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hellonoblesky · 2 years

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can i hear about your views on dazai osamu? especially with the quote about cowards being hurt by cotton?

YEAHHH CHARACTER ASK TYTY ILY

Also Anon I’m gonna assume ur talking about the anime characterization of him in Bungou Stray Dogs because I literally know nothing about the actual guy aside from the basics and searching up that quote

That quote I’m pretty sure is a commentary on his views of cowardice??? And tbh facts because if you’re afraid of everything you can feel hurt from the most gentle things tust me i would know i have anxiety. in the context of BSD maybe he’s talking from Experience. maybe he’s talking from Observation. Maybe he’s talking from just thought

And I like him!! I think he’s an asshole and a shitty person but I like him. I think that’s part of the facade he’s designed for, really, cruelty hidden behind a silly goofy exterior. He’s fascinating to me

I think a lot of how he acts was shaped by Mori, which sounds super bad but also mori has a generally cheerful exterior and him and he shares certain characteristics in regards of outward behavior with Dazai (Cheerful standby when telling people to work together, being a little goofy, being actually key players and very very ruthless but hiding it behind a silly facade). Which makes sense !! Because Dazai really was just a kid when he was brought into Mori’s care, bro was 15 !!!!!!!

I also think the way he acts in any given situation is heavily influenced by who he’s around. Which is part of why he was such a fucking asshole to Akutagawa. He was in the mafia, cruelty abound, so he was cruel. Obviously that dosen’t EXCUSE anything he did to Akutagawa he was such a fucking asshole to that kid I swear to fucking god

But I think that’s also why he’s kinder to Atsushi. He’s not in the mafia now, so fucking punching a kid so hard they get a concussion when they hit the floor isn’t exactly something you can DO, so he adapts. Like obviously he’s not the Best with Atsushi but in comparison ti how he acted with Akutagawa…. There’s a very very stark difference, because Dazai adapts to situations to fit in, to weave his web

He’s learned to adapt, to change his demeanor and his actions to fit specific things

And that’s not to say that he only acts like he cares about people because I think he does care he just is not very good emotionally so he’s like. stuck. He needs someone to initiate the act or demonstration of care first before he can consider returning it. He needs to know someone will care back or that someone is capable of caring back. They make the first move

Also I think he could benefit from being put in a blender for a little bit. i think that would be a fun pastime for him

Oh yeah I also think his suicidal tendencies stem from pre-mafia trauma and they persist because he just can’t shake the thought pattern, and he was involved with the MAFIA for like four years that cant have been great for the mental state of a suicidal teen

#turtledove answers #bsd shit #tw suicide #OOUUGHHHHH ANON TYTYTYTY ITS BEEN SOOOOOO LONG SINCE SOMEONES ASKED ME ABOUT MY THOUGHTS ON A CHARACTER #My crops are watered my skin is clear :)

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jwscrobbles · 8 years

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TOP 100 SONGS SCROBBLED FOR 2015

