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puroresu-musings · 2 months

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RevPro HIGH STAKES 2024 Review (Feb 18th, Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London, UK)

AEW International Championship Scramble - Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Flash Morgan Webster vs. Sha Samuels vs. Spike Trivet vs. Richard Holliday vs. Cameron Khai vs. Shigehiro Irie ***

RevPro Undisputed British Women's Championship - Dani Luna (c) Safire Reed ***

Young Blood vs. Trew & Lacey ***1/4

Luke Jacobs vs. JJ Gale ****1/4+

Mustafa Ali vs. Robbie X ***1/2

Shingo Takagi vs. Trent Seven ***1/2

Ricky Knight Jr. vs. Anthony Ogogo **1/4

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Connor Mills ****1/2

RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship - Michael Oku (c) vs. Will Ospreay *****

Photos - BritWresPics

This was an excellent show from the premier BritWres promotion, that featured great action up and down the card, a whole load of good, nothing bad, and the best match of the year so far.

Things kicked off with a fun, but unspectacular Scramble match, that had the surprise inclusions of Shigehiro Irie and AEW's Global champ, Orange Cassidy, who got a huge pop and put his belt on the line here. Which left the finish in no doubt really. This only went 8 minutes, and was essentially just a collection of high spots, and many of the guys didn't do much. I'm a fan of Big Shig, but honestly, he might as well not have been here as his contributions came to one spot. Same with Cassidy to be fair, he was AWOL most of this thing, selling a lowblow from Holliday, but it was still fun stuff. Orange pinned Holliday with the Orange Punch to retain. The RevPro Women's Title was on the line next. This was another good match, but I wasn't a massive fan of the finish, which brought it down slightly for me. Despite seemingly having the match won, Reed inexplicably went to use Dani's title belt, but payed for it as she ate an Elevated German into the ring and a Luna Landing for the champion to retain in 9:44. Alex Windsor Jumped Luna after the match and beat her down and dragged her around with a chain, which one would presume is leading to a dog collar match.

The NJPW Dojo graduates Yuto Nakashima and Oskar Leube took on heel duo Mark Trew and Kieron Lacey in a really good little traditional tag bout next. The heels worked over stocky babyface Yuto, before he made the hot tag to his Germanic Skyscraper of a tag partner, who ran wild and they bumped around like crazy for him. After taking Lacey out with a verion of Total Elimination, Leube caught a Trew crossbody attempt, and deadlifted him onto his shoulders, allowing Nakashima to come off the second rope with a jumping knee, and Oskar hit a massive multiple rotation F-5 for the win at 9:25. They announced a UK Fantasticamania show for May 19th before the next match, which was an excellent slugfest between Luke Jacobs and JJ Gale. This was grand hard-hitting violence, with both guys hitting forearms, kicks and suplexes. After Jacobs caught Gale's leg from a roundkick attempt, he captured his arm too and hit a sickening headbutt. JJ scored a nearfall with a flash small package, then got another super close nearfall with his Gale Force spinning Oscutter as the crowd went crazy. Gale missed a 450, before eating a serious of stiff Lariats from Jacobs, which lead to Luke scoring the win at 17:02 with a Steiner Screwdriver. Great stuff here, and I hope we see more from both guys at the top of the card in 2024. Jacobs vowed to win the Revolution Rumble in the post match.

