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styrmwb · 2 months

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I beat Chrono Trigger

And I beat it like, nearly entirely unspoiled too. For the longest time Chrono Trigger was "The most Styrm game Styrm has never played" and I felt silly cause my super cool ADHD brain never decided it was gonna decide to play it until now (I also had to get it done before FFVII rebirth or it was NEVER gonna happen lmfao) So like, what are my onions?

The game's so fucking good, it stands up so incredibly well that I regret not getting to it sooner. The music, the story, the gameplay, the art (backgrounds and spritework), every single part of this game I absolutely adored. I can MAYBE think of like 2 things I would have changed about the game but they're so minor.

Characters

I loved every single party member. The ones with character felt so alive and enjoyable, and the ones that didn't really have much character were super fun to use in battle. Crono MIGHT be one of the most broken JRPG protags I've played as; I gave him a counter item for the whole game and he would constantly attack with high crits. Marle is one of my favorite characters; being all adventurous and shit, rejecting the stuffiness of royal society but like, not NOT caring? I like it. Plus she was instrumental in having me not die lmfao. Lucca had a really great character arc with Robo and her mother, and blowing shit up was super fun. Speaking of, Robo deserves the entire world; I would die for him. Unfortunately he didn't get as much use in my playthrough as I would have wanted, but I still dearly care for him. Ayla was a powerhouse even though i completely neglected her thief mechanic, and despite her caveman speak and relative lack of goal compared to the cast, I really appreciated her presence as I almost felt like she was a pillar For the rest of the cast. Magus was hype. I'll describe thoughts later down the list, but for his gameplay his magic annihilated battles, and the dude pretty much solo'd the Lavos boss rush. Finally; Frog. The absolute best character in the game. His design? Creative. His story? Heartbreaking yet heroic. His gameplay? Essential. I loved Frog from the moment I saw him and he was with me through thick and thin. Something I really appreciated was that HE got Masamune rather than Crono. Sure, Crono is the main character, but Frog is the hero. I love my amphibious mans.

Lavos is super cool to me. It's not really a character (but kinda is?) and more like a force of nature. I also think it's kinda conceptually funny that the main villain of this classic game is the meteor that killed the dinosaurs. I don't think I FULLY understood what it truly was, but it's a concept that I very much enjoyed.

Overall, all of the characters in this game are great. Everyone has a role, everyone is enjoyable in their own way, and I really love seeing how the time travel aspect would let you see fates of characters and their role in history.

Gameplay

I loved the lack of random battles. Every battle felt planned and like its own individual puzzle, especially with the positioning gimmick; what enemies get hit by what abilities, how do I avoid hitting this enemy with the element that heals them with my super strong AoE ability. The idea of dual and triple techs enhanced this further: am I gonna use individual turns for heals or am I gonna just have Crono and Ayla fuckin decimate the entire area?

The aspect of time travel felt overall very well used. Past experiences affecting the future, but things in the future not affecting backwards; it feels like it should be obvious it works that way but it just felt like, well executed. this paragraph proves i need to get better at writing cause ultimately I just said I liked it

I also feel like the whole beginning section with the fair leading to the trial really makes you think harder about what to pay attention to and what matters: it teaches well without shoving it in your face. Might just be because I play a lot of RPGs and this is an older one, but I was able to discern the knowledge i needed easily.

Story

So to clarify here, I know there are multiple endings, but I got two; the Die To Lavos Ending not sure why i got this one nope and the real ending; I tried to do everything that I possibly could, so that was my experience.

It's great. I kinda loved how it was less a "party vs a bad time man" and more of a "party vs a natural calamity": I feel like that's not done often in games, there's usually a big bad (which I don't hate!) but it was a nice change of pace. I absolutely loved how each timeline had its own individual struggles, and the nature of time travel made them flow together very well in small ways (like defeating Magus makes Ozzie the worshipped one). Being able to go into it unspoiled really improved the huge moments, like Magus and Crono's big events (not gonna say in case there's someone like me out there), and I very much enjoyed guessing what would be next and what would affect what.

The Only Major issue I have is the 3 party limit, and character dialogue being locked to who you have. I feel like there would have been some really cool moments had everyone been there, like the campfire scene where everyone got their time.

Music

I mean, it's peak. I've already heard some of Mitsuda's work in later games, but hearing him here do (pretty much) the whole soundtrack was just a treat to my ears. The main theme is stuck playing in my head daily. The overworld and cutscene songs I think are where it shines, although I did really like the battle songs as well. and as always shoutouts to Uematsu we love that man.

Art

Again, a short section, but this game is beautiful, and I could tell that a lot of the techniques they used felt advanced for the time, like the time travel effect, or the car race; the spritework felt bouncy and alive, the backgrounds were beautifully detailed (Like Magus's Castle holy shit), and the entire game was a joy to look at.

Unspoiled

So yeah, I beat this game unspoiled somehow. I knew a couple characters like Crono and Lavos (the fact that they Existed), I've seen some backdrops like the campfire and Masamune in its sheath, and I've heard some songs; but other than that, I didn't know anything!

(warning for spoilers if you are like me and have gotten unspoiled don't read this)

Like I said in the story, it was really fun to figure out how things would be affected by the nature of time travel, naturally figuring out side quests like Fiona, and being hit by moments that I never would have expected. I didn't think my actions at the fair would affect anything until I saw the trial which made me question everything (I'm sorry old man for eating your lunch) (twice). I remember getting what i thought was the full party cause that's what the box art was, until I noticed what I thought was a 7th party member slot, leading me to wonder when this person would join and who it is; discovering Antiquity (also a surprise to me) convinced me that the person was here, and then that said person was Boy with cat that said I was gonna die, and lo and behold I was right! But not in the way that I thought. Seeing Magus be the final member was incredibly rewarding, and I probably wouldn't have gotten him if I didn't get reality checked by my actions mattering in the trial (although I do wish he had some more party interactions and dialogue). Also close to this: I did not know Crono STRAIGHT UP dies. Like, OBVIOUSLY he was gonna come back, right? But to have that happen to your main character? Felt revolutionary for the time. Didn't think Lavos was gonna be like, a humanoid creature, and I ESPECIALLY didn't think it was gonna have a phase 2.

(ok spoilers over)

Final

I could not be happier with my experience for this game. I can absolutely see why it is considered a masterpiece, and it's clearly going to stick with me for a good long while, the rest of my life, even. My negatives are incredibly minor, really only wanting more party dialogue and interactions (and to remove Golem FUCK that fight lmfao), and for that, I can probably consider it one of my favorite RPGs.

10/10, thanks for reading my ramblings if you did.

#chrono trigger #textpost #games I beat in 2024 #jared's game ramblings

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killemwithkawaii · 2 years

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Hello!! I recently got Tumblr after I read some of your love-sick sal fics and DAMN you got me trapped now senpai >////<

So here's my gush about Sal and Larry because I love both of those ghost hunter bffs

So first Sal. Where do I even start? Sally is such an interesting character and I love his concept alone!! The execution? Mwah -3- He's a little femboy but can also be so badass! Me being an absolute SUCKER for Yanderes I can't even begin to describe how much potential he has, but you already showed lots of it!! Sal is definitely the stalker type that collects everything. A little to weak to kidnap right of the bat, but he has that possibility in mind for emergencies. He definitely has journal after journal with drawings, notes and scenarios of Sal and his obsession lover~ He's definitely delusional about the relationship they share. I love to imagine that he'll play into anything his lover wants. Kinks? "Weird" habits? Hobbies? He's definitely into all of it if it means he can be with his lovely Y/N! And I LOVE that devotion so so so SO much!! He definitely isn't the type to force the darling to change but rather changes himself and that's a whole other level of being yandere, let me tell you that! Overall Sal/10 would buy again! Never been happier to have a delusional masked boi chilling outside my window ;D

