#time to settle in for my yearly rewatch

[devonsaurusrex]

Happy Dash & Lily season to all those who celebrate

#time to settle in for my yearly rewatch #dash & lily #midori francis #austin abrams #dash and lily #netflix #christmas

[gk999fangame]

February 2024 Devlog - A minor distraction (?)

This devlog was originally supposed to be about Gameknight999 Rebooted until my submission to a certain joke game contest on a certain Sonic fangame website ended up taking up most of my time this month. As such, I unfortunately couldn't get much done on GKR this month, but hey, I'll make sure to get some good stuff ready next time, alright?

Now that I have your attention, how about I tell a retrospective of my experience in that game jam? I can promise it will be worth it. (since this is not related to GK99R, it won't be tagged gk999fangame_devlogs like usual)

Context

Sonic Fan-Games HQ (SFGHQ) is the number one Sonic fangame website in the world for years by now, and is most well-known for it's yearly Sonic Amateur Game Expo (SAGExpo), an online E3-like dedicated not only to Sonic fangames, but also fangames of other IPs as well as indie games.

For a while now, SFGHQ has been regularly organizing Really Amateur Games Expo (RAGE), a side-event dedicated to Sonic joke games. Unlike the main event, RAGE is basically a game jam; people have 14 days to make a Sonic joke game following a given theme, and SAGE hosts livestream themselves playing through the games. For example, RAGE 2024's theme was "Sonic Mania 2", and the games were streamed by MotorRoach on February 17th.

I originally didn't intend to participate to that year's RAGE (I never even did a single Game Jam once in my entire life) until I rewatched past streams of Rummy (former SAGExpo host, very cool guy) playing old RAGE submissions. I told myself "god, it would be awesome if he laughed like that at MY game" and so I set off for my first RAGE, and first real game jam… 6 days late. Only 8 days left to make Sonic Mania 2 from scratch.

A troubled development

My submission was originally going to be called "Sonic Mania 2" until I actually started making the logo; at that time, I settled on the Mania soundalike "Majonga", for a full title of "Sonic Majonga". I later added the sub-title "The Trial" after rewatching the RAGE playthrough of Melpontro's INSANE 2019 submission, to imply that my game wasn't actually finished and only a trial version of a much larger thing yet to come.

From beginning to end, I had NOTHING even close to a project outline, and work was done in a real erratic order based on what I felt like working on: the title screen was ready before I even started working on the character controller, the last cutscene was done before the first, the second level was the last "scene" made from a chronological standpoint, etc.

This became a problem roughly three days before the deadline, when I ended up having pretty much everything ready, save from the actual levels. I had to rush things real hard to meet the deadline, and the level design for these levels more than suffered from it. At least, from other people's playthroughs, the levels took a balanced amount of time to clear; not too long, not too short. I still wish I had time to add more stuff in (springs, other varieties of enemies, speed shoes).

Gameplay mechanics

I'll get straight to the point here: I have no idea of how Sonic physics work, and can't even work with pre-made Sonic engines (Sonic Worlds, etc.). So, I decided to just not use Sonic physics at all, and make a regular platformer character controller. I am not the only one to do that by the way, "Sonic" games without the physics are commonplace at RAGE. I still ended up referencing this paradox in the actual submission through a non-functional, purely decorative loop with the text "imagine having functional loops in a RAGE game".

To compensate, I attempted to make the playables as unique as I could as well as add a touch of innovation there and there. Sonic's biggest changes revolved around the ground spin attack being replaced with the SA2 somersault attack. Due to a lack of time, I decided to make the drop dash and spin dash also go into a somersault. Knuckles cannot climb walls from a glide, but gets a dash punch, ground pound, and uppercut (now also usable mid-air as a makeshift double jump!). I also coded in small physics differences for each character, such as Knuckles having a lower top speed than Sonic.

The game's real big gameplay addition was Tails going from a semi-controllable CPU follower to a gun minigame; if playing as Sonic and Tails, the mouse will behave as a cowboy shooter minigame, where clicking around the screen can shoot down and destroy enemies and obstacles. You also have to handle an ammo gauge in the top-right, which can be reloaded at any time with right-click. There is also a hastly-implemented combo meter that's even programmed to not drain while mid-air, so you can theorically keep the same combo going for an entire stage with a bit of skillful movement.

Jokes galore

My number one objective for this game was to put a LOT of references and in-jokes. I often ended up naturally adding in jokes there and there while developing the game, so that wasn't really all that hard. Most infamously, it is filled to the brim with Scott Pilgrim jokes and references; most notable one is the title screen animation included the movie scene of Scott Pilgrim tying his shoes with Sonic's head edited in, and MotorRoach's chat went absolutely WILD when this part came on.

There's also various references to several past RAGE entries: These go from "Green Hill Man Man" from the eponymous RAGE 2018 submission ominously staring at you in G.Hill Act 1's background, or sprites of Cory in the House and Bradfordhound appearing inside the gold ring sprites (referencing Dankles' amazing Cory In The Ded 3.5 game). The one I am most proud of is the SEGA executive from 2022's "Operation Shadow Shoot" making a cameo at the end of the game, which prompted a reaction in chat from Rummy himself (who previously played Shadow Shoot at RAGE 2022 and lost his mind over it).

Other jokes were simply based on stuff I had in mind at that time. For example, the Sonic eyebrow face plastered all over the game was a Discord emoji I used for a lot of time, and the boss battle theme is the audio of "ytpmv elf", my favourite ytp of all times.

The future of the game

The game was streamed alongside other RAGE entries on February 17th at MotorRoach's twitch. In order to keep screentime even between all submission, MotorRoach couldn't showcase every piece of content that's available in the game during his playthrough (missing content include playable characters, alternate level routes, etc). So, even if you watched him play the game, there are still secrets waiting for you in there, including a big one that permanently (though subtly) alters your copy of the game.

One day after the full stream of the games, I was so proud of the game I decided to publish the game on itch.io ahead of RAGE's results, following the example of all my fellas on SFGHQ's discord. This was not only my first real game jam, but I also somewhat managed to accomplish my original goal: while Rummy wasn't the one playing the game, he still had a really positive reaction to it, and that's absolutely priceless to me.

I originally didn't really intend to update the game after the game jam (I thought I would just finish it, submit it, watch the reactions and never think about it again), but I had so much fun working on this and am really proud of what I had done, as flawed as it is. I genuinely want to keep working on this! First thing I will have to do though, is cleaning up and refractoring the engine (preferably from the ground up on a blank slate) as it was thrown together hastily with no regards toward working on a large scale.

This project won't have a major impact on my work on Gameknight999 Rebooted, as the latter remains obviously my main project; nonetheless, I still want to dedicate Majonga's future expansions a bit of my time, and will thus work on both projects side-by-side for the time being. Don't worry, GKR is still in the works, and I can say with certitude that I should have some nice stuff to show by next month!

Post closer

If you somehow read through all of this, I sincerly apologize for not adding any images. Otherwise, I don't really have a really good way of closing things out, but if you wanna try out the game while waiting for the next GKR devlog, it's available on itch.io right now!

#devlog #retrospective #indiedev #sagexpo #sonic #sonic mania #fangame

[tojisbootycall]

sorry yearly rewatch of spn has my trans sam brainrot coming out. read below the cut at your own risk cuz i gotta get this out before i keep going on my own fic

Sam first feels it walking home from school. He's in fifth grade and Dean goes to the middle school. They're supposed to meet every day at 3:45 on the corner of Wilson and Main. Sam always goes where Dean tells him to go so he's on his way when the creep sloughs down his spine. Maybe last year he wouldn't have felt the prick of being watched but he's nine now and he's started to notice things. Things like how Dean's throat has a bump in it where his does not. How his father and Dean have hair where Sam's skin is smooth. He's started to notice his chest and how it's slowly but surely getting bigger. It makes him nauseous, these understandings, but he doesn't know why. Doesn't know why it makes him want to punch a hole in the wall. All he knows is that last week Dean tried to be brotherly and take him to go get "feminine" stuff and he threw a tantrum so big the motel owner threatened to kick them out.

At least Dean hasn't mentioned anything about it since.

Still, Sam automatically scans his surroundings. He's older now, his father has taught him things. Nothing like Dean, who Sam thinks could fight the world and win. No, John treats him like he is breakable. He shows Sam how to curl a fist, how to dodge one, and how to aim a gun. He never shows him how to take a hit. Not like Dean. But still, he's started to teach Sam more about the world they really live in, so he watches the shadows carefully, waiting for movement.

When he doesn't find any, he turns back around. He immediately bumps right into someone. It's a woman. She's taller than him. He's still achingly short for his age. He hopes one day he'll get a growth spurt like Dean did.

The lady looks down at him and Sam gets an uneasy feeling. John has told him to trust these feelings so he does. He takes a step back. The lady just smiles more, raising her eyebrow at him. She's pretty, Sam notes, with smooth skin and long black hair, a dress that reaches her knees. "You okay there?" she says, and her voice is silky in Sam's ears.

"Yes, ma'am," he says, and he hates how his voice sounds. That he can't manage the gruff tone of Dean and his father even when he tries, the only traces of it coming out when he screams.