Mustafa Ali took on Robbie X in a very good flippity spot fest next. This was all-action, with a non-stop stream of flying and springboard moves. The finish came when both guys fought in the top, Ali hit a Sunsetbomb off the top, then a match winning 450 Splash to win at the 13:08 mark. Ali looked super happy to be here, and put on a good showing, so I'm under no doubt that he'll do great in New Japan and the Indys, after years of being in wrestling purgatory. Shingo took on Trent Seven next in a match that was made less than 24 hours before they came through the curtain. Originally Takagi was to take on Gabe Kidd (which I would have been all in on as that sounds awesome), but Kidd suffered an undisclosed injurey in the insane Cage Match he was in in Osaka. If I were a betting man though, I'd say it was likely a concussion from that insanely stiff Henare slap he took near the end, not to mention the crazy chairshots. This was ultimately a very decent match, but at 21:58, it was way too long, and it was another of those matches where too much stuff was kicked out of. There was no need to work this like it was a Tokyo Dome main event; Shingo kicked out of a Pump Handle Emerald Flowsion, Trent kicked out of a sitout Burning Hammer, Takagi kicked out of a middle rope Emerald Flowsion, then a short piledriver, Shingo then escaped a Seven Star Lariat and hit a Last of The Dragon... but after a delayed cover Trent kicked out(!). Seven kicked at one from a Sliding Bomber, but ate a few more Pumping Bombers to finally allow Shingo to win. This would likely have been great if it was around 14 minutes, but it outstayed it's welcome a little and they just kicked out of way too much for no reason.

Next up, Anthony Ogogo defeated RKJ in what was by far the weakest match of the night. This was perfectly fine, nothing was bad, the crowd were respectably hot, and RKJ tried his damndest to have a good match, but this ultimately didn't click. Former Olympic Boxer Ogogo scored the win at 13:30 with two great looking punches. Which were the best looking things he'd done all match. What followed was an excellent technical wrestling match, as Zack Sabre Jr. took on Connor Mills, which was my second favourite of the night. This featured exemplary mat work, as both guys exchanged submission holds, with Mills aggressively working over the left leg, and Zack focussing on the left arm. After both failed to tap the other out, frustrations flared and this broke down into a nasty strike battle, with some seriously stiff slaps back and forth. In the end, after Mills kicked out of a Zack Driver, Sabre Jr. turned up the pace and put the younger wrestler away after a series of PK's at the 21:25 mark. Great, great stuff.

Then the Main Event, which was Will Ospreay's RevPro swan song before going fulltime with AEW, and was one of the best matches you'll ever see. I loved their match at High Stakes 2022, but this one was considerably better than that classic, with off the charts drama, heat, storytelling and big fight feel. This was outstanding. The stipulations were that there were no referee stoppages allowed, but if Amira threw in the towel (like she did in their last match), then Oku would lose the title, and Ospreay threw the bloody towel from the forst match at her to use. The crowd were white hot from the off, and neber cooled down once during this epic battle. There was way too much to reasonably recap here, but everything was great. Oku worked over Will's knee in preperation of the Half Crab, but came up bloody from going into the ringpost. Ospreay worked him over, taunting Amira to throw the towel, but she responded by spitting on him, which Ospreay responded by kicking her into the guardrail to loud boos. Oku went crazy with a fiery comeback that included hitting the old El Generico Tornado DDT through the ropes to the floor, which Ospreay juiced from, then locked on the most dramatic Figure Four since Muto/Takada, but Ospreay made the ropes. Will hot the Oscutter for a nearfall, and Oku hit a reverse rana which spiked Ospreay, but as he celebrated, Ospreay popped up and hit a Hidden Blade to the back of the head for the double down. Oku then turned a Storm Breaker attempt into a package tombstone, but missed a Frog Splash. He landed on his feet though and hit Ospreay with his own Hidden Blade. In a callback to their 2022 match, Oku started hitting numerous Hidden Blades, but pulled Ospreay up at two every pin attempt. He tried another but The Ariel Assassin countered with the real deal Hidden Blade. Ospreay hit the flip out of a clothesline into a powerbomb spot, then transitioned into a Styles Clash for a near fall. Amira is dragged into the ring and she pushes Oku out of the way of a Hidden Blade, taking the move herself, leading to Ospreay pushing her unconscious body out of the ring. Oku rolls through another Hidden Blade into the Half Crab, but as he leans back into the bridge, Ospreay pulls him out of it, flips him over and hits a devastating Tiger Driver 91, another Hidden Blade and finally the Storm Breaker, but Oku kicks out at 2.9999, which blows the roof off the National Sports Centre. Oku then turns a Tombstone attempt into a Sega Mega Driver, in tribute to Mad Kurt, finally hits the Frog Splash to the back, goes back up and hits a second to the front, but Ospreay kicks out at the last minute. As he does, Oku grabbed his leg and turned it into the Half Crab as the fans went crazy. Ospreay fought to the ropes, but a revived Amira flipped him off, Oku pulled him to the centre, bridges back, and Ospreay finally tapped at the 47:12 mark, giving Oku the biggest win of his career. This was all brilliant.

