#ep: life is fluid

[dlstmxkakwldrlarchive]

Partly for the prolific volume of projects artists release each year and partly for the fluid definition of an album (running anywhere from three to 13 tracks), an annual ranking of K-pop albums is never easy. As South Korea continues to extend its global musical influence, certain projects transcend hit-song compilations, presenting larger visions and conceptual narratives.

In 2023, stars like V, WOODZ and ONEW used their latest solo projects to share the music that inspires them at their core as artists and let listeners settle into sonic worlds they’ve developed.

[...]

First Place: Onew, Circle The First Album

While it’s somewhat criminal to think that 15 years after ONEW’s debut with SHINee in 2008 we only just received his first full Korean album, the singer-songwriter himself would say that now was the perfect time for Circle. A musical journey unlike anything released this year, ONEW shared that he had attempted to record the album’s title track before dropping his Dice EP in early 2022, but felt it wasn’t at the level of perfection it deserved and held onto the song. ONEW then involved himself in every aspect of Circle‘s production process, from meticulous mixing and mastering to tuning, beats, recording and mastering, attesting to the singer-songwriter’s dedication to artistic expression.

The single “O (Circle)” opens the album with an intriguing blend of electronica and strings, while its gospel-tinged chorus emphasizes lyrics about the circular nature of life and how memories, feelings and dreams are all fleeting. The 10 tracks on Circle develop unique transformations from start to finish: the breezy melodies in “Cough” are paired with loneliness-themed lyrics and a melancholy instrumental breakdown, while “Rain on Me” starts with aggressive acoustic guitar strumming before transitioning into an atmospheric, percussive ballad. Sweet surprises abound, too: ONEW scats on the jazz-rap hybrid “Caramel” and gives a glimpse into his indie-rock side on “Parachute.”

The album’s effortless flow is anchored by ONEW’s famously solid yet understated vocals. As Circle concludes with the tender piano ballad “Always” which addresses themes of loyalty and resilience, the listener wonders if it’s an allegory for ONEW’s public journey through health challenges, including vocal cord surgery. Even without any writing credits on Circle, ONEW’s presence is undeniably felt in this seamless collection that boasts an emotional depth brought on by 15 years in the game. That’s the kind of introspection you can’t rush or doctor through A&R but need to cycle through and arrive at when the moment is right. From scheduling this album’s release to the messages on the final track, time is definitely on ONEW’s side to deliver such a project. — J.B.

source

#231230 #shinee #onew #lee jinki #jinki #hard era #circle album praise #articles #eng #circle album review #billboard #long post #jeff benjamin #jessica oak #circle achievements

[ultraviolet-cello]

Gooooood morning Trigun fandom, I'm up bright and early, ready to sink my teeth into today's analysis/detailed watchthrough episode - 11. To A New World.

I can't believe we're almost done with @tristampparty. These 12 days have been a blast and I'm very glad that I got to chat abt them!! I've been in a bout of artblock recently too, so I'm glad that I can just ramble instead!

Spoilers for Trigun Stampede and Trigun Maximum, and CWs for. okay this one is a Lot, but discussion of violation of bodily autonomy, sexual assault and trauma, pregnancy, transphobia, harm coming to children, Millions Knives in general, Vash's passive suicidal tendencies. If I think of any more I'll pop them up here but this episode is a heavy one!

If you wanna skip those first few CWs (Totally understandable <3), you can skip the paragraphs labelled with a [CW] at the front.

[CW] Okay so we're gonna tail off the end of Episode 10 for a second, but uh. Knives in this scene is using extremely Loaded Language to outright tell Vash that there is something wrong with him that needs to be fixed.

Just to be clear I do think Vash is very trans-coded (intentionally or not), and that very strongly influences how I interpret this scene - I myself am a trans man as well.

Cool, moving on! That's all really for the end of ep 10, I just needed to point out that Knives is using language that is commonly used to justify corrective sexual assault; which is pretty much what my reading of this scene is analogous to.

what in the fresh hell i got jumpscared by dub again. returning to subs hold on a moment. Like i've been checking dub occasionally to match up some dialogue and make sure I'm not being misled by Subtitle Jank but I'm one of those guys who can't listen to anything without subtitles lmao

But i also think i do get the funniest possible translation of this line - actually wait no i hate the double meaning (with Vash's body being used to kickstart the pregnancy imagery). was that intentional. who did this.

Anyway Meryl kicking Wolfwood is really funny but also like. Yeah. justified. She's having a no good awful time but like. She's so willing to believe in Vash, to chase after him even into Extremely Dangerous conditions (There's those hints of Trimax Meryl again....) and Wolfwood is being an ass here. (An understandable ass. But an ass nonetheless). Which is to say YEAHHH MERYL GET HIS ASS!!!

Knives' gay little like. bodysuit here. He and Vash have the same build but their respective clothes make them stand out very differently. Also that Knives' stuff seems to have more muscle definition (HYDRATE. You shouldn't have that Knives you need water :pensive:) which could be building towards his more intimidating appearance.

Also I'd be a fool to not show everyone my initial reaction to this

I've talked a little bit about how Vash uses his gun as a tonfa (thwacky baton) most of the time in melee combat, and I think that's a great way to show him utilizing something Knives gave him to Kill as a nonlethal weapon - in this, however, he doesn't have it and his normally very fluid very good form martial arts is flailing and panicked. Vash is pretty good at keeping his cool in most combat situations, and is a very skilled fighter. Seeing him lose that cool and just start struggling when Knives tries to grab him is :(

Once again the metal/organic dichotomy is coming into play - the creation of inorganic but the destruction that comes from the organic. Typically plant (as in flora) powers in media lend themselves to being creation powers, life, and healing. But Vash here has that plant (flora) theme but those are very much a force for destruction.

Also Knives with the angelic white, and Vash with the black.

I hate Conrad So Much (he's such a good character). Like we Know to some extent that dependent plants are self-aware enough to feel pain, to hold onto memories, to hatred, to love. They don't have consciousness the same way humans or Independents do, but they feel, they live, they understand what Vash tells them. Maybe it is a shallow form of themselves. But I think something a lot of people fail to realize is that (some, not all, because they are individuals even throughout a hivemind) plants appear to enjoy their purpose.

Once again the memory that is shared with Knives in Trimax of a woman and her child thanking the plant for her service and she smiles? After being fused, that plant held onto that memory. I've been given no reason to believe that plants in Tristamp are different, so Conrad is just,,, ignoring the subtleties of plants and taking away their agency to choose for themselves. Doubly so for Knives, who can communicate efficiently with them.

A very quick blink and you'll miss it detail is that Vash says "It was our fault humans crashed here!". The shifting blame and guilt between the two is something that is fighting the narrative allll the time, but Vash attributing to both of them as an appeal to Knives is interesting to relay how he feels.

I also don't think Vash is right, though, when he says the only reason humans abuse plants is because they crashed. Tesla was before, Chronica in Trimax has apparently seen independent fusions before (For what reason?). Like yeah to this extent it's a result of the big fall, but there'd still be problems without it. Nobody is right in this argument lmao

(except me. I'm always correct about everything ever)

[CW] Once again - violating Vash's consent and autonomy because he does not agree with or differs from Knives. Corrective violation, in this case. It's also important that it's Meryl who calls this out - she has to really really struggle for her autonomy to be important. She's small, carry-able, inexperienced, doesn't have any special powers or genetic modification. She's carrying a tiny gun from a man who can never back her up anymore. In fact, nobody is backing her up! She's out here alone! But she's sticking up for Vash. She cares about him,,,, so much

SURPRISE ROBERTO ATTACK [sobs]

Meryl pulled the nail out of him and placed his hands gently over the wound, as one might do in a casket. A memorial of cigarettes and his flask. All this will be destroyed soon, but Meryl did give him a funeral to the best of her ability.

Knives using Roberto's image is cruel as hell. Not to Vash but to ME. He's already dead you can't do this to meeee. "How do you think they'll react when they learn you caused the big fall" He will never learn it!! he never got the chance!!!

So fun fact you can actually eat geraniums. It's just that if Rem had said yes Vash probably would have eaten it right there and then. I've made that mistake before (told one of my class that nasturtiums were edible and he just ate one. right from the plant)

So; the Tesla scene. Something I do want to point out is that Rem finds them almost immediately, and Knives doesn't immediately pass out - Is he still catatonic enough to miss Rem's speech, or did he hear it? Because the reason that Vash turned out like he did is because he was awake to go through that with Rem - Knives was unconscious the entire time and didn't get to start that trauma recovery.