"What a polite young girl," the woman says.

Sam flinches involuntarily. He doesn't really know why. Just that it sounds wrong to him, those words strung together. Still, he's always supposed to be polite. "Thank you, ma'am," he says, looking up at her. If he doesn't go now he'll be late meeting Dean.

"You don't like that, do you?" the woman says. It's an inquisitive tone, not a fact, like she's observed something about him. Sam doesn't like that she has read him so easily.

"I'm a girl, ma'am, no worries." Yet the words feel like ash on his tongue. A curse given voice.

"Do you want to be? Sam, do you want to look like me when you grow up?"

And he has not given her his name. Sam backs up for real now, and yet takes her in all the same. How her hips are gentle curves, how the dress hugs her thin waist, her full chest. How the apple of her cheeks are adorned with blush, how her eyes are soft with mascara and shadow. How her hair cascades in thick waves, slightly curled. She's beautiful.

Sam does not want to be beautiful like this.

"I-I need to get Dean," he says, more to himself than her.

"I'm not here for Dean," she says, taking a step. Her eyes flick to black before settling back to brown and Sam shoots straight up. He's nine. This is a demon. Dean will never make it here in time. "I'm here for you, Sam." She crouches down to his level and takes his face in her soft yet firm hands. "I'm not here to hurt you, little one. I'm simply asking you a question. Do you want to look like me, Sam?"

"I don't want to make a deal!"

"No deals, Sam. I promise. Just yes or no."

He opens his eyes to look at her, forces himself to be brave because Dean would always be brave in times like this. Dean's not scared of anything. He thinks he's seen Dean scared once or twice, when their dad comes home drunk or angry, but those times he just locks the two of them in the motel bedroom until morning.

The woman's grip doesn't ease. Sam is nine, he can't outfight another being. So he squares his shoulders like he's seen Dean do and looks straight into her eyes. "No," he says, glad his voice doesn't shake.

"Okay," she says, releasing him. "What do you want instead?"

"What?"

"You don't want to be a girl, Sam." She runs a finger along his arms, a gentle nail down his throat like she has read his innermost thoughts. "What do you want instead?"

Sam looks at her long, long hair. It sways at her waist. His is almost as long. It's dark and brown and thick. He hates it, but every time he begs for a cut he's ignored. There's never enough time, enough money.

He curls his hand into a fist. "Sh-short hair," he hisses out, almost ashamed to say any of his wants to this thing, this demon. "I want short hair like Dean's."

"Okay, Sam."

There's a soft snap of her fingers, and when Sam looks again, the woman is gone. It's only a second before he hears his name being yelled from down the block in that gravelly voice that's still creaking and cracking in the middle.

When Dean catches up to him he nearly stops in his tracks, mouth still half open to yell at him for being late. "Dude. What the fuck did you do to your hair?"

Sam's fingers move slowly up his neck, and even then he can feel it. The soft fuzz of his hair on the nape of his neck. It's been shaved down, and when he shakes his head slightly, he can feel the shaggy layers against his cheekbones. His head feels inexplicably light. "Oh. Uh, I cut it. In the bathroom."

Dean assesses him. He reaches out and runs a hand through Sam's hair, then slaps him across the head. "Dad's so gonna have a fit."

Sam sticks his tongue out at him. "I don't care." And he doesn't, because for the first time in recent memory, Sam feels like Sam.

Dean rolls his eyes and throws an arm over his little brother's shoulders, steering him in the direction of the motel. "Whatever. Looks good, kid."

Sam shoves him and takes off, sticking his middle finger up back at Dean. He laughs when he hears the sound of his brother's footsteps running after.

"Not a kid!" he yells, and thinks maybe, one day, his voice can crack like Dean's too.

#spn #supernatural #trans!sam #levi writes #gonna add more to this as i feel like it #because by god i'll be damned if i add supernatural to my ao3 authored fics #this is staying between me god and tumblr

[kakusu-shipping]

1, 2, 4, 11, and 18 for the end of year asks? :0

Aaah thankyou Echo!!! This post might be long, please forgive me!

1. Did you add any F/Os to your list this year? Were they from new media or just a newly discovered love?

Here's every romantic F/O added to the list this year, or at least that I can remember adding this year. Years are long and my sense of time is very warped so it may not be fully accurate.

Most are from new media, or just new parts of media, like the end of the Owl House and the New Pokemon Games. The ones that are new loves from re-visits are Heracross, Smeargle, and Keckleon from Monster Mind, Mario and Luigi from Super Mario, Makarov from Fairy Tail, and Jill from The Wayward Children series.

Though Mario and Luigi are also what I consider my first F/Os, they weren't officially on the list until the movie came out, so I'm counting them in the 2023 yearly wrap.

2. Did you reconsume any of your F/Os’ source media this year? How did you feel about the rewatch/listen/read/etc?

I rewatch Assassination Classroom every year in March and it makes me cry every time. I also replay Hatoful Boyfriend and Holiday Star every December for Kazuaki and Hitori, watch Baka and Test sometime around late Summer most years to ease my seasonal depression, and rewatch Mushishi at least once a year.

Other than that, nothing super meaningful. I rewatched a few LPs of Mario games, replayed through Paper Mario myself, watched Romantic Killer again, Reread Manly Appetites every other month or so, watched The Cat Returns once or twice, played more Pokemon, Restarted Monster Mind (still haven't finished it), and skimmed the Ouran Manga at the library while waiting for them to replace the volume they're missing.

HOWever, this latest reread of Down Among the Sticks and Bones is what got me to finally put Jill on the F/O list, so that feels worth mentioning. I love that book <3

4. Was there anything on your blog that you were particularly proud of this year?

No, not really. My drawings were all very incomplete and sketchy this year with long gaps between them, and my writing really flaked off suddenly, I haven't written more than a paragraph at all this year.

I wouldn't say I'm particularly proud of them, but I did really enjoy making moodboards last month and am kind of waiting for my health to settle so I can get back to them. Making stuff for other self shippers is a lot more fun than writing/drawing for myself atm.

11. Was there new media for any of your F/Os this year? If so, what was your opinion on it?

Yes FNaF Help Wanted 2 came out and gave us New Sun Content and I LOVED IT!!!!! He's such a bitch!!!! A shit!!! A snobby theater kid!!! He's so controlling and harsh I LOVE him <3 So happy to know more about him honestly and that he's not all UwU Caregiver that the fandom made him. I like soft characters, but he's a HORROR character he needs to be a little fucked up!!

18. Did you have a favorite trend in the selfship community from the past year?

I'll be honest, I don't pay much attention to what other people in the selfship community are doing. I follow the tags but if there's like a popular trend thing going around, I miss it every time.

My LEAST favorite right now though is the whole "Stolen from an Anti" thing. I have no qualms about stealing posts it's whatever, but I hate when it's says that in text at the bottom of the post. Just tag it as such so I can filter it please

#Thankyou for asking #Long post #Sorry sorry for the long post I wanted to put all the photos in there!!!! #Aaaah I've been wanting to go back to Monster Mind for a few weeks now but I'm #Soooooo sick I don't have the energy for it #And my MOUSE KEEPS DOUBLE CLICKING #Which would be back for a puzzle game... #Augh... anyway...... #Thankyou so much for asking Echo #I'm so sad the tumblr year in review thing isn't happening this year #I really really like seeing who I posted the most about this year... #And using it to make a new banner #Hm what should I do then... I didn't do a Halloween one this year... #I don't wanna just wait till February for my birthday one... #But I can't.... draw.... right now.......... #Augh...... #I'll figure it out

[popculturebuffet]

Close Enough Reviews: The Canine Guy

We’ve finally reached the end.. hopefully not of the season and there are hints that there’s a little more to come so fingers crossed, but of the massive bomb. 12 episodes, with three thankfully done already. 1 day. Doors open let’s go after the blurb and the cut.  Josh and Alex have a falling out over a yearly tradition that leads to Josh befreinding a talking dog raised on Jim Carrey movies, while Bridgette drags Emily to a cabin in the woods, wooo ooo, to try and get their music duo back on top and run into musical legend and living god Weird Al Yankovic. Dare to be stupid under the cut. 

