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rontra · 1 year

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this ask/reply is long so im just putting it together as a textpost help me shark if you're out there

Anonymous asked: hi ok im super super sorry if this is bothering you but ive been meaning to ask it for like 6 months or something . i was introduced to your work via skin game and my brain latched to it ever since i read it. me and some other friends really enjoyed the fic even if it was a short read and i was wondering if youre comfortable sharing chapter 2 either publicly or privately? again im ultra mega sorry if this comes off as creepy or weird or something ive been stressing over it for liek 3 days since i didnt want to bother you :(

either way, love your work so much. your fanart introduced me to both arknights and rwby (though a friend kind of pushed me to actually start watching it lol) and theyre both really great series :) your work is a huge inspiration for me and my friend group and your writing is just insane /pos

(3rd paragraph omitted bc i cant priv reply and im excluding your offsite info even if its under a readme HFDBHJF)

hi shark!! ofc i remember you we are like soldiers side by side in the trenches of takano posting 🫡

so first of all thank you so much for following and enjoying my work 🥰 i'm always happy to help drag people into the arknights/rwby zone HEHEHE i'm glad you enjoy what i make!!! it means a lot to me 😊 thank you!!!

now. THE THING ABOUT skin game ch2. is that it's pretty rough. i had a look at it the last time something prompted me to think about the fic and it's not really presentable (i don't know if i even finished editing it back in ….. 6 years ago… oh god). it also doesn't have all of its art (which might be a blessing in disguise given the art it does have is …. 6 years old… oh god)

getting it to a state i consider readable would take a good chunk of work, which is why i put it off again after looking at it. it's almost 12 thousand words of … uhhh… shall we say… unnnnpolished material. i think i couldn't even share it privately because i would be embarrassed to show someone something so unfinished and janky. not to mention not having all of its art finished. so i got kind of stuck last time and just put it off again bc the amount of work it very obviously needed was like. "Christ OK Not Now" yknow…

it does bolster the spirit when i remember you and your friends. it means a lot to me that you care about it even after so long!!! i just have NO idea when i'm going to get around to editing something of that magnitude @_@ i was really a dummy about chapter lengths back then… HFDBHJGJMK

it's really kind of a shame too becahse chapter 1 and 2 together are sort of the introductory portion for our 2 primary characters. so it feels like only half of the intro is done right now. since ch1 detailed how kyrie ended up at that plaza meeting takano, ch2 would detail how takano ended up there, meeting kyrie. and then we would proceed into the future from there. as a renowned Takano Guy, obviously i was very interested in this, but for various reasons i never finished polishing it and drawing the art…

ch2 also features ikuko so you KNOW its dear to me

overall being like 5-6 yrs old theres a disconnect where i don't feel like ch2 right now is achieving what it should, and i see a lot of concrete problems with concrete solutions, but it's an editing of such Magnitude that it keeps being pushed back in favor of other stuff. oh, ephemeral soul…

some of the art i did get done for it is pretty cute though, like these baby miyos;

so that's pretty good, but i didnt FINISH drawing the art, ARGHH

it is really hard to say. bc when i KNOW there's people out there who remember it and care about it, that does motivate me to return to it. but it has a lot of stuff that needs doing, and is a very old project, so it's unclear to me right now when it would receive the attention it desperately needs before it can be shown to other people... i super can't in clear conscience accept anything like payment/etc for that kind of vague half-promise either, although i appreciate the thought xD

i'm sorry it's such an inconclusive answer, but i am sort of an inconclusive guy when it comes to projects... i jump around a lot as i'm sure you've observed in your time following me 😭 it's important to me to have that freedom, but i do care about SG too, so we just sort of have to see if i can surmount the magnitude of the work i accidentally set up for myself half a decade ago (*turning into stone*)

but it makes me smile when i remember you're out there thinking about this weird little AU. so, thanks. 😌 a soul still burns...

and then after all that CH3 was going to have more of best girl 🥺.....

WARGH <- BEARER OF THE CURSE

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ungaroyals · 2 years

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Hej💜 I've become a huge fanfiction lover in the last 10 months since joining the fandom and I'm curious about comments and commenting! I don't write myself but I try to leave comments as a little thank you for getting to enjoy the art. So I decited to send some questions to the ficwriters I follow here. No pressure to answer ofc I'm just curious, I adore you writers 🦋

1. Do you often leave comment or kudos on stories/posts ? Why / why not ?

2. What do comments/feedback mean to you?

3. What are your favorite type of comments to receive ? Long and thoughtful ones? Favorite parts or lines ? Praises ? Asdfghjkl? Guesses or hopes for the future?

4. Do you replay to comments? Why/ why not ?

5. Has there been any negative comments ? How did you deal with that ?

6. Are there comments that are not necessary negative but you just don't enjoy?

7. Do you ever get nervous how people are going to receive something you are writing? How do you deal with that?

8. Has there been a moment when someone interpreted your writing in a totally different way that you intented/ misunderstood you in the comments ? How did that make you feel ?

9. Do you ever go back to your comments ? Do you have a comment that stayed with you ?

10. Is there something you wish us non-writers would know regarding writing or commenting ?

If you are a writer and I didn't ask you, please answer anyway if you feel like doing that! I only follow so many (and also I wanted to ask this anonymously because I'm shy hah). I'm so thankful for all you writers out there, this fandom is full of super talented people 💜

Hej! This is the sweetest most thoughtful thing, thank you for thinking of me to ask. 🥺

I don't always leave comments but I always leave Kudos. I don't read a whole lot of fic these days. So when I do it's usually because I know the author and am screaming at them in their DMs. But I still try to leave a little something something in the comments no matter what.

Comments and feedback mean the world to me. The only way to become a better writer is to hear what people think and/or offer suggestions on what they would have done differently or want to see something expanded on. Whenever I have a beta I usually tell them to be as critical as they want, and that there's never any way I'll get mad because it's how we learn! It's also helped me develop a thicker skin when people aren't as kind toward what I write haha.

I love me a good long and thoughtful comment. I like hearing what lines stood out and what people think of the characters and plot. Or when they try to guess where things are going. First off it's a wonderful way to gauge if you're doing what you're trying with your writing well, be it evoking an emotion or hint toward a plot point. But I will say, comments are also a massive ego boost lol.

I always try to reply to comments because if a person takes the time to acknowledge something I've created, then I think it's only fair that I make sure they don't feel like they're talking into a void. Because I read and re-read every single comment I get on anything I write.

I honestly don't think I've received particularly negative comments, and if I do I usually try to ignore them.

Comments that bother me are ones that ask the author to continue with a different fic rather than comment on the fic they just read. It's happened a couple times on some of my stuff with people asking me to finish An Unfortunate Romance. It honestly makes me not want to return to it. Writing for me is supposed to be fun and having that added pressure makes it a little less fun and more like a chore or like something I 'owe' people. Which it isn't.