It's also important to recognize that these memories could be unreliable, especially as Knives tampers with them later.

I do want to know which version of the Bible Knives was reading. Because depending on translation/version, you can get Very different ideas out of that.

Anyway Knives is kind of beginning his spiral in that memory - "Humanity never learns" kinda shit, which seems to take place after Tesla. Who knows how long. But baby Vash calls that out and goes "yeah lets have faith"! Baby Knives looks a tad shocked and then Present Knives just. Cuts off the memory. What was the ensuing conversation!!! Hello???

Like he's clearly Having Thoughts (The Horror), we just don't get to know what those were.

So remember when I said it was interesting that Vash said it was "our" fault that the ships crashed, sharing the blame?

Yeah that gave Knives some ammo that just. Broke him. Shifts it allllll to Vash. Update Vash's description to running on 18 guilt complexes, CPTSD, and bisexuality.

[CW] There's so many different forms of assault, metaphorical and. Not. That is happening in this scene from mind violation to Knives literally using Vash's (specifically Vash's) body as a vessel to impregnate other plants which. Hey did you know that pregnancy is a massive fear of a lot of trans men. So many transphobes reduce trans men to their capability to have children, as if that's all they're good for (even if it would kill them.), and that often leads to corrective rape in order to "remind them of biological reality". In this case, Vash is a plant, he's meant to create, and yet he doesn't. But he's still being used to create anyway.

Again, Meryl also directly calls out Vash's lack of consent and gets shot down by Conrad. The whole scene is just. Hgnrhgnhrhnrnrn. It's So,,, everything to me, because it's a really good scene and shows you how far gone Knives is in Tristamp.

There are panels in Trimax that are,,, the imagery is there, but it's very overt in Tristamp.

Also hey yeah. Why is Conrad still alive?? Did he have access to cold sleep? or it's probably the robotics but did he not think of enhancing humans that way? It might just be a temporary solution, I guess, given that he is. Actively coughing up blood.

Alright! I have finished this part of the analysis that I always Feel Strongly about lmao - I have fun doing it but that's such an emotionally heavy episode.

#cli speaks #trigun #trigun stampede #tristampparty #cli analysis

[matan4il]

Buddie 604 meta

I feel like I deserve a medal for not making a joke about how, since it was implied in 401 that Eddie stayed at Buck’s during the pandemic, we know at some point Buck will have two ex-roommates who want his body fluids. XD ~~

It’s maybe a small thing, but I enjoyed seeing Ramon advise Eddie on his issue with Chris. It was a lovely callback to their promise in 517 to work on improving their relationship, and it also showed really nice insights from Ramon. I loved it! It’s a nice reminder that 911 for the most part doesn’t vilify people, even when it doesn’t shy away from their faults and failures. It’s also proof this is a show that doesn’t drop things once a storyline seems to have wrapped. I adore that about 911, and I also think it makes every single meaningful thing we’ve witnessed even more significant, because we know the show will return to it sooner or later. Like maybe certain scenes between a couple of firefighters? Maybe... ~~

Buck and Eddie exchanging a meaningful look over seeing this oblivious moron in love at the scene of the ep’s first call is giving me life. The wordless communication, the implied sass, the way they’re so in sync, the irony of them being exactly like him except less aware of their own feelings even if they are more aware of propriety. They’re not even teamed up together, because Chim needs Eddie’s medic experience as long as Hen’s still captain, and yet... Buddie are our hopeless romantic idiot kings, while 911 could give entire courses on how to showcase soulmates in less than a minute. ~~

A continuation of that can also be seen in another call. When Buck recklessly hops on the bike to chase and stop a car by almost getting himself killed in order to save Chim, right away we have Eddie calling out after him. He’s so exasperated with his work husband, he’s not even yelling in order to stop Buck, Eddie’s resigned to his husband’s ways. But a good husband still has to shake his head, much like we saw Eddie doing when Buck boldly insisted on the rope rescue in 316. It’s a part of their love language. ~~

All of that stands in contrast with the rest of the ep, where we don’t get to see Buck and Eddie being their usual self, meaning iconic life partners. The thing is, absence can be loud, and something that really makes this absence stand out rather than fly under the radar is contrast. In other words, we’re meant to notice the absence. That loudness is even amplified with the only scene in this ep where we have Buddie interacting in connection to their personal life. Even though they don’t actually get to consult each other, as they usually do, there’s a lot of intimacy there! For starters, Eddie’s surprised that Buck isn’t weighing in on the new issue with Chris.

This is so uncharacteristic, and we only need to think of the way Buck jumped right in with his objections about summer camp in 318 to see the difference. Eddie also believes that there are things Chris may tell Buck but not him. This man is shown throughout this ep having trouble letting go as his son is growing up to be his own person, and yet the one exception Eddie takes no exception to (sorry, bad pun, I know) is Chris filling Buck in on how he’s really doing. Eddie actually expects that to be the case. It’s a subtle, but oh so real acknowledgement that Buck is Christopher’s other dad and that the two of them have a bond that is not limited to the relationship either one of them has with Eddie. I love it. And lastly, of course Eddie can tell something’s up with Buck, troubling him. But it’s also obvious that Buck’s not ready to talk about it yet, with his quick denial of “no secrets here,” so Eddie, like the good husband that he is, lets him be.

Them suddenly dealing with their personal lives separately very much reminds me of basically the mood of most of season 5a. Buck was kept busy with Taylor and away from Eddie, who ended up struggling with how to be a good parent to Chris without the help of his biggest support, his life partner. It led to Eddie making a rash decision that we all knew he would have to find a way back from. If that’s not enough to make us realize Buck’s decision at the end of this ep is probably the wrong one, we also have him being drunk while getting drunk advice from Hen. The last time that happened (and only other one we saw on screen)? When Buck spiraled in 511 over Eddie leaving, and did something rash and foolish.

I tend to think that’s what we’re going to see with Buck now as well. I already was of the opinion that it doesn’t fit Buck as a person, he just cares too much to be the guy who can walk away. His history with Daniel might influence him to wanna help, do for these parents what he couldn’t for his own, but if he does recognize that connection, could he really help bring a new “Daniel” into this world and then... never have anything to do with that kid? But what makes me even more convinced that this decision will be reversed is the build up, showing Buck coming to this conclusion without consulting the one person he actually already shares his life (and a kid) with, and the way it parallels that storytelling structure we saw in s5. In addition, even the way he verbalized it makes me think this is meant to be seen as the wrong decision. Buck is on this journey to figure himself out, yet at the end of the day his decision to say yes isn’t about himself at all, it’s about Connor and his wife. This is who Buck has always been, the guy putting others ahead of himself. There’s nothing wrong with his big heart and generosity! But in an ep called “Animal Instincts,” this has always been he’s instinct. Now he’s meant to learn to balance it with looking after himself and his own happiness, too. So I might be wrong, but I don’t see it ending here. Taylor was a r/s Buck had to have in order for him to learn how to be the one who leaves, now Connor came to him with this request, and we’re gonna get to see him learning to say no. And just like Buck was a part of Eddie finding his way back during season 5b from his wrong decision, that temporary distance between them leaving them closer than ever, so I expect Buck’s sperm donor arc to be resolved with Eddie’s support and with the two of them getting even closer.

~~ Thank you so much for reading this! And for every reblog and like! If you’re interested in catching up, you can find my 603 meta and more on my blog. Thank you to the incredible @whosoldherout who tops posting her amazing gifs every week with providing some more for my meta.