Like many episodes of this show, and what i’ve said is a strength this episode is two plots tha tsomehow end up smashing into each other but unlike the rest it’s 22 minutes. The show was, unsuprisingly originally convinced this way, as recently revealed by JG himself during the show’s premiere day reddit ama, but the execs later decided to simply cut most of hte episodes down to 11 minutes to improve hte pacing, which as we’ve seen clearly worked . But this one DOES make full use of it’s 22 minutes and does make me hope if hte show gets a season 2 they feel free to ping pong a bit. So with that settled, let’s dive in.  Our A-Plot starts with a flashback showing Josh and Alex’s yearly tradition: Going to midevil times together, due to having seen it in the cable guy, even qouting it and other jim carrey movies as the two were super fans. This continues fine into college but by last year alex just.. isn’t as into it. IT’s a sacred friend ritural and all but Alex is just getting bored.  Things come to a head in the present where, when Alex tries to just flat out get out of it, as he has press agents looking at his viking novel he’s been working on who might actually publish it and as his characeter profile, if not the series makes clear, just like josh and emily’s own dreams this is his. It’s resonable, they could just resschedule.. but Josh feels betrayed lashes out, Alex calls medivial times stupid and historiclaly inaccurate (even if he loves fecatia dippers with tomato soup ), and Josh storms off. Josh wallows, and finds the mead tastes like horse piss (Which leads to an utterly great and gross gag when it turns out ita ctually is, the guy serving it says “He’s on to us”) And switches to brownies using the same horse. Sometimes a grossout gag can work.  However Josh soon finds a new buddy in a talking dog named dog guy who was tourtred by and is running from the scientest who created him for reasons we’ll get to in the climax. And since the dog was also raised on jim carrey movies, and gets josh’s refrences and love of htem, the two quickly bond. Alex is pissed and jealous, somehow more than with his own ex wife, to see this despite trying to clear his schedule to make things up to josh, as he’s still a good guy and can realize he was wrong, and has his meetings, which are boring or frustrating, whie also stalking JOsh and Dog boy. Alex in a fit of rage at seeing dog boy seemingly tear up his manuscript calls the scientest, who popped by earlier looking for him.. only to find out that he just tore up the ending because he felt , as ac ollege graduate no less, that it could be a franchise and the two become friend. WHile Josha nd Alex fight over him Dog GUy’s creator kidnap him and the two head off, their freindship exploding over josh calling the cops and the two both wanting the dog to be their new best friend as well as the whole medievil times thing. Meanwhile Pearles tracking dog guy’s creator, because as she explains to ready cold cases are her majong and lets Candace be the corrput denzel washington type which unlike the previous pearle bit has REALLY not aged well for a number of reasons, but none I can blame the show itself for. 

Alex and Josh head after dog boy and find that the crazy lady who made him is making animal films (It was tourture because she’s bad at it and she was still genuinely abusive) and seeing dog guy as a failure wants to chop up his balls (after using 80 diffrent terms with alex scremaing “Just say balls), to make new dog guys.  Meanwhile in the B plot we first see Bridg and Emily’s comedy rock act which is genuinely funny but fails to impiress with Bridgette having grown frustrated over emily’s focus on candace, in a nice parallel.It also shows that for all her social mediaing and partying, Bridgette DOES take her music seriously but it hasn’t been able to progress without her musical partner.Emily waffles on joining her for a cabin retreatto work on it, with bridgette evne assuming with a fake emily she made out of pillows that emily would bring candace but nope: Candace is left with pearle and josh is busy with a dog so Emily is free. Things still don’t go well: Emily still won’t focus and is on her phone constantly, and emilys defense of “well you were on your phone at your wedding” when BRidgette calls her on it falls flat in a nice moment when bridgette points out she’s divorced. It’s also a nice moment of self relfeciton that shows Bridgette has learned from “Robot Tutor” and accepted her part in her marriage falling apart. The two fight until an angel appearls: Weird Al Yankovic! Like I hoped it really is him! Not that it’s HARD to get him to do voice work, he’s done quite a bit and he’s always happy to pitch in for another comedian, as Red Letter Media recently pointed out he’s kind of the bridge to all eras of comedies as he never really went away. When the two ask which is better: using your family or shutting it out, he admits there’s no perfect way to write a song or no one right way you just do your best.. and in his case stab yourself iwth a narwhal tusk and pray to a demonci god. Then one of the crazy lady’s animals attacks, we get another trailer homage and as they approach our herooines both apologize, Emily admitting Bridg is like her sister and in a funny but still sweet moment BRidgette admits she’s like a half sister... and only dosen’t say the full sister because she has a sister and dosen’t throw that around lightly, but the sentiments the smae. But the animals are recalled to deal with Josh and Alex, so while Emily and Bridgette follow them we get our climax.  Alex and Josh naturally crumble under hteir new foes, but both , like their spouse and ex spouse, reconnect over their mutual love of dog boy and apologize for their behavior to one another, sharing one last dumb and dumber most annoying sound in the world.. which ends up being the key to defeating the animals with Pearle soon swooping in to arrest dog boy’s creator.. for unpaid parking tickcet,s a good gag. She’s in jail, Dog Boy is free and the whole madness and talking dog has given Bridgette and Emily a new song. Our friends are all best pals again, Dog Boy spends time with bost his best friends before nleaving to start his own theater and work on his acting career, so he could show up again and I really hope he does. That last part was revealed via a hilarious where are they now that shows where all the animals oepn up and we close, hopefuly not on the series but on this day Final THoughts; This was a really good one. While admitelly havn’t not watched any pf the classic jim carrey films in years, though I own dumb and dumber I just haven’t gotten around to rewatching it, it was a nice throughline and the kind of specific nostaliga this show is great at. It was also nice to see a conflict where alex is being througly resonable to start and shows that beneath his nutty exterior (he also assumes the scinetests plan is at first to make furries even sexier (his note, add more nips)) is a guy who like his friends has a dream. We see the same with Bridgette who most of the time is’nt on give a fuck mode but here we see there is something besides her friends and ex husband she cares about: her music. It’’s a nice roll reversal to see BRIDGETTE, be the one to take something seriously and Emily to be the one who can’t commit to it and it takes compromise and both realizing they need each other to work. IT’s a nice examination of the shows core freindships that also has a wonderful talking dog and of course weird fucking al being amazing as allways. A stellar close out to this swarm of episodes and hopefully not hte series.  I”ll give my thoughts on the season as a whole later if this turns out to be the season and in a few weeks if not, but for now I finsihed this matharthon and i’m glad: Close enough is a damn good show that while having some more eh episodes, has a good strong emotional core, a great cast, great humor and is creative as hell while improving on the genre and even it’s predecessor. Just a delight to watch. I have regular coverage of Amphibia and Owl House coming up saturday, and hopefully close enough will continue each week, but if not until we meet agian later days. I’m going to go lie down. WOO. 

#close enough #jg quintel #hbo max #the canine guy #streaming #reviews

[l0andbehold]

best tv, movies, & music of 2020

If I leaned into one hobby during this trashfire of a year, it was consuming media. Me and my poor little astigmatized eyes observed a rigorous nightly schedule of Netflix and chill, Hulu and disassociate, Starz and eternal scream, etc., etc.

I never ever do this but maybe I'll start doing it yearly. Here are my favorite things I watched and listened to in 2020, in no particular order. (And if something you loved isn’t here, that’s okay! Different tastes, but also, there are a lot of new things I skipped, especially shows with dark themes or lots of violence.)

Television

Betty, season 1 (HBO)

Water with cucumber and lime. Stepping across an autumn leaf-littered sidewalk in thick-soled boots. Lying on a floatie in a pool mid-summer. In the same vein, Betty refreshes. Based on Crystal Moselle’s Skate Kitchen, Betty serializes the adventures of a group of energetic and beautiful gen Z girls trying to take a bite out of New York City’s men-dominated skateboard scene. The series is sweet and naturalistic, and deftly handles issues of family strife, workplace racism, and sexual assault. It was an oasis in a year of overwhelm.

Vida, season 3 (Starz)

I’ve loved Vida from season 1 but it took the panny for me to sit down and get caught up. Vida follows two estranged sisters who move back to East LA to run their mother’s bar after her sudden death. I often disagree with the show’s politics (e.g., its ethos is more pro-gentrification than not, the utter lack of Afro-Latinx cast members); nevertheless, Vida handles issues of legacy, intimacy, and queer identity with tenderness. Mishel Prada is mesmerizing in her portrayal of Emma, who finally lets love in. This is by far the most underrated show of the decade.

P-Valley, season 1 (Starz)

One of the rules of Mississippi strip club The Pynk? No motherfucking chips! This specificity and humor is all up and through P-Valley. Creator Katori Hall’s world is so well-built that you can almost feel the club’s dim interior and lithe dancers. Mercedes, a tough veteran dancer trying hard to leave The Pynk, and the club’s proprietor, non-binary femme sensation Uncle Clifford, are engaging, charismatic leads. Unapologetically Black and southern, P-Valley is critically acclaimed for good reason and I can’t wait for season 2.

Almost made the list: The Flight Attendant (HBO Max), How to with John Wilson (HBO)

Movies

Palm Springs (Hulu)

I’ve always had a little crush on Andy Samberg because he’s extremely good at his job--being funny. Yes, he’s funny in this film, and he also perfectly reflects the weariness and nihilism of millennials today. Cristin Milioti is an excellent co-lead who uses her large eyes to express at turns annoyance, excitement, and pain. A film about reliving the same day, every day, was kind of cruel to watch during the heart of my quarantine, but Palm Springs was a sumptuous, romantic companion.

Disclosure (Netflix)

I really don’t like when media about marginalized groups is billed as “much needed” or “powerful”. It’s patronizing and flattens the creator’s artistic vision. So, I won’t use that language but I will acknowledge how much I learned from Disclosure and how affecting it was. It offers a deep dive into representations of trans folks in mainstream media and is extremely well-edited and cohesive. Importantly, it was produced by trans people and directed by trans filmmaker Sam Feder. Watch it.