Ok. Here we go. Another year. Another 100 songs. 2015 was a different year for me. A year of changes. More changes than I’d like. More changes than I want. But curveballs keep life rolling along. Music is always a mainstay but instead of being ahead of the trend, music was more reflective this year. As usual, some standbys: Ellie Goulding, Maroon 5, Disclosure, Florence and the Machine. Some return to form: D’ angelo, Teedra Moses, the Bird and the Bee. Some newbies: Tori Kelly, Alina Baraz, Alessia Cara. And the ubiquitous: Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Adele, . But for me, there were a handful of acts that summarized 2015. 1) THE INTERNET I had a friend introduce me to their music in 2013. And I really enjoyed them then. So when I found out they were releasing a new album in 2015, I was anticipating a really fun venture. But Ego Death is a display of what is missing in music now. The Internet plays more so with a smooth 90s sound that truly feels current now. There’s no trap or ratchet. It’s all instrumental. And they feel more like what the Brand New Heavies could be if they embraced more hip hop now. Ego Death landed them their first Grammy nod. And although, I find NARAS to be too arbitrary, here’s one I think they really got right. 2) LIANNE LA HAVAS This is just a consequence of coming along just at the right time. Her debut in 2012 was a great beginning for the British R&B chanteuse and but I can only admit that I had a solid few faves from that album. But her follow-up seems richer. Not just in sound, but in theme. La Havas is more astute at being young, while truly characterizing life experiences She seems to capture the most simplistic of feelings with vast descriptors that just seem to describe the depth of the feelings in her songs. Whether “What You Don’t Do”, “Unstoppable”, “Good Goodbye” – I feel her revelations more. And it appears her critics have too. 3) EMPIRE I can legitimately say that as much as I loved Glee, I downloaded a handful of songs to play and scrobble. You can see in previous years’ lists. I think there are only maybe two that have been ranked. But this year, Empire takes the cake. There are multiple songs that I listened to from that show and it appears that there are two in the list now. PS. I didn’t know Jussie Smollet was as talented as he is. That leaves two more acts for me that overwhelmingly define the year. 4) In 2012, it seemed as if there was this current R&B triology of acts that were heavily embraced. Frank Ocean seemed like the critical darling that was pushing for mass appeal and Miguel was the mass appeal artist who was seeking that critical acclaim. And in the conversation was an act who was always mentioned for his underground, internet mixtape appeal but wasn’t able to breakthrough as much. Enter 2014. After a concerted effort to play from the underground arena to the major label system and landing some big wig producers, he was able to develop an ongoing buzz. He released “Often” which is completely NSFW but actually trends harder into his drug-adled milieu of sexual debauchery and emotional void to create some buzz for a return. Then, he duets with Ariana Grande (of all people) to get some mainstream exposure. This after release a collab with Sia and Diplo that was officially released for a Hunger Games soundtrack in 2013. And then, he goes back to the soundtrack playbook with a very aptly crafted, seductive song for Fifty Shades of Grey. And then a former internet underground sensation dominates a year on pop radio. I honestly would never have believed if someone told me in 2012 that The Weeknd would be a massive pop star of all things. And more importantly, with that the same center-of-the-earth well of emotional void. The Weeknd can ultimately say he bested that 2012 competition after all. 5) Lastly, I will say this. I am one of those die-hard fans who really thought that my girl had moved out of the country and left the industry all together. But she came back. And she did outside of the label system. But not only did she come back, she came back to a form that I had missed from her for over a decade and a half. Janet Jackson returned this year with an album that I believe picked up where The Velvet Rope left off. Whereas TVR was an introspective album, exploring the ability for her comfortable in her feelings and her beliefs, Unbreakable is more of the album that cements who she is. Instead of looking inward, this album looks outward into the world and even her current place in it. I can’t put it any other way but to say I love this album. And in typical Janet form, she, Jimmy, and Terry crafted songs that are quintessentially her thoughts but are open to interpretations to what she could be referring to. The album is rich in expression, sound, and feeling. At times, she can seem like a messenger, a sage, a big sister, and a wiser friend. For the first time in awhile, Janet has put out an album that really seems fully-actualized and feels like her on her own terms. That what has always made her great and what makes Unbreakable solid. And yes, there are points in that album that just seems to truly connect with my life. On that note, it’s another year. Another 100 songs and dates first scrobbled. Yes, I’m a dork and I live my life this way daily. 1) The Weeknd EARNED IT 1/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waU75jdUnYw 2) MNEK THE RHYTHM 1/10/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fYeiGeuTFA 3) Nicki Minaj/Drake/Lil Wayne ONLY 1/6/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXtsGAkyeIo 4) Janet Jackson NO SLEEEP 6/22/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_t0ffY3JvE 5) Florence + the Machine WHAT KIND OF MAN 3/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgeKHTcufLY 6) Jidenna/Roman GianArthur CLASSIC MAN 4/12/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsiN0W15w0U 7) Empire Cast YOURE SO BEAUTIFUL 2/27/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHhrPeaAir8 8) Nicki Minaj/Drake/Lil Wayne TRUFFLE BUTTER 1/17/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzqe-yJWmLk 9) Wale/Jeremih THE BODY 1/26/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQMMI8itli8 10) D'angelo and the The Vanguard REALLY LOVE 12/16/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVsQwJfWzoI 11) Jamie Foxx/Chris Brown YOU CHANGED ME 4/18/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I26EwcssMbY 12) Take That THESE DAYS 12/21/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I43R3jIFE74 13) Usher/Juicy J I DON'T MIND 1/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jWBYKvQjO8 14) Gorgon City/Jennifer Hudson GO ALL NIGHT 12/3/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtHxT0gndjU 15) Miguel/Wale COFFEE 5/13/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z55sZ2oVY4 16) Taylor Swift/Kendrick Lamar BAD BLOOD 6/6/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIy9NiNbmo 17) The Weeknd CAN'T FEEL MY FACE 6/13/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEI4qSrkPAs 18) Jill Scott FOOL'S GOLD 7/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoEKX0CniNY 19) The Dream/TI THAT'S MY SHIT 1/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_PwH3Wk78w 20) Wiz Khalifa/Charlie Puth SEE YOU AGAIN 4/20/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgKAFK5djSk 21) Maroon 5 SUGAR 4/2/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09R8_2nJtjg 22) Taylor Swift STYLE 2/10/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CmadmM5cOk 23) Ellie Goulding LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO 1/17/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJtDXIazrMo 24) Maroon 5 THIS SUMMER'S GONNA HURT 5/28/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa64gOwuIyE 25) The Internet UNDER CONTROL 8/8/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrR42BTa9iM 26) Lianne La Havas WHAT YOU DON'T DO 8/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNLkD8QEnAM 27) Major Lazer LEAN ON 7/3/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqeW9_5kURI 28) Alessia Cara HERE 8/14/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKp2CrfmVfw 29) Jeremih/J Cole PLANES 9/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8iekPcUqm4 30) Sam Sparro HANDS UP 9/20/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZESzGGm29c 31) Disclosure/Lorde MAGNETS 9/28/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_KfnGBtVeA 32) Alina Baraz/Galamatias CAN I 9/29/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A_F4LJYCPo 33) MNEK MORE THAN A MIRACLE 4/29/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chl3PqVjngU 34) Demi Lovato COOL FOR THE SUMMER 8/14/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il9nqWw9W3Y 35) Tove Lo TALKING BODY 1/23/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzRyxGBGiAE 36) The Weeknd THE HILLS 6/7/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzTuBuRdAyA 37) Disclosure/Sam Smith OMEN 8/9/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB63ztKnGvo 38) Janet Jackson UNBREAKABLE 9/4/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfBL5HPS_jA 39) Kylie Minogue/Garibay/Sam Sparro IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU 9/20/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnOHPzNEX5k 40) Drake 10 BANDS 4/15/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl7yo8IVE5I 41) Kendrick Lamar KING KUNTA 3/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRK7PVJFbS8&index=1&list=RDhRK7PVJFbS8 42) Kendrick Lamar ALRIGHT 7/15/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-48u_uWMHY 43) Beyonce 7/11 2/3/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4YRWT_Aldo 44) Calvin Harris/Ellie Goulding OUTSIDE 1/6/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9NQFACZYEU 45) Janet Jackson/Missy Elliot BURN IT UP! 1/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QvdrmRphjc 46) Florence + the Machine SHIP TO WRECK 6/13/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9v8jLBrvug 47) Ciara I BET 2/18/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okGcksYM0N8 48) Ella Henderson GHOST 1/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA8AfQaUnXM 49) Katharine McPhee LICK MY LIPS 8/24/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0MV4JjkXpQ 50) Drake HOTLINE BLING 1/11/2015 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxpDa-c-4Mc 51) B.O.B./Trey Songz NOT FOR LONG 1/10/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjlzq-e2NE4 52) Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars UPTOWN FUNK 11/15/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0 53) J. Cole WET DREAMZ 4/2/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCGV26aj-mM 54) Ariana Grande ONE LAST TIME 2/28/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPgEgaPk62M 55) Tink MILLION 8/14/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHcJWvYs1w 56) Nick Jonas CHAINS 2/10/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8UX2bbCHJw 57) Nick Jonas LEVELS 9/3/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taViGR5VT1U 58) Drake HOW ABOUT NOW 1/10/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhpcZ78Dl1s 59) Passion Pit LIFTED UP (1985) 4/2/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeINWQDg7zg 60) TV on the Radio HAPPY IDIOT 1/7/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaKVy-FlaUA 61) Jhene Aiko SPOTLESS MIND 2/17/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaF-pGyKaOg 62) Rihanna BITCH BETTER HAVE MY MONEY 7/28/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3eAMGXFw1o 63) Pitbull TIME OF OUR LIVES 1/20/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTXJQ5ql5Fw 64) Mark Ronson/Kevin Parker DAFFODILS 4/21/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OWkLF2HLp0 65) Giorgio Moroder/Kylie Minogue RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW 2/2/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gZ-11-kOSQ 66) J. Cole APPARENTLY 12/17/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRaFMlZ1YHA 67) George Ezra BUDAPEST 3/4/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHrLPs3_1Fs 68) Robin Thicke MORNING SUN 7/18/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-7gr8QvRbc 69) Ne-Yo/Juicy J SHE KNOWS 2/8/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk1ZO_980DI 70) Toro y Moi EMPTY NESTERS 4/21/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsY22N5D9UY 71) Omi CHEERLEADER 7/3/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGflUbPQfW8 72) J Cole NO ROLE MODELZ 8/15/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBe6fFejsPU 73) Ciara DANCE LIKE WE'RE MAKING LOVE 7/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw_crqWYBCM 74) Teedra Moses GET IT RIGHT 8/13/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeO1Rv2XQXs 75) The Bird and the Bee WILL YOU DANCE? 6/4/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flbce8yaBao 76) Jessie Ware WANT YOUR FEELING 1/6/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwR3xtzu6Rw 77) Sam Smith LAY ME DOWN 2/17/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaMq2nn5ac0 78) Jhene Aiko LYIN KING 10/13/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C92rXXHxG8 79) Hailee Steinfeld LOVE MYSELF 10/18/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMpFmHSgC4Q 80) Disclosure BANG THAT 6/6/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nZStMpEDio 81) Empire Cast KEEP YOUR MONEY 6/2/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY9dMc82rvU 82) Ty Dolla $ign/Charli XCX/Tinashe DROP THAT KITTY 4/21/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqtunQ4yd30 83) Drake ENERGY 8/30/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LnBvuzjpr4 84) D'angelo and the The Vanguard SUGAH DADDY 12/16/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo3RAH0zLlU 85) Ellie Goulding ON MY MIND 10/19/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H202k7KfZL0 86) Banks BEGGIN FOR THREAD 1/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twix375Me4Q 87) Tinashe ALL HANDS ON DECK 7/10/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxUdFQ6N_OI 88) Kygo/Parson James STOLE THE SHOW 7/29/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgfcToAjfdc 89) Adele HELLO 10/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQHsXMglC9A 90) Nicki Minaj THE NIGHT IS STILL YOUNG 5/18/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvN5h9BE444 91) Chris Brown LIQUOR 10/27/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKErmFliQG0 92) Tori Kelly NOBODY LOVE 5/18/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPX3qz1ve7M 93) Tori Kelly SHOULD'VE BEEN US 8/4/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE2drlA8vf8 94) Taylor Swift WILDEST DREAMS 11/2/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdneKLhsWOQ 95) Taylor Swift BLANK SPACE 11/27/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ORhEE9VVg 96) Lady Leshurr QUEEN'S SPEECH 9/27/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyodeHtVvkA 97) Calvin Harris/HAIM PRAY TO GOD 5/18/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FOBxcluXdk 98) Beach House SPACE SONG 9/9/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBtlPT23PTM 99) Echosmith BRIGHT 5/13/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMAzstG5O7E 100) Janelle Monae/Jidenna YOGA 4/21/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OkB6p_FZAw

