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#I wonder if the last two episodes will explore more of her character? there’s so much to be explored about her giving so much of herself
thevulturesquadron · 2 days
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Hello! If you don't mind answering, what are your thoughts on Rogue only mentioning Gambit during E.7 ? It felt weird after all these episodes and exploration of their relationship.
Ahoy there! 🛸
Well... I try not to put too much thought into it. Overall Bright Eyes felt like a moment of transition towards the finale (with an absolute kick-ass Rogue). I am happy they had an episode that showcased a part of what Rogue was going through after Genosha, because, as Amelia Vogh said - 'a survivor is the last thing I’d wanna be.’ So Rogue has a lot to process: the guilt and grief over losing Gambit, the uncertainty and anxiety around Magneto and well, the death of so many people around her. Remember what Magneto said? “We shall not live our days wondering if we could’ve saved more.” Rogue is doing just that - and it's hell.
About Rogue focusing just on Gambit - it makes sense. She held his body in her arms. That moment is with her probably every time she closes her eyes. The way I see it, there are two reasons why the focus has been only on expressing her feelings for Remy.
1. It might be just the way it is. Rogue and Gambit will always be 'the couple'. More so for TAS. They are one of the most well-known and popular Marvel couples so, after the drama was done, the writers needed to pull that ship back on course. It was always going to be like that and I'll be here for the ride. Not everything in media has to be written to match my preferences. Plus, the show has kept both of them in character and written them exceptionally well so far. Especially with Gambit, I am grateful for the care they put into portraying him, because in comics it's such a mess, depending on who's writing him. So I am expecting the focus to be on Rogue and Gambit from now on.
2. The other reasoning (from a media literacy perspective), and the one I prefer -  is that she's processing. It might turn out to be true or it might not - the show will tell us. But at this moment it does look like that. Grief, guilt, shock. First of all, in Magneto's case, there was no body. The rule is until the search is called off, if there is no body, there is no death confirmation. So Rogue is struggling to accept it. What she knows is that Remy is dead - that is a reality she cannot avoid and it consumes her. On the other hand she was refusing to face the possibility that Erik was also gone. Then Kurt made it real. In the privacy of that moment between them he said what she wasn't allowing herself to think or accept: that she lost more than one person she cared about. Secondly, also why it makes that moment with Kurt so much more heavy, is that no one else in the team knows of the emotional connection she has with Erik. Everyone who knew the depths (Gambit and, in parts, Madelyne) are dead. I don't think Rogue can voice her grief in front of the rest without an explanation. She can however channel it through Gambit’s loss. What is worse is that her feelings for Gambit are now intertwined with a lot of guilt, and she probably feels like she has failed him in particular. And it breaks my heart. I don’t think that’s fair towards her and I am not particularly a fan of that, but X-men has often times put drama ahead of character development. 
So is it the first one? Is it the second one? Who knows, maybe it’s a bit of column A, a bit of column B. But there is one thing that I would have liked the episode to show more of: I wanted to see Rogue processing what it meant for her to survive Genosha, to survive the genocide. I care more about that, about her humanity, her struggles and convictions, unrelated to the romantic aspects. Romance is not the ultimate form of love, and it doesn’t have to be the most intense display of love either.
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astearisms · 7 months
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catalysts, protectors
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bengiyo · 4 months
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Cherry Magic TH Ep 5 Stray Thoughts
Last week, Achi and Karan worked together during Songkran to figure out a marketing pitch. Achi got confused about Karan's relationship with a woman, only to learn that she's his sister, and also that sister has pushed them to live together for a while. Jinta continues to spiral about Min, and is now following his aspiring career as a dancer. We also learned that Rock admires Pai, and Pai has been shopping Achi and Karan for a long time.
Goddamn, Achi has been sick for at least two episodes now.
Look at this pathetic simp of a man potentially hurting his back to sleep next to Achi.
Damn, it always gets me how people just loudcap each other in Thailand.
I love Karan singing a love song to himself.
Something this version has captured well because of the long duration is that you can actually be comfortable around someone who has a crush on you when they're not forcing themselves on you. Karan may have complex fantasies, but he's not overstepping.
Jinta and Min continue to be excellent ports of Tsuge and Minato.
Achi, please don't regress every time Karan has a new thought.
I love that the manager is also a work mom to everyone.
I hope we get to see Karan throw murderous eyes at Rock.
Oh my god. Jinta wore sunglasses over his glasses.
Jinta is gonna strain something. I am praying for his joints.
Sing Harit was such a great choice for Rock because he's been flirting with boys in screen for ten years.
Newwie has a very good 'fond' expression.
I feel for Karan. It's hard being closeted at work and having a crush. Achi is also confusing him.
Poor Karan. Achi shared the food stall with Rock, too. Achi was not considering Karan's feelings there.
I wonder if there's a Thai media law requiring that characters wear helmets.
Jinta and Achi are so ridiculous. I love their dynamic.
I'm enjoying this new drama between Rock and Min. I felt like there should have been more explored history between Rokaku and Minato. This is really good angst between people who were close during a developmental period who then choose different things. Rock did hurt his friends, and he knows that.
Pai, I love you. She sees two cute men avoiding each other and her fujoshi brain demands they fix it.
I'm glad they mended this. Rock violated a Warrior's Bond and we needed to fix it.
Very much enjoying Min and Jinta.
Now, Achi, you are just making this man feel uncomfortable.
Oh, ho! Thank you for saying it, Karan. So looking forward to facing the reality of it being in the open
I continue to really enjoy the Thai touches to this story, and love what they captured exactly and what they chose to play with. I like how clear the mixed signals from Achi are affecting Karan, and I also really like deepening the history between Min and Rock. This is a solid show.
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strsburn · 2 years
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every little thing | jonathan levy (18+)
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pairing - jonathan levy x fem reader
synopsis - in which hearts are mended
see also - when two broken people meet and find that their sharp edges connect
warnings - this fic will contain sexual content at one point so
MINORS DO NOT INTERACT. 18+ CONTENT
notes - i am in love with oscar isaac your honor. i watched scenes from a marriage and honestly i think mira was very toxic and manipulative and honestly if jonathan was given a proper chance to heal and move on, i feel like his character would have developed more. that being said, i am ignoring how episode five ended and writing this x
tagging ( my favs ) @wint3r-h3art @tmholland @buckybleu @tom-whore-dleston @crazycookiecrumbles
@giona45-5
"This isn't working anymore." Your fork clattered as your hand went limp from shock, the sound that would normally cause you to wince fading to the back burner of your mind as you stared at your boyfriend in shock.
"W-what do you mean?" You cursed yourself mentally as the last word came out in a choked whisper, your emotions rising to the surface. Dean sighed, chewing on a pasta noodle thoughtfully as he waved his fork around nonchalantly.
"Look, it was fun in the beginning. You know, going out, holding hands, yada-yada, but," he paused to put his fork down, a hand coming to rest on his abdomen as he leaned back to shrug at you carelessly "You're too boring, alright. You don't like to go to parties, you like to stay in and read, you never want to try anything new in bed, honestly, how long did you think this could go on for?"
You can only stare, your cheeks flushing with humiliation as all your insecurities are laid out before you. Dean sighs at your silence, standing up as he pushes his chair in and folds his used napkin over his plate. He comes over to your side and lays a kiss on your cheek, and suddenly what once felt like a show of affection was now a branded mark of condescension.
"Dinner was good babe, no hard feelings right? Don't worry about my stuff, Josh will come to pick it up next week. Alright, later." In the blink of an eye, he's gone and you're left in silence, your shared apartment suddenly feeling too big.
 ๋࣭ ⭑ ⸱៰ ͘ ࣭⸰ ๋࣭ ⭑ ⸱៰ ͘ ࣭⸰
The breeze is a welcome sensation on your heated skin as you relax on the park bench.
It's been two weeks since your cruel and abrupt breakup and you were still reeling from the grief of it all, opting for more time spent at the park to escape the haunting reality.
You looked up as your heard shuffling footsteps, your eyes stopping on a little girl no older than nine who was wondering around without a care in the world.
You waited to see if an adult would come along who was accompanying her but when she remained alone and unsupervised you grew concerned. A park was the perfect place for a kid to be snatched up and you would not be one to turn a blind eye.
Smoothing down your skirt, you stood from the bench and approached slowly not wanting to scare the girl or be seen as a threat.
"Hello." You greeted her. She paused to see who addressed her before offering a bright grin that sent your heart melting.
"Hi." She giggled. You looked around once more to see if anyone had come searching for their daughter before you spoke once again.
"What are you doing out here by yourself kiddo? Where's your mom or dad?" At your question her shoulders seemed to sag slightly as she sighed.
"Well, my mom isn't here but my dad is. I was supposed to stay in his sight but he had to take a phone call real quick, I waited until his back was turned to explore and now I'm lost."
You had to bite back a laugh as she made hand motions with her explanation her lips set in a dramatic pout.
"Alright, well, maybe you can tell me what your dad looks like and we can try and find him okay?" You asked.
She squinted her eyes in thought as she looked at you with playful suspicious.
"My dad said I shouldn't talk to strangers." She retorted. You nodded in understanding, even as you thought it was a false cause considering she had already given you more information than a simple name would do.
You gave her your name before holding a hand out as she shook it firmly.
"My name is Ava." She quickly began to give you a rough description of her dad. Tall, wearing glasses, curly hair and an itchy beard. Very vague but enough to work with.
You held her hand as you both searched for the man who matched the description. As you moved along you suddenly heard faint shouting as a panicked voice echoed in the shrubs.
"Ava! God, where are you?! Ava!"
Ava perked up at her name and you turned around as who you perceived to be her dad came running up. You had to bite down on your bottom lip to keep your jaw from dropping as the single most handsome man you had ever seen stepped into view.
Dark curls decorated with hints of grey lay atop his head, his chin sporting a matching thick beard, equally dark brown eyes framed by gold wired glasses and an outfit of corduroy pants and a button up seemed to polish off the english professor look.
Relief coated his features as he spotted Ava, her hand letting go of yours as she ran to meet him with a hug. You watched in silence as he held her close, pulling back as worried frown replaced his relieved smile.
"You know better than to take off like that Ava, god something could have happened to you." He pulled her back into a hug as she murmured apologies.
It was then he seemed to notice you as he quickly stood up, taking his daughter's hand.
"Thank you for keeping her safe." He smiled, his whole face lighting up with the gesture. You could easily see where his daughter had gotten the smile.
"It was no worries at all, I was happy to help." You nodded as he offered a hand.
"I'm Jonathan, Jonathan Levy. Can I buy you a cup of a coffee as a thank you?" He reached for his pocket as if looking for his wallet and you waved your hands out, abashed.
"No that's okay! That's not necessary." You told him.
He smirked then, rubbing a hand over his beard as he adjusted his glasses and you felt butterflies flit around your stomach nervously.
"Alright well, then can I buy you a coffee just to see you again?"
You were a goner.
  ⭑ ⸱៰ ͘ ࣭⸰ ๋࣭ ⭑ ⸱៰ ͘ ࣭⸰
Your first date went great, Jonathan and you seemed to click just like that and while you were admittedly worried that he was married due to the presence of his daughter he was swift to assure you that he had been divorced for a while now.
He proceeded to open up about his failed marriage and even discussed a time in his life where he had grown so callous with his relationships that he had married again out of necessity rather than desire when a one night stand resulted in a pregnancy. He admitted that through this time he had openly cheated on his wife with his ex, nonchalant about if he was caught or not.
While his honesty was appreciated you were hesitant about starting a relationship due to his previous relationships and the failure of your own, and you divulged that.
Jonathan understood your worries and the two of you discussed a trial run, where you two would start off with small dates to see where things led off and most importantly that you both would be open to communication about anything and everything.
Which led to now.
"Are you serious? He actually said that?" Jonathan asked in disbelief, eyebrows raising so high they disappeared into his curls.
You nodded as you sipped your chai latte, the taste earning a pleased hum as you took another sip before placing the cup down.
"Yup, I was so shocked I just sat there as he proceeded to thank me for the dinner and hightail it out of there." You shook your head.
You and Jonathan had been discussing your traumatic past relationships and how they went down and instead of causing the mood to sour it helped strengthen the bond between you two as you both understood what it meant to move on from those painful events.
"That's such a fucking shitty move." Jonathan chuckled as he took a sip of his black coffee. He proceeded to adjust his glasses and you had to bite back a smile which he noticed.
"What?" He laughed nervously not knowing if you were poking fun at him.
"Nothing, I just laugh when you do that. It's cute." You told him, motioning to how he adjusted his glasses.
His eyebrows furrowed and you were worried that you'd somehow made him subconscious or upset but he looked up at you with soft eyes and a bright smile as he admitted
"That's actually really sweet, I've got a lot of quirks and things I do out of nervousness or habit and Mira always found them annoying or would laugh about it. You just embrace it, thank you." He told you, picking up your hand to lay a gentle kiss across your knuckles and you felt your heartbeat skip.
You hoped these trial runs worked out because you didnt know if you could handle the heartbreak of having to let this man go.