The Old Guard (Netflix)

There was a joke floating around on Twitter about how a lot of women never thought we liked action movies until we saw The Old Guard, then we realized, oh, we just need to see women in instrumental roles! Beyond Charlize Theron’s layered performance as an immortal baddie, the story is inventive and engrossing. The Old Guard is super rewatchable and a lot of fun.

Almost made the list: I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Netflix), On the Record (HBO Max), Tender, Onward 

Music

Favorite albums

Jaguar

Victoria Monét is a star. Maybe it’s because I’m in my thirties but I had never heard of her before my friend urged me to listen to Jaguar (shoutout to Kayla, thank you, Kayla!). I like my R&B warm and well-written and cozy. Victoria’s voice is smooth and polished and evokes the sensuality of jazz singers from the 30s. When she croons “had a feeling we would take it this far / when you kissed me in your car”, it’s easy to tell why Kehlani fell for her. This is, as they say, an album with no skips.

Suga & Good News

Megan Thee Stallion’s year was marred by a horrible event--she was shot. And then, social media trolls did their best to blame her for the shooting because the curse of being a Black woman is that we are never allowed to be victims. Even still, she bookmarked either side of that event with an EP, Suga, and her first full-length album Good News. They are strong projects (although I prefer Suga) because our girl is as clever and versatile as ever, constantly one-upping herself and her featured artists with rhyme after rhyme. Hotties rejoice, the champ is here to stay.

Ungodly Hour

Chloe x Halle have cemented their status as Those Girls. Ungodly Hour is a near-perfect album and showcases their startlingly beautiful harmonies and earwormy, haunting lyrics. This album was a key piece of fuel as I hammered away at my dissertation prospectus this summer. I would wiggle my shoulders in time with “Do It”, belt out “Tipsy”, and ignore the catch in my throat when “Lonely” was on. Importantly, Chloe and Halle are settling into adulthood and the darker themes on this project reflect that. Believers and skeptics alike, Ungodly Hour is for you.

Almost made the list: Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated Side B, Emily King - Sides, Jessie Ware - What’s Your Pleasure?

Favorite tracks

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion - “WAP”

“Gobble me, swallow me, drip down the side of me”-- Do I need to go on???

Aminé - “Compensating”

Aminé is attractive and competent and so is this single. It’s the perfect summer track.

Giveon - “Heartbreak Anniversary”

His voice haunts me. When I first heard Giveon, I looked up as if to ask who is that? He’s model-beautiful and his deep baritone lingers in the room after the song ends.

Jessie Ware - “Ooh La La”

I have loved Jessie Ware since her first album Devotion, which was firmly R&B. This single and accompanying album are disco/funk territory. “Ooh La La” is uplifting and well-suited to Jessie’s warm soprano.

#best tv 2020 #best movies 2020 #best music 2020 #2020 #betty hbo #p-valley #vida #palm springs #the old guard #disclosure #suga #good news #jaguar #ungodly hour #wap #compensating #giveon #amine #jessie ware #ooh la la #megan thee stallion #victoria monet

[muthaz-rapapa]

Rewatch: Mahou Tsukai Precure Ep 2

For the record, I am always going to be that little girl excited to go magic school for the first time.

You won’t take that away from me, EVAH!

Hello, hello again and welcome to episode 2 of our rewatch marathon!

Unfortunately (or fortunately, hahaha), I couldn’t make it shorter since I have to talk about everything but I did finish it by Sunday so yay~!

Oh, and I’m going to switch to using the terms “witch/wizard” in place of “mage” from now on. The rough translation of “魔法使い” (mahoutsukai) is literally “magic user” but it can also be exchanged with words like “mage”, “sorcerer”, “magician” so technically, it’s not wrong. “Witch” and “wizard” can also have more specific translations ( (魔女, majo & 魔道士, madoushi, respectively) but I still feel they’re more appropriate for MahoPre’s setting. It just depends how you interpret the context, I guess.

Starting with the Snailiner.

I mean, it’s a giant snail train transporting you between worlds.

That’s so friggin’ awesome!! *squees* xDD

And here are our Muggle newbies, taking in the inter-realm sights for all its worth.

But that’s not as important as OMGERD, Mofurun’s lil’ tail twitching in wonder and curiosity! KYAAAAA~!!!

Mofurun smooshing her nose to the glass to get a closer look~!!

SO BABEY, IT HURTS!!!!

(੭ु ›ω‹ )੭ु⁾⁾♡

Riko, however, is eager to get down to business and tries to get an answer on how Mofu-chan came to life...

But these two are just too happy that they can talk to each other now that they don’t really care about the whys or the whats of the hows and UGH!

My heart! *clutches chest* 

♡(｡>ˇ艸<)

God, we know Mirai has probably been talking to Mofurun since she could first utter words (and likely baby gabbled to her before that, too) but imagine how long that wait must have been for Mofurun! Never knowing if there will ever be chance for her to tell Mirai know how much she loves her and everything!

I’m so happy Mofu-baby got her wish in the end! <3

Oh, Riko...

You’re in for a lot of these non-answers, I’m afraid. (^ ^ ;;)

Next is Mirai’s turn to ask the questions and of course, she wants to know what Precure is.

We already know how this goes as a yearly tradition but it’s interesting how centuries/extensively long periods of time can embellish a legend so much that it differs significantly from how it was originally told or what it actually means.

The way Riko explains it, it’s as if Precure has appeared in the world before when in reality, Mirai and Riko are in fact the very first Precure (in this universe).

The conditions match up because (WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD):

1) The “magic” (Precure) Mother Rapapa mentioned before her passing will occur when the two worlds come together again. Cue a person from the Mundane World (Mirai) meeting and teaming up with a person from the Magic World (Riko) to fulfill that prophecy. Also note that before these two, no pair like them has ever showed up since Mother Rapapa’s death even though the Magic World has already found ways to travel to the Mundane World and back long ago.

2) Mother Rapapa’s powers are implied to take on the form of Linkle Stones. That said, they disappeared when she did...until they reappeared with the arrival of Precure. We can take that to mean that Precure are the inheritors of Rapapa’s will, to reunite the separate worlds.

3) The birth of Ha-chan, Mother Rapapa’s reincarnation, happened after Mirai and Riko became Precure together.

So really, if I’m getting this right, we might have three versions of this legend: the one that is the most commonly known but not exactly correct [Riko’s version]; the one which is told by the oldest fairies/magical beings who lived in the time when Mother Rapapa was still alive and the world was still one [the original]; finally, the one that’s happening before our eyes where the connection and bond forged between Mirai and Riko can bring about miracles, such as the return of Mother Rapapa through Ha-chan [the true version].

The fact that Deusmast’s revival coincides with these events are anything but coincidental. Mother Rapapa knew she was going to have to face it again so it’s not a stretch to say she might have planned for her own rebirth in the present day to prepare for that.

Two girls who can bring the two worlds together will become Precure, wielders of Mother Rapapa’s powers. Said two girls will also raise and look after her future self, Kotoha, before she’s ready to face her true purpose. When the two worlds are in sync again and Kotoha accepts her role as a divine existence, then, combined with the gathered Linkle Stones and the extra support of Precure and every living being on planet earth, the reborn Mother Rapapa can finally be summoned in her full might to confront and defeat Chaos once and for all.

......or at least, that’s how I’m interpreting it as of this moment. I may have gotten few details wrong but see, this is why I need to do a rewatch. To find out how on or far off the mark I am.

I’m really liking this theory, though, cuz it just makes too much sense! compared to the crazy ones I normally make anyways, lol xD;

Erhem, alright a break from the wall of text.

Mirai is like “Wow, that’s pretty cool!” because it’s not every day you’ve acquired abilities only found in stories and tales while Riko is like...

“Wait...wut?” *PROCESSING*

And then...

Proceeds to probably have one of the biggest revelations of her life and goes all creepy smiley about it.

lol, oh, Riko. You’re scaring me, darling. (^ ^ ;;)

But jokes and laughs aside, you can see the differences between their personalities in these few seconds.

Riko wants to be recognized and respected so badly as a proper witch that she’ll even settle for using a shortcut through the Emerald or simply bearing the title of Precure to get there. Despite the fact that neither of those are synonymous with the credit and skill earned from hard work. In other words, she’d only be a witch in name and nothing more. It’s not truly her magic.

However, from Riko’s standpoint, you have to understand why she’s desperate. She’s got poor marks in the most essential subject for magic users and thinks something’s wrong with her because of that. She can’t handle her embarrassment from that ineptitude and if she’s tried everything already and nothing works, then she’s going to have to resort to more outrageous methods to get out of the dilemma she’s in.

This logic is filled with flaws and it’s terribly worrisome but Riko, if anything, is determined to make something of herself. She may have fallen down more times than she can count but she always made herself stand up.

It’s hard not to cheer for her and want her to succeed.

Mirai, in comparison, seems more naive and simple-minded.

Riko’s excitement is not something she can comprehend right now because for one thing, she’s never had to shoulder the angst that comes with not being able to fulfill expectations that is, until the epilogue.

But rather than see this as a bland aspect of her character, we should appreciate that Mirai is a very stable, positive and warm person.

