#if the metaphor is spring as ones problems in life

[bonerot19]

I'm thinking about Jason Todd dying in early spring. when the weather is just starting to turn around. before the flowers bloom.

I'm thinking about Jason Todd feeling alone again. when he'd thought he had a home, a place to belong. "did felipe fall...or was he pushed?"

I'm thinking about Jason Todd trying to save his mom. maybe he thought that the third time might be the charm. maybe he would be enough for Sheila.

I'm thinking about Jason Todd dying in early spring. april showers bring may flowers. but Bruce was too late and Sheila betrayed him and he still tried to save her and he didn't get to see the flowers bloom.

#jason todd #bruce wayne #if the metaphor is spring as ones problems in life #well #Jason never got to see summer #he woke up in the fall #when things are cold and rainy #missed an entire summer of healing and warmth #and people expect him to be okay?? #happy death day buddy

[vexxandra]

what is coming? (timeless pick-a-card)

for those who need comfort, or dream of the future, this might be the pac for you ☆ 3-17-23 .

PILE ONE ; " i'm so tired " ...

how long have you been keeping yourself awake? it's up to you to decide whether that statement was metaphorical or literal, but the point still stands. can't catch sleep? it's not your fault. you don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, you deserve to rest. sleep is a blessing that you will catch up on soon. the mistakes of your past shouldn't stop you from rejuvenating yourself. i'm sorry this relief from life has been taken from you.

i can see that what's coming toward you is more closure. conflicts being resolved, and action being taken to prevent future problems from happening. peace is coming, and more spiritual peace- however you may find it. you are finding what is lost or missing; a confidant, a part of yourself you lost, or a sense of responsibility. this will make you feel a little less confused in this dark time. whatever you find, make sure it benefits you, not hinders you.

extra: the number 7 or 16, cheerleading, studying, driving/cars, violent - carolesdaughter, the need to please, disappointment, "you are more than your thoughts, more than your past" green, spring months, gaming to cope, betrayal, "you deserve love because you exist"

PILE TWO ; " i am fighting " ...

you are so strong. your strength is commendable, and so is your resolve. you are making me smile. things seem to be good for you right now, but have they always? no one is born to be so resilient, it's our experiences that shape us to be who we are, and yours have molded you into a warrior, pile two. you are so strong, have you heard that before? i feel like you don't get recognized enough. but you suffered, and i see that. i see that, and i see you. thank you, for never giving up.

stability is reaching you. i feel like you have a 'fake it till you make it mindset' in order to reach what you truly want. but i see that you will soon have whatever you desire. it will be unmistakably yours, and you'll know in your heart when you find it. you will be emotionally fulfilled, and reach a state of kind of 'enlightenment' where you're like, i know what im doing now, it all makes sense. it will be a moment where everything clicks, and everything settles down.

extra: pink, red, gold, orange, chains of pearls, instruments, stuffy, nostalgia, memories like the color yellow, may, june, 2018, "this feels right", back to the future/past, vintage, aesthetic, dream girl vibes, photos, "everything is okay"

PILE THREE ; " where is the sun ? " ...

you have lost your sun, pile three. you remind me of a sunflower, looking for the sun to turn to, but what happens if the sun isn't there? you are aimless and lost, trying to find what has been stolen from you. but it hasn't, has it? it's time to take off your lenses, and realize that this isn't healthy. you have been stuck in a cycle for a while, and i feel like you kind of actually trap yourself in it. i get it, it's better to be trapped than face the reality. but is the pain you're causing yourself really worth it? please find strength in yourself to break free. trust me, it's better than staying. im rooting for you, pile three.

what's coming toward you is the strength to pull yourself out of this negative situation. i see you putting yourself first, and sparing yourself of further heartbreak, disappointment, and sadness. i can see that this will sort of be a tower moment for you; the tower has always been shaky, but it's only now that you are fleeing from it, and i'm proud of you. it's hard, but you can do it. after, you might find yourself stuck in your own thoughts secondguessing, but you did the right thing. never forget that. i also see someone of importance entering your life, a little after this.

extra: dont worrry darling, omori, pink beats, neurodivergence, black, alternative culture, crosses, pinky promises, mother figure, chocolate, willy wonka and the chocolate factory, balloons, lamps, llamas, "why would you leave me?", "because i couldn't stay", polish

#pick a pile #pick a card #pick a picture #pick a pile readings #pick a card readings #pac #pac tarot #pac reading #intuition #intuitive readings #intuitive messages #intuitive #tarot free reading #tarot reading #tarot readings

[tarot-card-igans]

Master post of my tarot spreads

This is the cheat sheet I use when looking through my own blog. It doesn’t use the categories my tags use because it’s my blog and I can do what I want.

The (#) is how many cards are in each spread.

Any that begin with “meme” is just an indication you’re about to open a meme tarot spread.

I figure I haven’t updated in awhile but why not fix up this resource for myself and post it.

The tags listed in my bio still work obviously and anything that isn’t mine that I reblogged isn’t in this list.

Relationships General

Check in for your community (5)

Deepening Relationships (5)

Family Lineage and you (4)

Your actions towards friend (5)

Check in on Loved Ones Relationship with you (7)

Understanding Underlying Feelings (6)

Meme Finding Common Ground (3)

Why do I like this person (5)

Fostering communication (4)

Relationships Negative

Should I keep this person in my life (4)

Relationship gone bad (5)

Dealing with enemies (6)

Imbalanced Family (5)

Relationship blockage (4)

Reality Checks

Meme Communicate (2)

Clarity in confusing situation (4)

Challenging Situation (5)

Meme Evaluating Options (3)

Checking your Balance (3)

Meme Personal Check in (3)

Chakra Spread (7)

Unity/Balance (19)

Hard to face truth (7)

Meme situation at hand (3)

How’s and Why’s of a Situation (5)

Meme Something you’re avoiding (1)

Meme major issues you’re ignoring (3)

Meme current blindsides (2)

Meme identifying stressor (2)

Meme identifying current danger (2)

Meme unveiling the truth (2)

Meme Perceptions (3)

Prejudice Check (4)

Meme Bias (2)

Meme facing your greed (2)

Meme facing your own actions (4)

Meme reevaluating enemies (2)

Meme Overthinking (2)

Emotional (3)

Metaphorical Hunger (3)

Meme How you’re hiding (2)

Hidden Feelings (5)

Goals

Goal crafting (3)

General Goal (4)

Off Track Goal (5)

Meme Evaluate Plan (4)

Currently doing wrong/Do better (4)

Understanding Situation (5)

Meme Solution (2)

Solving a problem (3)

Meme Overcoming Obstacles (2)

Meme Overcoming Obstacles (3)

Facing an issue/Challenge (4)

Changing Goals/Learning more (4)

Creative Block (4)

Finding and Achieving your Dream (9)

Healing from a bad situation (6)

Overcoming difficult things from your past (6)

Moving past exhaustion (4)

Working with your anxiety (4)

Breaking out of apathy (4)

Getting to sleep (4)

Figuring yourself out (10)

Misc

Meme Spiritual Guidance (1)

Talking to Spirits/Gods (5)

Your Affect on the World (4)

How you’re perceived (5)

Choose Joy (4)

Choose Gratitude (3)

Meme Bad Influences (2)

Meme Unforeseen Problem (1)

Hierarchy of Needs (9)

Professional life check in (5)

Pros and Cons list (5)

Horoscopes with Tarot

New Years (9)

Winter Solstice (5)

Spring Equinox (5)

Summer Solstice (4)

Fall Equinox (5)

Weekly Check in (5)

Monthly Check in (7)

Last updated 4/24/24

[thenightfolknetwork]

I am an antichrist.

The Real thing, born to a seventh virgin daughter after her soul was consumed by my father, Satan, in a ritual of fire, glory and light.

I was raised as instructed by The Book— Don't ask which Book, you don't want to know, the knowledge would melt your eardrums— to be the destroyer of the world, the prince of sins and the devourer of souls. I am the One Who Will Bring Fire to the earth, I am the One who will run the blood of innocents through the streets and boil the sea with my mere desire, I am the dark side of the moon, I am humanity's nightmare, I am—

I am 12 years old.

And I'm at school.

I just learned about ecosystems: The delicate balance of a food chain, the harmony that exists in the earth when a network of fungi extracts nitrogen from the earth and a rotting tree leaves the soil rich for next spring.

I found out about corals recently too. They are alive and an extremely complex life form for something that will never move, corals don't die as long as nothing kills them, isn't that a strange and wonderful concept?

I always wanted to be the World Destroyer.

It never occurred to me that bringing hell to earth would mean no deer or bees or coyotes.

If you increase the average sea temperature by more than two degrees, millions of corals will die. I don't know if I want to boil the sea if that's the end result.

But I am the Antichrist and I like being the Antichrist. I like to be Apotheosis, the crack in the glass, the rotten apple, the mercury in the water.

But I also like the world as it is, even if it doesn't bow down to me in fear.

What do I do?

(What do I say to my father?)

This is the problem with prophecies – they always put the subject under such a tremendous amount of pressure! I feel sure that, if your father had simply not mentioned his plans for your future, you would have grown up without these anxieties and likely gone on to fulfil your unholy purpose without a second thought, in a time frame that felt sensible and natural to you.

Instead, you've been burdened with a terrible and unreasonable amount of responsibility. No wonder you're feeling torn! This is more than any twelve year old should have to consider.

The important thing to remember is that you don't have to make a decision about this right away. You are the Antichrist and you will remain the Antichrist while you take a little while to decide the best course of action for you. The end of the world will still be there when you're ready for it.

As to the apocalypse itself, this is the other reason prophecies can be so frustrating. They are simply never specific enough to be helpful. Yes, you may be destined to end the world – but which world, exactly? And how much of that 'blood of innocents, boiling seas' stuff is literal, and how much is just a religious scribe getting carried away with himself?

In my experience, there are many, many ways a person might fulfil a prophecy without having to bring a fiery demise to this particular realm of existence. You might take a short hop over to another reality and destroy an uninhabited world, for example.

Alternatively, you might take your prophecy in a more metaphorical sense. “The world” we live in today is one that allows billionaires and business magnates destroy our environment in the name of profit. Perhaps you could fulfil your great purpose by destroying the social and political structures that make that world possible.

I understand your trepidation about bringing this up with your father. However, I really do think that you should consider it. Looking after you is his job, after all, and I'm sure he wouldn't want you struggling with these feelings alone. Reach out to him, and let him know how you feel.

You don’t have to decide this all at once. Whatever else you say to your father, you need to make it clear that you will not be embarking on any sort of apotheosis until you've at least finished your GCSEs. You are a child, and you deserve to have a proper childhood, whatever the future might hold for you.

#answered #the nightfolk network #monstrous agonies

[joseopher]

Hadestown AU

GUYS I JUST FINISHED HADESTOWN AND I CAN'T STOP IMAGINING THE AFTG CHARACTERS IT SO HERE IS MY HADESTOWN/AFTG AU Kevin = Persephone

I mean this is obvious, isn't it???

Both Kevin and Persephone struggle with drinking problems

Both Kevin and Persephone value their freedom despite still mourning/caring for those who bind them

Both Kevin and Persephone are both girlbosses that allow nothing to stand in their way

Except when it comes to certain people they no longer stand up for themselves as they normally would (trauma likely but also sometimes care and compassion)

I love how Yes, Hades brings Persephone to the underworld too early BUT SHE LETS HIM (/affectionate)

His protectiveness over Jean mirrors Persephone's protectiveness over Eurydice and his admiration for Jeremy mirrors Persephone's admiration of Orpheus

Kevin in a dress

Andrew = Hades

I was debating on this one because Hades could easily be Riko but since my reading of Hades is sympathetic and more protective than controlling I felt Andrew was better

in this au it's less Andrew forcing Kevin to do anything than Kevin hiding and feeling safer with Andrew instead of fighting or dealing with his own issues

Andrew is enabling this behaviour by not allowing Kevin to leave his protection

It's not good for either of them and breeds resentment

Andrew has similar fears as Hades, that Kevin won't be safe outside Hadestown, that Kevin will leave him for someone that isn't damaged and cold, that Kevin deserves more than him

This leads to him always bringing Kevin back earlier no matter that he leads to a longer winter and hurts the mortals

While Kevin's gone he tries to make the underworld nicer for him (though he'd never admit it) but basically inventing capitalism like Hades does

He would never force someone into the underworld tho, always making deals so they DID agree to it even if it sucks

Eurydice = Jean

I mean do I have to explain this one???

Jean has seen how the world IS with all its cruelty and unfairness

HE IS NO STRANGER TO THE WORLD, NO STRANGER TO THE WIND

But when he meets Jeremy who sees the world for what it COULD BE: kind and fair, HE STARTS TO BELIEVE THAT DREAM TOO

He is a survivor and after learning not to give up on his life he will do anything it takes to survive

When he is left to die in a storm and meets Andrew, he finds he wants to live but is riddled with doubt and nihilism that Jeremy would look out for someone like him so he accepts his deal to join Hadestown despite knowing it means never seeing Jeremy again

He quickly changes his mind after discovering what life is like without literal and metaphorical sunlight

Orpheus = Jeremy

LITERALLY SUNLIGHT GUY

CAUSES SUNLIGHT WITH HIS AWESOME SINGING

Orpheus is poor like Eurydice but still believes in the goodness of the world, Jeremy still has trauma like Jean but still believes in the goodness of the world

literally "COME HOME WITH ME🤩☀️" "...who are you?🤨🐦‍⬛" "THE MAN WHO'S GONNA MARRY YOUUU😚☀️" coded fr

Through his song and hope, inspires Andrew and Kevin to fall in love again and the world comes back into tune😌

SPRING COMES AGAIN

Those are my main headcannons, idk about the rest of the cast though so if you have ideas lemme know!

#kandrew #jerejean #kevin day #andrew minyard #jeremy knox #all for the game #jean moreau

[morfitties]

TW for this post, talking about suicide in Dead Poets Society

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For anyone else who has read books like “All The Bright Places”, “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower”, “The Virgin Suicides” or “If We Were Villaind”, then you probably know the theme/debate of who suffered more from the suicide, the victim of it, or the people left behind and I kinda want to explore that in Dead Poets Society.

Neil is clearly out leading man, you’ve gotta love him, he’s one of those characters that everyone wishes to know in real life, full of passion and promise and humour. Neil connects with the audience by feeling real, by making mistakes and getting into trouble and having very real problems. The movie focuses on him and the other poets for around 1hour 30min.

I remember the first time I watched it, when Neil shot himself I thought that would be the curtain call, THE END, no more story to tell- so I was shocked and mildly comforted by the fact that there was another 30min of everyone’s lives after the fact. I think this fact is what springs to mind the debate I’ve seen a lot before of “who suffered more” but I’ve never seen the argument happen over a piece of media that has real substance and meat on its bones to lend to the debate.

I’ll explore all of my previous examples to show my point:

“All The Bright Places” - the first sort of “fandom” I’ve seen think about this. The book follows Violet and Finch, both suicidal, one lives, one dies. This story, unlike Dead Poets Society, essentially ends after the death of Finch. There is maybe five minutes of reading dedicated to Violet’s reaction to the funeral, but not much else.

“The Perks Of Being A Wallflower” - This example will be slightly different from the others. Charlie’s previous best friend did kill himself, but it’s neither the focus nor mentioned very much in the novel. The book does follow Charlie’s suicidal ideation, loneliness, and sexual assault, and a large part of what we see in the novel is the people around Charlie reacting to Charlie’s pain. This book had the best debate on the matter (I think anyways) but Charlie is very much alive, he is able to heal.

“The Virgin Suicides” - Honestly, not a good example because do the times it was written in and it’s attitude towards mental health (or rather, the characters attitudes) but it felt necessary to mention. The book shows very little sympathy for the girls milking themselves, it’s always stated very monotonously what they do to themselves and how it ends with a big emphasis on the parents and neighbours etc left behind. Given the time and attitudes, however, it’s seen as a sort of curse, so the idea isn’t exactly explored well.

“If We Were Villains” - Most of the book is spent in flashback, with the end revealing that to Oliver that James committed suicide, it’s basically a very large nostalgia trip with a fun little ribbon of heartbreak at the end that doesn’t get the chance to be truly explored.

