tiw, and TinnGun's parents. Tiw has been the best boy throughout the series, with innate helpfulness along with multitasking to help out others - Tiw is a marvelous character.

He has always got Tinn's back - it doesn't matter if he has to be a MV director, tutor, promoter or even a dancing coach, he is ready for all of it, if it helps his friends. On the other hand, the parents of the show displayed the ideal parenthood that must be looked up to. The fact that despite being of different mindsets, both TinnGun's parents had the welfare and happiness of their children in their minds all the time. They never forced their children, but tried to understand them and encourage them who they are and what they love. I hope more parents start achieving this standard, because this united efforts makes the world a much better place.

My School President is a charming cute BL show, that has stole my heart with it's wonderful characters, shared passion for dreams and most importantly the positivity that it portrayed. It surely has be the most green-flag BL I've ever watched. From the healthy handling of conflicts to the sweet pure interactions between two high-schoolers - this BL is another unique addition to chain of the most beautiful BL shows ever made.

#my school president #geminifourth #gemini #fourth nattawat #mark pakin #soundwin #my school President SoundWin #bl drama #bl actors #bl review #my school president review #firstyok reviews #firstyok

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

(sorry if there are any mistakes, English isn't my first language)

I started to watch OG She-Ra and god I'm SO mad about what they did to Sea Hawk in spop.

Like he was such an interesting character. OG Sea Hawk was a pirate who was working for the Horde because it gave him and his crew freedom, and otherwise they would be arrested. In "The Sea Hawk" episode one of the pirates takes Adora on the ship to place she needed to get to and she has an encounter with Sea Hawk. He says that he works only for himself and freedom is the most important thing and while he sells equipment for the Horde it can't be taken away from him, Adora calls him a traitor of his own people and says that no one on the planet will be free until Hordak is defeated and Sea Hawk promises to think about her words, later Adora is seen on the ship and Sea Hawk sells her out to Catra, but later he comes to save her and promises to join the rebellion. It was such an interesting conflict and it was handled so well in ONE episode! Why the hell they made him just a dumb guy who sets boats on fire in the reboot? I understand that he is no longer a love interest, but they could've give him at least some depth.

another thing to add to the list, i guess. spop especially did all its male characters dirty.

bow was just there, despite being a main character. he had no depth to his personality, no character arc, not even any relevance to the plot. he doesn't do much fighting, he knows a bit about tech but entrapta is still vastly more knowledgeable and useful than him. he's just the token black friend.

i don't even have to go into detail about kyle. there was a joke going around that kyle was actually he-man, which 1. makes no sense and 2. just furthers the idea of "haha let's make all the men pathetic jokes, girl power!"

seahawk is just a blubbering idiot who, again, does nothing useful for the plot and just annoys everyone. he feels like a one-note character but for some reason, is featured in multiple episodes, even though he never gets any character development or interesting arcs.

hordak was probably the best male character but even he was just wasted potential. like i said in an earlier post, he's portrayed as way too weak and easily defeated. i'm not just talking about his physical strength, i can understand that he was disabled. but he doesn't even seem that smart? his key personality traits are angry™, insecure, and in love with entrapta.

so yeah, spop creators really need to understand that putting down men isn't the way to promote girl power. you can have strong and well-written female AND male characters, without reducing either of them to an annoying comic relief or a damsel in distress.

#spop critical #spop #spop salt #spop criticism #spop discourse #she ra #anti spop #anti shera #thanks for this ask btw i'm learning more about the og show! #i might watch it sometime

[cuteflesh]

The Pronouns

Welcome to my new series, Transgender Seinfeld, an adaptation of Seinfeld where Jerry, George, and Kramer are transgenderfied

THE CAST:

JERRY SEINFELD: Pretty much the same, he’s a successful, rich and slightly slutty comedian living in NYC. He transitioned in sophomore year of high school. “Jerry’s closeness with George is occasionally mistaken for gayness” – literally a quote from Wikipedia. GEORGE COSTANZA: Has been best friends with Jerry since high school but transitioned later on. He’s still largely confused and befuddled about manhood and all its trappings. Currently trying out he/they pronouns.