In the post match, Ospreay handed Oku the title, symbolically passing the torch, Oku offered the handshake, which was expected, and Ospreay cut an emotional promo to say goodbye to a scene he's invested so much into. He thanked New Japan and RevPro, as well as the fans, for all they've done for him, and he promised his best stuff was still to come. He then said teary fairwells, before nemsis Zack Sabre Jr. appeared at the curtain to give him a hug and a kiss. All in all, this was an excellent show that's well worth checking.

NDT

#rev pro #high stakes #review #will ospreay #michael oku #revolution pro wrestling #british wrestling #wrestling #aew #all elite wrestling #orange cassidy #wrestling review #njpw #puroresu

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ystrike1 · 2 years

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Abakanaide Kurorekishi Elite-san to Moto Idol - By Ninomae Amane (8.5/10)

I can hardly believe my eyes. The protagonist in this is thirty...and she looks thirty! Her body isn't perfect and it's really well drawn! This is about a former idol who is ashamed of her past, and a businessman who tried to do everything right. Now, they're both unhappy. They go through alot of shit to become happy together.

This is a very adult work that deals with very adult problems. Miyu Tachibana was a petite high school girl who wanted to become an idol. A shady company took advantage of her. When a shady executive tried to assault her she punched him and got fired. Then her shiny high school life ended, and she became a low level office worker.

She chopped off all of her hair. Her failed idol career damaged her relationship with her parents. She doesn't talk to them. She also gained weight recently. Miyu is kind of a loser pushover and I love it, because it makes perfect sense. She's been beaten down. She used to love cute things. She used to dream about her ideal prince, but now she's alone with bills to pay. It makes sense.

Shiga is a good man. He's a great salesman, and he wanted to marry his steady girlfriend, even though he didn't love her. His girlfriend didn't love him either. Their relationship was convenient. Basically, they were best friends who wanted a stable partner. Thankfully the girlfriend came to her senses and found someone she loved. She tells Shiga to find love too, and they break up in a very mature way. Cool, but Shiga's one true love is an unpopular idol who retired twelve years ago. Miyu-Miyu was his reason for living for years. He was a good fan that didn't dream about dating her. He was just inspired by her cuteness. He thought that wasn't love, but even though he's twenty eight he's still obsessed with her. His older brother found Miyu, and he told Shiga where she is. Shiga could not resist. He's doing business with her company just so he can speak to her. His entire family is dorky and obsessed with idols so they support him.

Shiga makes a very good first impression. A creeper shows up and he helps Miyu, but then he gets jealous. They go to a hotel. She thinks she has to sleep with him to get business for her company, but they don't sleep together. They cuddle and talk instead. It's pretty great.

Shiga is a really doting yandere. He's patient and he's not a creeper. He's just really obsessed with Miyu. The producers that tried to assault Miyu traumatized her, so they go slow. They don't have sex until she's ready. Shiga wants to marry her and make her a stay at home wife, so she can be all his.

Miyu was in a big idol group. One of the members was Ayame. Ayame got famous, and crazy. She did sleep with producers to get work. Now she's twenty seven and depressed. Miyu was her only real friend ten years ago. After a decade of dealing with fake assholes that only want sex Ayame crawls to Miyu. She's desperate for a friend, but she also hates Miyu, because she's happy. Ayame has all of the money and fame she wanted, but she feels empty. She wants Miyu to be her manager, because she only trusts Miyu now. She drugs Miyu and then shit gets insane.

