#alchemy of interests

[star-trekster]

Star Trek Characters, but as my fave Willem Dafoe pictures:

‼️Dafoe-tos foe reference👇‼️

#I LOVE STAR TREK #I LOVE GOOFIN #sisko with da orbs #star trek #ds9 #benjamin sisko #julian bashir #ds9 quark #quark star trek #elim garak #alchemy of interests #camp and slay 😔 #Fanart

[cuties-in-codices]

st. francis receiving the stigmata

in the "buch der heiligen dreifaltigkeit" ("book of the holy trinity"), alchemistic illuminated manuscript, bavaria, late 15th c.

source: Munich, Staatsbibliothek, Cgm 598, fol. 166v

#love how it looks like jesus is exuding laser beams #some interesting context about the book from wikipedia: #The treatise describes the alchemical process in terms of Christian mythology. The theme of the book is the analogy of the passion #death and resurrection of the Christ with the alchemical process leading to the lapis philosophorum. #The text is one of the most important alchemical works of late medieval Germany. #15th century #alchemy #st francis #christian iconography #stigmatization #medieval art #illuminated manuscripts #saints #wounds

[fmabtarotzine]

Close your eyes, listen to the Heavens, and tell us what says the great star, Xerxian Sun!

The interest check for our new FMAB tarot zine is now open from April 3rd to May 1st! Fill out HERE!

Apps for Finance/Production Mod open until April the 24th! Fill out HERE!

#full metal alchemist #full metal alchemis brotherhood #fmab #fma #fma zine #fmab zine #interest check #mod apps

[dinxieyinxie]

wanted to draw @aurevoiralways 's vincent rosario !! i rlly rlly like vincent's design its so rRARARARAR and he teaches alchemy which is so cool of a subject. I'd love to know more abt him if ever but I shan't push you 💪i hope i did him right i think i made his hair poofier tho my bad 😭

also!! i think ive figured out yonal's teaching outfit now, just gotta make a ref sheet of it eheh

#vincent rosario #yonal linx #dinxdraws #surprise! tis i the anon >:) #two shorties #vincent is so cool #alchemy is so cool #co-teachers aAYYEEE #the symbols are alchemy symbols of fire air earth and water #i love ocs interacting with one another it makes me so giddy #they are discussing abt their interests

[fumifooms]

The autism coding of Kimblee - character analysis

Bestie that’s called masking. Also I beg to disagree you fucking suck at it lmao

Notice how he speaks of this difference of being a “heretic” in society’s mind. Not with a focus on what it is or means but with a focus on the perception of it, on the ostracization it creates, on it being created by norms and society. There is little weight given to it but it is treated as a social construct one can easily figure out and avoid because it is superficial, or formulaic. Small talk, what are the right things to say, or to reveal about oneself and when, the “test” is a formula he thinks he has mastered.

So boy! There are some things to unpack here with his character, welcome to this character analysis. This is going to be loooong. I’m autistic, and I think he’s autistic as shit based on a lot of things and moments. I do want to make a disclaimer: you should go into this with a will to humanize, but this is not to mean that I talk of him being redeemable or “a good person deep down”, no. This is an analysis for the goal to understand, and in the end that’s what most of us just wants anyways, being understood I mean. I’ll be analyzing him as a coherent and multidimensional character, not as a plot device for a story. Alas I won’t be analyzing his psychology and ideologies that much, just its ties with autism and stuff, so this isn’t a complete analysis of Kimblee as a character by any means. I’m also speaking exclusively of manga Kimblee. Most manga caps I used are from @everykimblee​, thank you for your resources!

Points:

The polite gentleman

Tone deafness

Logic and lack thereof

Malice?

Strange but strong moral code

Explosions, and stimming

Misc

Conclusion

The polite gentleman

It is oh so interesting, then, that he values his manners so much, isn’t it? He has peculiar priorities and fixations, like good manners, even as he does atrocities. We’ll talk about his tone deafness more later, but for now let’s focus on this angle a bit.

Suits, fedoras, a pure, spotless white. Symbols of the epitome of class.

As stated, he keeps his good manners even as the situation would normally have them dropped, or they are useless, and such. They are treated somewhat like how he would convictions, when he speaks of strong wills and being firm in your beliefs. Then his manners are not something he’s willing to compromise.

But still you have to ask yourself, does he maintain this persona for himself or for others? I think it may be interesting to note that this aspect of his character isn’t much seen before he goes to and leaves prison. In camp he sits like other soldiers do, very unlike how he sits in the rest of the manga, etc etc. This suggests that either manners became more important to him after his 8 years long of incarceration, or that sort of like a chameleon he adapts himself to his environment. With his awareness of being a heretic and how to play around it, allegedly in his own word, the latter is a theory with support. Both are plausible, or perhaps he’s always had a strong taste for suits and politeness and the warzone simply wasn’t a place to show that.