When Riko couldn’t deal with the frustration over her own perceived failures, Mirai never judged her for what she could or couldn’t do. She still wholeheartedly accepted Riko, unfailingly believed that Riko can achieve great things and still saw Riko as the most amazing witch she’s ever come across. Yes, even though there were more accomplished magic users she’s met since coming over to the Magic World, the one Mirai continued to admire and wanted to get close to the most was Riko.

It’s true that for a majority of the season, Mirai played more of supporting role to Riko at times and didn’t have any personal wish other than wanting to stay together with her beloved friends. Nevertheless, she’s always immensely cherished by the people around her for who she is. Especially Riko, who really needed someone like Mirai in her life. That Mirai places those she loves above any great ambition and later goes on to chase a dream of rejoining the two worlds so everyone can be happy together, it really proves how purely wonderful she is as a person.

That’s cute. 8D

I’d be lying if I wasn’t reminded of Harry Potter when I saw this because it did.

But this is a magical girl anime where almost everything is cutesy-fied so I’m obliged to scream when I see something I think is cute! xD;

This time, it’s Riko’s turn to treat Mirai to food!

Awesome! I like to believe they do this all the time. Riko takes care of everything when they visit the Magic World and Mirai provides when they’re in the Mundane World.

A part of their relationship that’s always balanced no matter what.

Ha-chan and Mofurun don’t have to pay, though, cuz they babies and it’s okay for their mommies to spoil them~ <3

Shivery Mofu-baby~

lol, she even goes to touch it a second time like “Brrr~, this is chilly, but one more cuz it’s gives me the tingles, bRrRrRr~!!”

xDDD

That looks sooooo cool!

I love mandarin oranges and I’ve ate them slightly chilled before. They’re great. 

But eating one in this manner? I wanna try, I wanna try!

FEED DA TINY BEAR 

( ☉ω⊙)

(๑ˊ͈ ॢꇴ ˋ͈)〜♡॰ॱ

Mirai’s so enjoying every moment of this impromptu trip and Riko’s quite satisfied that she can impress someone for once.

But then there’s that dreaded crunching noise and, well...

The mouth can’t lie while eating, after all, lol.

Ok, Riko’s faces are the best.

She went from “Are you serious, don’t make me look bad, plz” to “Shoot, these are hard as rocks, oh no, how do I protect my vulnerable image in front of this Muggle?! *sweats*”

In the end, she dodged it with tsun, hahaha

So they finally arrive in the Magic World and frankly, it’s a beautiful place. Is every piece of land a floating island?! I want to live there! :D

Also, yes, while StarPre did take extra steps in worldbuilding, there are few things you gotta remember:

1) MahoPre aired before StarPre did, so it should be expected for later seasons to improve on what their predecessors brought to the table. Seeing as MahoPre and StarPre had the same series coordinator, Isao Murayama, I’d say he definitely got better when it came to this topic.

2) MahoPre only had one foreign world in its setting while StarPre had many planets since it dealt with space.

3) MahoPre still did what a lot of other Precure seasons opted not to do: give the main characters free access to explore and learn about other worlds. 

Seriously, the “fantasy land seized by darkness/evil and needs to be saved by girls from another dimension” plot is present in almost every installation of this tv franchise that it’s just refreshing to not be restricted by those limits for once.

I could go on but I think I’ve made my point. :P

Riko said the Magic Academy is at the center of the Magic World. So does that mean it’s the highest authority on all matters regarding magic? Because I don’t recall anything about the Magic World having an actual government.

Well, anyways, I suspect that all the students’ wands are registered with the school otherwise that’d be a huge security risk if anyone can just open the gate with a simple spell. (o_o ;;)

Oh, and look, it’s the kitty from Riko’s metro pass! :D

Same, Mirai.

SAAAAAAAMMMMMMMEEEEEE

SUUUUURRRREEE, WE’LL SEE ABOUT THAT 

8P

Here’s MahoPre’s version of McGonagall. Strangely enough, we never got a name for her. Same for the Headmaster. They were always addressed as just their faculty names.

Anyways, she’s as stern and strict as you’d expect of any teacher but even so, I don’t find her disapproval towards Riko’s actions to be too unfair or too harsh.

I mean, c’mon, if you were in her position and found out that one of your students broke a bunch of rules overnight only for them to come back with an outsider and this explanation, wouldn’t you react the same way she did?

The lady’s just doing her job.

Plus, her anger is justified because not only did Riko break the rules and exposed their kind but she could’ve really gotten hurt out there all by herself as well. Riko didn’t even bring any money with her for food, for crying out loud.

I’m sorry, Riko, as much as I’d like to give in to those puppy dog eyes (aaaahhhh, don’t look at me like that, you cutie~!), the professor’s right about this one.

Still, all things considered, she doesn’t outright expel Riko. Not because she doesn’t have that authority, I don’t think (that lies with the Headmaster), but it seems to me she might’ve wanted to find an alternative punishment as expulsion might be too cruel. 

She even gave Riko fair warning not to leave the room until she found the Headmaster to discuss what to do next and when she saw Riko running around campus later despite that order, she freaked out in concern. 

“Do you want to be expelled, Riko-san?!”

So yea, I’'d like to believe the Deputy Headmistress, at least, didn’t want to send Riko packing for home if it could be helped.

That done and said, it probably hit Mirai just how much trouble Riko’s in right now. Sure, Riko leaving school at night without permission is her own responsibility to bear and the same goes for bringing Mirai back to the Magic World with her when she shouldn’t have.

But still, Mirai being here is a violation of the Magic World at large. If she were aware of that, maybe she wouldn’t have gone with Riko in the first place (noooo!) so that Riko wouldn’t have to face possible expulsion.

Fortunately, Riko’s a sensible girl and knows Mirai isn’t in the wrong. It was she who wanted to prove herself, after all. She was just too blinded by her hopes to think about the consequences.

And so she revealed to Mirai that she’s actually a remedial student.

Like, Riko’s quite upset about the circumstances as it is but she still has it in her to be decent and honest with Mirai on her reasons for going to the Mundane World. It’s the least she could do for getting Mirai involved in magical affairs and taking her all the way here.

The search for the Emerald, suddenly becoming Precure, all these things were to show everyone that she can use magic effectively.

Riko’s pretty much reiterating what I said earlier in the post but I don’t think she really understood the full extent of it. At least, not yet. 

She still wants the Emerald, of course, because her wish to be a great witch hasn’t changed.

She just realizes that yea, she broke the rules and no Emerald is going to excuse her out of the scolding she’s in for.

Then Mofurun decides to rolypoly on over to poor, depressed Riko and goes “SO WHAT? LOOK AT ME, I’M ADORABLE!!”

lol, j/k, j/k, she really said “I smell something sweet!” which was followed be this...

Riko and Mirai’s Diamond pendants glowing~

...honestly, they should’ve just let Mofurun do the explaining to the Deputy Head cuz it seems that every time Mofurun is within range of a Linkle Stone and announces its presence (“A sweet smell!”), they automatically start shining and voila~, the legend is real!

Ah, but really, Mofurun seems to be telling the girls to not sweat the small stuff.

Why? Cuz...

DESTINY!!!

......lol, yea, Mofurun knows Mirai and Riko are in for something greater than this little snag in the road and just wants to let them know to cheer them up.

And hey, she’s right. :)

It got Mirai motivated, at least, to go and explain things to the Headmaster herself. Maybe if a Muggle can prove she performed magic as Precure, they’d let Miko off the hook because then they’d realize she was telling the truth.

Again, Riko is surprised by the lengths Mirai’s willing to go for her. They can’t really be called strangers anymore after all that’s happened but they haven’t known each other long enough (it hasn’t even been 24 hrs yet!) that they can call each other friends yet either.

So why Mirai’s doing this, when there aren’t a lot benefits for her, simply baffles Riko.

*whispers* That’s what a best friend is, Riko-chan~

Meanwhile, Mirai, of course, doesn’t know her way around the school, much less who the Headmaster is or what he looks like, but that’s okay because she’s sooooo cute! x3

And maybe it’s a good thing this happened during spring break? Otherwise, she’d be catching the attention of the other students and faculty and she’d have a hard time getting to where she needed to go.

Like this when a breeze just drifted through the air and she suddenly got a feeling that she’s gotta go THAT way.

Humuhumu...yea, I don’t think it’s just the Precure powers that’s at work here. Mirai does have innate magical abilities of her own.

I’ve got a theory on that based on some MahoPre trivia I read, about the scratched concept of her having magical ancestors, but I’ll save that for another time.

Right, where were we? Oh, yes, the wind led her to a tree.

It looks like any ordinary tree but by judging by the way Mirai gazes up at it, something tells her it’s really more than that.

See? That’s her intuition. The magical side of it, anyways.

And whaddaya know, the wind led her to the person she wanted to find, too!

‘Course she doesn’t think he’s the Headmaster at first glance and who can blame her when he’s wearing a face that young.

But she’s not even thinking about the Headmaster at that point because did he just say wands? He said wands, right?

Yep, she’s got her priorities sorted out, haha~

Back in the classroom, Riko’s lost in her thoughts and can’t really forget how Mirai’s been nothing but friendly to her since the moment they met.