Ayames brother Toru is a cold yandere. He cares about his sister. He would have dated Miyu in the past, but his sister didn't approve. Now he's trying to support Ayame. Her mental health is not great right now. She's suicidal. She just kidnapped her childhood best friend. He's a decent brother and now he's less interested in Miyu.

He's totally willing to keep her as a pet though. Shiga has to save her from the crazy twins. Miyu doesn't run away. She tries to help Ayame and it works, because Ayame knows she needs help. Both girls say sorry. When Miyu quit she cut ties with everyone, including Ayame. That was unfair. Ayame tried to abduct Miyu. Also unfair. The girls hug and Shiga says she's too generous, but both girls have shared trauma. Miyu didn't actually sleep with any producers, but she was constantly pressured by them. She completely understands why Ayame went nuts.

Shiga gets more unhinged too. Miyu is a little insecure about her weight and her financial situation. Shiga comes from wealth and she...well she was in music videos that look like softcore porn. Shiga literally tells her he'll never break up with her, even if he dies. He tells her everything. He reveals his gross otaku past, and he tells her he has flaws too. Then she trusts him enough to marry him. She even contacts her parents after he encourages her. Aw.

Miyu-Miyu's cuteness makes her husband very happy. He dresses her up in frilly clothes and they have fun. She gets over most of her confidence issues, and she enjoys consensual sex with a caring partner. It's what she deserves. Awesome. Great. Goodnight. This is kinda a hidden gem.

#yandere #male yandere #yandere male #yandere boy #recommendations #recs #rec #recommended #manga review #smut #Abakanaide Kurorekishi Elite-san to Moto Idol

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emmellas · 5 months

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STOP SLEEPING ON SOON TO BE 5X ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE EMMA STONE IN THE CURSE FOR GOD'S SAKE

... or in other words, an analysis on emma stone's mastery of non-verbal expression during the infamous "g word" news interview as seen in episode 1 of 'the curse' (2023) coupled with a complete analysis of the scene. includes screencaps!

background: the aforementioned scene has certainly been making its rounds across social media platforms, with nathan fielder's immersive portrayal of his character's unnervingly hostile response following what he deemed to be a threat put forth by an inquiring reporter and of his expeditious attempt to save face thereafter garnering quite a bit of praise. however, the more subtle yet equally- or dare i say more so- impressive performance emma stone delivered in order to portray the same emotion as fielder, but with the complex nuances of doing so in simultaneity with a empathetic, warm demeanor and without uttering a single word, no less, has received far less than her fair share of acclaim.

introduction: silence can speak volumes and who better to attest to it than the current best actress frontrunner ahead of the upcoming academy awards, who more recently offered a critically acclaimed turn in director yorgos lanthimos' silent film, 'bleat' (2023)? recently reflecting on her experience working on this film, emma emphatically conveyed her preference for portraying her characters' emo. it is this more limited array of tools coupled with the more undertaking of portraying her character's resolve to in fact suppress the emotions shared with nathan fielder's character that makes emma's performance the standout here.

without further ado, let the analysis begin!

now don't get me wrong: nathan fielder puts forth a commanding performance as the entitled, self-serving wannabe reality tv mogul whose mask of progressivism first falters here during one of myriad performances the self-proclaimed do-gooder (he swears to fucking god!) offers, alongside his equally deplorable wife and business partner, the unwilling audience of española, new mexico: an audience who, mind you, will suffer a far worse fate than unknowingly bearing witness to their deception. indeed, each and every individual within this already marginalized community is immured to the role of a forced volunteer in their "look at how morally admirable we are" skit, and what must these people give up? oh, just a little thing we call human rights given the two encroach upon the town with an intent to gentrify it while paying no mind to whether established residents consent to the intrusion, but more on that later. everyone's a winner, right (sounds about "white")?!