Regardless of him genuinely liking all of these high end tastes or not, I’m fascinated with the idea that it may have developed as a defense mechanism. People who wear suits and act respectable like he does sociologically inspire good faith, that they are, well, respectable. My theory that he doubled down on this angle after prison would be because, well, he has passed 8 years of prison doing very little and being treated with very little respect and empathy. It is not unreasonable that straight out of prison, he would want to reclaim a sense of humanity and respectability through acting out the codes of high society. But again, does he do it for his own self-esteem, or to try to convince others  that he should be respected? Few people see men in suits and imagine that they’ve been in prison once.

To be aware of being a “heretic”, and saying he knows how to pretend to be normal, Kimblee growing up has doubtlessly learned good manners and their importance in this social act and how others see you. Is his politeness genuine or forced? In the end I think it matters little, in the end it’s still as important to him regardless. I’m not going to talk about the social trauma autistic people usually experience, but I do want to reiterate that a nice suit as an instant token for passing as normal + getting charitability is something I think he’s aware of and values. His demeanor and outfit, you could say, is part of his masking.  Listen, in a college essay I studied other essays about how prom dresses are treated as a token for future success in life + social recognition. A suit as a transactional token for entry into respectable society really isn’t a social dynamic that far fetched. 

The way he speaks of masking, as this “easy formulaic test”, does make me think that this is the case, that his choices in demeanor and fashion are part of this role and that he knows what he’s doing. Indeed, if a suit is all he has to wear to be accepted, his loner attitude becoming a “serious & mysterious” aura, his strict demands becoming simply a severe no-nonsense man used to quality and who has things to do, well, the test is easy to trick. It’s all about framing. He’s still taken to it on a personal level though imo, he does speak of his suit with fondness etc etc.

His gentleman attitude might have deeper, more important and personal roots for his character than simply being a cool aesthetic or random taste, is what I’m saying.

Tone deafness

It is ironic that his manners are important to him because they are often severely lacking or misplaced. Like most things, I believe that Solf keeps his manners because they are a judge of character that is important to him, beyond it being for others’ perceptions of him. So even if inappropriate, he stays true to himself and these beliefs of his, he does not want to perform as much as he leads us to believe by saying he pretends to be normal. Though this tonedeafness then is sometimes intentional with a will not to betray his true self, I do think that often this is not the case and his tone deafness is out of genuine misunderstanding. Though very often it seems like a state of being, rather than situational awkwardness, like a disregard for reading a room instead of simply making mistakes.

For example, Armstrong letting ishvalans flee willfully through a hole in the wall, then Kimblee coming and killing them, afterward saying to Armstrong: “What a relief, if it had been anyone else you’d have been court martialed for sure”. It seems he did this genuinely to pick up his compatriot’s slack in a will to help. Is he aware that Armstrong did it willingly and it’s a thinly veiled threat not to do it again? Possible, but the other case seems equally possible, but regardless in either case his delivery and actions were still tone deaf. For example, him telling everyone in camp “do you all not like killing? Why are you all even here, you chose this.” In another example, his detached tone in most situations and amused or casual tone in life threatening situations.

He is shown to be rather perceptive on a technical level, though not so much in social situations. Below is him confronting Edward about having a sniper targeting him.

He is extremely nonchalant in serious and grave situations. It is also the inappropriate emotions he shows that are infamous to him, the thrill and glee he gets by fighting. To me these are easily explained by adrenaline and Solf being generally understimulated and leashed by his polite standards in society (though of course these are still issues he has), but to most it seems like senseless hysterical behavior.

Notably it is this tone deafness that makes him an heretic to others, what ostracizes him. He did not do worse than other veterans in Ishval, Roy and Riza were also extremely proficient killers on the field. The reasons Kimblee gives for being on the field and “doing what they gotta do” are reasonable and cool-headed, most of all he has a point in how he gives everyone a wake-up call that they chose this by becoming a soldier and that they’re all complicit. No, Kimblee is an heretic not because of these concrete things, but because he is not miserable on the field. People, both in world and readers/viewers, simply think that his emotions and attitude while killing others are misplaced for the situation. It’s his tone deafness that unsettles others. He doesn’t have the sense to at least act apologetic, unlike Roy who acts like a martyr yet still chooses to do it every day. Sure his ideologies and enjoyment of killing are disturbing and unhinged, but the tone deafness is what sells it, sells him as a villain. It is an emotional, social reaction.

He is also so, so blunt. His whole speech in Ishval to Roy & Riza is enough proof and yet he tops it on the regular. Below is his meeting with Miles:

He’s so hard to destabilize and it’s so funny. I love his three ?s. This lack of emoting is the sort of iconic autistic trait that makes people see us as emotionless inhuman creatures.

