SO I just finished binging all of Romantic Killer bc it came up in my recommended. And oh my god I loved it so much;;
There’s definitely mixed reviews about it WHICH IS FAIR bc the premise is about a girl named Anzu who isn’t interested in romantic relationships but she then gets pushed into typical dating sim situations with Really Cute Boys in an effort to like. Force her into a relationship. And obv this kinda comes off as arophobic. But the fact that she so stubbornly refuses to partake and tries so hard to veer away from those situations makes it so fucking funny, especially when she rejects the boys with faces like this
And it turns out it’s really just a show about found family and overcoming trauma and developing healthy friendships with people and UGH. UGHHH it’s so good.
I actually adore Riri lmao they’re SUCH a little shit and I very much enjoy insanely chaotic characters like that. And we start off thinking okay wow this person’s kind of an asshole for forcing a girl to get a boyfriend by taking away her cat, her favorite hobby and her favorite snack, but then we find out OH, they’re just a cog in a corporate machine and they don’t really have much of a choice about it. And we slowly see Riri actually gain true affection for Anzu, and see how much they come to care about her as a person rather than just as a test subject, to the point of them actually breaking the rules of their contract just to make sure she’s safe. AND NOT JUST HER. They make sure the people she’s associated with are safe too, even if it risks them getting in Big Trouble with their boss. AND the fact that they canonically go by they/them pronouns but can ALSO transform into a boy or a girl depending on their preference, and they playfully flirt with Anzu in both forms?? It’s so good. Also thinking about the effort that Anzu goes through to make sure Riri gets to stick around;; like even tho she’d never admit it. She’s come to care for them too in some very strange way lol
And Junta;; the fact that Anzu is actually so concerned about him possibly being brainwashed into the position of childhood friend? Like she doesn’t immediately push him away or shut him down, she actually cares about him as a person and wants him to find happiness and wants to get him out of the situation she thinks he’s in. But then she finds out oh wait he actually IS a childhood friend. And he’s such a good boy. I love love LOVE how they handle the love triangle aspect in this, because obviously yes there’s a bit of jealousy, but not enough for things to get petty between him and Kazuki. They actually treat each other with respect and regard each other as friends and are kinda rooting for the other in their own way. Kind of “may the best man win” sort of thing. There’s no toxicity, there’s no classic “fighting over the female love interest” trope, they actually genuinely like each other after a bit of awkwardness enough to feel comfortable with living together and living with Anzu. They’re SO fucking sweet god dammit //shakes fists
(Honestly tho I really wish we got more episodes focused on Junta. Bc he really seemed like more of a background character and made the whole “love triangle” aspect not feel as prominent. Which is fine I guess?? But I felt so bad for him lmao)
And Kazuki 😭 My beloved. My poor sweet boy who deserves the world and everything in it. Just the build up. The subtle hints of his trauma that pop up every now and then. And when it all comes together you’re like oh!! Ohhh. THAT’S why he acts so aloof and cold all the time. THAT’S why he doesn’t like being the center of female attention. THAT’S why he gets distressed at things that, at first, seem so insignificant. THAT’S why he got attached to Anzu so quickly. And I love the way they handle his trauma, how they don’t make it seem any less important or alarming just because he’s a guy. And how Anzu’s there for him through everything 🤧 How she’s the person to pull him out of the darkness, how she stands up for him time and time again, how she just KNOWS when he’s uncomfortable and steps in to protect him. She ends up caring about him so much despite how they were set up to encounter initially. And he cares about her so much too. And I just 🥺 I care them
Also the fact how everyone came to help Kazuki when they found out what was going on. No judgement, no “you’re making this up”, no “isn’t this your fault to begin with?” They all just step in without even hesitating and support him through his trauma and immediately go “Okay we’ve got a problem so here’s our gameplan.” SEE. IT’S REALLY ABOUT THE FOUND FAMILY,
And one of my favorite things. Riri 🤝 Hijiri using their influence and power to protect both Anzu and Kazuki despite the risks to their reputation and social standing
OH AND I wanted to mention. I love that all of the classic romantic tropes i.e. something happening to your cute neighbor’s apartment so that they’re forced to live with you while it gets sorted out--those are generally really cheesy and make huge plot holes and don’t make ANY sense in the narrative. But that’s the thing about RK, they make it funny, yeah your cute boy neighbor’s apartment flooded bc we need him to come live with you. We did it with magic. Yes your childhood friend is living with you now bc we had a weirdo break into your apartment--with magic. So now he feels like he needs to stay with you and protect you. Yes you got hit by a car with a really rich boy inside and now he’s interested in you. We also did this with magic. Everything that would be regarded as a “coincidence” and is a badly written plot point just to push two characters together is actually explained through the hilarious concept of magic and I LOVE that it’s so fucking funny
Honestly this show is really up to interpretation too which I like a lot? Some people think hey yeah, maybe Anzu will end up with someone. Others say you know what the message here is that friendship is the most important thing and sometimes platonic relationships are better than romantic ones. The ending is pretty ambiguous so it could really go in any direction.
