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my-mt-heart · 7 months

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Where's Daryl?

This was very difficult to write. It opened up a lot of old wounds for me, so if you read this, thank you. If my thoughts on this show haven’t been your cup of tea, that’ll most definitely be the case here as well, so maybe just move along. ***Trigger warning for discussion of childhood abuse***

For about a year and a half, Caryl fans asked Where's Carol? as a pointed reminder that the spinoff was always meant to be hers just as much as it was Daryl’s. Even though she's back now, her fans didn't always know she would be (nor did the EP's 🙄) so her absence during filming and promotion of the first season was a heavy burden to bear. The irony is, though “Daryl Dixon” sticks out like a sore thumb in that ridiculous font, he's the one who feels absent sometimes, as if important parts of his character development were lost when he washed ashore while other parts come and go as the plot demands.

Zabel talks about swapping Daryl's iconic vest for "old man" suspenders as a matter of pragmaticism i.e. they were the only clean clothes available. Norman says it was a choice he wanted for some unclear reason, but neither of them seem to consider the intelligence of their audience, particularly Carylers, to see it more symbolically. The costume change is our visual reminder that Daryl isn't himself. In some scenes he's chattier than he should be, far more trusting of strangers with personal details, and far more theatrical. Then in others, the differences are even more alarming. He calls a child cruel names, puts his hands on him, and feels conflicted about returning home to his family, to the woman he said he loved.

I mentally prepared myself for retcons, but the one I'm struggling with a lot right now, which I haven't seen anyone bring up yet, is the retcon of Daryl’s childhood abuse. Daryl tells Isabelle that he and Merle had to take apart engines and if they couldn't put them back together, their dad wouldn't let them have dinner. It's a milder version of the stories the scars on his back tell us, though I can buy Daryl omitting the worst of it like he did in the pilot. What I can't buy is Daryl saying his dad was "hardly ever" around and emphasizing it as the main source of his pain growing up. It feels contradictory for one thing. When we see Daryl's scars for the first time in S3 of the flagship show, it's implied Daryl was trapped in an environment that enabled his dad to physically hurt him often. Presumably that's why Merle felt guilty about leaving him behind. The revelation also seems like it's only intended to highlight the consequences of an absent father figure, explaining Daryl's fear of not making it home, but also justifying his "close" bond with Laurent. The best stories allow a character's emotions to drive the plot, but this just does the opposite, twisting Daryl's backstory to fit the current narrative.

Daryl's backstory made so many people root for him in the first place. It allowed Carol to see him when nobody else in the group could. It helped me process my own childhood trauma. The ways I got to watch him overcome his violent past gave me hope that masculinity could mean more than what I grew up around—more than anger, shouting, and swinging fists. Daryl taught me that men could still be tender, kind, and loving even if those closest to them in their childhood never showed them how. I imagine Daryl's representation has been important to boys and men too, specifically to those who were afraid to speak up about their abuse because of the stigma around it. The implications of this scene may not be easily noticeable to some, but they are to me, and I'm deeply offended by it.

I’ve talked at length on this blog about how it takes a village to make or break a show, though it’s usually the showrunner who has to answer for it. I've already mentioned that I do blame Zabel. His knowledge of French history has no value when he obviously didn’t bother to study Daryl’s history aside from reading old scripts and (maybe) watching the first couple seasons. That's incredibly irresponsible and terrifying for S2. I also blame AMC for their short-sightedness and their determination to save face no matter how much it costs them. I blame Gimple for his pettiness. I blame Greg Nicotero for his insensitivity to Melissa and her fans.

As for Norman, he's hinted very loudly that he wants credit for the show being "different," so in theory he should be prepared to take some of the blame too. I can't name all of the decisions he specifically made, but no matter what they were, I can blame him for not speaking up about the shipbaiting, Daryl's wavering loyalty, and the childhood abuse retcon, all things that hurt his character and hurt the fans. I genuinely don't know what else to think other than Norman didn't give either the consideration they deserve. The show has been treated like nothing more than a vanity project, and it’s unfortunate when you think about what he and AMC had to gain from the original Caryl spinoff.

I love the version of Daryl I knew before this whole mess, I love Carol, and I love the relationship between them. I want them to have the story they deserve in S2. At the moment, I don’t know how to reconcile that with the agony I feel over the damages to half of my two favorite characters. If Carol is going to cross the Atlantic ocean to find Daryl, I want him to be the man who threatened to punch holes in all the boats so she couldn’t leave and the man who told her he loved her before—ironically—leaving himself. I need to hear Daryl admit he hasn't been completely honest with the French characters, not because he was afraid of getting too close to them, but because he didn't want to face the pain of potentially living without Carol and TF. I need to hear him say that he can't be Laurent's father, which is okay because the kid has plenty of other family to take care of him. I need to hear him say, out loud, that he could never love another woman romantically because he's already in love with Carol. That's what I need to feel better about this story. That's where my investment is. I feel like Carol is safe in Melissa's hands, but I don't feel like I have anyone to rely on for Daryl. That’s a big problem because their stories are so intertwined. There’s no Daryl without Carol nor Carol without Daryl. If you ruin one of them, you risk ruining both of them, and that’s a possibility I really can’t bear.

#caryl #carol peletier #melissa mcbride #darylneedscarol #the book of carol #twd caryl

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detectivechen · 1 year

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the writers vs. lucy chen

i wasn’t looking for her to get promoted at a random moment in the season, so that’s not the issue. she’ll get promoted eventually. she has to be. otherwise, these writers will never beat the allegations, and tbh, they’re running out of time.

it’s definitely a collective decision, too, bc the writers have changed hands multiple times since that girl, ep 513. not even my fave writer could save the five-player trade storyline from the trenches. such a shame bc this ep was vintage rookie: very cohesive and exciting!

what are these allegations?

it’s 100% misogynistic for them to falsely equate lucy’s influence with manipulation to create obstacles in her life. it was annoying for them to do it personally, but now it’s downright infuriating for them to do it professionally.

because if anyone deserves a stress-free path and a fast-track to a promotion on this show, it’s lucy chen. mid-wilshire’s shooting champ endured traumatic hazing to prove her chops for UC as a rookie. as a newly minted P2, she singlehandedly dismantled two drug cartels on her first deep cover op, after meticulous preparation.

yet, she has none of the commendations that would normally go along with accomplishments of that magnitude. they moved on way too quickly from that to make chenford ride together again and assert nolan’s position as the rookie. so even though lucy has nothing left to prove, she’s been stuck fighting for leadership positions to get more points in favor of a promotion.

why does this matter?

lucy chen is a unicorn. finding a highly capable, girl-next-door asian-american female lead with an equally strong moral compass like her, esp in her field, is very difficult.

it’s painful to watch the writers ruin what they’ve built by making something out of nothing, given the way they’ve upgraded the careers of their two white male officers in the last two seasons without issue. it’s sending the message that women of color really do have to work twice as hard to get the same accolades, even in a fictional world, and not in the social commentary way.

in s4, nolan’s promotion to P2 was so ugly. the team was concerned with finding the killer of lucy’s best friend, a black man, and her situationship’s former TO’s best friend, a latina woman. somehow, though, the white man who undermined the justice system egregiously in the name of self-righteousness got an on-cam pat on the back from his black watch commander for taking his punishment well. the audacity. even tim’s deserved promotion happened off-cam.

in s5, her peer, nolan, leaves her in the dust by getting awarded a golden ticket for being a white savior at the border. detective is seemingly open for him again, even after being told that his self-righteousness cost him that privilege, but he opts for TO. what a slap in the face for lucy, who always navigated policy and procedure well.

make it make sense.

to make matters worse, the writers have now proceeded to willfully interpret her goodwill to help her bf get a more prestigious lateral transfer as malicious to make everyone turn on her.