I used to get really really nervous, but I think posting love would be burning red (which you can read here... just a sneaky little self-promo for yah) really helped me step out of my comfort zone. Plus I have an awesome group of yr writers I talk to who hype me up, and I love them all dearly for it.

There have definitely been people who interpret my writing a little differently than intended, but for the most part, it doesn't make me upset. When it comes to stories and writing, no matter what the intentions are, I think people are going to take from it what they want and need at the time they read it. Stories help people understand life and emotions better, at least that's what I think. And the thought that people are even paying as close attention to even try to interpret my words in the first place is more than enough for me.

I always go back to my comments. And honestly every single one stays with me. Even the short ones where all they say is 'thanks for the story' or something. Knowing my stuff meant enough to someone to want to leave a comment fills me with so much happiness no matter how long or in-depth it is.

I do wish some readers/non-writers understood what it actually takes to create a story. This is a hobby for a lot of us, and a good chunk of us have adult lives and jobs and I think that it's easy to forget. It's gonna take us a while to update sometimes, and posting schedules might be all over that place. It bothers me when people see this as an author 'no longer caring' or 'abandoning their work' because that's not usually the case. We're all just busy with jobs or school, and because this is a hobby, it's usually the first thing that hits the back burner when real life becomes A Lot.

Thank you so much for asking these! It's so sweet of you to go around and send this to different authors! I can't wait to read the ones you've sent to other people! 💜

#ask #thank you sm anon ily

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lianailia · 2 months

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Update:

It's been a minute! Lol March has been very busy for me with cat sitting. I love it. If you told me ten yrs ago I was getting paid to play with kitties all day, I wouldn't believe you. Now I have 9 clients! Business is growing. Just met the new kitty Mittens. And I just got done with an overnight stay over the weekend. The new house is the farthest I've had to drive for a job. About 40 mins away. But it's on country roads, not the freeway, which I don't drive. It's not bad.

I went to an anime convention! Anime Milwaukee! It was my first con since 2013. I was very excited. I went as Lina. No one knew who I was other than our group (went with brother and sister in law (and her grandma)). But there was another Lina but on the way out. So I couldn't run down the very long hallway after her since I was tired from walking for 5 hrs. Heh But it was cool seeing another Lina there! It was stimulus overload. My friends came and brought their 2 little ones. Like really little, a 1 yr and 3 yr old. They didn't go into the con areas though, just in the public areas. But there were some little babies there which if I got a cold from there, I can't imagine bringing someone that small to one. But they were cute to see. There were some awesome cosplayers. Including all of us. My bro was a cross between Link and Kirk, so he had the Star Trek logo and Zelda logo in the same shape. And a Link hat. My SIL was Charlie in the red dress from Hazbin Hotel, her grandma was Sophie from Howl's. I thought it was so cool that she came! There was a giant Chewy that had the sound and everything. And giant Pokemon. There was also a Minion squad, which was pretty funny. But a lot of characters I did not know. I thought there would be a lot more from recent, but there were some Frieren and that was it. Well, that I knew anyways. It was a lot of walking and a LOT of people, but it was so worth it. Will be going back next yr. We basically stayed in the vendor hall, and I had expected to spend a lot more. But only got some pins, an Anya figure, and a Kirby figure. I could have gotten a lot more Kirby things, but I wanted to see everything. And by the time we were done I didn't want to go back and walk it again. I did get some Japanese snacks too. One was a Baumkuchen, a German pastry that the Japanese Aldo love. Never had it before. Loved it. It was like a more fluffy pound cake. And some strawberry wafer cookies that I didn't care for but my niece liked. Heh She loves anything sweet. But I am glad I went. Even with getting a cold, which has been pretty mild considering.

Other things. Haven't been doing much other than art and writing. I just finished Ahsoka live action and Dungeon Meshi I'm caught up on. Love it. Now I started Bocchi, Bride of Magus and for live action Resident Alien with Alan Tudyk. Anything that man is in is awesome. It's hilarious. I know it's been out for awhile. Kind of like Nathan Fillion where I like anything he's in.

But yeah. That's pretty much all. Hope everyone is doing well!

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national-nobody-writes · 3 years

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2020 Creator Wrap

2020 Creator Wrap: Favorite Works

I was tagged by the oh so talented @irolltwenties!

Rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (or so) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought to the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

I’m not a particularly prolific writer (WIPs for days, but completed projects? Not so much). Somehow in this hell year though, I did manage to complete more fics than in any previous year for a total of seven new works (~49k words, all on ao3), plus a chunky chap of a long running WIP (~20k words) so I’m actually pretty damn proud of myself! I also made some new fandom friends in 2020 which has easily been one of the biggest delights of the year & has definitely helped my creative momentum, so ty all for that. <3

Counting down from 5, here are my favs:

5. Downtime

I have endless love for JayRoy and it felt so good to finally finish something for them for once this year! All of my past WIPs primarily focused on them ended up firmly in my graveyard folder, including the fic that this one shot was originally meant to be connected to. I liked the way this turned out well enough to clean it up and post it on its own though, so at least now I can say that I have something published for them at last.

(Also it got me back into the JayRoy headspace enough to outline a whole YJ/Earth16 JayRoy fic that I’m excited to start drafting in 2021, so we’ll see where that goes...)

2.3k NSFW; A mix of playful sweet and roughness, just like them.

4. Mirror Image

Bluepulse Week really saved me this year in terms of forcing me to just write, damn it! Did I finish all the prompts this year? Nope. Did it get me to complete a handful of fics that I ended up really loving? Yes. This was one of them.

This fic zoomed into existence entirely out of necessity as an alt idea to a prompt that I had a much longer idea for, but didn’t have time to complete. It then got a positive enough reception that I decided to turn it from a crack-adjacent, passable one-shot to a slightly more developed two-shot by request of one of my commenters. Really, it was writing that second chapter that ended up endearing the fic to me.

6.3k Humor, time travel shenanigans & accidental dating. This fic is the sweetness of teenage crushes, the confusing mess of discovering your sexuality, & laughter with your best friend.

3. Soft Wesper One Shots

Would you look at that, another nsfw piece. Could it be that I’m starting to get to the point where I can look back at completed nsfw fics without cringing terribly? Love that for me.

This fic took me by surprise, tbh. I wouldn’t consider myself a part of the grisaverse fandom (I’m utterly ambivalent toward the OG trilogy & have no plans to read them), but I did fall deeply in love with the whole Six of Crows gang earlier this year to the point of having quite the book hangover afterward, unable to pick up anything else except related fanfic for a couple weeks straight. These fluffy, nsfw scenes were born out of that, and I was pleasantly surprised to see such a positive response to them in the comments. The whole SoC gang has my heart, but the dynamic between Jesper and Wylan in particular got my writing fingers itching.

3.7k Domestic, post-canon fluff & tender sex with flirty Jesper & blushing Wylan abound.