Logic and lack thereof

He is incredibly logic oriented and strangely composed most of the time; does not react to things as one would be expected to, as discussed. He loves to talk philosophy, and debates with others often, even stopping a fight to spend some time discussing with Alphonse. He often engages in hypotheticals, like when he logic’ed his way into challenging Riza that she probably held some pride in her work, or when he proposed a deal to Ed having assumed his priorities and motivations; He does not understand others through innate understanding or empathy but through logically working through what he knows of them and of the human psyche to then turn what they do into a predictable formula. (Oof shit, that hits hard and a little too close to home ngl.) Which is perhaps why he is so fond of people who have strong convictions; they are honest and upfront, they do not waver, they are easy to understand and to predict, he can understand someone like that and their internal consistency. If someone thinks Edward Elric is going to kill them, then they do not know Edward Elric.

Has an hard time understanding others’ mentalities, often encountering people who do not follow his logic which confuses him, like his Ishval speech and when Edward didn’t follow his “self-preservation” deal.

His goal for the better part of the story is to be a spectator to the “battle of wills” between homunculi and humans. You could even say that it is to assuage a curiosity. The fact that he gives no emotional stakes to a sense of belonging with humans that should innately make him want to fight for humanity makes sense as well, especially since humanity doesn’t accept him much. Myself, I scoffed when Edward said this. I have hyper-empathy, but to me there should still be a better reason than a blind sense of community to one’s species to pick a side. It might seem like the obvious reason to most, “side with the humans!”, but to me without sound reason it just seems like blind toxic patriotism, or blind faith and adherence to a cult. Kimblee’s reasoning is survival of the fittest applied to evolution, that the superior species will be the one to survive because that’s how nature works. Personally, I say side with the humans because the homunculi have senseless goals that promise destruction upon the world, but y’know, whatever. The important point here is that Kimblee fundamentally works on a logical basis. The “side with humanity!” argument without further reasoning is an emotional one, yet it is one that appeals to most. /neu He does indeed reveal he has some personal stakes in siding with the homunculi, not only because they let him do whatever he wants alchemy wise, not only because he loves fighting for survival, but also because in a double meaning with the opening excerpt of this post, should humans win then he would have to go back to a life of pretense where his “existence” is threatened.

Malice?

Another interesting thing about him is that he doesn’t say the awful things he says out of malice, neither is it the intent behind most of his actions. It’s always a twisted sense of helping, or just doing his job, or doing his victims the ritual show of respect of battling them with the full extent of his will, and remembering them. He has his own way of looking at things, of what constitutes morality that we should concern ourselves with; honesty is more important to him than compassion and hipocrisy peeves him. By killing the ishvalans that Armstrong lets flee, he “rights a fault”. Kimblee not seeing how ill-intentioned many of his actions seem certainly call back to his tone deafness, that or a blatant disregard for conformity.

Strange but strong moral code

As mentioned several times, Kimblee values a strong set of belief in someone, and this even if he personally disagrees with them. I don’t want to repeat myself too much so this section will be short but yes, then it isn’t surprising that his own code is very strong and he is very confident and unashamed of it. I don’t want to spend paragraphs deconstructing his moral code but his actions are consistent to it and he does not betray them, going to the point of bringing Pride down even in death inside of the philosopher stone because he judged Pride’s actions cowardly and hypocritical. Rigid morality is a trait of autism.

By strong, I do want to precise that I do not mean morally irreprehensible or correct, I mean internally coherent and resistant to external challenging. He is set in his beliefs.

Explosions, and stimming

Lastly but perhaps most importantly, the most iconic thing about him: the explosions.

Apparently there’s no post on here calling what Kimblee does stimming and stims headcanons so -cracks knuckles- heavy is the head with the big brain I suppose.

Understimulation is a state in which the body doesn’t get enough stimuli or sensory input to keep one invested in their surroundings and such. It can be the cause of a meltdown. I myself used to struggle a lot with it, it got easier after I got diagnosed and I understood the issue. For example, I am allowed to listen to music, usually glitchcore, while taking academic tests. Back in the time that was not the case, I used to have songs stuck on loop in my head while I did tests, often hummed them, particularly for mathematics.

Why does Kimblee even like explosions? Well, the cues he gives us is that he loves the sounds it makes, of destruction, not only of the screams it causes but the explosion itself. He calls it musical terms like symphony and calls it artful. As he says himself, it shakes his whole body to the core, and he fixates especially on its sound. That is all sensory input, to see it as music and artful is that it is pleasing to his senses as he himself expresses. Look at the way his body quivers in the aftermath and he goes unhinged and emotional. Sensory issues right there, chronically understimulated guy getting a shred of sensory satisfaction 100%. It is release to him.  Explosions are a deafening burst of loud and short noise, accompanied with intense light and heat. It is, in short, a bomb of stimuli. Explosions are a very intense sensorial experience. This is what Kimblee likes about them, even delighting in the size and length he can make his explosions achieve, making it always more and more intense. Much like his ideal lifestyle and activities of risking his life and his soul battling, explosions give him thrill and adrenaline unlike anything else. In monkey terms, boom boom scratches the brain itch.