#buddie #911meta #buddie meta #911 meta #9-1-1 #evan buckley #eddie diaz #911gif #911 spoilers #buddieedit #911edit #buddie gif #911 gif #911 edit #911gifs #wm #911onabc #911 on abc #911abc #911 abc

[jewishcissiekj]

Rewatched Hunt for Ziro (Quinlan's one of two TCW appearances, S3E9) because now I have more information about Quin and wanted to judge his characterization but now I have like a bunch of quinobi screenshots so:

Why is this episode so gay. What was the reason. Did they know wherever Quinlan goes homosexuality follows. Oh he has an effect on you. You are both men. What's wrong with you

Dude why was his second line in the ep complimenting a dude Also why is he trying to squeeze his way into every homoerotic relationship of Obi-Wan. First Cody then Cad Bane dude maybe chill Additionbally I strongly dislike his TCW design, maybe it's the blocky shapes that don't fit with the fluid image of him from the comics I have in my mind or maybe it's just that I hate the TCW style and maybe both It just doesn't work for me idk

KEEP YOU FUCKING HANDS TO YOURSELF MAN WE KNOW YOU WANT HIM

Quinobi content but at what cost (reduced to a comic relief character)

Yeah well where else would your eyes be looking deep into the other's eyes what the hell Obi-Wan

I need them dead

This is a 20 minutes episode where men touch each other more than they do in the other 132 Clone Wars episodes love me some 'close friends'

Holy shit they're holding hands!!!@!@!!!11!11 holy fuck!!!!!!21!1

Geuine question what is Quin looking at here for almost 10 seconds. That's not where Obi-Wan eyes are. Is he just staring at hs chest. Is he looking at his- *gunshot* (Is that what Obi-Wan meant by keeping their eyes forward)

I never doubted you moment! Woah this is just like Star Wars: Republic #70-

Hey why are you fighting with another man's lightsaber. Why is he putting his life in your hands. Why. Perish.

Yeah ok next one

You are? hanging off a cliff? with another man?

Insane that this is how their portion of the episode end. You'll know they'll be ok with each other. Especially after seeing that gayass smirk

His only (TCW) apperance after this was in Destiny (S6E12) btw, and probably the only thing close to an interaction with Aayla (HIS FUCKING PADAWAN) in canon

He should've had full Jedi robes here idc if it wouldn't make sense for them to design an entire thing for a bg character that appears for 10 second he's wearing his mission gear it's stupid

#quinobi brainrot leave me alone #sorry for insulting them it's hard not to #managed not to say how ugly i think obi-wan looks in tcw throughout the entire post tho! #until now ig #sw #star wars #quinlan vos #obi-wan kenobi #obi wan kenobi #commander cody #ayla secura #tcw #hunt for ziro #the clone wars #clone wars #quinobi #obiquin #gonna make a 'quin in jedi robes' collection later i think #he looks good in them

[shouldiusemyname]

Only Friends - The Voice of the 80's Babies

Long post

Inspired by this post by @chicademartinica and bestie @thegalwhorants's comment about the wardrobe. Also this post from @blmpff which really made me think I'm in the right direction...

Before I get into this I just wanna say that I'm posting this very hesitantly as it's a very personal view of this show (possibly within the Jojo-verse). I might be reading too much into this and projecting my own experience and the fact that Jojo is about my age, but OF feels very much a reaction of my generation. I realize that most of what I'm going to say will sound familiar and relevant to everyone (not just 80's babies) but I'll try to explain the difference between what I read as a general generational experience and a universal experience.

I said it before and after watching the first ep it has never been clearer that Only Friends is what happens when 80's babies are given a chance to settle scores.

Everything about this show screams I WAS A TEENAGER IN THE 90'S!

First of all - the clothes! EVERYTHING they're wearing is like it's taken from my high school photos 😅 I know fashion is fluid and trends will make a comeback periodically, but given what I feel they're trying to say, I believe it's intentional.

The Sex of it All

It's like a direct reaction to the way we were raised and the relationship my generation has with sex. This is very regional and cultural, but generally speaking sex was not discussed as a natural aspect of life and relationships. Sex was either shameful, dirty, reproductive, or (the worst option) over discussed without healthy boundaries. My parents' generation didn't have the tools to discuss sex with their children in a healthy way because they were also denied this conversation by their parents. So, they either hid it or overshared.

So, my generation was raised (by western media basically) believing that everyone must have sex and our social standing is directly linked to whether or not we were having sex (who said American Pie?). We weren't given the option to have different views. We were trapped by this extremely deformed view of sex and relationships.

Watching this show and the discussion around it feels like creators are calling bullshit on everything we were told about sex.

Stuck in the Middle

I'm going to generalise here, but basically people who are just slightly older than us (meaning my generation) have this very black and white attitude towards sex - there's the right time to start having sex, your partner matters (in the way that you should be in love or in a relationship), relationships are monogamous, and kink is a deviation (don't even get me started on queerness - you were either gay, straight, or a crossdresser).

On the other hand, 90's babies were born into a much wider and open world that gave them the opportunity to get a much broader picture and view about relationships and how sex plays into them. This is even as basic as just having a wider vocabulary to talk about it.

My generation was, however, stuck in the middle, left to really hindsight our way through our perception of sex and its place in relationships.

In my 20's I've witnessed so many conversations where people were analyzed over the fact that they choose not to have sex like there's something wrong with them. Why are you not having sex? What's wrong with you? You're waiting for love? - don't waste your time. You're just going to fuck whoever? - that's just wrong. There's no winning.

Furthermore, when considering what Jojo said about the discussion around queer sex in queer shows and bl - my generation was raised with the idea that being queer (which was then just being gay) was all about who you have sex with. No one ever said anything about love or gender. When I was figuring out my own sexuality, being queer was about who you wanted to sleep with, not who you loved. We still see this today when people believe that our queerness is defined by whether or not we are having queer sex, and I believe this is at least part of what @bengiyo is talking about when he talks about the internalised homophobia. This is so much of my generation carrying and passing it on because we were denied these conversations.

So Now What?

Now, creating a show that is about sex, queer sex, and how it plays into queer relationships is reclaiming the conversation about queerness as an expression of love as well as sexuality. We deserve to discuss these issues as a generation that was denied these conversations whether queer or not. And somehow, these issues are discussed more freely and openly within queerness as it has the advantage of being free of heteronormative notions.

Another reason I believe this is generational is the fact that Jojo is consistently having this discussion within his shows. I don't know how to explain it, but his shows feel like screaming liberation, like he's walking around with a baseball bat (preferably Only Friends branded) and smashing these false ideas one by one. Which is why I believe we need to look at this show as part of the Jojo-verse shows along with The Warp Effect, 3 will be free and Gay OK Bangkok. Jojo is on a mission.

Expression Within The Show

Ok, so what am I getting at after I had you read my trip to the shrink?

I believe that ALL OF THIS is expressed in the show through the group dynamics we see in our friend group. They all represent different notions and they will fight over dominance. This is the power struggle that my generation is trapped in. We need and deserve to say our peace.

This is what I meant when I said that OFTS is what happens when you're an 80's baby with shit to say.

As usual thank you for reading my ramblings. I hope you get what I'm trying to say, and clearly have issues 😅 so feel free to comment and give perspective...

#my trip to the shrink #only friends #ofts #jojo-verse meta

[steve0discusses]

Ep 45 Part 2: I, Again, Did Not Expect Ryou

The revolving door of characters wandering into this boss arena continues, and this time it’s Pharaoh who is trying to catch up to the plot with the dead woman on the ground, the giant tablet to the side, and Seto who is cackling to himself in a corner.

And Seto does a big ol laugh and it’s been a while since we got a villainous laugh out of Seto. Been a LONG TIME. Probably felt great for this voice actor to go back to his roots.

(read more under the cut)

Y’all.

It’s been a while I’ve been doing this blog, right? And I take it slow, especially right now with chronic fatigue stuff, but MAN I really thought we’d be dueling SETO. Not Aknadin in a Seto Bean! That’s a different guy!

Yugioh! That’s a completely different guy!

And there’s time for the big showdown between Pharaoh and Seto to actually happen. But trying to write it so we no longer develop this rivalry between Seto and Pharaoh feels like...they had to do that because Seto became a friend maybe kind of unintentionally.

It still works, they haven’t lied to us, I just...I have mixed feelings about it.

Mimicking Blue Eyes in Season 1 and Season Zero, this dragon will not work for you if you are not Seto Kaiba. Or Yugi. She’ll sometimes allow Yugi to play her in his deck. But definately not Seto Imposters. And like that, Aknadin is dead by his own hubris.

Hubris be killing a lot of billionaires lately, amiright? Yugioh just leaning into my love of killing billionaire gentry with hubris.

This romantic moment somewhat ruined by the animation team refusing to draw fingers and always keeping everyone’s hands clenched like they’re gonna furiously poop.

Yami watches as Seto recreates the vision that Kaiba had seen several years prior on the blimp. And Yami I’m sure felt entirely 3rd wheel. But he’s used that. He lives in Yugi’s bean. He probably thinks 3rd wheel is normal and how everyone feels all the time.

And then THIS HAPPENS.

Seto decides he’s had enough of watching behind a pillar, and now that everyone is dead and sobbing he should go out and harass Yugi. Youknow, at this funeral. The funeral of his beloved from like a previous life or whatever. Seto is kind over it and for once he is the one that needs a ride home.