after everything you have been through, how often you have proven yourself, there is not a cop in here who would not have your back if you asked. –harper in 505

so suddenly, every accomplishment lucy’s ever had is thrown out the window bc she did a lil networking to get her superior sergeants referrals for placements more suited to their current values? this punishment of making her worried about getting her score tanked doesn’t fit the crime of her secret involvement in tim’s career at all.

regardless, she’ll take the detective's exam in two weeks their time (ep 521). let’s see what bs comes up to make the ‘grand plan’ of delaying her promotion for the 100th ep happen (ep 602). 🙃

#the rookie #chenford #lucy chen #let's hope none of the ladies are made to act weird next ep #featured #intersectionality #the rookie s5 #mine.post #feminism #misogyny #racism #be a good human

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prdxinvadcr · 9 months

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best known for being the first boy group under GLASSHOUSE, PARADOX INVASION ( 파라독스 인베이젼 ) – or PRDX ( 피아르디액스 ) – is a fictional seven-member group that debuted under the company in 2019. known as GLASSBOYS during their pre-debut era, the members ( YOHAN, DOHYUN, LIGHT, ADRIEN, DASHI, CHASE, and KOI ) would release a single, FROZEN NIGHT, seven months before their official debut in march the next year. despite releasing a great pre-debut track, PRDX upset many people for debuting with TO THE SKY, which fans call ‘THE MOST DISAPPOINTING DEBUT SONG EVER,’ most ignoring the song and pretending it never existed.

a year after their official debut, DOHYUN would abruptly leave the company, filing a lawsuit for negligence and mistreatment during his time as a member of the group. it would take another year of battling and PRDX going on hiatus for most of it before GLASSHOUSE reported they won the case. a month after, the group released an sudden special video on youtube, featuring YOHAN, DASHI, KOI – and what seems to be the new member – titled 13TH MONTH, released on the 13th month since the group’s hiatus began. the music video attracted lots of attention because of the anonymous member that the company didn’t officially introduce, which earned him the nickname MEMBER X. GLASSHOUSE released an article later that month, announcing that the group was officially out of the hiatus with the release of an ep, PUZZLE PIECE, featuring the 13TH MONTH and two other songs; KILLIN’ ME and LIGHT ME UP, which were sung in chinese and japanese.

PRDX’s comeback soon after was with a mini album WAKE UP WORLD that many fans considered different from their usual cyberpunk sound. despite reaching a global audience, the group received only three wins with THE GUERRILLAZ & BUMP IT UP throughout their 6-week promotions due to fans disliking the group’s new sound. it was also when MEMBER X finally revealed himself as DAMIAN KANG, also going by his stage name : MIKEY, and announced his position as the main dancer, lead rapper and face of the group. after much prodding and stalking, fans uncovered the truth that DAMIAN is the younger brother of STUPID CUPID’s TOMIE, a girl group under GLASSHOUSE’s subsidiary. this created a divide in the group’s fandom where half felt like he was receiving favouritism from the company, while the other half wanted him to stay a member because of his talents. since coming back from a hiatus, PRDX developed a habit of releasing two-sided albums. first side, named as SIDE A, would include more edm and noise title tracks, while the second side, SIDE B, would focus more on the refreshing sounds, accompanied with y2k vibes. these days, fans have gotten used to PRDX having noise music incorporated into their sci-fi / retro concept, and as of 2022, PARADOX INVASION managed to somehow combine their old, cyberpunk, sound with a new concept approach, further confusing the fans yet intriguing them enough to give them a chance to show their best.

⸝⸝ 　 BASIC INFO !

GROUP NAME ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ paradox invasion / prdx

COMPANY ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ glasshouse inc.

DEBUT DATE ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ march 27th, 2019

DEBUT SINGLE ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ to the sky

CONCEPT ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ cyberpunk, sci-fi, noise music, game / retro, y2k, versatile

GREETING ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ “ flip the record, play the tunes! hello, we are paradox invasion! ”

FANDOM NAME ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ endgame

FANDOM COLOURS ˳ ⠀⠀⠀ shocking blue ( #3bbcc2 ) , shamrock ( #1ccca5 ) & hot red tears ( #ef335a )

⸝⸝ 　 MEMBERS !

lee YOHAN ( 1997 )

han , LIGHT , byul ( 1998 )

ADRIEN hong ( 1999 )

dai , DASHI , shiwei ( 1999 )

damian , MIKEY , kang ( 2000 )

CHASE park ( 2000 )

watanabe , KOI , niko ( 2001 )

yoon , DOHYUN , donghyun ( 1998 )

⸝⸝ 　 DISCOGRAPHY !

FROZEN NIGHT ˳ FROZEN NIGHT › pre-debut single ❪ 2018 ❫

TO THE SKY ˳ TO THE SKY › debut single ❪ 2019 ❫

STAGE BREAKERS ˳ BIGGEST HIT › mini album ❪ 2019 ❫

BREAK THE LIMITS ˳ DREAM IN A DREAM › re-packaged album ❪ 2020 ❫

EDGERUNNERS ˳ RPM › mini album ❪ 2020 ❫

PUZZLE PIECE ˳ 13TH MONTH › special ep ❪ 2021 ❫

WAKE UP WORLD ˳ THE GUERRILLAZ + BUMP IT UP! › mini album ❪ 2022 ❫

SCENE STEALERS ˳ MAKE IT BOUNCY + BEATBOX › mini album ❪ 2022 ❫

BACK TO OUR DAYS ˳ BACK DOWN + PAY ATTENTION › mini album ❪ 2022 ❫

INTO THE 90s ˳ GAME OVER + KICK IT 4 NOW › re-packaged album ❪ 2023 ❫

PLAYER SELECT ˳ DOING BIG THINGS + I’M THE ONE › full album ❪ 2023 ❫

SHOW ME LOVE ˳ SHOW ME LOVE › special ep ❪ 2024 ❫

#ficnetfairy #❐ : ❛❛ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀call me prdx invader! 〳 introduction #kpop oc #fictional oc community #fake kpop group #fake boy group #kpop au #fake kpop idol #idol au #idolverse #fictional idol community

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cumberbatchedandproud · 10 months

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MCTNA rewatch Ep 1 underrated Nam Seon Ho moment ?

So. I finally caved in yesterday and pressed play again on MCTNA ep 1 (Am I ready, finally?) It’s about eleven months ago I saw MCTNA for the first time, and it’s my first rewatch, and it was so delightful to realize all the details I’ve missed (because you pay more attention to the subtitles and plot when you don’t know the story, right) or couldn’t notice on 1st watch because I didn��t have the whole picture yet etc etc... (First rewatch is always so GOOD :))

And (not) surprisingly, I got even more Nam Seon Ho feels? OUPS?

Anyway, silly cutie bestie underrated Nam Seon Ho moment (at least I can’t remember seeing it in the tag - even though I haven’t reached the end of it of course I know) is how he’s acting right away *like Hwi’s promotion agent* around Hui Jae, going all nod nod look look hint hint ‘He Hwi, go on and present yourself NOW’ when Hui Jae pours them a drink, and then later ‘Oh Hui Jae cool to meet you here now come along, my best friend is going to kick ass and by the way have I already mentioned he’s the son of our best swordman - honestly he’s amazing don’t you think?’ - adorable adorkable man SIGH SIGH DREAMY SIGH

(Let me stay in the relatively quite happy bubble of Ep 1 a bit longer? Maybe I’m not ready for pressing on ep 2 yet after all?)

#mctna #my country: the new age #my country the new age #nam seon ho #seonhwi #proud member of the nam seon ho defense squad

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seosejun · 2 months

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Soloist SEO SEJUN debuted at the beginning of last year with the critically acclaimed mini-album, NEW GAME, which achieved immediate success. The album sold nearly half a million copies, and his debut song, MELODY, took home seven music show wins. He followed this up a few months later with another EP, to much of the same success. His meteoric rise to fame and fortune is an obvious by-product of the little over a year he spent in 1V1, a fan-formed group from survival show Last Act. By the end of their fifteen-month temporary contract, 1V1 was on even ground with the show’s winners, ENCORE, having sold over a million copies with their first and last full-length album.