Explosions as a stim/intense and pleasant sensory experience is actually a thing I’ve thought to explore with an oc of mine prior to watching fmaB, but that really is how I immediately interpreted Kimblee’s introductory scene. My (autistic) brother when he was a kid very often had to be driven around in a car before he’d sleep, for example. It’s a fullbody sensation of vibrations and floating, being in a car. The brain even registers the sensation as strange, which is how motion sickness happens. Babies are sensitive to stuff like that, my bro wouldn’t sleep without it because, without it, he was understimulated, not stimulated enough to be able to sleep. Rocking babies is the same kinda thing, plus the comforting aspect. Weighted blankets, too. Everyone self-regulates their sensory input, aka stims, to some degree, bouncing their leg, etc. But sensory dysregulation is a trait of autism, and severe states of understimulation and overstimulation are what makes it a neurodivergent experience. 

Screams in the stone being like lullabies to him is another sign of him having understimulation in general. At the very least, he has a strong resistance to overstimulation by, like Pride said, retaining his individuality in the overwhelming storm of souls.  ”Ah yes I am amongst an overwhelming sea of screaming souls. I love it here, it energizes me actually”

Honestly I just think it explains parts of his behavior and glee for war if he generally feels understimulated. It explains that lust for battle and destruction. Like yeah bitch you’ll feel great and manic and thrive if you get sensory bliss from the chaos and “symphony” of war, definitely. /gen 

Also, he was in prison so like who can possibly blame him for being bored af, but stimming wise I do count playing with the rock in prison. The way he rolls it in his fingers and all. Even regurgitation, that’s bound to be a moderately intense sensory experience. If he repeatedly swallows it and regurgitates the stone then that can def count as stimming. Maybe the reason he didn’t go more insane than he did is because he had the one thing to fidget with lmao. The screaming thrumming perfectly sized & smooth evil explosive rock really is a great stim toy, huh.

I get intense and off my rockers too when I’m understimulated ngl, slap happy even. 

He really does seek adrenaline and thrill. I think in the above he was getting somewhat delirious due to blood loss though. He’s definitely prone to manic states. Sure okay grandma whatever you say, let’s get you on the stretcher. 

Misc

And as my usual autistic analysis finisher: he sits weird. More seriously, analyzing sitting positions can be interesting because it’s again about understimulation. Legs crossed, arms crossed, it’s weight on your body plus feels snug idk. But personally I need to have my legs crossed at all times when I’m sitting, except in extra comfy chairs. Body language is a whooole thing to analyze with autism, because infamously people misinterpret them; for example crossing your arms is considered to be a defensive or hostile gesture, when a lot of people would just go “wtf it’s just comfy”. Insistant and direct eye contact is seen as a will to dominate, meanwhile for a lot of people they’re literally just staring thinking nothing of it. Etc. However like discussed at the beginning of this, it can be theorized that he tailors his body language to his environment, like compared to when he was on the Ishval warzone.

Conclusion

Cool motive still murder bro. Def a lot of fun neurodivergence going on in his character though.  I am obsessed with this type of autistic character, who as a survival mechanism becomes hyperaware and very logically and psychologically attuned to social norms and how people work to try to fit in and survive in the group. I am OBSESSED with autistic characters who know the game so well and try so hard yet still feel uncanny to others. Humanity is, after all, a social species. And one who does not take kindly to heresy. Definition of heresy: opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted. Heretic does not intrinsically means harmful, however. Labeling something as heretic is often an emotional reaction, like say how racism or homophobia is initially from a xenophobic gut instinct, and it is an emotional reaction that makes us dislike Kimblee.

Not to say that’s the ONLY reason, of course. Kimblee is justifieably generally disliked. But as someone who values cause and effect, it is ironic to me that Kimblee is considered a worse veteran than others because he refuses to act guilty over it and does “his job” with a smile on his face, worse than Roy who boiled people alive. I find it ironic that straight out of the gate we have a sinister opinion of Kimblee because of the framing when he was in prison, of what it meant that he was in there and why he wasn’t miserable 24/7 in his cell, instead smiling and humming, and it’s all ironic because the reason he was in prison is… He killed his superior officers, who are active agents in malicious corruption and are 100x more times gleeful about the Ishval war than him. Framing is an emotional thing, and if there’s one thing Henry Creel taught me is that it’s quick to rob a character of humanity. If humanity performatively want people to be miserable, then is it so surprising for Kimblee to want to reject it?  Take my hot takes or not, I’m not interested in debating philosophy unlike Kimblee, I just wanted to showcase his autistic traits and it got a little thought provoking by nature lol. Thanks for reading! :)    Is this last emoticon tone deaf and/or uncanny? I can’t tell… Ah well!