  ⭑ ⸱៰ ͘ ࣭⸰ ๋࣭ ⭑ ⸱៰ ͘ ࣭⸰
Six months had passed since your trial run had ended and you found yourself in a steady relationship with Jonathan.
You both had grown closer since being so open with one another and any fights you both had were resolved easily once you gave each other some space and then talked it out.
Ava loved you and you returned the sentiment and you even got to meet Ethan and Jane who would come over on the occasional holiday or birthday. Things were still tense with Jonathan and his former wife but they remained civil especially when dropping off or picking up their son. Ethan had declared he liked you after you had gotten him a baby yoda toy after his favorite movie character.
You still had yet to meet Mira who would come to pick up or drop off Ava while you were at work. Jonathan had asked if you would rather be there when she came but you reassured him that you trusted him to be alone with her and he had looked at you with such adoration in his eyes you had to look away as heat rushed to your cheeks.
The two of you had yet to say the big L word but you were not worried as you knew you both shared the same history when it came to that aspect of a relationship.
When it came down to it you knew full heartedly that you were in love with Jonathan and every little thing about him. Every flaw and imperfection only made you more crazy for him.
"Hey babe?" His voice brought you out of your reverie and you looked up from the pages of your novel to his worried face.
"Yeah, love." You replied closing your book and putting it aside to show him he had your full undivided attention.
He smiled at that, recognizing the show of respect and held his phone up.
"Mira wants to know about picking Ava up for the whole weekend, she wants to treat her to a girls day." You smiled at the fact he was involving you in such a decision and recognized that at the same time he wanted to be sure you would be comfortable as this would be the first time you would be meeting Mira.
"Of course that's alright. Thank you for asking first baby, tell her she's welcome to stay for dinner as well. I'm making chicken tortellini." You grinned as he punched the air in celebration at the mention of your cooking and nodded his head dutifull, sending the text out.
"Great, now come here. I need some quality Jonathan time." You held your arms out and he obliged as he laid his head down on your lap.
"God, I love you." He moaned when your fingers scraped softly against his scalp and you felt him tense as he realized what he just said. You pulled back to look at him as he avoided your gaze, your eyes softening as you recognized the doubt rising to the surface.
"Jonathan can you look at me please?" You asked softly as he slowly lifted his head to meet your gaze.
When he met your eyes, you brought your hand up to brush a curl away from his face, stroking his cheek with care as he leaned into the touch.
"I love you so much, Jonathan. I know it seems soon to say such but there is no other way to describe how deeply I feel for you. I love every little thing about you. The way you rest your chin into your palm when you're sleepy but want to hear what someone has to say, or when you get nervous and fidget with your glasses. The way you listen to soothing nature sounds when you can't fall asleep. How frustrated you get when you have a lecture and forget your notes, every little thing you doubt about yourself or don't like, I love about you because it makes you you. I wouldn't have you any other way."
You watch as his eyes fill up with tears and you catch them with your thumb wiping them away as he sits up to pull you into a kiss.
  ⭑ ⸱៰ ͘ ࣭⸰ ๋࣭ ⭑ ⸱៰ ͘ ࣭⸰
Meeting Mira had been an interesting experience. You could tell she disliked you simply for the fact that you were with Jonathan and the control she once had on him was no longer in tact.
It didn't help that her daughter was smitten with you as was his son and ex wife who got along well with you. The cherry on the top of the cake was the fact that Jonathan was so deeply in love with you that any thoughts he once had of being with Mira were long gone.
You had seen the frustration in her eyes when she tried to flirt with him in front of you and instead of growing angry you only calmly asked that she keep that behavior for someone who wanted it, which was proven true as Jonathan had put an end to her advances by removing her arms or deflecting her remarks.
She had quickly left after that, angrily grabbing Ava's bags to bring to the car as you calmly assured Ava that she wasn't at fault. You made sure to kiss and hug her goodbye as you gave her your number so she could call anytime she wanted.
The two had left after that and you and Jonathan had retired to the living room where you were leisurely sipping on wine.
"That wasn't a complete disaster." Jonathan remarked and you laughed as you set your wine glass down, your boyfriend mimicking you as he turned to face you.
You leaned into him, the two of you kissing softly as you both began to explore one another, your hands running up and down his arms as his grazed your thighs and waist.
He pulled you onto his lap as you panted into his mouth, grabbing onto his curls with force and causing a whine to escape him.
Your panties instantly dampened at the sound and you began to grind on his length through the thin fabric separating you.
"Fuck." He let out when you bucked your hips into him, the contact making his cock jump through his jeans.
He lifted you up and placed you on the couch as he kneeled before you, slowly sliding your skirt down and your panties with it.
He lifted your leg to rest on the couch, opening you up for him as he blew on your pussy, the cold air causing you to clench around on nothing as you whined.
He used his index finger to circle your clit as he pulled your lips apart and kissed you directly on it, his tongue entering you swiftly.
"Shit, oh my god." You cried out as your back arched, your hands clutching at his head as you moaned wantonly.
You felt him smirk against you as he bit your clit gently, reveling in the high pitched scream you let out as he ate your pussy out like it was his last meal.
You jumped as you felt him enter his index finger into you, the thickness of it causing your walls to clamp down on him in pleasure and your walls squeezed around him.
"You like that baby, I can tell by how tightly you're squeezing on my finger. Tell me baby, how am I making you feel?" He demanded as he thrusted his finger deeper, slipping it out to add two more as he thrust them deep and scissored them, stretching you open.
You spasmed, your legs nearly falling from the couch as he held your leg down with one hand.
"Fuck, you make me feel so good, Jonathan. S-so fucking good." You whimpered out as you felt your core tighten sensing your incoming release.
With a pleased hum, he thrusted hard against the soft spot of your inner wall sending you over the edge.
You cried out as your walls clenched on his fingers, your legs spasming as your back arched and your cum gushed over his hand.
He pulled his fingers out of you slowly, lifting them to his mouth but before he could lick what you had to offer you pulled his hand towards you, wrapping your lips around his fingers and sucking them deeply as you whirled your tongue around each digit to collect your release.
His mouth hung slightly open as he watched you and you could feel him rut into the couch as his pants tightened even farther. His cock restrained in the material.
As soon as your lips left his fingers he grabbed your head between his hands and kissed you hungrily, a groan escaping him as he tasted you in the kiss.
You moaned into him and lowered your hand cupping him through his jeans. You grabbed at the waist of his pants and tugged as he distractedly shoved his pants off his legs, his boxers following.
He picked you up and laid you on the couch as he bent over you, circling his cock on your clit causing you to twitch.
"Condom?" He asked and you shook your head as you pulled him on top of you, his weight causing you to moan.
"On the pill." You supplied, he nodded as you pushed a hand on his chest softly to remove your shirt and bra as he swiftly yanked his shirt off and tossed it aside as you did the same, uncaring as to where they landed.
You whined as he gripped your breasts firmly, bending down to take your nipple into his mouth as he caressed the other.
He let go with a soft pop to slap one softly as you gasped at the action.
"I'll play with these later, right now I need to be inside you." You bit your lip at the promise and kept your gaze on him as he lined his cock up and entered you slowly.
You moaned brokenly as he continued to move inside you, his entire length filling you up and pressing against your cervix. You felt like you were going to split open from the sheer size.
"Fuck baby, so tight around me. Can practically see myself in your stomach, feel me right there baby, hmm?" He pressed on your abdomen where a slight bulge could be seen and you nearly came as you cried out at the pressure.
He pulled out slowly, your walls hugging his cock tightly, every ridge and curve brushing against your walls before he thrusted foward hard, his cock entering you in one smooth movement as every inch was forced back inside you.
Your back arched as a choked scream left you and your legs began to tremble as each thrust punched the air from your lungs, his tip knocking into your cervix with each stroke.
"Look at you baby, so pretty spread out on my cock. Practically splitting you open, but you like that huh, got you so dumb on my cock you can't even speak." He punctuated the last word with a thrust as you let out another keen whine.
A sudden ring pierced the air and you whined as Jonathan began to slow his thrusts, his eyes falling to your phone on the coffee table.
He picked it up, his eyes squinting at the screen as he began to leisurely thrust into you once again, the slow motion causing you to buck your hips up into him to get him to move faster.
"Hmm, looks like you got a call from Dean. Why don't you answer it baby, see what he wants." And before you can tell him no he presses the accept button, putting it on speaker and setting it back on the coffee table. You gasp as he thrusts hard, hitting your g-spot with no effort and causing you to clench around him.
"Hello?" Dean's voice rings out and you bite your bottom lip hard as Jonathan tilts his head at you to answer, his hand lifting your leg and pushing it to your chest causing him to slide deeper.
"Y-yeah?" You ask into the phone as Dean calls your name again.
"Hey, I can't find my Yankees Jersey, do you still have it?" He asks right as Jonathan gives another deep thrust that has you seeing stars. You choke as you struggle to form a coherent thought and Dean seems to hear the sudden strain of breath as he calls your name suspiciously.
"U-uh, no, n-no I haven't seen it." He hums and then proceeds to ask how you've been handling the break-up. Jonathan smirks as he scoots you up so that your legs are resting on either side of his, your bottom half resting on his lap. He thrusts hard and the angle now has him brushing your cervix with every stroke, the curls at the base of his cock kissing your clit. The stimulation causes you to moan loudly as you forget about every other thing, including your ex who is now shouting into the phone with confusion as he hears your moans.
"Hey Dean, Jonathan here and I'd say she's handling the break-up pretty well considering she's being split open on my cock right now. Listen." He holds the phone near your mouth as you moan brokenly.
Dean curses, shouting out in disbelief and Jonathan smirks as he hangs up the phone quickly, throwing it on the table as he brings his fingers to toy with your clit.
"Come on baby, I can feel you clenching on my cock. You liked him listening to me fuck you, didn't you?" He asks, your moans the only response he needs.
"You gonna come for me, huh angel? Come on my cock, baby. Squeezing me so tight, can't wait to fill this pretty pussy up." He mutters and the thought of his come overfilling you is what brings your pleasure to the brink.
You cry out as your pussy clenches around him like a vice, his cock fucking you through your climax as you spasm around him, and you moan as you hear a breathy gasp escape him, his cock twitching in you as he fires off a load of cum, pumping each round into you and coating your walls.
He collapses on you as you both pant and your mind slowly recovers from the haze of lust.
You kiss his cheek as he pulls out from you slowly, wincing at the sensitivity of your pussy and you reach your hand out to grab the wipes from where you keep them under the couch cushion, handing them to Jonathan who kisses you deeply in gratitude as he wipes himself off.
"We are definitely doing that again." You say after a beat of silence and he can't help but laugh.
He was so lucky to have met you that day in the park.
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fridayth13 · 5 months
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—it's a love story
↳ chongyun, fanan/bonanus, lyney, wriothesley, and la signora × reader (separately) (royalty au!)
↳ genre: fluff, hijinks, a bit of crack(chongyun), hurt/comfort(wriothesley and maybe lyney's too), fantasy elements(signora) | wordcount: 1.8k | warnings: reader being a bit presumptuous and assuming(fanan)
↳ notes: while writing i did realize that some of these scenarios could happen even without the medieval setting, but i think everyone needs to imagine their favorite characters in a royalty au. at least once. for the aesthetic
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—chongyun
if anyone's ever watched gravity falls, think of that episode where dipper explores the northwest mansion with pacifica. it goes something like that
your family, as well as even the servants around the castle, grew wary of things that went bump in the night over the last few years
eventually, they called in an exorcist to get rid of anything with malicious intent
his name was chongyun— the best of the best in liyue
it was said even the most gruesome of evils steered clear of his presence. and when you first met, you thought it was no wonder
with his icy stare and his imposing ceremonial greatsword, he looked almost surreal as the ghosts themselves
you were tasked with representing your family. you and the exorcist were about the same age, so your parents thought it would help make him more comfortable
once you got to talk to him personally though, that assumption immediately fell flat on its face
as you went through the palace, his coldness didn't seem to waver, no matter how much you tried to lighten the mood. his tone when speaking (limited to one word replies and/or lengthy explanations about evil spirits) was clipped and entirely professional
it didn't take you long to resign to the fact that you were probably annoying him, and so you stopped
chongyun, however, was left stuck asking himself why you'd suddenly started acting so stiffly
as you forlornly inspected an ancient vase, he wondered if he should apologize for.. something? was he being too cold? he hoped not
though chongyun did worry that his long time crush on you would have him combust if he ever stood an inch too close
besides, he was on a job. professionalism, chongyun. professionalism
just ignore the unwanted whisper of the xingqiu devil on his shoulder urging him to talk to you
he could do that later
maybe. hopefully
his friend would have definitely been having a field day if he saw him now, fumbling over himself about whether or not to initiate a conversation
you, however, had absolutely no clue what chongyun was glaring at the wall about. the mural maybe? was that cursed? you sidled up to chongyun's side and voiced your question to him
if you knew him any better, you'd recognize the vague pink creeping up his cheeks
—bonanus / fanan
you'd initially thought she was a.. strange choice to be assigned as your personal knight
to be honest, you used to think she was one of the nurses. you often saw her in the infirmary, her deep blue hair and pretty smile catching your eye quite easily
fanan's frame was slender, but with the way she carried herself, anyone might guess she was a member of the royal household like you
you couldn't imagine her in all that clunky armor, swinging a hefty sword against the other warriors. you had thought she was too soft-hearted for that
that was a misjudgement on your part
the first spar you witnessed her partake in was when she was training one of her subordinates
the first thing you were wrong about was her weapon— fanan didn't have a sword, no
she had two
long, elegant twin dao sword with carvings of the waves and ocean legends from the hilt to the iron of the blades. the metal was such a beautiful silver it could pass for blue under a certain light
the second thing you were wrong about?
fanan had no use for armor, apparently
she flowed as easily as water, practically dancing around her opponent in a blur of blue
her blades, the seafoam and her azure apparel, the current; she was a tsunami crashing into the tide
her opponent fell before a minute passed
"you've improved." yet she smiled at them, as sweet as ever
you had to hold yourself back from voicing your bafflement. improved? at this rate, you felt you might as well could have fired every other knight at the palace
"i noticed you stop to watch earlier."
it was only after fully checking in on her subordinate did she ask for your thoughts
"what did you think, your grace? was my performance to your liking?"
you could only blink at her
"y..your grace?"