2. Stick With Me

Ohh, I still get warm fuzzies thinking about this fic! If I’m only low-key proud of the first three on this list, this is one I’m legitimately very proud of. I had this idea on the docket already from a convo with @ivyxwrites early this year (or maybe last year? who knows, time means nothing anymore) but used Bluepulse Week as the excuse to finally get started, and I ended up adoring the process of writing it far more than I anticipated.

As much as I love planning out meticulously crafted, plotty stories, sometimes all you want to do is pick some well-loved tropes out of a hat instead and run with them (in this case: stuck in a cabin, only one bed, & heated argument leading to confession). It was freeing to just mess around and have fun with this fic, knowing pretty much right from the get-go how I wanted it to unfold and seeing it so vividly in my mind. It also probably helped that I was writing it for Ivy; it’s much easier for me to stay motivated when creating directly for my friends.

Finishing this was also such a serotonin-filled burst of pure victory for me since, as previously stated, I’m terrible at finishing projects--particularly multi-chap fics, particularly within a decent timeframe.

25.5k A showcase of the essence of what I love about the best friends-to-lovers dynamic. Part character study, part wires getting crossed & uncrossed, and whole idiots to lovers. This fic is the warmth in the pit of your stomach from a yearning made real & the sudden clarity of realizing what you were looking for had already been there all along.

1. The Rest Pt 1: Delicate (Remember Me Chap 4)

Oh, Remember Me. Of everything I’ve ever written, this story remains the one I’m most proud of and certainly the closest to my heart (not to mention the longest running, whoops). The first iteration of the beginning of this story was actually drafted back in 2017, but I walked away from it for a couple of years before deciding to dust it off and try again. It has spiraled into something far bigger in scope than I originally planned for, but I’ve come to love the path it’s led me down so far, and finishing this whopping 20k chunkster of a chapter was like breathing a huge (if temporary) sigh of relief.

This chap was particularly cathartic to write because it allowed for a number of convos between the boys that had really needed to happen, and was finally the ‘getting together’ moment the fic had been building toward for a while. It’s also so sappy I could die, but I will not be apologizing for that, lol. I was really hoping to get Chap 5 up this year as well, but y’know. Sometimes things just don’t work out like you plan for and that’s okay.

Chap 5 does have 17k done already (with prob another 5-8k still to go) & I’m itching to share it, but no sense in rushing if the end result would suffer for it. Luckily, everyone in comments has been kind enough to beat me over the head with ‘take your time, we don’t mind/we’ll still be here!!!’ which I’m immensely grateful for. So, at least the pressure to hurry up and get it done is purely self-inflicted.

Of all my works, this fic has not only gotten the most passionate responses, but has also been the main gateway for me to interact with other bluepulse creators, which has been a real joy. Nothing brightens my day like the essays people leave me over there from time to time after discovering the fic. That kind of engagement is the highest praise, & responding is very self indulgent fun for me (bc, clearly, I could go on and on about this fic & YJ in general forever).

54.8k total so far (WIP). Bart & Jaime’s relationship journey from beginning to ‘current day’ (aka the moment the fic begins), using amnesia/memory restoration as a framing device. The high highs and low lows of first love, navigating a 3 yr age difference, and the long, winding road from best friends to lovers as the years roll on. Slow-burn-adjacent (in terms of both the boys’ relationship to each other and reader’s relationship to the fic bc of how long I take between goddamn updates).

Tagging @ivyxwrites, @incorrectbatfam, @paintingwithdarkness, @bluepulsebluepulse

#writing #fanfic #dc #young justice #bluepulse #jayroy #wesper

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shadowsfan · 6 years

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A brief (well maybe not) synopsis of my time in Cork - seeing Stephen Dillane in How it Is (part I)

I am back from Ireland, and have been lazy about writing this so I apologize. I figured that Stephen Dillane’s B-day is as good a day as any to post my Stephen Dillane-centric review of the play/not play How it Is (part I) and give you the overview of my three days of seeing the play and other adventures. I’ve already posted links of the reviews from the Irish newspapers so check my blog to read them - they summarize this play and the performances way better than this post will!

Beckett’s, How it Is (part I), this novel set for stage, is difficult to understand. There, I admitted it! But, I figure most of you who follow this blog probably don’t want to know about the novel so much, but more about Stephen and his performance. He was amazing as always, and I know I always say that, but really I was even surprised by how good this was - and how good he was in it. It must have been incredibly difficult to memorize this (there is no punctuation in the text) and then recite it with another actor in duet - sometimes at the same time, sometimes a beat behind or ahead, sometimes listening and then repeating (I asked Stephen about this and will tell you his answer later). This from the reviews :

“Dillane effortlessly finds the rhythm in Beckett’s work, at times almost singing the text, and seems to be enjoying himself immensely. Where Lovett appears to turn inward in his torment, imbuing his performance with a sense of heartbreaking humanity, Dillane preens with mischief and humour, in an utterly compelling performance.”

The seating was limited to about 48 audience members total (4 rows of 12). We were ushered in by a side entrance to the stage, where the audience sat on the stage facing the seats in the auditorium. The theater is a beautiful old Victorian-style building in the historic district of Cork city center. The curtain is down at first, so we just see the curtain in front of us - not into the auditorium. Soon, Stephen, Conor, Judy and Mel (Conor and Mel act in the play and Mel also does the sound/music), walk out to stand in front of the audience with the curtain at their backs. I am in the front row (what did you expect?) and they are very close - maybe 3 or 4 feet away. Judy (the director) introduces everyone (she says “Stephen Dillane - actor”), and explains that How It Is (part I) is not a play but a novel, and the performance is one hour and 47 minutes with no interval. If you leave, you can’t be allowed back in. Then they exit, single file around the curtain.

The first time I saw it, was the Wednesday night preview and the audience was mainly composed of die-hard Beckett fans from Ireland. So, the Irish Conor and Judy, who are known there in Cork, got more applause on introduction than Stephen. The three of them looked at each other and had a giggle at that. It was mostly because we weren’t sure if we were supposed to clap - nobody really knew what to expect, and he was the first one introduced so he got mediocre applause, but it was funny because he’s the guest star.

I’m not going to go into detail about the play/not play itself, I’ll leave that to the reviews, and also because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who might see it. I will just say that each night’s performance was slightly different and I’m glad I went more than once (I asked Stephen about that too). I will tell you that there are parts that feature Conor and parts that feature Stephen and some both of them in duet.