Now, Larry. DAMN THE DUDE IS STRONG. And he also has connections where he can get drugs from? He'd definitely kidnap as soon as he sees a little danger and I'M ALL HERE FOR IT!! He's kinda the opposite of Sal which I kinda love! Well, sure, they share same interests, but I mean that while Sal is weak and timid (a little of a push-over when it comes to love but not in a bad way c;), Larry is a muscly dude who knows what he wants, but often only wants to chill (which I totally respect). Larry's yandere potential is also pretty high. I mean, he literally lives in the basement with pretty thick walls. It wouldn't be hard to hide a person there, plus he can also drug them if they get too noisy (nothing too dangerous or addicting though, he only wants them to relax a little). I imagine him being super soft though once darling gets Stockholm syndrome comfy! He isn't as delusional as Sal but honestly, he doesn't care. He just takes what he wants and DAMN IT I LOVE IT >//////< Larry/10 would buy again! Never have I been happier being in a basement smoking weed than U am now ;D

And Double Trouble? Let's keep it short.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS LET'S GOOOOOO

>You got a tumblr… because of my yan!sal fics????? I am SO HONORED AAHHHHHH 🥺🥺🥺💖💖💖💖💖💖 (and also wonder how you found them if you weren't here already sdlkfd)

>I really need to do a rewatch with the intention of adding up all of Sals (and Larrys) 'yan points'. There are a lot of them, but I want to know exactly how many times he sneaks and creeps and gets all mushy in canon 📝✅

>Sal is a yandere packrat and I love that for all of us collectively (bu-dum-tss)

>He's also very open minded, nonjudgmental and observant, so I totally agree that he'd be accepting of (and quickly picks up on) his darlings 'weird' quirks and kinks and would romanticize the hell out of them (to a reasonable point- even love-sick Sally has to have some limits and doesn't want anybody to get hurt unnecessarily)

>Umf, his DEVOTION 👌👌👌 but also: his uncanny ability to charm just about anyone, how quick he is with his white lies and whit, his patience and tolerance, how he gets people to trust him so quickly despite how off-putting some find his appearance, how he uses his politeness, agreeability, emotional intelligence and flattery to get exactly what he wants from people and they thank him for it half the time, how he uses all of that to his advantage with the (perceived) best intentions AND to achieve his own goals… it just gets my darling dokis going so hard u//w//u 💘💘💘💘💘💘💘

>As for Scary Larry, he's opposite yet complimentary to Love-Sick Sally (which is why Double Trouble is *chefs kiss*)- stubborn to a fault, doesn't mind making enemies, willing to get his hands dirty (mostly metaphorically speaking), able to say the hard truths, his inability to brush off unfairness or disrespect, a need for control that he doesn't quite know how to achieve…

>He makes me go '(giggling) Im in danger :3c' bc he could very easily overpower little ol me and it gets me feeling Ways (oh god and i just remembered hes a full foot taller than me HELP sdlfsadf) 👉👈💓💦

>The nickname Lar-bear is so fitting bc he could potentially tear someone limb from limb like a grizzly for messing with his darling but he would also cuddle [darling] all night in his yan dungeon like a big teddy bear 🤗🧸💖

>His PASSION 👌👌👌 he loves and feels so deeply and he can't seem to keep it contained. Sal is used to masking his feelings lol but Larry has to express himself, whether he's happy or angry or moved. His love might be intense to the point of smothering, but it's pretty nice once you get used to it~ 💘

>Both? Both. Definitely both (and thanks to this gush im gonna think about being in the middle of that delicious yan!sandwich all day) 🤤💕💕💕

#k.e.w.k. answers #sal fisher #larry johnson #love sick sally #scary larry #double trouble #yandere sal fisher #yandere larry johnson #tw yandere #tw kidnapping #tw drug use #tw manipulation #tw delusion #tw stalking #[goddamn i love my boyfriends guys U///w///U]

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no-romo-hoes · 1 year

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I hate VENOM as a film. I hate it. It sucks. But I also love it. It's great. I'll never watch it again. Let's back up a bit. (Before we begin, No I haven't watched the second VENOM movie, so this is from what I remember from the first one)

I love Venom because it's so fucking funny. The symbiote itself, not the film. It's so strong, it's blood-thirsty, it's horrifying to look at, it's an alien, it's murdered and eaten dozens of innocent civilians, but it's got sass, it's easily offended, it likes tater tots and chocolate, and it provides the funniest commentary of any marvel film. It's like having a really freaky roommate that'll tease you all day if you get flustered by an attractive person, then demand you buy them food, then murder your highschool bully because they called you a mean name. He'll even "leave the apartment" for a night if you wanna do something privately. But he'll tease you endlessly afterwards. And the fact that he explained to Eddie how he was considered a loser on his planet makes their duo that much more lovable. Two outcasts from different societies meeting and becoming best friends/in love (whatever your view on their relationship is 'cause it's kinda vague). I seriously love Venom as a creature.

Next, I love how different the hero is to other marvel heroes. Iron Man is a billionare weapons designer, Black Widow has been trained to kill since she was 12, Thor is a literal god, Black Panther is the freaking king of the most advanced civilisation on the planet, Captain America is a super soldier and the textbook definition of a "good person". And then look at VENOM. Eddie Brock is a stressed, unemployed, drug-addict in a shitty apartment that just got dumped by his girlfriend. He is the textbook definition of a "loser". Then he meets this random glob of alien black-cat-energy and he's just like "aight". The most relatable superhero in the history of superheroes.

But I hate VENOM. I was so disappointed when I watched it. The writing of the dialogue was good, but it could have been way better, we didn't really get to see the development of the relationship between Venom and Eddie, nor the character development we would want for Eddie now that he has something to fight for. We see the classic sacrifice-yourself-for-your-friend-but-oh-turns-out-you-survived trope, but there was no time for Eddie to properly mourn. Basically, there wasn't enough angst. There wasn't enough time for it. I think it would have been better as an episode series instead of a film, that way we could have a lot more time for character development, awesome battle scenes, as well as general Roommate Comedy™. To add to this, I was disappointed at the lack of a training montage. Cliché as it is, they went from having just met to "we're unstoppable and have codes and battle strategy and shit", so having some training time on screen would have eased that transition significantly, and the flow of the film would have improved.

This is the most irritating part of the film; the fact that the concept and characters are brilliant but were executed poorly. I would have no issue with a film that was just bad, but to have such a fun and new idea written in such mediocre fashion is infuriating. Now I feel no shame when I say I have searched for reader-insert fanfictions that include the symbiote (not x readers though, I'm not a monster fucker) and there are very few of quality. If you can correct me, please do. So my appreciation of Venom must remain tucked away in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the front saying "beware of the leopard".

#we are venom #venom #marvel venom #marvel #venom symbiote #eddie brock #venom movie

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semi-imaginary-place · 1 year

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Tiger & Bunny 2 thoughts

I agree with my impressions from the first 13 episodes, that while T&B2 wasn't bad, the original T&B had overall tighter writing. The overall feel of the two seasons and the hearts of souls of the two seasons are the same but the original Tiger & Bunny just does it better. One of the main contributors of this is that T&B2 struggles at time with pacing and tension. Take the last 5 or so episodes of the season 2 its like the show can't decide whether the heroes have severe injuries and should be hospitalized or if they're actually alright and just have a few scratches and so their state flip flips several times between scenes. Now the reason for this is for the narrative, so the story can hit its proper emotional beats of failing against an overwhelming force only to come back at the last moment and win. This isn't bad however I could not suspend disbelief long enough to actually buy into the narrative, the story just wasn't convincing enough. It's like if I had just read the overarching plot summary of T&B2 cour 2 I'd think it was great and the perfect second season, but the devil is in the details and while on paper the plot sounds great, the execution wasn't quite there. Tiger & Bunny has always been a workplace drama masquerading as an action show and in season 1 it does so convincingly and balances those two aspects well. Here in season 2 the workplace drama is still strong but the super hero action show is weak which isn't as much a problem as you'd think because again this is primarily a workplace drama. However, T&B does put narrative important arcs in its action parts and when those parts are weak it drags the rest of the show down.