#fullmetal alchemist #fma manga #character analysis #solf j. kimblee #solf j kimblee #manga kimblee #fma kimblee #analysis #fumi rambles #i went slightly insane over this one #took me ehh around 3 hours not bad not bad #how many words even is this #asd #autistic kimblee #autistic headcanon #autistic reading #actually autistic #or whatever #neurodivergence #i should add a bit about how his alchemy works it’s so interesting and in character for his interests #he seeks patterns and consistency from people and he’s so real for that /hj

[starcrossed591]

KDrama Year in Review 2023

While I watched more KDramas this year than CDramas, none of them consumed my heart and soul quite like this year's crop of CDramas did (CDrama review post here). And I dropped KDramas more readily than I have in years past, in part because there were so many more things to watch than I had time for (also I had to finish my dissertation and graduate, etc etc). Still, there were definitely some that I really, really enjoyed, so here's this year's KDrama round up:

16. My Lovely Liar: Started strong, got boring real quick. Dropped for homophobic murder plot. Still, glad to see that Hwang Min Hyn can actually act (although full disclosure, I did still enjoy him in Alchemy of Souls, wooden as that performance may be). Hoping Kim So Hyun can catch a break and get a role in a drama more worthy of her in the near future.

15. Crash Course in Romance: Excellent performances and chemistry by the ML and FL. Romance between two middle aged people instead of youths is also a treat. Dropped around ep 12 because of the unnecessary, homophobic murder plot. Pass.

14. A Good Day to Be a Dog: Surprisingly stronger than the goofy premise suggests, largely on the basis of Park Gyu-Young's performance as the FL who turns into a dog upon being kissed. Pacing problems in the third act around the origins of the whole dog curse thing. Can't say I recommend unless you're really in the mood for some shenanigans, but largely inoffensive if a little silly. (Also it turns out Cha Eun Woo *really* leveled up his kiss game for this one!)

13. Love to Hate You: Perfectly serviceable rom com. Nothing too special, but a nice weekend binge if you're in the mood for that. Also a good way to see Kim Ji-Hoon's v handsome face and that *hair* without having to deal with everything involved with his rather murderous run in Flower of Evil.

12. Joseon Attorney: A Morality: Perfectly serviceable law procedural/Joseon historical. If you don't like either of those genres your mileage may vary, but I had missed having Bona on my screen, so it worked well enough for me.

11. Welcome to Samdal-ri: I seem to like this one more than literally everyone else I know, and I fully admit that my enjoyment of this drama is more vibes-based than plot-based. I guess I have a soft spot for Shin Hye Sun yelling at people at Ji Chang Wook going a bit unhinged over a woman who ran away from him (see also: Lovestruck in the City).

10. My Demon: Very much enjoying Song Kang as a cranky demon falling in love with a human. Very tropey in the best way, and feels like a return to form for the supernatural romance genre. Remains to be seen if they'll land the ending as of this writing, but enjoying as it goes.

9. Doctor Cha: A contribution to the slate of divorce comedies I watched this year (see also: Strangers Again (KDrama) and Let's Get Divorced (JDrama)), a surprisingly touching story about growing older when you've devoted your life to someone who has not done the same for you.

8. Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow (Part 2): While Ko Joon-Yung never quite managed to replace Jung So-Min as the FL for me, I definitely still enjoyed the closer to this fun fantasy series. Special shout out to Shin Seung-Ho as Prince Go Won and his pet turtle

7. Strangers Again: I didn't see a ton about this one on tumblr as it was airing, but I found this rom com? melodrama? divorce procedural? makjang? story about relationships and why they end unexpectedly profound. I tuned in expecting mindless makjang hot mess, and instead got a thoughtful meditation on divorce. Left me feeling unexpectedly melancholy at the end, but glad I watched it.

6. The Secret Romantic Guesthouse: Very fun sageuk! Probably won't knock your socks off, but it does what it does very well. Bonus points for a B couple as compelling as the A couple. I've also been a big Kang Hoon fan since Little Women, and there are a couple of other actors in here that I'm always glad to see working.

5. Perfect Marriage Revenge: Tour de force makjang. Came out of nowhere and blew me away. Hits all the right beats, and unexpectedly fun (and was a nice break from the heaviness of My Dearest for me). This was a good year for jaded and slightly unhinged transmigrated FL's back for their #revenge (see also: Story of Kunning Palace in CDrama land), and I was here for it. Also features one of the spiciest make-out scenes of the year, 10/10 recommend

4. See You in My 19th Life: Absolutely loved this haunting, melancholy, and sometimes unexpectedly goofy reincarnation drama. I loved the webtoon and had high expectations, and this drama largely met them! The continuing relationship between sisters Ji-Eum (Shin Hye Sun) and Cho-Won (Ha Yoon Kyung) was a special highlight for me, and while Shin Hye Sun is already a never-miss for me, I'm especially looking forward to whatever Ha Yoon Kyung does next. I prefer the ending of the Webtoon to the KDrama, but I'm still delighted this drama exists and am glad I watched it.

