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tocomplainfriend · 3 months

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VIV is constantly criticized by her own fault.

TW: Mention of: SA, Rape, Transphobia, fat phobia, Antiblackness.

(Hey, i'mma probably do a post eventually about episode 4. Btw, awfully shit, worse than I thought it could be... BIG TW OF R-PE AND SA IF YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT. AND TW of the minimization of those topics too.)

(SORRY FOR BAD ENGLISH IN THIS POST TOO)

BUT I NEED TO CALL ATTENTION TO THIS! One of the reasons I criticize a lot of Viv specifically is because of how much she puts herself out there. She sees something she posts on Twitter about it a shit ton (even on "threads" lol). AND because of how lacking of improvement she has being. (I personally know people I have considered terrible when we were teens, but I have seen legit improvement from them in recent years. They seem like people who struggle, but got to grow up and made up for any problems (or pain caused to me or others). People have the ability to change and become better. Something that matters at pointing out issues or discussing-is the idea of creating change on others. It is better to get someone to change for the better than to cast them into the forever jail of nothingness (unless, IDK, they Sexually Assaulted someone, for example). Specially when they are young people. Doesn't mean YOU have to stick with other people that hurt you, no. Doesn't mean people get to do what ever and get away with it.

BUT All of this problem I have seen from Viv are from age 19-30. (you can change at anytime btw) And see constantly repeats herself and her actions. Seems to have never accepted criticism (said by herself too), and never able to see her own faults. The fact that is a continuous behavior is a problem, how she always responds is awful. My post of "Viv has being transphobic for 10 years", was to signal that. If she really had changed over those 10 years to a genuine thing- I could've taken that! But no, the shitty double standard against trans men... the weird treatment. THE MANY STORIES OF EMPLOYEES GETTING MISGENDERED HEAVILY, TOO.

(I know people who were transphobic [When they were teens mainly], that Genuinely improved and changed their beliefs. Now they treat trans people with respect and care! And still learning about gender-fluid people, too!)

It just seems to be further and further away from getting better! The fact that she only decides to take in account voices from SA victims that agree with her- it's painful as a victim, my self!

And yes, people who sent gore or dumbass shit to Viv (or the team) don't help. And go get help why you're looking and sending Gore to anyone. (Also, stuff like this does lead to people not listening to others people genuine callouts). The fact that I criticize something doesn't mean I agree with the people that go and do shit like the thing I just mention above.

AND ALSO A IMPORTANT THING HERE!

This drawing was created by DollCreep. BUT ALSO FUCKING REMEMBER this was done in response to the shit that Viv drew of him.

If you didn't know Viv drew a transphobic caricature of DollCreep using the name Jojo (his old nickname). This put together with a shitty anti-sjw meme video. DollCreep is a transman, Viv drew a character based on him. A furry wolf girl, If you can see in the image the main thing listed below the character name is the fucking "Sex=♀️". SO ON PURPOSE, CHRIST. Like... AND YES-is shitty from both to have drawn this (even if it was in respond) mainly immature in DC part. But that, or any toxicity coming from DC, doesn't delete the transphobia here. (imagine drawing a racist caricature of a poc person, because they are shitty to you). THE POST LINKED ABOVE SHOWS THE SITUATION, and in the end of the day. Viv says that DC is an abusive shitty person to her, but never realizing her own faults or anything she could'be possibly done wrong! (and again, any wrong done by DC in general can not be deleted by the fact of having being treated badly. If he did shitty stuff himself, that doesn't delete the wrong done in general to him or to others by viv)

Here about transphobia:

(this is like 8yrs old too)

Again, she never acknowledges anything that she might have done wrong. "She is a thoughtful person, that wants tor write queer and disabled characters! She wants to tell empowering stories of..." It doesn't even feel close to that when people bring up actual problems in her writing that are stereotyping or bad, and she just yells and cries. It all feels like empty sticks she is only interested in in the surface level, she doesn't want to actually deal with.