The ten months since his last music release have come as a surprise. While it was obvious he wouldn’t maintain the breakneck pace of 1V1’s releases, the quick turnaround between his first two albums seemed like a promising sign. Now, it looks like those signs were misplaced.

That isn’t to say Sejun has spent the last ten months in radio silence. He’s active as a model and an influencer, gracing the covers of Vogue and Elle Korea to name some examples. He also co-wrote the debut album of former group member KIM CHAN late last year. When it comes to his own music career, he seems to have become completely inept.

With each passing day, it becomes increasingly evident he’s moved on to greener pastures: his streaming career. Sejun’s Twitch and personal YouTube channels 세유화 (SEYUHWA)—a portmanteau of his name and Kim Sowol’s poem “산유화”—made their debuts last summer. Since then, he’s streamed almost every day, sometimes for ten to twelve hours at a time. He spends most of that time playing video games—namely Overwatch 2—and occasionally engaging in the usual parasocial conversations with fans. Given that his appearance on Last Act and 1V1’s entire concept both revolved around video games, it was only a matter of time before his solo career did the same. Inheriting the group concept is not enough, Sejun needs to wholly embody it.

From an outside perspective, C Entertainment appears to support his new ventures. His streams sometimes features his manager, KWON INSOO, as a gaming partner rather than a supervisor. Sejun has yet to speak out or complain about his new management. Knowing his propensity for talking shit, his complaints would be known if he had complaints to make. Viewers were also quick to notice that he seems to be happier and more animated streaming than in either of his solo promotional periods, leading fans to wonder if he still wants to be an idol.

Not everyone is as enthusiastic as he is for his new career. He gained notoriety during Last Act after a recording of him flaming his League of Legends teammates in voice chat surfaced. Although tame by gaming standards, it was not the best look for an idol hopeful. Similar controversies would continue to plague him throughout his time in 1V1, though they did nothing to hinder the group’s success. With his freedom to apparently do whatever he chooses, Sejun has once again found himself the target of those who dislike his disregard for an idol image. Some of his streams also feature former 1V1 member ALEX KANG, who retired from the entertainment industry after the group’s disbandment. Though these collaborations were once celebrated by casual kpop fans and die-hard Supports—1V1’s fandom name—alike, Alex’s insistence on distancing himself from the kpop industry and his tendency to ban people in his Twitch chat who ask too many questions about his idol experience have furthered soured some netizens’ opinion of Sejun.

When asked about the state of his music career or if he’s preparing for a comeback, Sejun is uncharacteristically vague. In responses to comments on his Instagram posts of his latest brand deals, he's “working on it” and hopes fans will “wait a little longer.” He elaborated a bit further on streams, assuring fans it isn’t the fault of his management like many of them assume, but rather his own choices. He doesn’t say much more on the topic.

For now, there's nothing for fans to do but wait as he's asked.

#( ⌖ ) CURRENT OBJECTIVE : MEDIA.#kpop oc #fictional idol community #kpop fanfic #idol oc #bts addition

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theportuguesewolf · 2 months

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THE SCARLET LETTER

The always advised Ihsahn from Emperor told US on an interview with Metal Injection, and I quote: “You can’t compete with nostalgia.” and that’s why he doesn’t see a new Emperor album happening. Smart.

Besides his illustrious and differently themed solo career, his former black metal wizard group called it quits (as far as new music goes) in 2001 (Prometheus) , 23 years ago, but Emperor live activity never quite ceased and even in 2024 they still headline stages all over the world, playing what their fans “really like” which consist of their mere 4 albums run, kicked off by the monumental classic In the Nightside Eclipse, a game changer not only for Norwegian Black Metal but also in the way how extreme Metal and Symphonic came together.

Comparing to Moonspell’s own bumps on the road of our “not so smart” musical decisions (according to thousands of our fans), the question emerges if new music and albums is merely a caprice of bands; a kickstart of a new touring cycle; new numbers on the bulky business of digital or if there’s something else, deeper and perhaps, more spiritual that goes against the common sense of Ihsahn affirmation and against the fans’ general coldness and anxiety/fear of a new album by band who meant so much to them in their “happy days”.

Even though Under the Moonspell, Wolfheart and Irreligious, were no piece of cake to write, release and promote on the road, our ordeal with unsatisfied fans started with Sin/Pecado, the ever changeling third album. The 2ND SKIN EP was a true omen of times to come, and first reviews were not properly warm enough. They rather entertained the notion of the “why have they done that” and of “we don’t really know how to come to terms with their change”. This was symptomatic of those pair of years that kicked off with Paradise Lost’s One Second in 1997 and topped by “misunderstood” records such as Tiamat’s Deeper kind of slumber of the same year or My Dying Bride’s 34,788%... and of course our own sinful entry into our yet pristine gothic metal pedigree.

A little declaration of interest, before we go any further: I don’t intend to analyze here if the album aged well, if people were foolish and unprepared or simply mean and vengeful to bands who dared changing and “disappoint” their fan base.

What interests me, for the sake of argument, are those underground metal years and what happened to the actors involved.

As far as Moonspell goes, there has been no or little forgiveness. I dare to say that we never fulfilled our potential as a band destined for bigger success, as designed by our flamboyant debuts and we did shrug our shoulders and diverted our path through adjacent roads, unaware of Ihsahn later day wisdom and perfect timing.

A deal breaker was ,definitely, our cover of Depeche Mode’s Sacred.

The fans of the wolf and the eye of Horus’ simple but effective mysticism joined the ranks of magazines that ditched Sin and even our former bass player Ares was quoted in Rock Hard Germany, defending his split from the band with a loud and clear “Kein Boch Depeche Mode!”, even though it was his idea in the first place to “expand” our fan base and to cover the amazing British band.

We simply didn’t get away with it.

On the contrary, In Flames’ 1997 Whoracle Everything Counts met with praise and no beef and later, Lacuna Coil, would get lauded by their Enjoy the Silence version in 2006, having the dust settled.

As far as I’m concerned, I’m not the biggest fan of Sin myself and all the album making of and recordings were crooked from beginning to end, starting by the band’s horrible atmosphere back then and being topped by a, in my opinion, a faulty production that seen the band intentions clashing with the conservatism. That’s why I intend to re-record this one album in the future, so help me Goth.

It wasn’t all was good or bad with Sin (for instance, it still is our best-selling album in many countries such as France), quite the opposite but this was the lesson learnt and, in that aspect, Sin/Pecado was the most central album of our entire discography, and, undoubtedly, the most influential in our personal lives and career as the songwriters, musicians and touring performers of Moonspell. Some say we never bounced back, others that it freed us and allowed us to make even better music. Maybe no one is right, or wrong, but I write from an inside perspective, thus beyond good and evil.

To wrap it up: I'm still left wondering with a couple of things:

What are new albums for? Would it have been different if we did Sin under a new band monicker (like many told us) being smart about it just like Emperor did dealing the subsequent Ihsahn music which probably wouldn’t please the die-hard Emperor fan base?

Has Sin and other aforementioned albums been a rebellious act of freedom which, ironically, paved the way to more cliched Heavy Metal forms like Hammerfall and all the “novelty acts” that followed, inaugurating sub-genres like pirate and dwarf metal that enjoy now their popularity peak?

Was the early Moonspell works et al so damn good or was it our very life that was so damn good when they came out, and we all fell from innocence when we ate the apple of experimenting and seeing our bands and songs under a different light?

I don't have all the answers but I genuinely keep asking.