returning to the news interview, a reporter advocating for her community in lieu of the abrupt shift of power dynamics inherent within the couple's perceived entitlement to alter (read: antagonize and destroy) the community as they see fit, voices the concerns of española residents who were exploited at none other than the hands of whitney's parents. now, to a white man unequivocal in his belief that doing what he wishes with no mind to its unjust impact on others is acceptable behavior, this call for accountability might as well have been a declaration of war. indeed, he retaliates against this so-called attack, inflicting a vicious, degrading affront upon the woman for having the audacity to suggest that española residents should have a say in what happens to their community. in the typical flip-flop of events white history- albeit in this case, far more recent history ... a few minutes prior, in fact- has a propensity for undergoing, asher redirects the subject matter to his preferred subject: he and his wife's existence as apparent angels on earth, naturally.

important background about whitney before exploring emma's riveting portrayal: as has been established, emma's character, whitney, harbors the same insatiable desire for social praise and fiscal gains that asher does. as such, she too harbors a sentiment of indignance toward anyone or anything that dare threaten what, in her eyes, she should be inherently entitled to.

this said, it is clear that people are neglecting the elevated complexity of emma's task in the aforementioned scene. from the moment that dehumanizing snap reverberated throughout the thornily atmosphere, of course acting as impetus to whitney’s implosion, emma providers a master class in utilizing the unspoken word- non-verbal expression- to outwardly communicate the utter turmoil vexing every second of her character’s hyperaware state of existence.

whitney loses control of her inviting demeanor, a once beaming smile now turned to a near grimace, as asher begins to aggressively lecture the reporter.

no more than a second after her carefully crafted demeanor falters, whitney fully reinstates it, desperate to maintain some semblance of calm to counterbalance asher and mitigate the potential damage this interview could impart on their public image.

integrating every micro-calculation whizzing through whitney’s mind as she assesses the affectivities being expressed around her, an ever-intensifying state of panic regarding the status of the couple’s public perception, and perhaps an even quicker-growing feeling of aggravation at asher's thoughtlessness into a single, riveting display of human emotes, emma readily attests to her indomitability. able to convey in one microscopically held glance or hostile head turn what many do not achieve come the end of a full script, her preternatural ability to capture the immensity that is human life in but a transient moment lends itself heartily to this scene.

here, whitney appears rather perturbed by asher's continued use of a condescending tone with the reporter: another drop of that attempted hospitable smile.

still, the 3x academy award nominee adds but another profound layer of depth to her portrayal in a brilliant sequestering the aforementioned amalgamatian of emotions to the limited range a woman may appropriately express, per patriarchal ideology, that is. in essence, gender roles assign women the responsibility of maintaining a warm, friendly, unflappable, and meager demeanor no matter the context, none of which described whitney’s state of being at that moment in time. whitney’s unwavering commitment to remaining in the public’s good graces, then, invoked an inherent need to emulate this demeanor in discordance from her true beliefs. to convey this juxtaposition, emma centers an array of behaviors including but limited to twitching, sitting rigidly, breathing rapidly, moving jerkily, and staring intensely for unnervingly long amounts of time around her best attempt at an assured smile and approachable aura, hoping to reinstate the hospitality that had been obliterated by asher’s conflicting hospitality. sure to affirm the audience’s perception of whitney as severely unstable, emma allows whitney’s thinly plastered smile to falter a handful of times; sometimes it occurs abruptly for fleeting moments quick enough to miss in the blink of an eye. other times, the feigned expression fades gradually over the course of a couple of seconds until suddenly reanimating as though she’d been plugged back into performance mode. suffice it to say, emma’s first emmy nomination seems…written in stone.

#emma stone #classism #scene analysis #the curse #nathan fielder #tv shows #tv series #bennie safdie #elitism #character analysis #tv analysis #gentrification #white saviorism #white privilege #acting #performative activism #performative allyship #tv review #tv recommendations

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theanimeg · 1 month

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Classroom Of The Elite Season Season 3 Episode 11 (Review) Class A Vs Cl...