ELAINE BENES: Cisgender, extremely bisexual lesbian. So again, basically the same.

COSIMA KRAMER: I’m replacing Cosmo with a trans woman who is very chaotic. It’s very Monster energy drink, V-Tuber career, T4T, how-are-you-not-dead, disaster vibes. We all love her and she actually deserves the extended applause from the audience when she crashes into the scene.

EPISODE 1: The Pronouns

George is exploring he/they pronouns but gets upset when someone they/thems him at the health center where he swims. Jerry and Elaine go to get their birth control updated at the clinic together. Kramer is selling bathwater, but the FDA comes to investigate when a twink drinks her bathwater and goes to the hospital for sepsis

INTERIOR: The Café, 5pm

George marches into the diner and throws down his cap and newspaper dramatically onto the counter. Jerry silently gesticulates confusion, annoyance.

GEORGE You won’t believe this one, Jerry! I got THEY/THEM’d at the Y.

JERRY They/them’d? By who?

GEORGE A complete, and utter stranger

JERRY

Isn’t that a good thing? I thought you were trying out he/they pronouns?

GEORGE

Look at me, Jerry. I’ve got the virility of a polar bear.

JERRY

Polar bears are known for their virility.

GEORGE

This chest. This is the chest of an Italian Strongman. You could lose a TV remote in these coils and not find it for weeks. Weeks.

JERRY

Is that so? Can I take a look in there? You know I actually can’t find my remote and I’ve been trying to change the channel. It’s been Judge Judy reruns for two weeks straight. Not that I don’t like the woman, but you can only handle so much second-hand stress.

GEORGE

Can you be serious?

JERRY

I can’t, actually. It’s a condition.

Elaine enters the café

ELAINE

Hey Jerry. Woah. I’m sensing a vibe here. What’s going on?

JERRY

George got they/them’d at the Y.

ELAINE

What is that supposed to mean.

GEORGE

I WAS THEY/THEM’D AT THE Y! Do I look like a they/them?

ELAINE

But I thought you were trying out he/they pronouns?

Jerry throws up his arms, as if to say “that’s what I said”

ELAINE (cont’d) It’s common courtesy to use they/them pronouns for someone you don’t know. And last week you were just telling us about how you wanted to start using they/them pronouns.

GEORGE

I was completely shirtless. Look at this chest. Manly. Hairy. Do I look like a they/them, Elaine? I’m at the peak masculine form. I’m virile.

ELAINE

You sure look viral.

GEORGE

VIRILE!

ELAINE

(sharing a laugh with Jerry) George, it’s the necklace.

George looks shocked, hurt, scared. He instinctively covers his necklace with his hand.

GEORGE

What about the it?

ELAINE

It’s very nonbinary, George.

GEORGE

What about a silver chain is nonbinary?

ELAINE

Look at you. You’re dressed like an Italian strong man from the 1920’s. You look like a Ringling brother [snort] The silver chain certainly doesn’t help.

JERRY

(changing the subject, suddenly) What’s up with you, Elaine?

GEORGE

Don’t change the subject.

ELAINE

Well, I just spent 2 HOURS in line at the pharmacy to pick up my PrEP prescription. I’m standing there between the stinkiest, largest, most annoying men New York City has ever seen. I finally get up to the counter, I ask “Can I pwease get my PwEP?” and the pharmacist types in my name and it’s as if they’ve never seen a keyboard I mean. One. Key. At. A. Time. And then FINALLY she tells me that I’ve traveled all the way here just so she could tell me my prescription is expired.

JERRY

Can PrEP prescriptions expire?

ELAINE

That’s what I said! So I tell them to check again, there must be a mistake or something. I just waited 2 hours for this!

GEORGE

(interjecting) How did you know they use they/them pronouns?