You may notice here that most of the suicides, or metaphors for death of oneself, happen at the end of the novels, it isn’t a main focus and is usually followed by THE END.

DPS has no problem exploring consequences and actively mentions consequences throughout the novel and movie, of how A will lead to B.

I don’t really know where I land with DPS and the “who suffered more?” debate. It’s hard to measure pain or sadness, they all suffer for what happens to Neil, they all grieve it, too. DPS has the most substance to talk about, but it feels almost inappropriate too. Yes, Neil was the one lose his life, his future, his love and his passion, his story was cut short (I FUCKING HATE MR PERRY) so, of course, I’m compelled to say Neil suffered most, because frankly, he did. But there’s also the aspect of “those who were left behind”, it seems Todd and Charlie feel almost a bit of betrayal towards losing Neil, and the others become subdued and lost with grief, you can feel that there is no warmth anymore. There’s also Mr Keating, who sobs over the society verse book, who probably feels some responsibility even though it was Neil who mislead him.

Everyone’s lives are changed, main by Mr Fucking Wise Guy Perry.

It can be considered an inappropriate debate to have, but it’s also morbidly interesting. Neil’s life ends, but the others are changed forever, and since you can’t measure suffering by a true meter, it’s hard to say who hurt more, not that it’s something that should be debated with vigour anyways.

I know I probably left a lot of important relationship stuff out. Would love to hear other thoughts on this, also this is just my opinion! Completely fine to disagree:)

#dead poets fandom #dead poets society #todd anderson #neil perry #anderperry #the dead poets society #gerard pitts #richard cameron #dps #steven meeks #knox overstreet #charlie dalton #mr perry hate club #mr keating #dps boys #dps headcanons #personal vent

[asteroidtroglodyte]

[exert of a conversation between Martin Scorsese, Paul Shrader, and Roger Ebert from 1976 regarding Scorsese’s 1973 film Goncharov]

…

Scorsese: Because there's a lot of violence to this picture, some of the New York reviews are calling it an exploitation film. Jesus! I went flat broke making this film! My films haven't made a lot of money, you know? Right now, I'm living off my next film.

Schrader: If it's an exploitation film, I wish we had a dollar for every time you were told it would never be a success at all. That screenplay got turned down by everybody.

Scorsese: We showed it to some New York media educators, and I thought we'd get lynched! We showed it to some student editors...there was this wise guy there I recognized from a screening we had of "Alice." He asks whether, after all my success, I'm about ready to fall on my ass. I've hardly gotten started!

Schrader: You got zero valid reactions immediately after the screenings. The immediate response is usually very visceral and angry, but I remember, this one, silence. The anger came later. But, if this film weren't controversial, there'd be something wrong with the country.

Ebert: What you give us in this guy, Goncharov, who comes from nowhere - we get hardly any background - eventually we realize he's seething inside, he's got all this violence bottled up....

Scorsese: And he goes back again and again to where the violence is. One of the reviewers, I think it was Andrew Sarris, said how many times can you use [The Clocks] as a metaphor for hell? But that's the thing about hell - it goes on and on. And he couldn't get out of it. But you're right that we don't tell you where he comes from, or what his story is. Obviously, he comes from somewhere and he picked up these problems along the way.

Schrader: You told me you wrote it that way after thinking about the way they handled "In Cold Blood." They tell you all about Perry Smith's background, how he developed his problems, and immediately it becomes less interesting because his problems aren't your problems, but his symptoms are your symptoms.

Ebert: Pauline Kael has said that Scorsese, Robert Altman and Francis Ford Coppola are the three most interesting directors in the country right now - and that it might be due to their Catholicism, that after Watergate, the nation feels a sort of guilt and needs to make a form of reparation, and that Catholics understand guilt in a way that others don't, that they were brought up on it.

Scorsese: Guilt. There's nothing you can tell me about guilt.

Schrader: I've got a lot of Protestant guilt.

Scorsese: You can't make movies any more in which the whole country seems to make sense. After Vietnam, after Watergate, it's not just a temporary thing; it's a permanent thing the country's going through. All the things we held sacred - the whole Time-Life empire...whoosh! Well, Time's still left.

Ebert: In a lot of your movies, there's this… ambivalent attitude, toward women. The men are fascinated by women, but they don't quite know how to relate to them...

Scorsese: The goddess-whore complex. You're raised to worship women, but you don't know how to approach them on a human level, on a sexual level. That's the thing with Katya, with Sofia, he loves them but he doesn’t really see them as people. They go from garbage to goddess and back and forth.

Ebert: I’m reminded of Katya with the candles in her bedroom.

Scorsese: Exactly, she's like a saint to him! He can't imagine these people treating her the way they do. Before he goes to avenge her, it's almost like he cleanses himself, like in "The Virgin Spring" when Max von Sydow scourges himself with the branches before he goes out to avenge his daughter's death.

Schrader: We actually had that shot in the movie, and we took it out. Goncharov whips himself with a towel before he goes out with his guns. We took it out because it looked a little forced and unnatural.

Scorsese: But the Catholic thing? I suppose there are a lot of Catholic references in the film, even if they're only my own personal reference. Like the moment when he burns the flowers before he goes out to kill. And when he's buying the guns and the dealer lays them out one at a time on the velvet, like arranging the altar during Mass.

…

#goncharov #roger ebert #martin scorsese

[goose-books]

goose-books productions: a 2023 review

only [checks watch] two months late! view the image in higher quality here; read past years-in-review here; and thank you as always to my beloved @yvesdot for the template!

i shan't be dishonest; 2023 was not exactly the year of max. but i still got a lot of good writing done! transcripts + commentary under the cut, and, uh, take the godsong character roster again.

cws: animal death (february), pregnancy/miscarriage + body image issues (july), addiction (september), self-harm-as-metaphor (october)

january

what’s that? godsong ran away with me for another year? well, it does that. in the second of a plotted trilogy, anna (roughly: what if aeneas were a very sad lesbian?) and her lieutenants visit a soothsayer. ichari wants to kill for her, btw. anna please let them kill for you,

“Have we got to sacrifice an animal?” Sascha said, tilting his head. “Let you dig around in the entrails?” “If you’d like,” the Sibyl said, upper lip wrinkling. “But I’m haughty enough to believe I can make do with a bit of holy blood. Not you. Annadrijanna, if you would give me your hand.” Anna didn’t move. Her eyes widened, very slightly, as she stared at the hand the Sibyl had extended to her, palm up. Ichari’s hand was on their knife again before they could blink. Damn the gods and Avender’s Sibyl, and damn Anna’s quest, the moment she needed it they could have their blade in the prophet’s throat no matter what holy punishment tumbled down on their heels— “It won’t be like the other,” the Sibyl said, nodding to Anna’s right hand. “I keep my tools clean. Far less messy than entrails.” From their cloak pocket they drew a glinting silver pin, topped with a bead of pearl. “Just a prick, that’s all.” Ichari couldn’t tell if Anna’s chest was rising and falling beneath the robes, or if she had calcified entirely. “Anna,” they said, soft, warning. Almost pleading. Just give me the word, Anna. Just say the word. “You’ve a lot of ghosts clinging to your robes, Annadrijanna,” the Sibyl said softly. “I need a bit of life.”

february

while anna’s doing that, ambergris is causing problems. raised in regency patriarchyville, she recently befriended a dragon and received Powers; now she’s working toward 1. making it seem like her family’s manor is haunted 2. killing her parents and 3. having gay sex. not necessarily in that order.

Blood and yolk still stuck to her hands, gumming the webbing between thumb and forefinger. But it was a pretty picture, the mews desecrated, the falcons gone mad and tearing open their eggs. The duchy would whisper that Pyranimia had forsaken even the birds, that the Armindale fortune was suffocating in broken shells, and no one would consider that it was only nature, that rabbits and snakes and stable cats would swallow down their young if they got hungry. But not here, Ambergris thought, serene, picturing what her mother would say when she learned of the mews—the slight twitch of her mouth before her face settled back into glacial calm. Not you. You wish you could. You’re starving for it. But you won’t be rid of me now. You don’t know that yet. But I hold you in my hands now. If I were really a sorceress, I could twist up your body, ruin the organs that made me, the ones that hurt you. Or I could take them out and let you go free. She could sympathize. Abandoned by the goddess, she too might have withered and waned, and come to loathe the children sapping her strength as they grew inside her body. But her mother had made Ambergris too well for that—too cold to love a child or a husband, too cold to shrink from blood. You took the knife from your chest and put it in mine, Ambergris thought. But the gods have been watching. My god has been watching. The storm is building. And before I ever let you eat me, Mother, I will finish a daughter’s work and drain you dry. She raised her hand to her mouth, where her thumb met her forefinger, and licked away the blood.

march

in the spring i wrote a very long paper about antony and cleopatra (the shakespeare play, and also the people, and also the echoes of their story in the aeneid). which got me thinking about the deliberate narrative parallels between dido and cleopatra, which got me writing a ten-minute play where they have a one-night stand. happens to the best of us. i’m very proud of how this one came out, actually, but i have no idea what to do with it. target audience of weird lesbian classicists?

D: I want to be someone they don’t write tragedies about. C: (to the audience) Well. How charmingly ironic. D: If I could just—have—if I could just—just a life. Just someone who loves me. Just someone who won’t go away. Something boring. Something monotone. I don’t care how good I look burning. I want to stop being on fire. C: You have absolutely no sense of flair. D: I miss my sister. (A pause. She looks to C.) C: Can’t help you there. I had mine killed. D: (exhausted) Happens.

april

fans of the aeneid, please enjoy The Scene In Which The Protag Loses To A Tree. if godsong ever drops i will accept a 10-page double-spaced essay about how it is in conversation with the jason & medea myth.

Anna set his jaw. He braced his wooden hand against the trunk, then stepped up onto the coil and reached for the golden branch. It was slick and cold under his fingers, closer to stone than wood; Anna took hold and yanked. The branch slid from his fingers. Anna grabbed the trunk so he didn’t fall backward, ice jolting up his spine. The serpent hadn’t moved. Again he tried to snap the branch. A whisper of leaves as it bent, but there was no give; again his sweat-damp hand fell away. The word that slipped from his mouth startled him, because it was the sort of word no one used in a temple, something Caradorra had been scolded for saying in front of their mother. Another glance at Sascha. The serpent hadn’t stirred. Anna wiped his hand on his robes, straining up on his toes, and wrapped his hand around the base of the branch. If he could saw at it—but his sword lay gleaming and useless in the grass, his calves starting to ache, the branch warming under his touch. Please, Iv, please, please, please— He ignored the flicker in the corner of his eye: movement from the lakeside. But then came the hiss, rising like steam from the water thrown at the charred walls of a burning city, and his blood ran cold. Breaking from the lake, wet and shimmering, came an enormous frilled head. The second serpent, awake and alert, slitted yellow eyes fixed on Anna. It moved faster than thought—legs bunching, coils rippling, launching itself for the tree. “Sascha, down!” Ichari shouted from the treeline, and the gun went off, louder than godly thunder, and the branch beside Anna burst into splinters, and as he gave a last desperate yank the golden branch snapped cleanly into his hand.

may

while working on the actual plot of godsong, i was also fleshing out the backstory, and ended up stumbling into the personalities of anna’s parents (a t4t4t throuple! let’s go gay people). so here’s a bit of anna backstory from the perspective of his mother, who is wonderful and nervous. did you know anna was chosen for priesthood at age 11? probably had no long-term psychological effect on her at all.

It was a celebration for Eli’s records: three days and three nights of festival feasting, of singing and dancing and hymns, of the temple bells ringing a clangorous echo from dawn until dusk. In past years, after past Ivtouchings, the celebrations had been citywide but quieter, briefer—the ceremonial anointment before the temple doors, to mark the new priest as a new melody in Iv’s living voice, and then a song. But it had been three hundred years since Iv had plucked a child from the rings of Ivander to holiness. No simple ceremony would suffice. On the first day, the older Ivtouched helped Anna atop an oxcart, the horns of each ox wrapped in gold ribbon, and led him in cheering parade through the city’s spiraling roads to the temple. In the street, in the surging shouting crowds that followed on foot, Radi cheered her voice hoarse and tried to etch the picture into her memory: the brilliant blue of the sky, the loose tail of ribbon flapping from one oxhorn, the glint of the sun off the bronze-painted spokes of the cart’s wheels. All of those details she might have set to canvas, with a small enough brush and a steady enough hand. But she knew even then that she wouldn’t try. There was no replicating her son’s smile, so broad it must have ached, or the dazed look of joy in his eyes. As if he were dreaming and praying not to wake. As if some curtain had unveiled before him to show him the heavens in shining vivid color, the world created for him anew. Someone else’s hands would mark him holy; someone else’s hands had dressed him in the dark Ivtouched robes, billowing out behind him in the breeze. He wasn’t quite tall enough. The hem was pinned up so it didn’t drag. Every few minutes atop the cart, Anna’s hand drifted down to hike the fabric up, more twitchy than deliberate, each yank a quiet spear through Radi’s heart.

june

please refer to my february comments on that list of ambergris’s.

Ambergris regarded them coolly. She had pulled them around the back of the orchestra into a corner: curtained from the rest of the room by a clot of musicians, the strings near too loud to speak over, the lanterns throwing warped shadows over the floor. “I apologize,” she said, slow, “if I startled you, Captain. I’d like a word.” Ichari’s heart still pattered at their ribs. Again they forced down the shaking need to wipe that faint smirk from her face. “You’ve had a few. You satisfied yet?” “Y-you’ve met my husband,” Ambergris said, “twice now.” So she had been watching, then, probably sunken into the shadows like a grotesque. “Twice too many times,” they said, curling their lip. “You aren’t impressed.” “Don’t let me offend your wifely sensibilities.” Ichari flashed their wickedest grin to see if she would squirm. “But you’re too pretty to go to waste on an ill-dressed fool’s limp cock.” Ambergris didn’t flinch, but her eyes widened slightly. Big innocent eyes, Sascha’s eyes, with all the guilelessness of a kitten. “Am I?” “Too good for him? I’m sorry you had to find out this way, duchess.” “Not duchess,” Ambergris said, “yet. I find—I know I’m too good. Am I pretty.”

july

more backstory, this time in second person about ambergris’s mother, who gets a POV in the book proper. not a very fun POV, but there's generational trauma to explore. creusa is the doctor that's been called in to help jonquilla through a miscarriage; she is gnc as fuck (jonquilla voice: you're insane).

Four weeks Creusa tends your bedside—four fuzzy weeks drifting in and out of fever, your thoughts racing like loosed horses, as you bleed out the last of your hoped-for heir. You loathe her for it, with a bright-hot intensity you can only grasp for moments at a time between unconsciousnesses. You loathe her for daring to pity you, for helping you sit up to drink down your pain relief; you loathe her for doing it well. You loathe her because she is fresh and young and rosy-cheeked and you are soft and lumpy and pathetic. You loathe her because she is beautiful despite all she does to destroy it, despite the way she prowls the manor in trousers, despite the fact that you have never once seen her suck in her stomach. Beautiful the way you were mere years ago. Beautiful enough to make breath catch when those worn fingers tuck her shorn hair behind her ears. What gives her the right to see you like this? What gives her the right to sprawl out in your home, in your chambers, in all her impropriety? What gives her the right to choose to be—this? Does she have a husband somewhere who lets her run free? Children she tends to with the same slight curve of a smile she gives you? Sisters? Brothers? Who does she fall into bed with at night? You want to step inside her skin, to pry it up, to take her apart and see how her heart beats. She’s had her hands in enough of your blood. You want to hold her organs. Your dreams come in tatters. Your stomach swollen to bursting again. The endless hallways. Dittany soaring away from you. Children squirming in your gut. Creusa stroking your hair. Sometimes those are not dreams, you think; sometimes your eyes flutter open and she is there, patient, quiet, calm. As she always is, except for the crease in her soft rose-petal lips, because when you are asleep she does not smile at you. She watches you as if she is afraid for you. She watches you as if she is guilty of something.  There are other dreams, too. Dreams you refuse to remember.

august

in august i had a Medical Experience. but first i finished the draft of godsong2, because i never fucking lose. this bit is from the very last scene, where no one is doing well.