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ckret2 · 4 years

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meta about Vox & abuse with a side of Angel

Posting about Vox today reminded me of the thoughts I had a few days ago when the Insta accounts first posted those pics of Val smashing Vox’s face for getting his drink order wrong. So here’s a post mainly about Vox but a little about Angel.

So we've got confirmation that Val has shattered Vox's screen multiple times at this point. But there's been no evidence of violence from Vox toward Val, has there? I think it's all been one-sided. Think mention was made that Vox broke Val’s TV at one point, but as far as I can recall that was a one off—whereas Val has threatened to beat Vox’s face in more than once and done so more than once.

Cut for length but also for mentions of abuse—mainly just about how that abuse could affect the narrative/character arcs rather than discussing it in detail.

We might find out later that Vox, Val, and Vel’s dynamic is intended to be read as three goofy roughhousing villains who beat on each other as slapstick comedy and don’t really suffer any long-term physical/mental consequences—Vox & Val’s shark attack on Vel sure suggests that possibility—but the fact that Val’s violence toward Vox appears to be much more frequent and significant, plus the fact that Val is already being characterized as a very scary very real abuser, definitely leaves open the possibility that we’re supposed to take the actions between VV&V more seriously, too.

And it’s definitely easy to take it seriously. Like, looking at this post:

Look past the “haha TV face man got his TV broke, like a TV” visual gag, and this is a some guy taking a selfie of the black eye/broken nose his boyfriend gave him.

But it would be easy to see even these posts as "cartoony jokey violence" unless you stop and remember oh yeah this cartoon plays closer to real world rules rather than bugs bunny rules. There IS still a chance they could play it off as looney toons violence where we're supposed to go "lol look how awful VV&V are toward each other”—but I'm hoping that they do play it as an actual abusive relationship.

Maybe have them treat it like cartoony funny violence. Maybe have them telling themselves that this is all funny, it’s all games, if you’re tough enough then a little thing like a broken screen doesn’t REALLY hurt—and you ARE tough, right, aren’t you Vox?? Aren’t you some big bad overlord?? You’re not some fuckin loser who gets butthurt over a broken screen, are you?? It’d be really easy for the three of them to tell themselves/each other that how they treat each other—especially how Val treats Vox—is fine... and then for the show to peel off the surface layer of their clowning around and point out the damage that’s really being done.

As far as what this means for Vox’s character, I’m interested in the possibility. Vox is currently slated to be an endgame villain for the series. I'm liking the implication that Vox can be this big powerful nigh-unstoppable villain... but is also still just as vulnerable as anyone else to being suckered by an abuser. That's an unexpected but intriguing avenue for character depth.

And if they're willing to give Angel an in depth character arc over being abuse at Val’s hands, then it would feel really weird if they don’t give Vox the same treatment. Not necessarily an arc that ends in character growth, not necessarily one that that concludes with him getting free and/or getting on the road to redemption—particularly if he’s gonna be an endgame villain—but at least one that takes it seriously and explores how that abuse affects his character. It could even make him a good foil for Angel, showing how the two of them handle it/are affected by it differently. (And if canon doesn’t give us that arc, I’ve got two hands and a keyboard and an AO3 account, and that is a threat.)

Saw a theory that this is recent treatment, that Val’s moved on to a fresh target now that Angel is out of reach—but I don’t think he is out of reach. Val is still demanding money from Angel at the start of the pilot episode; and it’s hard to tell from the “Addict” video what’s present day and what’s flashback, but between the insta posts around its release and the video itself, it seems like the dance is definitely present day and the abuse/assault is probably present day. So Angel isn’t out of reach, so Val didn’t “move on” to another target. Which probably means this is just how he always treats Vox.

tbh I’m, like, immediately ten times more invested in Vox/Val than I was before these posts solely out of a desire to get Vox out of that relationship lmao. And/or the desire for Vox to pull his big square head out of his ass, look at Angel, and go "oh wait I've been looking down on him but I should probably be, like... empathizing with him."

I mean you've gotta figure. They move in close enough circles that they've GOT to have seen the results of Val's treatment on each other.

But they apparently haven't ended up allies because—what reason? Maybe Vox looking at Angel and going "Well it doesn't matter what happens to HIM, he's just Val's pet stripper. Our relationship is different, Val and me are equals. We just roughhouse. That's all it is." Maybe Angel looking at Vox and going "Well he's on the same power level as Val, he could obviously just leave if it was bothering him. But he doesn't act like he's bothered, so he must not be," coupled with maybe not even consciously recognizing shattered screens as, y'know, an injury.

Or maybe they’re jealous of each other because they don’t see the full extent of how Val treats them. “What’s Angel complaining about, at least Val doesn’t beat his face in.” “What’s Vox complaining about, it’s not like he’s gotta dance for Val to pay rent.” Either because Val keeps them from getting to know each other too well, or because they’re both currently too emotionally immature to work out how to empathize with each other.

Or maybe Angel does recognize Vox’s situation but doesn't feel like he's got room to reach out when it's VOX, who oozes power out of every port and who gives off the impression that he would be violently offended rather than grateful if someone suggested he's any sort of victim.

Maybe part of Angel’s redemption arc is going to involve recognizing how bad Vox has got it, deciding that even a douchebag like Vox deserves the same chance at salvation that a douchebag like Angel got, and trying to invite him into the hotel to get away from Val.

And maybe part of Vox’s trajectory toward becoming the final villain will be rejecting Angel’s compassion, because he’s clinging so hard to this idea that he’s only “safe” as long as he’s the most goddamn powerful sinner in hell that he can’t bring himself to let go of the lie he tells himself about his own supposed invincibility, even when somebody’s reaching out and offering to help him.

(... All that said, I’m still waiting on standby with my keyboard and my AO3 account, fully prepared to write that “Vox goes to the hotel and now the healing can begin” fic.)