Of course the Dillane fans will want to hear about the part near the end where Stephen has what you might call a monologue - but he’s also being echoed by Conor so it isn’t really. He plays with the space between the darkened theater and the audience. He’s standing on stage in front of us - sometimes pacing and sometimes still. He moves closer and then away. All the while he’s reciting the text as if talking to himself - or someone only he can hear. His face is so expressive that you know exactly how he feels - and it’s pretty good at this point in the text - and he relates the humor in the text that I didn’t really get from reading it. He moves so close at one point that I am staring directly into his chest. I could touch him (of course I don’t but he’s THAT close). He takes this moment to make his voice boom - “Good God!” he shouts and my ears hurt (seriously). Then, when he moves away his voice goes quiet, contemplative. He has all of us in the palm of his hand waiting breathlessly for his next word. The man sitting next to me has his eyes closed and he’s nodding with a smile on his face. The play ends and the actors return to take a bow. The first night they got a standing ovation. The next two nights we don’t stand but applause is quite enthusiastic. I think the audience is so small and we are so close to the actors that people are a little self-conscious about standing.

Okay on to the after party. The preview night there was a scheduled, after play discussion, which ended up being a little more formal than I expected. The theater has a tiny - maybe 8 tables? - bar. Most of the audience, or more than half at least, went over there and got drinks and mingled until the cast came out and took seats on bar stools lined up in front of the bar. There was a moderator and a cameraman - not sure what they filmed it for - news or private or what, but it is on tape somewhere. Stephen was the last to arrive and he dumped his bag and hat (knit cap with a ball on top) in the corner and took the last stool. They mostly talked to Conor and Judy about their theater company and how they only do Beckett plays and then adapting this to stage. The noteworthy Stephen exchange was when the moderator asked about accents and how they decided to do their own voices - Conor with his Irish accent and Stephen with his English/London voice. Stephen said he always thought Beckett had to be done with an Irish accent and he’d learned one for Faith Healer and tried to use it for this. Judy laughed and said yeah it was a problem and everyone laughed. She said that she’d asked him “What the hell are you doing?” He looked down and said he worked really hard at it and everyone laughed again. So I guess the Irish didn’t like his Irish accent - I made a mental note not to tell him I don’t think his American accent is that good either Lol. Poor Stephen.

Anyway, it was getting late by that time - 11:30 or so (past my bedtime- to be fair I’d taken an early bus from Dublin that morning) and they finally wrapped up and I saw Stephen starting to grab his gear. I wanted to say hi, so I went up and asked him if he remembered me. It took a moment (I hadn’t talked to him in nearly 2 yrs) but he finally smiled and said, “Yes of course” and then I just started gushing about the play. I should say that everyone in the bar was really stoked about the play and I could tell Stephen and the others were hyped about it too, so I think he was really happy to talk about it. I had been sitting next to a lady from NYC who knew Conor and Judy (a Beckett fan), and so I introduced her to Stephen and we all started talking about Beckett. Again, I’ll try and keep to the noteworthy comments

I made a confession and told Stephen that I liked the play more than I expected to, and he wanted to know what I meant. When I started to say that the text was so difficult to read - he finished my sentence for me. I think he could relate to that. I said that I got more from seeing it performed and that I really enjoyed it. I asked about it being difficult to memorize (yes he said) and whether or not he and Conor listened to each other when they were talking/repeating the same lines - he said yes, they found that they had to. (I think it’s kind of like a duet in a musical number)

I mentioned that I was surprised by the humor, I hadn’t found it that funny when reading it. He said that it was really difficult to get the timing right because in the text the setup might happen several lines before the payoff/punchline. We told him we really wanted to see parts II and III and hoped they could do it. He said it depended on funding but he would be interested if they wanted to do it. I asked if they were really bringing it to London (now the dates are set but then they weren’t) and he said yes but he wasn’t sure how it was going to work in that space but he trusted Conor and Judy to work it out (turns out it is a much different space so I’m curious too since the audience will be much larger). Then he said he had to go. He laughed and asked me if I was “really” going to see him the next two nights and I said “of course, I’ll see you tomorrow!” So we said good night and I finally got to go sleep (good dreams of course).

The next night was opening night. The play was great again, but I think there might have been a problem with Stephen’s mic at the beginning. They did a couple of things differently and my friend (she went to see it again too) and I talked about it in the bar afterwards. I didn’t expect Stephen to come to the bar again - although in hindsight it was opening night so I guess he would. He walked in and came over to our table and so I was lucky enough to chat with him again! We asked about the couple of things that were different (one prop in a different spot and one acting thing he did - mouthing words instead of speaking them). He admitted that they mixed things up slightly from time to time in the play to keep it fresh. He asked us a few questions about what we were up to and then I asked him about the Tacita Dean art exhibition he was in. He asked if I was familiar with her work - I said yes with An Event for a Stage - but that I hadn’t seen the film, only heard the audio. He was surprised at that and told me I needed to see the film! (I agree so please show somewhere close to me) Anyway, he described the process of how she makes her films and it was really interesting (especially as explained by him complete with hand gestures). Conor and Judy got us all a beer and they joined us and we chatted some more and then they had to go mingle so I lost track of Stephen for awhile (well I saw him talking it was a small bar) until it was time to go. He waved goodbye and took off.

The last night in Cork, I thought the play was the best - well maybe it was a tie with the first night - but Stephen’s performance was the best of the three nights. Later I was talking to Conor and he said it too - unprompted - wasn’t Stephen amazing tonight? I met another Stephen fan from France and she brought some stuff for him to sign and some presents. Sadly, he had to run out right after the show - he did sign her stuff and got his gifts - so we didn’t get to chat again. I found out later his family had flown in and he had to pick them up at the airport. I can’t complain, I was incredibly lucky to talk to him as much as I did. Even if I hadn’t, seeing him perform was well worth the trip! That wraps up my fangirl review. Until the next play - I can’t wait!

#Stephen Dillane #fan review of my fav

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fallingfromdepression · 3 years

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2/25/2021

it is with a heavy heart that i fucking announce that i legit may be getting the lowest grades i’ll ever get in grad school and since quarantine started this quarter.

i have 3 courses this quarter: a practicuum and 2 regular courses, and bro i am doing so bad in those 2 courses. i just checked my pset and exam grades for course 1, and bro. the website shows the grade distribution and i am consistently on the lower range, if not the lowest score (the average grade for the first pset was 95. my score was 66. i’m p sure /i/ was the only one who brought the range down that low). course 2 has a participation grade and i legit have not spoken up in the public class once the entire quarter so far, and the rest of the quarter will be us working on our group project individually. i mean i’ll try to speak up in the last class session but idk what to ask or say during the guest speaker.

the practicuum class is also lol, today we were sort of reviewing the quarter and they were like ‘oh haha we’ve all individually worked so hard on this project’ and i’m like lmao i did so much less work compared to everyone else ... i mean i did do some work but i feel like everyone else def pulled their weight.

anyway i have two assignments due on saturday and monday and i have not started either of them despite doing very badly in my 2 regular courses. someone in my practicuum group was like ‘yeah i haven’t started the assignment’ but she’s been doing the most work out of everyone in the group and ik she has shit to do outside of school too. i don’t even have any excuse for why i haven’t been putting work into my classes, i haven’t done much on the job search for post-grad nor have i sent that email to my professional mentor that i was supposed to send last week -- we were supposed to have our monthly meeting but i deadass just never scheduled it.