So even though Riko finds this devotion weird, she still can’t help but worry about her and decides it’s not good to just let Mirai wander off by herself when she doesn’t even know her way around.

Kyuuu~, I love it when Riko shows her soft side, especially when it’s about Mirai. She’s always like “まったく ...” in an exasperated way but gives in because she knows she can’t win against Mirai’s niceness and that just brings out her own niceness, d’aww~ <3

Now back to Mirai where she’s getting quite a fascinating lesson about wands. How every time someone is born in the Magic World, a Wand Tree immediately grows one out to give to that baby, how that’s the wand they use for life, etc.

That’s such a cool birth certificate! Can I trade mine in for a wand of my own?!

xD;

I’d hold that thought, Gramps.

A Muggle isn’t just drawn to a specific Wand Tree for no reason.

Maybe the reason why it hasn’t generated any new wand for ages is because it was waiting for someone like Mirai, a resident of the other world, to show up.

But as expected of the Headmaster, he could immediately tell Mirai’s not from their world and asks what she’s doing here.

Mirai tells him she needs to find the Headmaster and the way she holds Mofurun tighter to her (KYAAAAA~!!!) when the subject turns over to Riko says a lot about how she can’t let Riko’s life get ruined just because she broke a few rules.

Not when Riko saved what was most important to her. To the world, it might have been nothing but a small gesture of kindness but that same gesture is what meant the world to Mirai.

That’s why she has to return the favor to Riko. Riko helped her and now it’s her turn and that means...

PAUSE.

Please take a moment to squee at rolypoly Mofurun part 2 first.

........

We good? Okay, back to regular programming...

DEUS EX MACH-I’M KIDDING~

These are Wand Trees so I’m sure they’re sentient and can sense the sincerity in Mirai’s words along with her magic potential.

For that...

She gets her very own wand!

*gasp* And oh my, what a pretty wand it is! It suits my baby very well!

I am very pleased! 8D

Not only is Mirai sincere, she’s well-mannered as well.

And Mofurun, too. What good children they are. :D

The magic tree just granted her something meant to conjure magic with.

What do you think she’s going to do with it if not that? Use it as a back scratcher?!

That aside, I forgot about this. So it was the supernatural forces that dictated Mirai should be allowed into the magic realm and not because of the Headmaster’s decision.

I like that.

Then Batty shows up and starts destroying everything in search for them and Mirai immediately leaves to go find Riko.

I’m not sure if it’s because she knows she needs to be with Riko in order to transform into Precure or if she’s simply worried about Riko or both or what. But Mirai doesn’t even think twice about the dangers of facing Batty alone when a person she cares about is somewhere in the crossfire.

And it’s so clear that Mirai cares about the world Riko comes from. Not just because it’s Riko’s school and home but also because she has great respect for magic users in general. 

She’s dreamed of meeting them for a long time and though they’re hesitant to welcome her because she’s a normal human (aka not like them), that doesn’t stop her from doing what’s right. When Batty tries to order her around, she defiantly (and G-ratedly) flips him off for all the havoc he’s making.

Yep, she’s not afraid of the bad guys, my brave little girl~ <3

Riko’s timing and aim are impeccable as always, lol

She’s almost like a human missile! xD;

That’s right you did, Riko! And you did a splendid job, bravo! *clapclapclap*

Mirai’s just relieved that Riko’s unharmed.

I mean, if Riko’s still giving tsundere service, then she’s definitely alright, ahahaha~

See?

Riko can’t win against Mirai when she smiles at her like that~

Blushy Riko is so...too...adorable for words! x3

Then they hold hands and yea, you know what happens afterwards.

Frankly, the fight in this ep wasn’t any better or different than the first one and only a few short moments are worth mentioning.

Like Miracle trying her best to not let any more damage come to the school and crashing to the ground because of it.

Even though things will go back to normal, with no signs of a battle ever happening there, after they get rid of the Yokubaru and all (but then again, they didn’t know that...did they??)

She’s too nice, jeez...

Magical checking if her partner is okay and Miracle brushing it off like “Whoopsie!”

And Magical getting irritated again but whup, no time for that, gotta protect Miracle!

Haha~!! xDD

Anyways, the biggest moment that needs to be discussed is this one when Magical’s almost doubting whether saving the school’s worth it since she’s in for expulsion anyway because she disobeyed the Deputy Headmistress.

Hmmm, I’m not criticizing her or calling her self-centered or anything. It’s just that it’s obvious Riko has weighed herself down with too many negative thoughts that it’s hard for her to see there’s still something she can do.

She’s Precure now so regardless of whether she gets expelled or not, she’s one of the only people there who can stand up to that monster.

And like Miracle said, nothing has been decided yet. They can still persuade the Headmaster to let Riko stay at school.

If they don’t at least try, then it’s guaranteed they’ll only get nothing out of it.

And that’s hardly the ending anyone wants, right?

Whatever the outcome may be, Mirai’s determined to do her best for Riko. If it’s too much for Riko to bear alone, Mirai will be there to support her.

Riko calls Mirai a busybody for this but you can tell by her expression that she’s really grateful Mirai talked her out of giving up.

Even Mofurun’s happy, perched up on high~

<D

Then they get their Linkle Sticks and perform Diamond Eternal for the first time and blow the monster away, yay, all’s well that ends well.

Well, almost.

Thankfully, the Headmaster witnessed everything that transpired, sparing them from any need to explain.

And not only does Riko get to stay at school (whoohoo~!) but now Mirai will be attending classes with her as well!

I guess there are endings where all’s well that ends better, after all, huh? Hehehe~

And that’s all for this week. Will try to get ep 3 by next Sunday. Bye for now~

#mahou tsukai precure #asahina mirai #izayoi riko #mofurun #cure miracle #cure magical

[nick-writes]

“Are you testing me?” Fax

They’re just about at the halfway mark through Max’s yearly London vacation -- which is good because Fox has been missing him. He knows his boyfriend enjoys the trip, likes spending time with his grandparents, and he has to confess, he likes the way Max comes back sounding just that little bit more proper. 

It’s even better that he’s clocking out of Starbucks now. The last few days had been closing so by the time he got out, Max was already asleep and it’s turned into a few days without hearing his voice. 

And a few days without hearing him talk Fox through touching himself, but if he starts thinking about that now, he’s not going to be able to calm himself down. He can already feel his ears burning as he leaves the store, but it doesn’t stop him from calling Max anyway. 

“Hello,” Max murmurs, picking up right away and Fox smiles just to hear him.

“Hey,” he says back, automatically taking the longer route home. “Just got out of work, wanted to hear your voice.” 

“How many Frappucinos did you have to make today?” He asks, settling back into his pillows, and they talk like that for a while. It’s easy, hearing Max describe museums and telling him about the latest shit Tyler and Kynan have gotten themselves into. 

It’s easy, talking about Glee and how Haley’s organizing a rewatch before the next season starts. He’s not walking in any real hurry, letting out a soft sigh as the sun hits just right between buildings. “Hm?” Max asks, and Fox ends up sitting down. 

“Sun’s out,” he says, laughing a little, “Guns out.” He takes a quick selfie, eyes half-closed in the light, and sends it without thinking too hard about it. Max makes a noise on the other end, almost cut-off like he’s trying to keep himself quiet, and Fox can’t help his grin. 

“Are you testing me?” Max asks, “It was raining here today, you know, I wore a jacket all day. And now I get this patently unfair picture of you in the sunshine, looking rather like you were born to be there, and I can’t touch you.” 

“I upped my bench weights last week,” he offers. 

“Fox,” he says, “Send me another picture.” 

“You sure?” 

“It’s almost eleven, I know I’m the only one awake.” 

It takes him longer, the second time, just because it’s a request, but also because he’s kind of in public for one. Still, he ends up with one he likes, a little sprawled out and his shorts lower -- and any weirdness is quickly erased by the sound Max makes. 

“On one hand, I probably shouldn’t have asked, but on the other hand....damn, McKinney,” Max praises him, and it makes something warm wrap around him, settling in almost with this burst of energy. “Any chance you might have some alone time when you get home?” 

“God, I hope so.” 

Both of them end up laughing, although Fox does pick up the pace to get home faster. 

#c: fox mckinney #c: maximilian burton~hughes #ship: fax #rpg: chicago sings #writing* #this is set in the summer before max's freshman year of college : ) #callittheblues

[lucky-katebishop]

Underrated Teen Drama Gems

If you like teen dramas, then we’re one in the same. I love the drama, I love the ships, I love the characters (well, mostly). Gossip Girl is legit one of my favorite shows. There are a lot of teen shows out there, so I made a list of my favorite underrated ones which you might or might have not heard of before. 

Merli 

This show is about a philosophy teacher and the lessons he teaches his students along the way. To me it somewhat reminds me of Glee with the big group of students developing a meaningful and heartfelt relationship with their teacher, as well as the big ensemble piece where not only one character is the center focus. This show, set in Spain, is an underrated gem because it reminds us what it’s like to be a teenager through asking big philosophical questions. The reason I love it so much is because of the relationships everybody makes with one another. 