While the super hero action show was a weak point let's talk about how the ideas in the second season were perfect. Two of the core concepts in the original T&B were Kotetsu having work problems, and his growing relationship to Barnaby. A man who's been working his job for some time and is starting to get into his middle years is overshadowed by a young upstart who thinks he can do better. From the beginning a lot of Kotetsu's problems were made to be relatable to your average working adult, management changed, now hates him, and pressures him into things with the threat of firing him, he struggles to meet the demands of a job he is increasingly unsuited for, his preteen daughter hates him. These very normal problems are contrasted with Barnaby busy off being a little revenge boy trying to unmask a global criminal conspiracy and learning that his father figure and head of the hero agency brainwashed him for years, and most of his memories are fake. The growing relationship between Barnaby and Kotetsu is what carries the show and them (emotionally) through season 1 and it was really great to see the continuation of that in season 2. The conversations between Kotetsu and Barnaby were probably the best moments in season 2. In season 2 we see the deep trust between them and because their relationship is so stable we thus get to see more of the other cast members and their new co-worker problems. The addition of Mattias was a good choice as their is Barnaby's first friend outside of work and is another step in him reclaiming his life. And while in season 1 Kotetsu struggled with the possibility of his career ending, in season 2 now its Barnaby's turn. One of the core themes of season 2 is how people are stronger together we see this in everything from the new Buddy system of HeroTV to how the main threat of cour 2 is Aubun who represents "believe only in your own power" and who is of course defeated by the cooperation between Wild Tiger, Barnaby, and Lunatic.

Lunatic was always meant to be a mysterious threat you can see this in how inconsistent his characterization was in season 1, he was always whatever the show needed him to be whether as a foil to kotetsu or a deus ex machina to move the plot along. Like the show can't seem to decide what to make of them, if Lunatic is out there killing people who didn't do anything like Ivan's friend who didn't actually kill anyone like even a manslaughter charge is a little iffy, to oh Lunatic's actually got a point about people the justics system can't catch. So that talk between Yuri and Kotetsu about Mr. Legend was excellent as it directly addresses how that past hero deeply affected both of them and their opposing senses of justice. I'm still not quite convinced he's dead given Lunatic was able to disappear in a burst of flames before but that might be giving the writers too much credit in remembering what happened in the original series.

#tiger & bunny #t&b #tiger & bunny 2 #t&b2 spoilers

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deep-hearts-core · 2 years

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2015 - semifinal 1

originally posted 5/22/20

Thoughts before watching Confession time: I've watched this show just recently. After finishing my finals, I binged all the finals from 2015 to 2009, and I've been watching the semifinals with a friend over cytube. So this isn't, like, a fresh rewatch or anything, with this show more than any of the others the songs are still very much in my head and my opinions are for the most part solid. I'm also back to watching the German archive again, and thank god - the Georgian commentators never stopped talking. They talked through the beginnings of the songs at some point. They really just never shut up and I couldn't concentrate on anything. Peter Urban is 1) brief and 2) speaking a language I actually understand. Moldova This is not necessarily a bad song, but it's also not great. Eduard is an OK vocalist and I actually liked the jungle gym set piece and the dance routine, but thought that the sexy police dancers were a bit... much.

Armenia Mary-Jean absolutely ruins this. Genealogy, while a good concept, failed in its execution because the six singers had such wildly different vocal styles. Tamar and Essai had more pop vocals, Vahe had a rough voice, Inga's was strong and thick, Stephanie's thin, typical of Japanese music, and Mary-Jean... well. She is an opera singer. It just didn't mix well together. I think it's a good song and I think about half the group were pretty good vocalists, and it also had AMAZING staging, which I think redeems the song for me to some degree. Belgium I can't watch this anymore without thinking of SuRie telling the press that at one of the performances, Loic missed his mark and she had her foot on his crotch instead of his chest for the second verse... ok, this aside, Loic is an amazing singer and both the song and staging here are good, and original, albeit a little weird. Sometimes weird is okay, you know? I think that's Loic's whole schtick, especially with his later releases. Netherlands This was only deserving of Barbara Dex for the backup singers' costumes with the googly eyes. Trijntje's getup herself wasn't actually that bad. TBH I think this one doesn't suck as much as everyone thinks it does. The song is nice (I like the guitar bits) and the "why, why-y-y-y" part is pretty catchy. Trijntje does look a little desperate onstage though.

Finland I respect what Finland is trying to do here, but it doesn't work for me mostly because I just hate punk music. Greece One Last Breath is among my favorites of the 2015 contest. I always forget how much I love it, but between Maria Elena's graceful voice, the dramatic song, and the really cool staging with the background lights, this is probably one of my favorite numbers of this semifinal. Estonia Classy, this one. I really like the way they staged this with the silhouettes and the image of a door closing. I do like this song and it's certainly very different from a number of the other offerings this year, but it's not a standout for me in terms of how much I enjoy it. I acknowledge that it's good but I don't super love it. I think this doesn't suit Elina's voice as much as some of her solo work does, which might be part of the problem.

FYR Macedonia I have a soft spot for this one, don't know why. I think I just like the composition. Daniel seems somehow trustworthy, and while he can't seem to stay in key for longer than ten seconds he does have a very strong voice. Serbia Campy, but fun. Has a lot of energy - both the song and the performance. Bojana goes HARD and she's such a strong vocalist and fun performer that the completely whack stage performance turns meaningful.

Hungary Staging saved this one. Beautiful staging that really overbalanced the rest of this, because you know what, I love Boggie but Wars For Nothing is one of her worst songs. It's just so weak in comparison to her other songs off of that second album like Egbolt or Szines Minden that I would have enjoyed so much better. Belarus This so absolutely deserved to qualify. Staging was a little weird, sure, but god this song is so well written and all around good to listen to.

Russia Polina absolutely did not deserve the hate that she got. I think Russia has a bad (or calculated...) habit of sending absolute angel singers who then have to take the fall for their national politics. Polina's got a great voice, the song was good, and the staging here was EXCELLENT. That dress was beautiful and the performance really utilized the stage well too.

Denmark This is cute. The Danish boys have a lot of energy and I like the retro concept, even if it does feel like something out of Teen Beach Movie.

Albania I can't seem to get behind this song as much as every single other Eurofan can. Elhaida's live vocals are just so bad on the night and the song itself doesn't do anything for me. Sorry, Albania, but it's a no from me.

Romania I enjoy this! Very pretty song, especially the parts of it sung in Romanian. It's well-performed, you can tell that Mr. Voltaj sincerely believes in his message. Not the biggest fan of his voice but it's whatever.

Georgia Staging here is badass. The song is pretty good, but that staging really brings it above and beyond. My personal qualifiers Greece Belgium Russia Georgia Belarus Estonia Denmark Serbia Romania Armenia Miscellaneous thoughts The hosts are so... awkward, especially Arabella. Makes the interval portions of the 2015 contest painful to watch. The "pets explore Vienna" skit was kinda cute. It was cringe, but not as cringe as Pilou Asbaek's continual China gags the year before. Another thing I like in this year's hosting is the use of other 2014 songs in the background, it's a little nod to everyone else.

#esc reviews

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doubleddenden · 2 years

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i have watched so many movies lately that i cannot really hope to begin a full review for them for the two people that bother reading them

so instead here's a bunch of short ones. Personal opinions, don't @ me. this is not meant to be taken too seriously. i just like to record my thoughts for later viewing down the road and maybe give a little nudge for friends to watch something i'm watching.

Belle (anime movie):

Beautiful in concept, a little shaky in execution, the ending felt a little too open, but it does give a decent amount of food for thought towards the perception of others, ourselves, internet culture, and society at large. This is also sort of the third in the unofficial trilogy of Mamoru Hasoda reinventing the internet, with the first two being the Digimon Movie (specifically Our War Game) and Summer Wars. 10/10 singing though and 10/10 art direction, 7/10 plot though. Verdict: Watch it, but don't expect to be completely satisfied, and try not to fall too deep into tropes. Do be careful with it as it does have somewhat triggering bits for certain people.