Most days she shaved her face each day after morningsong, when she had the strength and a passable mirror. In Ivander she had not needed to, but she liked the look of it, the cleanness; in Armindale Manor she had been particularly careful. Sascha must have noticed, or picked it up from her face, because he scrambled wobbling back to his feet. “I’ll fetch a razor, eh?” “Sascha—” Ichari started, but Sascha waved a hand. “I’ll do it, Anna,” he said, earnest. Her twinge of warmth was faint; she inclined her head slightly. They had done something like this before, Sascha scrunching up next to her to wind his fingers through her hair—hair, Anna realized distantly, that was soot-choked and tangled now. He had spun her waves into a thick braid, then a number of tiny ones, chattering all the while; she had repaid him for it once with a spiraling swirl of mehndi across each of his fluttery hands. Now, though, when he held the razor up to her face, there was a new trepidation in the set of his lips. It took Anna too many sticky seconds to realize he was trying and failing to settle the terrible shake in his hands. “Sorry,” he said, blanching, when Anna looked at him. “Ah, I’m sorry, I…” “Armindale,” Ichari said, soft. Gentler than she had ever heard his name in their voice. They held out a palm. “S’okay.” Anna tilted her face toward them. Sascha scooted back to wrap his arms around his knees and watch Ichari sliver the hair from her chin, one hand braced against her cheek, their hands callused and cold and kind.

september

and we've reached the part of the year where school hit me like a Fucking Train. here's some carronash. that is, MILF julius caesar x neopronouns mark antony, in an extremely uneven borderline-religious-worship dynamic that has swallowed the latter's entire life (more about their deal here). you know, out of context here, they almost look sweet.

Ash shut xir eyes so xe wouldn’t see her hear it, and xe croaked, “I need a drink.” Her chest rose and fell beneath xim in silence. Somewhere beyond xir walls, a cart rattled over the streets. “I know,” Ash said, panic starting to rise cold in xir throat. “I know—I know, but it hurts, I need a drink, Julienne, it hurts, I think I’m going to die. I think I might fucking die.” I know you do, she had said the last time xe’d told her xe needed a drink. I know you do. I know you know why it’s a bad idea. And she had kissed xir forehead like an anointment and held xim when xe shook with frustrated sobs. Nothing now. Just her hand combing through xir curls. “Julienne,” Ash said, near a whine, the craving a spidery itch beneath xir skin. “Ash,” Julienne said. “Am I asking too much of you?” It didn’t sound like a condemnation. Xir insides curled anyway. “No,” xe said, small as a scolded child. “No, I just—I just…” “If it’s too much,” she said, soft. “If you can’t bear it. There’s no shame in that.”

october

i posted this poem here, but we’ll see it again! i think it’s kind of heavy-handed, but that's what happens when you try to articulate an insanity.

2:35 grindstone // max franciscovich there is a knife in my hand. there is a knife i am holding in the palm of my hand. i hold it by the blade. when i squeeze the blood runs down through the webbings of my fingers and the sting is hot. if i uncurl my fingers i will let go of the knife and it will not hurt. if i let go of the knife i will forget pain. suffering and fear will dull and scab over and my eyes will close. when i squeeze i remember it hurts. i remember i am dangerous. my eyes can close. i can cut with a touch. if i let go of the knife it will not hurt to make a fist. if i let go of the knife i will make a fist. if i let go of the knife in my hand i will forget there is a knife in my hand. when i squeeze the sting whets my thoughts and i see the world in all its brutal glory and i touch nothing i could ruin. there is a knife in my hand. there is a knife i am holding in the palm of my hand.

november

no nano this year :( i was being crushed by school and mentals, unfortunately. which sucks, because i've had a streak since 2018! but alas. next year. i did write a little more godsongverse backstory, set in anna's old city and starring the book's hector and andromache figures (ira and lucia, respectively; imi and nia are their twin toddlers).

Here was a part of the war that would not be told: that sometimes it would be late, very late, the sun sunken into the earth and the children in bed, before Ira came home. That Imi and Nia were asleep, Lucia suspected, was not an effect but a reason, because sometimes her heart-knit lover was nigh unrecognizable in the doorway, hunched and haggard, bathed in gore, and the twins would have been terrified. Blasphemous, maybe, for Lucia to see the dried blood cracking in rivulets on Ira’s skin and think of Iv’s shattered face. But even blasphemy was better than the other reason she shied from the thought—that likening Ira to the holiest of martyrs felt like giving up. Giving into what she suspected everyone else already thought inevitable. After the first night she had stopped fearing the worst. There would have been no missing the uproar in the city. Her fears were simpler: how much blood there might be, how many times Ira would wake in the night. But unless the wailing rose high enough to shake the temple down, the sixth wall of Ivander stood, and Lucia sat at home with the spinning and waited.

december

and… would you look at that, more godsong. i did write non-godsong things this year! but most of them are short stories i'm hoping to send out for publication, so i'm not keen on sharing yet. this, however, is literally a godsong x hadestown AU that i’ve been calling spadestown, and if i ever finish it i Will be posting it here. in a beautiful alternate world, godsong is an annaspades romcom. (it's not even that in this AU.)

Lying on the bed watching Anna write, Spades said, “You know xim. The queen.” Not an accusation, exactly. But a search for solid ground, an escape from the ice shifting under her. At the desk, Anna tapped the end of his pen against his lips. Distracting lips, unfairly plush. “Yes,” he said after an absent moment. “It is—natural. Xe returns every summer.” “Only here?” “As far back as I remember.” Anna blinked; Spades watched it sink in. “But not where you come from.” Spades shrugged. There were gods where she had come from, too. Not the sort one poured drinks for. “I suppose we can’t all be holy,” she said, reaching out across the narrow span of the room to his chair. Anna took her hand, his skin warm against hers, his pen calluses already familiar—the tip of his second finger, the inside of his third. When she closed her eyes, Ash’s grin flashed behind her lids. Xe must have known who she was. Gods always knew. “Sing it again,” she said, patting the bed beside her. Anna was staring at the page. He hummed another bar under his breath. Spades thought she might have to get up, to close the journal for him, to slip the pen from his hands and kiss him and hope he kissed back instead of dreaming louder. Then Anna said, “Sing what?” Spades tipped his chair back to hear him yelp. “What do you think, dipshit?” “My song?” Anna said, and there was his little winking smile. “Or our wedding hymn?” There was only one bed in the attic room, so they slept curled together. Invariably Spades woke with silky hair in her mouth. Not bad, she figured, for a night always warm.

and that's a wrap! i know i didn't post much this year, but i'm still hard at work at various odds and ends. thank you for sticking around, and i hope everyone reading this has a wonderful 2024!

#max.txt #max actually writes #year in review #okay tags time innit. #godsong tag #anna ivtouched #ichari felidore #sascha armindale #ambergris armindale #jonquilla armindale #julienne carron #ash pyrris #hellenira ivtouched #lucia tag #< poor girl doesn't have a last name yet. that's on me #cinquedea spades

[befuddled-calico-whump]

Dude you have no idea how envious I am of your ability to not only come up with a solid idea/plot for a series, but then manage multiple main characters and their dynamics and make it a cohesive, good story. What is your secret. How do you do it. I want to start a series with multiple main characters, but I don’t know where to start. All of your world building is just brilliant and how you manage to create multiple different series all in varying fictional settings, with unique plots and characters, tell me your secrets. Please. And also how you include whump in your work without always making that the focus- >>>. You’re an amazingly talented writer and artist like holy shit.

😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️🥺🥺🥺❤️❤️ THANK YOU SO MUCH❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I don't know how qualified I am to give writing advice, but I feel like it's important to say I definitely didn't used to be good at ensemble casts

I've written a l o t of ensemble-type stories, mostly because I used to base most of my characters on friends, and wanted to include everyone. And honestly, that can be a good place to start. The styles, traits, hobbies, etc of people you know, or even yourself, can serve as inspiration for characters. And since you've seen these hobbies and habits in action, it can give another layer of life to it :)

Something else that helps, that I actually do a lot, is using the "Five Man Band" trope as a template. The FMB consists of five characters, each with their own archetype, usually working together towards a common goal.

You have your leader (self-explanatory, the one who calls the shots); lancer (a foil to the leader, the one who questions them the most); big guy (either the most physically powerful, or the one who solves problems with fists); smart guy (the one who falls back on intelligence, usually stereotyped as a nerd); and heart (emotional center of the team, usually the most sensitive and/or best at de-escalation).

While only using the listed/expected traits can lead to flat characters, it's a pretty good foundation to start with, that can help you determine how each character fits within the story, as well as how they'd react to each situation. When creating T$$ characters, I started with this and kept building.

Some other things that I think helps when trying to characterize a big cast:

- Have a "cheat sheet" for your main characters that lists things like what phrases they tend to use, how descriptive they are, whether they use big words, what they tend to notice when they're somewhere new, etc.

- If you swap POVs, have them reference hobbies, personal history, family, etc, even if it's somewhat subtle. For example, Character A might compare a new acquaintance to a wizard in their favorite fantasy novel, and Character B might use a lot of bird-themed descriptions and metaphors because their mother was an ornithologist

- Okay, this one is slightly more out there, but playing DnD or other TTRPGs helps a lot. Creating a character and pretending to be them, especially when there are other people around who might spring scenarios on you that you don't expect, is great practice for getting into characters' heads for your writing

- Putting new characters through "what would you do" type scenarios. Not even necessarily writing a whole scene out (though that can help you solidify a voice), but just mentally Putting the Guy in Situations and figuring out how they'd react.

Really hope this was helpful, and thank you again!!

#🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️ #anon #writing advice #(sorta) #fave

[bonefall]

i Adore all the flower symbolism related to bluestar, bluestars flower definitely works. perhaps "bluestars flowers" would flow better? also, what do you mean by brambleberrys story with honeysuckle? :o

Yeah, I'm leaning towards Bluestar's Flowers. It seems like it captures everything about the redux-- her friends, her fate, and also her budding ideology.

By Brambleberry's story with the honeysuckle, I mean this one quote from her that I really like a lot from Last Hope,

"So? The Clans are like honeysuckle. One tendril chokes the other to reach for the light, believing they grow from separate stems. When the sun shines, young leaves fight for its warmth. The struggle makes the bush strong, each branch seeking out the light and climbing even higher. But when there is no sun, when the leaves begin to fall and the branches wither one by one, the stem must look to its roots for nourishment."

Much as I have problems with... this entire exchange in OotS and Canon Jayfeather STILL being resistant to working with other Clans at this point to the point where StarClan has to tell him to get his ducks in a row, I REALLY love this metaphor

It's the first time it really clicked for me how the Clans should see themselves, an actual justification for the pointless squabbling over borders. The fighting is what makes them strong. They're all part of the same bush, but their way of life keeps their skills sharp and prunes the weakest parts of the plant so it can weather the winter in dark times.

THAT'S Traditionalism. That defines this ideology. That things are the way they are as a balance-- that they don't help each other, but they don't destroy each other either. From this springs Fire Alone and Thistle Law, as direct responses to this idea.

Forget-me-nots, Thistles, and Honeysuckles. The three symbolic flowers.

#Bluestar's Flowers #Forget-me-not AU #Bluestar #Brambleberry #Bonefall Rewrite

[newronantic]

BYLER FICS

ayo its been a while but we got a new hyperfixation + covid is kicking my ass so lets fucking do this also this was supposed to be general stranger things fics but i have byler brainrot lol youve been warned

let’s hear it for the boys by andiwriteordie

mama said you can’t hurry love - Will and Mike throughout the years, told through the eyes of Joyce Byers

the winner takes it all - Robin and Steve start a betting pool on when Will and Mike will finally get together, and it eventually spreads to the entire party

rule of threes - Four times the members of the Party realized they were Mike and Will's third wheel, and one time Mike and Will realized it for themselves.

a very murray mistletoe - The one in which Murray finally has a chat with Will and Mike.

don’t you forget about me - The members of the party go to college, and Mike struggles with change, being away from everything he's ever known, and the fear of losing the people he loves.

and i get the joy of rediscovering you - how Mike falls in love with Will over the years.

so i showed up at your party - Mike throws Will a birthday party while their friends are home on spring break. Naturally, drunken shenanigans occur.

The Red Envelope by midnighteverlark

When Will needs to get his thoughts out of his head, he writes a letter he never intends to send. He addresses it to Mike, and tells him everything. He forgets all about the letter, and the distinctive red envelope he stowed it in, until he turns around to find it missing. Now, Will has to think of some way to stop Mike from reading that letter - or should he wait at Castle Byers on Saturday at 2:00pm and pray for a miracle?

The Unmarked Mixtape by midnighteverlark

The impossible happened: Will asked Mike to be his boyfriend. Even stranger? Mike said yes. That's how it started. A letter, an accidental confession, a Saturday afternoon. And that? That was the easy part. Now, what they do - what they are - is secret. Because if anyone finds out... they don't even want to imagine. But they try not to focus on that. They're busy, after all, trying to navigate this new relationship. Kisses, dates, prom, couples' quarrels. And in the meantime, Will has a problem on his hands; a power he needs to learn to control, before it blows up in his face. It's a crazy end to their school year - but there's more going on behind the scenes than they realize.

It’s just polyester. by mayfixlds, okwillthewise

Will gets a boyfriend and Mike gets jealous.

You gave me your sweater. by mayfixlds, okwillthewise

Two boys navigating their way through life and love.

Come to California, Be A Freak by crow_of_crimes

Mike and Max run away to California together in hopes of finally confessing their feelings to Will and El.

The 5 People Will Byers Came Out To by soidade

Five separate scenes of Will coming out for the first time.

Another Love by Youngcreature28

Volume 2 fix-it fic including the one-bed trope, Will getting Vecna’d and a rain fight & kiss.

Argyle’d by whyamistillwritingpages

You’ve heard of Byler getting Murray’d, now get ready for an extremely high Argyle who doesn’t realize the two aren’t already together to do the exact same.

darling, you got to let me know (should i stay or should i go?) by andiwriteordie 

Mike gets Vecna’d

oh can’t you see you belong with me? by andiwriteordie

Mike gets Vecna’d (again)

sleepless nights, losing ground, i’m reaching for you by andiwriteordie

Ok ok but this time Mike and Will BOTH get Vecna’d

the first. by andiwriteordie

A series of "firsts" in Mike and Will's friendship, over the years.

Mike Wheeler and the Laws of Motion by queer_we_are

Will comes out as gay, and this is a surprise to no one except for Mike. Mike deals with his myriad of thoughts and feelings about this shocking revelation mainly through math metaphors, because of course he does.

Two Idiots Take Way Too Long to Get Together: A Story in Letters by queer_we_are

A week after their wedding, Will and Mike Wheeler-Byers are opening their wedding gifts. They open one present that has them taking a trip down memory lane...

i think we’re alone now by friendstolovers

In which Will has a love bite, the Party freaks out about it, and Mike is jealous of himself.

break their bounds by scorchstorm

Several snapshots of mike and will’s relationship, through the good and the bad.

can’t hold out forever by scorchstorm

Five times that others noticed how mike felt + the one time that will did.

help me hold onto you by scorchstorm

mike falls apart one drunken night. will helps piece him back together.

I Never Find Out ‘Til I’m Head Over Heels by orphan_account

Wherein Mike believes he’s being obvious, Will doesn’t know what he believes, and the pair of them could use a lesson or two in effective communication. Somehow all of this has both nothing and everything to do with five years' worth of school dances.

Love, Mike by Youngcreature28

Or the one where Mike is a jealous, clingy, horny little shit the whole time, has to watch as Will is taken by Vecna, twice, and comes to realise that he may have been in love with his best friend the whole time. It sure would explain a few things.

i ain’t gotta tell him, i think he knows by nxncywheelcr

The “Get Mike and Will Together Mission.” The Quintessential Quartet (another Dustin nickname) had finally decided enough was enough, and planned to get them the fuck together.

Will’s not so Secret Admirer by lgheartofglass

In which Will keeps getting flirty notes from a secret admirer...