putting the rest of this post under a cut bc i’m kind of ashamed of what i’ll discuss next and don’t want it just out very publicly and easy for consumption (you gotta click to read my shame)

what have i been doing the last few months ... i’ve legit done nothing towards investing in my future. i’ve just been focused on drawing fandom stuff and scrolling mindlessly through social media. which isn’t shit i should be investing as significant time as i have into at my age and at this point in my life. i’m going to be entering my final quarter of grad school and schooling in general and i feel like i just got worse. i feel like i can’t even blame it on being at home and with fam when i’d prefer to be alone, bc i was also like this when i was living alone last year -- procrastinating like hell but at least distracted by having to physically go places and shit.

i have no motivation to do well in my classes or invest in my future. i think it’s partially bc i’ve managed to get through grad school and the last 2 yrs without any major failure or consequence which is a bad mindset to have, to just live life knowing that i can scrape by. i’m not even excelling without brain power, i’m legit just managing to crawl weakly across the finish lines in a much less efficient way than everyone else.

i feel like at this point i’m just waiting for school to be over and to enter adult life but there won’t be any adult life to enter if i don’t invest time into job search and app right now, and improving my grades and gpa. i only have one quarter left, so it’s basically impossible to salvage everything but i suppose i should at least make an attempt to do well so at least i can finish in a satisfactory way.

i mean i should also make attempts to finish out this quarter with more effort now that i am consciously aware of how shitty of a situation i’m in... man just thinking abt all the work i need to do i.e. cramming learning all this shit i should have learned/known into the next few weeks ... i seriously need to begin weaning myself off of twitter and fandom and etc bc at this point it is seriously wrecking my productivity and life ... i have done it before (not permanently but def for a sizable period of time) so i know i can do it ... my immediate thought of doing that was “well what am i going to do with my time then” and to that i respond “FUCKING WORK THEN ??? INVESTMENT IN YOUR ACTUAL LIFE AND FUTURE?”

i’ve been considering a side hustle of art but i need to invest in my main hustle first. and also i need to develop a healthier relationship with social media and also improve my mental health before i invest more in my art. man i really need to set my life priorities and forget everything else for now. i feel like every few months i go through this same epiphany of how deep of a hole i’ve dug myself into and resolve to start climbing up but i never really do it. but actual, post-schooling life is starting to knock at the door and i can’t push it off this time

#diary #school 2021

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sanhatation · 6 years

Text

ri’s thicc 2017 reflection post !

its still quite a few hours away from 2018 for me but i just wanted to take this time to reflect on my absolutely Lovely 2017!!! yay time 2 get sappy as i word vomit and overshare about my year on tumblr.com !!!!

thank you loads to all of my LOVELY followers !!!!!!!!! yall are the cutest, make my day on the daily ! i wish you the best 2018 that the world can offer !!! stay healthy, take time for yourself, love yourself, love others, and be kind! 💓💓

this Riley Rant here, is gonna be here for me than anything. like a Fat journal entry !! and i am an Oversharer so here she goes [jeopardy music]

to begin, i have met and befriended so many amazing people on here this year and WOW!!!!!! lovely and supportive and talented, beautiful aroha friends??? it doesnt get better than that!!!!! i would attempt to tag all of u but yall know who u are ;)) im endlessly grateful to those of you who have really made being on here worth it. heck ya sometimes im like “why do i even spend time on here” but then!!!! idk sunny comes swingin in with just a heart full of love or sara comes swingin in with her eggs or marian comes swingin in with her rare pairs or j comes swingin in with her baking posts and thats not even HALF of it !!!!! seriously.....love you guys tons.

to my friends who i have had the pleasure of remaining your friend this year and getting closer to u !! i love you. i really dont know how yall handle me especially 2015/2016 me?? a MESS! yall are the REALEST. again, yall know who u are ;)) i hope we can continue to talk and have fun in 2018, i wish yall the best.

and lastly....heres a THICC shoutout to my six shining stars.

as for me as an individual, 2017 was a freaking Whack year. it was incredible....dare i say, iconic. and now its time for.....RILEY’S 2017 HIGHLIGHTS !!!!!! (also includes: the sucky parts bc even those allowed me to grow !)

- man, did 2017 start out pretty rough when my country decided it was a good idea to elect a freakin cheeto for president. however! i had the lovely opportunity to attend the women’s march at my capital the day before inauguration !! and it was powerful!!!! truly an experience ill treasure forever!

- binch....thank u Winter Dream for my whole life. tbh i wont forget sobbing at my best friend’s house when it dropped. thank u Miss Again Dance Practice. thank u Miss You & Me MV. thank u Miss Cotton Candy Choreography. thank u.

- ah.....when some pinhead started that tr*mp chanting at a basketball game lol! so iconic that we made the new york times! gotta love that....

- OMG !!! HOW TO SUCCEED !!!! an absolutely amazing experience. granted, the male lead was a Snake, but i had a blast. Rosemary will forever be close to my heart and ill always cry a little when i hear Brotherhood of Man or Paris Original !! such an awesome opportunity. i learned a frick ton about myself as a performer. i improved a ton in acting and dancing, and also came to learn that i am very good at receiving instructions and memorizing lines quickly. i learned that i need to work on some of my facial expressions and i also learned some of my habits ! i miss u Queenie H2$ :’’)

- had my first tap dance performance ever??? i really enjoyed learning tap, and i hope to pick it back up in the future !!!!

- BIIIIIINCCH i had the opportunity to visit my sister in korea!!!!!!! wow.....truly the BEST week of my entire year, maybe even LIFE! i went to the dog cafe, the sheep cafe, mcountdown, the lunar festival kick off, gwanghwamun palace, dongdaemun, shopped a ton around hongdae, ate food by the han river, visited namsan tower (but not without getting lost), hit the noraebang TWICE, walked into a private Fantagio board meeting, ate delicious chicken on a STIIICK, ran in the rain, ordered delivery mcdonalds, had the BEST fried chicken, met a bunch of monks, was led around dongdaemun by a very old korean man, SAW EUNWOO AND DOYEON AND RECEIVED MUCH LOVE AND NEARLY DIED, hit the convenience store literally every day, snuck out, GOT A WAVE FROM KEY :((( , bought Winter Dream and lots of skin care products and lots of cute clothes, had the clearest skin ive ever had in my life, went to a buddhist temple, witnessed a drunk man fall into the splits inbetween the ground and the subway, ran up and down 1000 subway stairs, fell in love with a man named Peanut, drank too much banana and strawberry milk, sobbed my face off at the festival as korean grandmas bowed to me, tried tons of new foods (including the nastiest bowl of cheese ramyun ive ever had in my life), bought lots of socks, rode an airplane for......like 40 hours in total? literally the best week of my Life

- had my junior vocal recital ! it was a cute girl. i felt my acting had really improved since sophomore voice recital !!

