#this series was very special to me and i've had genuinely the best time i've had in a while in the time i've been in the community

[mediaevalmusereads]

Baking Yesteryear. By B. Dylan Hollis. DK, 2023.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Genre: cookbook

Series: N/A

Summary: A decade-by-decade cookbook that highlights the best (and a few of the worst) baking recipes from the 20th century

Friends of baking, are you sick and tired of making the same recipes again and again? Then look no further than this baking blast from the past, as B. Dylan Hollis highlights the most unique tasty treats of yesteryear.

Travel back in time on a delicious decade-by-decade jaunt as Dylan shows you how to bake vintage forgotten greats. With a big pinch of fun and a full cup of humor, you’ll be baking everything from Chocolate Potato Cake from the 1910s to Avocado Pie from the 1960s.

Dylan has baked hundreds of recipes from countless antique cookbooks and selected only the best for this bakebook, sharing the shining stars from each decade. And because some of the recipes Dylan shares on his wildly popular social media channels are spectacular failures, he’s thrown in a few of the most disastrously strange recipes for you to try if you dare.

***Full review below.***

Since this book is non-fiction, my review will be structured a little different from normal.

I've had this book for a while, but I didn't want to post a review before making a few of the recipes myself. I was already a fan of Hollis from his TikToks, so that might introduce some bias into my review - just so you're all aware.

Overall, I found this book to be quirky, easy to follow, and fun. I loved the bright colors and retro-feel to the photo shoots, and I appreciated that almost all of the recipes were accompanied by a picture of the thing you're supposed to be making. I also liked the blurbs written by Hollis himself; they very much felt like his voice, with his characteristic sense of humor balanced by his genuine love for baking and "old things."

Perhaps the most valuable part of this book, however, was the emphasis on lowering barriers to entry. I've read my fair share of baking guides that call for special ingredients or equipment, and there are a lot of recipes out there that are finicky and sure ton dissuade new bakers. Hollis's book, however, emphasizes that most (if not all) of these recipes can be done with basic tools - one does not even need an electric mixer (though it does make some recipes easier). There also aren't many fancy ingredients that aren't readily available at most grocery stores, so that also helps.

I do, however, have some minor criticisms which relate to the usability of this book. For one, the organization makes it rather difficult to find a specific recipe (or even category), particularly if you're like me and don't recall what decade it came from. While organizing the recipes by decade makes sense given the book's premise, it does make it more functionally difficult - you can't flip to the cake section, for example, and browse or put yourself within the general vicinity of the recipe you're looking for. Thus, readers will have to rely on either the TOC or the index a lot more, but this is a minor inconvenience rather than a huge drawback.

I also don't think the majority of the recipes are blow-your-mind good, but honestly, given this book's premise, I don't think that's the worst thing. The recipes are largely taken from sources aimed at home bakers, so you're not going to get professional-level pastries out of them. You will, however, get things that are fun and relatively simple to make, and they taste good enough to me that I'd consider making them multiple times.

TL;DR: Baking Yesteryear is a fine book for fans of Hollis's TikTok, but it goes beyond being mere merch. It not only provides historical recipes that are easy to replicate, but it also does a good job of lowering barriers to entry for new bakers. Experienced bakers might not be overly impressed by the recipes, but engaging with food history is a treat in and of itself, and it's delightful to see someone like Hollis engaging with the past with such enthusiasm and adoration.

[bluriki]

christmas special one ❄ snowy nights ﹫ lhs

ꪆৎ — on a snowy night with you, heeseung decides to confess how much love he has for you ; pair best friend!heeseung x fem!reader ; genre fluff , f2l

your heart beats uncontrollably. being this close to heeseung shouldn't make you feel this nervous but it does. he shouldn't make you feel like your floating on clouds but he does. he makes you feel all things best friends shouldn't make you feel.

1 ) helps you bring in groceries , you're hearts a fluttering mess 2 ) says the most random joke , you're laughing genuinely 3 ) he's staring at you , fire is on your cheeks

so now, you're in each others arms, slow dancing in the snow. it was heeseungs idea, saying it would be so fun to play and dance in the snow. the sun had gone down but the snowflakes were still falling.

soft music was playing from heeseung's phone as you swayed back and forth. you accidentally stepped on his foot causing him to groan. "sorry! i-i'm not good at dancing." you apologized quickly, feeling embarrassed.

"it's okay." you looked up with a smile on your face but the smile got wiped right off when you realized how close you really were to heeseung. his eyes never left yours as he held you close.

"you're really pretty." he whispered softly. your heart pounded in your chest. so hard you though it was gonna come out. but of course you tried playing it cool. "thanks but i already knew that."

heeseung snickered. "did you?" you nodded, trying to mask all the emotions that are flying around in your heart. "did you know you're loved?" you tilted your head in confusion. loved? well yeah, you know you were loved but what was he getting too?

"did you know i love you?" heeseung whispered as if he just wanted you to hear. your heart pounded once again, but this time you were sure he heard it.

"did you know how much i've dreamt of being by your side all day, everyday? did you know that i wanted to put a mistletoe on my door frame so when you come over i could steal a peck? you're lucky sunghoon convinced me not to."

"did you know why i arranged to dance with you while it snow? answer is because im romantic —"

he winked causing you to blush.

"but it's also because i love you. literally more than anyone could imagine. more than sunghoon could imagine and believe me he hears about it all the time. sometimes at 3 am. but that's because you're on my mind every single day, hour, minute, second. i love you so much it hurts that i cant confess to you, but it looks like it just did."

you were speechless. you didn't know what to say. it was like he read your mind because you had felt everything he felt. possibly even more.

"i love you too." you whispered. your mind was a mess. no words could really describe you how your felt this very moment, but one thing was for sure, you love heeseung too.

"i really do." you add on. you were still in his arms, looking as fragile as ever. so many things you wanted to say but only three words could really describe how your felt. "i love you."

heeseungs smiled. his eyes sparkled in the night as you told him you felt the same. your confession wasnt as great at his but it was perfect to him. more perfect than he could ever imagine.

"you know, i ran this scene through my mindso many times but it's way better than i thought."

you giggle and lean closer to his chest. "i'm glad you confessed first." he smiled and held you closer. the chill of the night fell in and it was time to go home.

"do me a favor and put that mistletoe up when you get home." you whispered against his shoulder. heeseung laughed, kissing your cheek softly.

🎬 노트 && . special thanks to yena ( @in2fly ) for giving me this idea when i was stuck!! i love you saur much!!

🧷 perm tl && . send ask or comment to be added

📋 series tl && . @in2fly @reader69sviewpoint @nhularin

#‎‎‎‎‎‎ 777 ৎ 리본 #k-labels #heeseung #lee heeseung #heeseung fluff #heeseung imagines #heeseung drabbles #heeseung fic #heeseung x reader #heeseung enhypen #heeseung oneshots #heeseung scenarios #heeseung soft hours #heeseung x you #heeseung x yn #heeseung blurbs #enhypen heeseung #🎄 . roras christmas special

[redguns]

Armored Core 6 main cast thoughts. spoilers for all endings

btw. categorizing endings by number rather than if they're "good" or bad" because i think thats stupid. if you categorize them like that you're a fool! Coral take you!

Starting off with Handler Walter. Went into the game not trusting him at all. Whenever he said anything I always thought "Yeah, okay, whatever Walter. in that kind of mocking tone but that changed quicker than i thought once i realized there was a genuine care in his voice and started putting the pieces together for his end-goal. The second ending is genuinely heartbreaking. He really meant every word he said to you. And I adore him for it. View him like a father now

Moving on, Ayre. My beautiful coral anomaly wife.. her kinder and more supportive demeanor immediately sold me, of course, but it was her efforts to actually get me to care about Rubicon as a planet and it's people that really hit. It's special. It's tasteful. It feels great. And it hurts all the more in the first ending when I have to discard all of that. It sucked so much. I was on the verge of tears throughout the whole final boss of the first ending. Worst break-up of my life. Girl I love you so much

Up next, speaking of love, is "Cinder" Carla, who I fell in love with like, 2 lines in? Very attractive voice and then an incredible personality to go with it. Probably the most fun character in the game by design and it goes a long way. She's like a role model to me. I want to be her and I want to date her at the same time. She's just like me Fr. I want to kiss her

transitioning from that to V.IV- SIKE IT'S "CHATTY" STICK TIME Phenomenal. Absolutely incredible performance. Absolutely sells the no emotion AI aspect without being too overbearing. Armored core as a series has always had a high standard for AI characters, and chatty is absolutely at the top of the pile for me along with Chief from V... I love him so much... The strongest little soldier...

Up next, for real now, is V.IV Rusty. What a strong first impression. It was always his line that stuck with me from the trailer. Ready to climb over the wall? They nailed the "rival pilot who's just like you but in another faction" to a degree I haven't seen in decades. A genuine brother in arms. My best buddy in the world. Every time he showed up in the game he just did the coolest fucking thing in the world. Slides right under the door as its opening. Crackshot sniper nailing insane headshots. And then he gets the coolest fights in the game against you. BOTH OF THEM!! HE'S SO COOL!!! HE'S HIM!!!!!! I WAS SO HAPPY IN THE SECOND ENDING ROUTE TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE HIM!!!! THATS MY BROTHER!!!!!! THATS MY BUDDY!!!!!!!!!

..Ahem, moving on then. V.II Snail. Yes. Another motherfucker they nailed perfectly. From the first SECOND you hear his voice you hate him. The fact his head's up his own ass. The fact you keep learning over and over throughout the game that he's SUCH a piece of shit. The fact there is nothing he wouldn't do to stay on top. Despicable little man. Absolutely brilliant antagonist.

And now, finally, the last main character to talk about is G5 Iguazu. Where to begin with this guy... Right from the get go you understand the kind of character he is. All bark, no bite. Every now and then you run into him, you kick his ass, he whines and seemingly gets away. It's interesting, then, that in the second playthrough, already, he shows up more. He sends an assassin after you. And that's that. Nothing until route 3, where it all finally comes together. How he keeps coming back. The ringing in his ears. His hatred and envy of you so strong he gives up his entire body just for a chance to beat you. He's fascinating to me. For whatever reason, his final words stick to me like glue. How he sees you, despite everything. A relic, yes, but one who's free. He wanted those wings, too. I've really come to love him, and what an annoying brat he is. That's his entire charm. He is welcome to the pantheon of Real Haters

there. that covers all the main players. that ended up being longer than i expected. thank you if you humored reading through all of that! i dont usually do these kinds of posts cause i go on for too long!

but this shit mean something to me man

#long post #armored core 6 #armored core VI #ac6 spoilers #armored core 6 spoilers #acvi spoilers #armored core vi spoilers

[mimiwrites2000]

Attack On… Podcast!