When she says "This characters is black guys ♡♡♡" and then the fucking 7th, a grayish character with zero black features. She can not actually try and draw a black person with a different hair texture, she'll faith is hair isn't straight and spiky (has done this so much too). She is all for positivity and diversity (can not draw more than 1 character that isn't a fucking stick with the same stupid face).

She can not write relationships in general. She cannot do gay couples, then don't lean on the stupid old uke uwu defenceless x big rough seme protector stuff. Again, all the interactions with Husk and Angel are sexual harassment. They are already a revealed future couple (and episode 4 is terrible for them, specially with that song). Stolitz is toxic, and predatory. That is not acknowledged, and all Stolas's predatory behavior and power dynamics are put in the background, cause- "look how sad Stolas is :(! HIS DAD IS SOOO MEAN, HIS WIFE IS A BITCH". All her gay characters are in pure surface: over-sexual twinks that are assholes, which also fit into the top/bottom as personality boxes.

Any other point includes sexual harassment as a joke. BUT KNOW SHE WANTS TO BE LIKE "GUYS SA STORIES MATTER, LOOK AT WHAT I WROTE" as if she didn't lean back into the problem of the diminishing of SA and r- (in general and done to men) with her jokes in HB. With all the sexual harassment that Angel Dust puts on Husk and others. (AND YES THERE IS NO WARNING IN EPISODE 4, FOR ITS HEAVY TOPICS! I do believe all series/movies with this need it. SPECIALLY IF IT'S SO GRAPHIC! "Sexual content" is not the same as a warning for SA or R-pe. An adult can see a movie with sex or sexual nutidy- when they see that- but it's different to get straight assault on screen. Victims can watch movies/series with sex in them all good, you cannot just group consensual sex in the same assault or R-pe...)

The thing where Mammon (the only fat character that isn’t from the fucking background.) is like FIZZ YOU NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT. AS IF SHE COULD EVEN DRAW ANY DIFFERENT BODY SHAPE WITHOUT DYING. Like there is only Mimzy (hasn't appeared yet, not given any importance. In the female lead show). Mammon the piece of shit (does the same as Blitz, but he is actually fully bad.) His design is done with 80 fucking layers on top. Like all the test of the skinny character's clothes suck up to their body except for Mammon. His body is hidden in layers upon layers of clothing (that's all you got?). All you main guys need to fill "the skinny have nothing men" and "skinny woman with big hips and legs, but no fucking stomach"?

AND YES! VIV DOES DO THE FUCKING, "FAT = FOOD LMAOOO". You know the thing HH fans and hater where like the "Bee needs to fat thing is bad, cause of fat = food (only food) is reductive and shitty"

(Can I refer to how the show Bojack H, make Diane gain weight cause of anti depressants- and it wasn't a joke! And she was happier too?)

(mine, from post right below)

... like is a bundle of issues. And Viv will never accept that she might be /or is wrong. That's why it hits the fan with stuff. -And again I liked many of the little concepts and stuff in HB and the original pilot of Hazbin. Shit- I still like Sir Pentious and Nifty. I do like Mammon as much as he is a pack of problems to call out, I fucking love the piece of shit Australian jester- The artist work hard on it, and I'm happy it's an openly queer! (as limited as it gets, too....). I liked Huni-cast, I loved the original voice cast! -and that happens! I could be writing this about other stuff too, not only Hazbin... if I created this blog earlier- IT WOULD ALL BE ABOUT RWBY, DANGANRONPA, even svtfoe...Ladybug... or Agretsuko's ending too. So yeah, sorry for the long post (as if all my post weren't)

#vivziepop critique #vivziepop critical #helluva boss criticism #helluva boss critique #helluva boss critical #hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel criticism #hazbin hotel critique #anti vivziepop #long post #tw rape #tw sa #tw transphobes #tw transfobia #tw fatphobia #tw antiblackness

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the-illiterate-pirate · 1 year

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La Squadra NSFW headcanons because I'm feral ♡

Cut for length (and content ofc)

Risotto

- Literally one of the most vanilla guys you'll meet in the Mafia. Don't get me wrong my man has his kinks but he's pretty bare bones