ELAINE

I don’t know them, George. It’s a courtesy. Plus, they kind of looked like you.

Elaine smiles mischievously and looks him up and down.

GEORGE

Check!

George looks around for the waitress.

ELAINE

So anyway, now I have to go back to the gay center and see the doctor to get a re-up on my PrEP before I run out.

The waitress approaches the table, she’s annoyed and chewing gum.

GEORGE

I’d like to check out please 

George hands his credit card to the waitress. She begins swiping it on her iPad.

JERRY

You know, I was thinking of going back to see about starting birth control. I think it may be time for me to dip my toe back into the dating pool again. Maybe even date a few cis gays.

ELAINE

Wow, Jerry. Cis gays? That’s so brave of you.

JERRY

Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we can go together.

ELAINE

Sure!

WAITRESS

Do either of you have another form of payment? Their card was declined.

Elaine and Jerry laugh. George slams his head on the table.

#seinfeld #transgender seinfeld #ts seinfeld

[multiversal-bridge]

So there's been a big discussion lately about the pacing in the works of Wildbow (creator of bespoke internet fiction), particularly in his latest work, Pale, which has become longer than the others in just a couple of years of writing. I have thoughts about this and I can't get them out of my head so I'll just post.

I think the framing of this discussion leaves something out? Because I genuinely think Pale is Wildbow's best paced work.

Sounds super weird to say that when it's so long, right?

But I think there's a difference between length and quality of pacing, and I think the key to understanding what Wildbow's doing is this:

Pale is paced like a television show.

To explain a bit more what I mean by this:

Movies and television shows are forms of storytelling that are both valid in different ways, and allow you to do different things. The advantage of a television show is that you get to add layers of nuance to character's psychology as well as explore a number of different characters over the full runtime of the show. (Bear in mind I'm trying to imply a TV show that everyone agrees is good throughout its run, like the Sopranos or something.) There's advantages to doing this sort of thing, at least if you do it well.

Wildbow is a big fan of TV and talks a lot about shows he watches. So it's not surprising that his pacing is like TV. You bring on a character for an episode, and you may not see them again in the next season, but their mini-arc informed the larger arc that was going on with the protagonists at that point in the story. A chapter is basically written like an episode. 2-3 arcs roughly corresponds to a season of the show, with certain arcs ending in a major change in the status quo.

And Wildbow has a very good sense of those larger arcs. I was talking with a friend recently about what a contrast Pale is with the later A Song of Ice and Fire books. Where Martin is creating an ever-expanding list of characters going off in ever expanding directions, in Pale Wildbow keeps his characters from straying too far by tying new ideas back to the main plot. We have an arc where we meet a bunch of new magical creatures, but it's also about gaining allies and figuring out which of them are being used as pawns by the conspirators behind the main mystery. And yeah, recently, we got in theory like 18 new characters, but in practice we've only really focused on like three of them, and they're ultimately extensions of the final villain(s) in a plot that seems to be chugging toward the last station.

And I like this better than the pacing in Ward, or Pact, or Twig, or the latter half of Worm! In all of those works, there were moments where I thought oh, come on, this is stretched out way more than it needs to be. In contrast, despite its length, I've never really felt that with Pale. And I was initially skeptical about some of the plot developments!

It's true that Wildbow's chapters have gotten longer, but it feels to me like that's more about embracing an episode structure with multiple scenes in it, whereas in other works I often felt a bit cut off by one-scene chapters. Wildbow may also be playing to his strengths, as Pale focuses much more on psychological dialogues instead if action scenes. And character psychology has always been at the heart of what makes Wildbow works good.

Your milage may vary. I might just be weirdly into psychological dialogue scenes. And I freely confess that there may be a difference in experiencing the story chapter by chapter over the last two years, as I have, and maybe it might not read as well binged all at once. But I've seen writing that's badly paced before (including in other long-form web fiction), and this doesn't trip that trigger for me.