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#classroomoftheeliteseason3 #classroom of the elite #youtube #anime review #anime #dark anime #isekai #shonen #one piece #timetravel #tsukimichi moonlit fantasy #one piece kaido

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lab-trash · 8 months

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#lab rats elite force #lab rats #mighty med #keyan carlile #quinton reviews #the decay of sam and cat #the failure of victorious #icarly #victorious #sam and cat #video essay #trash asks

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zeldanyx · 5 months

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So I wanted to watch Elite season 7 (mostly to rant about it) but I didn't get past the first three minutes or so, because it's just no fun anymore, not at all. I saw the characters of the main cast again and realized that I don't care about a single one of them.

#also why is omar still in this #poor dude #elite #elite season 7 #so no review from me this season #or ever again probably #(unless they bring back guzman)

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bookguide · 6 days

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Currently Reading:

The Betrothed by Kiera Cass

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the-writing-mechanic-official · 14 days

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Rating books I got from the library:

Worst to best!

Terlamane: Realm of the Gerits, Aysha Alnaqbi. -3/10

The concept is amazing, I loved the idea, but it was done really bad.

It sounds like how bread in water tastes.

Barely got through the prologue and Chapter 1.

Written like these Mary Sue OC inserts (Wattpad flashbacks).

Legend, Marie Lu.

-6/10.

Was sort of mid-ish.

I had somewhat high expectations, but didn't really get emerged.

Not guaranteed to read the next book.

Not outwardly bad. Good writing.

The Midnight Star, Marie Lu. -8/10.

Magiano and Adelina *Chef's Kiss*

EMOTIONALLY DRAINING

I was crying for the last 30 pages straight.

The rest of the series is also fire.

Momo/ The Grey Gentlemen, Michael Ende. -10/10

HELP WHY WAS THIS SO SAD AND DEEP AND THRILLING.

The book looked so innocent when I picked it up and I was tricked.

Idk what they call him in English (I read the Arabic version) but Gigi is my boy now.

Best decision I've ever made. Well done, Michael of 1973.

Next book list: The Revenge of Seven, Eragon, The Inn, Divergent.

#terlamane #legend marie lu #the midnight star #young elites #momo #gentlemen in grey #Michael Ende #Marie Lu #aysha alnaqbi #book review #books #revenge of seven #eragon #the inn #divergent

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quietbatperson · 4 months

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#evil uno #orange cassidy #being the dark order #BTDO #orange reviews #all elite wrestling #qbp gifs

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prozdvoices · 2 years

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time for another BOARD GAME REVIEW, this time we have SNIPER ELITE: THE BOARD GAME sent to me by Rebellion Unplugged, play as a stealthy sniper or the guards trying to take him out in this tense hidden movement game

#sniper elite #board games #board game reviews #youtube #rebellion unplugged

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sei-ryuu · 2 years

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ᰔ♡ My Top 10 Short Anime Recommendations