#moonspell #SIN #PECADO #MUSIC #emperor #ihsahn

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rev-feaw · 6 months

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First Impression of Reverse: 1999 from a Long Time Gacha Games Player

Hello! Today I'll tell you my first impression about a new gacha game that just release it's global version not too long ago, "Reverse:1999". I preregistered this game and mind you, I actually had zero intention to add more gacha games into my sleeves especially the turn-based ones, but the art... The ART man!! It caught my attention soo let's dig in!

Before we start I'd like the readers (you) to know that I've been playing gacha games daily for a considered long time, since 2017 and still going on today. Although not a lot of them so here are some that I've played for over 3 months (pretty much understand the overall system):

Fate/Grand Order, Arknights, Genshin Impact, Honkai/Star Rail

Bold are my main daily games. And then here are some that I've tried, well at least I know their UI & prologue lol:

SAO MD (discontinued), Food Fantasy, Granblue Fantasy, Punishing/Gray Raven, Tower of Fantasy

I might bring up some titles to compare and most likely from between the "over 3 months" ones. Then, let's start!

What's the big deal of "gacha game" and why I play them?

I like to draw and gacha games have one of the best community for art clout. No this is serious, and one of my top reason of why I'm playing this borderline gambling type of game.

Gacha games are living from their banner rotation. The second ones are new characters and story reveal that updated regularly... Don't you think these are real good timings for posting?? They also got those art gods that somehow helped the promotion and attract the peasants (me included) to get to know the story and make fanarts too. I'm not kidding. This is why I've been here since I started digital art. Lol.

But every actions need consequences. Gacha games are very high maintenance to stay relevant, from the player's side. You missing one update, you'll feel like an old man. This is the most FOMO (fear of missing out) type of game. The main sacrifice is TIME. So many things need to tend in one game, and if you play multiple it means you have to spare some hours in a day. If you can't, get ready to lose something. Why I don't say money? Because I'm pretty much f2p, I never really spent my money for gacha. But time, time bro. Time also money! This is also why I write this post.

The Premise of Reverse: 1999

The early story kind of reminds me to Persona 3 where there are some special times (Dark Hours in P3) where an ordinary human can't survive and there are some special creatures than survived.

In R:1999 the special time is called "storm" which will turn back time further from your original time. For example, MC is from 1999 but she's sent to 1920s thanks to the storm. So they made a foundation or something to get back to the original time. Well in a sense this is kinda similar to FGO (Fate/Grand Order)'s Chaldea, maybe that's why I'm so driven to try this game lol. The name of those "special creatures" are arcanists.

Actually I don't really understand everything yet, but at least that's the glimpse I got. Also they tried to fix the history or something whenever they're getting sent back so, basically a fancier FGO right?? I have no problem though.

Setting

The game's mainly set in the west in 20th century. I think this is the main perks of the game, because the entire design and aesthetic revolves around this so it can differ greatly from most gacha games that either have fantasy RPG setting or urban post/apocalyptic ones. Personally I really like this.

The Main Character

The MC is such a breath of fresh air!! It's a woman, and people called her "Vertin". So no, not your typical self-insert anime degenerate persona like most gacha games. Here is a very beautiful EP of her:

youtube

The Characters

The characters are pretty unique imo, you can play as inanimate object (visually) like apple and satellites. The arcanists are the playable (and summonable) characters. So expect to see various 20th century-themed designs.

Also the designs are dope!! They're unlike most gacha games' characters designs where they wore something weird that will awaken your darkest corner of brain but here they're just dressed NORMALLY LIKE A NORMAL FANCY PERSON I'm so glad. Normal doesn't mean boring, this is a compliment. Even the "fanserviced" ones are still pretty tasteful than just put random windows everywhere.

Summoning

This game has a carry-over pity on 70th roll, soft pity started like in the 60th. They use the same gacha currency on both permanent and limited banners. There's 50/50 like in Mihoyo games. You need 180 clear drops (?) to turn them into one rabbit statue (?) for a summon. I think this one is very similar with Arknights. Personally in my opinion this is very generous and reasonable, but I'm a FGO player so yeah my "generous" standard may differ greatly with a lot of people lol.

Oh you also can get guaranteed *6 from beginner's summoning banner.

(Early) Gameplay & Progression

The gameplay is like FGO with extra steps. Or FGO with fewer steps... Anyway, it's a card game. Each character has cards you can choose per turn. Once the "stars" are filled you can unleash the ultimate. Honestly? A little boring lol, but things may change once I get out early-game phase. People said this is very similar to 7 Deadly Sins game but I never get close to the IP so idk.

You can set which enemy to hit per card unlike FGO where it's done per turn. Personally I think this is neat. Although among the games I've tried I think Honkai/Star Rail still superior for turn-based system since they can control the speed and whatsoever. However this kind of "fixed" system also nice since you don't need to farm artifacts/relics to be playable.

The early stages are so easy. Well, most games have very easy early stages though, unless a certain popular furry tower defense game (*cough* Arknights *cough*).

For character progression pretty much just level up, no need for artifacts/relics like Mihoyo games so it's fast and easy.

You can set a "replay" for autofarming once you get 2 stars achievement on the node. You can also choose the "amount" of drop rate for just one battle. This is very neat!

Dailies, Weeklies, etc

R:1999 has similar progression with Arknights and Mihoyo games with this one. The daily and weekly tasks literally like Arknight's.

Tbh their dailies are quite a hassle lol, you need at least spend 5-15 minutes to clear all.

And their "battlepass", looks like Genshin's battlepass or HSR's Nameless Honor

Gotta admit between ALL the games I've played, nothing beats the simple daily of LOGIN in FGO (in exchange with disastrous gacha and tremendous farming🙏).

UI & Visual

Maybe I should've put this a little earlier lol.

The UI is AMAZING!! One of the best. Really (once again) reminds me of Arknights, since I like their UI too, and even better I think especially their retro aesthetic.

The visual is GORGEOUS. The game is presented in common gacha game storytelling method: visual novel, however they tried to incorporate like L2D animation in the STORY'S VISUAL.

The characters have different art styles, I think done by different artists like most gacha games (the only one who didn't do this are Mihoyo games, please explain). And the sprites are full body non-chibi 2d animations! This one's like FGO, although still like 10% chibified so in terms of sprite style, FGO still has the crown.

Music & other sounds

Music is BANGER!

I rate it 4.5/5. Maybe the 2nd music of gacha games that I like after Genshin. It doesn't sound like basic visual novel ost (looking at you FGO and HSR) in most part, tho since this is basically *still* visual novel, so in some part still sounds pretty stale after you heard it so many times.

The voice over is dope! They used various accents, so it's pretty interesting!

Housing/Dorm

The name of housing/dorm in R:1999 is "Wilderness", something like islands. This is once again reminds me to Arknight's "Base" but outdoor.

End game

Honestly I haven't found the endgame content for this one, if you're looking for challenges maybe games like Arknights and HSR still better choice.

Conclusion

Based on every gacha games I've played, I can say progression, UI, and summoning from Reverse:1999 is similar to Arknights, but turn-based and A LOT easier at the start. If you've played Arknights before I think understanding the system will like walk in the park.

For the story it's somewhat like FGO, of course not the same, but still both are "correcting the history and go back to our time" kind of story.

The game doesn't ask much, so I think if you're a gacha game player and barely have any time for more games, this one's still enjoyable with very minimal investment. Suitable as your 2nd, 3rd, or even 5th gacha games. Especially when you're just want to vibe with the art and setting like me.

If you're new in gacha game, there's no problem with trying out this, but I think the game is made with thought that the target market are people that familiar with gacha games. Still, enjoy your time!

Tl;dr if you still want to play your main games daily while join the Reverse:1999 bandwagon, it's totally possible without sacrificing much of your time.