#(*puts Angel and Vox safe in a cardboard box and fills it with pillows and blankets*)#(*but also hangs up a blanket between the two of them so that they don't interact*)#hazbin hotel #vox #angel dust #valentino #meta #abuse

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rochellespen · 5 years

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Watching Doctor Who Season 37 (Series 11), Episode Two

After taking the time to have a bit of nonlinear fun with Thirteen’s debut episode, it looks like Chibnall decided to go with a simple, running down corridors adventure that would not be out of place at all in Classic Who.

Whether this is a good or bad thing, I guess depends on who you ask. Me, I like to have a nice balance between the clever, thought-provoking, mind-bending Who and the more straightforward action romp Who. In other words, I think episodes like say, Blink, need some episodes like 42 to give us a good mix of fun and cerebral.

So seeing as I was fairly certain that this would be much more of the latter, I went in with an adjusted set of expectations. Now comes the question, were those expectations met?

Let’s find out by taking at look at The Ghost Monument.

Spoilers (for those who still need them for the episode) underneath the read more....

Episode Thoughts

This episode gave us this Doctor’s intro credits finally. It’s certainly a change from how other New Who seasons which have normally given us a much more defined “tunnel” or spiral look for us to travel through the credits. However, I also couldn’t help but think that it reminded me a bit of the watery, morphing credit sequence from Hartnell’s era.

By necessity, really, we got the admittedly cool cliffhanger out of the way by having everyone “scooped” out of space by a pair of dueling humanoid aliens. Graham and Ryan end up on the ship with a pilot who doesn’t believe a word they say while the Doctor and Yasmin end up on the ship that’s about to crash...which seems painfully apropos in relation to the Doctor....XD

I happened to notice in the end credits that this episode was shot in South Africa, a first, I believe, for Doctor Who. It’s a great choice for something beautiful and yet desolate and definitely different from the standby rock quarries. Watching everyone wander around these deserts with the yellow tinged lighting gave it a realistic alien feel.

In fact, I really liked the cinematography for this episode in general. A friend of mine mentioned that episodes in this season almost seem like a movie and I have to agree based on what I saw with the outer space and desert sequences.

Anyway, after some typical Doctor pulling everyone out of a crisis moments, we’re given our plot of two contestants in a race to save their families from some unknown (well, to us anyway...) threat. This certainly isn’t the first time that a race with a life-changing payoff was a central plot point on Doctor Who (Enlightenment, anyone?), but I did appreciate that we were given the details over the course of the episode rather than give us a big info dump at the beginning.

From there, the action of the plot is mainly a backdrop for continuing theme of how people are better off working together than on their own, a point that is illustrated in more than one way. Ryan tries to have his Halo moment and shoot his way past the sniper bots, but that ends with him screaming in retreat. Epzo keeps trying to go it alone so he can win the race and almost ends up getting killed more than once. It’s a bit obvious, but it’s also a solid way to let plot complement a story’s theme.

By the way, sniper bots...I kind of wish that we had spent more time on that. Or maybe not. Maybe it would have just turned out to be a bit too much like Raston Warrior Robots.... Ether way, we did get some good action sequences out of them.

What we also get are some questions and connections without resolutions. So...apparently the Stenza which attacked Earth in the first episode was also involved with wiping out Epzo’s and Angstrom’s planets? And had something to do with the scientists who were captured and tortured into making the planet Desolation a killing test ground? I’m thinking we might have a season long plot line forming here.

Much more distressing to me was that bit where the sentient mummy wrappings (yes, that’s what they looked like to me) became all cryptic while taunting the Doctor and mentioning things like “the Timeless Child”. We’re not going to have another Moffat type build up to absolutely nothing, are we? (I keep trying to forget about “the Hybrid”...). I guess only time will tell....

I suppose it is nice to have a happy ending with everyone living this time (the Ninth Doctor would be so proud...), but it did feel more than a bit forced for Epzo to suddenly decide to cooperate to give himself and Angstrom a win to save their families. Especially when you consider his firm “I have to be out for me because no one else will” stance for the rest of the episode. Having seen a character with a similar viewpoint develop and change more gradually on Doctor Who in the past (Turlough), it feels odd to have Epzo reform so quickly.

Chibnall wisely put an end to the Doctor chasing the TARDIS by having it appear at the end...with a new interior and everything. I’m sorry, Doctor, but while you might like it for once in your lifetimes, I wasn’t that thrilled with it. But maybe it will grow on me.

Character Thoughts

While Epzo’s characterization mainly revolved around the theme of not trusting others and only relying on one’s self, Angstrom’s characterization felt more subtle. I enjoyed her interactions with Yasmin and the Doctor when talking about family and the burden she has to save them.

On a slightly rant-y side note, I did notice the moment where Graham mentioned that the Stenza was responsible for his wife’s death and Angstrom responded “mine too”. As it played out in the episode, it was a gentle moment of solidarity between a companion and a guest character. But I also have to wonder if moments like this are what some people were raving about with Doctor Who suddenly becoming all “SJW, virtue-signaling”. Really? Because of a casual mention like that? If anything, I thought it hit just the right note of making sure to acknowledge representation while also not drawing undue attention to itself. Geez, some people are just awful....

We’re also given some more development on the ongoing situation between Ryan and Graham. Ryan still can’t see Graham as his family while Graham clearly wishes he would. Although, we’ve also seen hints of how Graham can probably seem like a patronizing, “back in my day we knew things” kind of guy even if he isn’t trying to come off that way. Thus, I like how the writers are not making any resolution between them easy and quick. And I look forward to seeing how they will continue this through the season.

Sadly, Yasmin didn’t seem to have as much to do, other than be a sounding board for Angstrom’s characterization. Then again, their moments were lovely and it’s unrealistic to expect the writers to full flesh out such a large companion team with every episode. So I’m hoping her turn will come later.

The Doctor, well the Doctor continues to intrigue me as far as how Whittaker is developing her. Her scene with the holographic Ilin was a nice bit of snark and sparring. And she’s continuing to show other classic Doctor traits such as her abhorrence for guns and violence and her insatiable curiosity about everything going on around her.

One important thing that I really appreciate is that, during those times when it seems like she’s not trusted or people around her have her doubts about her pulling off her plans and promises, it has nothing to do with her being a woman. Instead, it has everything to do with her being a high-energy babbling, flake-o who gets distracted by everything...at least on the surface. XD

And I love that. I love that she’s not taken seriously at times because she just can’t stop being herself as well as perhaps her apparent youth (which implies inexperience). It reminds me a lot of what Five and Eleven had to put up with at times when people mistook their youthful appearance and enthusiasm for naivete.

I think that one thing that surprised me though was that moment of faltering confidence at the end of the episode. It’s rare for the Doctor to openly express dismay over not following through with a promise and even though she brushed it off once she was in the TARDIS again, it was a moment of vulnerability that’s impossible to forget.

The Last Word

Was this a perfect episode with neatly tied up plot resolution? No. It had it’s thin parts and bits that could have been developed better.

Did it meet my expectations for a Doctor Who romp? Actually, yes. The plot moved along at a good pace while still giving us some substantial characterization. The camera and effects looked great and we’re given some questions to keep thinking about for later episodes.

And while it didn’t end on another mind-blowing cliffhanger, there’s enough good will built up by the end that I certainly want to see what lies ahead for our new friends in the TARDIS.