Archive of Our Own

As the Attack on Titan series comes to an end after ten years, the cast is reunited in hosting a podcast, talking about their times on the set of the filming, their friendships, and all in-between.

And well, shenanigans are inevitable.

Attack on Titan acting AU, as the cast host a podcast, and interview the rest of the cast.

Episode 02

Armin: On that day, mankind received a grim reminder. We lived in fear of the Titan–

Eren: Armin you really don't have to start every episode with that.

Mikasa: Hey, he enjoys it, let him be.

Eren: I shall obey.

Armin laughing: welcome! To the second episode of this podcast! Again here we talk about our time in the show Attack on Titan, and as you already heard her voice, our special surprise guest for today is the one and only, Mikasa! 

Eren cheering: the queen herself has blessed us! 

Mikasa: Well, thank you, I am happy to be here.

Armin: So for you who don't know, since everyone will be asking this in the comments, yes, they are a couple in real life, and yes, they did meet on set, and yes, they are engaged, you could've known all of that if you follow them on Instagram.

Mikasa laughing:  I mean you could've announced it a little bit more cheerful.

Eren: yeah what's up Armin–

Armin: don't even try Eren, and I will be your best man, you really don't have a choice.

Eren laughing: Alright, Mikasa, my beloved, would you do us the honors of reading our first question? 

Mikasa: Of course, so, this is… from Tumblr, oooh you guys have fans on Tumblr.

Armin: if that's not enough indication that we are unhinged then I don't know what is.

Eren laughing so hard: what makes it even stupider is that this is literally only our second episode.

Armin: the fangirls be fangirling!

Eren: the tumblr be tumblring!

Mikasa: I had my good Tumblr phase.

Armin: actually you do still have your good Tumblr phase, everyone go follow her at Mikasa_Ackreman, she posts nice sad poetic stuff–

Mikasa: That's not true, anyway so this question here says, oh this is actually a special question for me, me and my boyfriend love you so much, aw thank you I love you too, do you still have that red scarf from set? 

Eren: Oh boy.

Mikasa: I do, actually, there were so many replicas of the scarf, because it kept tearing up because of all the stunts we were doing.

Eren whispering: she's the only one who did all of her stunts.

Mikasa shaking her head: and yeah because of the stunts, we had to have many scarves, which, I have them all. And before Eren starts complaining yes I do have them in our house–

Eren: They are everywhere!

Mikasa: But I am looking into turning them into pillows or something! 

Armin laughing: you have a wedding to plan.

Mikasa: I know! I know! But hear me out, I do, in fact, still have the scarf from that very first episode.

Armin: awwww.

Mikasa: because it means so much to me, it started my whole career, and it made me fall in love with that guy over there.

Eren: didn't take long to charm her! A scarf was all it took.

Armin: genuinely still baffled how she said yes.

Eren laughing: hey what do you know about love? We were meant to be! 

Armin: yes yes, actually, they are the reason why I still believe in love, they have something… that I've never seen before, they are the true embodiment of love and respect.

Eren: Is your goal making me cry?

Armin: no but genuinely sick of third wheeling you both.

Mikasa laughing: we never did that intentionally!

Armin: You literally left me in the movie theater the other day.

Eren: hey–

Armin: and didn't notice I was gone until you got home!

Eren laughing: you realize you're stuck in this forever.

Armin: yeah I cry every night! 

Mikasa: save your tears for the wedding.

Armin: Speaking of your wedding, did you pick a dress?

Mikasa: well…

Eren: Hold on, you chose a dress?

Mikasa: I… might have.

Eren: alright let's end the podcast here– 

Armin laughing: nope! Nope, sorry, I might have caused a couple to fight! I take full responsibility!

Eren: yeah you better do, and read this next question.

Armin: yeah so, again from Tumblr, we got this ask that says… who is your favorite titan? oh the female titan for sure.

Eren: Ok, that was quick.

Mikasa: yeah that was quick.

Armin: I mean, come on, the female titan is the coolest of all titans.

Eren: well my favorite titan is definitely my own titan, because that's the coolest thing of all time, and by the way, I think this photo did it's circulation around the internet already, but my final titan form, the whole head, was not CGI, the set designers actually built that, like the whole titan head, and the inside of it, for the final scene of my character, and it was so cool.

Armin: we had great talents on set, I mean, the set designs and all that, like, despite having all the generated effects in post, so many great locations and in-camera effects were shot on set, and all of it was absolutely mind blowing, they brought back filmmaking techniques from decades ago and merged it with current technology and the result was mind-blowing.

Mikasa: our whole village, in Shiganshina was built in a sound stage, and we cried when they had to ruin it for the third season haha.

Armin: yeah we did, I remember that, it felt like they were destroying our own home, it was ridiculous.

Eren: Mikasa.

Mikasa: yes.

Eren: What's your favorite titan?

Mikasa: well…

Eren: I know your answer.

Mikasa: it's actually the armored titan.

Eren: excuse you-

Mikasa: when we were kids, seeing it in the final movie and all that, for me, at that time, or even now, it was magic.

Eren: You betrayed me.

Mikasa: if you accept my scarves –

Eren: Accepted! 

Armin: Alright alright, so the third and final question we have for today, Eren do us the honors?

Eren: Sure, so, again from Tumblr, what was your first reaction when you read the finale script for the first time? Armin has a good answer for this.

Armin: I do, so, we do read the manga, so we already knew the ending, but having the final script in our hands, in my hand, it was a strange sense of fulfillment. I mean, working on a project for over ten years, by the end of those years, you are excited to be done with this project and try other projects and explore more fields, but it's hard, it's not easy.

Mikasa: I like to think of it as moving away to college, all the fights you have with your parents and you just want to move away and you have this great fantasy of a wild college life, then you are hit with the reality and as the date of moving out comes closer, you want to push it away.

Eren: yeah, yeah, exactly, we are all looking forward to our next projects, and what life holds for us, but a huge part of us is still on that set.

Armin: yeah… you guys will make me cry.

Mikasa: aw, no, hey listen, we are still here, cheers to that?

Eren: cheers to that indeed! Also, by the way, Mikasa and Armin were the only ones to actually go to college and keep up with our crazy shooting schedule.

Mikasa: and we graduated with great grades.

Eren: ok ok you don't have to rub it in my face.

Armin: I'll be the first to sign a petition for Eren to go to college.

Eren: naaaah, that's just not meant for me.

Armin: well, we get to another end of our podcast, and we will meet you next time, with two special guests next time, tune in.

Eren: Mikasa, did you actually pick a dress?

#attack on titan #snk #aot #shingeki no kyojin #eren yeager #mikasa ackerman #eren x mikasa #armin arlert #annie leonhart #armin x annie #eremika #aruani #jean kirschtien #connie springer #levi ackerman #erwin smith #sasha braus #reiner braun #bertholdt hoover #fanfiction #hange zoe #pieck finger

[itz-wanderer]

I've realized and I've known that writing contents about yakuza series or even judgment series is scarce and I'm pretty sure you guys noticed that already. So here I am gonna try my best to write about them (BCS I LOVE THEM ❤️❤️) and mostly it'll be headcanons but that can change over time.

Plus, this is the first time I've written a headcanon so Idk if this gonna get much likes or not, so I'm just testing the waters. Also,, forgive me if it's kinda out of character bcs I'm still new to writing these characters. 😭

I hope you enjoy!

How they act around their crush (Kiryu, Nishiki, Majima)

Kiryu Kazuma

- People would describe him as a cold person considering how he lacks of expressions. But they should know he has his own soft side, a side that he only shows to his crush. At first, his friends, especially Nishiki would notice his different behaviour whenever you are around. He starts to stutter occasionally around you and if you stare at his face, he’ll likely blush too which ends up with Nishiki laughing and teasing the hell outta him! Sometimes, you would eventually catch him looking at you with a genuine smile on his face as well.

- You can see him getting tongue-tied or accidentally saying something stupid. Definitely regrets that the next second he realizes what he just said, but manages to save himself. And it surely is hella cute to see a man like him struggling to find the right words!

- He’s very appreciative of you, which shows a lot through his subtle actions. When you were out with him on a date for the first time, he was being awkward, indicating he never went out on a lot of dates which only made him cuter. But there was a moment when your hands brushed against his and you could feel him tense up at the sudden contact but he finally gave in and felt more relaxed as you slowly laced your fingers around his. He did it all with a serious expression but that’s his charm, isn’t it?

Akira Nishikiyama

- Nishiki may look cool and badass on the outside but it seems like he can be a little clumsy or awkward as well, especially around you. Not being able to hold eye contact for too long and scratching the back of his head while trying his best to answer you.

- But only when he once thinks through twice and gathers his words to give a witty reply. He can’t always look like a stuttering loser in front of you right? After that, he shows up to you with his signature confident smile.

- He would often ask if you’d wanted him to accompany you, whenever you needed to go somewhere. Basically showing that, that was his way of indirectly asking you for a date.

- He had all your schedule memorized, so he had more than enough time to plan something whether it’s him bringing you flowers out of nowhere or treating you to lunch, dinner or anything you wanted.

Majima Goro

- The mad dog of Shimano shows you his soft side? He doesn’t show it to many people, that means you’re special for him and surprisingly, he’s a very good listener too. When you’re feeling down and you need someone to talk to, he’d always try his best to take out time for you and listen to your rambles.

- People know him for his crazy personality but to you, he’s a true gentleman. You might notice him being overprotective over you, especially when you two are walking down the streets together and men would stare at you, he definitely made sure to reply them back with an intense piercing glare as well.

- He may or may not hold your hands when you were walking down the streets together, but he never forced you to have any physical contact with him if you were feeling uncomfortable; any slight hints and he’d catch it within seconds.

- He remembers your favorite foods and sometimes he even shows up with your favorite snacks in his hands so you both can enjoy them together. It’s a huge moodbooster for him when he sees your eyes light up everytime you share your favourite snacks with him.