#reverse 1999 #reverse: 1999 #games #gacha games #review #first impression

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enmi-land · 2 months

Note

is it just me or has anyone noticed how some engenes just move so weird towards sunoo? like I have just finished watching en o clock ep.76 and I went to check the comments and so many engenes wrote comments including every member but sunoo and this is not the first time it's happened... sigh, don't even get me started on the mistreatment sunoo faces from his company alone.. like did you know that he went only to 3 outside of group promotions in the whole year of 2023?? 😭😭😭 the second member who had the least amount of promotions is jay and even then he has had 6 promotions meaning double the amount.. this is in no way me hating the members, no ofc not! I love them all but we're almost 4 years into their career yet sunoo still gets the short end of the stick, I'm honestly so tired, I can't imagine what noonoo feels...

naur bc i kinda noticed the same thing lately… it’s a weird feeling bc lately I feel like ppl either don’t mention him, or when they do it’s to drag other members for supposedly “leaving him out” or for “not taking care of him” and it gets frustrating at times… bc most of the ppl who say this are solo sunoo stans who insist on infantilising him, or just ppl who want an excuse to hate on the group… so finding ppl who genuinely praise him for being HIMSELF these days is hard ☹️ but going back to sunoo’s treatment, it’s actually baffling how he’s treated by the company… like the fact that he’s mentioned on live that he wishes he could do a cover but despite being one of the group’s best vocalists, the company rarely gives him the opportunity to showcase his talents?? and the same goes for the whole group as a whole tbh which is frustrating seeing that they went through hell and back in I-land to debut and still aren’t being given the chance to shine properly 🤧 and lately too, idk if it’s just me, but he seems so… quiet?? these days… like not that’s a bad thing or anything and i don’t want to assume bc i don’t know him personally, and it could just be that he’s growing up and maturing and changing like people tend to do…. but whatever the reason is, i just hope that he’s doing okay… even if i don’t know him personally, he’s been a source of joy for so many people, and he deserves to be filled with genuine joy ☹️🩷🩷🩷

#⠀⠀ 𓈒ㅤ ૮ ֗ ⠀⠀ you got mail ⠀⠀⠀ ꯭✉️⟡

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ayanegooding · 4 months

Text

MY DEBUT PROJECT IN MY FAME DR

name: people you know (ep)

released: august 3, 2018

tracks: 8

duration: 25 min

genre: r&b/soul

tracklist:

wicked games

can i

fairplay

cut me off

if you hate me

shame

people you know

lead single: fairplay (released may 4,2018)

promotional single: ex (released july 13,2018)

release date single: cut em off (released august 3,2018)

end era promotional single: people you know (video released february 14, 2018)

some accolades:

#1 on the billboard 200 for 3 consecutive weeks

it has yet to leave the top 200 lowest getting at 198

most streamed ep of all time

9 billion streams

two billboard #1 hits (fairplay & ex)

5 top ten billboard hits

2 songs surpassing 1 billion streams

all 8 songs entering top 10 on apple music and spotify popular charts after release

gaining 6 grammy noms

winning 2/6 grammy noms

#9 of rolling stones best albums of 2018

#426 of rolling stones best albums of all time

notes: does anybody have this type of content for their dr, i’m not seeing any one tumblr

photoshoot

#fame dr #halle bailey #shifting script #actress dr #singer dr #new album #mason gooding

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gartenofbanny · 11 months

Note

I just realized Helluva gets the same terrible advertising too but worst. For some reason Helluva Boss doesn’t have an official Instagram to advertise which is a huge miss opportunity to inform its only Instagram fans users. At least Hazbin has an official Insta to make the awareness and hype for this show bigger while Helluva Boss is just catering to a small portion of the fandom on Twitter. Another thing is Viv does not promote the GIFs on her social medias. Maybe she doesn’t want to clutter her page but if she promotes at least one of the GIFs, a week before the EP is supposed to come out on her Insta or YouTube community page, it will make more fans aware of when the new EP is coming out thus more views in the first few days.

I could be over critical here but Viv uses her community page to inform fans about merch sales. She can do the same thing with Helluva if she want to build more hype for the upcoming EPs. Also I have seen a lot of indie creators make posts about new pages or EPs being released from their project on their main social media so it feels counterproductive that Viv wouldn’t do the same.

Helluva Boss doesn't have an official Instagram account or a Facebook one, I know that Facebook is old school but rn Helluva Boss needs all the viewership it can get because it's not looking good especially since Western Energy hasn't gotten 10 million views yet. And yeah that's weird that she doesn't share the GIFs on her other accounts, only her Twitter one and Twitter is infamous for being one of the most toxic social media apps lately. It wouldn't be hard for her just to make an official HB Account on Instagram and Facebook to spread it around same goes with HH.

The best option would be to show the teasers on her Youtube community page because that's where HB episodes are being released and the fans wouldn't be caught off guard when the episodes do release. It's not a problem to me that Viv uses her community page to promote merch, but why not also promote the shows you're making merch from?

The only way people are knowing about the teasers is because Youtubers post the teasers shortly afterward such as AyyLmao. Vivziepop shouldn't have to rely on word to word because that's just piss poor advertising. Idk why Vivziepop isn't doing more to advertise both of her shows, I don't believe that there is an excuse though so it just might be laziness. I also believe that she should change up how she advertises both shows too because just gifs with good animation isn't enough anymore. It was good the first few times, but now just reveal something in a different way or reveal something different entirely.

#helluva boss #vivziepop critical #vivziepop criticism #helluva boss critical #helluva boss criticism #vivziepop #helluva critical #helluva boss critique #vivienne medrano

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btsqualityy · 11 months

Text

Kinsley’s Album Imagine

Author’s Note: This imagine is based on some asks I received of Kinsley (Yoongi’s oldest child) doing a documentary similar to Road to D-Day! I hope you guys enjoy it!

“You know, I think people aren’t sure what to think of me,” Kinsley began as she sat against a plain black backdrop, a brown sweater dress on her body with her hair piled on top of her head.

“Of course, people know me as the eldest child of Suga from BTS,” she chuckled. “But I’ve always been more than that. I’m a sister, friend, wife, and mother. Most importantly though, I’m a musician.”

A montage flashed onto the screen then, showing a few snapshots of Min Kinsley’s life up to this point; her childhood with her parents, sister and brother, hanging out with her bestfriends/cousins and her superstar uncles, her wedding day, and four separate moments of her with her children. The very last shot that came up was a video of Kinsley in front of a sold out crowd, her gummy smile on display as the crowd chanted her name.

...........................................................................

“So, what made you want to document this process?” The producer asked and Kinsley pursed her lips as she thought about it.

“I went into this thinking that I wanted to make this album my most personal work yet,” she replied. “I’ve put out mini albums and EPs before and though I love the work I did on those, I wanted to dig deeper. I felt like I had so much to say and I just had an urge to get it out. Plus, I had a point to prove.”

“And what point was that?”

“That I’m a damned good musician, and I didn’t just use my Daddy’s name to get to where I am,” Kinsley stated firmly.

...........................................................................

D-425

“Are you sure this is something you want to do?” Mason asked as the two of them moved around the kitchen early one morning, preparing breakfast for their kids.

“I’ve made EPs and mini albums in the past, and you’ve never asked me that before,” Kinsley side eyed him as she spooned some kimchi into each of the kid’s lunch boxes.

“Yeah but we’re talking a full length album here,” he shot back. “You wanna do full promotions, interviews, possibly a tour?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a lot baby and trust me, you know that I know,” Mason explained. “I know that you have things you want to get out in your music and I fully support that. I just don’t want the results to bring more stress than relief, you know?”

“I understand but I just...I need to do this Mase,” Kinsley stated firmly as she stopped moving to look at her husband. “I feel like the only way to get the things that I want to say out is to put them to music. You know that’s the way that has always made the most sense to me.”

“Yeah but you can’t blame me for worrying,” he grumbled and Kinsley smiled, stepping over to him and wrapping her arms around his mid-section and laying her cheek against his broad back.