"i—" you cleared your throat. "um.. yes. yes, it was. more than satisfactory, i think. you are quite skilled, sir bonanus"
then she beamed at your words
your heart fluttered
—lyney
in lyney's words, you were a noble of many treasures, and a bouquet of even brighter blossoms. you sometimes found his riveting manner of speech a bit difficult to understand, but that statement was thankfully not one of them
you thought the notion of having a jester was a bit silly. but you didn't have any other way to describe him either
you supposed magician worked well enough
to start, the court of fontaine was simply enamored with him. who wouldn't be?
a charming fellow from humble origins, rising up with nothing but the little mora in his pocket and the support of his family to keep him afloat. and he'd made it. in no time at all, he was a regular presence on the stage of the opera epiclese.
and while the court of fontaine was enraptured with the magician, lyney himself found himself enraptured by you
he didn't believe in love at first sight, but he knew when he was smitten
you came to every show. every night. he even caught a glimpse of your watching eyes during one of his smaller performances
the immediate night after, the opera's crowd was in complete shambles by the end of his tricks, when a single rainbow rose had been thrown into the crowd by his very hand
it had landed in your lap, just as planned
the look you shared that night was the talk of the entire kingdom for weeks
as for you.. well, he made you laugh. what else was there to say?
soon enough, lyney was giving out backstage passes (pass-es, he told lynette. but she saved him the trouble and requested you to come by herself)
you grew close quickly. lyney seemed like an easy person to get close to, after all. he was a devoted suitor as well; never passing up every opportunity to try and impress you or tell you how grateful he was to you for even looking his way
every performance after that concluded with a rainbow rose in your hand. sometimes even several
your visits to the house of the hearth (previously only for business) increased in number
so when the order came from father to get even closer to you and sleuth about your estate and properties, lyney's heart just about stopped in his chest
—wriothesley
you knew each other for as long as you could remember
he was just a random servant boy in the castle that liked keeping you company. you, in turn, had no complaints. he was fun, if not unpredictable, and a welcome interruption to the rigid palace routine
to him, you were like an angel. he called it the luck of the gods themselves that you wanted to play with him at all when they were kids
with the crown on your head as a halo, the cadence of your voice was your song. you always smelled so nice, and your hands were so soft. your smile, however, was the most stunning. the sight of it almost gave him a sense of pride, knowing that more often than not, it had appeared because of him
you were inseparable, and everyone hated it. especially your parents
it was almost ironic. of all the people to have figured out how the two of you felt about each other first, it had to be the ones that needed you apart the most
he didn't exactly help his own case, what with his smart mouth and knack for getting in trouble. it came as no surprise that he was at the receiving end of someone's scolding quite often. you just hadn't expected it to get so far
the trial went by you in a blur of whispers
"i always knew he was trouble" "what a dreadful child" "how unfortunate"
you couldn't sit still, practically leaning over the rail to look at him. you wanted to snap at your family gossiping behind you. you wanted to jump over the rail and run to your best friend. your only friend. you wanted to yell at him. you wanted to comfort him. you wanted to grab him by the hand and run off somewhere no one could catch you
and he wasn't even looking at you
if only you'd known what he was thinking in those moments. that the mere sight of you at the edge of his vision had him near tears
"i'll come back to you. i'll come back." he repeated to himself every night after that before he fell asleep, dreaming of you
years passed. wriothesley never forgot
now the duke of the fortress he was exiled to, he ran back to the overworld the first chance he had
as soon as he saw you on the streets of the city, he knew
and as soon as you caught sight of him, staring longingly after you across the street, you did too
—la signora
the signora lohefalter was a mysterious woman
the fair lady. an esteemed member of the snezhnayan court. from the way she dressed, the way she carried herself, the way she spoke, it could be said she was the very definition of the word 'luxuriant'.
between the two of you, it had started with a spark
on her end, a spark of interest
you were a bold one. whether you were a lowly servant, a fellow noble, or somewhere in between, you had a certain look in your eye. one of unyielding fire
it drew her in, this mirror of her own disposition
the court was often a rather desolate place to be. the people flew by and drifted off, colder than the wind. your heat was tantalizing to her. and eventually, she learned to crave your warmth
on your end however, the spark was rather literal
witchcraft was forbidden in all but written law. so when you caught the slightest lick of light escaping the signora's ungloved hands, you weren't quite sure what to do
she'd caught your gaze with an amused smile
"you look like you've seen a ghost, y/n."
not quite
it was an odd game of cat and mouse. it was as if the mouse bared fangs, and the cat was left to do nothing but scramble to catch it
it might take a while longer for her to accept her own feelings if you weren't a noble, or draped in finery from head to toe
but when she does, she claims the feelings with conviction. no matter how much longer it will take for the two of you to end your little game, it's clear what's going on to any outsider watching the two of you
maybe it wasn't so much that you wanted her caught. maybe you just wanted to know why. you've voiced this curiosity to her once, in one of your attempts to obtain a confession
she smiled again, in that coy, oh-so-innocent way that she did. she'd tell you, but.. well, you already knew, didn't you? what was there to tell?
and could you really blame her if she enjoyed the way you looked as you chased her down?
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dividers from @clutteredfun
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ecargmura · 24 days
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Wind Breaker Episode 1 Review - Better Than Bucchigiri?!
As the finale of Bucchigiri approaches, I watch Wind Breaker and I realize that this is the delinquent anime I was expecting the former to be, but wasn’t met with it. Wind Breaker’s premise starts off strong with an impressionable main character with a goal to become the strongest. A bit typical, but at least it’s consistent with his story. Haruka Sakura (First name is Haruka and last name is Sakura) might have the girliest name ever, but he’s a lonely boy with a rather prickly side due to being shunned from others for a very long time due to his unusual hair and heterochromatic eyes. He fights because he believes that’s the only way he can fit in and be something other than a pariah. In the case of Arajin, he’s stuck with a fight-crazy genie, yet only fights like 3 times in the show so far (and four once the finale airs on Saturday). His schtick is that he wants to get laid and wishes to lose his virginity. Also, when pressured to fight, he starts getting toilet problems; the interesting fights in the show are all from characters not named Arajin. Look, I don’t mean to compare two shows, but it had to be done. 
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WInd Breaker is a story about Haruka Sakura moving into a new town and the first thing he does after moving in is to beat up scummy gangsters trying to hit on a lady named Kotoha. Sakura sees this and beats them up and as he does, he tells them to remember his name so that the weak can avoid him and the strong will come to him. After getting treated to omurice by Kotoha, she teaches him about what this town is like and why Sakura won’t be able to become the top of Furin High School. It’s because the school has started to reform into a place where “good” delinquents beat up gangsters and anyone who causes harm to the town. After another scuffle with the gangsters from earlier and getting help from his future schoolmates, Sakura realizes that what they’re doing—being Wind Breakers and protecting the school from evil gangsters—is exactly what he wants to do as well.
Just seeing a delinquent anime where the characters just use their fists for their fights is nice to see. The fact that Clover Works is the animation studio and the way they animated Sakura’s beating up the rival gang by himself was a real treat to see. Hot damn, they’re doing an amazing job from episode 1. The fight scene was the highlight of the premiere. If its already this good from the beginning, I can’t wait to see what future fights will be like. The music is nice too! I liked the soundtrack that the fight scene had and I also liked the opening song.
From the opening, there seems to be a large cast of characters, but for this episode, a few of them show up. Sakura seems like the textbook delinquent at first glance, but he’s a lonely boy who had been hurt from society shunning him for his hair and eyes. He’s used to misunderstanding, but it still took a large toll on his self esteem. He’s actually super adorable! Like when Kotoha thanks him, he gets all shy and his face turns red because he’s not used to gratitude. When she treats him to food, he starts acting super cute when the food is good and even asks if she does takeout. While he’s a great fighter, I do wonder if his past will be explored later on, I’d like to learn more about him.
About his hair, I remember watching a Korean talk show program called Hello Counselor where civilians talk about their concerns in public television. One concern I remember watching was about a mother who’s very young daughter had partially white hair and was worried about how society would treat her growing up. The daughter had a large streak of white hair in the front, so it made me learn that such thing does exist. It’s considered albinism. Despite this, Sakura’s design is mesmerizing. I love how unique his design is.
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Kotoha seems to be the cool big sister type. I just hope she’s not his love interest because he’s a child and she’s an adult. It’d get weird given that Sakura might not even know what love is due to his loneliness. I do love how strong-willed she is. I just hope she isn’t the constant target of gang leaders because female characters tend to be that, especially in stories where it’s mainly male characters. Then there’s Hiragi and his posse. They seem like honorable people that the town loves, but I’d like to learn more about them.
The voice acting is amazing. Yuma Uchida really does show off his range. While he’s an expert at voicing tsunderes, I do love how gravely his voice is when Sakura shouts. It sort of reminds me of Yoshitsugu Matsuoka’s gravely voice, especially when he voices Inosuke. Kotoha is voiced by Ikumi Hasegawa. I normally hear her voice teen girls, so for her to voice an adult is a first for me, but I’d like to hear her voice adults more often. She has a strong tone. Hiragi is voiced by Ryota Suzuki, who’s another rising star in the voice acting industry. I’m familiar with his role as Kurosawa from Cherry Magic and the Wanima brothers from Blue Lock.
In my opinion, this was a strong start. I just hope it stays consistent and not stray off. I want to see the same type of action scenes presented in this episode. I want to see the main character be active and prominent to the story’s plot. I want to see growth and friendship too. Just give me things that Bucchigiri lacked. If you have watched the premiere of this anime, what are your honest thoughts?
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badassturtles235147 · 1 month
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Things I would change in Shredder and Karai's relationship, and Splinter and Karai.
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Shredder and Karai
Ok, I'm going to start with Shredder. Frist, people like me, can obviously see that Shredder was being totally abusive towards Karai, in more ways than one and the thing I would change, I would change how we did not get to explore enough of Karai's childhood.
Am I the only one who, after watching the Lone Rat and Cubs episode, was like, "Huh, I wonder what Karai's childhood was like?"
I mean I get it, the turtles were the main characters, so we got to see their origin but, in my opinion, I think seeing Karai's origin, her childhood, would have helped and made up for all the things we don't know about her!
Like how did she become a kunoichi? How did she meet Shinigami? Did she have any other friends besides Shinigami? And we could have seen more of her and Shredder's relationship but nope! No. Karai doesn't get an origin or even an episode of her very own, no, she gets nothing but LeoRai. Barf!
So, yeah, I would defiantly explore more in Karai's life and her relationships in the Foot, mainly, Shredder and Shinigami. Sad as it would be, I would have liked to see, how neglectful, emotionally, mentally, or even physically abusive Shredder was towards Karai. And I would have loved, to see how she and Shinigami became friends, and get a little bit of Shinigami's story as well.
Another thing I would change, is Shredder's obsession over her. Shredder comes off way too obsessive and creepy, and I know you guys think I am crazy but, he honestly does come off as some sort of predator.
The way he says, "She's mine!" Is the same way, how he said Shen was his. It just feels like Karai was Tang Shen's replacement to him. I mean, honestly, I wouldn't put it below him because I truly believe Shredder is that evil and sick, but...no. No. I would have done it like Thanos and Gamora.
He still would not love her, just act like he did. At first, Shredder took Karai and kept her, because he wanted complete revenge of what Hamato Yuuta did to him and he wanted something to remind him of his victory, also a reminder of the woman he (so-called) loved.
In truth, Shredder hated Karai, and hated being around her. He would never speak to her unless absolutely necessary or when he punishes her. Every time he looks at her, he sees the face of the woman he killed, and she would also remind him of her father almost as much as she reminds him of her mother, which would just fill him with so much hate and disguised.