Lupin III the First the Movie:

I was afraid the 3d would ruin it, but it's actually very fun, super stylistic, and I think a fun homage to both Lupin III and Indiana Jones movies and the like. The hyper realistic backgrounds and semi hyper realistic but still cartoonish characters actually work really well, and the action- dare I say- is actually better than the anime. Its not entirely perfect, but its fun enough. I think the only thing it suffers from is that plot sort of happens in convenience to the characters- typical Lupin style though. Still fun, and I actually think it's better than a lot of the Lupin content I've seen in a long wile. 8/10, Jigen is hot in this one wtf

Dragon Ball Super Super Hero:

The movie itself is kinda eh and the 3d looks like a cheaper ArcSys cutscene, but there is heart and fun moments in the movie. Just don't go in expecting 10/10 story telling because the plot is an easy 6. The fights are pretty neat though, the new stuff is cool, and timeline placement is unique for the series. Anything more would spoil things, but its actually pretty funny in unexpected ways. 7/10 Piccolo is the best Uncle Dadpa

One Piece Film Z:

Really fun, and the writing and character design is very consistent with the series as I've been watching so far (i'm keeping up with the Toonami broadcast). Fight scenes are great, art is great, and the rest is about what you expect from One Piece- the added benefit is that the arc is condensed into a movie and doesn't take 5 years to finish. 8/10, Robin rocks hot pants.

One Piece Strong World:

Somehow this movie has even BETTER art direction and world building than Z, and the fight scenes are gorgeous. The plot is kinda eh but I was too distracted by cool monsters and explosions. It's got the art direction of an actual One Piece arc characterwise but the plot of a decent filler arc in a generic anime. I think it might have been better as a game tbh. 8/10 Nami rocks the booty shorts

Blue Exorcist The Movie:

I never really got far in the anime because I couldn't really stand the glasses brother and his buzz kill kind of holier than thou personality, but the world design is still fucking gorgeous, and the movie character Usamaro is adorable. It lacks traditional shounen fight scenes for the most part but makes up for it with chaotic fights against gigantic demons and some pleasant fun bonding time with a little demon boy. What I hate is that the higher ups frame all the good that's done as bad because it inconveniences them in the slightest despite the people Ren and his friend with thick thighs help by just doing the right thing. But the city looks cozy, the food delicious, and the friends kinda wholesome. 7/10, not bad, kinda wanna watch the anime, I just want Usamaro to be happy

I do recommend each of these just for fun. Obviously I'm missing context for some of the anime movies but I'm just here to be entertained, not think too hard

if you have movies you think i'd like, gimme suggestions. I'd prefer something anime based and I'm not really looking for anything too gorey, scary, or the like. I like comedies, shounen type stuff, action, adventure, that kind of stuff.

and again, this is just for fun

#den reviews stuff #one piece #one piece film z #one piece strong world #blue exorcist #blue exorcist the movie #belle #belle movie #dragon ball super #dragon ball super super hero #lupin the third the first #lupin iii the first #lupin iii

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smokeybrandreviews · 3 months

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Majesty

I got this whole piece about how disappointing the current season of anime is but i had to shelve that because Frieren is till a thing. That debbie-downer of a piece is still definitely coming out, i have grievances, but, after finishing episode twenty-one of Autistic Elf Mage, i needed to take a minute and just gush about this entire franchise. Look, I'm a sucker for a solid fantasy tale. I love all of that sh*t. I've been enamored with Arthurian legend since i was young. I've read Dune a handful of times in my life. I've read all of the Tolkien Rings books and even read the first Game of Thrones novel, but they're not for me. My favorite genre of anime and manga, after cyberpunk, is fantasy. My favorite game franchise is, you guessed, Final Fantasy. I love this sh*t so you can imagine how hard it would be to win my affection. Sousou no Frieren did that chapter one of the manga.

I absolutely adore the manga. I highly recommend checking it out but, considering the popularity of the anime, i think a ton of people already have. This sh*t has become a full-on phenomenon and rightfully so. I am a staunch believer that great visual media (TV, games, film), has to have a strong start on the page. The sh*t you're adapting, needs to be well written before you even begin to visualize how to capture anything for the eye. Sousou no Frieren is a textbook example of this sh*t. I cannot stress how well written that book is. From the characters, to the world, to the magic system; All of it is brilliantly executed with a whimsical, deadpan, levity you rarely see in modern anything. Yamada Kanehito has crafted a masterwork and Abe Tsukasa's art compliments those whimsical words, with some of the most gorgeous art being published in tonkobans today. Sousou no Frieren is every bit as excellent, in almost the exact same ways as Dungeon Meshi, and if you know me, you know that's high praise. I wrote an entire essay, straight up fanboying about Delicious in Dungeon so you know, when i say Frieren is just as brilliant, i mean it. That said, Frieren does one thing better than Meshi and that's it's anime.

The Sousou no Frieren, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End as it's being called, has no right to be as exceptional as it is. Seriously, the manga, as well executed as it is, is just a slice of life. Now, I'm not bashing that at all. I love those types of stories. Indeed, one of my other favorites, Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers, is about to get an anime adaption and that thing is basically the same concept, but Frieren's is much more about the journey, rather than the conflict. It's a very weird and contradictory thing when you actually think about it, but nothing really happens in the Frieren plot but, at the same time, SO much happens! It's chock full of content but the way that narrative is approached, makes you think otherwise. It's quite an interesting read so to see that same energy perfectly captured in the anime? I am more than impressed. And, to push my reverence even further, this show looks amazing! Easily the best animated of the season, and it's a holdover from a previous one. Seriously, Madhouse is undefeated when it comes to their craft. I still think the pinnacle of their library was that first season of Onepunch, but this is arguably a close second or third.

Sousou no Frieren is f*cking spectacular, man. In all forms. Read the manga, it's one of the best in print. Watch the anime, it's the best of the season. There's a reason why this thing has become such a cultural phenomenon. It's one of those rare franchises which actually live up to the hype. As a manga reader, i know there is a ton of sh*t just over the horizon that is going to be a f*cking spectacle when it gets animated but what we have now? Even just this bit before the real action set pieces start up, is more than enough to take in these twenty-three scheduled episodes. I mean, that "battle" with Aura was incredible and Frieren just basically stood there. How do you make a scrap that compelling, when one of the combatants doesn't even move? I don't know, but this show did just that. F*cking exquisite. Seriously, watch this show. Read the manga. Episode twenty-one just came out, there's two to go. I had planned on writing this essay after the last episode aired, but i couldn't wait. It's just that good. Sousou no Frieren is as close to a perfect anime adaption as you can get. The hype is real. Watch that sh*t right now!