“I appreciate you being concerned for me,” she said. “But I need you to support me on this. I wanna do it but I can’t without knowing you have my back.” Mason turned around then, wrapping his arms around his wife and squeezing her tight.

“I always have your back baby, you know that,” he smiled before leaning down and kissing her firmly.

“Mason is easily my best friend,” Kinsley smiled in her interview. “I knew that the things I wanted to do with this album would take a lot out of me and I knew I’d need his support. I knew I didn’t have anything to worry about though, because that man would jump in front of a train for me and I for him.” Kinsley paused then, a wide gummy smile appearing on her face as she began to laugh. “Well, I probably wouldn’t jump in front of a train for him but I do love him a lot.”

...........................................................................

D-414

“You know, I’m gonna be honest,” Ava began and Kinsley scoffed loudly as they sat together in Kinsley’s studio.

“I didn’t ask.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Ava grinned. “Personally, I don’t think you have shit to prove to anyone.”

“Ave,-”

“No, I’m serious,” Ava stated firmly. “You’ve been turning out hits ever since you started working for HYBE. Literally everything that you produce becomes a hit or at least a fan favorite which always means more in my opinion. That’s why I don’t understand why you feel the need to do this.”

“First off, I’m making the album because I want to,” Kinsley clarified. “Secondly, I’m sick of people saying that it’s not me that makes the record good but whoever it is performing on it. I’m not trying to take all the credit but it is a joint effort, damn it.”

“All that shit talking comes along with us being our fathers’ children,” Ava chuckled. “People have been talking shit about us since the day we were born, literally so why wait until you’re 33 years old to reply?”

“I have things I want to get off my chest,” Kinsley shrugged. “I’ve always taken the route of being silent and letting my work speak for itself but I think maybe it’s time I be open and direct about things.”

“Ah, sounds like I’m rubbing off on you then,” Ava giggled, making Kinsley roll her eyes. “So, you want my vocals?”

“Yeah, I have this song I wrote last night but I left the chorus bare because I want you to make it your own,” Kinsley explained.

“Well, let me hear what you have so far,” Ava said.

“Growing up, I always felt like Ava and I were the most different out of our friend group, which we all call OT8,” Kinsley said in her interview. “Nowadays though, I think she’s the one that I can relate to the most. We’re both women in a male dominated industry, we’re mothers working in this industry, and she so easily understands me in a musical sense. I make fun of her a lot but there’s been times when she’s seen me through some tough shit. I’m honestly so grateful for her.”

“Kins is so talented, it’s almost unbelievable,” Ava chuckled in her own interview. “Most people in our industry work as hard as they can all their lives and still don’t come close to being as good as Kins is. Her ear and her ability to just know what people are going to like is uncanny. If it weren’t for her, I truthfully don’t think I would’ve ever found my vocal color and what works for me. I owe her everything.”

...........................................................................

D-385

“So, I think I’m making pretty good progress,” Kinsley reported as the camera showed her sitting in her studio. “I’ve been on a kick lately and I think I’ve finished about two songs, including the one with Ava. The bad part about it though, is that I’ve been in the this studio for literally two weeks just to get that much done.”

“The most challenging part of my job is absolutely trying to balance it with everything else that I have going on in my life,” Kinsley chuckled in her interview. “Music is my first love and that’ll never change. However, I have many more loves in my life that also require my attention.”

“Oh shit,” Kinsley in her studio muttered as her phone began to ring, her eyes widening when she saw Mason was calling her so she quickly answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Mommy,” Brooklyn whined. “When are you coming home?”

“I’m not sure baby,” Kinsley sighed. “I’m in the studio right now.”

“You’ve been there for years already!” Brooklyn exclaimed and Kinsley couldn’t help but to laugh. “It’s not funny!”

“You’re right baby, it’s not and I’m sorry for laughing,” Kinsley replied as she stood up from her chair and went to lay down on the sofa in her studio. “Mommy is working right now and I wanna try to get it done so I have to stay a little while longer.”

“But Daddy doesn’t put me to sleep like you do,” Brooklyn whimpered. “He doesn’t give me three kisses, to keep the monsters away.”

“How about this? How about you let Daddy put you to bed and when I get home, I’ll come and give you your three kisses?”

“Promise?”

“I promise,” Kinsley swore.

“Ok,” Brooklyn agreed easily. “I love you Mommy.”

“I love you too, Brookie,” Kinsley murmured.

“I’m sorry,” Kinsley sniffled in her interview, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “I know it may not seem like a big deal but moments where I’m torn between staying engrossed in my work and going home to kiss the monsters away from my babies really fucks with me sometimes. It’s a constant balancing act and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to truly give equal time to both.”

...........................................................................

D-343

“God, I’m so fucking tired!” Kinsley snapped as she pulled the headphones off of her head and threw them on top of her desk. Running both of her hands through her hair, she looked up at the small camera that was placed above her desktop screen.

“I don’t know why the fuck I’m pushing myself so hard, especially since I don’t have shit else to prove,” she explained. “I’ve worked my ass off for the last 13 years. Hell, I still do and my record should speak for itself.” Getting up from her desk chair, she paced over to the couch that was pushed up against the wall and collasped onto it with a loud huff.

“Pride is a bitch, you know?” She spoke aloud. “I have this amazing track record of production work for other artists, more awards to my name than I know what to do with and yet here I am, about to loose my fucking mind over this album just because I want to prove that I can do this shit on my own. Actually, I don’t know if it’ll be an album or even a mini album at this point because I can’t fucking write shit lately.”

A few minutes of silence passed and Kinsley just laid on the couch, looking up at the glow in the dark stars that had been placed there courtesy of Brooklyn. Suddenly, she stood up and walked back over to the desk, saving the little bit of work she had managed to do before shutting the desktop down.

“I’m going the fuck home and I’m going to let my husband fuck me,” she declared as she looked up at the camera. “I’m tired and I don’t need this shit. I quit.”

Kinsley reached up and turned the camera off then, the screen going black.

...........................................................................

D-198

“It’s been so long, I don’t even know if I remember how to turn this damned thing on,” Kinsley huffed as she fiddled with the camera, leaning back to check and make sure the red light that indicated recording was on. Once it was, she sat back in her chair and sighed heavily.

“So, last time we talked was about six months ago when I was having a hard time in the studio and I had the bright idea to go home and let my husband fuck me,” she smiled softly before standing up, revealing her growing baby bump. “As you can see, we created something other than music that night.”

“Pregnancy has been kind of hard on my body this time around,” Kinsley continued as she sat back down with a huff. “I’m only six months but baby is measuring as if I were seven months so I’ve been spending a lot of time in bed. This is actually my first time coming to the studio to work on my own stuff in like two months.”

“The worst part of all this is, I’ve been hit with a string of inspiration these days but I can’t pull all nighters the way that I’d like to,” she muttered. “Mase and I actually got into a fight about it the other day, which I still feel bad for.”

The scene switched to a camera that was clearly on the ground, where Kinsley and Mason were standing in a random hallway in the HYBE building, scowls on both of their faces.

“All I’m saying is that you need to be more aware of your body and it’s needs right now,” Mason muttered.

“I’m the one carrying this big ass baby around inside me, how can I not be aware of it?” Kinsley hissed.

“You can’t pull all nighters right now,” he continued on, as if he didn’t even hear her. “You really shouldn’t even be leaving the house, if we’re truthful.”

“Oh, so now you’re gonna tell me where I can and can’t go?” She wondered and Mason sighed heavily as he attempted to calm himself down.

“That’s not what I’m trying to do and you know it,” he replied. “I’ve never agreed with you overworking yourself so I don’t know why you expect me not to say anything when you’re trying to overwork yourself while also being six months pregnant!”

“How am I overworking myself?” She demanded to know. “I’m eating and sleeping, what more do you want? To be by your side 24/7 so that you can watch me like I’m one of the kids?