#rgg #ryu ga gotoku #yakuza series #yakuza #yakuza headcanons #majima goro #kiryu kazuma #akira nishikiyama #goro majima x reader #akira nishikiyama x reader #kiryu kazuma x reader #yakuza x reader #kiryu x reader #x reader #reader insert #nishiki x reader #majima x reader #yakuza imagines

[justfor2am]

sanders sides and situational context

okay i'm adding nuance to my sanders sides take because i feel like it needs to be said.

i don't think having sanders sides episodes be ad reads are a bad thing. it's important to remember that this is thomas' livelihood and he has people to pay.

i also don't think fluff is a bad thing, and i genuinely miss when episodes were light and breezy. (which, reminder: that's what the Aside videos were meant to be.)

i don't think having a fluff, time-filling video for an ad read is bad.

but i DO think that doing an ad read for a series that has not had a main plot-centric episode uploaded in roughly 2 years while the fanbase is held in update-less limbo isn't exactly a good look.

i've seen several people try to play the "gotcha!" card of: "well the crofters video was an ad too!"

firstly, as i said: it's not a bad thing for a sanders sides episode to be an ad.

secondly, the crofters video was uploaded April 19th, 2018. the next video, Learning New Things About Ourselves (the puppet episode) was uploaded October 29th, 2018.

roughly six months. LNTAO was a high-production video, and the delay was more than understandable. however, six months compared to two years isn't exactly a fair comparison.

(side tangent: i've seen some people talking about a supposed bonus episode made that was locked to patreon; i don't have patreon nor am i fully informed about the situation or if it's even real so i have no opinion no the matter.)

i have not seen the newest video yet, but i am excited to do so. i have missed these characters greatly and they hold a special place in my heart. but that does not negate my frustrations with thomas + co. about how disjointed this series has become.

in no way am i demanding new content. in this age of the push for endless content consumption, i am not asking nor expecting an indie team such as them to create new episodes every week as it used to be. that would be ridiculous.

i'm asking for clarity. that thomas would occasionally tweet "scripting is 1/2 done!" or "we're slowing sanders sides production to focus on other projects/ensure that the finale product is up to our stands/take a break."

if the thomas and/or team were to say "hey, we're going radio-silent for the next few months to really focus on the finale, don't expect any new content for a while", i would scream for joy. because then at least we would know to wait, and roughly for how long.

it's the fact that we sort of get new unrelated videos at the same time that this really high-production finale is getting workshopped that concerns me. this is not healthy time-management.

it feels disingenuous to keep fans in the dark about a very high-production (and fan-funded given patreon,) end-of-season 4-parter, and announce more merchandise for a series that has felt as though it were abandoned.

i'm certain it's difficult behind the scenes, and i wish the team would let off some of that pressure to release smaller, low-production videos that are slice-of-life and less taxing to create. (probably once a month at best.) or at bare minimum, the fans are better informed on the timeline of production, so that the waiting feels less infinite.

i'm not expecting anything to change. and while i joke about being angry with the team, i'm not. i'm not even disappointed, really.

in truth, i fear for the future of the series if things continue at this rate. and i hope the team takes the time to acknowledge this stagnant feeling within the fandom and take measures to counter it. that's all i can hope for.

tl;dr people have a right to be frustrated with the new video, people have a right to be happy with the new video, and updates on production would be nice, though it shouldn't be expected as much as i hope for it.

thanks for reading

#ts critical #sanders sides critical #ts criticism #sanders sides #justfor2am

[dazais-guardian-angel]

🧡💛💖💕 for the Ask meme! (Tales of the Abyss ;))

🧡: What is a popular (serious) theory you disagree with?

Lmao well..... I think you saw my previous ask 😂😭 Any theory that says Asch or Lorelei or some weird Luke-Asch personality hybrid or anyone else people come up with that isn't just Luke who comes back at the end. It's gotta be Luke; the narrative just falls apart if it isn't. The other day when I was answering the previous ask looking for your "theory" post again I saw the take (put very simply here) that Abyss is a tragedy, Luke's character is a tragic one, so it makes sense that he ultimately dies and stays dead, and I'm just like.... how?? Genuinely I don't understand how his character arc can possibly be read as that his entire struggle to change and for life was just completely futile in the end and that there was no meaning to any of it all, that's such a downer ending for what is ultimately, despite how much sad shit happens in it, a hopeful story 😭😭😭 (one of the main themes is LITERALLY CALLED MEANING OF BIRTH).

Even putting that aside though, I just feel like it makes even less sense for Asch to come back?? Like, his character arc finished when he died. The whole point is that he remained stagnant the whole game and his tragedy is that he dies that way, while Luke was willing and able to change!! What purpose would it serve narratively to bring him back after his very sad yet satisfying conclusion?? Again, by all means, it makes for juicy AUs, but as canon.... there's no way.

💛: What is a popular ship you just can’t get behind, and why?

....I feel like I'm putting myself in danger answering this when it's coming from you 😂😭 But, well, I'm really not that interested in Luke/Tear lol. By no means do I hate it though, I just don't have any strong feelings towards it either way, and honestly part of that is just because I'm not really a shipper in general lol and nothing to do with them specifically. A lot of people who don't ship it say it's because they see Tear as more of a sister figure to Luke because that's how the game initially presents her as (and with the "big sister" title or whatever it's called), but idk... I honestly can't decide what I see her as to him. They just feel like very close friends to me by the end of the game, I guess, and although I like some of their touching scenes, I never really felt the chemistry between them. I guess it's just hard for me to imagine Luke in a relationship with everything he's going through during the game, and also Tear is pretty bland to me herself so that doesn't help. 😭 I know her Japanese voice is very different from her English one and her English one gets some flak, so maybe that's to blame ugh; maybe if I listened to her in Japanese sometime I would become more endeared to her.

💖: What is your biggest unpopular opinion about the series?

...If I had to pick another one that isn't just the first answer again lol, though this isn't exactly super unpopular, but Abyss is the best game in the Tales series, by a wide, wide margin. Not only do I believe it to be the best Tales game, but one of the best games of all time period, and one of the best stories of all time. Yes, I said what I said, fight me. And it has absolutely nothing to do with nostalgia; I played Abyss on my 3DS around 2014-2015, probably? in my early 20s, so I don't have any special childhood memories of it, nor was it even my first Tales game (Graces holds a special place in my heart for that). I just... played it, and it left such an incredible impact on me that has yet to be beaten by nearly any other media I've ever experienced. I don't know what it is about it that makes it so powerful, but it's true. Don't get me wrong, plenty of other stories have come very close to making me feel the same way..... but none of them have ever quite reached Abyss level.

So yeah, a lot of people agree Abyss is good.... but I still believe that most don't recognize it for the masterpiece it truly is.

💕: What is an unpopular ship that you like?

Like I said, I'm really not a shipper lol, but I'm really fond of Guy/Natalia? I just love their scenes together, how respectful and gentlemanly he is towards her, and how her growth is most strongly shown in plenty of her interactions with him; it's so lovely to see. 🥹 and I think about their time spent together post-Eldrant and before the epilogue, them helping each other grieve.... it destroys me so good :' ) they're very sweet together.

Thank youuu sista! 🩷

Ask game

#ask game #replies #tales of the abyss spoilers #i am very confident in my understanding of Abyss' story and themes....... but sometimes i wonder #maybe i am just talking out of my ass idk #i intend to play persona 3 soon which has been compared to abyss a lot (totallyyyy not one major reason why i want to play it ahem-) #and knowing as much as i know about that game...... hm #maybe it will give me new perspectives on abyss #i really look forward to it

[johannesviii]

Top 10 Personal Favorite Hit Songs from 2023

What a weird year for pop music, full of strange trends, confusing garbage and unexpected hits. Once again, even if the charts don’t always reflect it, music as a whole is currently very interesting to follow closely.

Disclaimers / Rules:

I’m using both the year-end top 100 lists from the US and from France while making these lists. There’s songs that charted in my country way higher than they did in the US, or even earlier or later, so that might get surprising at times.

No song that I already put on a previous list is elligible.

No old hit song that is re-charting due to a holiday or a trend is elligible either.

Of course there will probably be stuff in French somewhere on this post. We suck. I know. It’s my list. Deal with it.

My musical tastes have always been terrible.

I have sound-to-color synesthesia which justifies nothing but might explain why I have trouble describing some songs in other terms than visual ones.

A lot of bad stuff happened to me this year (several accidents in a row, and also my cat died) but some good stuff too, thank goodness. I only went to two concerts this year (Bloodywood and BMTH), but they were both absolutely amazing. Pretty sure the Bring Me The Horizon one was the best concert I ever went to, actually, and there's a lot of competition considering all the great ones I went to in 2022. I'm just sad 100 gecs had to cancel theirs, I was really looking forward to it. Oh well.

Let’s start with the good or interesting albums that came out in 2023, and oh my, that's a long list already.

Albums

Starting as usual with stuff that disappointed me: Depeche Mode's Memento Mori was... actually it was all right, but I miss the days when I could get excited about a new Depeche Mode album, I really do.

Pink Tape by Lil Uzi Vert was a giant fucking mess. There's some absolute bangers on it, and then you get to the next track and it's the worst thing you've ever heard. Which makes for an interesting listening experience, for sure, but one I'm in no hurry to repeat. At least it's never boring.

After the Magic by Parannoul isn't exactly my cup of tea, but you should definitely listen to it once, I think. It's something special. It might grow on me, though, because I only listened to it for the first time last month.

On the other hand, I listened to Scaring the hoes by Jpegmafia and Danny Brown a while ago, and while this one is definitely not my cup of tea, it's also a ton of fun and I don't feel like a single second of my time was wasted on it. You should listen to it for the samples alone, and just out of sheer curiosity if nothing else.

A kiss for the whole world by Enter Shikari is a weird beast, because the singles are absolutely incredible, but then the rest is a big pile of nothing (at least in my opinion). But the singles, man. I really don't know how to judge it as a whole, the quality is on a rollercoaster.

Kind of the same thing happened with Electric Sun by VNV Nation, one of my favorite bands of all times if not my favorite, if you recall. Some tracks completely floored me, the rest was meh. Oh well. Noire was so incredibly good that I can live with an average VNV album dropping after it.

Fanfare by Dorian Electra was full of absolute bangers but... I don't know, there's some of the madness of the previous record missing. And yes, I'm saying the album containing the minion line (you know the one) is more serious than My Agenda. Go figure. But it's still very good!

Two different friends told me to listen to 4D by Blank Banshee, so I did, obviously. Great electro album. Send tweet

I'm not entirely sure what to think of Atta by Sigur Rós. I cried several times while listening to it for the first time and it's a genuinely impressive series of tracks, but it's also so devastating I've only relistened to it twice since then.

I only discovered Svalbard a couple of years ago, and this year they dropped The weight of the mask, which might be even better than their previous album. It's mostly about depression and trying to fake normality while being depressed. Not a very pleasant topic, and yet this is full of energy and... hope? Everything sounds unbearably bright and between the screams, you feel like everything will be better eventually. Great stuff.