The End of the F***ing World

A story about one boy who believes he’s a psychopath developing a relationship with a girl he sets out to murder. I watched this show in a single afternoon and proceeded to watch it again later that night. I was pleasantly surprised by how meaningful the relationship between these two kids was, and how much they found they needed the other. I found myself rooting for the characters, even though it doesn’t seem like something that I should do. It sympathizes with it’s characters and makes them three dimensional, something that I very much appreciate (especially in teen dramas). 

Life Unexpected 

I haven’t actually finished this one yet (I’m still on season one) but so far I’m really enjoying it. It’s about Lux, a teenager who has been in and out of foster homes since she was young. She decides wants to get emancipated and finds her biological parents, who had her when they were only just her age, where she finds out that her mother is her favorite radio show host. A judge ends up making her biological parents take her in, refusing her emancipation request. This show doesn’t shy away from showing that trying to be a family is not always easy, especially when you barely even know them. This show kind of fit in at the same time that The Fosters was like the only teen show anybody was paying attention to, so it kind of fell beneath the cracks, but I highly recommend it. 

Puberty Blues

A show set in 1970s Australia where sex is all anybody can talk about. The show follows a group of teenagers who go through relationship and parental struggles. I’ll admit that I haven’t watched this in a couple of years, but it definitely was a really entertaining show to watch. And also Ashleigh Cummings is like everything to me (the girl in the blue shirt.) It kind of reminds me of a more chill One Tree Hill so if you like that sort of dynamic, I recommend it. 

Dance Academy 

Ahhhh I like really really really love this show, guys. I do a yearly rewatch (and I only do that with Parks and Recreation so that should say something.) I mentioned this show also in my children shows list. A show set in Australia at a dance boarding school follows Tara Webster, a ballerina who feels like she shouldn’t be there. It tackles some really big topics that most other teen shows don’t, such as eating disorders, questioning sexuality, parental problems, and fitting in when you don’t feel at place in such a prestigious place. While Tara is the main character, it’s the other characters that steal the show such as Sammy, Abigail, and Kat. I am in love with this show, and I highly highly recommend it. 

The Carrie Diaries

Okay I realized why no one knows this show, it has really shitty promotional posters (I swear as I was searching the internet, this was the best one I could find.) It follows the story of Carrie Bradshaw, a teenager who lives in a really small town in the 1980s where she gets seduced by the bustle and glitzy fashion industry of Manhattan. Carrie, who recently lost her mother, has to live a double life as she tackles lying to everyone around her in order to be who she wants to be in Manhattan, and seeing if she should just settle with the life she already has. I have never seen a single episode of Sex and the City and I still love this show. Also the main relationship between Carrie and Sebastian is everything, and ugh it’s just so nice to live out the life I want through a character, isn’t it? 

Deadly Class 

While The Carrie Diaries tells the more Madonna singing, bubbly flashing lights version of 1980s New York, this one shows the dark, gritty, Smiths singing version. A story about teenage assassins, it’s highly stylized and follows the story of Marcus, an orphan who is recruited to an assassin boarding school because of burning down his former orphanage, murdering everybody in it. I personally believe it relies on stereotypes just a tad too much, but it’s still a very entertaining show to watch, and you easily become invested in the characters. This show is extremely dark so I will warn you there if that’s not really your speed. Also this is a side note but the main character Marcus is extremely attractive so uh, I don’t know, if you’re motivated by that, I recommend.

The Magicians 

When compared to Deadly Class, this show is like Rugrats or something. I’m not kidding, this show is extremely dark, and I seriously urge you to check out all the trigger warnings if you need it, because it does not shy away from tackling extremely sensitive issues. It follows Quentin Coldwater, a grad student who has been obsessed with magic his entire life because of the children books Fillory only to find that magic is real and he’s a magician. However, he finds that magic is not what it’s all cracked up to be as a monster comes into play, threatening not only he and his friends, but the entire world. This show has so many twists and turns, and it’s easily one of my favorites. 

I hope you liked my list! I make other lists too so check those out if you want. Tell me if I missed anything and maybe I’ll make another list. Here’s my masterlist if you want to check it out. Thanks for reading! 

#rutherford's reviews #tv shows #lists #tv #deadly class #puberty blues #the magicians #life unexpected #the carrie diaries #dance academy #the end of the f***ing world #the end of the fucking world #merli #teen dramas #dramas #teens #my posts

[kefalion]

Ten movies I love that I feel some sort of connection to. Either because they’ve impacted my personality and my values or because they represent some facet of me. Links to IMDb

Howl's moving castle. 2004. This is a comfort movie for me. I’ll be okay with watching it basically whenever. Over and over. The fantastical magical vibes of it! The dark and light mingling. Is gorgeous to look at

The fellowship of the ring. 2001. I decided to only put one of the movies of the Lord of the Rings trilogy on the list, and fellowship is the one for me. As the first, everything about it was so new and amazing. I was only 8 or 9 when I saw it and it was super scary which allowed it to make a bigger impact. Not to say that the return of the king isn’t scary, but by the time I saw it I was twelve and had a higher tolerance. But anyway, fellowship was my first experience with something magical at such a high budget and I’ve rewatched it so many times. On vhs, on dvd, on tv, on stream. Theatrical and extended edition, and the behind the scenes stuff. And I’ve listened so much to the music. An absolute classic to me.

Pan’s Labyrinth. 2004. More magical goodness with amazing dark and sad vibes. And also one of the scariest scenes I’ve ever seen. I adore it

The pianist. 2002. This movie wrecked me in the best of ways. Another one I saw fairly young, it was my first true encounter with the holocaust and the film perfectly demonstrates the horrors of it. What makes it work though is that it not only shows humanity at its worst, but at its best.

The secret garden. 1993. I’m getting that the movies that live within me are mostly from my childhood, and now we get one suited for children. Again, it has impeccable vibes. It deals beautifully with hope and growth and I really, really, want a garden like this.

Only lovers left alive. 2013 Finally a slightly newer film! I’ve been through a vampire phase, reading Twilight and interview with the vampire and other knockoffs, so this movie satisfies that part of me. I was also studying literature when I first saw it, so it represents that part of me. I remember so clearly feeling included because I got nearly all the references to the literature mentioned. Again, the moodiness, the sorrow, the eternal night gives this impeccable vibes.

Into the wild. 2007. The longing and searching and sorrow in this does things to me. It’s also beautiful to look at with the many landscapes portrayed. Called this my favourite movie for quite a few years.

The day after tomorrow. 2004. First (and only) really silly pick. What can I say, I loved this movie when it came out. I had so many nightmares over it, and at least yearly, I still have nightmares about flood waves, probably inspired by it. I think this movie settled me onto a path of respecting and being interested in science and the climate.

Amadeus. 1984. This movie is unrepentant fun. But also tragic. It’s so enjoyable being larger than life and the music is nothing to scoff at.

The phantom of the opera. 2004. More music. I loved musicals before I ever saw it, but I’d never seen anything live, only listened at home, so the middle thing of experiencing this at the cinema blew me away. I’ve known every lyric of every song. I’d say I know about half at the moment. I could say that about several musicals, but this is the best one of them that’s been filmed.

#10 movies that say something about me #about me #movie recommendation

[thejpfdude-blog]

The Week in Anime (Week of 8/14/17)

Hello friends and welcome to another edition of TWiA! There’s a lot to get through, but first let’s head on over to...

The News Corner

This week didn’t have too much in terms of shocking news. The one thing I do want to highlight that came out this week is:

Violet Evergarden PV2

Mmm that’s good stuff. Not as amazingly animated as the first CM, but that was more or less done for the light novel so I don’t expect the whole show to be that level of quality. And even then the PV had some dang good animation, complete with some more information about the show. From the translation done here, one might think it has a big focus on romance. And that’s what I thought too, that is until I read another comment in the same thread that mentioned light novel spoilers but had a TL;DR stating it’s a coming-of-age story and not a romance. Good to know, otherwise I probably would’ve had the wrong expectations for it.

I’m not gonna lie though, I’m pretty hyped for this show. I’m trying not to be, but ever since the CM came out (which was the first glimpse of the show), my first question was “when?” (which has since turned into “how many days until January?”). I’m excited for the potential pairing between KyoAni animation and a great story considering the light novel won the Grand Prize award in the same yearly award that other light novel-turned-KyoAni shows like Kyoukai no Kanata and Chuunibyou only got Honorable Mentions in. Well, only four months to go. That’s not that long of a wait honestly.

Now before I get onto the rankings and awards, I want to write some blurbs about some shows I recently finished. Now some of these shows aren’t ones I finished within the last week, but I think it’s a good time to talk about them after having them stew in my head for a little. So let me start by talking about a show I might have an article on in the future...

Love Live Sunshine

With season 2 of this coming soon, I was determined to try and finish this show. And I did. So that’s nice.

On a more serious note, Sunshine was a nice sort of spin-off to the main Love Live anime. I think one of the biggest complaints I heard was that it was too similar to the original anime, and I can see that. The whole school-closing storyline was a bit too convenient, though it actually didn’t get resolved by the end of the season, so that’s something to keep an eye out next season. Another thing was the similarities of the leaders of each group, which I strongly agree with. I mean I wasn’t a huge Honoka (Honkers) fan in general, and Chika to me feels sorta like a ripoff of her (hence the reason I call her Ripoff Honkers).