And he’s like “hey so...I noticed that guy looks like me”

And then, when you think “well I guess Seto joins the party?” they just start screaming at eachother, within earshot of Seto, within earshot of the dead dragon card, within the earshot of like the entire world.

Remember that no one can actually see Seto but Pharaoh, which makes it even more funny.

Bakura segue’s us back to Yugi and his cursed friends, where he’s trying his best to explain the logic of cursing your classmates with dark magic so you can go on playdates.

The idea that you go through all the trouble to curse people into liking you, but the puzzle itself is made of dark magic, so it finds the most terrifying people to make your friend, is funny to me although it is completely my headcanon.

Anyway, get ready for the still my computer caught for this next one.

(it’s “surprise” but eh I don’t feel like fixing it at this point.)

It DOES look like Tristan is doing a weird cross punch, he’s actually tossing both of them and his hands over extended to the other side, which is a thing we do in animation, we go past the point you intend to go so it looks more fluid--but it does make the tweens funny.

The floor gives way and creates scales made out of the eyes.

Will Yugi leap from his scale and send his friends to purple doom, or will he find Pharaoh’s name and save the world?

which like, wouldn’t be a good episode of Yugioh unless multiple people were asking to die, and Joey nailed it in the most Brooklyn way this Japanese boy knows how.

And so Bakura was like “never mind.” which I guess was an option in the footnotes that only he could read.

Not shown is a hard to cap animation where Yugi leapt from his edge of the scales and just clung to Joey’s waist and Joey was like “gotta hang on to your friends, right Yuge?” And Yugi was like “Does that mean you forgive me already? Or are you being sarcastic right now?”

Inside of the room is this.

I LOVE the outline tool in photoshop. Good stuff. I LOVE it. and so does this animation team. Outlined the HELL out of those birds.

They leave the name zone room, with no idea at all how to say Pharaoh’s name. Where, they ran straight into Tristan and decided enough was enough, it’s time to have a chat. Because no, they haven’t figured it out.

You may be asking “so where did Tristan go?”

I DON’T KNOW.

He’s probably not fine. But um. No idea where Tristan went.

Also, guess who we haven’t seen in like 20 episodes since Seto stepped over his prone body on the steps?

Ryou! Little Ryou is back!

This guy who we...thought was a good guy? Anyway he’s off to literally kill Yugi, just like he’s want to do.

Straight up...I can’t fully predict Ryou, mostly because we rarely ever see the kid, but damn, he sure did wake up just ready to do a murder today, didn’t he?

And yes, this does mean that Ryou was pretending to be Bakura pretending to be Tristan, just so we the audience could get a fun triple reveal in this episode.

For some damn reason Ryou brought a duel disk to ancient Egypt. So we WILL get actual proper cards. And by proper cards, I mean Yugioh TV show cards, which line up not at all with the actual card game. Can’t wait to spell FINAL and then die.

Anyway, here’s the link to read these in chrono order.

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

We are quickly running out of people in this season to kill, but we still got a few of Pharoah’s ancient friends left, and as for who dies next episode? My bet is on...Isis. Sorry Isis, I know you got a cool hat and you’re the token girl but, she’s super dead next right?

#Yugioh #YGO #Yu-Gi-Oh #Yami Muto #Pharaoh #Seto Kaiba #Priest Seto #Bakura #Theif King Bakura #Ryou Bakura #Yugi muto #Tea Gardner #joey wheeler #tristan taylor

[november52020]

ok this is gonna be an unnecessarily esoteric post but idgaf so lets go. izzy's evolution and character development just perfectly reflects the heraclitean concept of γιγνομαι so well and it's making me go feral. for people who aren't as familiar with ancient western philosophy as someone who has studied classics for more than 2/3 of their life, γιγνομαι (transliterated as gignomai), is a concept of αρχη (being, becoming) being fluid and ever-changing. heraclitus illustrates this in fragment #40 (because heraclitus was one of the very first ancient greek philosophers, not much of his work survives) where he says "you cannot step twice into the same river; for fresh waters are ever flowing in upon you". obviously this is translated into english, and was probably originally translated from ancient greek into arabic during the golden age of Islam because heraclitus was from ephesus, which is on the west coast of modern day turkey, and so some of the meaning was lost over time. however it still shows an interesting concept when applied to our number one poor little meow meow izzy hands. water is used to clean both physically and metaphorically. as with the river analogy, izzy has been consistently washing away the walls he has put up around himself. he has also been constantly changing throughout the whole show, developing as a person while going through intense experience after experience. this is one of the reasons why ep 6 is so special to me because, like me and all of us, izzy is changing and evolving as a person. ok idk where im going with this lol, esoteric post over lmao.

#heraclitus #ancient greek philosophy #izzy hands #ofmd #izzy ofmd #israel hands #ofmd spoiler #ofmd s2 #ofmd season 2 #ofmd 2 #ofmd s2 e6 #our flag means death spoilers #ofmd season 2 spoilers #ofmd meta #meta

[mysteriouslybluepirate]

Can't send asks from my sideblog, but this is @chewing-the-drywall

I feel like much of s2 fell into Frenchie's "we put it in the box and then lock it and don't open it again" in the sense that it set up A LOT that I was intrigued about how they would address it, but it either never was mentioned again or was handled poorly.

Examples range from light, like how I wish we saw more of the crew interacting with each other in ways that built on their characters from S1, where in S2 they didn't feel any more developed, or even regressed. (Example, Fang used the word Fingies 2-3 times through S2, and it felt like they were using it almost as a shorthand for his character, rather than making him feel more real and multidimensional as a character.)

100% @chewing-the-drywall. When I first heard that line I had I was so excited for the story to prove Frenchie wrong. Or show how important it can be to put aside problems to stay alive in the moment. But in the end, this one line summarized how the season handled everyone, besides Stede and Ed. Below, is an in depth discussion on where this season decided to spend it's limited amount of time. Instead of focusing on the characters and plotlines they'd already established.

This season had so MANY ideas it wanted to touch on.

Izzy trying to deal with his unrequited love and opening up to a new way of living. The traumatized 'Revenge' crew trying to adapt to a softer way of life again. The abandoned crew learning how to help their traumatized friends. Introducing new characters like Zheng, Auntie, and Archie into our main group. Setting up a conflict to resolve in season three. Along the way, referencing Pirates of history like Ned Low, Mary Reed, and Anne Bonny.

Notice, I've said all this and we're not even at our romantic leads.

Which is fine. Stories are fluid things. As long as the story knows how to flow from our leads to our side characters. Which leads us to how I feel this show took a lot of time away from establishing our central crew-

[Warning- this will be a controversial opinion- I want to know what y'all think about this] Zheng/Oluwande. This seasons habit of retreading old plotlines and referencing scenes from S1.

What S1 did so well was paralleling the side stories with what was going on with Ed/Stede. Usually, highlighting how well Stede/Ed worked by showing how much Ed/Izzy DIDN'T work. Or general hijinks that tied into the plot (Oluwande and Frenchie on the French ship).

Season 2 chose to parallel our main story with what was going on between Zheng/Oluwande as a budding romance and Izzy's slow recovery. The reason Zheng/Oluwande scenes felt like a waste for me in that the story was JUST a retelling the story we watched from S1.

A frustrated first mate(Auntie), and a legendary captain(Zheng) fighting over the captain falling in love with an idiot(Olu). In season 2, much like every callback for me, it felt like it slowed down the plot by pulling us out of the story. Like...yeah, you did the thing again, do you want me to applaud you for it?

I LIKE Zheng and Oluwande as a couple! I like that Oluwande was debating leaving Stede and taking Jim and Archie with him. But at the same time, I didn't care about Zheng until episode 7 when she beat up Stede, showing that yes. She's not just some all powerful woman taken down by a mix of love(the crew in ep3) and thinking that she was above it all (ep 7). She's fast on her feet, smart, and willing to stab someone who gets in her way. She's her own person. But.

Every other scene that established her was about her romance, felt like we could have put Rhys and Taika in there. It didn't feel...unique. It's as if the show only knows 1 way to write a romance between a badass and a bumbling idiot. Again. Oluwande in season 1 wasn't dumb in the same way everyone else was. He was protective of Jim, a bit nervous overall, but he was the person the crew chose to lead them. The season just dumbed everyone down a bit and called it a day.