#Sousou no Frieren #Frieren at the Funeral #Frieren: Beyond Journey's End #anime #manga

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smokeybrand · 3 months

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Majesty

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themovieblogonline · 11 months

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Citadel Season Finale Wraps Up A Great New Spy Thriller Series

Citadel on Prime is one of the biggest shows of the year. In terms of budget, at least. The Russo Brothers produced new series is an action spy thriller that looked to be the next big thing. And while it didn’t exactly live up to those exact expectations, it’s still a pretty awesome show. The huge sprawling concept behind the series lends itself well to the action-packed blockbuster that it ultimately becomes. And the Citadel season finale sets up a lot more to come! Citadel Season Finale Concludes An Awesome New Show The Citadel TV series is all about an unprecedented spy organization working outside of national borders to safeguard the world. However, as with any spy organization, there’s an opposing group of just as skilled and dangerous spies who are their mortal enemies. The series begins with a mission on a train as our leads Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) reunite to stop some eminent threat. After an action-packed encounter, the two realize that their entire organization is targeted and they were betrayed. After an explosion leaves Mason amnesiac, with no memory of his spy life, we see him living a suburban life with his new wife and kid years later. However, the past does not stay buried and his old life comes knocking, with disastrous results. The series sees Mason, now rechristened as Kyle after the explosion, having to try to remember his old skill set in order to protect his family. But the Citadel season finale reveals so much more that audiences never see coming. What Works In The Citadel TV Series Citadel in many ways is a brand new spy thriller in the vein of the James Bond and Mission Impossible movies. It takes the best part of all those franchises and creates something brand new. It’s like a mix of a spy thriller and a superhero show. The high-fi tech details of the show are something directly out of a Bond movie, while the outfits and action sequences are very much like an MCU film. The action is actually very good, with quick cuts and some close-quarters fighting along with some awesome chases and gunfights. Every episode of Citadel is almost like a video game, where the player has to complete a complicated mission with checkpoints and twists and turns as they go. The story itself is also quite interesting, with a lot of mystery and some unexpected plot twists. The Runtime Of The Citadel TV Series Is Its Saving Grace Despite all of this, Citadel on Prime still has some issues. Overall, some of the dialogues, and story elements require a bigger suspension of disbelief than usual. There are some lines that feel very cheesy and hammy. Some of the plot points are a little iffy and raise more questions than answers. But the saving grace comes in the form of its very impressive run-time. With only a 6-episode season, every episode of Citadel is roughly around 40 minutes, which is really what makes the show so engaging. The lean episode run time makes every scene pivotal and the pacing is incredibly tight and effective. Even if something doesn’t work, the story moves at breakneck speeds, forcing audiences to get over any criticism quite quickly. It also makes the series incredibly binge-able. Citadel Season Finale Sets Up A Lot More To Come Citadel also works because of its overall viewing experience. Despite some issues with story and execution, it's a very fun show with some incredible performances. While the story is from the point of view of Madden’s Kyle/Mason, the real star of the show is Chopra-Jonas’ Nadia. As Madden does a great job go being the chisel-jawed amnesiac, with a perpetual neutral expression, and some strong moments during flashbacks, Chopra steals the show! The Citadel season finale pays off a lot of plot points set up during the series. But what’s incredible is how good Chopra-Jonas is here. The story gives her a range of emotions to play with. Everything from sexy and capable super spy, to a betrayed and broken woman with nothing left to lose. The range she shows is pretty amazing. Not to mention the action sequences really showcase her ability to kick butt. And seeing how it’s a Russo Brothers’ production, the action sequences are actually done very well. A Fun An Entertaining Series That’s Worth The Watch Ultimately, Citadel is not going to be the polished and perfect spy franchise with tight storytelling and flawless executions. So far, at least. But it’s still highly enjoyable seeing good-looking stars kicking butt and taking names. And in the case of Chopra-Jonas, even flexing some acting chops to showcase emotional vulnerability along with physical strength. The action and storytelling are dizzyingly intriguing. The twists and turns will keep audiences guessing at every turn. And at the end of the day, it’s a 6 episode series that is insanely binge-able! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0JG6V-12ac Check out Citadel on Prime Video today! What did you think of the Citadel season finale and the series overall? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @theshahshahid. Read the full article

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grad701-liv · 1 year

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week 1.1 sdl

we looked through some past projects in the presentation, which I found were great examples of the thematic pillars and helped me to understand the assessment and what was being asked of us.

despite this, I had a lot of trouble thinking of the topic that would ultimately showcase my heart and skills the best. still, I completed the sheet that was provided in class.

each of these topics are causes that I care about, be it recent or not. though I knew I had strong opinions and topics of passion, I struggled a lot to pick a topic from my list.

if I had to pick three I felt the most passionate about at this moment in time, I would pick:

---

1) cultural dysphoria as a Chinese Kiwi with origins from Southern China, I find I am deeply disconnected from other Chinese Kiwis as everyone I meet is usually a Mandarin speaker. not only am I disconnected from people I share the same ethnicity with, but I am also disconnected from my family that I have not seen since COVID and political tensions. I find myself each day questioning if I can still pronounce words correctly and it upsets me to be disconnected from my culture as it is something I am proud to be a part of.

a project that inspires me is Linh Thú – Sacred Animals. Liam came and spoke to us last semester about his project, which I found extremely beautiful and intriguing.

the concept of using something that is dying out (postcards) to revive the love and connections of others, a way to bring English and Vietnamese speakers together who share interests in culture, art and design is so cool. the design was executed super well, I love everything about this project.

2) adopt, don’t shop! many animals never get the chance to experience what ‘home’ could be due to people buying from pet shops instead. however, animals that come from shops are almost always being mistreated by the shop. there was a campaign shown in my first year of uni in semester two, about the adopted dog that saved a man’s life. it has touched my soul in a way that I will never forget.

a project that inspires me is the Shropshire Cat Rescue. I came across this organisation via tiktok one night and I was immediately in love with the cats and their environment. the eldery and the sick get to live the rest of their lives in an actual village, in houses, with beds and friends. at the same time, it made me aware of the issue of overfilling adoption shelters that have so many wonderful animals that don’t get the chance to experience home.

these cats get to live in the retirement village due to their age or medical conditions to give them the chance of a home they missed out on. but it doesn’t have to be that way for other animals.

3) online safety I was thankfully taught to be safe when in online spaces from an early enough age, even if still made stupid decisions here and there. however, since the COVID pandemic and many lockdown and restrictions imposed on the world as a whole, many of the kids today have zero sense of stranger danger or the concept of their digital footprint. they overshare, say harmful things and do silly things that could hurt them without a second thought... some of which could impact their future forever before it even begins.

a project that inspires me is keep it real online. I came across their ‘warning parents about child’s consumption of pornography’ video frequently via youtube ads, which got me really thinking about the online safety of kids. I am active within some online gaming communities and I find myself being approached frequently by kids who want to seem cool and overshare personal information with me. not only are random kids approaching me, but my young cousins also like to overshare with me. I spoke with some of my friends within my communities and found they had the same issues as I did. however, I feel like an awareness campaign is very safe and typical for this topic so I will look at exploring other ways to communicate the message. or maybe the collaterals I design could be different to the typical (ads, websites, boring ways to spread information).

#week 1 #semester 1

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the---hermit · 2 years

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Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

This book. It's going to be a long post, I warn you. I have seen this book around a lot. And although it is not the type of read I would usually go for I was really intrigued. I am so glad I gave in and got it.

The author basically created a big hypothesis on William Shakespeare's family, starting by the fact that his son Hamnet is known to have died young for unknown reasons. Also of course he gave his name to the play Hamlet. Starting from this Maggie O'Farrell painted a picture of this family, where Shakespeare himself plays a very small role and is never mentioned by name. He is only the father, the husband, the son, and so on. This is the base of the novel, which is already interesting itself, but the execution is impeccable. Firstly the writing is absolutely stunning, I had been told so, and I can confirm, it's magnificent. It creates the perfect atmosphere, and it's just really beautifully done. Then the characters are portrayed in such a good way, each one with their own characteristics, each one fascinating and interesting in their own way. I have completly fallen in love with Agnes (Shakespeare's wife), who I may dare to say appears to be the main protagonist. There are so many themes, the historical feeling is perfectly given, and I particularly appreciated the depiction of the plague. It is a scary but fascinating concept, and it was used really well in the novel. Grief is of course one of the main themes, and it is unspeakable how well it was portrayed. I am not an emotional person, I very rarely cry, but there were a few passages which had me in tears. I fully lost my dignity with this book. It explored the subject of loss and pain so well in my opinion. I feel like in general this novel does a great job with feeling, it feels very true, they feel authentic whether is sadness or love, it all feels genuine. I particularly loved the portrayal of brotherly love between sibilings of different genders. Both Agnes and her bother, and Hamnet and her twin Judith, they were described so well. Their union as sibilings was strong and deep, and it is not something that you always get when the characters aren't of the same gender. As someone with such a strong relationship with my older brother finding something remotely similar on paper hit me super hard. Unfortunately many books and movies have these siblings who often feel very unreal, but with very simple scenes this book did an amazing job. I have connected with it very strongly, and I am so happy I finally found a simple yet well done portrayal of it. One last thing I have loved about the writing, then I'll stop cause I am ranting, I know, was the description of simple acts and feelings that everyone has had. All throughout the book there were these passages I read and it blew my mind cause they were really simple things that no matter what everyone has felt and they worked perfectly. I will explain myself better with an example. At the very beginning there is description of falling as a kid and hurting your knees, and then feeling that pain pulsing with the rithim of your heartbeat. Very simple concept, perfectly put into words, and it felt so real it got me into the story without any struggle.