Obviously no one should feel obligated to read Pale. But may be more helpful to think of Pale as a good thing that's continued in its same good vein for a long time than something that's suffering from the sin of excess. At the very least, there are reasons why those of us who are reading it are having such a fun time.

#pale #wildbow #otherverse #pale web serial #parahumans #mb posts

[i-am-a-fan]

Any Tang thoughts? 👀

YES!! Forgive me for taking forever to respond, I literally was brewing my thoughts together.

Summary: I believe that Tang is the most similar to his reincarnation, judging by what I've read in JTTW, and also he has the coolest ability.

Okay, let me start off by saying that initially, I did not like Tang. I felt like his character didn't mesh well with the group's dynamic and he just felt out of place. Since then, I am now a big Tang fan. While his character dynamic still feels a bit wonky, I love how in season 3 and season 4 he slowly gets more of an emphasis.

The reason I believe that Tang is most like his counterpart in JTTW is that although Tripitaka is very knowledgeable, he will usually insult the people who work so hard to protect him. In JTTW, Tripitaka is also noted to have trouble walking, which tang is something that Tang also struggles with. (Although, Tang might have been faking it.)

Although, I believe that Tang's weak ankles are referenced again in season 4, so I don't think he's faking it. WHICH LEADS ME TO THE POINT OF THEY SHOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM A WALKING CANE THAT TURNS INTO HIS STAFF LATER ON. (Missed opportunity if you ask me.)

Tang also has the uncanny ability to interact with the fourth wall, my favorite being when he says "Oh I see that Sandy is in this episode." In Season 2, Episode 8. I have no idea if the gif will work, but Tang can be seen looking straight at the viewer when Sandy mentions the plot convenience of the flower's bloom.

Honestly? I would love it if Tang has this ability due to the powers of his reincarnation.

I MEAN LOOK. No one else can see the golden cicadas that literally tell Tang how to move the plot along. There is literally a built-in Deus ex-Machina power that only Tang is actually able to see. If we ever get an episode from Tang's POV, I really hope they address the cicadas. Also, Tang is the only one who gets to interact with one of his previous reincarnations outside of the scroll, which must be super weird. Then you also have the weird plot contradiction that Tang should NOT be the reincarnation of Tripitaka if he completed the journey to the West, because doing the journey should have freed him from the cycle of reincarnation. But, it's a Lego show, so I am not going to fight it.

Also, I think his characterization is perfect. I mean imagine you are 40ish years old, an english major, and have no physical skills. Now also imagine you are best friends with a 6ft pro-wrestler, a man who can crush you with his bare hands, and two people half your age. Then suddenly, those people who are half your age become more powerful than you could ever comprehend. Yeah, I can see why Tang would never get worried about being hurt or putting in effort. However, that also is going to do horrible things to your self-esteem. Tang did not any powers until about the end of season 3, and even then his powers are only really used in season 4.

WHICH IS WHY THIS SCENE IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME. Instead of falling victim to an inferiority complex, Tang knows his strengths and knows that he has a good family. I'm going to be so honest with you all, I think this episode was where I started to like Tang. He doesn't even have powers here, he is simply a man who loves his family.

I've already talked so much, but I just really love Tang and I hope he gets actual characterization throughout season 5.

#I am a tang kinnie but mostly because I fall for anyone who cooks me food and listens to me rant about things like this. #lego monkie kid #lmk #monkie kid #lmk tang #THANK YOU FOR ASKING!! #sorry this took so long I had like multiple thoughts and No idea where to start.

[zandra-lang-cave]

Molly's posible depression

I didn't think about it until I saw this fanfic

https://archiveofourown.org/works/45957685/chapters/115676548

( I love it. It inspires my mind, that isn't an easy thing to do, believe it or not)

I won't explain everything, but it basically gives a lot of insight about what could go on in Molly's head through the perspective of everyone around her.