- had prom on my 17th birthday and had a jolly good time !!! my mom made my dress and i felt like a Stunner

- dream pt. 01...she rly is that Bad Bih. best era. miss her loads. none of us ever deserved her.

- les mis !!!!!! two whole weeks.....another Best Time. i learned so much, made so many lifetime friends, had a blast, sang my heart out.....such a freaking good time. i miss her

- got to spend the ENTIRE summer with momo!!!!!!!!!!! literally the ENTIRE!!!!! and what did we do? hit the park, watched lemonade mouth and fantastic beasts and starstruck and that random unicorn movie, made the Best slime, made that ICONIC weki meki video, laughed a ton, cried a ton, stayed up all night for the sunrise, stayed later for the sunset & thunderstorm, walked home in the pouring rain & lightning (IT IS VERY WET), went to the beach, met many dogs, got me hairs cut, befriended that Cat, and went to a painting class

- cabin week !!!!!!!!!!! whatta lovely time

- my brother’s wedding !!!! honestly? my best outfit of the year... had a bangin time. his wife is truly a cutie and i love her tons!

- there was that Mess in august and i still feel sorry to those who felt hurt because of it. i learned a lot about how things especially on the internet can be easily misunderstood and misinterpreted, so u gotta be EXTRA careful with your words !

- through that i also came to accept that u cant get everyone to understand or like u, and tbh that is okay for now. all we can do when we make mistakes is try to understand & learn, apologize, and try to better ourselves. and sometimes even when u do that, u still may not be liked. and thats okay. as long as you are trying your best and recognize mistakes, its all good.

-skinny dipped at girls time wow what a freaking TIME

- woah dude i dropped out of my arts school lmao!!! the BIGGEST change in my life since 2014.;..wow! i dont even have the words to say how much stress was lifted off of me and i love senior yr !!!!

- momo came to CT!!!!!!

- seeing svt live !!!!! but tbh the best part was seeing momo, “I LOVE A MAN WHO CAN SEW”, “I!!!!!!!!!! LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JIHOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”, “IM UNDERAGE”, and when Mo BLASTED to that other line

- LAKE COMPOUNCE LMAOOOOO I LOVE JIHOON PT2!!!!

- my mom, sister, and i took an eight week painting class! i finished two paintings and learned a ton!! honestly a good time

- dream pt. 02.....shes that other Bad Bih....absolutely adore her

- i also learned that its okay to cut people off who are toxic. especially if you have already informed them that they make u feel bad, they are not worth trying to please or keep around. take care of yourself. similarly, its okay to block people, and you dont owe them an explanation

- MADI CAME HOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my other half...missed her so much :(((

- riley’s calligraphy christmas !!!!! was so much fun and i loved people’s reactions and i loved learning arohas favorite astro lyrics !!!

- ah...............one of the hardest weeks of my whole life. the pain still lingers, and i know itll hit me again like a boulder the next time we see only four of my angels standing on stage. for four months, i was worried sick about another member, and i even knew he was hurting, that his mental illness was real. my heart aches and there is a piece of it missing, but it will never be replaced. i know you are much happier now, jjong. i love you.

- and also because of that, i have been able to think a lot about how i live my life. thoughts like ‘am i watching out for my family and friends enough?’ ‘am i listening enough?’ ‘is this funny comment worth it?’ ‘am i happy?’ im trying to be better. to not take things for granted, to only be kind, to always be there for those i love, for those who love me. and i will try my hardest to not complain about small or petty inconveniences. to try harder to be optimistic.

- christmas was with my whole family for the first time in five years ;;; she was such a cute girl!

and now on to the next act !!!! its called RILEY’S NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS !!!!!!!!!!

1. lets start with the basic stuff that im 99% not gonna pull through on: keep ur room clean. keep everywhere u go clean, it makes mom upset. eat better, u know there is other foods in this house besides peanut butter and pepperoni and popcorn.

2. send out at least one Lovely Ask per day. i made this goal sometime over the summer, and i did it for a few months until i started to forget ;; its not that hard, u just gotta remember to do it !!

3. sis.....quit Procrastinating.......GET ur FREAKING application done...do ur homework the night before lmao! call who u need to !!! write those thank u cards!!!! go get them scholarships!!!! enter that graphic design contest lmao!!! just DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!! time is wasting

4. just be happy

#hot frick this is four pages on google docs FHFJJDSLASJ #anyway heres a word dump #if u actually read this......ur insane................and i love u #about me !#riley's thicc 2017 post #riley really really rambles

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rontra · 5 years

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do you have any recommendations on how to like. Take In Umineko. I think it looks really cool and I’d like to get into it, but there’s a lot of things that are confusing (like all of the different games, the manga, the anime, ect.) and I’m not really sure where to start watching/reading it. Do you have any advice on where the best place to start is?

HOH BABY NOW THIS IS A GOOD ASK

Basically, a lot of this depends on you and how you prefer to take in media. People are different after all; some people like reading long novels, some prefer comics, u know! So let’s just go over all the avenues and how to get at them, and the rest is up to you!

I’m gonna make this post very long. VERY VERY LONG. IM SO FUCKn SORyr

First, I’ll talk abt what umineko is; then I’ll discuss the various media; finally, at the end, I’ll write down what I typically recommend to newcomers! SCROLL REALLY FAST TO THE HEADERS IF U HAVE NO TIME FOR MY RAMBLING LOL

So…here we goooo

READING UMINEKO: UNTANGLING THE WEB

OR: what the fuck is umineko and why do you want me to read it, diesel?

Since this is a general To Whom It May Concern post: Umineko no Naku Koro ni (Or Umineko: When They Cry, alternatively When The Seagulls Cry) is a murder mystery/fantasy/metafiction visual novel published between 2007 and 2011. I know “murder mystery” and “metafiction” sound pretty boring when you combine them, but trust me–Umineko’s unlike anything you’ve seen, and defies explanation. Still, I’m here to do my best!

Umineko is about a rich and complicated family, and their annual family conference–and the year it goes super duper badly. On an isolated island, in the middle of a typhoon, tragedy befalls the family–on a massive scale! Someone is killing them–all of them–and the only answer that seems to be rising is–

“Beatrice did it.”

But Beatrice isn’t supposed to really exist. Not for real!! No one by that name is on the island. It’s just a story! She’s made up–Beatrice is a legend. A witch who has lived for a thousand years–who loaned the family patriarch ten tons of gold, an insane amount of wealth, in exchange for his soul. Now she’s collecting on that loan, taking everything back, with interest–the lives of the family included.

Is the culprit a human, or not? Does the witch exist, or not?Is the culprit one of the 18 people? Does a 19th person exist? Or…?And, most importantly–when the typhoon passes, will anyone remain alive on the island?