At this point I am just rambling so I'll stop, I clearly loved the book, and I recommend it so much. It was an amazing journey and I cannot wait to read it all over again. One of the best things I have read lately.

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a-lil-perspective · 3 years

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For a super late Tech Tuesday, what do you think Tech's kids are like? Do you have any strong (or not so strong) thoughts/opinions on him as a dad?

I had this saved from last week oop.

Believe it or not Dad!Tech lives rent free in my head and sometimes it hits me so strongly lol I feel so soft for him.

I think Tech as a Dad is really neat. I’ve made several posts just kind of sorting out his temperament with Omega in full recognition of the fact that he is actually very engaging with the youth. Tech has this quirky sense of humor and I think that’s where the appeal is, to kids—his kids. I think they are quirky just like he is.

And you know, when I’m thinking about Tech as a Dad, I kind of oscillate between the two purviews that he is either very talkative or extremely quiet—not “Crosshair quiet” but more in a sense that he is preoccupied much of the time. Hyper-fixated. Out of all the Dad Batch I would say Tech “engages” with his children the least - which I’ll get to that. Even with Omega, we see his mannerisms are kind of disjointed, he doesn’t quite fully grasp the concept of childrearing but I think he wants to which is incredibly profound. Also, he doesn’t do baby talk. It’s rather asinine to him so he skips it entirely. His vernacular is colloquial enough in theory which offers its perks. But he is simultaneously easily distracted and hyper-fixated which makes for very turbulent parenting. He means well but I think Tech totally suffers from executive dysfunction lol and so in the beginning especially he can be a bit negligent. And so I think that Tech’s kids are pretty independent and self-sufficient from a young age. I also think that they mirror a lot of their Dad’s behavior and tendencies, just slightly more unhinged. XD And I think they would probably suffer from a bit of executive dysfunction as well.

#does this make sense idk #tw dad mention #tw parenthood #executive dysfunction #neurodivergence #the dad batch #tech tuesday #I believe in tech supremacy #dad!tech #tech #clone trooper tech #the bad batch #anon/nonny #it’s a lil thing

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ramblingguy54 · 3 years

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Honestly, I haven’t been chatting enough about Owl House Season 2, so I’m gonna make some bullet points here about what I’ve been loving from these first five episodes.

-Lilith & Hooty’s whole friendship dynamic. It’s very nice, ironic, funny, and super cute to see two polar opposites become the most unlikely of friends. Also, it adds a nice change of pace to a side character, like Hooty, who was the guy no one liked to hang around with much as a running gag in Season 1. Now Hooty has someone who enjoys his company and values much of what he has to say, too. Lilith knows what it’s like to not have people enjoy their company, as she made choices that winded up putting her in a place of solitude from actual healthy socializing. For a long time Lilith didn’t have anyone to genuinely consult, until this silly freaking Owl tube came along to give a sense of safety after abandoning her ideals that defined this Witch for a couple of decades.

-Getting me to actually care more about King’s role in this story line. King wasn’t someone who really clicked with me in Season 1′s run time. I liked his episodes centering on the sibling dynamic he had with Luz sure, but not any one of them made me go, “This character is actually very endearing and want to see more of their journey.” , where I took King more as an overall decent member of the cast at best. Echoes of the Past seriously surprised me in how well it executed his backstory showcasing the strong connection he has to Edalyn & Luz in general as a found family. The revelation of how Eda & King met, on top of her dubbing him with that name this little guy cherishes, paints a picture of how much Eda truly cares about the young demon. Edalyn wanted him to feel good about his place in their world, which only ended up being a mistake she’d have to correct afterwards in this episode. Echoes of the Past was such a lovely surprise in how well it succeeded in building upon the lore of this interesting world and giving King’s development more of a dramatic and tragic revelation of characterization. I’d arguably say what they did with King’s may be the best part for me in Season 2, thus far. It really was that much of a shock for me in what they accomplished.

-Amity & Luz, my God where do I even begin with these two cute love birds? If Grom Night was the story’s way of acknowledging Amity has got a crush on Luz, then this episode lit a spark underneath our main heroine’s interest in her romantically. When Amity charged in against her parent’s improved abomination saying like a badass, “Get away from my Luz!”, anyone could see how mesmerized Luz looked at her actions. Part of me thought they’d continue doing the unaware protagonist trope, where Luz wasn’t aware of Amity’s feelings or even gains a crush of her own, either. Really enjoying how Dana Terrace and her crew have been approaching this representation of LGBTQ through making the whole concept of Lumity romance feel super organic from both ends. It’s no longer a one sided deal with only Amity having feelings for someone, who helped make her once miserable life so much greater. Luz now views her in the same inspiring light Amity did in Grom Night’s story of seeing this person as more than a friend, but a significant individual she wants to share her life and world with back on Earth. This is how you do a romantic representation without beating viewers over the head of how much you’re pushing boundaries. Let the characters actions speak on how they feel about each other.

-Gwendolyn’s introduction the story was a very welcoming one, as it gave more of a complicated shake up to how interesting, yet tragic, Edalyn & Lilith’s lives are when it comes to their relationship with their respective parent. Lilith choosing to curse Eda already put many years of guilt upon herself, but to not get any attention afterward from her mother’s top priority becoming curing her sister’s curse instead? Talk about another way to look it as Lilith feeling more down in the dumps for putting that curse on Eda. Lilith likely felt as if she didn’t deserve to be loved after throwing her sibling under the bus to get into the Emperor’s Coven, which led to a long struggle of trying to makes amends. Bringing their mother into Season 2 was a terrific way to shed more light onto how this crazy family operates and show just how much the curse affected them all emotionally on different levels. Eda had to distance herself from others, Lilith searched to find answers on her own, and Gwendolyn poured so much of her life into wanting to help her youngest child, at the expense of forgetting about Lilith’s needs. A great representation of a flawed, yet still loving, family tree.

-Showing Gus’ magical illusion abilities in a seriously cool, albeit disturbing manner, of how even if he may be limited to using just one type of magic doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. How they went about evolving the strength of illusions being used to even physically fool people into feeling the touch of it, while showing a greater strain on its user casting said spell, adds a new level of awesome to Gus’ abilities. It shows he can become a great asset to his friends in the future of growing events and not just get sidelined unfairly, due to a growing power scale of some kind. That was another one of my favorite parts of the episode, beside that whole deal many are talking about surrounding Lumity’s very great growth in Through The Looking Glass Ruins. Give it up for the future MVP Gus over here, as I can see this stuff coming into play against the Emperor’s Coven conflict possibly in Season 2′s finale when shit gets very real.

#the owl house season 2 #i haven't been doing enough gushing about its second season #imma make up for that #toh spoilers #through the looking glass ruins #lumity #amity blight #luz noceda #toh season 2 spoilers #lilith clawthorne #edalyn clawthorne #gwendolyn clawthorne #the owl house #seriously to anyone who hasn't checked it out yet watch this series now #it's getting really damn good up in here y'all

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sitp-recs · 3 years

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Drarry for Beginners: Time Travel

Eternally Consistent by kitsunealyc (2016, E, 44k)

Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter assumed they would never be anything but civil enemies, until Potter lands on Malfoy's doorstep, bleeding, covered in curses, and acting very strangely indeed.