But then, when he saw Karai's potential, saw how useful and deadly she was, Shredder found a new use for her and so, he trained her as his weapon. A weapon he trusted most to get the job done. After that, Karai was almost always by Shredder's side. He still would see Shen or Yoshi in her, and when that happened, he would lash out, violently but he was slowly, shaping Karai into his perfect image and he hoped that soon, he would rid of all traits of Yoshi.
However, Karai was stubborn as her father was and she was fierce as her mother. No matter what Shredder did, Karai never lost herself completely, never gave him too much control over her. She was his perfect weapon, his favorite daughter, but she was never going to allow him to own her and her choices.
Last thing I would change, is that I would have not let Karai get captured by him so much! I am so sick of the whole, damsel in distress! The only one, I would keep is Vengeance is mine because I do like Karai's mutation and I think it's really cool, and different for her character. (Sucks that we didn't get to explore much of her mutation either)
Splinter and Karai
Ok, first thing I would change, is how these two have no relationship at all! Don't you guys want to get to know each other, make up for lost time?! Splinter, since episode two you have been saying how much you miss your daughter and regret what happened the night she died! Karai, you have been wanting your father's love and attention since we've met you, and you now have a father who is ready to give that to you! Like, what was the point of Splinter having a long-lost daughter if they were never ever going to spend any time together or have at least one episode of them, spending time together, like Splinter does with April!
When Karai comes back, saying she wants to rebuild the Foot and yadda yadda, I would want Splinter to one day check on her and then somehow, have Shinigami convince Karai to let him join on a mission.
They do some bonding, maybe a little bickering, and their father-daughter relationship start to grow from there.
I would have also liked it if Splinter got to tell Karai, how he met his mother and maybe a little background of his childhood.
Another thing I would change, is how after Splinter saved Karai from the brainworm, I wouldn't have let her fall. I mean, this man got a pile of steal metal pipes off of him, sending them flying when Shredder hurt Leatherhead and yet, he could not pull up his own daughter from falling down a drain? Give me a break!
No, I would have let Karai be saved and reunited with her family, and instead of going to Japan to get Shinigami, she stays with her family and calls her friend to come to New York because she will need her help for future battles.
Finally, the last thing I would change, is how Splinter does not help Karai through her trauma when she clearly has a lot. He probably just wants her to make the first step and come to him when she is ready, which I understand but I would have loved it, if Splinter helped guide her, like he always guides his sons in the right direction. Maybe telling her of some of the mistakes he made because when he first warned her of revenge, I swear, it sounded like he was speaking from his own experience with it.
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7thingsnbeings · 6 months
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OH. MY. GOD.
I just watched the new episode of Helluva Boss and it was F**KING AMAZING!!! Like, the hype is real people!
I liked every aspect of it. From animation to characters to plot. ESPECIALLY the last two!
(Spoiler warning)
I really liked Fizz in this episode. Even more so than the previous one. I liked how we explore his life as a brand celebrity, how he has to deal with many things like pleasing Mammon in every possible way, his rivalries with other clowns, crazy mean haters who have the guts to humiliate him publicly (or even try to kill them for f**ks sake) etc. Which makes his 'F**K U' song and announcement of resigning all the more satisfying to watch. His interaction with deaf imp kid was the cutest thing in entire episode <3
Asmodeus is the best boyfriend Fizz is lucky to have. He always looks for Fizz's well being not caring for the flaws or expected perfections. He is not afraid to call him out as well as to confront Mammon after Fizz's resigning and after Mam mocks him for 'loving an imp'. He. Doesn't. Give. A. Sh*t. He loves Fizzy no matter what and that's not going to stop him!
Speaking of which, I really liked Mammon's introduction in this episode. We get to know him a little better, how he interacts with people, Fizz especially, and later with Ozzie. His voice is so fun to me it fits his character (can't tell if it's Australian or not). I kind of wonder if we're ever gonna see him again. Maybe as a minor villain in the future or just a glimpse of him. Who knows?
I also wanna mention Blitz in this post. Just like with Ozzie, Blitz is a great friend to Fizz who is ready to comfort him in a stressful situation, protect him from crazy obsessed hater (whom he kills in the end) and who saw through Mam's lies as well as not afraid to 'disrespect' him in the beginning. He was funny when calling Fizz and Ozzie 'hypocrites' and when asking them 'who tops?'
All in all, I loved this episode. It was mindblowing, tensed and above all, amazing. Kudos to Vivzie and her team for once again giving us this wonderful episode. I look forward for more of their work and upcoming episodes in the future.
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ladyloveandjustice · 10 months
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Spring 2023 Anime Overview-Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 2
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In my review for season one of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, I praised the show for being a compelling sci-fi full or intrigue, centering a well developed queer romance between the robot-piloting protagonist and all around precious girl, Suletta Mercury, and her fierce fiancé, Miorine Rembran.
But having been burned by anime before, I said I would hold off on recommending the entire show until it finished, and crossed my fingers tight that season 2 wouldn’t drop the ball.
The great news is that I can now wholeheartedly recommend the show. The final season did not drop the ball. It remained a great watch, the romance and relationship development continued to be worthwhile and excellent, and it was consistent with the strengths of the first season. It wasn’t perfect, which I’ll get into, but it was very good. Whether you’re here for girls in love, robots wrecking each other, tense battles between opposing political factions, or morally-horrifying moms on a revenge spree, you’re in for a treat.
The shocking last moments of the first season have some great relationship fallout, and the series delves into how Suletta was truly brainwashed by her mother. Miorine’s struggles to come to terms with the bloody legacy she’s inherited and her relationship with Suletta can withstand such a thing. Suletta grapples with her mother’s deception and her own individuality. Both are compelling arcs that built upon the groundwork the first season laid and lead to some nice relationship drama.
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(Also, the credit sequence was awesome.)
The parallels between the two girls really pop this season as they both have to confront their mistakes, shoulder their sins, and see if they can move forward with the other. You really see how they mirror each other, and how they need each other. The romance ball isn’t dropped and becomes even more textually explicit, with Suletta explicitly stating she's into Miorine and no one else and eagerly anticipating the wedding, while Miorine also makes her intentions with Suletta very clear.
The second season is also a lot faster paced than the first, delivering tense and heartbreaking episodes one after another and leaving you on the edge of your seat. A lot of the conflicts that had been building from the first episode came to an explosive crescendo. Those bombs dropped and the carnage was wonderful. It was exciting, we saw more sides of the conflict, spent some time on earth, and got to see some unexpected depth in several characters. And yes, there were approximately a million more Utena references, some that made me laugh out loud.
However, this season wasn’t perfect. I was already having a little trouble following all the different factions and agendas in the first season, and this season exacerbated the problem. And while some characters got great roles, there were just so many. That meant a lot of them didn’t have any space to develop or even serve a clear purpose. There were a lot of characters I was excited to see do something, who the show built up as super ominous and meaningful and...then they did nothing. As funny as it is that several characters can be summed up as "s/he did fuck all the whole show and then bounced, king shit", it's also a letdown.
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And this season really threw into focus how many of the more distinctive supporting characters were barely explored. Suletta’s bond with Earth House was a major plot point, but we barely know anything about most of them so it doesn't hit as hard as it should. Even Chuchu, who was one of the more developed ones, felt under-served as fan favorite. For instance, there were several bits where she entered the battle and it was treated like a big deal…and we didn’t even get to see her fight, presumably because the show didn’t have time. And it was worse for other characters- I couldn’t even tell you the names of most of the girl squad working with Shaddiq. They all had such potential as characters, I wish we'd gotten more of them. Things that should be impactful the narrative, like Miorine's dad and the consequences to his actions and what it means for their relationship, were barely explored (not that I'm all that interested in him, but it was weird after the emphasis the first season put on it).
No major balls were dropped in the conflict between the Spacians and Earthians, but it also felt like it got lost in the shuffle at times and I felt like the show could have had a clearer ideology. The “war is bad” and “exploitative corporations are bad” came through loud and clear, but it felt like some threads could have been followed up on more.
In hindsight, I was also disappointed how much of the season Suletta and Miorine spent separated- some of that was plot relevant, but some of it was just clearly so they could learn exposition separately, and considering how important the relationship was to the show, it felt like a waste.
A good chunk of screentime was also waited Guel’s brother, Lauda. While Guel’s arc was solid and he’s the character who changed the most throughout the show, his brother and his tendency to blame any woman Guel was standing near for all their problems was not compelling (Nanami did it better). So it felt like there was a conflict involving him just to give Guel something to do during the fighting and tie a bow on things. Even the characters involved admitted what happened was kind of dumb, and I would have liked to see one of the more interesting unexplored characters get development instead.
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The finale was especially rushed, and while there were cool moments, I couldn’t really describe how the battle was fought, and even one of the characters in the show admits that certain plot developments don’t make sense. I also couldn’t tell you exactly how exactly the villain’s big plan worked, which is kind of important!
You just had to be like “oh okay, well, pretty lights, stuff happened, don’t know why that was a thing, that was the power of love I guess, I’ll just soak up the vibes.” Which isn’t the end of the world, a lot of anime does that, but it stuck out because all the battles before that had their fantastical mechanics (mostly) clearly explained, There were also several reconciliations I would have been more okay with if the show had spent more time on what the messy process of repairing that broken trust looked like, but because it didn’t, it felt unearned.
And finally, the show spent a lot of time talking about a huge romantic event and in the end we…didn’t see it. It’s made clear it happened off screen, but the fact we didn’t see the event the show itself made such a big deal about felt like a let-down and even a bit of a cop-out, if I’m being honest. I get that outside forces may have been responsible, but it doesn't change my disappointment.
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Basically what most of the complaints amount to is that I really enjoy this show, but I feel it needed to be longer than it was. At the very least, the events of the final episode could have used two episodes to unfold, so everything could be fully developed, and we could fully see how the characters ended up where they were. But ideally…Gundam series are typically 50 episodes, and I feel like this show might have been better served as a show of that length (or even 37 episodes/3 seasons). This show had a huge cast, a huge world, and a lot going on. I think we needed to spend a lot more time with the characters to get to know their backstories, personalities and agendas. I would have loved some “filler” episodes focusing on a minor character, or Suletta and Miorine going on a disastrous date.
However, overall I was satisfied with the ending. I came out feeling like a winner. It was fun, a lot of the characters ended up where I wanted them to be, and I liked how things turned out. There was an acknowledgement that a corrupt system of war profiteering and exploitation could not be taken down in one stroke, but that our heroes were going to keep fighting. I dearly want a slice of life following all these people at the end of the day, and my investment in the characters is a sign of a job well done.
The show also continued to treat it’s array of fat characters with respect, and it had some good disability representation as well, highlighting some disabled people leading fulfilling and joyful lives.
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I really wish G-Witch could have been the absolute best version of itself. But the version we got is still pretty great. I definitely had a fantastic time with the show, was often touched by it, and I’ll carry the excellent characters with me for a long while. The textual romance between two female leads in a mainstream franchise like Gundam is a monumental achievement, and the show handled the relationship well. I hope its success opens the door for more like it. We deserve more stories like this- stories of all genres where queer people are important and get to go on grand adventures, are protagonists, are a normal part of the setting, where we see the kind of people anime usually ignores (fat people, non-Japanese people of color, queer people and disabled people...) are treated with respect, where the story embraces all even as it explores injustice. G-witch is an important step, and I’m sure it will be remembered fondly for years to come. And I sure wouldn’t say no to an OVA to fill in some of the blanks.
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gelloonnery · 7 months
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SPOILER FOR THE FINAL TWO EPISODES
This is rant btw
I feel. Like. the Ending WAS what we wanted. It was kind offthe ending we thought we were gonna get, Fionna learns to appreciate her old world, Simon learns self worth and realises his flaws in his relationship with Betty and learns to live as himself and break the cycle of sacrifice
I just didn't expect it to be so. Straightforward and Spoonfed?? like simon just fully just TALKED about the narrative of his story. No visuals no nothing no nuances, like he just sits down and talks its like the writers went to tumblr and just read off one of the character analysis on here and just used it as dialougue??
Like what exactly made him realise his life was worth while, he was jsut about to commit mental suicide SECONDS ago and the only thing he realised was that he shouldve been more thoughtful in his relationship with betty, how does that correlate with him finding worth in his life?
Like i think it wouldnt have felt so out of no where if the last few episodes where they were going to diff worlds that showed that simon was valued as a catalyst of certain events in the AT timeline, were coupled with simon actually learning from those worlds, instead of him just being oblivious and still wanting to go after the crown
And the nova and casper thing was cute and i like the exploration of a new artstyle but did the story have to be presented that way?? Like it just told us what we already knew and in the end it wasn't even simon himself coming to the realization that his realtionship with betty is flawed, beth had to partially spell it out for him
Like did we need to go to shermy and beth's universe?? For Simon and betty's conclusion?? What was the point of going to that dimension it has nothing to do with their relationship
(I did like that alternate version of simon letting betty go onto the bus and even offering to join her on her trip that was cute.)
And all the universes they affected are just fine now?? Is farmworld finn dead or alive?? ARE FINN'S KIDS JUST ORPHANS NOW????