Will’s not so Secret Boyfriend by lgheartofglass

Mike and Will decide to keep their relationship a secret... But it doesn't go as planned.

a game of truths by RomeoWrites

“Tell me something that you’ve never told me before.”

a three-step plan to make will byers fall in love by RomeoWrites

The party concocts a three-step plan to get Will Byers to fall in love assuming, of course, that he hasn’t already.

The Screw Ups - Byler by zombiewheeler

We follow mike wheeler and will byers through friendship, love and hurt.

Jealousy (turning saints into the sea) by wasabi8000

The one where Mike finally gets jealous.

Pair of Abnormalities by AwkwardDinosaur

After having combatted Vecna and the Upside Down, Mike Wheeler assumed that his emotional turmoil would finally be put to rest. However, with Will wanting to be more open about their relationship with their friends, where does that leave Mike? Is his fear of telling others rooted in a closeted mindset, or does it come from something far deeper than that?

i’m tearing you asunder by smoosnoom (moonsooms)

The world ends, and then some. Mike and Will find each other again, amidst the debris and distance.

Camaraderie and Catharsis by Dragonboy7

After a year of his friends constantly asking Will about his secret “girlfriend,” Will decides to finally say something. He’ll gladly tell everyone - if they agree to help him set up a surprise for their one year anniversary. What Will does not mention, however, is that this mysterious “girlfriend” is not exactly a girl. Oh, and he’s in the Party.

Prompts by teej_318

A bunch of short one-shots that i’m too lazy to link individually

the worst thing about being honest by quietforasecond

Mike keeps falling asleep, Will can’t stop hacking up flowers, and everyone is suddenly great at giving advice.

#stranger things #byler #mike wheeler #will byers #eleven #jane hopper #lucas sinclair #dustin henderson #max mayfield #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #jonathan byers #steve harrington #eddie munson #erica sinclair #joyce byers #jim hopper #ao3 #fanfic #fic recs

[thepalmofyourfreezinghand]

One thing about Taylor that I think sometimes gets overlooked is how versatile she is with her songwriting. 

In my opinion, she’s never written something as otherworldly amazing as “I’m amorous but out of reach, a still life drawing of a peach” (from Fiona Apple’s Valentine) or “You asked to walk me home, but I had to carry you / And you pushed me in, and now my feet can't touch the bottom of you” (from Phoebe Bridgers’s Moon Song), or the entirety of First Love / Late Spring by Mitski.

But what she has - that Apple, Bridgers and Mitski largely lack - is the ability to write great songs in like ten different lyrical styles. She’s great with slick pop lyrics (Style, Blank Space...), she’s great with diaristic storytelling (Cornelia Street, Hits Different, Holy Ground, YOYOK...), she’s great with metaphors (invisible string, Long Live, False God, TGW...), she’s great with timeless tunes (Lover, YBWM, IKYWT...), she’s great with writing from a character’s POV (august, ivy, dorothea...), she’s great with sassiness (Question...?, TIWWCHNT, BTR...), she’s great with cheekiness (Gorgeous, London Boy, Hey Stephen...), she’s great with irony (Speak Now, betty...) she’s great with painting a striking picture - both small (INTHAF, seven...) and big (ATW, champagne problems...).

She’s so so so versatile and she’s above average, great or amazing in whatever lyrical style she employs. And although when I look at single lyrics I might end up preferring other artists’ work, when I look at the big picture she’s my favorite songwriter precisely because of how versatile she is.

#taylor swift

[silviatheorbit]

One of a Kind Album Review!

I will be repeating this all summer for sure! I really love this direction sound-wise for Loossemble. The album all together is a 8.5/10.

Before I rank each track individually,

Track 1 : Intro (A butterfly's signal)

A pretty good intro! ngl the beginning scared me, I thought we were going to go to a sound more like Birth if you know what I mean...But anyway, someone said it sounded like Burn the Bridge (by le sserafim) and I kind of hear it, not to mention the spoken lyrics as well (which le sserafim does for their intros). I don't really mind, though. I still like Searching for their Friends better just because it feels so grand, but this is a different concept so I understand why they sound different. A solid 8/10.

Track 2: Girls' Night

Overall, I do like it. I especially love the chorus and post-chorus. What definitely made me enjoy it more is having heard some of the instrumental beforehand. The first verse got me hooked, same with the pre-chorus. The chorus has a lot of overlapping ad-libs which was very confusing on my first listen, but listening to it again I actually love the chorus. The bridge is okay, not groundbreaking but it does the job. You'll notice I've avoided talking about one part in particular, and that's the 2nd verse. In my first album review, I had the same problem with sensitive. The talk - rapping completely ruins the overall mood of the song. It at least seemed less out of place in Sensitive. But in Girls' Night, with a much different concept, it sticks out like a sore thumb. I already layed out my other issues about talk rapping in the Loossemble review, you can find them there. If the 2nd verse had been different, this would have had a higher score. But alas, we'll have to settle for a 8.5/10. It's a good title track that could have been great.

Track 3: Moonlight

While the beginning starts out with an undefined ballad vibe, the song slowly solidifies into something more substantial by the chorus. Comparing the beginning to the chorus, most people wouldn't think they were part of the song. Bizarrely, the change works well. I can't exactly point out what genre this song is, but I like it. I probably won't listen to it much, but it's certainly not bad. A 8/10.

Track 4: Boomerang

Why...just why...this type of song, reminiscent of Oops! by Loona is my least favorite. The chorus is really not that bad, but the verses are abrasive and not in a good way. It's saving grace is the bridge, carrying So What's torch with ethereal bridges. As Hyunjin says in Boomerang, "So high up in the air, you'll fly away". I have nothing else to say. 6.5/10, the .5 is from the bridge.

Track 5: He Said I Said

Since this was my favorite from the track previews, I'm not suprised how much I like He Said I Said. It's a spring track through and through, I love it. Right before the last chorus when Hyunjin says, "You are my only desire" is my favorite part of the song. It just scratches an itch in brain. I need it in a loop. 9.5/10.

Track 6: Truman Show

My favorite track??? It reminds me of Day by Day in a way. I love that Yves, her sister, and Gowon did the lyrics together! Speaking of lyrics, the meaning of this song is so interesting.

I see 2 meanings to the lyrics,

the first: Unrequited love, using the metaphor of Truman Show. In case you didn't know, Truman Show is a movie about a man who's whole life is being broadcasted on TV, everything around him is fabricated, his friends, family, neighbors. The lyricists say that, "This is my own Truman Show that just endеd", meaning they thought their crush loved them but in reality the narrator was only imagining it. It was all fake, like everything around Truman in the movie.

the second: About someone going through a breakup (probably because the other person cheated). In this version, the narrator's partner was faking their love all along, hence fake like Truman Show. I think this interpretation is most likely the one the lyricists intended

Thank you Loossemble for giving us this masterpiece!!! Some lyrics that stood out to me:

Say anything to me Lie to me sweetly

This is my own Truman Show that just ended It's like I'm throwing it away, sorry, too bad (Too bad) The acting was quite clumsy, too late

I don't know who I am, in this empty heart

Track 7: Starlight

Lyricist Hyunjin appears again for her 2nd ballad. This is probably my 2nd favorite, not as good as Day by Day but still memorable. Some lyrics that stand out to me:

Even when the cold wind blows, inside my heart There's only one thing that burns, your light

You filled me up with starlight Dyed in your color

Closing Thoughts: Thanks for making it all this way! Not as good as their debut album but not bad either. I'm so glad we got to see the members be more involved in production. Especially Hyeju writing the lyrics for the title track was pretty crazy. It was so cool to hear the underappreciated members of Loona have the spotlight. Can't wait to see what Loossemble does next!

#kpop #song review #music review #album review #music #loossemble #loona #hyeju #gowon #hyunjin #vivi #yeojin #youtube #one of a kind #era: one of a kind

[theadusa]

All Dramas I watched in 2022

This is all the dramas I watched this year. I actually watched so many, more than I typically do. I wasn’t really going out a lot so I just watched dramas to spend my time. My goal next your is to not watch as many, lol. There were alot of good dramas this year, and I hope you enjoy my thoughts on all that I watched. Also as a warning I try to  put spoiler warnings as much as possible.

Spring is  Green at a Distance ( 2021, Ko Yeon-soo) 

Main leads: Bae In-hyuk, Kang Min-ah, Park Ji-hoon 

Episodes: 12, 60 min

Thoughts: I had high expectations for this drama. I have only heard good things, and how heartbreaking this drama was. I put it off, for this reason, in February I thought I was in the right emotional space for it. Due to all the hype, I was underwhelmed but I do still suggest it. Nam Soo Hyun (Bea In-hyuk) is the heart of the show and is such a fun character. Kim So-bin (Kang Min-ah) is the most relatable female character I have seen in a while, her anxiety is actually debilitating and not just played to make her seem cute. It is a heavy show, but it has light-hearted moments sprinkled throughout. Rating: It is pretty good, just be careful of building expectations.

All of Us are Dead (2022, Chun Sung-il)

Main leads: Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young

Episodes: 12, 53 to 72 min

Thoughts: This one weirdly took me by surprise. I typically don’t like horror/gore stories, but I love zombies as a metaphor. And when going into the themes of the show it is heartbreaking. When understanding how young they are, the people who they are taught to rely on become neglectful when they need them the most. This is a story about the tragedy of a Government that does not serve the people, both young and old. And the human desire to survive. I do highly recommend this show, however, I am not looking forward to season 2. Rating: a Zombie metaphor done right.

Move to Heaven (2021, Yoon Ji-ryeon)

Main leads: Lee Je-hoon, Tang Jun-sang

Episodes: 10, 42 to 62 min

Thoughts: Like the last two, this show was very much hyped. It was a sweet slice-of-life show about the process of grieving. I lost someone recently so it was comforting seeing people mourn in different ways. Lee Je Hoon was incredible in this as always and gave a moving performance. It isn’t my favorite show I watched this year but definitely worth a watch. Rating: Grieving takes time.

Familiar Wife (2018, Yang Hee-sung)

Main leads: Ji Sung, Han Ji-min

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: This drama is definitely under a man’s rom-com genre. Which is essentially a man taking a rough lesson in learning that he actually needs to be a decent person to his wife. You hate Cha Joo-hyuk (Ji Sung) for the first half of this drama, well at least I did, he was selfish, greedy, and couldn’t understand that he was the problem. I was shocked to see that people actually didn’t like Seo Woo-jin (Han Ji-min), like, she was ballsy and trying her best given the circumstances. This drama is definitely a cute show to put in the background or a fun pick-me-up. I wouldn’t put it on a must-watch list, but I wouldn’t discourage anyone from watching it. Rating: If you could change your fate… would ya?

Secret Royal Inspector and Joy (2021, Lee Jae-Yoon)

Main leads: Ok Taec-yeon, Kim Hye-Yoon

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: I originally watched this as it was coming out. I am a big fan of Kim Hye Yoon, and I was just done with Vincenzo. I however dropped it for a period, and finally picked it back up in February. This drama is funny and has found family vibes. The romance between the two main characters is also cute. It does drag a bit in the middle but it isn’t so bad. Rating: Guy Ferri in Josen 

Coffee and Vanilla (2019,  Shimoda Yuko)

Main leads: Fukuhara Haruka, Sakurada Dori

Episodes: 10, 23 min

Thoughts: Let me save you some time and don’t watch this show. I think this might have been the worst show I watched all year. The ML is awful, he is literally a walking red flag and not in a fun way. The FL is just stupid. I don’t have much to say except I hated every second I watched it, also just too many semi-sexy scenes with such a manipulative undertone, so it can be a bit triggering. Rating: Speed run on every toxic troupe

Dali and the Cocky Prince (2021, Son Eun-hye, Park Se-eun)

Main leads: Kim Min-jae, Park Gyu-young

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: This drama was sweet, and definitely picked me up from the last drama I watched. I like both actors and have been watching Kim Min-jae for a while now. The show is sweet and cute. It is a typical opposite attraction and focuses on when passion meets love. It has found family, a sweet and supportive couple, grief, and growth. Also, the relationship between the ML and the SML is actually so funny. It is just a heartwarming show that is easy to watch. Rating: Don’t watch hungry

Into the Ring (2020, Moon Hyun-kyung)

Main leads: Nana, Park Sung-hoon

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: This show is probably my favorite show I have seen all year, if not my favorite of all time. I love the cinematography of this drama and all the shot setups. It is quirky and fun. Se-ra (Nana) is such a fun and lovely character, who is truly interested in her community. I love political comedies, especially those that focus on small-level government. I also love Seo Gong-myung (Park Sung-hoon), he is unironically my dream man. It's cute, fun, and heartwarming, and everyone should watch it. rating: 10 out of 10 would watch it again

Marriage not dating (2014, Joo Hwa-mi)

Main leads: Yeon Woo-jin, Han Groo

Episodes: 16, 60 to 65 min

Thoughts: This show is typically the most recommended in terms of contract marriage, which I get, it definitely hits all your marks. Two people who despise each other are forced to have a marriage contract in the most contrived way possible. It is definitely a drama that was made in 2014 and has all the problems of that time. The man is just a little too toxic and the woman is a little too stupid. But you just can’t turn away. This show is also an example of why not all assembly drama characters need to be friends, that’s all I am going to say about that. Rating: The best part of this drama is the grandma.

The One and Only (2021-2022, ​​Moon Jung-min)

Main leads: Ahn Eun-jin, Kim Kyung-Nam

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: This was a disappointing drama. I typically like underrated slow-paced dramas, and they have a strong theme of female friendship. The friendship was great, the romance was meh, and the plot was all over the place. Like it is an interesting concept to have a dying girl kill somebody, and an assassin as the witness, but I don’t know I was so underwhelmed by the whole thing. Rating: could be less underwhelming, and less simple  

I Remember You (2015, Kwon Ki-young) 

Main leads: Seo In-guk, Jang Nara

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: Fun fact about me, for some reason I made a goal to watch everything in Seo In-guk’s filmography and this one was up next. This drama is also known as Hello Monster, and it is one of those dramas that gets recommended. It is definitely before the 2016 era, in terms of how this drama feels. It is interesting, and I surprisingly liked it despite the appearance of Park Bo Gum. And I just really liked Seo In-guk being all moody and snarky in this tbh. Rating: A contrived drama is exactly what I signed up for.

King’s Affection (2021, Han Hee-Jung)

Main leads: Park Eun-bin, Rowoon

Episodes: 20, 70 min

Thoughts: Rowoon is in his chaotic bisexual era, and I think that is great. But this show is similar to Mr. Queen, in the fact it is so gay but it also refutes its gayness. But the first 10 or so episodes are so good. I love seeing Rowoon being a love fool and just the politics of it all. But then it got boring, and I got busy so I dropped it. I then picked it up again, cause I just needed to watch the last 4 episodes, and my god. They were a drag to get through. I do think the ending is fine. I don’t highly recommend it to anyone, but if you want to watch I won’t stop you. Rating: Identity crisis and bisexual panic the drama. 

Something in the Rain (2018, Kim Eun)

Main leads: Son Ye-jin, Jung Hae-in

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: This drama, no joke, took me several years to finish. Years. I started it back in 2018, I remember waiting for it to finish so I could start it. And I loved it! Son Ye-jin is such a good actress, and Jung Hae-in is able to keep up. They felt so real, and I loved the moments when the camera would let them have a private moment. If you love any Meg Ryan rom coms you would like this. It does get kind of triggering in the middle, just with the whole family situation. And Son Ye-jin’s character is so complicated, circa women from 90s romcom complicated, and I just appreciate how sometimes she is sometimes wrong but isn’t vilified. Just this drama was so real. Rating: it is just like the month of November. 