Speaking of depression, there's also No joy by Spanish Love Songs. If you recall their previous album was my album of the year a few lists ago. Their sound changed slightly, and at times it almost sounds like The Killers, but not in a bad way. There's a couple of tracks I don't like very much, but the writing is still on point, and some tracks are among my faves I put in the "unelligible songs" part.

Census Designated by Jane Remover, on the other hand, came out of nowhere just to kick me in the face. I don't even know what to say about that one. Go listen to it.

I found Gunship almost by accident a few months ago, and they immediately dropped a new album, called Unicorn. It's just a huge pile of great synthpop through and through - if you don't mind a couple of really stupid lines (godddd that third track is full of them). The other downside is that it's way too long (more than an hour), and if it was up to me, I'd remove at least four tracks from it. Unlike...

...10000 gecs by, who else, 100 gecs. It's less than half an hour long and it's so fun and so varied in its sounds and so stupid while still being incredibly well produced. For the longest time I couldn't decide which one of the last five albums on this list was my favorite, and then I relistened to all of them in a row and felt compelled to play this one a second time after I was done. Definitely worth the wait.

Unelligible Songs

This is kind of a non-hits rec list of sorts, but you know the drill. I also have to mention that two songs from previous lists (The Magic Key by One-T and Dernière Danse by Kyo 2003 represents) recharted this year for some unfathomable reason.

Gonna start with my fave tracks on some of the albums I already mentioned. Because why not.

The only song I consider great on the Depeche Mode album was People are good which sounds like character development considering People are people also exists

Speaking of Depeche Mode, one band arguably out-depeche-moded them this year so let me introduce you to ††† (Crosses) with Ghost ride, Invisible hand and Holier

Lil Uzi Vert is next with Suicide doors and its deranged intro immediately followed by FUCK YOU, AND FUCK YOUR BITCH then Uzi following that by stating they're the Crow. Yes, really. Also there's Werewolf, literally a Bring Me The Horizon song with Lil Uzi Vert on it, and if I had a nickel every time that happened this year I'd have two nickels, which isn't much but-

Wait let me interrupt this list with another song called Werewolf which I've listened to WAY too much this year. It's the kind of song you listen to ironically at first but after the tenth time that happens you realise it's no longer ironic and you love it for real. Seeing Motionless In White live kinda helped, not gonna lie, but still

For Enter Shikari, we have A kiss for the whole world, Bloodshot, and especially [pls] set me on fire, which might be one of my most listened to tracks of 2023, actually

VNV Nation had Wait, Invictus, and Artifice, which are all absolute bangers in my opinion. Ronan is angry and we love to hear it

By the way this year Pink released an extremely VNV-like song called Trustfall and it's very good but also uncanny

Kylie Minogue is also doing something vaguely similar with Hold on to now but in a more mainstream normal way btw

And then for something completely different, we have Dorian Electra singing about obsessive fans on Symphony, fame on Wanna be a star, and most importantly writing anon hate and immediately deleting it on anon

Run is the first track of the Blank Banshee album I rec'd and it's only one minute long so listen to it maybe

Technically I can recommend Gold if you want some taste of the Sigur Rós album but you need to listen to the entire album to get the full crushing effect

Svalbard isn't going to lighten up the mood with How to Swim Down and Faking it

Neither is Spanish Long Songs with Clean-up crew, Marvel, Here you are and Lifers, the last one being notable for having what's possibly my fave bridge of the entire year, and all of them for being endlessly quotable. Stay alive out of spite everyone

Also not lightening up the mood is Jane Remover with Census Designated on the album also called Census Designated

But what's this? It's Gunship with a steel chair trying to punch some joy into this list with Holographic heart, Nuclear Date Night, Taste like venom and Monster in paradise!!

And the gecs with a second steel ch- wait no it's a plastic chair shaped like a frog. Anyway here's Dumbest girl alive and Hollywood baby, and both of them go wayyy harder than they have any rights to

ok that was a lot of songs already. Here's Everything goes on by Porter Robinson as a palate cleanser

Also the first reggaeton song to ever end on one of my playlists, Sci-fi by Tainy and Rauw Alejandro

Also I'm gonna put a gif here otherwise Tumblr won't let me post something with such a long uninterrupted list in it

Ok back to the list of recs

Let's get the humiliation out of the way and say that this year I listened to Raining blood but it's super emo more than I ever listened to Raining blood in all my years combined

Oh yeah and Linkin Park released some old (finished and unfinished) tracks from the Meteora era and I'm kinda pissed off cause Lost missed the year end list. Fighting myself is excellent too, and if you want a really heartwrenching unfinished track, Resolution has a giant Chester-shaped hole where its chorus should be and the lyrics make it even worse. You're welcome

Possibly the most mainstream song on this entire rec list but I'm also pissed off Bad Idea right? by Olivia Rodrigo didn't chart enough to count for my top ten hit songs

I can offer you Eat the acid by Kesha if you want an awesome but mildly disturbing listening experience

For some electro/future pop here's Head over heels by Solitary Experiments

Wait there's also Bring the noise by Neuroticfish

Over is there if you need some Chvrches doing some Chvrching

Justice for Gladiator by Jann

Pointing at Even Jesus got the blues by Gabe Lee and saying I would listen to more country if it sounded half as good as that song, not like anyone cares

Holding on to nothing by Sierra. Send tweet

Northwind + Sky-colored dream by Strawberry Hospital and Parasite Heart is just seven minutes of cool pastel screams

And for an absolute goth banger everyone collectively decided to ignore here's Train to Harlem by Korine

I can't get enough of Nosebleeder by Lil Lotus and that's probably mildly embarrassing at my age but I've decided to stay mildly embarrassing forever

kisses by Slowdive if you want vibes and vibes only

Blood and sugar by Boys Like Girls if, like me, you want something that sounds exactly like The 1975

Choose your fighter by Ava Max if you want something that sounds exactly like Barbie Girl

I really wish I could explain what my feelings are every time I listen to The King by Anjimile but the only thing I'm sure about is that I'm feeling something a LOT and that it's terrifying

On a lighter note here's Mall rat by Durry, a very upbeat pop punk song about mall goth teenagers having fun and it's extremely good, listen to it immediately if you're having a bad day

And as some of you might have expected because of that previous gif, we're gonna finish with some Bring Me The Horizon, who have joined my list of favorite bands alarmingly quickly (that new album can't drop soon enough), and let's just say LosT and especially AmEN! were some of my absolute fave non-hit songs this year. Seriously. What the fuck was that.

And now, some elligible hits that didn't make the list.

Honorable Mentions

Tiki Taka (Vacra) - Afrobeats is the best thing that happened to the charts in recent years.

Shining Light (Aime Simone) - I wish I liked that artist more.

Unholy (Sam Smith & Kim Petras) - At first I didn't like this one, and then I headcanoned Kim Petras as a girl in a confessional and Sam Smith as the priest on the other side looking concerned but also weirdly into it, and suddenly it was a really funny song.

Dance the night away (Dua Lipa) - I'm pretty sure that's the song Chained to the Rhythm by Katy Perry is talking about

Casanova (Soolking) - This is a borderline guilty pleasure, and also it sounds like Magic System. Which is a bonus, by the way.

Calm Down (Rema) - Afrobeats is the best thing that happened to the charts in recent years 2: the sequel

Rush (Ayra Starr) - Afrobeats is the best thing that happened to the charts in recent years 3: the sequel to the sequel

Strangers (Kenya Grace) - Very good low-key track to play when you're driving at night

Bloody Mary (Lady Gaga) - What can I say. It's Lady Gaga. It's good.

I remember everything (Zach Bryan) - And for "songs that would be on the list if I had good taste-"

Going going gone (Luke Combs) - The last cut from the list. Great earworm, good writing.

THE ACTUAL TOP TEN LIST

This is a very solid list, actually. All of these things are still on some of my playlists to this day.

10 - Bad Habit (Steve Lacy)

US: #39 / FR: Not on the list

This was the last cut from my 2022 top 10 and it was a painful one, so imagine my joy when I saw it was elligible for this year's list too! Welcome back, Steve Lacy, your little song is still an earworm and a half even after all this time.

9 - Cruel Summer (Taylor Swift)

US: #18 / FR: Not on the list

I have no idea how a song that rhymes "oh woah oh" with "summer" can sound so good. Well played, madam. Well played.

8 - Star Walkin' (Lil Nas X)

US: Not on the list / FR: #67

Not the best Lil Nas X song by a mile, and still quite good! It plays a lot at the gym for some reason. The hype is real, even after hearing it pretty much every hour on the hour. And despite that weird, weird line about his dad.

Very surprised it's not on the US year-end list, by the way.

7 - Vois sur ton chemin (Bennett)

US: Not on the list / FR: #69

If you're creeped out by the AI-generated kids in the music video, I think that's kind of the point, which is why I can tolerate it for once.

Anyway, this is a remix of a choir song about lost kids, originally from a retro movie called Les Choristes which came out back when I was a teenager. And now it's been turned into a somewhat creepy techno remix of itself, and you know what's bad about that? Not a single thing actually. Play it again.

6 - Fast Car (covered by Luke Combs)

US: #8 / FR: Not on the list

If you remember correctly, Fast Car was the number one song of the very first list I made in this series (1988). And since this cover is so similar to the original song, I considered making it non-elligible for this list. I counted it in the end but put it kinda low compared to the original. It's only fair.

5 - Anti-hero (Taylor Swift)

US: #4 / FR: Not on the list

I was pretty indifferent to this one at the beginning of the year, but it slowly but surely grew on me. Everything has already been said about this song. So yeah, it's very good. I like it. It's on the list.

Moving on!

4 - Substitution (Purple Disco Machine x Kungs)

US: Not on the list / FR: #56

Some songs just make you want to move every single time you hear them, without fail. The thing is, this one plays a LOT on the radio in public settings, so catch me dancing in the aisles of the local supermarket every time it's on. It's like some memetic SCP bullshit.

At this point, it should be possible to make a great playlist with all the best retro-sounding hits we got in the past five years or so - and yeah, put this one on it too, for sure.

3 - Miracle (Ellie Goulding, Calvin Harris)

US: Not on the list / FR: #51

At some point this was my number one, and can you really blame me? An Ellie Goulding song with a drop that sounds exactly like a Robert Miles track? Really?

Then I realised I loved Robert Miles' tracks because of that dreamy piano/synth melody they all have, and that this song only had a drop/musical chorus that sounded like that, so something was missing. Oh well. Still a fantastic dance track, though.