Anyway I have so much more to say but. Just watch Romantic Killer it’s really good thanks bye
(Trigger warnings include sexual harassment/assault, stalking, panic attacks/PTSD, and attempted murder, so please take care while watching <3)
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read in 2022
i’m starting this super late but howdy!! here is my reading thread for 2022 (inspired by a few mutuals <3) you can find my goodreads here and my askbox is always open if you have any questions about these books!
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (★★★★★)
Crooked House by Agatha Christie (★★★★☆)
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (★★★☆☆)
I Am Not Your Final Girl by Claire C. Holland (★★★☆☆)
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (★★★★★)
Final Girls by Riley Sager (★☆☆☆☆)
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (★★★★★)
The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro (★★★★☆)
The Case For Jamie by Brittany Cavallaro (★★★★☆)
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (★★★★★)
A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro (★★★★★)
Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian (★★☆☆☆)
The Nation Must Awake: My Witness to the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 by Mary E. Jones Parrish
Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow (★★★★☆)
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li (★★★★★)
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf (★★★★☆)
You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus (★★★☆☆)
The Cousins by Karen M. McManus (★★★☆☆)
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien (★★★★★)
When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole (★★★★☆)
Heartstopper Volume One by Alice Oseman (★★★★☆)
Heartstopper Volume Two by Alice Oseman (★★★★☆)
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay (★★★☆☆)
Heartstopper Volume Three by Alice Oseman (★★★★☆)
To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames (★★★★☆)
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (★★★★☆)
Heartstopper Volume Four by Alice Oseman (★★★★★)
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (★★★★★)
Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto (★★★★☆)
The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh (★★★☆☆)
Cover Story by Susan Rigetti (★★★★☆)
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (★★★★☆)
Sadie by Courtney Summers (★★★★☆)
Book Lovers by Emily Henry (★★★★★)
Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf (★★★★☆)
A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver (★★★★☆)
My Darkest Dearest by Kayla Cottingham (★★★☆☆)
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (★★★★☆)
Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (★★★★★)
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali (★★★★★)
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong (★★★★★)
Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand (★★★★☆)
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene* (★★★★☆)
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd (★★★★☆)
The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson (★★★★☆)
Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall (★★★★☆)
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (★★★★☆)
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (★★★★★)
Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (★★★★☆)
Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie (★★★☆☆)
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (★★★★☆)
The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket (★★★★☆)
The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket (★★★☆☆)
The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket (★★★☆☆)
The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket (★★★★☆)
The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket (★★★★☆)
The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket (★★★★☆)
The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket (★★★★☆)
The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket (★★★★☆)
The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket (★★★★☆)
The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket (★★★★☆)
The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket (★★★★☆)
Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie (★★★★★)
The End by Lemony Snicket (★★★★☆)
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix (★☆☆☆☆)
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill (★★★★☆)
Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (★★★★☆)
The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto (★★★★☆)
Dog Songs by Mary Oliver (★★★★★)
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (★★★☆☆)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (★★★★★)
56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard (★★★★☆)
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater* (★★★★★)
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (★★★★☆)
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (★★★★☆)
If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho by Sappho (translated by Anne Carson) (★★★★★)
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater* (★★★★★)
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (★★★★☆)
Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (★★★★☆)
The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror by assorted authors (★★★★☆)
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson (★★★★☆)
This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron (★★★☆☆)
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (★★★★★)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (★★★★☆)
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater* (★★★★★)
Working on a Song: The Lyrics of HADESTOWN by Anaïs Mitchell (★★★★★)
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo (★★★☆☆)
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (★★★★☆)
Greywaren by Maggie Stiefvater (★★★★★)
Slasher Girls & Monster Boys by assorted authors (★★★☆☆)
Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson (★★★★☆)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (★★★★☆)
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater* (★★★★★)
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (★★★★★)
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie (★★★☆☆)
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (★★★★☆)
Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee (★★★☆☆)
Orpheus Girl by Brynne Rebele-Henry (★★★★☆)
I’m the Girl by Courtney Summers (★★★★☆)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins* (★★★★★)
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins* (★★★★★)
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins* (★★★★★)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (★★★★★)
Five Survive by Holly Jackson (★★★☆☆)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (★★★★★)
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (★★★☆☆)
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (★★★★☆)
Stardust by Neil Gaiman (★★★★☆)
Opal by Maggie Stiefvater* (★★★★★)
Note: * marks a reread.