[YouTube: Umineko opening]

I’d super-recommend Umineko if you enjoy: strong characterization, a solidly built mystery (with plenty of smaller mysteries to try your brain with along the way ;) ), complex and nuanced characters, hype magic fights, Logic-Based Combat(???), deep discussions of trauma and its consequences, large casts of characters, Genre Fuckery, coping, Meta™, and milfs Complex Lore

I would, however, NOT recommend Umineko if you are triggered by/can’t stomach reading about: body horror, gore, death, trauma, child abuse, bullying, discussion of suicide, discussion of sexual assault, etc (you can message me for a more complete list of warnings; I’m happy to provide super-specific ones if there’s something specific you’re concerned about, or even give you specific scenes to watch out for. I kept this vague on purpose, but if you message me off anon or via DMs here or at @aceyasu, I’ll be happy to answer anything!)

Overall it’s a pretty dark, emotional story, with a lot of Themes™–but it’s also full of love and genuine heartfelt Feelings. I don’t think any story has touched me the way Umineko has! Of course, everyone’s experience is very unique to them, but I think Umineko has something for everyone (provided, of course, that we’re taking into account the content warnings and excluding people who can’t/don’t want to encounter those things!). The characters, music, story and message–it all has a lot of heart and it all is very important to me as an individual. Obviously no media is flawless, but I think Umineko’s good outweighs its bad…YMMV though of course :p

Also, hype magic fights.

OKAY WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY

Umineko’s story is told over 8 arcs–styled as “episodes”. I use “arc” and “episode” sort of interchangeably! Specific ones I just call “EP#” though. All you really need to know though is there’s 8 of them, of varying length, and you have to read them all for the full story.

Thankfully they’re numbered, am i right?? HAFDmgkdfmg

Each episode has its own focus within the overarching narrative and comes with its own fun mysteries and harrowing developments just for you! yay! But basically, the important thing is that they’re divided into the Question Arcs (1-4) and Answer Arcs (5-8).

Sometimes, to make things confusing, the Answer Arcs are also called “Core Arcs” or “Chiru”. I will use “Answer Arcs” here, but if you encounter those two elsewhere, that’s what they are. :p

ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING UMINEKO

(now that im done YAPPING)

The anime

Generally viewed as a poor product. It’s a bad adaption that fails as a standalone, too, because of the amount of important scenes that are missing. Don’t watch the anime first if you really want to get into Umineko. It’s a fun watch once you know how it’s supposed to go, though :p Covers the Question Arcs only, ends with EP4–so even if it was good, it would only be half the story… press f to pay respects. The opening fuckin slaps though, and all the VAs are solid.

The manga

Each Episode has its own manga adaption, usually done by a different artist (with exception of EP1, EP3, and EP8, which are all by the same artist). Generally solid; gets the most important parts. For people who want to get through quicker, the manga helps a lot.

The primary cost is that a lot of characterization doesn’t get to shine AS bright, as there’s simply no time to get into the nooks and crannies (still a great cast, though). However, the art is usually fantastic–since the artist changes every EP, it’s easy to deal with even if you don’t like a specific one’s style. It’ll be gone by next Episode!

A lot of moments get punched up by the more visual format of the manga. You really get a better sense of the characters interacting physically with one another! You do, however, run into the Scanlation Problem…..

I know, I know–most people, when given the option to, don’t want to pay for things. So when given the choice between fan scanlations and the official release, a lot of people would choose the scanlations. And they’re fine…for the most part…except for the parts that aren’t. Some parts (notably in the Answer Arcs) are…bad. Really bad. Even I can’t really understand it sometimes, despite knowing this story inside out… LOL

If you’re good at parsing Scanlation SNAFU or can’t afford/don’t want to buy it, you can find Umineko on MOST manga hosts! I don’t know which you prefer so I’m not gonna link ‘em hahahafkgmfh I usually use Manga Rock but that’s because I usually am reading on my phone and I like their app. The episodes are all numbered, so it’s pretty easy to find your way around!

On the other hand, if you have a hard time understanding poor translations, reading inconsistent typesetting/fonts, or simply Can afford it/prefer buying media, the manga is being officially released in English by YenPress! As is standard nowadays, you can get them in both physical volumes and digital e-books! However, YenPress’ release is currently ongoing–the first volume of EP8 is slated to release in March.

[YenPress link]

The visual novel

Ah, here we are–the head honcho himself…! This is the original version of Umineko. These are the ones we call “games”, and why we sometimes say u “play” Umineko, but. Really. It’s just reading. They’re kinetic novels. Its literally just reading. So I don’t know why we complicate things like that.

(“if she an .exe, shes a game”, I guess… xD)

This is where the characterization and voice of Umineko really shines! The style is often simple to read, sometimes even comically casual, but it cuts deep when it wants to. Even really simple lines can have a really strong impact–it’s a really pleasant style to read, IMO…pretty easy to understand most of the time, but emotionally resonant all the same!

Reading the VN is somewhat of an undertaking, because of the amount of hours required…It’s a far longer read. Depending on your reading speed and whether or not you pause to think/talk about things as you read, people clock in 100-200 hours to finish it.

But, on the upside–because it has so much more time than the manga, the VN can really get deep into the characters, their dynamics, and their inner conflicts. You really get a deep sense for everyone’s character and it makes most of the cast feel fleshed-out enough that you appreciate all of them to some extent (whether positive or negative :P)

Oh, actually–the original Umineko branded itself a “Sound Novel”….as opposed to a Visual Novel, where the emphasis is on, uh–Visuals–Umineko leans more heavily on audio to create its atmosphere. And the music? Fuckin rips!! The Umineko soundtrack is huge and has tons of absolute bangers. It’s easy to see why it decided to market itself as a Sound Novel rather than a visual novel–the graphics of the original PC version are simple, but the atmospheric sound effects and BGM really shines.

Here’s some enticing tracks to pique yr interest (be careful about the comments/etc though, there’s Definitely spoilers in there xD)[worldenddominator] [dead angle] [dir] [system0] [hope]

The VN nowadays is split into the two halves; if you get EP4, it’ll include 1-3 as well, essentially. Picking up Question Arcs (or EP4) and Answer Arcs (or EP8) gives u the whole 8 episodes. Easy peasy! Because we live in the future now, and retroactive inclusion of past games is just convenient!

There is an official English release now, which is a brand new luxury. It’s even on Steam! Wow! That’s the easiest way to get your paws on the hands-on experience. The translation has been slightly updated as well! Also, they added a new set of toggle-able graphics that are…um…I mean they’re certainly new…#BarelyContainedOpinionAlert

If you don’t want to pay or can’t afford it…uhhh….I used to have torrent links but they’re all dead. :T still, you can probably just find them, if you know your way around torrents. For the translation, you’ll have to either get a pre-patched version of the game, or use the translation group’s instructions to patch it yourself.