But some of the other stuff wasn’t as bad to me. Like other than Ripoff Honkers (and Dia to an extent) I feel like each character is unique enough to be their own person, rather than be a clone of a previous μ‘s member. Sure there’s some obvious parallels that can be made. Ruby/Hanayo for shyness (which is even eluded to in the anime), Mari/Nozomi for being the memester, etc. But when I think of, say Hanamaru, I don’t think of anybody from μ‘s in particular, but about her zuras and her eating habits. Same schtick for the rest of them (except Ripoff Honkers). If anything, I like Aqours a bit more than μ‘s so far, if only because my favorite character from the Rabu Raibus is in Aqours (though favorite group is still a toss-up as of now).

Story-wise, I liked Sunshine a lot more than the original, if only because there was a minimum of the “power of friendship” stuff that the original had (like the final scene from the last episode of S1). And before episode 10 when the third-years joined the group, I actually liked how the drama didn’t feel too cheesy. Of course, that changed when the third-years joined, but it still wasn’t as cheesy as the original show, which was nice. Add in the fact that the slice-of-life scenes added some nice snark (making it less /r/wholesomememes cult-like happy), and in the end Sunshine > original (at least anime-wise). 6/10 overall, and actually somewhat excited for the next season in 2 months-ish.

Free!

Funny story. Actually not really funny, or a story: I had this on my list for some time, but it wasn’t until I visited my friend last week that we ended up watching the first 6 episodes of this show. And then from there I finished it a few days later, and now we’re here.

This show’s pretty famous for its manservice (fanservice of the male variety), and I’m not gonna deny that. In fact, I’ll confirm it: there were a lot of shots of those muscular sculpted bodies, toned to perfection.

...

Uh yeah. But other than that this show was actually pretty fun to watch. I don’t know how much of that is the fact that there was at least one main girl character in the show, who ended becoming one of my favorite girls and now has a place in my Favorite Characters list on my MAL profile.

But it’s really because in it’s core it’s a sports anime, and not of the shounen type. Like there’s competition and hype sports moments with none of the shounen tropes like explaining every single ilttle thing. It’s actually... like sports with just plain competing, which as a huge sports nut I’m down for. The races were pretty hype, and the drama between the characters wasn’t too out there (though the whole thing between Rin and Haruka seemed very ship-friendly).

So overall, a surprisingly good show, manservice aside. I’ll definitely be watching the second season of this soon (once I settle in to my new place). 7/10 would recommend for swimming shenanigans.

Teekyuu

In my quest to have Nisemonogatari be my 200th entry on MAL, I watched shorts/specials that wouldn’t take too much time to watch. So why not watch the famed 2-minute short known for having faster pace than the Roadrunner? Generally I don’t like fast-paced shows, but I think that this short does a really good job with itself. Content-wise this show is so freaking ridiculous and doesn’t take itself seriously. But it works for the most part, and it’s pretty hilarious. Though it’s technically about a tennis club, I think they only have tennis in like 3 of the episodes, with the others focusing on some other random subject.

If there’s one negative to this, it’s the pace. Because as well as they use it, it’s still super quick, and sometimes an episode goes by and I go “what just happened?” Still, it’s a stupidly fun show: overall 6/10, and definitely will be watching the next 8 seasons (no I’m not joking, the ninth season is airing right now).

Nisemonogatari

So that was an adventure. This was an interesting case study, considering these were the stories that Nisio Isin (the author of the light novel) never intended to be released. As a result this show ended up being probably the most controversial entry in the Monogatari series. And it showed: this version of Monogatari really ramped up on some questionable scenes. Before I get into the infamous scene this show’s known for, let me get into some other stuff I wasn’t really about. First, the bath scene in episode 4. I don’t doubt it was an important scene: in fact it’s probably one of the most important scenes in the whole of Monogatari. But it’s the whole showing a naked 8-year old girl for the majority of the episode thing that made me pretty uncomfortable. It’s funny looking at the comments of the rewatch thread, and people trying to explain why it wasn’t that bad. The most common thing I saw was that it wasn’t sexualized at all, what with Araragi not being pedo like he is with the others and the fact that there wasn’t any zoom-ins of the naughty bits.

Yet the problem I have with that is that at it’s core it’s still... a naked 8-year old for the majority of an anime episode. And I’m not denying what the people in that thread are saying: actually it makes a hella lot of sense. But it’s still a naked 8-year old. I’m not about that life, even with the deeper meaning and all that.

And now that toothbrush scene. That... was a thing. Yep, a thing. Indeed. A. Thing.

Sigh... that was honestly the most uncomfortable I’ve been while watching anime. I’m glad I live alone or else I would have feared a roommate or something coming into my room and seeing me watch that. 

Now before you start telling me “deeper meaning” and all that jazz, I’ll just say this: my least favorite subject was English. The reason? I always had to be on the lookout for some deeper meaning, some symbolism, etc., instead of just enjoying reading. Now with the Monogatari series full of its more deeper themes, symbolism and looking deeper into events is very necessary. But looking past the deeper meaning this scene is a guy brushing his sister’s teeth while she starts getting sexually aroused, almost leading to a kiss in the end. That’s... also not my thing. Big time.

Well, that rant’s out of the way. Not counting the above scenes (as well as some of the other questionable stuff like imouto boob touch), I actually did enjoy this show. Monogatari’s slowly becoming one of my favorite franchises, making what should like a boring dialogue-heavy show fun and interesting. And now that Nisemonogatari’s out of the way I’m excited for what’s arguably the best version of Monogatari, Monogatari 2nd Season (kinda misnamed don’tcha think?). Overall despite above statements still a 7/10 show, with hope for the future.

Now that that’s done let’s move on to the good ol’...

Rankings:

1 (0). New Game!! (9/10) [5/12]

2 (0). Princess Principal (8.5/10) [6/?]

3 (0). Kakegurui (7/10) [6/12]

4 (0). Tsurezure Children (7/10) [6/?]

5 (0). Boku no Hero Academia 2nd Season (7/10) [19/25]

6 (+1). Sakura Quest (5/10) [19/25]

7 (-1). Ballroom e Youkoso (5/10) [6/24]

8 (0). Centaur no Nayami (5/10) [6/12]

9 (0). Isekai Shokudou (4.5/10) [6/?]

10 (0). Nana Maru San Batsu (4/10) [6/12]

Awards

The Tangent Award: Centaur no Nayami

After 6 episodes, I think I have a general idea of why I feel like this show is off. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do like the show. Some of the scenes offer some nice commentary on the small issues that these people face (like the whole toilet thing) that some people may think is pedantic but I think is super interesting. Basically the stuff like the first few episodes of Demi-chan wa Kataritai (with the nice interviews and stuff).

The problem that this show has is that it goes through different scenes that seem jarring in transition. It jumps from one thing to a completely random thing, leaving me wondering how they even got to a certain point in the episode. Though in the end they’re able to show that the disjointed events are somewhat connected, the connection’s as fragile as Troy Tulowitzki (sports fan explanation: a baseball player who’s seemingly always injured, hence he’s called “fragile”). And in the end I continue on, wondering what I just watched for the past 23 or so minutes. I feel like there’s a better way to organize the episode, but I’m not really sure how yet. For now I’ll just continue watching, because despite questionable organization it’s still a mildly entertaining show.

The Not Comfy Award: Kakegurui

Yo but actually what was that episode. Return of masochist queen = return of fear for my life. This show isn’t high on my “comfy show” list, but after this episode it’s sunken even lower.

On a totally unrelated note, I’ve changed my opinion from slightly liking Yumeko to not liking her at all. In fact it’s kinda funny that my opinions of Yumeko and Mary flipped, and now I find Mary to be the better girl (if not best girl of the show). Seeing how she’s not just one of the crazies and actually seems kinda nice is reassuring to say the least (even if the crazy leaks out at times). The return of Suzui was also nice, considering he’s a good dynamic compared to the insane characters in the show. If anything, I’m curious to see how this ends, considering the pace so far and the fact that it’s one cour.

Best Episode of the Week: Princess Principal

After three straight weeks of New Game!!, we finally get a new show for best episode of the week. It was a hard choice, considering this week’s episode of New Game!! was very good. But Princess Principal wins out with a great episode about Dorothy and her life before being a spy.

I won’t go deep into the episode because I want to try to not have too much spoilers in these blurbs. But what I will say is that dang, these girls have good reason for being spies. Also that the end of this episode was pretty sad, especially considering Dorothy’s final line. Princess Principal’s been impressing so far, and I love the disjointed style of storytelling (with case 6 last week and case 18 this week). Next to New Game!!, this show’s been my favorite of the season. I highly recommend it even if you aren’t the biggest fan of CGDCTs or spy stuff.

And that’s all for this week! Thanks for reading! Just a quick announcement/notice: I’ll be busy next week preparing for school and moving into my new place, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I don’t have the time to watch the currently-airing shows. If that does happen I’ll mention which ones I didn’t get to, and if it doesn’t well then it’ll be business as usual. Anyway, thanks again and I’ll see you in the next post!