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You know, while the Despair x Edgar Allan Poe thing started mainly because of the Jill Thompson manga-style Season of Mists comics, and because we all like to joke about how Poe's incredibly angsty writing makes the pairing make sense? I think there's a deeper reason I'm unironically touched by the whole Despair and Poe thing - and by the sibling relationship between the Chaos Twins.
Because all jokes aside, the unspoken message at the heart of it that I see? Is "Everyone has value to someone. Everyone has someone who finds them not merely tolerable, but lovable. Everyone has someone who finds beauty in them."
Despair isn't everyone's favorite Endless and honestly, for very understandable reasons. Her realm, her function, isn't pretty or palatable. She's basically just sitting around feeding from people's sadness. She doesn't seem, to many, to contribute much to family meetings.
And yet, she is loved. She is treasured, doted on, by Desire. This is a character who is so often dismissive of others, often manipulative, so rarely shows genuine affection without some kind of game or scheme attached. Yet they seem to truly love their twin sister. They would be nothing without each other. She is always included by them in various schemes if possible. And to various writers and fans, Edgar Allan Poe found inspiration and even something to love, however strange, in her. She doesn't have to be as universally enticing as her twin or as creative as Dream or as obviously warm and lovable as Death or as fascinating and sympathetic as Delirium, to have her twin's whole heart, or even a random mortal poet's. She's good enough to some, as she is, as incomprehensible as it might seem to some.
I know some of us have had moments, or days or months, or even years, where we've felt like the Despair of our friend group or our family or the whole damn world, where we don't see how we contribute anything positive and we wonder how or why anyone would choose to care about us. I've had those moments, sometimes. Whether it's because we have some kind of mental illness or trauma or chronic health conditions to deal with, whatever the reason, I know many people have had times where even if they aren't the literal embodiment of despair, we've kind of felt like her. They may feel in those moments like they suck the joy and life out of everything or just like more trouble than we're worth.
So seeing or writing about someone choosing to love and spend time with even the literal personification of despair and hopelessness - yeah, the jokes are fun but it also kind of makes me feel things. And I wonder if I'm not alone in that.
And it may not be realistic to say that ANYONE is lovable to someone but honestly, sometimes I don't give a shit. Sometimes I need that, especially on those days when I feel afraid of reaching out to old friends because I wouldn't know how to answer the question of "what have you been up to" with anything that doesn't sound boring, or something they won't be interested in.
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self projecting onto serial killers</3
jeff the killer:
oreos = best type of snacks
very blunt, goes out of his way to be even moreso to anyone he doesn't like (will literally say the rudest stuff to your face just because it feels good to say)
homicidal liu:
*sees anything* I WANNA SEE WHAT NOISES IT MAKES aggressive tapping and fiddling with it
has different phases each week, from what his favorite food is to what music he likes to even his sleeping schedule
ben drowned:
hates jackets but refuses to admit that he gets cold and instead suffers in silence when he's out in -15°C weather in only a sweater
normally really nice so he gets super excited when he's able to roast someone
nina the killer:
has no idea what's going on, just happy to be here
50% she forgets what she was supposed to do, other 50% she just said she forgot bc she didn't want to do it
jane the killer:
constantly talks during movies, much to the annoyance of everyone else
loves using pet names on people platonically but chickens out most of the time since she doesn't want to seem weird
ticci toby:
shower thoughts or random things that nobody asked for? yes, constantly (will just be standing there and say smth like 'exportation' just since he thought of it)
likes asmr but not roleplay or eating ones. soft spoken > whispering
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Turbo Sus Vice Housewardens to Be Avoided at All Cost Rankings (Source: Me)!