What was the point of it being set in Shermy and Beth's universe?? And simon just hacked out Fionna world like a hairball because he finally acknowleges that its not his responsibility?
I get the story their trying to tell I get what the narrative that their trying to say, and it IS the narrative that was what drew me into these stories in the first place. But the way it was presented was just ultimately so unsatisfying and weirdly complicated but also simple im just-
huh HUWH HUH WUHHH?????
NOT TO MENTION, WHAT IS UP WITH BETTY DOES THE BETTY IN THE BUSSTOP FLASHBACK TURNING INTO GOLB IN THE LAST SECOND HINT THAT SHE'S JUST COOL WITH BEING GOLB NOW LIKE THATS HER NEW 9 TO 5 I GUESS I MEAN. COOL GOOD FOR YOU GIRL?? LIke her fucking teleporting her fiance into her new apartment in the VOID and teaching him about the wonders of not dying is just a regular tuesday night i guess i MEAN SURE. THATS FUNNY.
did we overanalyze everything??? or did they just fumble the bag like i left those episode feeling like i shouldve been vindicated but i WASNT
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tgammsideblog · 8 months
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June Chen redemption arc prediction
Some time ago i answered an ask about June's arc in this season. Having in mind that plenty of episodes have aired since then and we have gotten more information about the Chens' role in the upcoming episodes, i think it would be a good idea to write a follow up to that June post i posted all those weeks ago.
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First of all, one thing that can be highlighted about June as ghosthunter is that she is more aggressive when it comes to dealing with ghosts. A good example of this is how in ¨Frightmares On Main Street¨ she changes the type of shot from the ghost gun to ¨extreme dealy¨. She hesitates a lot less than Ollie when it comes to hunting ghosts. In contrast Ollie only was seen tracking ghosts and trapping Scratch in the same episode. He never appeared to have intentions of hurting Scratch, only interrogate him, probably because he was confused by how Molly was hanging out with him.
This more direct approach to dealing with ghosts could make June a bit harder to persuade and show her that ghosts aren't evil. She seems to be more ¨shoot first, ask questions later¨, so she could turn out to be a lot more stubborn that Ollie was in ¨Frightmares On Main Street¨. She may even impose a bigger threat for Molly and Scratch if they try talking her down.
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However, June isn't totally unreasonable as she did listen to Ollie when he asked her to not shoot Scratch when he was trapped in the goo. She was suspicious for a few seconds but later let Scratch be and went to help Esther and Ruben who were trying to capture other ghosts outside.
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In the same episode June noticed how the frightmares ghosts got trapped inside the ghost canister (thanks to Scratch's chairman powers), something that shouldn't have worked as she told Ruben that the gadget was only a prototype. Based on her expressions of wondering how the ghost canister worked, it is clear that this is a plot point that is going to become important for her character. It could make her trying to learn more about the true nature of ghosts and thus start changing her mind about them.
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Having in mind that it has been confirmed that we are going to see scenes exploring June and Ollie's relationship, it is very likely that Ollie is going to play an important role in trying to change June's view on ghosts. It makes sense, since June isn't seen hanging out with Molly that much and June could be more willing to listen to someone who was raised with the same ideas as her. Not to mention that Ollie may know a way to her sister to understand the situation better than Molly and Scratch would.
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Another character that has been hinted that is going to play a role in her arc is Darryl. The episode ¨The New (Para) Normal¨ established their dynamic as something important, they instantly clicked by finding things they had in common while having different personalities. It has been confirmed that that they are going to have a ¨big episode¨ titled ¨The Grand Gesture¨, which was confirmed by Bob Roth on his twitter account. Again, Darryl has been hinted to have a closer bond than Molly shares with June. They both are troublemakers in different ways and have an unique way of viewing the world that their family does. Darryl could bring up that ghosts are misunderstood by humans the same way him and June are sometimes misunderstood by their peers and adults to persuade June into changing her mind. That itself could also be a good opportunity to explore a different side of her character too.
As how her arc could go, i think it could happen in two ways or a mix of them: One, she is more stubborn and agressive when it comes to trying to understand ghosts and it could be harder for her to get what the other characters are trying to explain to her. Two, she doesn't take that long to change her views in contrast to Ollie since she could be able to relate to way ghosts feel misunderstood by humans, thus taking less time for her to join the ¨Ghost Friends¨ team.
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The last ¨step¨ of her arc would involve her and Ollie trying to change Ruben and Esther's minds in the final conflict. Both of them standing up against her parents and calling them out for these harmful ideas that were taught to them, showing them that they were wrong about it.
Whatever direction her arc takes, i'm looking forward to see how it differs from Ollie's and how June's growth is going to be. From what it has been hinted so far by both the series and the crew, she is going to have an important involvement in the story during the upcoming episodes and a crucial role in the conclusion to the Chens family arc in this season.
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barmadumet · 8 months
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Ahsoka Episode 5 Spoilers Below!
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Okay, I’m going to do something I never do, and I don’t think ever have done – I’m going to do the “take” thing – put my opinion online. I don’t like to do this, because I feel like there is ALWAYS someone opposed, and I just don’t want any bad energy revolving around my beloved escape from reality.
For the last twenty-two hours, I have been profusely hitting the ❤️­s on other posts, jumping up and down and hugging people, and basically just doing the equivalent of shouting, “ANAKIN!!!” but I’ve yet to really try to discuss Episode 5, because, quite frankly, it’s just been too freaking emotional for me! I have all these feelings that I don’t know how to sort out, and I've honestly felt like I could burst into tears at any given moment, all day long. I went through this with the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, and I remember I felt literally insane for a WHILE. Perhaps, I should’ve written something like this back then – writing is my outlet, after all.
So, here we go. . . I don’t have many followers, and I know many people won’t read this, but I just need to get it out!
A couple of weeks ago, my dear friend, Wibz asked me, “What kind of story do you like? What kind of fic do you like to read?” I replied sappy, mushy, hurt/comfort, of course. I told her I like dialogue – dealing with emotional ups and downs - HEALING. I told her I liked fix-its and time travel, and I specifically said I like seeing into ‘what could’ve been’ scenarios, and I mentioned by name the movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” And the thing I really love about that movie is the ability to visit the past. I like stories that take us back – and not just as a flashback, but a present character being able to look at their past and reflect. You probably know where this is going by now, but the way we finally got our long-awaited Clone Wars ‘flashback’ couldn’t have been more perfect in my opinion.
And the thing that has made me the most emotional through all of this was simply seeing that first battle in live action. I will admit, upon viewing the first two episodes of Ahsoka, I felt the show might’ve been better presented in Rebels animation. Well, I can now, happily admit I was wrong.
We saw the brutal beginnings of the Clone Wars at the Battle of Geonosis in Attack of the Clones, and we see the heart-breaking conclusion and the end of the war in Revenge of the Sith. My personal opinion is that we have been very fortunate to get a great show about the time in between, however; being short, animated (directed at a younger audience) episodes, there are emotional aspects that are rushed through and not fully explored. If you’ve read my insanely long fix-it fic, then you know that it carries through these Clone Wars episodes that I love so very much, BUT in writing it my own way, I was able to put in all the drama I wanted to see – the breakdowns, the tears, a deeper look into the trauma of fighting in a war. And yes, there have been some amazing Star Wars novels that do this, but again, seeing it in live action. . . seeing just how young Ahsoka really was, seeing her mourn the injured and deceased clones. Having her and Anakin address the fragility of life and getting to hear that conversation about it. . . Now the viewing audience has a grasp on just how bleak this time period was. I didn’t know how bad I needed to see this – a human turned Togruta actor conveying those destroyed expressions and defeated body language. The impact was more than I expected, and it wouldn’t have been the same in animation.
The other super tear-jerky part for me was the theme of ‘Live or Die’ ‘Fight or Die’ . . .I can’t let myself get into too much detail about this, but if you know me, and you know my story, then you know. Great. I’m crying again 🤷🏻‍♀️ This was just such a powerful message for ANYONE struggling in any aspect of their life, and it sincerely helped me to rise another day, and will be a continued reminder, probably for a while.
You all know how much I love Anakin (and Obi-Wan), and so much of the hype is revolved around his character right now, but this personal journey we find Ahsoka on is truly beautiful to me. I was honestly uneasy about the way Ahsoka was portrayed, thus far, in our other series. She didn’t feel like Ahsoka to me. I accepted and understood that her character had been through much in her short life, and that much time had passed since we last saw her and she would've evolved, but overall, I honestly (😬) didn’t much enjoy what we got of her in live action. I kept my expectations for this show at the minimum. I try not to predict what might happen in canon Star Wars, because I never want to set myself up for disappointment. I strive to go in with an open mind and a clear head and just enjoy the show. But I’ll admit, I was hopeful for Ahsoka’s character development in this. . . and so far, I find myself satisfied. It has now been acknowledged how severely Anakin’s turn impacted her – that was a necessity in my opinion, because of course it did. And it’s still unfathomable to me, but I feel like we got to witness her getting her closure with Anakin 😭 At the end of episode 5, I was finally getting the Ahsoka vibes I was longing for. And let’s not ignore just how ’Ahsoka’ she was in the past scenes with Anakin! I was in awe of how her different animated fighting stances over the years translated into live action. It was her! And this is probably a great time to also mention: that was Anakin, too! In the beginning, we saw him on that World Between Worlds walkway training Ahsoka – the orchestrated footwork, the lack of aggression . . . It felt like the Anakin we see in the lightsaber kata training video Ahsoka watches in Rebels! We have not seen this in live action! We have not seen Anakin as a Master to an apprentice! 🥹 And again, I didn’t know how bad I needed that. Later, when we are taken back onto that WBW walkway, we see him fighting like we’ve seen in Revenge of the Sith. It’s Vader! And he’s so pissed and intends to kill! I won’t spend too much time gushing the way most already have – the Sith eyes, the flawless ROTS attire we already loved given back to us, and the Clone Wars look brought to life. . . the hair 😍 Just seeing him, Hayden Anakin, fight in a Clone Wars battle in live action! So strong and mighty 💪🏻 with such determination and sensitivity. . . with just the right amount of cockiness 😉 He’s perfection. And I think this is noncontroversial opinion everyone would agree with lol.  
And maybe you do or don’t agree with this part, but I feel Anakin’s appearance was 💯 open to interpretation, and I think that’s GREAT. This character means so much to so many people, and there is never a way to satisfy everyone when it comes to storytelling. Everyone had/has different opinions of how this should’ve been handled. Was Anakin a Force ghost? Was the entire encounter all in Ahsoka’s head? Was Anakin something else entirely? Was he Vader? Maybe you have an answer to this question and you are certain in your theory – that’s awesome. I think that’s the way it should be. We get to “make things the way we want them to be” WITH CANON! 👏🏻 I am not yet certain of what my own theory is. I’ve watched it four times, and I am still processing it all. One thing for sure, I’m glad the WBW was involved. Again, if you know of my preferred way to ‘fix-it’ then you know what that means to me 🥰
I think I’m done 🫣 I just needed to release these feelings! And I feel we are so blessed. I still can’t believe this really happened. And I am so thankful to get to share in the joy with all of you 💖 Okay! I think I’m ready to talk now if y’all want to talk! 🤭
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cardcaptorsakura96 · 8 months
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My Thoughts On My Adventures With Superman Episode 10
I love that after last weeks episode, they all get to become news reporters based on the coverage on Superman. When introduced to the character of Jimmy earlier on, I was concerned that he would be reduced to the babbling side kick that would be used solely for comedic relief. I am glad the show didn't go that route.
I liked how through the series that Jimmy was right with his conspiracy theories. He didn't give up on Flamebird and it made him rich! I also liked how he at times seems more mature than the others like when he pulled Lois and Clark to the side to have them tell each other what is bothering them. Don't get me wrong. Both conversations that needed to happen are heavy and complicated. Even after this episode, they will probably have more to unpack given that Lois father is the General that has been terrorizing Clark. I thought that Clark's parents were cute through the episode especially Martha. She is willing to go to war for her baby!
I liked that we ended the season with two new villains. One I am pretty sure is Brainiac. The other I am thinking is Zod. I am wondering more and more if Krypton was just a war planet. It is also fascinating that we see a different effect with Kryptonite on this show. This stuff looks like it is poisoning him from the inside out and is more lethal. It also affects the machines which I find interesting. Weird they would affect the robots unless they are made of some organic material. One thing that irked me though is that it seems that Jor El could speak English. Why not tell Clark what the hell is going on. It seems like it is more than just the destruction from Krypton. I personally am hoping that either Kara arrives and explains or someone else (Green Lantern, Martian the Manhunter, Hawkgirl, etc.). It is weird to see Clark so much in the dark.
One thing that I am hoping for season two is either more episodes or filler episodes. I hate filler episodes usually but this series could actually use some. It would be nice to see Clark, Jimmy, and Lois actually focus on their jobs as reporters instead of world saving all the time. I also would like to see more of Clark and Lois' relationship develop. Those things would be nice to explore in more detail.