#Doctor Who #series eleven musings #the ghost monument #thirteenth doctor

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tonguetiedmag · 6 years

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music: weekly roundup (our favorite song submissions of the week)

Harrison Rimmer- Old Heart

Jumping right into a feel-good, strum that lays the base for “Old Heart,” Harrison Rimmer is immediately honest: “I need to tell you something. It’s been getting me down lately. You aren’t always here.” He continues to lament on this far off lover, admitting to having their picture in his wallet and often thinking of how far they’ve come. By the time RImmer reaches the chorus, the song takes on a 90s alternative quality, while sticking to rhythmic acoustic beat. Rimmer’s voice becomes a little scratchy, adding a welcomed roughness that still feels warm as he sings, “Come on baby, put this old heart to rest.”

Flo- Set In Stone

Here we have another honest singer songwriter from the UK. With “Set In Stone,” Flo begins, “I’ve walked to the edge just to see where it ends.” The song is not so dismal, as she appears to not be touching on death, but the end of a relationship. Over twinkling electric guitar, Flo’s warm, folk-saturated vocals embody her optimism in keeping a relationship alive. She sings, “Hoping you’ll be in the picture, somewhere in the distance, I can see the silhouette of us.” Throughout the glimmery track, we even get some fun tidbits like, “when all your senses make no sense”

Nicolai Funch- Snow

There’s a time to indulge in songs of painful (relatable) sorrow, and there’s a time to begin to let wounds heal. When it’s time to call it quits with the melodrama and sadness, it important to have softer songs, and soft the whole way through, on standby. The ever-gentle “Snow” remains steady over three minutes and thirty one seconds. Danish musician Nicolai Funch sings, “There’s a time and place for someone to hold you. Hide away and don’t be afraid cuz I am. I know you.” In the titular line, he says, “On a bed of snow, you’ll know where to find me”

Micky James- New Heart

You might expect Micky James to be fronting a band with a quirky, yet cool name a la “The Revolution” or “The Heartbreakers” (not that those shoes need to be filled). James comes busting in on “New Heart” with a groovy, pop electric sound that begs for a sing-a-long chorus of repeating “me and my new heart.” It feels good to be swallowed by the idea of seeing the glass half-full. James sings, “People deal with the worst of cards, but i get up i best be moving, me and my new heart.”

Geron Hoy- New Things

In “New Things,” Geron Hoy is inspired by car, or at least what the possibilities of driving somewhere new can bring. “Looking for new things. Tired of the same things. My heart it keeps breaking and breaking. That’s why I’m on my way.” The simplicity of the idea of a fresh start by starting somewhere new is matched by Hoy’s delivery and the airy nature of the song, until the end resounds in triumphant hope. Though he admits a fear of not finding it, whatever that may be, he is determined to “keep on searching until I’m dirt in the ground.”

Pale Mara- Not Like I Used To

According to Pale Mara, they were “founded on a cool, autumnal breeze that gently shook the boughs of cherubs and the hearts of willows as it exhaled the first beautiful licks of its life-song.” The dense nature of the description of their musical birth is not necessarily indicative of “Not Like I Used To.” Instead, the song adheres to the tenderness of their origin story with lyrics like, “love and death are a weighted coin.”

MaWayy- Blame

MaWayy’s “Blame” hits the particular pop-EDM cornerstone that has saturated this side of the 21st century. Brian Wayy and Masoud Fuladi’s second single dips into the formula that capitalizes on listeners at a euphoria when experiencing a vibrant drop. They sprinkle in the repetitive “you can blame it on me.” Before the chorus, they cement the relationship with the listener with hypnotic instructions: “Just ease your mind, let go of time. Baby put your trust in me.”

Dave Giles- Taken Too Soon

Dave Giles’ “Taken Too Soon” is a departure from the existentially sad themes that characterize music in 2018’s hysteria. It’s the sudden and overwhelming kind of sadness that can’t really be numbed, at least not for long. He starts that, “It was a phone call. From the first ring I knew something weren’t right. I heard your heart fall. From the first word I knew you’d been crying.” Giles’ is compassionate in his narrative on and reflections of death. He accepts death as a part of life but digs into the the intricacies of processing grief: “You know what scares me? Is the thought that I might forget your voice...Could it be you’ve gone too soon?”

Christopher- Irony

Danish singer Christopher Nissen (AKA “Christopher”), takes a microscope to 21st century culture in “Irony.” He examines his own self-sabotaging actions and takes note of modern human behavior at large. He dwells on the likes of getting a new tattoo and being too embarrassed to show his mom, using photo filters and making lifestyle changes after watching one documentary. He even admits his label tells him to lie-- whatever that may be about. In the chorus, he comes clean and most relatable: “Can you see the irony? And nobody’s perfect under the surface, they’ll never see that side of me.”

Roo Panes- Ophelia

Roo Panes’ newest single “Ophelia” comes off Quiet Man. Like so many pieces of writing, Panes takes from the book Shakespeare. The title of the song comes from a character in Hamlet. Fear not-- Ophelia is not met by death here. The song begins with peaceful “ohhs” and the chorus takes focus on one line: “When i see you I see hope.” Panes’ British Americana provides five minutes of soothing optimism.

Deep Sea Arcade- Close to Me

In anticipation of the October 26 release of Backlight, Deep Sea Arcade put out “Close to Me.” The song begins with a speedy tip tap of the drums that one might expect would usher in a 3-chord banger. However, “Close to Me” mellows out for a chilled indie rock track: “A long way from heaven, winds can change and angels can lose their ways.” The song is a warning of sorts, with the chorus explaining, “They never see it coming if it’s something they won’t believe...Look out kid. Catch him in the crossfire. You better stand here close to me.”

Listen to all the songs from this roundup on our playlist!

Article by: Haley Bosselman

#music #weekly roundup #submithub #submissions #reviews

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road2nf · 7 years

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I discovered nerdfighteria in the winter of 2011. I had left my first university in October and felt like a failure for a good, long while. I left due to my health and spent the next few years finding a care plan that worked, working at a job where I learned valuable skills, but often felt out of place, and earning my Associate of Arts at a community college before transferring to my current university a year ago, where I found my irl communities and my purpose. But before any of that happened, before my story became one of recovery, success, and occasionally even happiness, I spent a ton of time lonely on tumblr.

And thank goodness for tumblr. Without it I would never have found supportive friends and wider communities - including Nerdfighteria. I think I first became aware of the vlogbrothers when screenshots and gifs showed up on my dashboard and eventually I decided to find the youtube channel itself. It didn’t take very many videos before I was hooked. I kept up with the current videos while going back and watching all the videos from the start (I would say I don’t know how I found time to watch all those videos, but I then I remember that I was spending all my free time online, and boy howdy did I have a lot of free time). I loved the interaction with the community, the in jokes, and the collaborative nature of the projects that took place both on the channel and in the wider community. From vlogbrothers I dived into the wider youtube community of connected channels and stayed tuned into them until my course load caught up with me and life got busy (I hooked into the Lizzie Bennett Diaries, but my involvement on youtube faded out after they finished up). (Though they will never really be over in my heart).