This comes to the larger issue. When we only have eight episodes I don't want to rewatch the exact same plot beats with different characters. Time spent here ends up taking away from other stories we could have told about trauma and growing as a family and other forms of growing as a family. We didn't need another romance plot line. Imagine taking this time instead to show Lucius reaching out to Pete AND the crew for help. Or Frenchie finally feeling safe enough to play his lute. Or Roach helping Fang get over his thing with cakes-you get my point.

The fact we took all the found family stuff from season one, and pushed it onto only Izzy in S2 means when he dies, all the found family shit falls away. His death makes us realize we've been ignoring the central family we were supposed to care about. Because in so many words, their trauma was ignored.

[I even theorize if Izzy was alive and sailed away with them. Showing how he was taken in and loved by his crew, the ending wouldn't feel so hollow. This crew doesn't feel like a caring family. The person who protected them for months died, wasn't mourned, and then they threw a wedding the same day. Not even a full day to mourn. The 'New Revenge' feels like a heartless crew of characters we barely recognize because they aren't a family like they were at the end of S1. More like coworkers who sometimes fall in love with eachother.]

Trauma, Timelines, and Tonal issues when jumping from Episodes 1-3 to Episodes 4-5.

When the crews meet up, the story chooses to focus on the fun plot. Ed and Stede recovering their relationship, only dipping back into that serious tone when Izzy or Lucius come on screen to 'make things sad' again. I don't think the transition from 'serious' to 'comedy' was handled well.

I don't have an official timeline of the events of season two. But from what I remember, everything happens within 2 weeks.

In episode 4, Stede ignored the vote of his crew- to let the man who was torturing half his 'FAMILY' for at least 80 days- back aboard. This rubbed me the wrong way, as it showed Stede being a selfish prick in a way that could seriously harm his crew. That's when I started to see how not adding a *single* time-skip mid-season would hurt S2.

Imagine if we had a one-week off-screen time skip between episodes 4 and 5.

Maybe it's implied that they stay in that town for a bit. Izzy would a bit more time to learn to move on his new leg and start to open up to those he already trusts. Include a scene of Izzy WITH the crew, maybe laughing about something with the old traumatized crew, even if it's just a 30-second opener. Imply that the traumatized crew would have more time to settle in with the family they miss. Show that yeah, the traumatized crew needs more time to heal. Imply at the start of the 'Ed apology' that Ed and Stede have had more time to talk their issues out.

THEN have Ed apologize. You can even keep the bullshit corporate to show that Ed still has to work for this.

Healing takes time. Setting a series over the span of two weeks after half your cast was tortured by your lead love interest? After five of your main crew thought they would sail off into a storm and die after months of stress and life threatening battles? Why did that shit get shoved to the side so quickly?

Framing episode 5 as the START of Ed making amends with the crew, only to drop the plot by episode 7? Not a smart move. Because let's be honest, 'poison into positivity' in episode 6, referring to the fact that they sold all of Ed's loot to pay for the party, ignores the sacrifices the crew made to live that long. (The death of Ivan, and intense trauma they all need to work through). In a way, Ed throwing this party was him asking the crew to start putting everything away in that imaginary box.

It's Ed retroactively letting himself say 'hey, that time I spent torturing my captives was worth it because we got something good out of it' while still ignoring his own guilt. Ed needed to take accountability for his actions. No more 'I took 'a' mans leg' bullshit. The reason his arc feels so unsatisfying is that the plot easily forgives him. Fuck. I hate what they did for Ed's arc, but that's not the point.

Overall.

My issue with this season is not that it chose to do these topics, it's that it didn't think about the implications of what they were bringing up. It didn't dare to think 'maybe it's fucked if we quickly brush off a trauma like this'. Again. I know we have to blame MAX for cutting off two episodes. But I don't think 2 additional episodes would fix a tone problem seen going from episodes 3-4.

Fucking hell. Each member of the revenge had the potential for their own arc, so it's baffling to see them all reduced to 'well meaning idiot' when they all felt so fleshed out in S1.

When izzy gives his speech about belonging, there's a reason the only image in the show of the crew all together was from S1.

At the end of the day, Season 2 didn't let our surviving side characters grow. This is a mean spirited bit on how I feel the writers see the their own characters.

Stede and Ed are our leads. They won't die, not in this genera. Their shitty actions will be forgiven because it's a comedy, and as long as it's joked about, it holds no weight. They won't die. They won't get fatally hurt. Their trauma will be taken seriously, but it's a 50/50 on if they'll talk about it before breaking up again. They will eventually get a happy ending, their trauma looked at head on, because duh.

Jim, Olu, Lucius, Pete? Characters who used to have defined personalities in S1, but haven't been defined much beyond their relationships with their partners? Whose trauma might be mentioned, but will quickly be 'resolved' in one scene? Shame. Seems like they're only useful as set dressing, But we might make you useful as interchangeable side characters to riff against. Oh, and you're in love! Isn't that cool!

Izzy? I'll just quote Jenkins here. "To have him become a father figure to Blackbeard, and on some level to the rest of the crew, and to see him become the heart of why we’re giving pirates the chance to stand for being able to live how you choose. In reality, they’re thieves and criminals, but what our pirates stand for is a life of belonging to something larger than they are in the face of a crushing, slightly fascist normalcy." So...Is Izzy a pirate and accepted into the Revenge family? Or is he still an outsider? Jenkins gave us a romcom but still defines Izzy's character as that of one stuck in a drama/tragedy. Point and laugh, because tonally these two things clash HARD and will make an audience lose trust in it's writers unless well established. Leading us to the entire issue we've pointed out of not letting your characters actions hold in dramatic weight in your story.

Frenchie, Wee John, Roach, and Fang- Ah. No love interests again...shit. Well. Background actors it is... for now. We'll see. But we need 2 more scenes of the couple breaking up, so MAYBE you'll get some backstory hinted at in dialogue. You all have 1 thing your good at, so that's easy enough to put you where you belong.

Buttons and Swede? Well. They're still alive!! Don't be sad, fans :) The actors just couldn't show up anymore. We don't want our silly happy queer pirate rom com to not end on a happy ending! (Closes the lid of the trash can where they're keep Con O'Neill a bit tighter, thanking God Con was silenced by a strike this entire season from social media)

Do you agree, or disagree? Leave any lingering thoughts down below!

I'd love to chat down below.

#I am absolutely screwing myself over spelling-wise by adding a poll but fuck it. That's what we do #Overall: Just because you can fit something into your story doesn't mean it needs to be shown on screen. #I wanted to add a section of all the scenes I'd cut/tighten to make my added scenes work but I don't think we're there yet as a fandom #I theorize that the reason they couldn't change the script and had to hack it up was due to them already having 10 episodes fully written #also I SWEAR I LIKE ZHENG- but the part of me that sees her as a hollow Ed 'narrative mirror' finds her a bit boring until episode 7 #I LOVED her ship and how she hated Stede. But that's just because I generally don't enjoy Stede when he's unquestioned #Stede on her ship was a pacified lamb slowly getting fattened for the slaughter. She would have turned on him SO EASILY. She almost did too #I semi-tolerated Ed/Stede's love story of not communicating and puppy love. Seeing it again but sped up didn't make me like it more #ofmd s2 #ofmd season 2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd critical #? #yeah I'll tag that just to be safe #izzy hands #edward teach #ofmd s2 finale #ofmd season 2 spoilers #ofmd s2 meta #ofmd s2 analysis #trauma

[bengiyo]

Ossan's Love Returns Ep 1 Stray Thoughts

Well, I've finally arrived. I recently apologized to this show for letting others convince me it wasn't good. I also watched the Airport AU, and I actually really loved it. I watched the movie last night and love that the aspects of Haruta and Kurosawa I loved from the airport season made it into this timeline. I just watched the special, and am glad that after six years Maki and Haruta can begin their honeymoon phase. Haruta is still a slob, but Maki has laid down some ground rules.

I'm so happy to see this cast is still together.

We of course begin on an unhinged note. Welcome back, Ossan's Love.

Oh, Haruta, you are always going to be a mess.

I'm excited about the chief retiring. That's a good thing to borrow from the AU because I am curious to see what his life is like without work dominating it.

Was that product placement with Kurosawa? That was very Thai BL.

Yes, Japanese BL knows we need the domestic moments to believe in a couple.

Oh boy, they gave Haruta the most dour subordinate.

Was that Maro speaking Chinese?

Haruta is still a slob, but I like that we see him at least trying to cook. He's gotta get better about dishes and trash though.

Chizu is a mom now! With whom??