This is such a thrilling and engaging ride, fast-paced and intricate but with fantastic Drarry dynamics - their voices are excellent, the easy banter is hilarious and bonus points for the hot, glorious and intimate smut. Time loops are a tricky concept to pull off and you gotta stay attentive to all those little details giving things away, but this is what makes this read so fun and exciting. They always know exactly what to say hoping the other will figure the puzzle out and ensure that whatever comes next happens the way it should. If you’re looking for a great plot with magical intricacies, charming characters and brilliant dialogue, this is the fic!

Tea and No Sympathy by who_la_hoop (2014, E, 70k)

It's Potter's fault, of course, that Draco finds himself trapped in the same twenty-four-hour period, repeating itself over and over again. It's been nearly a year since the unpleasant business at Hogwarts, and Draco's getting on with his life quite nicely, thank you, until Harry sodding Potter steps in and ruins it all, just like always. At first, though, the time loop seems liberating. For the first time in his life, he can do anything, say anything, be anything, without consequence. But the more Draco repeats the day, the more he realises the uncomfortable truth: he's falling head over heels for the speccy git. And suddenly, the time loop feels like a trap. For how can he ever get Harry to love him back when time is, quite literally, against him?

Through a brilliant and heartfelt Draco POV, this Groundhog Day classic sucks you in from beginning to end with clever dialogue, lovely build up and amazing character development. The plot is super original and combines angst, humor and romance in a way that leaves you aching for more. Draco’s mind is hilarious and seeing all from his perspective make this fic very unique. He’s bratty and charming and as he stalks Harry and gets to know him better one day at a time, Draco grows in subtle and lovely ways. His character development arc is superb and the inherent heartbreak of falling in love with someone who keeps forgetting about you makes him very sympathetic. A perfect and wholesome comfort read for rainy days with a cup of tea. Or any other day, really!

Tempus Fugit by stylophile (2004, NC-17, 91k)

A monumental cock-up in Potions leaves Harry and Draco contending with more than mutual enmity, and a strong desire to utter all manner of profanities. Slash, sex and slurred words ensue.

What can I say, this was my first time travel fic ever, and I’m quite sentimental over it. After all, what better way to be introduced to this old school trope than with a 90k old gem? This fic is wonderfully plotty with a fascinating premise and lovely world building that fills me with soft nostalgia. The time travel dilemma is really well executed and immersive - I remember how fun it was to see Harry and Draco mapping things out and resisting their fate while searching for a way to get back to their own reality. I love the focus on developing their relationship through experimentation and self-discovery; it turns this into a beautiful “coming of age” story and makes it a truly memorable read!

#Drarry for beginners #time travel

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imaginaryelle · 4 years

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I just re-watched THAT scene and a thought hit me: Lan Wangji just stands there watching Wei Wuxian fall from the cliff... Why doesn't he jump onto his sword and swoops down to at least try to save him? Or is he all out of spiritual power? Or does it simply take to long to start and rev the sword? Not saying it's a plothole, I was just wondering...

I mean, I think this is a fair question and I know I’ve seen it discussed elsewhere. I just can’t seem to find the post or remember if any conclusions were reached, so I’m excited to dive into this. As always if anyone has insights or headcanons they want to add on to this, please do.

Because I like pictures, here’s ep 33 Lan Wangji holding his sword and staring in horror as Wei Wuxian falls (what is Jiang Cheng thinking? Who knows.)

Why isn’t Lan Wangji doing anything? He just stands there for long enough that Jiang Cheng backs away and leaves him on the outcropping, all alone.

Poor guy.

Okay, moving on. I think there are at least two ways to approach this, and one is from the production perspective (since this cliff encounter is a thing that only happens in the drama) and the other is from the in-universe perspective (aka, Doyalist vs Watsonian), so I’m going to look at both.

For the production pov, there’s really only one scene (I think) where we see anyone actually riding a sword in the drama, and it’s when they’re confronting the water demon/abyss in Caiyi (ep 5). At that point there’s no prep time, everyone just jumps up and then steps onto their swords (which is actually even more ridiculous to me than the image had already been in the novel because I thought they were at least riding on the scabbard but no! Riding the bare blade like a skateboard. I love it.)

How majestic.

Lan Xichen is the only graceful and cool person here. The only other sword-riding shot in this scene that shows more of a person’s body than their head and shoulders is when Lan Wangji drags three people into the air at once and we get a brief glimpse of Su She’s feet kicking wildly.

So, based on this scene’s execution and the general scarcity of other sword-flying scenes (even with the Nightless City confrontation, Lan Wangji just flies in with his quqin, no sword under his feet), my out-of-universe theory would be a combination of budget and aesthetic at play. If the production can get by on wire work with super extra long jumps that don’t seem to require actually riding the sword, they will. It’s logistically simpler, and it frankly looks better on screen. It’s also a staple of the entire film genre, whereas this sword thing is not, so the crew and effects people would have more experience with it as well. (In-universe I have a lot of questions about Wei Wuxian’s retained ability to do those jumps. Do they not use spiritual energy? Does he still have spiritual energy, just not a golden core? Is he using resentful energy instead? How does this work?)

From a more story-side view on the production, they’re working against the fact that they changed the plot to add Lan Wangji’s presence at Wei Wuxian’s death and they want to capitalize on that relationship, so having Wei Wuxian knock himself over the edge as he destroys the seal (or something where he steps back as Jiang Cheng rushes him or any other number of possibilities) no longer fits with the emotional beats they’re trying to hit. Also they really need Wei Wuxian to die here for the plot to function. Having Lan Wangji mount a sword and swoop down to try and save him again just adds extra complications and delays the desired outcome of WWX = dead and LWJ = distraught. In that sense, it really does start to look like a plot hole, because it feels like they’re ignoring the capabilities of a character in order to get the result they need. I do think they try to address this, but since multiple people have this question and I personally had to watch the scene more than once while actively thinking about it to notice all the relevant details… the efficacy of those efforts is maybe questionable. (Also like.. why does Jiang Cheng wait three days to go look for Wei Wuxian’s remains? Why is anyone waiting at all? Why is anyone surprised they can’t find a corpse when the visual we get implies Wei Wuxian is falling into lava? There are many, many questions that can be asked here and for a lot of them the out-of-universe answer is probably going to resemble “because the plot/original source material demands it” without much helpful in-universe support.)

In-universe (and probably more pertinent to your question), yeah, Lan Wangji could be low on spiritual power (and upon rewatch, I think he genuinely is). He could be physically exhausted as well as injured, too. For someone who carried three people in two hands 2-3 years ago and canonically has only gotten stronger since, he sure is having trouble pulling one person up over the side of a cliff. And that exhaustion really isn’t outside the realm of possibility, no matter how strong and powerful he is. He just traveled pretty far! If the theories that he found A-Yuan before coming to Nightless City are true (since he’s not injured in those flashbacks), he likely spent a ton of spiritual power even before getting into this battle where he first confronted Wei Wuxian and then started fighting pretty much everyone on the field by himself. Then, in a moment of fear-induced distraction, he gets injured! He’s actively bleeding! So yeah. He could definitely just be physically exhausted.

All that blood loss is not a good sign, and it actually speeds up (visually) as he expends this effort. We can see his arm trembling all throughout this scene, and then his grip slips (thus the face). Even after that he slips again, not losing his grip, but losing the strength to hold himself up at all. In the end he’s literally just lying on the rock depending on gravity to keep him in place and putting everything else he has into holding on to Wei Wuxian. He can’t do more than glare in Jiang Cheng’s general direction and tell him to stop.