Overall though, I did enjoy the ride. This is the first show in a while that I made sure to tune in on Adult Swim to watch in real time. I can't wait to see what they have in store for Season Two!
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nixknacks0-0 · 28 days
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Thank you for writing "Bittersweet Reunion"! I enjoyed it immensely and it has definitely found a place on my list of all-time favorite Roudise stories! And thank you for offering to answer readers' questions about it! Here are a couple (hopefully, not too many) I've been wondering about:
This is really basic, and possibly it was mentioned in an earlier chapter and I just don't remember, but what age are Louise and Rudy supposed to be in the story?
I would love to know where you got the idea for the story from or what inspired you to write it? As I mentioned in my comment on the last chapter, to me Louise and Rudy feel like the least likely of the Belcher kid friendships to fall out of each other's lives, so I'm curious what led you to think of a story starting from the premise.
In the second to last chapter, Rudy explains that reason he left town was because he needed to get away from his parents. I know you started the story well before "The Amazing Rudy" aired and I was wondering if that episode- where we see Rudy's mom for the first time and see more of his relationship with his dad- changed your view of his relationship with his parents or led you to change anything about how that part of Chapter 11 was written? (Of course, there's all sorts of things that can happen in parent-child relationships between the ages of 9 and 18 that could explain why older teen Rudy would feel the need to get away from them.)
I loved the way you wrote the older Pesto twins in Chapter 3! I find the Pesto twins to be the hardest characters to imagine aged up versions of (I actually decided not to write a scene with them in it for my Roudise wedding fic when I realized I was still writing them like they were 9). I was wondering how you came up with the ideas you did for them and if you had any additional ideas for them that didn't make it into the story?
Similarly, where are there any ideas for any of the other background characters that you weren't able to work into the story but would like to share? (Feel free to ignore if this will spoil other stories you are working on.)
Thank you for reading it, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And don't worry, I'm happy to answer all the questions (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠)
1. Louise and Rudy are in their early to mid 30s in this. I really wanted to capture the vibes of people can find love at any age (vs Gene and Tina who in this au find love in college and right after).
I also wanted to emphasize that Louise has a very established life at this point, she's taken over the restaurant, she has friends and weekly hang outs, she isn't necessarily looking for anything romantic to happen, but sometimes it happens anyways.
I just think it was interesting to explore a budding relationship between two people who very much know who they are, as opposed to younger people just figuring out who they are in life.
2. This story actually started with me thinking about how I really wanted Louise to take over the restaurant when she's older, and things kind of grew from there.
Another thing I really wanted to explore is this sort of abandonment issue Louise has. That's not quite the words for it, but I always got the vibe that she cares so strongly for the people in her life and hates when they have to/choose to leave, which ended up being a really interesting dynamic to explore when coupled with her figuring out she's in love.
3. Rudy's parents seemed to me the easiest vehicle for his moving away. We've seen how Sylvester acts (even though he cares, he obviously has his own problems, as illustrated in the House of 1000 Bounces and The Kids Rob a Train), and in earlier episodes Rudy talked about his mother caring very strongly about his safety and "hating fun".
Obviously that seems to change as the seasons go on, and especially with The Amazing Rudy. I did consider changing the story at that point, but why Rudy left was kind of woven throughout the story, and I realized that it's fanfiction. It doesn't have to be 100% accurate to canon, and the story probably wouldn't be 100% accurate even if I did change it.
I did love seeing how much his parents actually care in The Amazing Rudy, and I think it was a really great episode to analyze the inner workings of our favorite asthmatic boy.
4. My portrayal of the Pesto twins is 100% inspired by @tallgirl14, whose work I saw on TikTok. She's got some really great comics of the kids in high school, and she illustrates the twins as these sort of trouble makers because anyone who is friends with Louise for so long has to be a little crafty.
I sincerely recommend you check out her work, her art is so cute and makes me squeel every time.
Once I had the personality, it did take a little work to figure out where they would be and what they'd be up to, but I really liked the idea of them being restaurateurs with Louise, and even having a fake rivalry to draw business. Of course, leaning more into real Italian food than their father, even taking a trip to Italy to reconnect to their mother's heritage. Don't remember if I did write that into chapter two or three, but that's my favorite detail about them for sure (⁠´⁠∩⁠。⁠•⁠ ⁠ᵕ⁠ ⁠•⁠。⁠∩⁠`⁠)
5. I did actually do a lot of thinking about Millie's character, even though she is barely in the story. She's definitely a regular at the restaurant, coming in for coffee every morning and afternoon, and she works as a detective for the police.
I'm still a very acab person, but being a detective just fits Millie's personality, and honestly the way she can be a bit obsessive and a little less than moral fits the cop vibe to me. She's also backed off of Louise a little, and the two have managed to foster a reasonable level of friendship, though Louise is still wary to invite her to things because she flat out doesn't trust her.
The other background characters I absolutely adore are Tammy and Jocelyn. I always ship them, and I thought it would be a cute cameo that they show up to trivia night and just have fun drinking and giggling with each other rather than taking the game seriously.
Thank you so much for asking, and I hope this answered all of your questions (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠) I don't think I have any other Roudise on the backburner (⁠´⁠;⁠ω⁠;⁠`⁠) but if you choose to reas any of my other upcoming stories I hope you enjoy just as much as you did Bittersweet Reunion!
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haydanakin · 1 year
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Can we please just fire Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy now. I'm so tired of Padme and Naboo erasure. Both of them are important to Star Wars! And I hate the foreshadowing of the ST. The ST should've never happened at all. Screw JJ Abrams and Rian whatever his last name is.
ANYWAYS, the Jedi Order is reborn, and Luke is guiding the new Jedi. The New Republic has formed, and the galaxy is recovering from years of darkness from the Empire. What are sequels again? Idk. Sequels don't exist. I just see a new golden era in the galaxy.
If you're wondering, anon is responding to this post
Part I - Dave Filoni I will say Dave Filoni under the direction of George Lucas gave us amazing stuff-- Ahsoka Tano, Rex, Fives, Echo, Jesse, expansion of Order 66, the Clone Wars themselves. But him on his own? Not so great.
Ahsoka's walkabout in s7 was boring, the two sisters had potential but blundered in the execution. The BadBatch arc in s7 featured super amazing Anakin, and I did like the whole 'rescue Echo' plot line, but the Bad Batch as a TV show… I have some criticisms of it.
I like the ' what happens to the Clones after the Empire forms? They've served their purpose-- are they still relevant?' story line. It would be a great one to explore with normal clones. In fact, following Cody around, a clone who did participate in Order 66 and had his mind taken over, would've been a novel experience.
Instead we get genetically enhanced clones who don't have programing chips cause they're special snowflakes and don't partake in Order 66 bc they're special. Getting to see their side of Order 66 really brought nothing-- it's the same as the Jedi. Why are the clones turning against the Jedi? No one knows! It's rinse and repeat watered down version of ROTS, and i'd much prefer watching that movie over the first two episodes of TBB.
I will also give credit-- Dave Filoni and Favereau gave me The Mandalorian. A side character who doesn't know he's the main character just trying to make his way in the larger GFFA. He's a normal guy with a job. Then new dad has to deal with his adopted kid having Wizard powers. ME Likey. It's similar to Andor in down to earth, not life and death, Jedi/Sith fate of the Galaxy type of thing. It's what normal life would've been like in GFFA.
Third season and some of second season haven't felt like that though. Din keeps meeting all these famous people that are tied of in the 'Fate of the Galaxy' --Bo Katan, Ahsoka, Boba Fett, Cad Bane, Luke fucking Skywalker-- instead of more normal people. I do appreciate the smallness of season 1-- we had Peli, and Omera, and Karga. Characters not known to the larger galaxy, but still important in their own right.
Part II- Female Characters
Star Wars has never appreciated or loved it's female characters with the exception of Princess Leia. Original Trilogy follows Luke-- male character, who with the help of an older male character, goes and finds another male character pilot to help them infiltrate a small moon space ship full of male characters.
There are exactly TWO female speaking characters in A New Hope and one gets kriffed off to 'enhance male pain'.
Now, by nature of the story, Padme Amidala get shafted before she was even ever named or created -- Luke was raised by his aunt and uncle so something must have happened to his mother. She is 'unknown mother' defined only relationship with her son and then later to her husband.
It's not until the Phantom Menace when she gets her own storyline, that is little to non effected by her relationship to Anakin. She's a queen who has someone invade her planet, and with the help of two Jedi and the Gungan People, saves the day.
Anakin helps of course, by first winning them enough credits to get off tattooine, and second by blowing up the control ship, but both situations could be solved without Anakin. He becomes the unnecessary character-- his introducution is so low-key you don't realize the story is about him until Revenge of the Sith. He's a supporting side character in both Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.
Both prequel movies that don't feature Anakin as protagonist or antagonist are hated by a large majority of SW fans, and usually because of the crime of not being perfect. Jar Jar Binks is just as annoying as C-3PO imo, but because the protagonist of TPM is Padme Amidala, the movie is hated, as opposed to ANH which features Luke.
Padme's fate was written before she even had a chance to exist, and therefore has no agency. I've seen others label her as weak, pointless, lame, because she dies of a broken heart, 'oh why didn't she live for her children' SHE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE OKAY. George had already killed her by then, she can't live for her children when the author has decided otherwise. The nature of a prequel is it must narratively co-exist with the story already told. Padme must die or be removed from the picture so that Luke can be raised by his Aunt and Uncle. Anakin must fall to the Dark-Side so that he can be Darth Vader and do a heel-face turn at the end of ROTJ. the end has already been written. The beginning must fall in line.
Getting back on topic. Fathers are mentioned in The Mandalorian- which makes sense since it's about a Father and his Son. oh wait that's seems that's what Star Wars is about. Prequels were Anakin picking which father-figure he wanted to follow. Luke saving his Father. Din Djarin adopting a son with magic powers.
But Bo-Katan mentions her father TWICE and her sister doesn't even get a mention. Even though Bo was there at Satine's death, and the reason Bo left death watch and stood up to Maul. When Satine died, Mandalore split and fractured and any attempt of restoring mandalore just resulted in more fracturing and shattering.
In Obi-Wan Kenobi not mentioning Padme was criminal. The whole reason Anakin fell was to save her. Her daughter and son were featured prominently and her name didn't come up once besides two vague mentions.
SW needs to treat it's female characters better. Right now Leia is still the only one that's almost universally loved by the fans. Even Bo Katan has issues. By not acknowledging her past and mistakes and death watch , instead of making her a stronger character, the writers have made her weak. Making mistakes and learning from them and growing from them are what causes her to be relatable. So far, Mando S3 has been rushing her redemption process. They're having her reunite Mandalore, but she hasn't atoned or made up for her failings in the past.
It was her involvement in Death Watch that lead to her sisters death, and the writers essentially ignoring that and trying to hide it is lazy and the antithesis to character growth.
Part III - Disney's Anti- Prequel campaign.
The sequel trilogy… is problematic. While trying to emulate and give us the 'star wars' feeling again, all the films did was undermine the finale of the original trilogy.
What was Darth Vader's return to the light for if we're just going to bring back Palpatine? What was the point of Luke's rejection of the darkside and declaring himself a Jedi in the face of evil itself, if we're just going to have him become a hermit on a planet because he gave up? What was the point of the Alliance to Restore the Republic if we're just going to blow it up because it's corrupt?
The problem with trying to avoid the prequel trilogy is the sequel trilogy just became the prequel trilogy. Hear me out.
We have a corrupt Republic that is destroyed by an Empire. A Jedi student falls to the Dark Side and serves the Empire. A desert dwelling person with magical powers is told that they are the key to saving the galaxy. Am i talking about the Prequel Trilogy or the Sequel Trilogy?
The difference is the prequel trilogy was planned. From start to finish, no half baked retconning or switching directions (both original and sequel trilogies suffered from this) George Lucas had the entire prequels laid out. Their largest crime I believe is in writing/dialogue-- not the plot. It's complicated-- how does a republic turn into an empire? How does a Jedi Knight become a sith? How does the Jedi Order become extinct? Through War and Careful Planning. So while the prequels are not perfect, their world building brought much needed light and explanation to the Original Trilogy. It answered questions, but the answers were not what everyone liked.
They wanted the Republic to be conquered by an outside Empire, not for it to be one and the same. Fans wanted Anakin to be strong and heroic, and not a man who is crippled by self-doubt and his greatest failure is his greatest strength- his breath and depth of love.
The sequel trilogy should've been the struggle of not repeating the same mistakes. Of avoiding the past not repeating it. Of Luke not giving up and not becoming Obi-Wan. Of Han not becoming Qui-Gon Jinn or Ben Skywalker not becoming Darth Vader. Or Rey being her own self and not being Luke 2.0 aka finding out that her grandfather is evil just like Luke found out that his father was evil.
Star Wars is was the first to suffer from Disney's new nostalgia machine where live action play by play of beloved animated movies are created without souls; and sequels that are just the same story retold with the next generation. 'Happily Ever After The End' no longer exists, the hope of a happy ending destroyed with the next sequel announcement. Where does it end Disney? When you've wrung the last love and enjoyment out of your original titles? When consumers no longer go to the movies to see your new Frankenstein movie? When catering Fan Service is no longer profitable?