They were bound to run into issues over house chores because Maki being expected to clean up after Haruta forever was not going to work. Hiring a house cleaner is also not unreasonable considering the hours they both work.

I wonder why Kurosawa chose this week after retiring, but I'm also glad it's still ON SIGHT for him and Maki. You just know he's gonna do a good job to stick around.

What is the deal with Izumi?

They are always covering poor Haruta in fluids and other powders.

This dinner he prepared for them looks good.

Poor Kurosawa. Haruta trusts him so much, so of course he's going to try to give useful advice and perspective, even if he's rooting against Maki.

Haruta, do not put things on the chief. He fell in love because of a shoe. Earmuffs will send this man into orbit.

Harutaaaaaaaaaaan!!!

Maki has mentioned Haruta drinking a lot this episode. I wonder if this is going to be one of the issues of the season.

I must resist reading too much into the color of the scarves.

Okay, the use of their names was cute.

What the fuck was that?? What is Mr. Bonito Flakes doing with Izumi??

Absolutely fantastic to recognize that this series has come back in one way or another for over seven years now. What a time to be a BL fan. I'm really looking forward to Haruta and Maki building a family together. In the movie Haruta mentioned wanting kids, so these two have quite a ways to go.

#Ben watches #ossans love #ossan's love returns #japanese bl #bl series

[lesbianchipbastard]

Yknow what, fuck it, I know next to nothing about JRWI but I hope I wrangled a few of your favs

A gender headcanon and a headcanon about a weird quirk of theirs: Caspian

A headcanon about their family, and a headcanon about anger: Jay Ferin

An appearance headcanon, and a headcanon about the worst thing that happened to them: Riptide

OHHH HELLO THIS IS SO NICE !!!! HELLO HOPE THE DAY IS BEAUTIFUL AND KIND WHEREVER YOU ARE !!!

caspian: ough he is SOO gender to begin with. i like to think of him as like a big clusterfuck of gender sillies,, specifically like. non-binary/gender-fluid/transfem/demiboy. they use he/they/ae pronouns to me

i think a silly thing about them is that he is a traitor is very throwable. like ae just kinda rag dolls, wiwi style, but in a much more agile way. during the paramount championship, he and john actually attacked via john straight up throwing them and him using that momentum for an attack.

jay ferin: YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE DOING ASKING ME ABOUT HER FAMILY AND HER ANGER RAGHHH

the ferin family’s known for their iconic orange hair. jayson ferin has very straight, vibrant hair. mae ferin, who married into the family, has brown hair, but it’s very curly.

so, building off this hc, i like to think ava ferin had the same fiery hair as her father, and that it was also straight. jay still has the iconic hair color of the ferins, but her hair is very curly, representing the remaining love she still has for her family/legacy, but also showing how she does not exactly fit the mold of the ferin name.

and hee ANGER pugoaifohigiai something i could go on about all day.

i think jay has a lot of pent up anger she doesn’t let go of, and so oftentimes there’s nowhere else for it to go but inward. of course, she’s found healthier ways of managing it but it’s still there. i think she’s always been angry at herself, most of all. i think grief manifests in anger for her,, like anger is the strongest stage of grief she goes through (where for chip it’s bargaining and for gillion it’s denial)

riptide is the name of the general main campaign but thank you for trying !! just gonna do some rapid fire ones for albatrio

appearance:

-chip has very dark eyes, the kind that always reflects a lot of starlight (coming from a guy who always compares fnc to the sky and the sea)

-WINGED JAY FERIN NEED I SAY MORE

-gill’s hair is veeeeery long. i hc that in the undersea, one only cuts their hair as a sign of failure/after they have lost a battle. he nearly cut it after ep 53 but jay convinced him not to. he’s stopped cutting it since then

worst thing that happened to them:

-chip: i mean you could obviously go straight ahead and say it was the events of the hole in the sea/sinking of the black rose, but honestly i think it was the aftermath. i think it was about having grown up as nothing, then finding stability for only a couple years just to be tossed back into a turbulent life of bared teeth and stealing and violence. i think that his relationship with price is a really good instrument for showing that.

-jay: similar thing here— i don’t think it was just the fact that ava died that hurt her, but the fact that nobody seemed to fucking care, not in any way that mattered. of course they all grieved ava, but her father was never around for jay when she needed him most. i think it was growing up without ava and with a shattered family that hurt her the most.

-gill: changing tempo here. i think that when he was banished (one of if not the worst thing to happen to him) his hair was cut very short— like up to his ears. the first time chip and jay ever saw him was with such short hair, and he probably felt somewhat ashamed being seen like that.

#vixen rambles #jrwi #jrwi riptide #jrwi spoilers #jrwi riptide spoilers

[i--antimony]

BIG tuesday

i skipped last tuesday because i was working on a take-home exam and simply did not have the time nor the inclination, so: beefy tuesdaypost today!

listening: my brother recommended 'dead magic' by anna von hausswolff and boy what an album. gothic, punchy, very vibey. the kind of album you let wash over you like an ocean wave.

pulled 'mostly kosher' from my to-listen list. fun, funky, very jewish, good vibes. ikh hob dikh tsufil lib

i've continued to mainline borodin symphonies 1 & 2. idk they're just hitting right.

and the new pieces for the orchestra i'm in - very french this time round: debussy's fêtes: kinda spooky and ominous and also fluid in a fun way! lots of buildup that seems to resolve into nothingness. horn parts for this are pretty good, not too difficult but are definitely Heard. chabrier's españa: really bumpin horn parts. fun bouncy motifs. what's not to like.

pocasting-wise, i'm up to partizan 38. 10 episodes left!!! the home stretch!!!!! it's so good but things are definitely amping up in the end-of-fatt-season way.

i've also listened to my friend b's gotham tv show podcast 'jim gordon must die'. very good and funny. i laughed out loud at some of the episode 3 descriptions.

reading: i was stuck in Bad Airport Times this past saturday (flight delayed 3 hours, then sat for an hour on the tarmac, arrived at 10pm when i was originally supposed to arrive at like 630) so i blasted through all ~150k words of 'freefall' by Kunoichi21 and xoTsundoku. bog-standard mafia au, but with a fun little circus arts twist; fun background fengqing; i do not like that they made beefleaf wholesome. give me my toxic beefleaf god damn it. but otherwise it was a fun read, sappy romcom-style. the fic itself isn't quite done but it's in endgame. the author notes have peak fanfic culture energy of "hey guys! sorry i didn't update, i started nursing school and my dad died" bro .... ;___; goddamn. please take care of urselves

watching: we are almost done with kill la kill! last two eps!!! so tonight we're doing that and also watching last week's dunmeshi together.

friend and i finished comrade detective. incredible. no notes. so funny. we started 'endeavour' which is a detective morse prequel thing and goddd the british-isms, and also started serial experiments lain. i don't know what i was expecting but god it was not this. i literally thought this was a cute fun hacker mystery show in the energy of cowboy bebop. it is Not That. not even close. it's good though i'm enjoying it. currently staggering through life going uhhhhh like lain does in the first few eps.

playing: fallow. i am re-installing disco elysium on my computer though. ive been wondering if i should try to keep going on the save file from last year or if i should just start over because i barely got in there at all.

making: many things. pottery!! some good some not as good.

so this design came out SO nice but the underglaze is so gd streaky! i hate it !!! i don't think it's really fixable either, i tried the hairspray trick to put new solid glaze over top the inside so at least that would look less like shit but i could not get it to work. maybe sanding it down? idk. it's ugly. it was supposed to be a bright teal but the woman who runs the studio mixed the batch up wrong so it's like. a really drab gray and not in a fun or intentional way. idk.

some new bisque:

teacups came out! still mismatched but cute nonetheless! gonna do them in a sort of celadon-type color with white flowers to match the teapot that my SO has :)

i don't feel like adding more photos for these lol they're very boring. the pot for my mom came out fine i think. gonna go in with normal white glaze over top to paint in some trees or other botanical designs. i sponged the underglaze on so hopefully the final result won't be streaky. sponged red on my seder plate to hopefully accomplish the same thing. mugs came through the bisque with no issues but i didn't do anything fun with underglaze on one of them so no new pics of that, but the other i did this tree thing again:

i KNOW it'll be streaky as hell. i just know. so i'm considering how i want to do it. perhaps putting some slightly transparent green over the top of it all to meld it together? unsure.

some new stuff: made a citrus juicer, this was attempt number 2 and just barely got it to work, attempt 1 was a total disaster. also made another mug type object, hopefully it'll still be wet enough this weekend to slap a handle on.

two mugs with red clay, i really loved the lascaux mugs that jessica bartram put up for sale last year but i didnt snag one in time so i was like. fuck it. i will make my own. gonna let them dry to leather hard before going in with black underglaze.

i've been trying to draw again but. idk. i just feel very uninspired. i start drawing and it's like :| :| :|

eating: i was on my own food-wise for much of the last week because my roommate was babysitting for the rabbi, so i did not eat nearly as extravagantly as i normally do, LOL. i made a lo mein recipe that was kinda just a stir fry. this could have been my fault because i added a bunch of extra shit like bok choy and mushrooms. i also didn't use the correct type of noodle, and i didnt have oyster sauce so i used worcestershire, etc. many substitutions so it's probably not fair for me to say it was Just Fine. will have to try again at some later date actually following the recipe. herb and radish salad with feta and walnuts: delicious. 10/10. i tossed in some extra arugula and that was also good. and i made the tofu brussel sprouts tahini/hoisin sauce thing again because it's easy and tasty.

misc: visiting my grandma right now ...... entrenched in the ennui .............. spring break ........................