Love Rain (2012, Oh Soo-yeon) 

Main leads: Im Yoon-ah, Jang Geun-suk

Episodes: 20, 60 min

Thoughts:I actually tried to watch this when I first got into dramas in 2016, and I found the flashback episodes boring (I still do). I am trying to watch every single thing in Seo In-guk’s filmography so I gave this another try. It gets a little more entertaining once you go to modern day. However, it isn’t the most interesting or good drama that you can watch. Rating: Sometimes bitchiness lasts a lifetime…

Find Me in your Memory (2020, Kim Yoon-joo, Yoon Ji-hyun)

Main leads: Kim Dong-wook, Moon Ga-young

Episodes: 16, 35 min

Thoughts: This show was decent, it was interesting to see how the two leads connect. I loved the atmosphere. I really like dramas that are set between winter and spring. It is such a pretty time. The romance between the leads started out rough but I grew to really like them. I think it is a sweet, definitely melodrama, and I do think it is worth a watch. Rating: Once upon a memory…

Sell Your Haunted House (2021, Ha Soo-jin, Jung Yeon-seo, Lee Young-hwa)

Main leads: Jang Na-ra, Jung Yong-hwa

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts:  I first watched this show in 2021 when it was coming out, and I quickly became obsessed. I, however, dropped the show around episode 12 for personal reasons. I eventually picked it up again, and I still really liked it. It is perfect for any spooky occasion, but at its core, it is a show about grief, and how to let go of that grief. This is something that I had to deal a lot with, and this show deals with it in an interesting way. However, if you are looking for romance, you will only find a vague silhouette of it here. Rating: watch out for the ghost. 

Twenty Five Twenty One (2022, Kwon Do-eun)

Main leads: Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk

Episodes: 16, 70 to 75 min

Thoughts: We all heard of this show, we all sob to it, and we know it all too well. This was an absolute masterpiece. Na Hee Do (Kim Tae-ri) is an optimistic girl with mommy issues, and Beak Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk) is a down-on-his-luck boy coming into adulthood at the fall of his family. They in turn start to rely on and comfort each other, as they navigate the turn of the century with all its uncertainties. SPOILERS: These two characters are magical to see on screen, their love for each other is so great no distance can stop it til it does. This show was so good, but the ending seemed to have shoved me off a cliff, not only with the breakup but how everyone ended up. There were so many ways to get the ending they wanted that felt more deserved. Have the entire group fall out of touch or idk. The most devastating was where Yi-jin ended up, he was the most relatable for me. I also had to give up my entire future due to my family and seeing him and his depression was like looking in the mirror. And we never fully see him recover, he was just given more pain and trauma. END. But I do like this drama and highly recommend it but be warned of the tears to come. Rating: What I thought would forever be Twenty five, twenty-one… comes to an end on 9/11

Forecasting Love and Weather (2022, Seon Yeong)

Main leads: Park Min-young, Song Kang

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: I am a Park Min-young stan first and a human second. That’s why I even finished this drama, also I used it as an emotional rebound off of 2521 so I ended up baring this drama. Anyways it was incredibly boring. I almost fell asleep for half of it. TBH, I would skip this one. It has a bad case of the annoying second leads taking up so much of the screen time that it feels almost forced. Rating: I think we all knew that a show about the weather would be this boring

You are my Spring (2021, Lee Mi-na)

Main leads: Seo Hyun-jin, Kim Dong-wook

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: This is another show which I started when it was airing but dropped, cause I was busy with work. I liked it a lot, it differently had good winter/spring vibes, and I really like Seo Hyun-jin. I did go into it expecting a depressing story where the leads lean on each other and heal. And I wasn’t wrong, you also got an added plot of intrigue which does get boring after a while then picks up a bit at the end. I did like it, and probably most of its disjointed parts probably because I had such a long break between the start and finishing the series. Rating: the Balck cat will guide you.

Business Proposal (2022, Han Seol-hee, Hong Bo-hee)

Main leads: Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong 

Episodes: 12, 60 min

Thoughts: Now this is my true pick-up after 2521. I actually never read the webtoon, I just started it cause I heard so much hype around it. It is so good, it's cheesy and it knows it. The chemistry between the entire cast is off the charts. And you care about every single character. Also, Kim Se-jeong is literally born to be on screen. This show was such a pick-me-up, and I highly recommend it to anyone. Rating: This is one Business proposal you can’t refuse. 

Our Beloved Summer (2021-2022, Lee Na-eun)

Main leads: Choi Woo-shik, Kim Da-mi

Episodes: 16, 60 to 70 min

Thoughts: This drama is so good. I watched it as it came out but I did drop it around the 9nth episode for similar reasons to the others. But this one is so slow-paced and so nice to watch. This one also had a love triangle that I didn’t mind too much cause I really liked all the characters. And without it being said, Choi woo-shik and Kim Da-mi’s chemistry is out of this world. The fact that Choi Woo-shik joined the project ‘cause Kim Da-mi was in it, is literally everything. I just really love this drama so much! Rating: My beloved comfort show <3 

Private Lives (2020, Yoo Sung-yeol)

Main leads: Seohyun, Go Kyung-pyo

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: If you can’t tell I was in the mood to finish what I started in terms of dramas. I also started this when it came and loved it. I love Go Kyung-pyo for those that don’t know. I dropped this as always cause I was going through a rough period in my life, but I thought I would pick it up again. This drama is super interesting and refreshing, however like most dramas that rely heavily on intrigue it kind of wobbles near the end. Rating: I would do anything to just see Go Kyung-Pyo….

A Man Defies the World of BL season 2 (2022, Izumi Kawasaki)

Main leads: Atsuhiro Inukai

Episodes: 3, 24 to 29 min

Thoughts: This was a hoot to watch. Which was expected. I watched the first season and loved it and now I finally got to see the second one. Where the protagonist semi-gets a love interest. It is such a fun and easy watch. Worth like the 2 hours you spend on it. Rating: How can an opening song be so fun?

Youth of May (2021, Lee Kang)

Main leads: Lee Do-Hyun, Go Min-si

Episodes: 12, 70 min

Thoughts: Pain is the word to describe this show. The chemistry between Lee Do-Hyun and Go Min-si is off the charts, and their budding romance is sweet. Do be warned it is a tragic tale. A tale of the Gwangju uprising in 1980, I would highly recommend doing research on this uprising and the devastating massacre caused by the dictatorship government at the time. The show is devastating and heartbreaking, there are tedious parts in the middle, with Kim Myung-hee’s friend but it is definitely worth the watch. Rating: Will stick with you forever. 

My Girlfriend (2019, Hu Xiaoshuai, Wei Xiaobao)

Main leads: Xu Weizhou, Qiao Xin

Episodes: 28, 37 to 42 min

Thoughts: This show was cute and predictable, and I really enjoyed myself while watching it. However, I actually can’t remember anything about it to actually form an opinion. It is a good watch when you want something in the background, nice and easy. Rating: I too am cursed by the love gods

Save Me (2017, Jung Shin-kyoo)

Main leads: Ok Taec-yeon, Seo Ye-ji, Jo Sung-ha, Woo Do-hwan

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: This show has been on my watch list since 2017, Netflix took it off their service and I had to go watch it somewhere else. I finally had the gumption to do so recently. The reason I wanted to watch it in the first place is because of Woo Do-hwan. I really liked him as an actor, and still do. This show is such a good thriller, your heart breaks for the people involved, and tbh I have a fear that I would accidentally get recruited into a cult so this applies to me. Definitely worth the watch, though it does get slow in the middle. Rating: Beware the cult…

Full House (2004, Min Hyo-Jung)

Main leads: Song Hye-Kyo, Rain

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: This is one of the shows when you start getting into kdramas it is constantly recommended. I actually never watched it, I did my time with Boys Over Flowers and Playful Kiss. However, after finishing 2521 I urged myself to watch it because they mention the manga so often. Anyways it was so bad like they were just arguing all the time. I didn’t understand why we the audience should root for them. They more often than not felt like petulant children. How can a show be so recommended, but so actually awful? Anyways save yourself and just watch anything else. Rating: How is the most romantic thing the 3 bears???

Clean With Passion for Now (2018, Han Hee-Jung)

Main leads: Kim Yoo-jung, Yoon Kyun-sang

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: This show is just boring. I did not care about any of the characters. Like it was good somewhat for the first like 5 episodes, and then it felt like pulling nails. The romance was cute, however, I just wasn’t interested. Rating: snooze town, population me.

Crazy Love (2022, Kim Bo-gyeom)

Main leads: Kim Jae-Wook, Krystal Jung

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: Now this is what enemies to lovers should be. These two characters literally commit war crimes against each other, but it evens out and they turn into the sweetest lovers. This is such a fun show! Kim Jae-Wook and Krystal Jung have such amazing chemistry. It does slow down a bit in the middle but the cast of kooky characters keeps this show exciting and eventful at every watch. The romance is fun, the characters are simultaneously awful and delightful. The show is great and such a great pick-up during an April slump. Rating: I too enact physical and psychological warfare with my boss

Devilish Joy (2018, Choi Ji-Yeon)

Main leads: Choi Jin-hyuk, Song Ha-Yoon

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: This is such a refreshing drama. It harkens back to the times of Ye old kdrama Melos that we all dearly love. It does have an Amnesia plot, but it actually adds value to the story. It's such a fun drama, and I actually really liked the romance so much. It is so good and heartbreaking, just like any old-fashioned melodrama needs to be. Rating: Will you remember me?

Falling into your Smile (2021, Jia Chang)

Main leads: Xu Kai, Cheng Xiao

Episodes: 31, 45 min

Thoughts: This show was okay. I mainly put it on as background noise, but I found it pretty boring overall. It has cute moments here and there, but sometimes I found the ML so annoying. If you want something that is easy to watch and low stakes this is the drama for you. Rating: Welcome to the boring world of Esports

Tomorrow (2022, Park Ran-i, Park Ja-Kyung, Kim Yu-jin)

Main leads: Kim Hee-sun, Rowoon, Lee Soo-hyuk, Yoon Ji-on

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: This show similar to Move to Heaven has a death of a week storyline or heartbreak (my heart) of the week storyline. It does deal with heavy topics of death, so if you are sensitive to that I would skip this one. It was really well done, and because of its sad setup, it has lighthearted moments which help not to bog down the show. It is well worth the watch. It also has the afterlife bureaucracy that I think kdramas do so well, which is great! Rating: I will love you in every life

Who Rules The World (2022, Yin Tao, Yu Yonggang, Shi Zhanli)

Main leads: Yang Yang, Zhao Lusi

Episodes: 40, 45 min 

Thoughts: This is a material arts and romance drama. I watched it while it was coming out so the 40 episodes weren’t as daunting, and I had time to forget a lot of the plot holes. It is decent, I liked this because of Zhao Lusi. The romance was a little more developed, and the martial arts were fun, albeit with a lot of CGI toward the end. I wouldn’t highly recommend this drama. It was alright. Rating: The politics weren’t actually too bad in this.

My Liberation Notes (2022, Park Hae-young) 

Main leads: Lee Min-ki, Kim Ji-won, Son Seok-Koo, Lee El

Episodes: 16, 64 to 80 min

Thoughts: This is probably my favorite drama of this year if not of all time. It is so good, the cinematography, the story, the writing everything. It is so special. I just love the soft-spoken moments, how people are so flawed but they just want to live peacefully. Son Seok-Koo and Kim Ji-won were such a delight on screen. Yeom Mi-Jeong (Kim Ji-won) is one of the most relatable characters in my entire life, all of them were. This show deeply understood me like no other media ever could. Rating: What if we Worshiped each other?

Again My Life (2022, J, Kim Yu)

Main leads: Lee Joon-gi

Episodes:16,  60 to 75 min 

Thoughts: A little-known fact about me is that I will literally watch anything with Lee Joon-gi in it. This proves this point. This show was obviously not made for me. I thought the plot was too predictable, the male lead a little too perfect, and the woman a little too into him. This show sometimes made me stop and ask did a man write this? It is okay, just not my cup of tea. Rating: Apparently they want to make a season 2?

Radiant (2019, Lee Nam-kyu, Kim Soo-jin)

Main leads: Han Ji-min, im Hye-ja, Nam Joo-hyuk

Episodes: 12, 60 min

Thoughts: This show is actually one of the most original kdramas out there. The themes and plot are both heartfelt and new. I loved every moment I watched this. While it was incredibly devastating to me personally. I would argue this is one of Nam Joo-hyuk’s best performances. I would say for the others but I haven’t watched that many of either actress's back catalog. But Im Hye-ja was such a marvelous lead, and I wished there were more older leads in shows. It is so good. It is great. Rating: Makes me cry like a baby.

Best Lover (Kim Sang Rea Yoo Chul Yong, 2016)

Main leads: Lee Da Hae and Zhou Mi

Episodes: 12, 40 Min

Thoughts: I hate this drama so much. I wanted to watch this as a cute little drama as background noise for finals. It was a contract marriage, which I always like, and Lee Da Hae isn’t a terrible actress so I gave it a go. Also one note it is a Korean-Chinese drama so the characters will be talking in two different languages and no one mentions it. You will get used to it, anyways…Oh boy, where do I start? I’ll start with the FL Choi Hwan Yeong (Lee Da Hae), she was actually the highlight of the drama. She went through the most emotional growth and seemed to have actual importance to the plot. My problem starts with the ML Xie Cheng (Zhou Mi). First off Zhou Mi is a terrible actor- at least here I don’t know him very well- which I can forgive, but the character was also awful. So he was terrifyingly lifeless, and his smile started to creep me out a bit. He often berates the FL for being selfish and messy while being the most selfish and messy. And he never acknowledges any wrongdoing, and worse the narrative never acknowledges any wrongdoing on his part. I was done when [SPOILER] after she witnessed him kiss her stylist that looks like his first love, she runs away. He tracks her down and then berates her telling her that she is embarrassing him and she is entirely selfish, which makes no sense when he is playing with two girls outside his relationship with the FL. Also, any moves he made on anyone were also borderline non-consensual. Like she was hitting him to get him to stop kissing her [END]. But overall The FL is fun, but the ML is trash and doesn't deserve her. I just think I need two things from the ML, 1. Groveling at the FL’s feet, 2. Just an apology for once would be nice. Anyways save your time and watch Crazy Love (2022) now that ML knows how to grovel. Also, I didn’t go into the weird plot and editing choices, and just sound mixing cause my god we can be here all day. Rating: Best Lover? More like Worst Lover, am I right?

Love All Play (2022, Heo Sung-hye)

Main leads: Park Ju-Hyun, Chae Jong-hyeop

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: The style of the show is great, it reminded me a lot of Into the Ring which I love. The fishbowl straight-on viewpoint gives the show a nice stylistic cinematography. The story, however, I go back and forth on. I actually really like the characters even Park Tea-yang ( Park Ju-Hyun) whom many didn’t like. I found her relatable and very human, however frustrating that is. I did find Park Tae-Joon’s (Chae Jong-hyeop) mother to be annoying. And the relationship is kinda immature at times albeit cute. Rating: the park twins for the win.

Dear My Friends (2016, Noh Hee-Kyung)

Main leads: Go Hyun-Jung, Kim Hye-ja, Na Moon-hee, Go Doo-shim, Park Won-sook, Youn Yuh-jung, Joo Hyun, Kim Young-ok, Shin Goo

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: Noh Hee-Kyung is a known writer for writing very realistic people. This show definitely falls under this. The show has an assembly cast of older people and their lives. I love how you can see a generational divide, and how the main focus is between mothers and daughters. This relationship is at the core of this drama. I just have so many feelings about this drama, and I hope everyone watches it. Rating: I hope to keep those dear to me.