1. Jade Leech - This man is so scary for obvious reasons. Other reasons probably aren’t so obvious to other people and I can’t even explain what I mean by this not only because I feel like no matter where I am nor regardless of the fact he’s fictional, he’ll be able to hear me but also because some of the things I just flat out won’t talk about. Like I straight up cannot be brought to say them. Evidence for this? None. Just- bad vibes. Bad vibes all around. Also I just can’t figure out his motives. Like Azul likes money and wants revenge for being bullied. Floyd seems like a genuinely nice guy all things aside and just wants to have fun. But Jade? Wtf does he want? He doesn’t care about money so part of me thinks he just wants entertainment like Floyd but to put up with all that? A business he’s not even in charge of, a flakey brother, a pushy boss. Nah… he’s playing some game for the long run. Highly functioning sociopath and the bogeyman that plagued your fragile mind as a child. No. Hate that.
2. Jamil Viper - Snake. Will spends years pretending to be your friend just to stab you in the back and for what? For someone who’s like the most hyper-competent guy on campus, he actually surprisingly lacks like… all critical thinking skills. And it’s because he’s so blinded by the cards he was dealt in life he can’t look beyond that. Is so convinced Kalim is his arch nemesis he can’t take a second to think about it and realize Kalim is actually his greatest ally in life. And even if he did… he probably just would not care. Lifetime of resentment and all that. He’s book smart, he’s street smart, but he is not emotionally nor logically smart. Just avoid him. He’s good at seeming mature but he’s petty and will Regina George you because you like, got the scholarship he wanted or smthng idk
3. Lilia Vanrouge - Listen. I don’t think Lilia will hurt me. I don’t think he’s planning anything nefarious. He’s nice and friendly. Super helpful. Incredibly loyal to Briar Valley and the royal family. Incredibly loyal and loving towards Malleus. That’s not why he’s scary. He’s scary because he’s hiding in plain site. He ain’t even necessarily trying to hide anything about himself, he just won’t outright dish out personal info. It’s the fact no one at NRC is suspecting he’s anything more than just a student that gives him safety to be a little reckless. I have reason to suspect he holds much more power than he lets on but everyone overlooks it because they’re all looking at Malleus instead. Meanwhile Lilia is standing directly behind him, completely hidden (not just bc he’s so short and Malleus so tall 😋), also a complete powerhouse. But no one.suspects.a.thing. And even though the player is privy to this information, there’s still so much about him still shrouded in mystery. Like, again, I don’t think he’s up to anything. I do believe he really is just trying to protect his kiddos and wants peace between all races. But I feel like there’s something about him, something big, that we don’t know yet. And it’s making me nervous.
4. Rook Hunt - I’m not as weirded out by Rook as I had been initially. Both he and Vil grew on me in chapter 6. I flat out disliked both of them before. But they really showed themselves to be loyal and caring towards each other, Epel, and MC (which was what made them stand out compared to the other housewardens and vice housewardens for me, they’re the first ones to actually establish a seemingly genuine personal connection to the player after Ace, Deuce, and Malleus). But- mans is playing The Most Dangerous Game and that story creeped me out so badly when I first read it at like 11 years old that I still think about it constantly to this day, over a decade later. I tried to justify his stalking by reasoning that he wasn’t actually interested in hunting merfolk/beastmen and rather was interested in hunting actual eels or lions, but his PE uniform vignette really said otherwise. He didn’t seem at all interested in the nature of bats as he did fae. And if it were just animals, I doubt Malleus would have nearly taken his head off with that ball as a warning. Nah, it feels like he straight up was looking to Butcher Baker Lilia and that makes me wanna vomit. Rook. You’re one of the good guys. You’ve got the light powers to prove it. If hunting animals is becoming boring for you- find another hobby. Do not fucking turn this into The Most Dangerous Game! Please!
5. Ortho - I always hated the movie Smart House.
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