2 - Escapism (Raye)

US: #48 / FR: Not on the list

Welcome to the other side of most of The Weeknd songs, I guess, but that's also what makes this track so compelling. The intro sounds like anxiety, and even when the song gets more pleasant to listen to it just never goes completely away - just like in the lyrics, in fact. Well written, well produced, everything is on point and if I had better taste it would probably be number one on this list.

Alas, I am what I am.

1 - Just wanna rock (Lil Uzi Vert)

US: #28 / FR: Not on the list

At some point, this was the third song on the list. Why shouldn't it be? It's so brainless compared to Escapism, and laughably short compared to Miracle. It's just a fragment of a song. It sounds like the intro of a track that will never start.

It's also by far my most replayed hit song on this entire top ten list and I can't justify that in any way. So yeah, putting anything else here felt like lying to myself. The fact it never really starts also means the hype never really ends. Going "daaaaaaaaaaaamn" along with Uzi's distorted vocals is so satisfying.

I just wanna rock, man. What a vibe. See you next year!

#Johannes’ bad not good pretty terrible music lists #music #flashing lights tw #eye contact tw #god that one took ages

[perky89]

Okay, someone tell me if I sound stupid or if I'm wrong anywhere, but I think I have an idea surrounding the crossover game.

***Spoilers for the entire Professor Layton series****

Okay, a bit of context/setup: The crossover, as I've heard it, happens between Pandora's/Diabolical Box and Unwound Future. Meaning: Miracle Mask, Azran Legacy, and Diabolical Box have all happened by the time Professor Layton meets up with Phoenix Wright. Hear me out:

Randall "died," came back, then wrecked hell for Monte Dor and Layton, nearly killing Luke. Leon was kidnapped when Layton was young, the next time Layton talks to Leon, Leon's manipulating him by threatening his adopted parents. Layton was adopted away from Descole when he young, the next time they saw each other, Descole's chasing him and throwing debris at him on a massive machine.

See a pattern? He's had several important people get snatched out of his life, only for them to come back and try to hurt him. Now, think about this: Besides Emmy and Sycamore, who were betraying him the whole time they were with him, what adult friends has Layton had to accompany him on his adventures?

...Exactly. Now, I'm sure Layton has adult friends outside of his adventures. Dr Schrader, Luke's parents, Dean Delmona, his colleagues and students at Gressenheller. But how many of those people have gone on crazy adventures with him, probably not many. Where does that change? Phoenix Wright.

And what happens in the third case of the crossover? Layton believes Phoenix is about to die, he goes running to save him, and then Layton "dies." Okay, look, hear me out: Layton didn't know that Phoenix was okay. As far as he was concerned, Phoenix was dead.

And then you know what Phoenix did? He looked after Luke and Espella. Gave Luke compliments, was empathic towards him even as he testified against Maya, lifted Luke's spirits when he turned them down the wrong path and landed them in the wrong place. Volunteered to go in the fire cage so Luke and Espella wouldn't have to, though Luke ended up doing it in the end. He did his best to solve Layton's "murder". Ended up solving the case that they needed to solve in order to solve Labyrinthia.

And you know what he did after he came back to Layton? He helped out the best he could, was genuinely happy to see him okay. AND GET THIS.

GET. THIS.

Even when Layton took the opposite side of the court to Phoenix, and hadn't had time to explain why, Phoenix still didn't treat him like crap. Even when he probably felt like Layton was betraying him, Maya, and Espella he still cooperated. They both still worked together.

I think that, even before the Bezellla trial when they went against each other, Layton was still, though he wasn't showing it, nervous that Phoenix was going to turn on him. And when he didn't in the first place, but especially after he didn't in the Bezella trial, Layton very relieved, and also very thankful towards Phoenix for not only not trying to murder him, but also for still valuing and respecting him.

Case and point: I think Phoenix holds a very special place in Layton's heart, for those reasons.

Do this all sound off the mark? Be real with a brother here.

#layton #professor layton #plvsaa #phoenix wright #hershel layton #plvspw #ace attorney #laywright

[justafriend-ql]

Thai BL Favorites List Tag Game

thank you to the lovely @firstkanaphans for tagging me! the original prompt list was created by @thatgirl4815. let's get into it!

(note: i'll try my best to not make this entire list about never let me go, but you know who i am)

favorite bl: never let me go (nobody is surprised) it's unique, innovative, the first gmmtv bl series based on an original script rather than adapted from a novel. the lovechild of cringe 90s thai action dramas and BL tropes that p'jojo flirts with or fucks with depending on how he's feeling. palm and nueng live in my head 24/7 and the cinematography of the series drove me to learn how to make gifs (something i would not recommend you do if you value your freetime lol)

favorite pairing: palmnueng :) power imbalance, social expectations, and simmering sexual tension that all breaks loose at the seashore. duty turned to devotion and loneliness turned to love. two 18-year-olds whose life circumstances couldn't be more different yet find mirror images of their own insecurities and lack of self-worth in each other. clinging onto each other only to let go in the name of love. but always returning to each other, their other half, their soulmate. literally everything i could ever want in a pair. bonus: they kiss each other like they actually want to.

most underrated actor: sing! he's great in comedic roles (had me wheezing with laughter in unidentified mysterious girlfriend). but completely slayed as todd in not me. toddblack scenes make me genuinely sick. i would love to see more of him in dark dramas. also you really just have to respect his dedication. he survived infamous early series like slamdance (he was paired with drake) and put his whole pussy into the puppy play in warp effect.

favorite character: palm pannakorn jannaloy my most beloved boy. breaks my heart and heals it at the same time. he's just such a fundamentally good, kind person. and pretty much nothing in his life makes that easy. eternally self-sacrificing, without much love for himself but so so much love for others. even when they leave him behind. look! the very first gif i ever made was of him - see below and kindly disregard the quality.

favorite side character: pa jindapat out of all the series i've watched, pa is probably the character i relate to the most. that's why she's my pfp! i love her messy buns and glasses and over-sized t-shirts. she just feels very real in all her interactions with pat and her cluelessness about her very big crush on ink. the little tremble in her voice in the dark room scene when she tells ink "i liked it. i liked it so much i thought that i was special to you" makes me tear up. she's funny and she's bold and she holds her ground and i love her. very much.

favorite scene: the farewell dance - never let me go, episode 9 there's no dialogue. just music. grief-stricken palm and nueng dancing slowly, somberly in a motel room palm will wake up alone in the next morning. nueng knows he's leaving; deep down, palm probably knows too. their steps slow and palm seeks comfort in a kiss that quickly turns desperate because they're both hurting and the only thing that will numb the pain is each other. the feeling of tears running down palm's face forces nueng to pull away. the look on nueng's face as he wipes palm's tears away is possibly my favorite thing phuwin has ever done. he looks so goddamn heartbroken and guilty, because nueng feels like palm's brokenness is his fault. also one of my favorite performances from pond - and he was in the hospital earlier that day!!

favorite line: "i love you. and i want you to love yourself too." ayan to akk; the eclipse, episode 12, part 1/4. speaks for itself i think.

most anticipated bl and why: dangerous romance although i'm definitely excited for only friends, i have a soft spot for underdogs and this series seems like one (especially if it airs at the same time as only friends). i love perth especially and both chimon and him are crazy talented actors. i hope despite the silly title of the series, the script gives them something good to work with. and i hope that "i hate you" kiss in the rain from the pilot is better in the actual series lmao. the bts photos are making me super excited! also: viewjune let's gooooooo

healthiest relationship in a bl: heartliming these two make me cry. really just the epitome of finding a safe space in another person and providing them with a safe space in yourself. everything about them is beautiful. the amount of effort and care they put into learning how to communicate with each other is incredible. i love that they fight alongside each other. and: "i love it when i'm with him" - sometimes it's really as simple as that.

most toxic relationship in a bl: going to second @firstkanaphans here and say tharntype this almost feels like a cop-out because it's so obvious, but it's true. nothing will ever excuse the things tharn did to type without his consent, and type's internalized and externalized homophobia wasn't dealt with satisfactorily in my opinion. there are good kernels in every story, but the bad overwhelmed the few good ones in this series for me.

guilty pleasure series: love by chance guilty because it's mame and i don't love how aggressive they make ae (the sweetest, gentlest boy) toward the end. to be honest i skipped everything except for the aepete scenes when i watched this so i can't comment on the rest. but i often find myself returning to episode 4, in particular, because ae's feelings realization journey is lovely and soft and seeing baby perth and saint is always a treat. i liked it enough to gif it, so...

bonus! most underrated series: my only 12% created this bonus category so i can beg you to watch this one if you haven't. trust me and suffer through the bad haircuts and slow burn. i knew it was different from other series when seeiw cries while watching a queer movie with his sister, recognizing his own feelings onscreen, then sneaks downstairs to watch the rest by himself in tears later that night. that experience is so fucking real. this series seared me with its portrayal of the nostalgia and grief of childhood friendships and eventual separation, and the role reversal post-reunion is so well done it makes me insane. i was sobbing in my room at 4am and that's the best review i can give a series.

i had a lot of fun doing this and i hope if you read to this point you got... well, something, out of it. tagging @cankersoregirl @first-kanaphan @feralmuskyscentedhoepran @akkpipitphattana @ayan-sukkhapisit @nongnaos and anyone else who may like to do this!

#ask game #thai bl favorites #never let me go sweep what did you expect

[realmofthefirebird]

The non mlp fan from before, I managed to already watch the movie, and I would def appreciate a must watch list, but I realised how deep the prohibitedwish brain rot goes when my brain compared tempest and capper as you can probably guess who lol. It's wasn't really my style, but it was entertaining enough that I'll give the show a shot (:

You are SO right Tempest and Scarab are like long lost twins. Or maybe alter egos?

Okay, uh, warning! Insanity below the cut.

I split the list into two parts: absolute essentials and nonessential episodes that I strongly recommend. They are fairly long! But that's mostly because MLP is kind of a long show. Feel free to skip around all you want, this is mostly just to get you started. The word "essential" is being used very liberally here lol.

ABSOLUTE ESSENTIALS

Most of these episodes are two-parters, and that's because most of the important events and lore take place in these special episodes.

Friendship is Magic Parts 1 and 2 (S1E1-2)

You absolutely cannot skip the first two episodes of the series. Not only do you learn how the Mane 6 meet, but you are also introduced to one of the best characters in the series (Luna). If you watch no other episodes, at least watch these two.

The Return of Harmony Parts 1 and 2 (S2E1-2)

DISCORD I'M HOWLING AT THE MOON! This is Discord's first appearance and is an extremely important set of episodes lore-wise.