Our Blues (2022, Noh Hee-Kyung)

Main leads: Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Cha Seung-won, Lee Jung-eun, Uhm Jung-Hwa, Han Ji-min, Kim Woo-bin, Bae Hyun-sung, Roh Yoon-seo

Episodes: 20, 60 min

Thoughts: This show had several weaving storylines about the residents of Jeju. Some of the storylines and characters you liked better than others. It is complicated and kinda messy but overall I had a really fun time watching this drama. It was nice watching every week and seeing what people were saying. The drama has a very slice-of-life, lowkey vibe to it. I also just really like kdramas set in the countryside. A note about the teen pregnancy storyline made me so anxious. Fun fact about me: I am terrified of teen pregnancy despite not being a teen. Rating: Fish market rivalries for the win

From Now On, Showtime (2022, Ha Yoon-ah)  

Main leads: Park Hae-jin, Jin Ki-Joo

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: I could not tell you why I watched this show? I don’t even like Park Hae-jin, I didn’t think he was that enjoyable here either. Jin Ki-Joo was great, and the ghosts had good comic timing. The story was so-so. Idk. Watch it if you have nothing better to do but there are better kdramas out there. Rating: I keep thinking the title is the Show Must Go on, but it is not.                                          

Melo is My Nature (2019, ​​Lee Byeong-Heon, Kim Young-young)

Main leads: Chun Woo-hee, Jeon Yeo-been, Han Ji-eun

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: She is the moment. This show is everything to me, the first episode alone will build you up and break you down better than most feature films do. There are many scenes that I can’t get out of my head. I originally watched this back in 2019, but I had to stop because at one point it got too emotionally intense for me. So take care while watching this. But this is one of the most beautifully written dramas about womanhood, and female friendships I have ever seen. It touched something deep inside me, and I loved every moment. Rating: I also love the subplot with the actress and her manager 

My Mister (2018, ​​Park Hae-young)

Main leads: Lee Sun-Kyun, Lee Ji-eun

Episodes: 16, 90 min

Thoughts:  I have been recommended this show so many times throughout the years, but due to how sad it is I avoided it. Which, yeah. It does have a hopeful note letter on it. And I love how the focus isn’t romantic but platonic And it is about two souls meeting during a rough period, it is just completely beautiful. I love Park Hae-young’s writing. I am sad I put this show off so much. Rating: if you have daddy issues you might really like this. 

Kiss Sixth Sense (2022, Jeon Yu-ri)

Main leads: Yoon Kye-sang, Seo Ji-hye

Episodes: 12, 60 to 75 min

Thoughts: This show is literally the most childish show I have ever watched, but it is most definitely for adults. I was actually looking forward to watching this ‘cause the concept seemed so fun but, it was kind of eh. It is only 12 episodes but there are better shows out there to watch, and I found the love triangle/ rectangle exhausting and just immature. Rating: If you can change your fate… Would ya?

Rooftop Prince (2012, Lee Hee-myung)

Main leads: Park Yuchun, Han Ji-min

Episodes: 20, 70 min

Thoughts: I have to be honest I had covid while I was watching this. I remember enjoying it. I also remember I had to do squats while watching it for some reason. But The cast is fun, I did find the ML to be lacking in comparison to the other assemble but it is a fun and easy watch. Rating: apparently Choi Woo-shik is in this???

Beautiful Gong Shim (2016, Lee Hee-myung)

Main leads: Namkoong Min, Bang Min-ah

Episodes: 20, 70 min

Thoughts: Let it be known most media I watched in July I had covid so, that is the vibe of this. I remember hating the sister, thinking the love/hate relationship between the leads were cute. That’s about it. I don’t see many people talk about this drama, I think it is definitely worth a watch, but don’t go in with too high expectations. Rating: How many squats can I do?

Night of Love with You (2022, An Ji Er)

Main leads: Liu Xie Ning, Guan Yue

Episodes: 24, 9 min

Thoughts: Love, Love, Love! This show is disappointingly short, yes is it messy. Yes is there so many plot holes, but the potential is enough. The concept is fun and it takes the concepts of the Villainess Mawha’s into a webshow format, which is so fun. I highly recommend this show for quick and light watching experience. Rating: Sometimes the unexpected is expected, and the expected is unexpected. 

Link: Eat, Love, Kill (2022, Kwon Yi-young, Kwon Do-hwan)

Main leads: Yeo Jin-goo, Moon Ga-young

Episodes: 16, 72 min

Thoughts: This show was such a vibe. Literally the cinematography, and the aesthetics as a whole is so nice. The acting is great, Yeo Jin-goo and Moon Ga-young always deliver and they did not disappoint not one bit. There was the weird sister thing at first, but once that was gone it was so sweet. I highly recommend this show to anyone and everyone, especially if you have mommy issues. Also I just love when kdramas have three generations of women I feel like there is something so relatable with that for me. Anyways great show, great aesthetics, great acting, gets a little bogged in the middle but keep going.  Rating:The Korean take on the 2010 film Eat, Pray, Love, Jk. 

Jinxed at First Sight (2022, Jang Yoon-mi)

Main leads: Seohyun, Na In-woo

Episodes:16, 61 to 63 min 

Thoughts: I was actually super excited about watching this, I really liked the first like 4 episodes. It just went down hill from there. The fantasy element was super interesting, and the set up for the world, but they never quite follow through. I was confused on a couple like- familial relations- that they kinda answered later. It was just messy overall plotting, the acting was subpar (sorry), and its just a bad script. I wished it was so much better than it was. Rating: I wrote a separate post praising this drama, and it literally turned out like this.

The Producers (2015, Park Ji-eun, Kim Ji-sun)

Main leads: Cha Tae-hyun, Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Ji-eun

Episodes: 12, 80 min

Thoughts: This one actually shocked me with how much I really liked it. Kim Soo-hyun’s dumbass looks literally is everything to me. I just loved every second. SPOILER I just wished the romance between Cindy (Lee Ji-eun) and Baek Seung-chan (Kim Soo-Hyun) came to full fruitution but it didn’t really… while kind of END. Cindy was by fair my favorite character, I just love a bitch with a heart of gold. Ye-jin (Gong Hyo-jin) lowkey kind of annoyed me, I found her to be a bit of a pick me. I especially hated the relationship between Ye-jin and Seung-chan. Rating: surprisingly Funny…

Better a Lie than a Truth (2022)

Main leads: Niu Yu Kun, Simon Chen

Episodes: 7 + Bonus, 26 to 30 min

Thoughts: This troupe was made for me. I love contract relationships/marriages, I could watch them all the time. I think because it is a web drama there were some contrived and confusing plot and timeline issues, but overall I still liked it. It was nothing groundbreaking and could have been easily toxic but I loved it still. I like the FL, I thought she was charming, and I liked the fact she did not hesitate to beat a bitch. The ML was pathetic and head over heels for the FL which is great, though he definitely needs therapy. Rating: contract marriage for the win

Cafe Minamdang (2022, Park Hae-jin)

Main leads: Seo In-guk, Oh Yeon-seo

Episodes: 18, 70 min

Thoughts: This was such a fun drama to watch. Seo In-guk was charming and funny as always. Oh Yeon-seo’s character was such a fun character also. If you are a fan of the American sitcom  Psych then you would love this show. It has shenanigans, mystery, and a lovely fond family. The cast was energetic and played off each other well. The mystery was fun and interesting. I would highly recommend this show. Rating: The most handsome Shaman I have ever seen

Today’s Webtoon (2022, Cho Ye-rang, Lee Jae-eun)

Main leads: Kim Se-jeong, Choi Daniel, Nam Yoon-su

Episodes: 16, 62 to 70 min

Thoughts: Do not watch this for romance there is no romance in this just very good chemistry. I think I have already said this but I will say this again Kim Se-jeong is a delight to watch on screen. She just has this energy that you want to continue to watch. However this felt pretty disappointing mainly because I started watching cause I thought it was a romcom it is infact nothing of the sorts, so with a change of genre reference I think I would have enjoyed this more. It does bog a bit in the middle but It picks back up in the end. Rating: I was really expecting a kiss…

Once Upon a Small Town (2022, Baek Eun-kyeong)

Main leads: Park Soo-young, Choo Young-woo

Episodes: 12, 30 to 40 min

Thoughts: This one is cute and sweet. There is nothing much to it except for that. The romance felt kind of childish, but there is an innocent charm in that. There is a lot of comparison to Hometown Cha Cha Cha mainly do to its setting of the Korean country side but it is far less melodramatic. Rating: Shockingly the love triangle isnt that bad. 

Never Twice (2019-2020, ​​Goo Hyun-sook)

Main leads: Park Se-wan, Kwak Dong-yeon, Youn Yuh-jung, Oh Ji-ho, Ye Ji-won, Park Ah-in, Song Won-seok

Episodes: 72, 35 min

Thoughts: This is an assemble sitcom with main focus on Park-ha (Park Se-Wan) and Hae-jun (Kwak Dong-yeon) romance. It is adorable and funny, and it has a cute child in the mix. At times it can be devausting but thats the heart of any good comedy. This show I feel like is underrated so definitely show this one some love. Rating: Rich man and poor woman, but this time murder is involved. 

Jugglers  (2017, Jo Yong-hae)

Main leads: Baek Jin-hee, Choi Daniel

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: It's a cute and quick workplace drama, and unlike a lot of workplace dramas it isn’t that toxic. The ML never really throws around his power over the FL, and they try to even it out by making her his landlady, which is definitely a power dynamic. I quickly devoured this drama, ‘cause I did homework while watching, so I didn’t really get the full experience of this drama. I do highly recommend this drama, I liked the characters, and especially the main couple. Rating: Don’t f*** your coworkers, but this is the only exception.

Arang and The Magistrate (2012, Kim Jin-man)

Main leads: Shin Min-a, Lee Joon-gi

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: This has been on my list since like 2017, and I have made attempts but nothing stuck. I have been trying to go back into the back catalog of kdramas and it is October so I thought, “Why not?” The show was okay, I feel like the cast was great but the story lacked or maybe I am just not used to a 2012 kdrama budget. I thought it was enjoyable, and I am glad I got to watch it. It has your typical magic/ghosts which is always fun for this time of the season. I also really liked the ending. I thought it was cute, even if those types of endings are frustrating.  Rating: This was honestly a double win for me cause both Shin Min-a and Lee Joon-gi were in this drama.

The Witch’s Diner (2021, Lee Young-sook)

Main leads: Song Ji-hyo, Nam Ji-hyun, Chae Jong-hyeop

Episodes: 8, 40 to 55 min

Thoughts: This show is pretty quick and isn’t anything too special. I enjoyed sort of, and I do really likes its aesthetics. I just don’t think I payed enough attention to the story overall to fully enjoy it. It is pretty quick, and if you have the time this isn’t a bad watch. Rating: Be careful of what you wish for… 

Little Women (2022, Chung Seo-kyung)

Main leads: Kim Go-eun, Nam Ji-hyun, Park Ji-hu

Episodes: 12, 77 min

Thoughts: I am still collecting my thoughts. I truly enjoyed every part of the show. I loved the usage of the Little Women archetypes in a thriller setting. It was new and it was fresh. I loved the complicated relationship between all three siblings and their fight for their survival. Kim Go Eun as In-ju was absolutely stunning as always. Also, her chemistry with Wi Ha-Joon is off the absolute charts. This was such a good woman running the show, and we just need more of these, TBH. I would highly recommend this show to anyone and everyone. Rating: Don’t let the poison sting you on your way out.

Black (2017, Choi Ran)

Main leads: Song Seung-heon, Go Ara

Episodes: 18, 85 min

Thoughts: I want to say honestly this has been on my list since it came out in 2017, but I had very little desire to watch. But remember it is the time of year when I will be watching all things spooky, so I thought I will give it a whirl. And before I give my opinion, I have two confessions: one, I have watched this through a rough period of homework, and two, I am not the biggest fan of Go Ara. The plot was confusing ( probably ‘cause I was doing homework). But I think I just didn’t have the best overall experience due to the setup, and just how long each episode is. Rating: 90 minutes for each episode of Grim reapers messing around.

 Possessed (2019, Park Hee-kang)

Main leads: Song Sae-byeok, Go Joon-hee

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: SPOILER: For a comedy, the ending was very sad. And I for one have mixed feelings about it. END. I have been trying to watch halloweenie shows throughout the month of October, and tbh I don’t enjoy many thrillers in drama format. I tend to really vibe with character-driven shows. But this one starts off strong, and if you can get through the midway boredom, it isn’t too bad of a show. The characters are charming and have a lot of chemistry together. Take my opinion with a grain of salt, I have also been studying while watching. Rating: Maybe the true killer was the friends we made along the way…

Scum’s Wish (2017, Yoshihiro Izumi)

Main leads: Miyu Yoshimoto, Dori Sakurada

Episodes: 12, 24 min

Thoughts: I couldn’t tell you why I started this drama. This drama hurt in an unexpecting way, this drama haunts my inner soul. It reveals something about oneself, something you never want to admit. Hanabi (Miyu Yoshimoto) is a relatable character, in fact, she is actively desperate for love. And she is so lonely she is willing to take comfort in any warm body. Mugi and Hanabi are just using each other, but because of this awareness, they are able to create a deep relationship. Don’t get me wrong, this drama disturbed me. I think it will haunt me for a long time. These characters are children being manipulated by adults for sexual pleasure, and it's sad and heartbreaking. These characters are awful all around, they use each other and throw each other away. But I was 17, maybe 3 or 4 (?) years ago, and I could see my younger self in some of the teenage characters. I don’t think they handled the topic they were dealing with fully, but it was definitely an interesting perspective. I would never recommend this drama, and if SA (particularly with teenagers and adults) please keep away. This show was a visceral horror to watch. And I had to binge it quickly because they were taking it off of Viki, but this drama is to be consumed slowly and in small chunks. I feel disgusted now that I have seen it. I am now planning on doing a spiral cleaning while watching a nice movie. Rating: It’s complicated…also jail for that one teacher.

Girl From Nowhere (2018, Kongdej Jaturanrasamee, Aticha Tanthanawigrai, Tinnapat Banyatpiyapoj)

Main leads: Chicha Amatayakul

Episodes: 13, 37 to 50 min

Thoughts: This show has been on my list since 2018 when it came out. I am actually a big fan of Thai filmmaking, and oftentimes it gets overshadowed by more East Asian films. This show absolutely doesn’t disappoint, the horror isn’t in Nano (Chicha Amattayakul), a seemingly immortal being here to punish the wrongdoings, but the horror is within those she punishes. And at the core of being human, we have the ability to be cruel, if it means we can survive. I highly recommend it, even though Netflix will take the show by the end of October. Rating: Hi, it’s me. I am the problem, it’s me. 

Girl From Nowhere 2 (2021, Kongdej Jaturanrasamee, Aticha Tanthanawigrai, Tinnapat Banyatpiyapoj)

Main leads: Chicha Amatayakul, Chanya McClory 

Episodes: 13, 37 to 50 min

Thoughts: The second season kept up the same chaotic energy as the first. Starting off strong with Mpreg. This season we are given more characters besides Nanno, we are introduced to Yuri, a girl turned immortal who is more revenge focused than Nanno. It is such a good show, and I loved the ending. I am curious if that is the end completely ( which is fine cause it is a solid ending, but they left it open-ended enough for another season). This show is so good and I highly recommend it. Also note, please listen to any trigger warnings.  Rating: Double the trouble…

Mr. Bad (2022, Lee Ching Jung)

Main leads: Chen Zhe Yuan, Shen Yue

Episodes: 24, 45 min

Thoughts: Was this drama contrived? Yes. Was it cliche? Yes. Do I fully enjoy it? Absolutely. This one kinda breaks my month-of-a-horror vibe, but I will make it up by watching another horror-themed show in November. But this show is cute and light-hearted. The main couple has nice bickering moments. And except for the main leads' occasional jealousy (TBH it was actually decently tame compared to others I have seen), their relationship is really cute and healthy. For dramas like this don’t expect much, cause like always it does get kinda contrived in the end. But overall it was a fun and cute drama to put on in the background. Rating: It was the Fairy all along…

Inspector Koo ( 2021, Sung Cho-y)

Main leads: Lee Young-ae, Kim Hye-jun

Episodes: 12, 70 min

Thoughts: This has been on my list for a while, and is my last spooky drama for the month of October. I am going to watch at least one more thriller/horror drama to make up for Mr. Bad in November but I am going to be watching romance to settle my bones after such a spooky month. This drama is good, I like the characters. It was very Killing Eve-esque. And TBH a theater major would be a serial killer. Also, the OST was so good. Like it had me jamming through this entire series, and it is only 12 episodes so it doesn’t really bog down. Rating: I love dysfunctional women. 

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (2010, Hong Sisters)

Main leads: Lee Seung-gi, Shin Min-ah

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: This show looks and reads like a Hong sisters drama from the early 2010s. It is exactly what you would expect. Shin Min-ah is very fun in this and doing her goddamn best. It is fun and cheesy and I could not tell you the plot point of this show if you asked me. Rating: I watched it physically, I didn’t watch it emotionally.