“You know what, do whatever you want Kinsley,” Mason shrugged. “If you’re not concerned about your own wellbeing or the wellbeing of our child, then I’m not either.”

“You can be such a petty dickhead, you know that?” Kinsley snapped before storming away from him, the screen switching back to Kinsley sitting in her studio afterwards.

“So in order to avoid any more fights and to really take care of myself the way that I should be, I’ve put myself on a strict 12pm to 5pm schedule,” she explained. “That’s the amount of time I can be in studio and still make it home to be with my family and relax.”

“Marriage can be hard,” Mason laughed in his interview. “I think people tend to look at Kins and I and see this fairytale relationship and even though it can seem like that sometimes, that’s definitely not our everyday reality. We fight and we have our issues. For all the reasons that we’re perfect for each other, we’re incompatible in just as many.”

“In that instance, there was a disconnect between what I thought she should be doing and what she wanted for herself,” he continued. “This album means a lot to her and with all the worries surrounding this pregnancy, I think she didn’t want to admit that it was keeping her from investing as much of herself as she wanted to. I had to step back and look at the situation as not her husband but as her peer in this industry, which can be hard for me. I never want to stop her from pursuing her dreams and goals though, because she’s too fucking talented for that.”

“I didn’t blame him for worrying,” Kinsley shook her head in her interview. “I’m honestly surprised that it took him as long as it did to say something. When the music is flowing through me and it feels right, it can be hard for me to think of anything else, let alone take care of myself so Mason being worried was understandable. After experiencing writer’s block and then being forced to rest due to my pregnancy, I was just worried that I wouldn’t be able to dedicate as much time to my craft as I would want to. I think that’s always been a big fear of mines, deep down.”

“What has?” The producer wondered.

“Not being able to make music anymore,” she shrugged with a sad smile.

...........................................................................

D-135

“I’m so excited,” Kinsley said into the camera on her dashboard as she drove down the street. “I’m going to see my Daddy, who just got back from tour with my uncles. It’s been about two months since we’ve seen each other in person so I can’t wait.”

“Hey, we’re here too, Mommy!” Brooklyn shouted from the backseat and Kinsley laughed, glancing at the camera.

“And the kids too,” Kinsley said before looking in the rearview mirror at her youngest daughter. “Sorry Brookie.”

“It’s ok Mommy,” Brooklyn smiled.

“I hope papa brought back gifts,” Junior murmured.

“He always does,” Brooklyn said.

“Hey you two, the gifts are not important,” Kinsley stated firmly. “Right?”

“Right,” Junior and Brooklyn replied together.

“Well, I’m excited to see papa because I missed him,” Kennedy spoke up.

“Same here, Kenny,” Kinsley smiled.

“My children are some characters, especially my oldest son and my youngest daughter,” Kinsley giggled. “Mason and I try to teach them valuable lessons but I don’t know how much we’re actually getting through to them.”

“I think every parent has that worry,” the producer spoke up.

“Yeahhh but every parent isn’t raising Mason Bailey Kim Jr. and Brooklyn Alea Kim,” Kinsley laughed.

“Papa!” The kids yelled as the screen switched back to show them running into their grandparents’ house, Yoongi smiling widely as he bent down and allowed all three of them to hug him at once.

“Hi!” Yoongi exclaimed. “Oh, I missed you guys!”

“We missed you too, Papa!” Kennedy smiled.

“Hey, what am I?” You laughed. “Chopped liver?”

“Hi GiGi,” Junior said, bounding over to you after Yoongi released him and hugging you tightly.

“Hey, I have gifts for you three,” Yoongi announced, making his grandkids gasp loudly. “It’s outside in the backyard.”

“Let’s go!” Brooklyn shouted before the three of them ran to the kitchen to go out of the back door.

“I’ll go with them,” you offered. “Have your moment.”

“Thanks Mama,” Kinsley smiled and after you walked away, Kinsley didn’t hesitate to walk over to her father and hug him tightly.

“Hi baby girl,” Yoongi murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his daughter’s head as he squeezed her tight. “How are you?”

“Stressed,” she confessed and Yoongi pulled back from the hug to look at her.

“It’s not my other baby girl, is it?” He checked as he set a hand on her baby bump.

“Daddy, you don’t know for sure that it’s a girl.”

“A man can hope though, right?” He grumbled, making Kinsley laugh. “But seriously, need to talk?”

“Please,” she nodded and Yoongi grabbed her hand, leading her down the hall and to his home studio. After they had walked inside, they both made themselves comfortable on the sofa there.

“What’s on your mind, baby girl?”

“I’ve been so conflicted lately Daddy,” Kinsley began. “I feel like I try to work so hard and pour myself into the music but there’s always something else that needs my attention.”

“That’s the name of the game though, Kins,” he replied. “And you’ve been doing it for years now so why don’t you ask me what you really want to ask me?”

“Ok,” she took a deep breath before exhaling and continuing on. “How do you keep the same passion for music with everything else you have going on in your life?”

“I don’t,” Yoongi shrugged.

“Daddy, I’m serious.”

“So am I,” he chuckled. “Kins, when you decide to turn your passion into a career, it’s normal to have times and moments where it’s not your favorite thing in the world anymore. That doesn’t mean that you don’t love it anymore, it means you just need some time away from it.”

“Really?” She wondered and Yoongi nodded. “How did you get over how terrifying the realization was?”

“I don’t think I ever do, if I’m honest with you,” he confessed. “It’s only happened to me a few times throughout the years, which I’m thankful for and each time, I was lucky enough to be able to take some time away from working. I’d spend one on one time with the members, with Min, with you and your sister and your brother, the rest of our family. Funny enough, that always helped refocus me and make me want to go back into the studio.”

“Huh,” Kinsley muttered. “And here I was, getting ready to have an early mid-life crisis.”

“Ha, leave that to Mase because he’ll definitely probably have one,” Yoongi joked. “So, here’s what I suggest: rest yourself because you need to. Have my grandchild, bond with them, allow your family to adjust to the change, and then refocus on your album. The music will always be there because it’s in your blood, but the time with your husband and kids is fleeting.”

“What would I do without you, Daddy?” Kinsley smiled, leaning over and wrapping her arms around her father. Yoongi just smiled fondly as he hugged her back, slowly rocking her back and forth.

“I know most parents will say that they don’t have favorites amongst their children and I’m one of them but Kins is like my shining star,” Yoongi smiled widely in his interview. “She’s my first born and she made me fall in love with being a parent. She’s patient and kind and loving and so damn smart, it’s not even funny. Seeing her follow in my footsteps and even surpass me in many aspects just makes me so insanely proud of her.”

“There’s this interview that Yoongi and I did from years and years ago, Kins was just a baby back then, where I said that I wouldn’t want Kins to be in the music business because I feel like she would struggle with it,” you began. “And even though she does sometimes, I’ve never been prouder to say that I’ve had to eat my words because she kicks ass. When you have kids, you have all these hopes and dreams for them and never in my wildest imagination did I think Kins would become what she has. She’s a much better woman than I was at her age and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

...........................................................................

“There’s only two times in my life where I’ve felt totally in tune with myself: when I finish a body of work and when I give birth to a baby,” Kinsley grinned in her interview. The screen then switched to show Kinsley passing a newborn Aiden off to Namjoon, the rest of the Mins and the Kims watching fondly nearby.

“You know, despite my grand plans for this album and all my hopes and dreams, these are the things that matter for me,” Kinsley said back in her interview. “My babies, my husband, my family, my in-laws, my best friends and my uncles. Those are the things that are the most important and I cherish them all so much.”

...........................................................................

D-45

“Good afternoon,” Kinsley greeted the higherups at HYBE as she sat down at the head of the long table in the meeting room.

“You’re glowing these days,” one executive noted.