#tuesdayposting #Spotify

[markiafc]

remember when they made a show about a crown prince-son and his emperor-father stuck in the traditional chinese system. and every ep was a thoughtful, heartbreaking look into having a father v. having an oppressor. and how there is no life outside institutional roles, labelled crown prince / subject / son / brother / husband. the innate desire for an organic personhood, developed freely in a fluid and kinder place. one where, crucially, even women can live unencumbered by gatekeeping and may cultivate their skills and character as they like.....

#me is mark #鹤唳华亭 #i make wonderful journeys into international media #and those stories touch me very much #but my roots......... every few months or so i can come home to hlht

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ep.3 thoughts

[I'm Going Through Changes...and So's This Anime]

(Contents: Ch.4-5 comparison, animation, voice acting)

Ginaaa!!! Or Gena, as they're going with for this version. I guess that's the official spelling now? I don't think Viz is changing theirs, but either way it's going to be annoying going forward needing to deal with multiple "canon" spellings

Anyway, Gina's introduction was really fun! Very full of energy, animation really helps bring her to life in a way that a manga panel just can't. That said, I don't think I really like that they showed her face when she was attacking from the satellite. When we first saw her in chapter 5, it took me a second to realize who she was, but after seeing her fully revealed like that, it's not too hard to connect that the girl in the first and second half of the episode are the same. I guess it's obvious anyway, but still, a little mystique is better than no mystique

There were lots of great bits sprinkled throughout the episode, with the animation and sound effects really adding a lot to the experience. Andy's 5-point landing being slowed down to a step-by-step process rather than happening all at once really drove home how unsettling what was happening was, and of course his Crimson Crescent Moon was sick as hell, I appreciated that it wasn't effectively just two frames (beginning and end with no movement in between). The arc of the swing wasn't what I imagined, I always figured that the draw -> swing -> resheathe was one fluid motion, but in practice they seem to have made it a real iaido technique, which is really cool

Gina summoning her beret had a nice bit of improvement in this verion, with it digitally apparating atop her head. In the manga it just showed up when she asked for it, and I thought maybe they like...I don't know, shot it down to her from space? This was a really cool touch that was completely unnecessary but added a lot of flavor to the scene, even if the mechanism doesn't have a clear explanation (she obviously didn't use the Union's usual warp method since the effect was digital and not cracks in the air, nor does it seem to line up with anything that I recognize from the manga in later chapters)

The highlight of the episode though had to be Gina's voice though. The shift from her bubbly persona to her getting serious was so god damn ominous, and coupled with her immediate display of power really reminded me that she's one of the Union's top members. I don't think it's ever established what her position is, but I'm decently confident that she's pretty high up, especially considering her tenure

If they made that one scene look so good, I'm super excited for next week's episode, they've really convinced me that they'll be able to do it justice! That said, they've been going at a pace of approximately two chapters per episode, and my estimate for next week's would take about three, so...I'm not sure if they're going to rush through it to match the pace I've suggested, or if they're going to stay at two chapters to really delve into it. I could go either way on it since this is going to be a very action-heavy segment, which means they could easily get through it relatively quickly

I've been thinking a lot lately that Gina's been rising the ranks of my favorite UU characters, and seeing her brought to life has definitely given her a boost. I haven't quite settled on her as my absolute fave yet, but damn if she isn't getting close

#undead unluck #fouryearsandananime #4y1a reviews #uu anime

[just-a-random-person24]

On a Rail episodes are next and I have SO much to say about those eps, those notes are gonna have more things to them but rn here's eps 15-22

Episode 15

“I last ate like, what? A day ago?” PLEASE EAT SOMETHING MY GUY

“Fucking hamdogs. That's racist.” He's worried about being racist to the literal aliens???

Casually picks up a shotgun off a dead security

“That is NOT a normal way to die!” The man violently ragdolled, that's definitely not normal

Episode 16

babygirl you've said fun 5 times too many

“I warned your kind what would happen if you jump me like that again.” I really don't think they can hear you

“A plain exposed door leading to where I need to be? Am I getting punked?” That door's always been there

“I wouldn't call 2 people a group.” What would you call them then?

“And by mental, I mean break down and cry.” I quote this way too much lmao

Episode 17

Logo change!!

Just, this whole beginning part. ‘Descent into madness schtick’

Just vent my man you need to </3

“The design for turning on the fan is balls.” It really is cause why is it under the fan blades??

“The amount of dead people in a single area may correlate to its significance. As dark as that may seem.” That is such a fucked up way at looking at it

“You know, I actually could go for a smoke right now.” Canonically smokes cigarettes (r.i.p man if the military doesn't get you)

“Now I have to look for scientists like they're lost 5 year olds. Fucking a.” He's a single mom 💔 (/j)

“They actually look pretty cute.” They're sleepy little puppy dogs ☹️

“Hopefully 2010 doesn't have me kickstarting the second apocalypse.” *que Half Life 2*

“But right now I am the judge, as well as jury, and executioner. With that in mind I hereby declare you all guilty!” He's losing it

Episode 18

“My autobiography isn't going to write itself.” THAT'S your biggest concern at the moment???

“Okay, fine, I'll do that. Since nobody would want to know what your condescending ass is here anyways.” YOU'RE BEING SUCH A DICK??

“I may not have the best sense of smell, but god this is rank.” ???

“I think they'd do well in the world of cinema.” For some reason I vaguely remember something about Mindrian wanting to be an actor or something. They should make a homemade movie together

“Jesus christ thats hot!” I hope fire is hot!

Episode 19

“I was originally gonna say that the guy who designed this ladder in particular should be fired. But that's a bit on the nose.” *ba dum tss*

“Guess I'm going the way of the radioactive road. Or the Seabird Street. The Transiuratic Turnpike. The Breckwell Boulevard.” I'm not putting all that bit here but you are saying a lot of things I do not understand (I also know I probably misspelled something)

“The n in fun stands for nuclear.” ??? that is not a saying my man

“That's uh… okay.” Again I just like the delivery he just, sounds small? you know?? Like shrinking down on yourself (I'm gonna shut up now)

Episode 20

“What are these? Cameras?” I have no clue what cameras you've seen but they do not look like cameras

“‘No smoking’? Thanks, I don't need any stress relief right now.” he's, such a dork sometimes

“Shame there's no rocket engine though.” I really don't think fire is effective against fire here

“Intruder spotter. *shoot* And subsequently eliminated.” God I hate him <3

“If you're really trying to kill me then try harder!” Don't hold your breath!

“I'm not taking your guns though, cause of blood and other bodily fluids.” But, the ammo that was also covered in that stuff is fine??

Episode 21

Give his ass a map please

I'm… not even going to attempt transcribing what he just said, boy I get it YOU'RE A SCIENTIST GOD DAMN

“Trauma doesn't have a beneficial impact on the human mind as far as I'm concerned.” Give him a therapist too, and a map

“Maybe I can stack dead aliens and use them as a ladder.” That's your first idea???