A Canterlot Wedding Parts 1 and 2 (S2E25-26)

These episodes are absolutely iconic in the best way possible. Not only do they have one of the best MLP songs ever concocted, but we are also introduced to one of the best and most important major villains, Queen Chrysalis.

The Crystal Empire Parts 1 and 2 (S3E1-2)

Crystal Empire lore. Here we are first introduced to King Sombra (a canonical bicon!) who is a major villain.

Magical Mystery Cure (S3E13)

Arguably the turning point of the entire series. Things start to get a little crazier from here on. I won't spoil it.

Princess Twilight Parts 1 and 2 (S4E1-2)

Don't really have much to say about these episodes (its been years since I've seen them) but I remember them being important.

Twilight's Kingdom Parts 1 and 2 (S4E25-26)

There's some cool lore stuff here, but honestly Tirek is probably MLP's least interesting villain. That's just my opinion, though, some people may disagree. Definitely still recommend giving these eps a watch tho.

The Cutie Map Parts 1 and 2 (S5E1-2)

These episodes are really just amazing. Hands down. The premise is great and, love her or hate her, Starlight Glimmer's debut is fantastic. She's in my top 5 for a reason.

The Cutie Re-Mark Parts 1 and 2 (S5E25-26)

Who doesn't love a good time-travel shenanigans episode? Not only that, but we get to see some swanky butterfly-effect style alternate universes. All around a great set of episodes, even if they did give Starlight a goofy ass backstory.

The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2 (S6E1-2)

I'm only including this in the list because its a special two-part episode, but you could probably honestly skip it, unless you've become invested in Starlight as a character (bc there's important Starlight character development ig). Lore-wise, this special is a little weak and kinda boring.

To Where and Back Again Parts 1 and 2 (S6E25-26)

A special about Starlight Glimmer and ALSO about changelings! Two of my favorite things! Sign me up! Genuinely, tho, this special is one of the best and you HAVE to watch it if you're at all interested in changeling lore.

Shadow Play Parts 1 and 2 (S7E25-26)

These episodes are really interesting. Very heavy with lore, too. You wouldn't expect this kind of premise in a show like My Little Pony, that's all I'll say.

School Daze Parts 1 and 2 (S8E1-2)

Beginning of the MLP school era. I actually really enjoy the school episodes, but some people are mixed on it.

The Mean 6 (S8E13)

I had to include this episode because its just so damn iconic.

The Sounds of Silence (S8E23)

I also had to include this one. It is absolutely inconsequential lore-wise, but this is the only kirin episode and genuinely probably one of the best episodes in the series.

School Raze Parts 1 and 2 (S8E25-26)

I actually love Cozy Glow, she's ridiculous.

The Beginning of the End Parts 1 and 2 (S9E1-2)

We're on the final season now, things are starting to get serious. Something is brewing in the background. also Sombra is back (yay!)

The Ending of the End Parts 1 and 2 (S9E24-25)

The finale.

The Last Problem (S9E26)

The last episode and technically the epilogue. We get to see a peek into the future of the Mane 6.

Whew, that was a lot. Now on to the important, but nonessential episodes. I chose these ones because they are either culturally significant to the MLP fandom or because I just like them a lot. This list is entirely subjective, though, so keep that in mind. I'll be more brief with this one (I think if I tried to summarize each one of these i'd go insane). I did highlight some of my favorites, tho :)

Boast Busters (S1E6)

Dragonshy (S1E7)

Bridle Gossip (S1E9)

Call of the Cutie (S1E12)

Suited for Success (S1E14)

Feeling Pinkie Keen (S1E15)

Luna Eclipsed (S2E4)

Secret of My Excess (S2E10)

The Last Roundup (S2E14)

It's About Time (S2E20)

Dragon Quest (S2E21)

Magic Duel (S3E5)

Keep Calm and Flutter On (S3E10)

Castle-Mania (S4E3)

Power Ponies (S4E6)

Bats! (S4E7)

Pinkie Apple Pie (S4E9)

Pinkie's Pride (S4E12)

It Ain't Easy Being Breezies (S4E16)

Maud Pie (S4E18)

Make New Friends but Keep Discord (S5E7)

Slice of Life (S5E9)

Amending Fences (S5E12)

Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? (S5E13)

Rarity Investigates! (S5E16)

Hearthbreakers (S5E21)

What About Discord? (S5E22)

Gauntlet of fire (S6E5)

No Second Prances (S6E6)

Flutter Brutter (S6E12)

The Times They are a Changeling (S6E17)

All Bottled Up (S7E2)

Parental Glideance (S7E7)

A Royal Problem (S7E10)

Not Asking for Trouble (S7E11)

Discordant Harmony (S7E12)

The Perfect Pear (S7E13)

Triple Threat (S7E15)

To Change a Changeling (S7E17)

It Isn't the Mane Thing About You (S7E19)

A Health of Information (S7E20)

Once Upon a Zeppelin (S7E22)

Fake It Til You Make It (S8E4)

Grannies Gone Wild (S8E5)

Surf and/or Turf (S8E6)

Horse Play (S8E7)

The Parent Map (S8E8)

Molt Down (S8E11)

Yakity-Sax (S8E18)

On the Road to Friendship (S8E19)

What Lies Beneath (S8E22)

She's All Yak (S9E7)

Frenemies (S9E8)

The Last Crusade (S9E12)

Between Dark and Dawn (S9E13)

A Trivial Problem (S9E16)

A Horse Shoe In (S9E20)

Growing Up is Hard to Do (S9E22)

THIS GOT AWAY FROM ME I'M SO SORRY

Anyways, I hope this helps you at least kind of get an idea of where you'd wanna start. I really, sincerely do hope you enjoy the show! Its a bit different from the movie, so maybe you'll like it more. Thank you for asking for this, btw! I've been looking for an excuse to make a list like this for a while. Lmk if you ever have any questions or anything, thank you sm!!

#is it obvious that this is my special interest? #LOL #ask #mlp

[toomanyfandomsthings]

Hello, this is just ask for fun....

Favorite female character :

Favorite male character :

Favorite animanga :

Animanga you are currently enjoying :

Animanga that exceeded all your expectations :

Unpopular animanga you really love :

Favorite romance :

Favorite action animanga :

Favorite fantasy :

Favorite sci -fi :

Favorite drama :

Favorite comedy :

Favorite anime movie :

Next in your watch list :

Next in your read list :

Favorite antagonist:

Thanks if you want to answer....

Ooo thank you for the ask! :D Some of these are really hard to narrow down to just one, but I'll do my best!

Favorite female character: Hmmm if I had to pick just one, it would be Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket! <3 She's so sweet and genuinely kind and also so strong willed. She sees the best in everyone and wants them to be happy but also rarely puts herself first, and it's nice to see her grow over the course of the series. <3

Favorite male character: Aki Hayakawa from Chainsaw Man, without question <3 I love him so so much, his whole story arc is so well written and he is so kind and caring and such a sensitive soul and I'll spare you my whole rant about him but he's just the best and my favorite character in literally anything <3

Favorite animanga: Hmmm I'd have to say Tokyo Ghoul! I genuinely think that series is a masterpiece and I read it at a time where I really really needed it, so it has a special place in my heart <3 The characters are wonderful and so well written and the story is so gut-wrenching and heartfelt. Also Ken Kaneki is like...right behind Aki in terms of favorite characters out of all things I've read <3 I love that series a lot, I really need to re-read it sometime.

Animanga you are currently enjoying: Ahh I'm not watching too much recently because grad school work is kicking my butt, but I've been catching a few episodes of A Sign of Affection and I'm really enjoying that! (also helped by the fact that Itsuomi's voice in the dub is also Aki's please don't judge me XD) I've also been watching Bucchigiri?! and I....think I like it? Still figuring out my opinions on that one, but I like Marito Jin and he's kinda the only thing keeping me watching XD

Animanga that exceeded all your expectations: Chainsaw Man! I *hated* Chainsaw Man for a good amount of the time I was reading it, I was kinda only in it for Aki's story for the longest time. And without spoiling the manga, there's a big plot reveal at one point that, when it happens, puts a lot of the story in perspective and I genuinely had a moment where I had to put down my phone and be like "......oh my God.....this series is so smart." So once I re-read it with the whole story in mind, I absolutely loved it <3

Unpopular animanga you really love: Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori! <3 I will sing this show's praises every chance I get! The manga isn't translated in English, so I haven't been able to read it (though I do own up to volume 16) but there is a 12 episode anime on Crunchyroll listed under "Yotsuiro Biyori" and it is one of my comfort shows! It follows four very sweet gentlemen and their cat as they work in a tea shop and help their customers though their problems. It's so so sweet, the characters are so adorable and kind, and it's pretty episodic so you can jump in pretty much anywhere and follow what's going on. Definitely recommend it!

Favorite romance: I don't actually watch a lot of romance anime, so I guess I'll probably have to say A Sign of Affection for right now XD Or Sasaki and Miyano, that series was cute too! :D

Favorite action animanga: Jujutsu Kaisen! The fights in that anime are unmatched <3

Favorite fantasy: Ahhh this one's hard! It's either Yona of the Dawn or The Case Study of Vanitas, but I'm leaning towards Yona purely because I think about it more often! Both of those series are phenomenal! <3

Favorite sci-fi: Psycho-Pass! <3 .....I say having only watched the first 2 seasons and the movie! But the first season of Psycho-Pass IS a masterpiece! And the movie is also really really good! .....We don't talk about season 2 XD

Favorite comedy: Life Lessons with Uramichi-Oniisan XD I love the comedy in that series *so much* XD It does get very dark and pessimistic with it's comedy though, I have very rarely shown it to other people and gotten a reaction other than ".....oh my God" so....be aware of that going in XD

Favorite anime movie: Howl's Moving Castle! <3 I have seen that movie an *unhealthy* amount of times, both in theaters and at home. I....I like that movie a lot haha

Next in your watch list: Metallic Rouge, Ninja Kamui, and Delicious in Dungeon, because friends recommended them to me! :D

Next in your read list: I really wanna catch up with Moriarty the Patriot, I have up to volume 13 and I need to take a day to just catch up with reading it <3 (the anime's great though please watch the anime)

Favorite antagonist: Shogo Makishima from Psycho-Pass <3 I love him so much, what an awful person who also totally makes sense for the world he is living in. He's got such an intimidating presence and also has so much charisma XD VERY good antagonist :D

Thank you so much for asking! :D

#thank you so much for the ask! #this was a lot of fun! :D

[lmskitty]

Hi again......If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Hi!!!

Tricky!