After I read it, I gave a rewatch to the show, and a lot of stuff took a turn in my head and in my view of molly. In this post/essay, i will explain why Molly's depression is not such a baseless idea as it might seem. Here are some examples that can be symptoms/reasons for depression.

She has moved a lot for her entire life

That doesn't look that bad at first sight. Specially when the show doesn't really pay attention to the life of molly begore Brighton. But if you really look more closely, it's really sad.

If you count all the pins the macgee's had, they move at least 23 times. I say at least because molly just put the places she remembers moving, but they have probably moved more when molly was a baby/toddler, so she doesn't remember. Let's assume this are since when molly was 4-5 since that's when she probably started to remember the places they have moved.

Molly is just 13 years old. Doing the math She has moved to 23 places in 9-10 years.

Moving just once in your life can change your mind a lot. especially for a child. They need stability to be able to develop the best they can, and moving to a completely new environment even just once can affext that development.

I move from my home contry to the US when I was arround 9-10 years, and even though I knew it was for the best, the whiplash affected me all through my teen years and I just recently started to feel comfortable in my home, almost a decade later.

So just imagine a kid in their formative years, moving to a new city, and going through the process of adapting to a new environment, just to move again in a few months.

Lack of friends/community

This is a big part of the show, though a suttil one, and it applies to the whole family, not just molly. The macgees are a very social family not just molly, everyone of them trive in community. They do volunteering together, they support molly to construct the banshell, they join in town parties, and events not has attendees but has staft.

But that say, none of them have any friends before Brighton. And until the Chen's arrive they didn't have any close friends.

Darryl has 2 friends he mentioned, but we never see, and Sharon and Pete have libbys mom, but that one is more of a "our kids ate friends, let's get along" type of friendship.

Molly makes a big deal of both scratch and libby being their best friends, scratch specially when she calls him her "forever friend." And lets remember her entire family makes an entire dance for the chen's, it was a big deal to them to get them to be friends with them.

They haven't had any friends or community in such a long time that they are emotionally deprived, to the point they go to extreme lengths to ensure they forever home can be the best place it can be. It's not a bad thing on paper, but it's not a good thing if we think of it logically.

Molly's controlling tendencys

A big part of Molly's personality is how controlling and pushy she can be. The entire episode of snow day show this at his peak, but there were tiny examples before and after. When they make a movie and molly dismiss her friends complain saying "if I'm the director it's still our movie", her helping all her class with the props and costumes (she 100% volunteer for it), the relationship with her mom and grandma, libbys bat mitzvah, etc.

Well, that can be seen as a coping mechanism. She lacks stability as she grew up, so taking control can be subconsciously comforting.

Again this is something I can relate, I lack stability in my childhood (for different reasons) and in my teens I crave has much control in my life I could get (I didn't have it which leaves me with more unrelated issues but still I salty about it) it's just a comfort being in control when you are use to not having it.

There are probably more examples for Molly's possible depression symptoms/reasons, but this are the biggest I could think at the moment. I will make a second post if I remember anything else.

Now the biggest counterargument would be "she is so smily and happy, she is not sad she can't be depress." To that, I answered, depressed people can look/act happy. Most of the time, they do.

Using myself has an example, I pass through a "happy depression," and I basically pretend to be happy to not worry my family. I didn't wanted to feel what I felt so I would do things to not thing about, I would read fanfiction all day, work on school, read books, see TV an unhealthy amount of time just not to feel anything but the "happines" those things give me. In family gatherings and school, I would act friendly and "normal." I didn't even let my grades slip cuase at the time they were the most important thing in my mind. There was no reason for anyone to believe I was depress.

I kept that for around 5 years, the "happy depression" going on an off but never leaving completely, I never addressed it because in my mind and everyone around, I was "happy." Until the pandemic hit, and it destroyed me emotionally. I know that happen to alot of people but I mean it, It destroyed me, I couldn't use school has a distraction because it didn't kept me occupied enough, the little time I spend outside of my house was rip away.