Disney's addiction to sequels and reboots found it's first home in Star Wars Sequel Trilogy and continues in the rest of the Star Wars universe. What is Boba Fett if not a sequel to Mandalorian? What is Ahsoka if not a sequel to Rebels? What is Obi-Wan Kenobi if not a sequel to the Prequel Trilogy? What is Andor if not a prequel to Rogue one?
The Mandalorian didn't start out that way. Was it in the same universe? yes and so by nature it makes it a sequel. But there were new original characters and an original story. Now it's become a sequel and a prequel; the connecting link instead of a stand alone.
So yes anon, Padme and Satine deserve better. But you know what? We deserve better too.
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drowningparty · 1 year
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Recent WLW/GL Series Guide
Going to start a compendium for all things wlw but until then, so everyone is in the loop, will recommend some recently completed and currently airing shows I think people should check out:
Lulu (2022, Philippines) A really great, feel-good show, low budget and a little ridiculous but I love the main couple so much! Watched this with a friend and we both really appreciated how real they and their relationship felt, you could tell this show was made with love. A young woman decides to get away from it all following a break-up, deleting her social media and taking over her family’s sleepy beachside B&B, only to fall for her one-and-only guest, a mysterious tomboy with a pet cactus. When the pandemic hits, they are forced to spend lockdown alone together. 8 episodes, about 30 minutes.
Sleep With Me (2022, Philippines) Excellent series about two young women navigating dating and disability. Love, love, love that they do not exist in isolation, and that their relationship isn’t their entire world, they have friends and families and a job, and how very clear it is they love each other. Also the disabled wlw rep really got me as a disabled wlw its hard out there this series was so important to me. 6 episodes, about 30 minutes each.
Pearl Next Door (2020, Philippines) Spin-off GL webseries featuring a side character from a more popular BL series, filmed like a video blog as the main character, Pearl, navigates dating during lockdown. Very bubbly, bright, but I just felt like I was eavesdropping on a private video chat and couldn’t get into it myself.
Chasing Sunsets (2020, Philippines) Another low budget GL webseries about women falling in love during lockdown, but darker than the last one, deals with  heavy mental health themes, content warnings are on the tin, meant to be educational as well as entertaining.
BetCin (2021, Philippines) An internet famous couple on the verge of a break-up have to pretend to still be in love to win a #relationshipgoals award with a 10 million pesos reward. Still need to watch this but I’ve heard it’s not very good, too L-Word and behind a paywall. Romcom. 8 episodes.
She Makes My Heart Flutter (2022, Korean) New mini-series which fast became a favourite about the dynamic between an aunt and a niece, both lesbians, who both end up working at the same women-only book cafe/bar, the Dickenson Room. Both are at very different places in their life, with the outgoing young niece a popular university student, easily falling in and out of relationships and open about her sexuality, while the shy, beautiful, but intensely private aunt has long been nursing a crush on the same woman, but is afraid she may be straight / not interested. Both help each other navigate romantic relationships, as well as being closeted to their extended family. 5 episodes, 11-16 minutes each.
Our Relationship Ended Before It Began (2022, Korean) Very cute mini-series, an overworked barista develops a crush on her tomboyish boss, doesn’t know what to do about it. Extremely sweet, but too short!
Girlfriend Project Day 1 (2022, Korean) Fun little mini-series, but too short! They are working on funding a season 2. Episodes only 5-9 minutes long, and only 5 altogether, but worth a watch. Two university students, one outgoing, one shy, have to pretend to be in a relationship for a psychology project,  decide to try dating for real.
Welcome to the Lesbian Bar (2023, Korean) 5 episodes, 6-7 minutes, mini-series follows lesbians in a small bar in South Korea. Loved this one, very sweet, very realistic, wish the episodes were a little longer / we got more but really love what we get, good representation of different relationships and dynamics, and also has two butches/toms! The head bartender is wonderful, helps tie together different, unconnected stories.
Love Tech (2021, Korean) Started strong but lost me by the end. Still, it might be your cup of tea! A short black mirror-esque exploration of a dating service that dictates your life, including when and where and how often you go on dates and when your relationship ends. Two women try to game the system.
Nevertheless (2021, Korean) They aren’t the main characters but there is a very sweet best friends to lovers side plot between two female students at this art college which is so good I don’t think anyone should miss it. If you, like me, have no interest in the main plot, there are also compilations available online of just their scenes which I highly recommend, and gives you a movie-length show all your own. Explores coming out a little too, in a quiet way. It’s an art school.
My Fairy Ghost (2022, Japan) Only 4 episodes but really well done. A young novelist struggling to find inspiration for her next novel meets and falls in love with the ghost of an artist who needs her help. Excellent content, liked and subscribed, beautifully done. Loved this!
Six Survivors (2022, Japan) 6 episodes, 24 mins each. Contemporary scifi romcom with young zombie survivors taking cover in a mall and trying to ride out the worst of the apocalypse. Extremely cute, has some gay + bisexual female characters and a love triangle between three of them. There is a little blood and a few supporting characters become zombies, but very light on the actual horror, mostly a character study. Pretty fun.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (2022-2023, Japan) 12 episode first season, second season currently airing, anime, really great series for sci-fi fans even if you know nothing about the franchise (I went in blind and had no trouble), entire first season available on youtube w/ subs, and the dub has just started airing if you prefer dubs. Two girls at a dueling mobile suit school in space become engaged, start a company, and learn about the horrors of war. Not to be missed. (cw: violence, gore, murder, doppelgangers, psychological abuse, childhood trauma, death of family members, child endangerment.)
The Executioner and Her Way of Life (2022, Japan) Another anime that aired last year, 12 episodes, a joy for fans of unhinged, violent women slowly falling in love. The plot is contrived, but good for fans of adventure fantasy. Basically: a magic assassin / priestess is told she has to end the life of an isekai’d girl who can magically control time before she becomes too powerful. It doesn’t help that the girl she’s trying to assassinate falls in love with her, and seems to be impossible to kill, no matter how hard she tries. Contains a nice twist halfway through which made me love their dynamic. (cw: murder, gaslighting, backstabbing, manipulation, bullying.)
The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady (2023, Japan) 12 episodes, 20-25 mins each, extremely gay and breezy fantasy comedy drama! A young princess who gave up the throne steals her brother’s fiancee so she can have an assistant for her magical experiments. Very fun, contains magic and a vampire. If you enjoy it, there’s also a light novel / manga.
Yuri Is My Job! (2023, Japan) Recently started airing anime based on the manga, gay schoolgirls work at a themed cafe where they pretend to be gay schoolgirls, everyone is putting on an act and everyone is into someone who is into someone else, a light comedy that purportedly gets more dramatic as it goes.
I’m In Love with the Villainess (2023, Japan) also translated as I Favour the Villainess, currently airing anime adaptation of a yuri manga, kind of unique for having a protagonist who self-identifies as a lesbian and there’s even a fairly frank discussion of sexuality in an early episode. Anyway, it’s got magic and a pseudo-historic setting (it’s in a video game, and, as I have mentioned, there’s magic). Should have 12 episodes, around 20-24 minutes each.
She Loves To Cook, She Loves To Eat (2023-2024, Japan) Slice-of-light, slow-paced, wholesome drama about two working, independent women who live in the same apartment complex and meet by chance. One of them loves cooking, but has no one to cook for. The other loves eating. A slow but believable, tender story about slowly falling in love over a shared love of food, would be good for fans of cooking shows as cooking is a big focus. One is just beginning to realise she’s a lesbian. 10 episodes, about 14-15 mins each. Longer second season airing now!
Chaser Game W (2024, Japan) 8 episodes, each 23-24 mins. Former girlfriends, broke-up years ago, now one of them hates the other, modern office romance, high drama, lot of tension, surprising amount of fluff for how angsty it is, one of them is married with a kid, this is a wild ride start to finish but very enjoyable if you don’t mind the fact the main couple never actually talk no one ever talks there’s no talking just a couple that’s very cute being put into a series of situations.
Stupid Wife (2022, Brazil) A woman wakes up after forgetting the last ten years of her life to find herself married to a woman she remembers hating in college with a child. Serious drama, has some darker moments, but with tender moments mixed in, you get to watch them slowly fall in love again. Completed. 8 episodes, 20-30 mins each.
Legend of Yunze (2021-2022, China) A really excellent wuxia featuring two women who fall in love, magic and demons and swordfights. The spin-off series which followed earlier this year, where they are re-incarnated in the modern day and fall in love there as well, also really delightful, and a translation of the second series is now available on youtube. (If you enjoyed this, definitely check out Legend of Yun Qian as well! It’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen and pure candy.)
Led Astray By Love (2022, China) Isekai where a woman from the modern day gets transported into the manhua she’s reading, falls in love with a politically-ambitious woman she initially believes is mute, who fears she may be a spy. Really funny, tooth-rottingly sweet, with a convuluted plot and bitesize episodes that fly by, I loved every minute of it.
Couple of Mirrors (2021, China) First season completed, but renewed for a second. Historical Chinese drama set in the 1920s about an assassin and a famous author whose lives become entangled following a murder. Mainstream, so heavily censored version of a very gay novel/manga, so keep that in mind, but it’s very clear they’re in love and surprisingly domestic near the end. (Murder mystery / police procedural focus since they’re not legally allowed to kiss, so usual cw apply: violence, murder, child endangerment.)
The Vampires (2022, China) Two young women investigate an old haunted ship and find its full of undead with complicated pasts. Very gay in a heavily censored way, surprisingly brilliant special effects and action scenes, fast-paced and engaging. 40 mins. (cw: fantasy violence, blood.)
Nü Er Hong (2023, China) Complete. Mini-series with very short episodes compiled into one hour long video w/ subs, chaotic good fun for fans of wuxia gl with sci-fi/fantasy elements, they are witch/demon/vampires from space? timeless and in love? I am biased b/c I am personally in love with Wang Laoji and women doing martial arts/being gay, but this is a fun one, if you can follow the slightly confusing plot. If you liked Legend of Yunze, don’t miss this one! (cw: blood, vampirism, misogyny, fantasy violence)
A Flower for Three Lifetimes (2023, China) Completed mini-series, short episodes, 30 mins altogether. A flower becomes a real woman and falls in love with her keeper. Costume drama / xianxia.
Wicked Wealthy Women (2023, China) Mini-series, short episodes. Not for me, the plot was too convoluted and hard to follow, but I know it has a big following! A beautiful young woman marries a rich older man because she plans to murder him, quickly learns the rest of his family wants him dead, too. Rich people drama / murder mystery with a lot of backstabbing. Sequel series recently released, too, for fans! (cw: murder / gun violence, ableism, domestic violence, noncon, car accident, suicide, no happy ending.)
A Practical Guide to Being a Superstars Assistant (2022, China) Completed short mini-series, 13 mins. Contemporary romance between a rich, spoiled idol and her personal assistant, a secret fan.
Yun Zhi Xi / Cloudy Stream (2023, China) Upcoming mini-series, supernatural GL drama set in a school. Contemporary with magic / alternate universes.
Sunflowers / Feng Ling Yu Xiu (2017-2023, China) Donghua, extremely sweet animated series following the adventures of two girls who are very much in love. They are both soulmates and both extremely good at fighting and this became a favourite so fast they are so in love its ridiculous and I think about them constantly. S2 started airing this summer, and is also available on youtube w/ subs  (+ Lunar New Year Special!!!)
Dear Uranus (2021, Taiwan) Short mini-series, about lesbians and gncs at a school in Taiwan, develops into a love triangle, made by and for lesbians. A lot of fun but too short, open-ended finale, holding out they make more episodes.
Handsome Stewardess (2019, Taiwan) Okay, not as ‘new’ as the others, but new to me, and I really fucking loved this series about a tom named Holly who wants to spend her life with her new girlfriend, a martial artist, but money is an issue, so she decides to get a job as a stewardess, even though she has to wear a dress. Dramedy, has some very funny, light-hearted moments and some very sad moments mixed together, but I loved this one a lot and have yet to find anything else that can hold a candle to it. (cw: they go hard on fighting sexual harassment, which includes depicting a lot of sexual harassment, be warned; a main character also becomes seriously injured.)
Secrets of 1979 (2021, Taiwan) Not a series so this is technically cheating but this is an amazing movie by Zero Chou that I need to rave about, it’s so good and I think everyone should see it! Two university students who are very much in love spend the summer with one of the couple’s families, living and working on a banana farm. They also end up helping out a magazine all about freedom of information and expression, something the current military regime rulling Taiwan does not condone. (cw: police brutality, violence.)
Fragrance of the First Flower (2021, Taiwan) This series really was not for me, too serious and slow-paced, but I’m sure others will enjoy this series about a wife and mother in a loveless marriage who reconnects with the girl she had a crush on when she was younger, but they were both too afraid to act on it. Now they’ve grown up she wonders if she can.