Gaus Electronic (2022, Kang Go-eun, Seo Han-na)

Main leads: Kwak Dong-yeon, Ko Sung-hee, Bae Hyun-sung, Kang Min-ah

Episodes: 12, 45 to 48 min 

Thoughts: This one picked up like 4 days before the final episodes came out. And man the way that I went through the episodes. It is literally so funny, and I love sitcoms so this was right up my alley. I love all the cast chemistry, and I love how they played off each other's dumbassery. I also loved the women in the drama, they were all individuals and were allowed to be just as ridiculous as the men. I also loved the Beak Ma-tan (Bae Hyun-sung) and Geon Kang-mi (Kang Min-ah) storyline. It had all the trappings of the poor girl and rich man romance narrative but they subverted it beautifully. And Beak Ma-tan is so funny. I love it when a character doesn’t understand what genre they are in, it is such A funny thing to witness. Rating: It is so funny

 My Secret Romance  (2017, Kim Ha-na, Kim Young-yoon)

Main leads: Sung Hoon, Song Ji-Eun

Episodes: 14, 45 min

Thoughts: I actually started this way back in 2017, I actually remember when it came out. I ended up dropping it, for an excellent reason. Reason: It sucks. After Business Proposal aired people were suggesting it as a similar drama. They are not wrong, it has the same makings. Weird Boss- employee relationship, cheesy, long-term friend second lead shorter than most kdramas. However, Business Proposal is definitely the better of the two. The ML is so pushy and obsessive, and the FL doesn’t actually have any desire whatsoever. TBH I didn’t even know when or why she started liking the ML; he was suddenly kissing her. Not great, the only reason I got through it was because I was writing an outline. Rating: Just watch Business Proposal again or there are so many other rich man, poor woman boss-employee kdramas out there… Jugglers come to mind… So many…

The Killers Shopping List (2022, Han Ji-wan)

Main leads: Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Seol-Hyun, Jin Hee-Kyung

Episodes: 8, 60 min

Thoughts: This show is super interesting and new if you are tired of romance or sad or serious thrillers this might be a good change of pace. It is a whodunit-style drama, following a group of local groceries trying to solve a serial murder case, that uses their store to deliver things to their victims. The mystery wasn’t that shocking, you can guess it pretty early on, but it is fun enough. I do recommend it just not that highly. Rating: I think there should be more whodunits in the world… I mean in media

Kingdom 1 (2019, Kim Eun-hee)

Main leads: Ju Ji-hoon, Ryu Seung-ryong, Bae Doo-na

Episodes: 6, 45 to 57 min

Thoughts: This show is gory so be aware before going in. It is so good though. I watched The first episode back in 2019 and loved it. However I am a big romance fiend, and this has none so I dropped it. But it is good and very prevalent in today’s culture. I love Bae Doo-na's character Seo-bi. It is just such a good performance. I highly recommend this drama to anyone that likes Korean thrillers. Rating: Koreans know how to do a zombie metaphor, they really do

Midnight Diner s1 (2009, Yarô Abe & Takurô Oikawa)

Main leads: Kaoru Kobayashi

Episodes: 10, 25 min

Thoughts: I decided to watch one episode anytime I was up at midnight for whatever reason. And it was nice, this drama is an anthology of many different characters' lives, and we are just getting little peaks of those who are up at such a late hour. Who would eat at a bar at Midnight? A lot of people. A gangster, a businessman, a stripper, two young lovers, and I guess us ourselves. The people it follows aren’t always the greatest people but at the end of the day, they are human. And human beings are one of the most complicated things on this planet. And this show allows for that complication. Rating: a nice meal on a rainy evening…

 Love in Contract (2022, Ha Goo-dam)

Main leads: Park Min-young, Go Kyung-pyo

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: This was my most anticipated show of the year. There are three things I love: Park Min-young, Go Kyung-Pyo, and contract marriages. This show has all three, and it should have been great, it had the recipe for success and blew it. The script was messy and didn't trust the leads. They just didn’t have faith in Go Kyung-pyo to lead for some reason, so they kept insisting on the second lead Kang Hae-jin (Kim Jae-young) unnecessary plot and air time. He was so bad as a second lead, and he fulfilled the real antagonist of the show. They retconned a lot of things. It was overwhelmingly disappointing. They had great things going for it, like the chemistry between Go Kyung-pyo and Park Min-young; Kang Hyung-Seok as Woo Kwang-Nam is such a fun character. Also, I so wanted Woo Kwang-Nam to get with the manager, and finish his arch. I’m just sad and disappointed about this show. I can not recommend it in good faith. Rating: I am Sang-eun and Jiho Shipper first, a Hea-jin hater second, and a Kwang-Nam and manager truther third… obviously a human being fifth 

 Kingdom 2 (2020, Kim Eun-hee)

Main leads: Ju Ji-hoon, Ryu Seung-ryong, Bae Doo-na

Episodes: 6, 45 to 57 min

Thoughts: So good, this is the continuation from the first season starting where we left off. It is such an exciting show and keeps your attention. It is action so things do move fast. I typically don’t like shows like this but it is worth the watch. I also wonder if there will be a season 3? Cause they set it up for one but I haven’t heard any news. Rating: Just as good as the first part.

 Shadow Beauty (2021, Bang Soo-In)

Main leads: Shim Dal-Gi, Choi Bo-Min, Lee Na-Gyung

Episodes: 13, 19 to 25 min

Thoughts: This show has been on my to-watch list for a while now, but I could never bring myself to watch. I heard it was good but the plot never quite interested me. It is an engrossing plot about a girl who isn’t considered beautiful but pretends to be beautiful online. It talks about beauty standards and the cruelty of people. No one in this show is that great of a person. But that is okay. It wasn’t my favorite show, but it isn’t bad and is so short. Rating: may the real Genie please stand up…

Psychopath’s Diary (2019-2020, Choe Sung-jun, Kim Hwan-chae, Ryu Yong-jae)

Main leads: Yoon Shi-yoon, Jung In-sun, Park Sung-hoon

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: I dropped this show a while back, but I decided to pick up again. It was fun, quirky, and decently thrilling. Yoon Shi-Yoon is hilarious as a pushover down on his luck Yook Dong-Sik. Also, he had immense chemistry with Park Sung-hoon. Another thriller in the book with unexplainable romantic tension between the killer and the protagonist. It is worth the watch, the 16th episode is kinda pointless. They wrap up everything in the first 20 minutes, so they are just filling the last 40 with whatever. Rating: This could have been gay…

Triad Princess (2019, Neal Wu, Emma Chen, Cheng Han-wen, Huang Shi-ting)

Main leads: Jasper Liu, Eugenie Liu

Episodes: 6, 35 to 47 min

Thoughts: This show is a 2019 Taiwanese Netflix short drama with only 6 quick episodes. This show follows a Gangster’s daughter who is a fan of a celebrity, and she becomes his bodyguard. Lo and behold he is also obsessed with gangsters, so obviously they fall in love. I actually watched this show up til episode 4 before dropping it back in 2019 to now finally finish it, so do with that information as you will. It is okay overall nothing to write home about. Rating: I don’t have enough of an opinion to write a witty one-liner. 

Welcome to the Show (2011, Choi Moon-Kyung, Woo Chul-won)

Main leads: Im Seulong, Sulli Choi, Nichkhun

Episodes: 1, 80 min

Thoughts: So apparently this was supposed to be a series, around the fictional lives of actual kpop idols set at an award show that they have. Sorta like an unfinished  The Producers, it even has IU. It was okay, I had a hard time finding it and ended up watching without subs, but I got the gist of it. Rating: I understand why it was canceled.

A Love so Beautiful (2020-2021, Choi Yoo-jung, Jang Yoo-yeon)

Main leads: Kim Yo-han, So Joo-Yeon

Episodes: 24, 21 to 25 min

Thoughts: I watched the original Chinese drama back in 2018, and I really liked that so I thought why not give this one a go. I would just watch the original, the cast had far more chemistry. Even though this followed the plot of the original to a t, it seemed more kiddish, somehow. It might have been because the male lead is much younger  (and looks like it) than everyone who worked in the school days, but once a fast-forward seemed comical. Anyways it is short and sweet and you can probably watch it in a day or two if you have nothing going on. Rating: The original is always better. 

Sound of Your Heart (2016, Lee Byung-hoon)

Main leads: Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Dae-Myung, Jung So-min, Kim Byeong-ok, Kim Mi-Kyung 

Episodes: 20, 15 min

Thoughts: This show was such a fun show to watch. It was funny and light-hearted. I never realized that Jung Somin has such good comedic timing. It is such a good show for a quick pickup, and I highly recommend it. I also believe that Netflix has a season 2 that I might check out. Rating: Sometimes life is ridiculous..

Goedam (2020, Hong Won Gi)

Main leads: Various cast

Episodes: 8, 10 min

Thoughts: This show is an anthology of a spirit haunting different people. It is so short you can watch the entire thing in under an hour. If you want a quick spooky show this will do the trick. Rating: Is it a metaphor for our modern surveillance culture?

Soundtrack #1 (2022,  Ahn Sae-bom)

Main leads: Park Hyung-Sik, Han So-hee

Episodes: 4, 36 to 57 min

Thoughts: I wanted something that had wintery vibes and this is definitely it. It is such a cute drama with such good vibes. You also have Park Hyung-Sik in his most natural environment, pining. And man does he put his heart and soul into it. It is such a good winter drama, everyone should watch it to get cozy. Rating: This is a puppy dog and a black cat couple.

Queen of the Ring ( 2017, Kim Ah-Jung)

Main leads: Kim Seul-gi, Ahn Hyo-seop

Episodes: 6, 30 min

Thoughts: This show is interesting in concept, but at the same time kinda uncomfy. This show is labeled as a fantasy cause we are pretending that Kim Seul-gi isn’t pretty. I do think that the main couple despite the lying and deception is kinda cute. However, the ending comes about in a very unnatural way. I think the writers didn’t know how to achieve their desired ending. Rating: I am glad they didn’t villanies Mi-Joo.

Revenge Note 2 (2018, Han Sang-im, Kim Jong-seon, Shim Min-sun)

Main leads: Ahn Seo-hyun, Samuel

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: It was okay. If you are like a young teen, you would probably enjoy this a lot more. Tbh the first one was better, I realize why I dropped this years ago. Also, it has a weird ethical question about the leads and revenge. Rating: eh…

Glitch (2022, Gin Han-sai)

Main leads: Jeon Yeo-been, Nana

Episodes: 10, 60 min

Thoughts: Jeon Yeo-been never misses. If she is in a project you absolutely know it will be well acted. This story is so new and interesting, and the mixture of mystery and sci-fi is just marvelous. It is a pretty short drama, so you can probably watch it in a couple of days or so. It is definitely one of the better dramas I have seen recently, I highly recommend it to everyone. Also, this is another one where it is so gay, but it never fulfills itself. Rating: is it Aliens or a cult or both…..

Nightmare Teacher (2016, Hyun Moon-Sub)

Main leads: Kim So Hyun, Lee Min Hyuk, Uhm Ki Joon

Episodes: 12, 15 min

Thoughts: This was actually surprisingly good. I had little expectations for this show with how short it is. It is a pretty interesting watch, with psychological horror missed into. Kim So Hyun is always a good watch, I really have no complaints. If you just want to watch a quick horror, this would be your guy. Rating: The teacher is an ick

Midnight Diner 2 (2011, Yarô Abe & Takurô Oikawa)

Main leads: Kaoru Kobayashi

Episodes: 10, 25 min

Thoughts: With my continuation with the series I am still watching when I am up at midnight. This show is such a comforting watch, and it is a reminder of the human condition. It shows every side of a person which can only be revealed in the late hours. I just love how people’s stories are weaved through one another. I highly recommend for just a comforting watch. Rating: What keeps you up at Midnight. 

Welcome to Waikiki (2018, Kim Ki-ho)

Main leads: Kim Jung-hyun, Lee Yi-kyung, Son Seung-won , Jung In-sun , Ko Won-hee , Lee Joo-woo

Episodes: 20, 70 min

Thoughts: I watched this up to the 10th episode way back, but I kept seeing tiktok edits to this show that I decided to pick it up again. This show is more of sitcom style with an assemble cast, so if you like sitcoms you would love this show. It is funny, and relatable. All the characters are stupid but in an enduring way. Rating: I actually love when babies are in dramas ‘cause I think they are cute. 

The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim (2021, Joo Brothers)

Main leads: Kim Sae-ron, Nam Da-reum

Episodes: 12, 20 min

Thoughts: This show is quick and simple, it also has the kid who is the younger version of everyone in it. It is actually pretty good for a quick webdrama. I don’t think it is a must see and you are missing out if you don’t watch, but it is pretty good. The cast is strong for how young they are, the script is okay, and it does keep you interest for the time it has it. Rating: Catch that ghost: Highschool edition

 Meow the Secret Boy (2020, Joo Hwa-mi

Main leads: Kim Myung-soo, Shin Ye-eun

Episodes: 24, 28 to 38 min

Thoughts: This show from concept is incredibly strange. Don’t get me wrong I like cats, but the FL falls in love with the cat she rescued. And even weirder they meet when he was a kitten/boy and she was grown. I know cats age faster, it was just weird, and people took a human cat much better than I ever would. Anyways it is kind of cute, but it is incredibly weird in its inception. Rating: I actually liked the SML in this one. 

True Beauty (2020-2021, ​​Lee Si-eun)

Main leads: Moon Ga-young, Cha Eun-woo

Episodes: 16, 73 min

Thoughts: I watched it while it was coming out, but I just had to drop it. I don’t like love tringules, and the entire focus of this show is the triangle. I know this is an unpopular opinion, I actually like Suho and Ju-kyung as a couple. I wasn’t head over heels over the SML, but I did like his character. I just really wanted this show to be gay, like I know the Webcomics it is far from it, but come on. Park Yoo-na (Kang Su-ji) and Moon Ga-young chemistry is good, also I think at one point Ju-kyung calls Su-ji the ideal boyfriend. And then they had to make Su-ji the typical jealous SFL which is so annoying. Rating: Please just recommend me Lesbian dramas

Lovestruck in the City (2020, Jung Hyun-jung, Jung Da-yun)

Main leads: Ji Chang-wook, Kim Ji-won, Kim Min-seok, Han Ji-eun, Ryu Kyung-soo, So Joo-yeon

Episodes: 17, 28 to 40 min

Thoughts: This show is in a style of a documentary, though they have out of documentary moments, that follow several young people and their relationships to one another. Somehow everyone knows everyone, and they are all dating one another to a certain degree. I liked it to a certain extent, however I found Ji Chang-wook’s character to be annoying and a crybaby. Like I understand his heart was broken but he was obsessive. I did like Kim Ji-won in it but I always like her. Rating: Its short and okay. 

More than Blue: The Series (2021, Hermes Lu, Emma Chen, Fei Kung-yii, Tsai Fang-yun)

Main leads: Gingle Wang Fandy Fan

Episodes: 10, 42 to 50 min

Thoughts: I have watched neither films that this show is based on, so my only input on the story comes from this series. It is incredibly sad. I knew this going in, I genuinely thought it would be the cold of winter sad, but it is not it is the heat of the summer sad. I find that more devastating. The back-and-forth storyline confused me at first, but it does add a sense of mystery that can be enjoyable for the viewer. Overall it is a sweet, and sad love story. Rating: Forever isn’t enough.

That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013, Noh Hee-Kyung)

Main leads: Jo In-sung, Song Hye-Kyo

Episodes: 16, 60 min

Thoughts: Oh, wow. I have so many thoughts, and they are all over the place. First off, it's really good from a genre perspective. This is a classic Melo, it has everything you want. Because of this, it is refreshing, cause you just don’t get Korean melodramas like this anymore. And honestly, I am not a big fan of Song Hye-Kyo’s acting, but I thought she did alright. But oh man this show, um, the romance is technically not incest which is a bad start. Like it is a family melodrama, but oh boy was it painful to watch someone fall in love with someone they thought was their own brother. Like a fair warning to all. Rating: It was a melodrama.