Videos are a visual media and I spent more and more time commuting to and from campus, so podcasts became the standby of my fandom involvement and I wondered away from Nerdfighteria into other communities where I found I fit in and discovered the type of intersectional feminism that matched my developing sensibilities, which ultimately lead to my current academic and career path. (I’m still actively involved in several communities connected to a few podcasts and am now doing my capstone research project on podcasts as community builders for women in fandom). One day, long after I had stopped commuting and had moved to my current university, someone (possibly Colleen Theisen- if that’s true, thanks Colleen!) mentioned to me that the Hank and John had a podcast and eventually I found myself listening to a episode. And another. And another. And it was like I had been transported back to 2011, but without that loneliness that had characterized that time for me. Instead all the thing I had loved were still there - the injokes, the community involvement, the collaborations, and I was home again.

Can’t wait to see you later this month irl Nerdfighteria. As they say in our hometown DFTBA.

Best wishes,

Ellen Kuehnle

#tumblr #nfstories #vlogbrothers #nerdfighteria #dear hank and john #submission

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thedeadflag · 7 years

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Hey, now that you've played ME:A for a while, would you recommend it for others? I know that their portrayal of trans chars is at best problematic, to say the least, and probably not the only problem, but sadly, if I were to wait for a non-problematic, story-driven game, I would not play any games for a very long time. So aside from that, would you recommend it?

P.S.: Any good romance options?

I would recommend it, but with the qualifier that you should be as thorough in your first playthrough as possible, unless you are really good with skipping most non-key missions and/or are really good with doing a wealth of side-quests over again your next time around.

The story is…alright. If you want a comparison to the original trilogy, this is more akin to ME2′s structure. Less major narrative, more a scattershot of smaller stories mixed in with a bunch of character development. Bioware really did commit to the exploration theme rather than a detailed overarching narrative.

The characters are great. Obviously, they can’t be compared in investment to the original trilogy standbys, given they had 2-3 games to grow into themselves, and often the time between games fr layers to grow fonder of them. But the core group is great. Not a huge fan of the side characters on the ship aside from the doc, but I really like the group.

And while F!Ryder’s voice acting starts off slightly rocky, I much much much prefer her delivery and characterization to M!Ryder’s. Honestly, I think I like Fryda Wolff’s Ryder more than Jennifer Hale’s Shepard. It’s a close call, but…If I had to make a list of the best ten voice acting moments in the series, I think 6 would come from ME:A, and they’d be filling up the top 8.

Aside from the trans stuff the game fails hard at, there’s the frustrating issue of turians always always wearing armor and most having glaringly white carapaces. Like, in the OT, you’d see a wider range, but in ME:A, I’d wager over 70% of turians have super extremely white faces to where it’s distracting. And the asari characters, aside from PeeBee, all have the exact same face. That’s equally disturbing and breaks immersion. And the character creator is 100% junk, with very very little options for customization, and most customization options are complete junk and look ridiculous. Some presets look great and others look very uncanny valley unless you manage to work a miracle. And it can be very tedious to deconstruct your weapons and armor for materials, requiring a half dozen to a dozen menus, depending, but it’s 100% necessary because the stuff you attach when you develop them, you’ll get back after deconstructing, and that’s much better than a bit of extra coin. I also wish that the merchant system was better, because there needs to be a better way to sell 1000 of a given material without slowly scrolling up to that number or down to that number from the max amount. And I have some qualms about the main narrative and how they handled the whole colonization theme. I could continue with issues, but I’ll leave it at these.

In terms of gameplay, I hear on higher difficulty that it’s sort of required to shift profiles, favourites, and use consumables. I find the gameplay clunky, especially the cover system which has gotten me killed numerous times on the lowest difficulty. Sometimes something that looks like cover and should realistically be cover, isn’t treated as cover by the game engine, and so my advice is that if you’re playing at higher difficulties, take every opportunity to boost your damage reduction, your core health and shield numbers, etc. etc. And then if you feel you get the hang of it later, or are higher leveled enough for it to matter less, re-spec. But seriously, there will be many occasions where you’ll move to new cover and it won’t be able to protect you in any way shape or form. I suppose consumables would be useful in that instance, but I never did get the hang of using them.

As for romances, PeeBee and Vetra are excellent in their own right, though PeeBee gets far more material to work with, and Vetra gets a cheap fade to black but she’s also very adorable and lovely so it’s a toss-up. If you’re running DudeRyder, Cora seems like she’d be a good go, I like her well enough.

#mass effect: andromeda #me:a #mass effect #mass effect spoilers #mass effect: andromeda spoilers

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jnat4life · 8 years

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Top 100 Scrobbled Songs for 2015

5) Lastly, I will say this. I am one of those die-hard fans who really thought that my girl had moved out of the country and left the industry all together. But she came back. And she did outside of the label system. But not only did she come back, she came back to a form that I had missed from her for over a decade and a half. Janet Jackson returned this year with an album that I believe picked up where The Velvet Rope left off. Whereas TVR was an introspective album, exploring the ability for her comfortable in her feelings and her beliefs, Unbreakable is more of the album that cements who she is. Instead of looking inward, this album looks outward into the world and even her current place in it. I can’t put it any other way but to say I love this album. And in typical Janet form, she, Jimmy, and Terry crafted songs that are quintessentially her thoughts but are open to interpretations to what she could be referring to. The album is rich in expression, sound, and feeling. At times, she can seem like a messenger, a sage, a big sister, and a wiser friend. For the first time in awhile, Janet has put out an album that really seems fully-actualized and feels like her on her own terms. That what has always made her great and what makes Unbreakable solid. And yes, there are points in that album that just seems to truly connect with my life. On that note, it’s another year. Another 100 songs and dates first scrobbled. Yes, I’m a dork and I live my life this way daily.

1) The Weeknd EARNED IT 1/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waU75jdUnYw

2) MNEK THE RHYTHM 1/10/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fYeiGeuTFA

3) Nicki Minaj/Drake/Lil Wayne ONLY 1/6/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXtsGAkyeIo

4) Janet Jackson NO SLEEEP 6/22/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_t0ffY3JvE

5) Florence + the Machine WHAT KIND OF MAN 3/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgeKHTcufLY

6) Jidenna/Roman GianArthur CLASSIC MAN 4/12/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsiN0W15w0U

7) Empire Cast YOURE SO BEAUTIFUL 2/27/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHhrPeaAir8

8) Nicki Minaj/Drake/Lil Wayne TRUFFLE BUTTER 1/17/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzqe-yJWmLk

9) Wale/Jeremih THE BODY 1/26/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQMMI8itli8

10) D'angelo and the The Vanguard REALLY LOVE 12/16/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVsQwJfWzoI

11) Jamie Foxx/Chris Brown YOU CHANGED ME 4/18/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I26EwcssMbY

12) Take That THESE DAYS 12/21/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I43R3jIFE74

13) Usher/Juicy J I DON'T MIND 1/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jWBYKvQjO8

14) Gorgon City/Jennifer Hudson GO ALL NIGHT 12/3/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtHxT0gndjU

15) Miguel/Wale COFFEE 5/13/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z55sZ2oVY4

16) Taylor Swift/Kendrick Lamar BAD BLOOD 6/6/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIy9NiNbmo

17) The Weeknd CAN'T FEEL MY FACE 6/13/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEI4qSrkPAs

18) Jill Scott FOOL'S GOLD 7/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoEKX0CniNY