3. The Interest of Love: Look, I loved this drama. Even though it seemed on the surface like nothing but *mess* in the interpersonal lives of these characters working at a bank on the border between a rich and poor neighborhood in Seoul, it nonetheless had some of the most searing class commentary of the year for me. I also love an FL who will (spoiler) pack up her things and disappear at the drop of a hat, even if no one else will understand her decision to do so, because she just cannot deal anymore (see also: the FL in Lovestruck in the City, whom I also love but everyone else hated). This drama kept me gleefully coming back every week in a year where not a lot of others did.

2. Call It Love: A revenge slice of life melodrama that I found unexpectedly touching in its deep melancholy. Loved not only the main couple, but the relationship between the siblings and their pharmacist bestie. A lovely character study. (Also I somehow ended up watching this at the same time as Till the End of the Moon and Li Susu as Ye Xiwu's hidden identity/revenge plot, which was unexpectedly stressful! Had a very "it's the same picture" moment despite two dramas in two genres that could not be further apart.) If you missed this one (and since it aired on Disney+, you might have--Disney+'s effects on the KDrama streaming ecosystem will be the death of me), it's worth seeking out!

1. My Dearest (Parts 1 and 2): Kind of feels like everyone has said everything there is to say about sageuk of truly epic proportions, but it blew me away as well. Epic romance? Check. Twisty political machinations? Check. Heartwarming friendships between women? Check. Strong ensemble cast? And my top FL of the year, Lady Gil-Chae, played to perfection by Ahn Eun-Jin. I've adored her since Hospital Playlist, and am delighted that she's getting the attention and the roles she deserves. Namkoong Min also a top contender for ML of the year as Lee Jang-Hyun. Part 2 dragged for me a bit in places after a nearly perfect Part 1, but such a great drama overall.

Favorite Drama of the Year: My Dearest. See above.

Favorite Female Character: I mean, it's gotta be Gil Chae from My Dearest, right? She starts out as such a spiteful, spoiled noblewoman, and then turns out to have a core of pure steel. Turns out all her conniving and strategizing, which went towards causing mischief in the village, really just needed a proper outlet. While I would never want to be in the circumstances in which she found herself, if I did, she's exactly who I would want on my side.

Favorite Male Character: Everything's coming up My Dearest this year, because this one is Lee Jang-Hyun in My Dearest as well. Checks the box for my competence kink, and has a knack for showing up just when Gil-Chae needs him, even at great personal cost. Also a smart-ass, which I probably like a bit too much in a man.

Favorite Secondary Female Character: Cho-Won from See You in My 19th Life. Her relationship with her reincarnated older sister was almost more compelling to me than the main romance sometimes, and really helped develop how the ties that bind us are not just romantic ones. Also she was just super cute

Favorite Secondary Male Character: Could have picked anyone from Team Himbo in Alchemy of Souls, but gonna have to give this one to Go Won, himbo prince of my heart

Favorite Ship: Again, it's gotta be Gil-Chae and Lee Jang-Hyun in My Dearest. Sometimes, there are drama couples that nearly cause me pain when they are apart, and these two quickly became one of them. Though their relationships is hardly functional for much of it, through all that push and pull, they ultimately learn how to show up for each other. Also, their *chemistry* is insane!

Favorite Secondary Ship: I loved Hye-Seong and Sung Joon, the B couple in Call it Love. Seeing the SFL grow more comfortable with herself after a truly shitty ending to her previous relationship was a nice respite from the hidden identity stress of the A couple in this one. I'm also a sucker for a good romance where you start to see someone you've long taken for granted differently. (Close Runner Up: Cho Won and Do-Yun in See You in My 19th Life)

Favorite Platonic Relationship: Gil-Chae, Eun-Ae, and their maids, Jong Jong and Bong Doo, in My Dearest. I loved loved loved the relationship between these women in this drama, and part of the reason the second half of the drama suffered a bit for me is because of how far it moved away from this core relationship. They were ride or die for each other more than the majority of the men in their lives, and I loved that for them.

Trope that Needs to Die: While I find murder plots in rom coms tedious at the best of times, homophobic murder plots are really not it. Quit it, y'all. It's not cute.

Dramas I Missed: Moon in the Day, The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, and Tell Me That You Love Me (grrr Disney+ on this one) are on the list for next year. I'm probably missing others.

Non-2023 Drama Spotlight: Finally went back and watched Do You Like Brahms? for a hit of Park Eun-Bin. A lovely, if also melancholy, slice of life romance that's just as much about what to do when a (career related) dream that you've worked really, really hard for just isn't going to come through as it is about the main romance. Also made me fall in love with Kim Min-Jae and his lovely deep voice, enough so that I also then went back and finally watched Dali and the Cocky Prince, which was also a treat. Recommend both.

Most Looking Forward To: I continue to yearn for a Yumi's Cells 3, and who's to say if that one will ever come through, but I'm putting it out into the universe anyway. More realistically, I'm looking forward to the surprisingly stacked line-up of sageuks coming up, including Captivating the King and Love Song for Illusion.