“Maintenance and pest control? I don't get paid nearly enough for this!” Well, you would if you didn't take a $150 bribe

Episode 22

“That's just a theory though.” A GAME- 💥 (The immediate explosion after makes me absolutely love this line cause man)

“I may have killed myself a while ago.” HEY?? 💔

“Anything to take down ‘The Free Man’ I suppose.” I cannot with him

“ Cut the bravado, you're not fooling anyone! It's just ME! I can HELP you! So either LISTEN TO ME, OR YOU'RE GOING TO-... going to… god damn it.” Anion when I fucking get you god damn

“I can't let you die. I won't let anyone else die, not again. Not now. Not ever. Please, listen to me.” ANION WHEN I FUCKING GET YOU

He ran for 5 seconds and he ran out of breath, fucking Alan Wake ass stamina

“TAKE IT ALL AND DIE!” oh my god

I don't know how to explain it, but there's like. A shift this episode? I don't know, this one and the On a Rail eps feel so different from the other episodes (in a good way)

The immediate laughter after killing something??? good for him

“The first act ends with not a climactic victory, but a somber progression.” God let him be happy

#stark's mind #mindverse #im so tired #I HAVE 10 EPISODES LEFT

[housewifebuck]

the way they squished absolutely everything they could think of into those episodes makes me laugh BUCK have some sadness and insanity, lose touch with everyone except those two strangers who want your body fluids, die, come back to life, father a child, almost die again, save your entire team, help birth that baby, get a girlfriend, buy a couch (I have to laugh or I'll scream and cry)

they did so so so much in the last two eps and it still turned out to be a nothing sandwich.....

#anonymous #asks #office hours

[reviewsbyliam]

Victoria Monét - JAGUAR II

(Album Review)

28/08/2023

Victoria Monét for JAGUAR II

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As the sun sets over the jungle and eyes begin to glow in the wallowing bushes and lightly swaying tree branches, a deep growl in the distance can be heard, and if you search deep enough, you'll come to find its the almighty Jaguar that is Victoria Monét, thumping her paws against the mossy floor of the jungle, asserting her feminine dominance in a man's world.

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JAGUAR II is the raunchier but chilled sister album to the critically acclaimed EP JAGUAR which was released in 2020.

JAGUAR II consist's of 11 songs and 4 features, with one of those features being Victoria's own 2 year old daughter, Hazel Monét. Other artists that were welcomed into the jungle and made a part of Victoria's tribe were Lucky Daye, Buju Banton and Earth, Wind & Fire.

Friendly Suggestion: listen to the album from start to finish if you want the full effect of the review.

Tracklist Review :

1). Smoke featuring Lucky Daye; Victoria and Lucky play on the idea of smoking marijuana & having intimate relations together, whilst making sure to not forget to remind one another of the importance of cherishing the moment, no matter what it be. Filled with soul and R&B beats, this song is definitely designed to help influence a sultry vibe to the smoke sesh with the one you love.

2). Smoke (Reprise); Victoria sings about ending a special night with a loved one on a high note, which can be interpreted in any way the listener decides. A slow kick beat with light vocals and incredibly euphoric instrumentals that leisurely pace into a uplifting drum that transitions into Party Girls is one to not be missed.

3). Party Girls feat. Buju Banton; The sweet sound of Victoria's angelic vocals and Buju's raspy voice are enough to make your ears melt beyond solidification. The song tells a story of two lovers no longer holding back and allowing each other to fall into one of the beautiful dances of life that is love, whilst not forgetting to recognize the women of the world that get shit done and can still have a good time. Both artists have no issues keeping the listener intrigued with harmonic vocals and a beat so fluid that you will find yourself getting lost over and over again. From a slow whine to a fast whine, the beat will not fail to keep you locked in and keep those hips loaded whilst you transition into an uptempo situation with Alright.

4). Alright; Going from Party Girls into Alright is definitely one to make you say "oh, we're feeling this way now?! Okaaaay!". Alright is nothing but a feel good anthem regarding owning your body and being the one in control of it. Victoria focuses on how sometimes its fun to play the mind games with men that they would find pleasure in doing to you, and letting them think they have access to your most desirable parts when they're nowhere near. A fun, dance-funk blended beat that is sure to help level up your respect and love for yourself.

5). Cadillac (A Pimps Anthem); Sex. Dominance. Assertion. Power. That's what Cadillac embodies. Victoria enters this song talking about how a woman's appearance is sometimes misunderstood and implies that just because a woman is dressed pretty doesn't mean she is without power.. Then, in glides the smooth-like-butter vocals from Victoria and instantly you're hooked on the reggae-ton, jazz filled sounds that keep you wanting more as long as Victoria's voice accompanies them. A statement on how woman have quite literally been the driving force behind society since the beginning of time, and that women have just as much power in the game as the average male. A sensational, seductive and chin-punching attitude filled track.

6). How Does It Make You Feel; A soft, chilled, romantic atmosphere enters the room with How Does It Make You Feel. Victoria's sultry vocals accompanied by calm but intimate R&B sounds and ethereal instrumentals help send a subtle message to the listener that it's okay to follow your heart and love unapologetically, especially when you believe that person is your soulmate. Victoria also seems to play on the question; How does it feel to have someone who's love is for you, and only you? Very beautifully produced and vocalized, enough to make you believe you're in Heaven.

7). On My Mama; This specific track is an ode to Victoria herself, a homage to her Mother (L'Tanya Chestang-Cubit), as well as woman everywhere who seem to forget who they are and where they came from. Whilst it holds an iconic interpolation from Chalie Boy's song I Look Good, it also sends a powerful message to women everywhere that you should love the body you're in, because your Mama gave it to you. Victoria also sends out a signal to people across the world that she's very affirmed in her body and success and isn't afraid to hype herself up. A bad bitch anthem that will make you feel good each time.

8). I'm The One; An emotional change from On My Mama, Victoria has switched from feeling herself, to wondering why a romantic partner she is invested in cannot bring themselves to commit to her or acknowledge her and the love she has to give to them. Sometime's people are blind to whats in front of them and this song captures the frustration of how that feels. Overall, a thorough track with a orchestral R&B beat that helps the listener relate on a personal level.

9). Stop (Askin' Me 4Shyt); One for the girls that are sick of being the main breadwinner. Victoria makes it known with Stop (Askin' Me 4Shyt), that her lovers lease is up, and it's time to go. Sometimes, when a person is no longer bringing anything to the table and you're the only one keeping the lights on, you gotta kick the legs out from under their seat and send them back to the streets. A relationship should be beneficial for both people, not just one, and with the help of some light jazz/funk beats, Victoria delivers that eviction notice beautifully.

10). Hollywood feat. Hazel Monét + Earth, Wind & Fire; A very special track to help close out the album, as it features Victoria's young daughter Hazel. Alongside Hazel are Earth, Wind & Fire - one of the most iconic black musician groups in the world. Victoria uses this track to help herself remember how life used to be before she climbed to fame, and that it still all seems like a dream to her. Earth, Wind & Fire's vocals help solidify the message of the song and add sense of calm to the experience. Whilst also Victoria seems to be questioning things about her own life in this track, it comes across as also a personal message to Hazel herself that your dreams are achievable in every way possible, no matter how big they will be. Hazels moment on the track at the end with her giggle is the cherry on top for the end of the song to transition into the last track. Emotionally personal and a very special piece on the album that persuades the listener to make it their own personal track by asking questions about life, without forgetting to still chase your dreams.

11). Goodbye; An orchestral closing song? Grab the tissues. Tracks like these are always difficult for artists; it consists of closing chapters, moving on, finding peace and love somewhere else. But chapters of our lives don't always close so easily, and sometime's it's a battle of not being able to move on because of the physical connection you once had that you wish was still there. Just one more night, one more night with their skin, smell, touch, heartbeat. That's all you want. And when that can't be achieved, you say Goodbye. With the help of some pop/jazz and a few orchestra moments, Victoria sends her lover off into the world with no ill regrets.

A heartfelt message to a once dearly treasured lover that not all endings have to be bad and that some beauty can come from them.

*REVIEW FINISHED*

CONCLUSION: This is one album I have had the absolute pleasure of listening to over and over again since it's release. Very jam-packed with fun beats, mood elevating vibes and seductive measures, very strategic lyrics and structured features that all helped bring a beautiful energy to the album and its story-line. A guaranteed re-listen at any time of life. Congratulations to Victoria and her team for creating such a beautiful art of work.

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JAGUAR II IS CERTIFIED 10/10 BY REVIEWSBYLIAM

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If you got this far, THANK YOU! I hope you enjoyed my FIRST EVER ALBUM REVIEW!!

I'm so stoked that my first review was the amazingly talented Victoria Monét and her new album JAGUAR II !!

If you'd like to listen to her album, it's available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, all other music streaming sites and on iTunes!

Music Videos / Visualizers are also available on Youtube!

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