1. Jujutsu Kaisen

2. Gorillaz

3. Sailor Moon

4. Outlast

5. The Last Binding Series by Freya Marske

6. Neon Genesis Evangelion

7. FMA Brotherhood

8. The Magnus Archives

9. Fake (manga series)

10. Digimon

1. It brought me joy and fandom and friendship again and made me feel like myself after a very long time. I know the narrative can be traumatic but it also has these incredible moments that just feel you with awe (like Todo turning up to help Yuji fight or seeing Gojo do hollow purple for the first time) it just reminded me of everything I love about anime.

2. My first real fandom, the first thing I wrote proper fanfiction for. The lore and the music and the animation just amazed me when I saw it when I was 11 and I've not been happy with decisions they've made recently (overpriced merch in a cost of living crisis, NFTs to celebrate Plastic Beach?!?) I'll still always love them and be excited for new content.

3. First anime love, first time seeing a relationship with two women helping me to identify as bi (now I'd say pan) I grew up believing that to be a strong woman you had to disregard femininity and seeing Usagi be the strongest with her bunny drawings and her focus on friendship and love just rewired my brain.

4. I love horror, I was brought up with it but for a very long time nothing has scared me and I found horror media repetitive. Outlast genuinely scared me and I was SO happy and I love reading the character notes and comics.

5. I've talked about this series a bunch but A Marvellous Light was the first book I'd read in years that made me cry and just stayed in my head for ages. Everything I'd loved about harry potter but done properly.

6. I was at a sleepover at a friend's and someone stuck this on and everyone was talking and I was just glued to the screen because what the FUCK WAS THIS?!?!? I've watched it since with my husband and it still hits me so hard every time. It's such a powerful portrayal of depression and nihilism and how relationships can fuck you up. It's beautiful and I think it's one of the best anime's of all time.

7. The opposite of neon Genesis lol. Love and family and forgiveness and what it means to sacrifice for the people you care about. Devoured brotherhood with my husband and we were both in tears by the end of it. I'd also been told I couldn't have kids and we had struggled with a miscarriage and Izumi and Sig just hit me so hard. (I have a bub now tho it came out ok in the end) but the characters still feel so real and there's so many amazing moments.

8. I listened to all of this and played Minecraft with my husband till like 6 am on weekends. We would discuss at length our theories and it just holds a special place in my heart. It's perfect horror and John and Martin's relationship just means a lot to me. I related a LOT to Martin and loved the series and I've super been enjoying the Magnus Protocol too! Also that first fucking recording of Nikola Orsinov?!?!? We both sat still staring at each other genuinely freaked the fuck out and we still quote it at each other! "I mean, you can if you really want to, but you’re not going to like it." CHILLS EVERY FUCKING TIME!!!

9. I read a lot of BL manga with my friends (*old lady voice* back in my day we called it Yaoi!!!) And so many of them had terrible tropes and big hands. This was the first one I ever read that I still adore that had an amazing love story and plot. It was revolutionary to see an LGBTQ story not just about them being gay or coming out but it had real detective cases and murders etc and I still wish we could get a tv show of it.

10. When Gojo talked about Digimon I fell even further in love. It's the fucking best. I wanted to be Mimi so BAD as a kid my mum made me a Halloween costume of her and I thought I was so cool. My next tattoo is gonna be Lilymon. I grew up with it in the dub and it established my sense of humour for better or worse. The Digimon film is still my comfort film of choice. Matt was such a big crush I had when I was little and I wrote little stories about being one of the digidestined.

Those are my top 10!!!!

#gorillaz #jujutsu kaisen #the magnus archives #tma podcast #fake the manga #fake! #digimon #outlast #fma brotherhood #neon genesis evangelion #sailor moon

[star-going-supernova]

Fanwork creators self rec! When you get this, reply with your five favorite fics/art/podfics/etc. that you've made, then pass on to others. Let’s spread the self-love 🌼

(No pressure if you don't want to though!)

What a wonderful ask to wake up to! A tall order, tho, so I had to think about this for a bit, and it was harder than I thought it'd be. I've got a lot of favorites! Here are my top five favorite works of my own, not in any particular order:

The Art of Being Alive — Bendy and the Ink Machine

What would you expect if your former best friend wanted to see you again after seven years of silence?  Not this, Henry thought viciously as he swung his axe back and forth, like a murderous metronome. Never this. Or; an AU where Joey invites Henry back after less than a decade, because he discovers that only Henry’s drawings work in the Ink Machine. It's all downhill from there.

Of course this story is on my list. TAoBA was my first big project, fic or otherwise, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I learned so much by writing this story, and while I'd do some things differently now, after years more practice and experience, TAoBA still makes me so incredibly proud. I met a lot of friends and amazing people through this fic, genuinely had so much fun with it, and I credit it and BatIM as a whole for where I am today as a fic writer.

• • •

Side Effects of Friendship — Little Nightmares

Six deciding to save Mono in the Signal Tower was only the beginning.  (this is a good-end, no-loop AU of my own making, as part of my quest to give these kids a happy ending)

Is it cheating to put a whole series as just one entry? I say no, lol. This AU and series is one of my favorites for a number of reasons. It's a very cohesive story, which I'm super proud of, and the journey I put the kids through mentally, emotionally, and physically was just so dang fun to write. I was super excited as I worked up to and hinted at the surprise twist at the end, and I really enjoyed taking this nightmarish world and expanding it in my own way. The themes of healing really seemed to resonate with a lot of people, and that also makes me super proud of this set of stories.

• • • 

Flood and Firestorm — Bendy and the Ink Machine

But it must have paused near his corridor because there was no way to ignore it. And the words registered. “…the Ink Demon’s refusal to terminate. Keepers have administered quarter hourly sessions of physical tortures—” Henry’s eyes snapped up. The kindling caught. (Henry overhears a Keeper making an audio log about how they're torturing the Ink Demon and goes ballistic.)

I've got a lot of BatIM fics that I'm super proud of, but this one makes the list because I am just so pleased and proud of a lot of the language in this fic. This was one of the first ones I wrote upon my return to the BatIM fandom, and I love it a whole lot. Henry gets to go a little bit feral, too, and that was a genuine blast to write. I've returned to reread this one a whole bunch of times.

• • •

93% Stardust — Godzilla

Indignation on his behalf, lingering irritation at Monarch, determination to help—she held on to those feelings. They’d gotten her this far, and if she forget why she was about to throw herself headfirst into the head of a giant mech with Ghidorah of all monsters at the helm, then she might as well give up now.  She slid the helmet on, squeezing her eyes shut as she did, and it was like being struck by lightning.  It was like becoming lightning. (I can't be the only one who wanted Maddie to get in the pilot seat, c'mon)

This one makes the list solely because of how much I love the final product. The abstract section was so much fun to write, and I still love the idea of Maddie getting into Mechagodzilla's head. The self-indulgence for this one was off the charts, which makes this one of my favorites!

• • •

Poetic Justice — Five Nights at Freddy's

tumblr prompt: In one world, Glitchtrap is nothing but Afton and code, forcing Vanessa into the role of Vanny in order to create Afton a new body. In another, Glitchtrap is Spring Bonnie’s original personality (before Afton), and he and Vanessa are looking for the last remains of Afton in order to destroy it for good… and just watched Gregory casually find it after months of searching. (Or, Vanessa's going to have a headache by the end of tonight.)

This one might be a surprise to some people, but I absolutely love this one-shot. The concept, the characters, the potential... it all just ticks a few very specific boxes in my brain, lol. I've gone back to reread this one many times, and I usually end up imagining different first meetings between Gregory and Michael afterward.

• • •

Honorable Mentions:

Taking the Plunge — Godzilla

This one didn't make the cut only because I had other favorites. If the list was a Top 6 or 7 favorites, this one would have been on it too.

Heavy as a Hurricane — Godzilla

I still hope to finish this one eventually, but it's an honorable mention because every time I reread it, I go "dang, hope the author updates someday, this is really good" before remembering that... ah. Yes. The author is me.

Body and Soul — Bendy and the Ink Machine

It was my first story back in the BatIM fandom after years away. Love, love, love the concept still.

the line between freedom and surrender — Bendy and the Ink Machine

This one nearly made the list because it really hits the spot for me. I'm really proud of the dialogue in this one.

see what i've become (i will no longer feed the machine) (strings 'verse) — Five Nights at Freddy's

I'm very proud of the healing in this series, in the first and last stories especially.

#i answered a thing #anonymous #star's feelin' the love #life and times of star

[pokemonislanderprincess]

Since this is some last few months of Ash in the anime, and possibly all his other companions, I wanna discuss my OTP as much as possible. Don’t know just brings all the nostalgia back. So we have had a lot of hints from Misty in OS that she liked Ash, but what do you think are some concrete hints from his side that he likes her back?

I've been feeling the exact same way, so I'm loving all the asks I've been getting over the past couple of days, especially the ones about Pokeshipping!

I think one of the most concrete hints, of course, were two of the most infamous episodes for Pokeshippers from the Orange Islands: the episodes with Danny and Rudy. Ash shows some pretty obvious jealousy in both of those episodes, and both of those characters actually notice it as well. The fact that Ash actively shows jealousy towards two other guys who show obvious interest in Misty is something we don't normally see from Ash, and honestly, it's something we never really see again, especially in terms of other female companions.

The last episode of the OS also has a lot of significance on Ash's side to me. Not only is the fact that his first meeting with Misty is being referenced and recreated in the upcoming mini series shows the impact it had on him, but he also mentions it himself in that finale episode by telling Misty he doesn't think the fact they met was a coincidence. That quote always touched me very deeply, because not only is Ash telling Misty how important their relationship is to him, but he actually disputes her initial claims that them meeting was just a coincidence. So obviously it's something that's crossed his mind before, and that he thinks he and Misty were meant to be in each other's lives.

I've also always taken the DP episode with Misty's lure as a big hint on Ash's side. He is so protective of that lure, and for what? When do we ever see Ash not willing to share with his friends? He's probably the most selfless character in the whole show. But as soon as Dawn asks to borrow it, Ash immediately gets defensive and says "no way." To me, that means the lure is something very special to him; so special that he's actually willing to put his foot down and refuse to lend it out. And let's not forget it's also been shown that Ash still carries around the handkerchief Misty gave him before they went their separate ways, which is considered a significant parting gift in Japanese culture. Ash obviously treasures the gifts Misty gives him and actively brings them with him wherever he goes, while other gifts from friends he just leaves on display in his bedroom.