#KDrama #KDrama Review #Call It Love #The Interest of Love #Strangers Again #See You In My 19th Life #Doctor Cha #Perfect Marriage Revenge #Do You Like Brahms #Secret Romantic Guesthouse #Love to Hate You #Alchemy of Souls #Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow #Joseon Attorney #A Good Day to Be a Dog #Welcome to Samdalri #My Dearest #My Dearest KDrama #Gil Chae #Shin Hye Sun #Ahn Eun Jin #yeah I'm tired of hashtagging #so that's enough of that #KDrama Year in Review #Year in Review #Review

[red-archivist]

me, six months ago: huh there is some alchemical symbolism in tmagp, that might be interesting to look into

me, now, in far too deep and five euro poorer:

#i was looking for more of a historical text as opposed to alchemy as philosophy/spirituality which is what more modern publications are #then again this is from the 50s so... #ill tell ye if i find anything interesting anyway #tmagp #the magnus protocol

[vexedallay]

I was infodumping to somebody irl abt my minecraft alchemy system and realized just how many times it features Unethical Human Experimentation

Also I've decided that the only logical course of action now that I've started taking chemistry is to keep going with it and take this thing down to the atomic scale, which involves me creating a totally separate periodic table called the cyclic table (cause I am an uncreative bastard with names (< that is a lie)) which features atoms with a nuclei consisting of neutrons and electrons. This has led me down the path of figuring out just how these atoms would feature in the world as there would conceivably be both, so now there is a 50-50 chance I do something incredibly dumb and nerdy and start a similar (if shorter) fic/book about the interactions between both types of electrons and also just diving real deep into the electrons-neutron nuclei electrons.

#fable smp #writing #fanfiction #alchemy #worldbuilding #the art of alchemy #I can and will just infodump more abt this stuff #So if anybody is interested pls ask #I have so many thoughts all of the time

[vv-ispy]

anyway my other venti's history shaping how he is headcanon is that as a wisp he was rarely taken seriously — people are kind to him and will put faith in him due to his being an elemental being, but between a little wind wisp vs a storm god, the wisp isn't doing much they're in the middle of the archon war, great strong gods are getting struck down all the time. (Even later as a god he's seen as the weakest god, possibly the god with the unlikiest of origins out of a group who were gods and powerful being before reaching archonhood)

But the bard treats him not as a contender, not as a god candidate, not even as their hope to take down Decarabian but as a friend.

So he doesn't take himself seriously either, he knows he has the power now yes but habits remain and he doesn't want to be a tyrannt, and in the end the most impactful relationship in his life will always be the bard who treated him not for his role or his potential but as a friend to love and cherish and understand

#diona and venti's interaction during the alchemy event my beloved #local drunkard and alcohol lover is genuinely interested in why the kid? teen? --idk how old diona is-- hates alcohol #diona and her hatred of alcohol has probably also never been taken seriously in the alcohol city of mondstadt #vs venti 'i'll take you seriously i'm interested to know i'll keep you company and help you' #god i imagine the bard and venti had SO many talks and discussions as they grapple with the rebellion #and not just about the rebellion itself but the bard's dreams and troubles and each other and #and teenagehood being the 'developing an understanding of yourself and the world time' vs the micromanaged environment they grey up under #i think all of that influenced venti and his method of ruling a lot #genshin talk #one of my favourite fics also touches on venti-not-taken-seriously via a zhongven relationship kinda #angsty fic. very good #god killer on ao3 #gotta stuff bardven into the headcanon though the bard is the biggest influence in venti's early life imo

[quixoticanarchy]

coworker has begun leaving me little stacks of book recommendations which is very nice but i'm bewildered by the selection dfghjk so far we've got "holy anorexia" "magic and schizophrenia" "the college drug scene" "art by the mentally disturbed" am i meant to read anything into this

#i told her i liked alchemy and chemical weapons... #so far ive only read holy anorexia it was interesting but it fucked w me #skravler

[carnirat]

I like to think of Ed becoming an alchemy teacher post ending.

I imagine him teaching in a more traditional classroom rather than someone who takes on apprentices. He starts the year by telling the kids that he is the Fullmetal Alchemist to show off and seem cool and no one believes him, Ed ends up having to prove it by showing official documents (or something idk) stating Edward Elric is the Fullmetal Alchemist and all the kids stay convinced he's lying the rest of the year. Of the few kids who believed him, they ask why he was called "fullmetal" and he begrudgingly shows the class the automail that replaces his left leg and some of the kids audibly "Ooh" and "Ahh" at it, most of them likely having never seen automail in person before. Ed brags about how his wife made it for him.

He draws transmutation circles on the chalkboard so perfectly some of the kids think he might be crazy (they're not wrong). He explains transmutations in far too much detail and often times the kids end up gawking at him, not understanding a single word he's saying. He goes on philosophical tangents about our meaning in this world and how we're just a tiny part of it and how beautiful it is and the kids always groan as soon as he starts up again. He tells wild stories of when he was a state alchemist that are so crazy no one believes any of it and vague ones about lessons he's learned, trying not to get too into detail as to not upset the kids but ends up just confusing them instead.