I could no longer avoid thinking and feeling, and that turned the "happy depression" into a full mental breakdown that I had just recovered less than a year ago. And not even fully cause I keep falling back into avoiding my feelings from time to time. Just now, I can recognize it and fix it before it turns into "happy depression" again.

Hum, acting happy to avoid others to worry, filling yourself with activities that make you "happy", acting has if everything is totally normal.

Those are things molly can and has done.

So yeah, depress molly. More likely than you believe. I already loved her before. Even though i couldn't relate to her, i related more to scratch. but after this realization, I relate to her a lot, and I appreciate that. I don't think it would ever be acknowledged or even mentioned in the show, but the fact I can see it, it gives me comfort.

#the ghost and molly mcgee #tgamm #molly mcgee #disney #character analysis #headcanon #idea #i love this girl #but man she is a mess #and it makes me feel comfortable #but also call out #disney cartoon #disney shows

[kandismon]

Do you have any tips for those who wish to create a webcomic?

I do apologize if this has been asked before!

this is a pretty big question that would probably be easier to answer if you had any specific things you'd like to know about!

but i can give you a summary of general things i've learned over the years!

disclaimer: these are my personal experiences, if any of this sounds like something that doesn't fit your workflow or preferences, please disregard!

if you've never made a webcomic before, i would personally recommend starting small. do a short oneshot first to see how it feels instead of diving right into your multi-season 2000 pages big epic story, because i feel like the workload can get really overwhelming really fast if you go from 0 to 100 right away. some creators thrive on that but it was definitely not for me. i have a lot of failed and unfinished projects sitting around because i was too ambitious and didn't know what i was getting myself into. later on i started drawing short comics for various fandoms & ships i was invested in deeply, and those got progressively longer until i suddenly felt ready to seriously tackle one of my original stories again. which was when i finally started working on #MUTED!

don't worry about sticking to the strict 60+ panels weekly schedule that you see a lot on platforms like webtoon for example. unless you've signed a contract, you make the rules and decide how much and how often you post. i've seen a lot of creators burn themselves out over that when there really wasn't any need because no one was forcing or paying them to churn out so much all the time T -T) you can still find an audience and success with a slower pace (for example #MUTED was released with 2 episodes a month, 1 ep usually had around 20ish panels iirc)

finished is better than perfect. if you're a perfectionist this can be difficult to accept, but i promise most people won't look at your panels for longer than 1.5 seconds. some wonky lines here and there don't matter much, it's more important to get the feelings across imho.

vector layers (for inking) are your best friend \o/

imho having a pretty clear outline for your story can be really helpful and take away some stress, knowing where the story is going without having to constantly sit down inbetween chapters to come up with more plot is a blessing and i wish i had been better about doing that with #MUTED. i did have a rough outline but a lot of holes in between chapters and in the end some things i would have liked to explore more never got touched on because my planning was bad and i wasn't able to find the room in the story (like some emma back story, more about jasper's family dynamics, also a bit more of a deep dive into kai's relationship with his family) (also towards the end i felt pretty burned out and just wanted to move on haha) [i'm not saying to plan every scene right from the get go, there's always room to adjust and remove or add stuff while you're working on the project, but a few important anker points here and there are important, at least for me!]

shortcuts are also your best friend, use all of them. 3d models too!

when you start publishing, don't get discouraged by algorithms and statistics and numbers (i say as that's something i still struggle with daily LOL), agonising over these things is pointless because they're mostly out of your control, focus on things you can actively do to be proud of your work. also instead of comparing yourself to others, instead compare yourself to past you! look how far you've come compared to the you from last year :>

i hope any of this helps, sorry for rambling lol if there's ever any specific questions, my asks are always open and i'll do my best to try and help out!! i'm also still learning and don't consider myself to be a person who really has anything to teach to anyone, but i can share my progress and experiences and hype you up if needed, hehe

good luck with your comic!!

#answered #Anonymous