1)🅂🄺8- 🅃🄷🄴 🄸🄽🄵🄸🄽🄸🅃🅈

Episode: 12

Genre: sport, adventure, fiction

Rating: 10/10

2) 🄰🄽🄾🄷🄰🄽🄰

Episode: 11

Genre: slice of life, drama, romance

Rating: 10/10

3)🄷🄾🅁🄸🄼🅈🄰

Episode: 13

Genre: romance, slice of life, drama, shoujo, school

Rating: 9/10

4) 🄴🅁🄰🅂🄴🄳

Episode: 12

Genre: mystery, science fiction, thriller

Rating: 10/10

5) 🄲🄻🄰🅂🅂🅁🄾🄾🄼 🄾🄵 🅃🄷🄴 🄴🄻🄸🅃🄴

Episode: 12

Genre: psychological thriller, school

Rating: 9/10

6) 🄰🄽🄶🄴🄻 🄱🄴🄰🅃🅂

Episode: 13

Genre: drama, action, science fiction

Rating: 9/10

7) 🄰🄽🄾🅃🄷🄴🅁

Episode: 12

Genre: Horror, mystery, thriller

Rating: 9/10

8) 🄿🄻🄰🅂🅃🄸🄲 🄼🄴🄼🄾🅁🄸🄴🅂

Episode: 13

Genre: sci-fi, romance

Rating: 8/10

9) 🄳🄴🄰🅃🄷 🄿🄰🅁🄰🄳🄴

Episode: 12

Genre: psychological thriller

Rating: 8/10

10) 🄶🄸🅅🄴🄽

Episode: 11

Genre: boys love, romance, drama, slice of life

Rating: 7/10

<<Top 10 anime movie recommendations >>

#anime recommendation #anime review #anime rec list #anime requests #shoujo #shounen #sk8 the infinity #given #classroom of the elite #anohana #horimiya #erased #angel beats #another #shoujo anime #shounen anime #plastic memories #death parade #anime recommendations

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theanimeg · 2 months

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One Of The Four Will Be Gone! -Classroom Of The Elite Season 3 Episode 1...

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#classroomoftheeliteseason3 #youtube #anime review #anime #dark anime #classroom of the elite #anime style

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lab-trash · 1 year

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If I had like... a second phone and/or a camera, more time, and a decent editing software, I sure as fuckin hell would make one of those 6 hour long videos about the lref universe.

#lab rats elite force #mighty med #lab rats #keyan carlile #quinton reviews

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scorbleeo · 7 months

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Book Chat: Black Knight

Royal Elite (Book 4) by Rina Kent

Source: Google Images

Love is impossible. Hate is an open game.

Kimberly He was once my best friend, now he’s my worst enemy. Xander Knight is heartbreakingly beautiful. Ridiculously popular. Brutally cruel. He’s a knight but won’t do any saving.

Xander We started as a dream, now we’re a nightmare. Kimberly Reed is pathetically fake. Terribly innocent. Secretly black. She can hide but never from me.

Source: Goodreads (2020)

I Bawled

Before going into Black Knight, I already had an inking this would break my heart or I might cry. Then I reached those chapters and I just bawled my eyes out. In the previous books of the Royal Elite series, I always criticised Kent's writing. Here though, she did so good penning down Kim's mental turmoil and Xander's internal conflict. It was easy for me to connect with both characters and therefore, feel everything when those chapters came up. I already loved Kim and Xander right from the beginning when Kim appeared in Cruel King, but after reading Black Knight, I can almost confirm they will remain my favourite pairing in this series. After all, I did speed read through that horrible trilogy just so I can get to them.

Right now, the only complain I have is that this book was simply too short for Kim and Xander's story. Made it seem Xander got his forgiveness way too easily which as much as I love this Knight, he needs to suffer a little more.

Also, wow, their fathers? I would be so down to read a book about Calvin and Lewis's friendship because, wow! I am not even talking about "historians will call them roommates" but their friendship dynamic actually stuck to me and Kent barely showed their friendship at all.

I was afraid this was going to disappoint me because I was excited to read it and well, Kent disappointed me with the previous three books so I did not know if being excited was going to kick me in the butt. Thankfully, the execution of Black Knight was great. Perhaps the author could have developed Xander's addiction a little more but Kim's story was absolutely well written. When Rina Kent said Black Knight struck a deep cord within her, she was understating it.

If you happen across this and plan to start this series or simply only read this book, I'm going to shock you because. I know really did not like Aiden and Elsa's story but you should read all the books before this fourth book to fully experience Black Knight.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5/5)

More on the Royal Elite series here: Cruel King (#0) | Deviant King (#1)

#book review #black knight #royal elite #rina kent #kimberly reed #xander knight #rina kent universe

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