19) The Dream/TI THAT'S MY SHIT 1/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_PwH3Wk78w

20) Wiz Khalifa/Charlie Puth SEE YOU AGAIN 4/20/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgKAFK5djSk

21) Maroon 5 SUGAR 4/2/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09R8_2nJtjg

22) Taylor Swift STYLE 2/10/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CmadmM5cOk

23) Ellie Goulding LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO 1/17/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJtDXIazrMo

24) Maroon 5 THIS SUMMER'S GONNA HURT 5/28/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa64gOwuIyE

25) The Internet UNDER CONTROL 8/8/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrR42BTa9iM

26) Lianne La Havas WHAT YOU DON'T DO 8/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNLkD8QEnAM

27) Major Lazer LEAN ON 7/3/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqeW9_5kURI

28) Alessia Cara HERE 8/14/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKp2CrfmVfw

29) Jeremih/J Cole PLANES 9/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8iekPcUqm4

30) Sam Sparro HANDS UP 9/20/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZESzGGm29c

31) Disclosure/Lorde MAGNETS 9/28/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_KfnGBtVeA

32) Alina Baraz/Galamatias CAN I 9/29/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A_F4LJYCPo

33) MNEK MORE THAN A MIRACLE 4/29/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chl3PqVjngU

34) Demi Lovato COOL FOR THE SUMMER 8/14/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il9nqWw9W3Y 35) Tove Lo TALKING BODY 1/23/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzRyxGBGiAE

36) The Weeknd THE HILLS 6/7/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzTuBuRdAyA

37) Disclosure/Sam Smith OMEN 8/9/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB63ztKnGvo

38) Janet Jackson UNBREAKABLE 9/4/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfBL5HPS_jA

39) Kylie Minogue/Garibay/Sam Sparro IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU 9/20/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnOHPzNEX5k

40) Drake 10 BANDS 4/15/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl7yo8IVE5I

41) Kendrick Lamar KING KUNTA 3/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRK7PVJFbS8&index=1&list=RDhRK7PVJFbS8

42) Kendrick Lamar ALRIGHT 7/15/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-48u_uWMHY

43) Beyonce 7/11 2/3/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4YRWT_Aldo

44) Calvin Harris/Ellie Goulding OUTSIDE 1/6/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9NQFACZYEU

45) Janet Jackson/Missy Elliot BURN IT UP! 1/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QvdrmRphjc

46) Florence + the Machine SHIP TO WRECK 6/13/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9v8jLBrvug

47) Ciara I BET 2/18/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okGcksYM0N8

48) Ella Henderson GHOST 1/11/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA8AfQaUnXM

49) Katharine McPhee LICK MY LIPS 8/24/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0MV4JjkXpQ 50) Drake HOTLINE BLING 1/11/2015 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxpDa-c-4Mc

51) B.O.B./Trey Songz NOT FOR LONG 1/10/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjlzq-e2NE4

52) Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars UPTOWN FUNK 11/15/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0

53) J. Cole WET DREAMZ 4/2/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCGV26aj-mM

54) Ariana Grande ONE LAST TIME 2/28/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPgEgaPk62M

55) Tink MILLION 8/14/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHcJWvYs1w

56) Nick Jonas CHAINS 2/10/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8UX2bbCHJw

57) Nick Jonas LEVELS 9/3/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taViGR5VT1U

58) Drake HOW ABOUT NOW 1/10/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhpcZ78Dl1s

59) Passion Pit LIFTED UP (1985) 4/2/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeINWQDg7zg

60) TV on the Radio HAPPY IDIOT 1/7/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaKVy-FlaUA

61) Jhene Aiko SPOTLESS MIND 2/17/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaF-pGyKaOg

62) Rihanna BITCH BETTER HAVE MY MONEY 7/28/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3eAMGXFw1o

63) Pitbull TIME OF OUR LIVES 1/20/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTXJQ5ql5Fw

64) Mark Ronson/Kevin Parker DAFFODILS 4/21/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OWkLF2HLp0 65) Giorgio Moroder/Kylie Minogue RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW 2/2/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gZ-11-kOSQ

66) J. Cole APPARENTLY 12/17/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRaFMlZ1YHA

67) George Ezra BUDAPEST 3/4/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHrLPs3_1Fs

68) Robin Thicke MORNING SUN 7/18/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-7gr8QvRbc

69) Ne-Yo/Juicy J SHE KNOWS 2/8/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk1ZO_980DI

70) Toro y Moi EMPTY NESTERS 4/21/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsY22N5D9UY

71) Omi CHEERLEADER 7/3/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGflUbPQfW8

72) J Cole NO ROLE MODELZ 8/15/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBe6fFejsPU

73) Ciara DANCE LIKE WE'RE MAKING LOVE 7/25/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw_crqWYBCM

74) Teedra Moses GET IT RIGHT 8/13/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeO1Rv2XQXs

75) The Bird and the Bee WILL YOU DANCE? 6/4/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flbce8yaBao

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entergamingxp · 4 years

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Langrisser I & II Review — The Perfect Way to Discover a Tactical RPG Classic Series

March 11, 2020 4:00 PM EST

Langrisser I & II is a sleek, simple, and addicting tactical RPG that sucks you in, just like your own reflection on a set of big, polished shoulder guards.

Back in 1987, three years before the first Fire Emblem game, a Japanese company named Masaya launched Ethlead Senshi, a tactical RPG for Japanese PCs. The game had all the basics found in every tactical RPG nowadays such as stats, skills, and different classes of units including those of the flying and naval variety. A few more tactical RPGs later, Masaya launched Langrisser I on Megadrive in 1991, a simple, short, but addictive and intense tactical RPG, taking place in a world named Ethlead and using lore from Ethlead Senshi. Released as Warsong outside Japan, Langrisser I ended up being remade together with Langrisser II multiple times in Japan. And now, a brand new remake, Langrisser I & II is upon us on PS4, Switch, and Steam. I can tell you right now, it’s definitely the best way to experience or rediscover these classics.

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“I can tell you right now, [Langrisser I & II is] definitely the best way to experience or rediscover these classics.”

Langrisser I released in Japan during a golden era where a character’s power level was directly proportional to the size of their shoulder guards. Cool elves, sexy dark elves, along with detailed magic systems and worldbuilding were the norm. Record of Lodoss War was in full bloom, and Slayers had just started. Japanese people wanted fantasy, and Langrisser I delivered. The story stars Ledin, a prince who must suddenly flee his kingdom in the face of an invasion from the empire. Together with the friends he makes along the way, he ends up retrieving the legendary sacred sword, Langrisser, in order to fight an ancient, resurrected evil threatening the world. It’s a pretty straightforward fantasy premise, and nor the characters or the story rarely get any deeper. The remake, however, has plenty of different story routes you can end up on depending on your actions during battles, allowing for a lot of replayability. One run alone won’t take you more than twelve hours to beat.

Langrisser II, seeing it’s a sequel, originally released three years later in 1994 and greatly improves on the first game’s weaknesses and has a much more memorable cast. You’ll probably encounter more story development and characterization in the first five chapters of Langrisser II than in all of your first Langrisser I run. And while the battle system didn’t change an inch, maps, battle situations, and objectives are more varied overall. Beating Langrisser II will take you longer than Langrisser I, and it has even more story route bifurcations, including hidden stages.