“Well, thank you but I’m just glad to not look dead with four kids running me ragged,” Kinsley joke, making everyone at the table laugh. Once everyone was settled, they focused on Kinsley as she began to talk.

“So, the title for this album is Destiny,” she announced. “It has multiple meanings and I’ll leave that up to the fans’ personal interpretation. The main track, Fulfilled, will have a music video that will basically show a retrospective view of my life up to this point with lots of old family videos and pictures, stuff like that.”

“What are you thinking in terms of promotion?” Bang PD questioned.

“Music show rounds for a week or two, plus a fanmeeting and concert here in Seoul,” she replied. “Potentially elsewhere, if the demand is there.”

“There does seem to be some interest in the States,” one executive in marketing and sales spoke up. “We could probably put together a small tour with 8 or 9 or 10 dates.”

“Sounds good to me,” Kinsley agreed. “So, if you guys have the time, I’d love to play the album for you.”

“Fire away,” Bang PD nodded. For the next 45 minutes, Destiny played straight through in the conference room and at the end, everyone broke out into loud applause.

“You have a hit on your hands,” P-Dogg said and Kinsley bowed lightly to him.

“Thank you all so much,” she grinned widely. The meeting broke up then, everyone filing out of the room and Kinsley sighed heavily as she looked up at the camera in front of her.

“I’m so happy everyone liked it because I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit,” she giggled. “But here we go. It’s a done deal now and Destiny is on it’s way.”

...........................................................................

D-1

“So,” Kinsley whispered as she sat on the floor in her large en suite bathroom. “The album comes out in about a half hour and I’m feeling slightly conflicted. On one hand, I’m so excited because I’m the most proud of this album, more than I’ve ever been about anything I’ve ever put out. On the other hand, I’m scared because this is the most vulnerable I’ve ever been and I worry about how people will interpret it.”

“I’ve learned though, that how people take it is up to their personal opinion and it doesn’t affect my intentions with it,” she continued. “So, I’m going to attempt to get some sleep and we’ll see what happens. Good night.”

...........................................................................

D-DAY

“Kins, get up!” Mason exclaimed, reaching over and shaking his wife’s shoulder as hard as he could.

“Stop fucking shaking me, you absolute mad man,” Kinsley snapped as she opened her eyes and looked up at him. “What is it?”

“Destiny is number one on all the South Korean music charts and it just got it’s first PAK,” he announced and Kinsley felt like her heart stopped.

“Mason Bailey Kim, don’t play with me right now,” she threatened.

“Kins, I’m not joking,” he chuckled. “Look.” Thrusting his phone into her face, she took ahold of it and her jaw dropped when she saw Destiny’s name sitting atop of the charts.

“Fuck,” Kinsley gasped.

“Congratulations baby!” Mason cheered before scooping her up into a hug and Kinsley barely registered herself hugging him back, her gaze still fixated on the phone screen in front of her.

...........................................................................

The screen flashed to the scene that was shown at the beginning of the documentary, Kinsley vibing on stage as the large crowd shouted the words of the song back at her. Her gummy smile was on display, her jaws stretched to it’s limit as she rapped along to the song.

“This experience was definitely something that I think I needed to go through,” Kinsley said back in her interview. “I proved some things to myself and I got to pour my heart and my soul into my music. There’s not really much else that I could’ve hoped for.”

“And you winning Artist of The Year at all of the year-end shows?” The producer questioned. “Along with completing a sold out tour?”

“Just cherries on top of the cake,” Kinsley smirked knowingly.

#adult kinsley

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beautifulpersonpeach · 1 year

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BPP, Hi

This is the millionth Time I’m trying to send this.

I’m going to split my ask into three parts and maybe subparts.

A) I’ve seen you’ve talked a bit about Bang PD’s billboard interview. What I want your opinion on is:

(i) The use of AI in music and how it would impact the boys and whether they need to include better data and IP protections within their contracts if not renewed already?

(ii) there are some opinions that he did the interview before Jimins Hot100 achievement and that he never expected that Jimin would be the one to get this record. I personally bias Jimin but I don’t see anything underlyingly sinister in what Bang PD said. At the time he gave the interview, it was too early to say whether Jimin would win that record or not.

B) Jimin wanted a visual album and more music videos. The company said no. But he also wanted this album to be ‘free’. And the company (with his consent, I assume) monetised it- it was released and did amazing sales. Is it possible that the company said no to music videos for all the songs because this is an EP and Jimin’s full Length album is on its way? If I was thinking from a business perspective, I’d blow all my cash (promotions, marketing, merch, music videos and even a tour) on a full length album not an EP. What do you think? Also:

(I) the whole accusation around Hybe and BB sabotaging Jimin - what do you say to that? Have you already spoken on this? Feel free to link here please as I’ve not been able to read through everything, yet.

C) the whole Jungkook stalker saga stinks donkeys balls and I’d expect Big Hit to make make better security arrangements for their baby star candy. Do you think, that since BigHit/Hybe happened, the boys are being treated as disposable resources rather than those who make BigHit? I read something (an opinion) on how Bang PD is an insecure man who wants to ensure that the boys never feel as though they have total agency and power because he wants to have that control. It sounds like bull because in any company setting, you don’t want your employees feeling like they are indispensable for obvious reasons. But still, the boys security should be top priority.

Ta!

***

Hi Anon,

I'll be brief.

A - (i) AI is already being used in music and will likely impact every artist at some point in our lifetimes, but I don't know how AI is being used on BTS today nor how BigHit plans to use it. Nothing in BangPD's interview suggests that technology is currently being used on BTS, but I assume as the executive chairman of a music company in 2023, AI is the last thing you want to be unprepared to handle given how disruptive that technology is. From a business standpoint it's prudent for HYBE to at least have a department that thoroughly understands how their artists can benefit from and be screwed over by AI, to get ahead of their competitors who could use it to gain unfair advantage. I wish corporations worldwide had the spine to pushback on this technology and refuse to engage at all, (for my nerdier followers, Max Tegmark - AI researcher at MIT - makes a strong case for going against AI if you're interested in reading more on the subject), but that's not realistic, so the next best thing is to learn it yourself to leverage for your artists. And yes, the expectation is that better data and IP protections will be put in place. When it comes to their company, I trust BTS to be adult enough to advocate for themselves. I assume this amendment could have already happened or will happen when the guys renew their contracts in 2024 / 2027.

(ii) - You didn't ask a question here so I'll just take it as read.

B - I don't know why the company declined his request for a visual album (or making more MVs) for his EP. It could be related to budgeting or scheduling constraints. It could be BigHit's policy/norm that initial solo projects or EP-length projects get two MVs, inferred from the rapline's initial solo projects all having only two MVs though both Hobi and Yoongi have said they'd have liked to film more. Either way, I don't know. It's not something I see as a big deal so I don't spend any time thinking about it, to be honest.

B - (i) Yeah, I'd say I've spoken exhaustively about it. You can read my views on it here, here, here, and here. And as a bonus here's a reblog that more or less summarizes some of my thoughts on that topic as well, linked here.

B - (ii) Short answer to the question you asked here, is no.

C - It's interesting we're having discussions about how the boys' privacy, security, and safety should be the company's top priority, (which for the record, I agree), but just now when I opened Tumblr to respond to your ask, I saw a shipper (?) saying they're downloading the military app ahead of jikook's enlistment and following an account on Twitter that knows the bases the boys are getting sent to...

Company security for the biggest band in the world can only be beefed up so much without suffocating them, there's greater onus on the fandom to rein in and check the more insane actors within our spaces who constantly blur the line between what they should know about their idols and what they feel entitled to know about them.

Ta! to you too. :)

#I reported that account to Tumblr btw #at the time of publishing this post it looks like that account is restricted so good job Tumblr #if I had a cent for the inane things I see in the jikook tag daily I'd have about $5 by now...#kpop #bts #bangtan #fandom behaviour #hybe #jimin #billboard

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