More recent, but I also feel like the SM episodes had quite a bit of hints on Ash's side as well, particularly in the gym battle episode. Ash is super complimentary of Misty, talking about how strong of a gym leader she is, that she "might not look it, but she's tough," not to mention he insists on specifically battling Misty. That battle between the two of them also has to be one of the best Ash/Misty battles in the whole series. Ash always has fun battling, of course, but every time I watch that battle, I feel like there's a different energy to it. Like Ash is genuinely having so much fun battling her and coming up with strategies to combat hers that she says no one else has ever broken through. The chemistry in that battle was just so off the charts and you can literally feel Ash's excitement coming through the screen.

#There's probably more tbh but these are the ones that stand out most to me #Asks #Pokeshipping #OS #DP #SM

[the-damnable-fool]

Dracula (2020), the most disappointing piece of media I've ever seen

This fury has been rotting into my brain for at least two years now, so now I'm going to subject you to it. This is going to be a very long rant/critique/violent catharsis.

Netflix's Dracula miniseries is a three episode series starring Claes Bang, Dolly Wells, and John Hefferman. The show ran for three episodes and was written by Stephen Moffat. You may recognize him as the longtime writer for a relatively insignificant little program known as "Doctor Who".

Episode one presents us with an interesting and well executed premise. Jonathan Harker, scarred and deformed from his encounter with the eponymous Dracula, recounts his experience to Sister Agatha Van Helsing. Much of what transpires is based heavily on the events of the original novel, though you may have already gleaned from the name "Agatha Van Helsing" that some creative liberties have been taken. I won't spoil much, since I believe this episode to be worth watching. Suffice to say that the whole of the main cast is great, Harker and Agatha Van Helsing doubly so, and there's some excellent special effects work being done.

Episode two is, by and large, my favorite episode of the lot. Because of that, I'll speak even less of it. The entire episode is framed as a murder mystery aboard a boat which Dracula himself recounts to Agatha Van Helsing, which is an interesting parallel to draw with the first episode. Dracula is, obviously, the murderer, but the actual twist is truly unexpected. Agatha Van Helsing is one of those rare and delightful characters that comes across as genuinely witty, intelligent, and dangerous in all the best ways. There's very few times a character has done something and I've thought to myself "wow, that makes perfect sense, but I never would've thought to do it". She's a treat, and that wonderful character writing makes every interaction between her and Dracula come across as a devilish battle of wits. What's more, there's some genuinely heartfelt and emotional moments between the background characters that stick with me to this day.

Then you hit the cutoff point.

If you've liked the series so far, and have become attached to its tone, characters, and general quality of writing, you should stop watching five minutes before the ending of the second episode. Unless you want to be disappointed in the worst sort of way I would encourage you to cut your losses, switch off your TV, say to yourself "Damn, that was a really good two-part movie", and move on. It is not worth it. You have been warned.

Beyond this point there be spoilers.

So Episode Fucking Three

Up until now, the series had been doing a great job of constructing some very compelling, well written, and likeable characters. Agatha Van Helsing in particular was genuinely intelligent, witty, bitingly cynical, and had a character dynamic with Dracula that could only be described as "If we weren't diametrically morally opposed to one another, we'd be fucking". The crewmen of the ship they came in on were, while not heavily characterized, very human and easy to sympathize with. Johnathan Harker was both tragic and heroic while he lasted and, while I don't remember much of Mina, I remember liking her well enough. So, what do you do with a slam dunk roster of characters like that?

Well, you kill them all off in an offscreen time jump of course!

Episode three takes place in modern London and I immediately hate it. Agatha, my favorite character, is gone, as are all of the characters we've come to know and love. In their place is Agatha's indirect descendant, played by the same actress and so woefully boring that I don't remember her name at time of writing, and a couple of other generic stooges. There's a junior researcher at the facility, a couple of wildly shallow club-girl side characters that he pines after, and a few others that I forget.

If I'm completely honest with you, I didn't watch the entirety of episode three, and you'll see why in a second.

So the episode starts. We open up on Dracula, soaking wet and crawling out of the ocean on the shore of modern day London. He's immediately surrounded by a group of mercenaries armed with cameras, a helicopter, and conventional firearms, along with our new Agatha Van Helsing wannabe. Long story short, he kills a mercenary and escapes into the city as day breaks, has his cliche little "woah I'm immortal and experiencing the modern world for the first time" bit, and then gets captured in the sloppiest way imaginable.

Turns out, Mina spent the vast majority of her inherited money on creating a foundation in memory of John Harker with the specific purpose of locating and containing Dracula. It's sort of like the Foundation from the SCP universe except they only contain one mildly boring, vaguely bisexual anomaly. They've got money, professional mercenaries, trained scientists, a secret Dracula holding chamber specifically for holding Dracula, the works.

So Dracula gets dragged into the Dracula containment chamber, and this thing is the real deal. Constructed of bulletproof plexiglass and steel, able to be remotely exposed to sunlight at any time, surrounded by open floor and armed mercenaries, it's pretty safe to say that this Dracula containment chamber is easily the finest chamber ever constructed with the sole intention of containing Dracula. All he's got is a table, a chemical toilet, and an ipad loaded with digital books. He gets fed blood through a tube at regular intervals and occasionally gets poked at by researchers trying to figure out just what the fuck he is.

Now, by this point, we the audience were doing our best to get back onboard. Sure, our favorite characters were gone, save for the villain, and sure, the tone had taken a weird lurch with the time jump, but that was all fine. Just have Agatha's great great grand-niece be just as charming as she was and we can all have a grand time watching Dracula masterfully manipulate his way out of the Dracula time-out box. We've seen his guile before, so we're all primed and ready for another fantastic battle of wits, just like on the boat.

But that doesn't happen.

What follows is a brief summary of events that happen in the episode in vaguely chronological order. By reading it you may be made privy to the sudden and utter incompetence of the new lead character and to the wildly stupid turn that the writing took in episode three.

The Harker Foundation finds Draculas coffin at the bottom of the sea in the wreckage of the ship from episode two. For no good reason, Agatha's descendant (the director of this foundation) personally goes to scuba dive into the ocean to take a look at the unconscious Drac.

Also for no good goddamn reason, she sticks her whole ass thumb in his mouth to feel his fangs. He bites her thumb off instinctively, giving him the small amount of blood he needs to reawaken. That's one instance of complete incompetence before the ten minute mark.

Instead of recovering the coffin immediately, the Foundation pulls back and waits on shore with armed mercenaries until night falls hours later. Why they don't just nab him immediately while hes sleeping, I don't know, but I'll count that as a second instance of complete incompetence.

Drac escapes and kills some people, including a few mercenaries. It is established that the Foundation has the power and influence to make these deaths disappear.

Drac is transported to the Dracula holding chamber.

In the course of less than 24 hours, Dracula FIGURES OUT HOW A TABLET WORKS, GUESSES THE FUCKING WIFI PASSWORD BECAUSE ITS HIS FUCKING NAME, AND SKYPE CALLS THE LAW FIRM THAT USED TO REPRESENT HIM TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

Do you see why I was furious? Do you see why my friends and I stood up and yelled at the TV screen? Do you see why we turned it off immediately? Do you see why I want to hit Stephen Moffat with a chair?

Needless to say, the lawyer takes a call from someone claiming to be a man that employed his firm two centuries prior completely seriously. He walks directly into the facility with no explanation as to how he found out where it was or why the guards let him past, and threatens to sue the Foundation if they continue to hold his client against his will.

The inferior Agatha throws up her hands and says "welp, guess we gotta let him go" and just. Let's Dracula leave. No consideration for the consequences of doing so beforehand. No thought given to the possibility that they might simply inform the relevant authorities that he'd killed people that very night and therefore should be contained and studied. They just fuckin' let him leave.

So lets recount all the insane leaps of logic that need to have transpired in order for this to happen.

One, Dracula would need to have figured out how the internet works within the span of 24 hours despite having only just learned that electricity existed. I'll give that a pass since its implied he can absorb knowledge by drinking blood.

Two, Dracula would have to guess the wifi password for this top secret, high security facility... Which is literally just DRACULA. Why the fuck was it set to his name? Why was he given a tablet that's physically capable of connecting to wifi? Why didn't the mercenaries that guard him at all times not see him using Skype and say "Hmm, maybe we should stop him from doing that"? Moreover, why the fuck does the room he's contained in even have wifi? Isn't everything I just said a massive security oversight for an organization that's poured millions into this containment facility?

Three, Dracula's lawyer would have to believe that an unknown, unsolicited caller, who has neither modern means of identifying himself nor any records verifying his existence for over two hundred years, is genuinely a client of his from two hundred years ago in need of legal counsel. Furthermore, Dracula would need to have some way of communicating his exact location to this man.

Four, the security teams responsible for keeping the facility safe and free of intruders would have to not only let this lawyer into a top secret facility based solely on his own claim that his client was inside, but let him directly into the main holding chamber that is under constant guard all without so much as warning the fucking director of the Facility.

Five, the director of this facility would have had to completely thrown out any alternative to letting a known mass murdering superbeing out of confinement despite full knowledge of what that would entail. They could've just fought the battle in court. It's easy to prove that he needs to be locked up when you can show the judge the bodies of the people he killed that day. Even if that's too much trouble, why not pop the lawyer in the back of the skull and make him disappear like the mercenary? Or Dracula's victims? It can't be that hard if you've done it three times this episode.

It's the kind of twist you would expect out of a piece of satire, not an actual, serious work written by an accredited writer. To this day I have not seen any other work of fiction take such a sudden and sharp decline in quality, and I doubt that I ever will again. It's as though the writers intentionally made every character at least thirty percent stupider just for the sake of giving Dracula his "gotcha".

So what went wrong?

Honestly, I think that the writers mistook their villain for the main character of the series, which ultimately just doesn't work. Sure, we love Dracula. We didn't come to watch the Dracula show out of our rabid love for Johnathan Harker, we came for the big scary villain. The problem is that a villain still has to be a villain. While we do love him, we don't root for him, we root for the people that oppose him despite the odds. They killed off every recurring character except for Dracula and changed the setting and tone so massively that it was completely unrecognizable from the first two episodes, and they did this because they thought the audience be invested enough in this villain for it not to matter. Not only did it backfire, but the ridiculous amount of plot mandated stupidity and Deus Ex Machina that it took to get Dracula out of his first jam in that new setting completely killed any further drive that I had to continue watching.

This lazy twist not only made the main characters look incompetent, it made Dracula look lame. He's the Prince of Darkness. The fucking Nightwalker. The King of Vampires does not call his fucking lawyer.

Anyway, I'm finished with my rant now. Congrats on sticking it out this long. There's no prize or anything.

#dracula 2020 #dracula spoilers #jonathan harker #agatha van helsing #dracula #media critique #long