In both games, using the story chart, you can go back to any previously cleared story chapter, while keeping your items and levels to try out other routes. For those seeking a challenge, Langrisser I & II both include a New Game+ where you can inherit (or not) your items and levels, and choose to increase the difficulty. However, note that the story chart resets itself in New Game+, which is a choice in this remake that I cannot comprehend and is pretty annoying overall. I vividly recommend keeping a save right before your run’s final battle.

The battle system of Langrisser I & II is similar and yet extremely different than nowadays’ more popular tactical RPG series such as Intelligent System’s Fire Emblem or Bandai Namco’s Super Robot Wars. While there are various types of terrains, each granting attack or defense bonuses, there are no elevation-tied systems, nor are there differences in whether you target a unit from the front, sides, or back. There is no permadeath, either.

“The battle system is simple and yet extremely addicting, intoxicating, and never gets boring.”

In Langrisser I & II, each named character in your army is a Commander, a powerful individual who can recruit Mercenaries. The type and amount of Mercenaries a Commander can recruit will be based on their Class. Each Commander has its own Class Tree, and they can switch Classes after garnering enough Class Points, earned after each level up. While the original Langrisser I & II were pretty strict with this system, this latest remake is generous with Class Points. It also allows you to switch back a Commander to any previously unlocked Class to adapt to the situation.

Mercenary Units also each have their own strengths and weaknesses, with Infantry defeating Spearmen, Spearmen having an advantage over Cavalry, and Cavalry overwhelming Infantry. This is a simple triangle, which is complemented by many other types of units and weaknesses, such as undead monsters, marine units, archers, and magicians. As long as you properly check enemies’ stats and magic before rushing in, most Langrisser I & II maps won’t pose you too much trouble and are pretty well balanced.

During battles, Mercenaries accompany their Commander and get a significant stat boost as long as they stay inside their Commander’s Area of Command. Moreover, the more HP a Mercenary unit has, the more powerful they are. Mercenaries also recover HP when standing adjacent to their Commander. As such, the basic strategy in most of Langrisser I & II’s maps will be to stick together as you march toward enemies, using your Commanders’ offensive, healing or buffing/debuffing magic spells adequately. The last trick to it all is how all Mercenaries will disappear when their Commander is defeated. Defeating the Commander first will result in less experience and money, so you’ll be constantly thinking about whether to farm or try to remove a threat as quickly as possible. The battle system is simple and yet extremely addicting, intoxicating, and never gets boring. The games are also just the right length, to avoid being repetitive.

Mercenaries can each be moved manually, and doing so will be crucial at certain moments. However, their movements can be automated, with four different global strategies to order them, Attack, Rush Defend, and Standby. This, however, brings us to Langrisser‘s biggest flaw. While the Mercenaries’ movement process can be automated, you still have to wait for it to happen. When both your army and the enemy side each have over six Commanders, each with four or more Mercenaries units, Battle Turns in Langrisser can be really long. This is true even if you can skip the battle animations, which are represented with super cute SD versions of the Mercenaries skirmishing and also include pretty cool character artwork cut-ins. While the character movement speed on the map is quite fast, an even faster speed-up turbo function would have definitely benefited this remake. This is the main reason why I’d highly suggest playing Langrisser I & II on the Nintendo Switch for its portability over other platforms.

Langrisser I & II is fully voiced with Japanese voiceovers with a cast including popular seiyuu such as Ayane Sakura and Saori Hayami. The cast all did a great job portraying the characters and their emotions. Even the story summary between each chapter is voiced, narrated by Eri Kitamura, who also voices Langrisser‘s recurring character, Jessica. Music-wise, the rearrangements of this new remake are pretty nice overall. For veteran fans, the original Megadrive OST can be activated, bringing back the works of Hiroshi Fujioka (not to be confused with his homonym, Segata Sanshiro’s actor), Isao Mizoguchi, and Noriyuki Iwadare (nowadays highly popular outside Japan for some of the Ace Attorney games).

Langrisser I & II‘s localization is also pretty good. There are sentences where one or two minor details were left out, but that’s inherent to translating Japanese under time constraints and with few contexts. It’s not something you’ll notice anyway if you can’t understand the voiceovers, and 80% of the time, a few sentences later you get that missing detail conveyed in another form. I’d also point out that surprisingly, the game can be set to other languages; Chinese, Korean, and Japanese are all included, which is nice for those willing to practice other languages through gaming.

Lastly, I cannot speak about Langrisser without mentioning the biggest defining aspect of the franchise: its character design by Satoshi Urushihara, one of the best character designers and artists of all time. The game’s Japanese Limited Editions took full advantage of this fact. This remake also allows players to switch anytime between Satoshi Urushihara’s original designs, and brand new redesigns by Ryou Nagi, the original character designer of the Ar Tonelico series and Heavy Object.

Sadly, the new character designs by Ryou Nagi are very hit and miss and tend to remove a lot of the characters’ individuality, which is extremely weird as Ryou Nagi is usually an excellent artist. The difference in detail is like night and day when you look at the different versions of Betty, a brand new Langrisser I character created for this remake, who appears in one of the new story branches. The first Betty artwork above is the Urushihara’s version, the second one is Nagi’s version, and the third one is from the recent Langrisser Mobile, and its redesigns are much better than in this remake.

��However, you shouldn’t judge Langrisser by its cover, as it has great themes and strong female characters.”

Ryou Nagi also recently redesigned the characters for the remake YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World, and I believe this remake and both Langrisser I & II suffer from the same character design problem. This is a rather disappointing aspect of this remake, though I believe most people discovering the series or who aren’t longtime anime fans won’t even care. It’s important to note, however, that playing with the Ryou Nagi redesigns also add story event CG scenes to the game. They are numerous and pretty well drawn.

As a side note, I’d also point out that except for some of the female cast’s revealing clothes, there is virtually no sexual fan service in Langrisser I & II, whether you were looking forward to it or apprehending it. Though I’m sure the bikini armors by themselves can be off-putting for some, and I understand that. However, you shouldn’t judge Langrisser by its cover, as it has great themes and strong female characters. This is actually unsurprising when it comes to Fantasy Japanese works like these. I’d definitely recommend Record of Lodoss War, Slayers, and Langrisser I & II, to those who think that kind of Japanese stuff is inherently sexist, such as certain people at Sony of America.

Overall, this new Langrisser I & II remake is definitely the best way to get into the series and enrich your tactical RPG culture. Sure, the Sega Saturn remake’s cool anime cutscenes weren’t added in this new remake, but you can always watch them on YouTube.

The Langrisser series was pretty silent this past decade. The latest brand new game in the series, Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei, released on Nintendo 3DS in 2015, is notorious for being particularly bad. This new Langrisser I & II remake is definitely the kind of spur the series needed, and it seems that both this remake and the previously released mobile game are setting up the foundation for a full revival. Hopefully, developers Extreme and Chara-Ani, the companies who now own Masaya, have remakes of the other Langrisser games in the works, so more around the world, myself included, can finally discover the series.

March 11, 2020 4:00 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/03/langrisser-i-ii-review-the-perfect-way-to-discover-a-tactical-rpg-classic-series/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=langrisser-i-ii-review-the-perfect-way-to-discover-a-tactical-rpg-classic-series

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varitonil-uk-blog · 7 years

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