Encore Martha (2021, Taiwan) Standalone short, but I think it still merits inclusion, as it’s rare to see older lesbians get a shout, and she still looks amazing in her suit! A senior lesbian tom runs into an old love, and they try to reconnect.
2PM Campus (Thai) Follows some female friends in their 20s at university. 4 episodes, around 18-25 mins each. Includes a wlw romance.
Nothing Happens By Accident (2022, Thai) 3 episodes, 8 mins. Contemporary romance. Hurt/comfort, one has a broken arm, the other nurses her. Very sweet, simple love story.
Always Be You (2022, Thai) 2 episodes, 7-8 mins. Quick and easy ‘long time no see’ contemporary love story.
From 1 Metre to 1 Centimetre (2022, Thai) 4 episodes, 8-9 mins. MC who likes to live alone gets a roommate in her dorm, thinks they won’t get along. Has a rule new roommate stays at least 1 metre away from her at all times. This rule gets broken. Contemporary romance.  
Gap the Series (2022-2023, Thai) Recently completed series with 12 episodes, nearly an hour long each, this one is so much fun, an office romcom with every fanfic trope in the book, starring a bright, outgoing young woman who falls in love with her rich, noble, emotionally repressed boss, who is being pressured into an arranged marriage. Highly recommend catching this, it’s very good, and the perfect balance of drama and comedy! (cw: mild homophobia, death of a wlw supporting character, but happy ending for main characters.)
Don’t Break My Mission (2023, Thai) 4 episodes, 6-8 mins each. Low-budget contemporary romance mini-series. One of them is trying get over the other, but keeps failing. Pretty sweet so far.
You are the Cream in my Coffee (2023, Thai) 7 episodes, 6-10 mins. Short coffee shop contemporary GL mini series, very wholesome!
You are the vitamins in my routine (2023, Thai) 4 episodes, 7-11 mins. Short GL mini-series, contemporary romance, but the couple starts out already together for a change. Sweet, wholesome fluff.
Show Me Love (2023, Thai) First episode released on youtube, the rest are pay to view. 9 episodes in total. Beauty pageant contestants fall in love. Update: rest now coming to youtube, too!
Service Charge (2023, Thai) Short mini-series, 3 episodes 5-6 mins. Contemporary romance b/w a housekeeper and an actress.
My Ideal Ratio (2023, Thai) 2 part mini-series, 6 eps, 5-10 mins. Contemporary GL romance. 170 is set in secondary school, 156 in university.
Lemon vs Melon (2023, Thai) First episode of six just released w/ subs, contemporary miniseries, a mistake leads to two women getting forced to live together, sounds like it will be an opposites attract love story.
Lucky My Love (2023, Thai) 5 ep miniseries (1 hour 20 runtime), office romance for fans of Gap, but a lot lighter/more sweet, with less angst, and less chemistry between the leads, but still a cute love story.
Be Mine (2023-2024, Thai) Upcoming GL, prologue episode out, full series will probably drop early 2024! Story seems to be an anthology, follows several wlw couples and friends in a contemporary setting.
Love in the Rain (2023, Thai) Coming soon, two teasers out! A contemporary love story, will be accompanied by three other unrelated GL shows w/ different actors, made by the same team, mostly following idols / musicians. Will update when I know more.
23.5 (2023, Thai) First episode just released, secondary school students in love. Very cute and wholesome first episode, a loner who just transferred to a new school falls in love with a more popular girl. Real sweet so far.
Blank the Series (2023, Thai) Based on the same series as Gap, follows one of Sam’s older sisters, a painter, who is being pursued by a younger woman, age gap relationship, grandmother doesn’t approve. Haven’t watched it yet and final episode isn’t out so can’t tell you if it ends happily, but people seem to be enjoying it? 6 episodes, averaging 50 mins.
Making Memorable Memories (2023, Thai) follows several different office romances happening at the same time between different women, with different dynamics, some who have past history. At the start felt like it was going to be an anthology but then you start to see how their stories intersect, it’s nice! Low stakes, but good. 12 episodes, around 9 minutes each.
Love Senior (2023, Thai) Currently airing contemporary romance b/w engineering students brought to you by a company that mainly makes BL but seems to be branching out. If this and 23.5 do well, there will likely be more.
Anti-Christmas Club (2023, Thai) Three-part mini-series about wlw who don’t like christmas, all around nine minutes.
Sunshine in the Wind (2024, Thai) Upcoming miniseries with a sweet trailer/pilot that just released recently, and a couple that started as a sidecouple from a bl series. Contemporary florist / actress romance.
Reverse 4 You (2024, Thai) Trailer looks great but will be delayed, re-filmed, as they had to re-cast one of the leads last minute. Very excited for this one’s story, has a Life is Strange energy.
The Last Case (2024, Thai). WE HAVE A TRAILER!!!! WE HAVE A TRAILER!!!! No release date yet, but sounds VERY fun, looks amazing. Dark murder mystery thriller with modern career sapphics in their mid/late twenties.
My Marvellous Dream is You (2024, Thai). New GL from the folks that brought you Gap the Series, but this one looks a bit more art house, a bit more trippy! First episode coming 8th of May, a girl falls in love with someone she meets in a dream. I’ll update when I know more, but projected to be 12 episodes from a big studio so I am guessing full length 45 min + episodes, watch this space!
About Galaxy (2024, Thai). GL series, might be out later this year? Not much news lately.
Love of Secret (2022, Thai) A series about a family where several members are hiding innocent secrets, and things get confusing. One of the teenage daughters of the house is hiding a secret girlfriend, as well as a secret idol career. (cw: not a love story and they don’t get a happy ending, but it’s cute as a family drama, and it’s lovely how supportive her family are of their relationship while it lasts, but be warned going in, they don’t really get a happy ending.)
Stupid Boys, Stupid Love (2021, Thai) Okay, hear me out. This is a BL series set in a school, but they have a background relationship between two women, a tom/butch and a femme, which is so delightful I think it’s worth giving a shot just for them, even if you don’t usually watch BL or just want to skip to their scenes. It’s a very sweet best friends to girlfriends storyline.
Magic of Zero: Zero Photography (2022, Thai) Anthology series, first standalone episode follows the background wlw couple from Bad Buddy.
Wedding Plan: The Series (2024, Thai) BL series w/ a background GL couple who are already together. They’re sweet, but have far less screentime than the main couple so far. Will keep watching to see how it goes, but basically a contemporary work romance where two friends, a gay man and a gay woman, are trying to get married. The lesbian has a long-term girlfriend and the gay man is falling for the wedding planner. Reminds me a little of Two Weddings and a Funeral (2012).
Pluto (2024, Thai) Upcoming GL series, started filming recently, has a teaser. I believe the plot follows a woman falling in love with somone who has just come out of a coma from a car accident, and is now blind. Sounds heavy. I don’t know if it has a happy ending or not. Will get back to you. o7
Omaiseries (2024, Vietnam) Miniseries, two roommates studying at the same university fall in love, one already knows she’s a lesbian the other one’s still figuring it out. Very sweet, wholesome, I was worried by how forward the one roommate was in the ffirst installment but it settled into a very cute, contemporary love story. Very low budget but the two lead actresses do a great job, have good chemistry. Five 10-12 minute ‘marathons’ collected shorter episodes w/ english subs out so far, don’t know how long it will be when finished yet. 
My Other Half (2024, Myanmar) also “The Other Side of My Heart”? Hard to get information for this one, 7 episodes, all around 30 minutes, only just started getting english subs though so waiting for them all to get subbed, will update when I know more and I’ve watched it all!
She (2023, Myanmar) A florist who feels trapped by her relationship with her abusive husband, falls in love with the woman she recently hired. 4 episodes, 10-17 mins each. (cw: domestic violence, sexual assault in first episode.)
Badhaai Do (2022, India) A movie, not a series, but I wanted to include it! Comedy/drama. A gay woman and a gay man decide to enter a lavendar marriage to keep their respective families off their backs, while they date people they’re actually interested in on the side, and eventually decide to raise a family together. Feel good movie, explores unique family dynamics and coming out. (cw: police brutality, blackmail.)
Catch the Light (2019, India) Short 3-episode mini-series about a bisexual woman who is going blind, explores disability, sexuality, and polyamory. (cw: does feature a homophobic parent, so an argument can be made against homophobia by a supportive one.)
Gentleman Jack (2019-2022, UK) Fun while it lasted! Period drama based on the real life of Anne Lister, a womanising, opportunistic, businesswoman from the 1800s who is looking for the perfect woman to set up house with. (cw: casual homophobia, misogyny, classism, and gun violence, typical of the setting.)
Confessions of Frannie Langton (2022, UK) A dark, feminist, period drama based on a novel about a Jamaican maid in 1820s England who falls in love with her master’s wife and is accused of their murder. Heavy and tragic but well done, I do appreciate how unapologetic Frannie is about their relationship, despite the setting. 4 episodes, 45-50 minutes each. (cw: slavery, misogyny, racism, homophobia, abuse, violence, master/servant relationship.)
Hitmen (2020-2021, UK) Sitcom about a pair of middle-aged assassins played by Mel and Sue. Not a romance at all but Sue’s character is gay like her and it’s always nice having older lesbians on television. 2 seasons, 12 episodes. (cw: violence, murder.)
Renegade Nell (2024, UK) historical setting but fantasy themes, butch mc who isn’t super young but is very badass, don’t think too hard about it and it’s a very fun show, she has a female love interest near the end, unclear whether or not it will get renewed but I do recommend this one if you like escapist fantasy shows like Willow, Dickinson, Warrior Nun, Xena, etc. Haven’t seen a lot of people talking about it but very delightful, and the sapphic part was a surprise, I was more happy to see a show about a crossdressing main character in olden times honestly.
Killing Eve (2018-2022, UK/USA) Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer are brilliant, if you just ignore the last series (which was terrible) the first three are a lot of fun and I love the S3 finale. If you somehow managed to miss it, a show about an assassin and the woman obsessed with exposing her, based on a book series with a better ending. (cw: extremely graphic and visceral murders, often played for laughs.)
Willow (2022, USA) New fantasy adventure series, recently completed. 8 episodes, 40-60 mins each. There’s a very good love story between two of the main female characters, a knight and a gender-non-conforming princess, who have been best friends since childhood. Love their chemistry, not to be missed if you like fun, chaotic adventure fantasies, has the feel of a D&D campaign. (cw: typical fantasy violence, blood, a couple of supporting gays are buried in the third episode.)
Haunting of Bly Manor (2020, USA) A popular one, but if you missed it, features a wlw couple who are very sweet, up until they meet their inevitable tragic ending. If you have an issue with ghosts, horror, death scenes, or tragic endings, give this one a miss, but I will say it’s not big on blood or jumpscares if that’s the kind of horror you avoid. I had much more problem with the writing than the ghosts (it’s not great), but the couple are sweet while they last.
I’m Not Okay With This (2020, USA) Short lived coming-of-age Netflix drama cancelled after the first season about a teenage women with a crush on her best female friend who might have supernatural abilities, or might just be going insane. (cw: explores themes of mental illness, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, gore, violence)
One Day at a Time (2017-2020, USA) Sitcom about a Cuban-American family, the eldest daughter realises she’s a lesbian, comes out, and gets a nonbinary partner over the course of the show. 
Arcane (2021, USA) Ongoing, animated series about the main ensembles struggle to survive in a crumbling, dystopian city. I like Vi and Caitlyn, I think their dynamic will get explored a lot more in the second series from what the writers are hinting.
Dragon Age: Absolution (2022, USA) Another animated series on Netflix, not a love story at all but has sapphic main characters in a messy relationship at the centre of their drama and I love to see it. Only 6 episodes.
Dickinson (2019-2022, USA) The first series didn’t win me over but the last two were a lot of fun, not to miss. Escapist, surreal, anachronistic take on the life of Emily Dickinson that lets you forget the dreariness of real life if you let it. Very gay ending. 3 seasons, 30 episodes.
Harley Quinn (2019-2023, USA) Animated series, DC universe, follows Harley Quinn post-leaving the Joker and her best friend Poison Ivy, who she ends up dating, they’re both bisexual, nothing gay happens until the second season but much is made of their friends-to-lovers dynamic from the comics. 3 seasons, 25-30 min episodes, and a standalone valentines day special.
Harlem (2021-2023, USA) Ongoing comedy series following four 30-something black women in NYC who are friends trying to balance relationships with their careers. One’s a lesbian player, and another character learns she’s bisexual (with someone else).
Only Murders in the Building (2021-2023, USA) Ongoing sitcom, not especially gay but you learn one of the main trio is bisexual in the second season when she gets a female love interest. 
Warrior Nun (2020-2022, USA) Still need to watch the much lauded second season, but a supernatural action series with a sapphic endgame a lot of people are enjoying right now I need to catch up on. Sadly, was not renewed.
A League Of Their Own (2022, USA) A fun series that is so extremely gay I needed to lie down after the night club episode. Women during WWII try to become professional baseball players, start careers independent of men, and get taken seriously. A delight to watch, but period-typical homophobia, sexism, and racism peppered throughout.
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