Bichen is right there. If he had spiritual power left, I think he’d probably be sending his sword out to block Jiang Cheng’s angle of attack. That, or he needs two hands to accomplish such an action (It doesn’t require hand motions later/in the future, but maybe he develops that skill precisely because of these events). So yes. He’s physically exhausted. He’s spiritually exhausted. But I think there’s more going on here, too: He’s also at the end of his rope emotionally, and that’s how he ends up standing there, horrified and unmoving.

He’s had a rough time recently: Everyone hates his best and only friend/love of his life, and he has to listen to them call for his death/judgement at fancy dinner party meetings on and off for over a year. No one will listen to him when he tries to present a different view. Even his own brother is (not unreasonably) much more concerned about Lan Wangji’s personal safety than what his silence on this issue is costing him emotionally, and his uncle is distinctly unsupportive of the friendship from the beginning.

I think Lan Wangji spends a lot of time questioning his upbringing in those months (we see him actually verbally do so when he’s punished after Wei Wuxian’s death, but I think it starts well before that). What is right and wrong? Who decides it, and how? When does justice and holding people responsible for their actions turn over into unjust persecution? What is true, and what is a lie, and how much does that matter when weighed against social/political/spiritual harmony? These are concepts that are buried pretty deeply in the Lan Sect’s teachings but the world is twisting all of them before his eyes, and I have to think that takes a toll on him. Additionally, just as things start looking up (they let him write the letter to invite Wei Wuxian to Jin Ling’s celebration! They listen to him, other people support his idea!), he has to deal with the facts that:

1) His best friend who he’s in love with just killed a bunch of people, including Jin ZiXuan and some of Lan Wangji’s own Sect brothers.

2) Wei Wuxian is clearly losing control of his resentment-based cultivation path, and is thus personally in danger on a spiritual level, and

3) Everyone now wants to kill Wei Wuxian again, possibly even more than they did before, and anyone who supports Wei Wuxian is an enemy of the entire cultivation world.

Later in the series, Lan Wangji says he regrets that he wasn’t at Wei Wuxian’s side at Nightless City. That he didn’t support him, despite what we see of him trying to help Wei Wuxian find Jiang Yanli and then, after she dies, stop him from killing himself. To me, this could very easily imply that Lan Wangji is still trying to walk a tightrope in those scenes, or perhaps trying to be a bridge. He’s deliberately not choosing a distinct side, because he refuses to hate and reject Wei Wuxian, but he’s also refusing to declare open support. He’s acting entirely on his own, in a balancing act between friendship and love vs his family, his entire life’s teachings, and all of his society. Certainly I find that sort of situation exhausting, and I’ve never had to do it for something so high-stakes or large-scale.

Then there’s the actual cliff scene itself, where he’s visibly desperate. How intense does an emotion have to be for Lan Wangji to so clearly show it?

Wei Ying, he says, come back. He knows Wei Wuxian is breaking down. He at the very least guesses that he’s going to do something wild like step off that outcropping, which is why he follows him in the first place. But he has no idea what to do, so he tries the same thing he’s been trying for years: Come with me. Let me help you. This is a bridge, and he’s offering to help Wei Wuxian cross it. But just like every other time he’s tried it since the Sunshot Campaign ended, it doesn’t work.

Note that Lan Wangji actually is flying here, without the sword, so if he doesn’t have any spiritual power when Jiang Cheng shows up, this is probably a last, desperate burst to go with this last, desperate act.

I don’t think he really has a plan here. Not a new one, anyway. This is a still a plea of Let me help you. And, notably, Wei Wuxian doesn’t accept his help.

Not once during this whole scene does Wei Wuxian reach up with his free hand or try to help Lan Wangji help him in any way. He smiles, and he says: Lan Zhan, let me go. Because he doesn’t want a bridge. He doesn’t want to go back. Honestly it’s a pretty explicit and heartbreaking message: Lan Wangji’s offer of help is not enough to make Wei Wuxian want to stay alive. Not right now. He needs more than that. He’s lost too much to believe, right now, that anyone is going to choose him and his side, or that he’s worth that effort. And to be clear, Lan Wangji isn’t even offering that in this situation. Wei Wuxian is one slippery handgrip away from death, and Lan Wangji is still not saying “You, I choose you.” From anything Wei Wuxian can be expected to infer, his offer here is no different than it’s ever been: let me show you the way back to the right path. Let me help you fit back into the world the way you used to. And Wei Wuxian can’t do that; he has no golden core, it’s literally impossible even if the rest of the world would let him try. But at this point he doesn’t want to go back either. He doesn’t even want to try. That world hates him, and willfully misunderstands him, and has taken too many people from him now for it to be worth staying in. He wants to die.

And then Jiang Cheng arrives.

Wei Wuxian’s reaction to his brother’s presence is to smile, say his name, and just–accept his hatred. He closes his eyes and waits for the sword to fall even as Lan Wangji calls for Jiang Cheng to stop. The only time he shows distress between stepping back off the cliff and his actual death is when Jiang Cheng twists his sword and compromises the stability of the outcropping so that Lan Wangji is also in danger.

I think it’s possible that if Jiang Cheng had also reached for him and tried to pull him back up, things might have gone differently. Maybe that would have been enough to alter Wei Wuxian’s thinking. But as it is, when Wei Wuxian falls, he falls with his limbs relaxed and a smile on his face. There’s no flailing and screaming like when he was thrown into the Burial Mounds (in ep 33. There’s some arm-waving in ep 1). And I think that moment of him pushing Lan Wangji back and then letting go, more than anything, is what stops Lan Wangji in his tracks, because Wei Wuxian could have saved himself. He had strength and energy left. Enough to push Lan Wangji up and back and nearly to a standing position. He could have accepted Lan Wangji’s help, easily. But he didn’t, because he wanted to die, despite all the effort and inner turmoil Lan Wangji has gone through on his behalf (most of which Wei Wuxian doesn’t know about but, still).

That’s a pretty serious emotional kick in the head. Lan Wangji cannot ignore, at this point, that even if he did have any physical or spiritual energy left, Wei Wuxian doesn’t want to be saved. And that’s when we get this face (actually from ep 1):

He has nothing left. He has at this point spent over a year, maybe two, trying to save someone who, when it came down to the final moment, didn’t want to be saved. There’s nothing more he can do, in this state of exhaustion and despair, and it wouldn’t matter if he tried.

Personally, I think he looks like he’s about to be sick, and I don’t think it’s just the image of Wei Wuxian falling and dying that’s working on him here. It’s also the knowledge that he fucked up. He didn’t do enough, or more accurately, didn’t do the right things, in order to encourage Wei Wuxian to keep fighting for himself or anyone else (I’m not saying this is a healthy or reasonable thought, I just think it’s a thought he’s having). And I think this realization plays directly into how he treats Wei Wuxian when he comes back sixteen years later. He knows that questioning Wei Wuxian on his path of cultivation doesn’t go where he wants it to, so he doesn’t do it. This time is going to be different. He’ll break rules. He’ll drink alcohol. He doesn’t scold Wei Wuxian for making dumb, selfless decisions like transferring the curse mark from Jin Ling’s leg to his own, he just accepts it and expresses concern over Wei Wuxian’s well being. He stops asking if he can help and starts just doing it: Wei Wuxian can’t walk so he’ll carry him. Wei Wuxian needs someone to speak for him, so Lan Wangji will do that, with his brother and with the whole cultivation world. And then we come to this:

This is exactly the same move. Wei Wuxian will protect Lan Wangji, but not himself.

But.

Lan Wangji is no longer trying to be a bridge. He’s not going to hold out his hand for Wei Wuxian to accept or disregard. He’s crossed over to be on Wei Wuxian’s side. And that’s what makes the difference.

#lakritzwolf #cql meta #the untamed #chen qing ling #wangxian #lan wangji #wei wuxian #possibly i got a bit carried away #but this was fun #tw: blood #tw: suicide #in the novel lwj makes that change before wwx dies #and is thwarted by a combination #of wwx's breakdown and his own clan #but the drama cut that scene #so it had to happen after #long post #so long #seriously

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