If you can’t do either of those, or just don’t really have a preference, or…any number of reasons, you can also find all the games fully recorded and uploaded to YouTube (with or without commentary)!

As for the links, I’ve got them right h–

Wait–oh, sh–the graphics are bad?!? You think the graphics are bad? Or you think plain reading is boring? Y-you can’t understand what the background image in this scene is even supposed to be? Ah…the post-2007 struggle….

The visual novel, Part Deux: AH, THE JPEGS edition

OKAY SO I SPLIT THIS APART BECAUSE IT*S IMPORTANT

If you wanna spruce up your VN-reading experience, here’s the thing: they ported the game to PS3, with brand new graphics and–get this–full voice acting. Wow! There’s even CGs now…Jeez!

These are NOT the same graphics as the new ones from the official English release! That’s important!

SO, if you wanna spruce up the graphics a bit, or you enjoy voice acting with your novels, you can do that! People took apart the PS3 games and made patches for the PC version to enjoy the new graphics and voices. And now it’s available for the Steam version as well!

[SPRITE COMPARISON: ORIGINAL PC | PS3 | STEAM]You pick your favorite!

ALSO VOICE ACTING! WOW!! Remember how I said the anime got two things right and they were the OP and the voice cast?

SAME CAST, BABEY!!!! They are all excellent and do a wonderful job! It can really add some more interest if you struggle with staying focused on “plain” reading.

Okay so NOW the links:

You’ll have to dig up torrents yourself if you want those, bc its 6am and I’m too sleepy to… uzu

QUESTION ARCS[Physical Eng release] or [Steam page] +[PS3 PATCH]

ANSWER ARCS[Physical Eng release] or [Steam page] +[PS3 PATCH]

YOUTUBE[Non-commentated, with PS3 patch] you can find more just by searching but this one looks good to me :p

RONTRA OPINIONS / SUGGESTIONS

Personally, I favor the VN for most scenes, but the manga for my light casual reading. Y’know? The VN can be pretty…um…dense, at times.

Ironically, I think EP1 itself might be the biggest hurdle for total first-timers. It’s definitely paced as a “part 1 of 8″ for the first solid portion! By which I mean, it really takes its time establishing the cast and their individual situations. Which isn’t a bad thing–especially in the overarching scope of how long the story is–but if you aren’t sure about the premise, format, or if you’ll enjoy Umineko at all, it can be sort of…challenging.

It all really depends on the individual–things like attention span, investment, and personal preferences, imo. Some people just don’t enjoy reading that much text at once! And that’s fine! Some people love it and that’s fine! Some people think the intro is too long, some people think it’s intriguing from the start. Some really like watching character building, and some prefer to see action happening. Either way is fine, so it’s really up to you!

Usually, if someone isn’t sure, I suggest they try EP1 in manga form first, just to see if the general premise entices them; it’s fully possible to jump back and do the VN if you decide you like it! It sacrifices some characterization in exchange for exploring the main premise a little faster.

Similarly, if you just can’t get into the VN–you can read the entire thing with manga too, if you favor action over the deepest character lore. It’s still a good time and a good experience!

Though, in EP1′s favor–if you ARE sure about it, and are able to dedicate your attention to the first 10-13 hours of set-up, EP1 has one of the most rewarding escalations I’ve encountered! If you are able to sit and read a fairly long-winded introduction, you are rewarded with the most buck wild Popping Off you can imagine.

So there’s nothing wrong with jumping right in there with the VN, if you enjoy reading!

However, if you do find that the VN is dragging too much for you, you can go in reverse too–and finish EP1 by manga, then decide if you want to jump back to the VN or not. I promise, the novels pick up the pace too–it’s just getting all the introductions down that can be daunting, when the initial cast size is a staggering 18 people (plus the LORE has to be established too)!!

Just for you–if you want to get into Umineko, but struggle with EP1, I’ll offer my private archive of YenPress manga rips for EP1–read the manga, official english translation, for free thanks to your dealer friend, rontra,You will have to message me about it, though–off anon or via DMs, here or at @aceyasu.

My favorite setups when I play by myself are either Original PC Graphics + Voice Acting, or Full PS3 Patch. I personally really like the original PC graphics, but I understand some people think they’re kinda…um…Rough, to say the least xD PS3 graphics are a close second for me though.

I don’t really like the steam version’s new sprites. Some people don’t mind them, so it’s up to you what you prefer, but I think they don’t really convey the feeling as well as their counterparts sometimes… :/

But hey, everyone’s got their own opinions!

I also prefer the EP8 manga to the EP8 VN. If I have control over someone’s first playthrough, I always push over to the manga for EP8! In my opinion, it’s a rare instance where the adaption is better than its original. People have different opinions on this, of course, but since this section is My Opinions Central, that’s my opinioooon!!! :D

SO BASICALLY MY OWN PERSONAL PREFERRED STRUCTURE IS

->TRY EP1 (jump over to manga if struggling; if enjoyed manga ep1 until the end, hop back into the VN at EP2 and come back to EP1 if you want to later)

EP2-EP7 VN

EP8 MANGA(EP8 VN if desired afterwards, once the dust settles)

But you’re free to do what you want, of course. ;9

And then after that there’s some spinoffs that I didn’t talk about because that’s a post for another time. (There’s a fighting game! It’s packed full of spoilers.)

AFTERWORD

All in all, Umineko is…big. its very very big. it has a huge cast (the final count comes out to like, almost 70 characters!) and a huge story. and huge feelings.

The manga and the VN are the main avenues of getting into it. It’s easier than it looks at a glance; and yet, more daunting than it seems…

If you have the time and energy to pour hours of your time into it, Umineko is a super worthwhile story that tackles genuinely difficult material with a delicate but honest hand.

It clowns up sometimes and stumbles over its own demographic–see: Weird Vaguely Unpleasant Anime-brand Sex Comedy that springs up a lot in EP1, some in EP2, and then largely disappears save for a few dumb jokes here and there–but overall is a solidly built and solidly delivered story about trauma, love, loss, and getting your family ritual-murdered by a thousand-year-old witch who may or may not be real.

And if you have any questions at all (or just wanna talk Umineko), you can send an ask or IM me here or at @aceyasu–you can ask for my Discord too if you wanna really get into it. Or DM me on twitter! I’m happy to answer any question or elaborate on anything you’re confused about. I tried to go over this post quickly, so if I was too vague on something, feel free to ask!

The same of course applies to content warnings; if there’s something specific you’re worried about, I can answer it for you, whether it’s “does [specific thing] happen/appear” or “how much of [thing] is there, i can handle a little bit”! Anything! Of course I want people to read my favorite, but I also more than that want u all to be safe.

I’m very sorry that this post is literally three thousand words long. Umineko’s been my special interest for almost ten whole years. I get chatty! But hopefully my passion shines through and gets you excited!!!

LOVE, A BIG NERD

#Anonymous #long post #the umineko post

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