Al comes in sometimes to do the demonstrations and the kids immediately fall in love with him. He's so different from their loud, talkative, hot-headed teacher. On demo days, Ed and Al both go around the room helping kids try and do it themselves. In the days where there's no demo, the students whine about "Mr. Alphonse" not being there. Ed, of course, retaliates with "What, you don't like me? What's he got that I don't?" And is immediately bombarded with the entire class listing off reasons why Al is better.

There's times, though, where Ed has to tell the kids about parts of his past that he wishes he could forget, that he can't use alchemy anymore, that he had to sacrifice a lot. He's like Izumi in the way that he doesn't want them to end up like him but he can't tell them the truth. So he tells them part of the truth; that they must not, under any circumstance, try to bring the dead back to life, that the dead are gone, they can never be brought back, that it is something that humans should have no control over. And the hard part, that even if they try, they won't come back, and you will only be punished for trespassing in God's domain.

But Ed loves his students so much. He knows he would do anything for them so he lets himself be vulnerable sometimes. And even though they act like he's the worst, they all secretly love him too.

#ive been thinking about this a lot lately so i wanted to write it all down #i have a scene written based on this so I can post it if anyones interested #i might still post it anyway tho lol #fma #fullmetal alchemist #fmab #fma brotherhood #fullmetal #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #fullmetal alchemist manga #edward elric #edward fma #fma edward #edward elric headcanon #alchemy teacher Ed au

[temporoom]

If I had a nickel, each time I watched a show about someone being a renowned but feared figure (who killed people), who lost their home (or/and their family) in a massacre, and then got killed themselves for their "wrongdoings", and then got their soul transferred against their will into someone else's body by the owner of said body, and said owner of the body was actually the child of an important figure in their magical world who also tries to hide said's child existence at some point until they decide the child should inherit their power because they don't want their other child to take power, but also immediately got recognized as who they originally were by the love interest who decides to take them with them in order to protect them...

I would have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

(yes, this post is specifically about Wei Wuxian from mdzs/the untamed and Naksu from Alchemy of Souls, both available on Netflix go watch them)

#Mdzs #mo dao zu shi #mo dao su zhi #the untamed #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #wei wuxian #wei ying #yiling patriarch #alchemy of souls #naksu #mu deok #Watch me fuse my niche interests #This is a reference only very few people will understand and honesty I don't care

[alderaans]

I figured you might still be here.

Alchemy of Souls (2022)

#Alchemy of Souls #alchemyofsoulsedit #kdramaedit #netflixgifs #jung so min #hwang minhyun #gif: mine #tv: kdrama #i'm going to be honest with you guys i don't understand tumblr user tagging culture on this website i've been away for like 4 years #but if i make something i think my mutuals might be interested in i might tag them from now on #useraubri #natahjikio #i knew this scene would destroy me but now with the whole context it's actually worse #can they please sit down and talk as naksu and yul FOR ONCE so i don't have to sit here like an absolute fool bc i like this pairing

[fmabtarotzine]

Tell us what the fates are saying, 𝖃𝖊𝖗𝖝𝖎𝖆𝖓 𝕾𝖚𝖓!

2 weeks left to fill out interest check for a brand, new FMAB tarot fanzine! It closes May 1st!

Don't miss out on joining our team! 𝖃𝖊𝖗𝖝𝖎𝖆𝖓 𝕾𝖚𝖓 is looking for a finance/production mod, so if that's you, come apply by the 24th!

⭐IC HERE!

⭐FINANCE MOD APP HERE

⭐Our Carrd

#fma #fmab #fmab zine #full metal alchemis brotherhood #full metal alchemist #fma zine #interest check #mod apps

[renjunnipeikko]

floyd and chenya have arguably the same chaotic and mischievous energy yet riddle’s approach to them is entirely different

#i couldnt help but notice how soft his voice was when he was scolding chenya in ch 5 #bc he gets angry and yells at everybody else #it was just so interesting #seeing riddle being soft for someone #twst riddle #twst chenya #riddle rosehearts #che’nya #chenya #alchemi alchemivich pinka #twst floyd #floyd leech #twst #disney twst #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twst wonderland

[seokwoosmole]

Alchemy of Souls is not only the comeback drama Lee Jae Wook deserved but also the enemies to superior/subordinate to student/teacher to bickering friends with old married couple vibes to lovers historical fantasy rom-com we all needed and if you're not watching it already, I highly suggest, no, demand, you go do so now.

#not to mention chosen one who was no idea what they're doing trope #golden retriever ML and badass FL #fun friend group?? #love square?? #a very fun and dynamic love square in which all parties involved are pretty interesting characters??? #correction actually #love pentagon #maybe even love hexagon #it's hitting on multiple levels #alchemy of souls #lee jae wook #jung so min #kdrama #netflix