Midnight Diner 3 (2014, Yarô Abe & Takurô Oikawa)

Main leads: Kaoru Kobayashi

Episodes: 10, 25 min

Thoughts: The show is still quiet and sentimental throughout its run, however, I feel like this season we spend much more time outside the cafe, which is interesting. And you build up the cast of outside characters more. I do thoroughly enjoy the continued soft-spoken moments and the aesthetics of quite the nightlife of the show. I do think this show is best seen at night. Rating: a little midnight treat.

Seonam Girls High School Detectives (2014 to 2015, Shin Kwang-ho)

Main leads: Jin Ji-hee, Kang Min-ah, Lee Hye-ri, Lee Min-ji, Stephanie Lee

Episodes: 14, 60 min

Thoughts: This show was definitely made with a younger demographic than me in mind, however, it does show someone jumping off a roof. It has Lee Hye-Ri doing what she does best, and the rest of the cast trying their best with the script they had. It was definitely fun to see bigger stars, back when they were picking up whatever role they were offered to them. The show itself is a boring mystery, and the script has the inability to create tension throughout the whole. If I wasn’t in the midst of school where I need background noise to function I would have dropped this. Rating: It is a win for the lesbians, sort of… not really

Fanletter, Please (2022, Park Tae-yang)

Main leads: Choi Soo-young, Yoon Park

Episodes: 4, 60 min

Thoughts: This drama is decently cute and simple. It is very fluffy, and weirdly enough good for a quick pick-me-up. It easily could have been so devastating because kids with cancer are incredibly sad, but they easily balanced the sweetness with the devastating circumstance. The show is short, sweet, and actually decently acted. The setup is wild but we don’t question anything in dramaland anymore. Rating: Lies always lead to the most extreme possible outcome ever. 

Will it Snow For Christmas? (2009-2010, Lee Kyung-hee)

Main leads: Go Soo, Han Ye-Seul

Episodes: 16, 65 min

Thoughts: If you ever want a slow burn you got it in this drama. It is definitely fun to see a young Kim Soo-hyun, but this drama is the definition of melo. It is also kind of hard to follow especially after the time skip but its interesting, and has a good slow burn. Rating: Will it snow I don’t know

Behind Every Star (2022, Park So-young, Lee Chan)

Main leads: Lee Seo-jin, Kwak Sun-young, Seo Hyun-woo, Joo Hyun-young 

Episodes: 12, 60 to 76 min

Thoughts: Apparently this is based off of a French drama, which I can definitely see elements of it. I go back and forth on this drama. I thought it fun seeing actors cameos on this show, and I really liked the main couple. But it can be kind of boring and overall unmemorable. Rating: I would react the same way if I find a man in my bathtub. 

Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (2016, Yarô Abe)

Main leads: Kaoru Kobayashi

Episodes: 10, 25 min

Thoughts: This is like the revamped version of the original. It is definitely interesting seein the quality changes over the several seasons. This season has more emphasis on the food I feel like- ending each episode with a recipe, a slight call back to season 2. The vibes are usual contentness and loneliness felt only at midnight. Rating: I think writing in my journal while writing this is great.

The Crowned Clown (2019, Kim Seon-deok, Shin Ha-eun)

Main leads: Yeo Jin-goo, Lee Se-young

Episodes: 16, 70 to 80 min

Thoughts: This show is such a vibe visually, and I think for me that is the most notable thing. Yeo Jin-goo does such a good job at portraying the two princes. And the story is interesting enough. I think I would recommend this drama to those that are interested in Korean historical dramas but haven’t fully taken the plunge. It has a nice balance of politics and romance, and the politics don’t completely take over the narrative. Rating: a solid mad clown. 

Revenge of Others (2022, Lee Hee-myung)

Main leads: Shin Ye-eun, Park Solomon

Episodes: 12, 60 min

Thoughts:This show is definitely the thriller of the year, right behind Reborn Rich. The cast is great, and the characters felt so alive. There was a decent size cast and we understand and felt the motives of all the characters. It was heartbreaking in its set up, and fulfilling in its revenge plot. Also, Shin Ye-eun and Park Solomon’s chemistry is off the charts. Rating: if you are going to listen to me about anything, it should be watching this drama.  

May I Help You? (2022, Lee Sun-hye)

Main leads: Lee Hye-ri, Lee Jun-young

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: I Really enjoyed watching this drama week by week. It has a nice mellow vibe, with an underlying grief. This show can be really sweet at times or really devastating, and it balances these two emotions well. The main couple is sweet, and you are rooting for them from day 1. Overall I am really satisfied with this drama and how it ended. Rating: May I help you… find a good drama. 

Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories 2 (2019, Yarô Abe)

Main leads: Kaoru Kobayashi

Episodes: 10, 25 min

Thoughts:  This is the last season of this series. I will miss the midnights I spent with the show. The people in the show are all questionable, but they feel real. We are kept up at night for multiple reasons. Despite our negative qualites we all deserve warm company and good food. Rating: There are more people than you would think.

Reborn Rich (2022, Kim Tae-hee, Jang Eun-jae)

Main leads: Song Joong-ki, Lee Sung-min, Shin Hyun-been

Episodes: 16, 70 to 80 min

Thoughts: Man Song Joong-ki the past couple of years really said, I am sick of capitalism. This is probably the thriller of the year. It is so good an interesting. I think this is a must watch, and if you are new to kdramas this is probably a good one to watch. It had similar vibes to Again My Life but this one actually stuck the landing. Rating: The ending did confuse me, so I had to rewatch the last episode… ooops. 

Alice in Borderland (2020, Yoshiki Watabe, Yasuko Kuramitsu, & Shinsuke Sato)

Main leads: Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya

Episodes: 8, 41 to 80 min

Thoughts: This show is so good. I have been putting it off, but with the new season coming out I just had to watch it. The characters are almost all incredibly flawed, but you are endured to them anyway. Arisu an awkward game-obsessed outcast becomes a hero alongside Usagi in the most deadly game ever. This show does have a graphic SA scene in the later half of the series which I wasn’t warned for, so just be warned. I do think it is worth a watch, but there is a lot of graphic violence. Rating: We built this city….

Summer Strike (2022, Hong Moon-pyo, Lee Yoon-jung)

Main leads: Kim Seol-hyun, Im Si-wa

Episodes: 12, 43 to 52 min

Thoughts: I actually didn’t see much promotion for this serious. But I love introverted couples, plus Im Si-wa plays the soft boy character very well. The couples in this are cute, and the vibes are immaculate, however the story is lacking somewhat. In the last 3 or so episodes it turns into a thriller, though viki does label it as such and there are hints of it in the beginning, it just feels out of place with the hometown vibes. Rating: If I had a nickel for every time a chill hometown vibe drama turns into a thriller I would have like 3 nickels which isn’t very much but it is weird it happened thrice. 

Alchemy of Souls (2022, The Hong Sisters)

Main leads: Lee Jae-wook, Jung So-min

Episodes: 20, 60 to 70 min

Thoughts: Wowza, I understand why it is considered the drama of the Summer. It was actually so good. I wish I was able to see it when it was coming out, but now I don’t have to wait after that ending. It was so good, and I’m so excited to start the second part. Jung So-min doesn’t disappoint, plus her chemistry with Lee Jae-wook. It will definitely be different without her. The story and worldbuilding is also so interesting with very little complaints from me. Rating: a Wolf in Sheep's clothing.

Alice in Borderland 2 (2022, Yoshiki Watabe, Yasuko Kuramitsu, & Shinsuke Sato)

Main leads: Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya

Episodes: 8, 41 to 80 min

Thoughts: Man what a ride. This season is arguably better than the first. It was such an interesting watch. I was so confused for a while at the ending but it all worked out. I just think this is such a good show, and if you have the stomach for it, you should watch. Rating: Alice, the white rabbit, and the queen of Hearts… 

I am currently watching Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow. If there any shows that you think I should watch in the upcoming year please feel free to recommend me some. I hope you have a wonderful New Year!

#kdrama #kdramas #kdrama recommendations #kdrama thoughts #alice in borderland #alchemy of souls #2521 #reborn rich #our beloved summer #summer strike #park min young #go kyung pyo #netflix little women #netflix #netflix 2022 #revenge of others #my liberation notes #kim ji won #jung so min #Sound of your Heart #cdrama #jdrama #kim go eun #netflix kdrama #kingdom #kdrama review #may i help you #love in contract #crazy love #true beauty

[ch4tk4t]

Comics Fangirl n°1 - Into the fangirlverse:

Today's review is about "What if? Dark: Spider-Gwen"/2023

Plot by Gerry Conway & Jody Houser

Art by Ramon F Bachs and Dee Cunniffe

Welcome to this first "Comics Fangirl", where i use my fangirl super powers I got by being bit by a radioactive super-fan for good, as with great power, MUST also come great responsibility.

Get ready for a true superhero action thriller, packed to the brim with thrills and chills, twists and turns, more super-vilains than you can shake a web at, and of course, non-stop web-slinging ACTION !

So if you're not aware yet, Gwen Stacy is theorized to be a trans wowan in the latest spider-movie, "Across the Spider-verse". Needless to say, most of the "fan base" is up in arms AGAINST the idea. That, in my humble opinion, is because most of the "spider-fan base" is a bunch of racist incels. I, as a TRUE spider-fan hold the only true true. This is f*cking comics, you f*cking nerds. Cry some more, #Gwenistrans. Now that THAT'S sorted out, moving on to my review.

First off, my eyes bleed every time I have to witness Greg Land's... "art". Motherf*cker can't even find something new to trace over, I feel I've seen this "o-face" a BILLION times already (I'm not being funny here, Greg is KNOWN for tracing over porn 😑)

Spoilers for this comics from here on out, you have been warned. Also, minor spoilers for Ghost-Spider's backstory.

It's one of comics most well known event, but in case you didn't know, the main universe Gwen Stacy died years ago, during a fight between Spider-Man and the green goblin. Only this time, it's Peter that dies, hitting his head as he jumps to save Gwen.

I love this alternate universe, because usually the "What ifs" involve someone acting out of character or something ludicrous happening to set the events into motion. Only this time it's Peter not thinking of his personal safety as he saves the woman of his life (MJ and him start dating after Gwen's death), which is 100% in character.

Gwen discovers Peter's secret identity as she drags his lifeless body from the water. Instinctively, she gets rid of his costume. I love the way she INSTANTLY knows what Peter would've wanted, as I'm sure he wouldn't want any of his ennemies knowing who he was, especially now that he can't protect his loved ones.

Instead of just grieving though, our girl Gwen starts scheming. She's going to take revenge on the green goblin. Only problem, she has no super-powers, and no training. That won't stop her, as she enlists Harry Osborn's help to spring a trap for the gliding menace. What she doesn't tell Harry is that she plans on killing the goblin, using her late father's gun.

She baits Osborn senior by acting like Spider-Man survived their last encounter. When the Goblin falls into her trap, she points the gun at him, ready to shoot.

At the last minute though, she changes her mind, proving once more the love and understanding she has for Parker. Peter wasn't a killer, and she won't become one in his name. So this is the part where my eyes started leaking for some odd reason.

Sadly, Harry, overtaken by grief (and probably overcompensating for missing Pete's funeral) shoots the Goblin in the chest, not aware of his true identity. When Norman dies in front of his son, Harry snaps, telling Gwen he holds her responsible for his father's death, exacerbating her already existing guilt.

This is the start of this Gwen's journey as a spider-person. As far as spider-folks go, that's pretty f*cking metal.

So I want to touch on the fact this is now the second "Spider-Gwen" who fights crime WITHOUT SUPER POWERS. First of all, #SlayQueenYaaas. Secondly, I can't help but read this as a metaphor for Gwen being trans.

In case you didn't know (we can't all be virgins, I understand) Ghost-Spider, mostly know as "Spider-Gwen", also doesn't have super-powers at the moment (at least when the writers actually REMEMBER THAT). She lost them during a story where she compensated using a version of the venom symbiote, which she tames in about one issue, one-upping Peter like no one's business.

I may be over thinking this, but I view that fact as a parallel to her transness. Much like the fact she doesn't have the same "powers" as cis people, she doesn't have the powers most spider-people have, and she has to work twice as hard to achieve the same results as them. Also, Ghost-Spider has no secret identity in her universe, and I couldn't help but see that as a trans thing. You KNOW people IRL would out her the first chance they got. Or maybe that's just me, I don't know.

So in case that wasn't clear, I loved this comic. The plot was good, and I loved the art. If you plan on picking it up (I just spoiled most of the plot, but you do you) consider pirating it, in case you don't know Disney funds war criminals.

I give this comic nuff'said/10

Talk to you later, true believers.

Fangirl out.

#Comics #Comic-books #Comics review #Gwen Stacy #Gwen is trans #Ghost-spider is trans #Cry more ya nerd #What if #Greg land #Comics fangirl #Into the fangirlverse #Comics Fangirl #Comic fangirl

[motownfiction]

hollow bunny

The year after they graduate from high school, Will and Lucy decide to host an Easter get-together for everybody. They decide it’s just what they need. When Easter comes too early – and in 1986, it comes March 30, the very definition of too early – you need to find something to do that’s fun. Get your mind off how freezing you are, even though the decorations outside say it’s supposed to be spring. Lucy’s in charge of ordering and heating up all the food. Will is in charge of the Easter baskets. Everybody gets one, filled to the brim with candy and maybe something extra. As it turns out, it gets pretty boring to fill up baskets with plastic green grass and egg-shaped chocolates. So, he enlists Sam’s help, just for the fun of it.

“Hey, man,” Sam says as he ties up Sadie’s Easter basket. “Are you giving out chocolate bunnies?”

Will shrugs.

“I don’t know,” he says. “I might. Why?”

“Eh, no reason. It’s just that a couple of years ago, I found out that my mom has been giving Sadie and me hollow chocolate bunnies every year, but Charlie always gets a solid-chocolate bunny. And it just feels kinda … well, you get it.”

Will feels his hands tense up around the Easter basket cellophane. Oh, he gets it. He gets it better than even Sam does because he’s on the inside, and when you’re on the inside, you can’t see quite as well as everyone else. Worse yet, Sam is still blinded by love – for his mother, for his little brother, for chocolate bunnies on Easter Sunday. For as much as he thinks he gets it, Will knows he feels worse. Will knows he’s even angrier.

He tries to imagine a world where he would ever give his kid a hollow bunny. Maybe if it was an Easter emergency, and they only had hollow bunnies. But even then, he’s not sure he could do it. And he knows it’s not the bunny that’s the problem. By now, he’s smart enough to pick up on a few metaphors, even when the person using them wishes they were being literal.

But even then, it is the bunny that’s the problem.

Of course Sam’s mother would stick him with the hollow bunny. It’s everything she wishes he was when she’s in the wrong mood about it. When Maggie Doyle is in the right mood, she wants Sam to be everything he can be, to live up to his potential and then just crash right through it. But whenever he starts to rise, Maggie panics. She buys him hollow bunnies. She says things like why can’t you just be more like your friend Will?

And that’s what it is.

It’s that Maggie Doyle sees him as little more than a hollow bunny for her genius son to take a bite into until he’s all gone, all disappeared.

And he’s spent enough time in his life wondering if she – if people like her – are right.

Sam stands out. Will blends in. When you meet Sam, and you talk to him for more than a minute or two, you get lost in the woods of his thoughts. Will thoughts don’t have woods. They barely have leaves. At least, that’s what he’s told himself. All his life, he’s told himself he’s hollow, Sam’s sidekick, the thing Sam stands next to so that he looks more approachable, more human. He’s the solid bunny, no matter what his mother puts in his Easter basket. Will is hollow. He feels hollow.

He doesn’t say any of that to Sam, of course. He never would.

But on Easter, when they open their baskets and each find a solid-chocolate bunny, they both know what the other is trying to say.

(part of @nosebleedclub january challenge -- day xxii! the prompt was just “bunny,” but i already had a vignette with that title. this vignette is a kind of continuation of that one.)

#drabble #writeblr #ch: will o'connor #ch: sam doyle #dynamic: rocky you met your match #year: 1986