- Contrary to popular belief he's not a big fan of blood play and doesn't like to mix work with intimate affairs. He does have a bit of an oral fixation (giving and receiving) and really likes saliva though

- His member is pretty average sized actually. I mean compared to this mountain of a man it may look a bit small but trust me, he knows how to use it

- Does in fact have a cock piercing. It's a magic cross, have fun looking that up. Apparently it helps stimulate too

- His favorite position is cowgirl

Prosciutto

- Sleeps around a lot tbh but really wants to settle down with a special someone after leaving the gang

- Honestly I would not trust him with aftercare he thinks it's lighting a cigarette with a glass of (insert liquor because idk wtf Italians drink)

- Super lazy but can be a really good brat tamer if you push him

- Doesn't have a daddy kink but loves being called "Sir" and likes a power imbalance

- Will smack that ass and it will hurt

- Will fall asleep after finishing his glass but will at least offer to cuddle

Pesci

- Dreams of becoming the perfect man in bed. But I mean he's already got 5/5 stars with aftercare so he's halfway there. Like he can be buck naked and shaking but he'll still ask you if you're okay and try to comfort you afterwards

- Has the BIGGEST dick in the group I won't take criticism or notes my man is PACKING HEAT he just doesn't know how to use it (yet) take caution

- Low-key a masochist and likes to be bossed around but can be a little fragile, please be good and make sure to check up on him uwu. If things get too heavy he might try to force himself to do something to the point he ruins the experience for himself :( communication is key with him

- On a lighter note he VERY MUCH enjoys queening/kinging and will gladly let you sit on his face

- PRAISE HIM PLEASE HE'S A GOOD BOY TRYING HIS BEST AND HE NEEDS TO KNOW IT

Formaggio

- Okay yes he likes pet play are you happy. Luckily he's a major bisexual switch so it can go both ways. He likes being your good puppy <3

- STOP GIVING RISOTTO THE SIZE KINK WHEN IT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS TO THIS KING HIMSELF. He WILL use his Stand on you when you least expect it because he's an ass this is your warning

- Like stated before big switch energy, is a nasty dom when he wants to be but will only bottom if you soft dom him because he does not believe in equality

- He FALLS ASLEEP IMMEDIATELY afterwards and he SNORES because he HATES HIS S/O /j

- Also really loves oral and giving sloppy head. Mf DROOLS EVERYWHERE

Illuso

- Likes to act like a bad bitch but loves when he gets pampered like he will melt if you play with his hair

- Another switch (like most of the JoJo cast but whatever) but it's easier for him to bottom because he's lazy.

- LOVES receiving overstimulation for some reason like suck this man dry until he cries he'll be living it up. Safe words exist for a reason and he use it to his (dis)advantage

- VOICE KINK !! All types of noises from you can get him off. With good ole' Lulu it's important to be vocal, tell him how you feel, make noise, dirty talk, the whole nine yards

- Has a little issue with self worth so like praise this baby, worship this baby, he'll be in heaven

- Shockingly? Pretty good with aftercare

Ghiaccio

- Oh my god it's so easy for him to get overwhelmed and he HATES IT I'm begging for your sake treat him gently

- Easy to fluster because he's pretty new to relationship stuff and he'll need you to show him the ropes. You could very well be one of his first, sex is very intimate for him and he'd like to stick with one person

- Low-key bites

- Due to Stand reasons his limbs are very cold, he will use this against you

- I said Risotto was vanilla but man Ghia might take the cake, he's a bit of a stiff when it comes to the bedroom, but that isn't always bad. He likes good old missionary and making sure he takes care of you, but if he's overly stressed he'll give you the reigns for the night

- If all goes well, and he isn't overstimulated, sex actually really helps him relax, he's a lot more bubbly afterwards and likes to stay up with you, talking, drinking water (but not eating anything because he refuses to have crumbs in the bed)

Melone

- Has the WEIRDEST fixation on bodily fluids like I get where he's coming from but WHY

- As smooth as a baby. Everywhere. We think he waxes but we haven't seen proof yet. He's also got a pretty dick.

- Ribbons, ropes, chains, leather, he's a really big fan of restraints as long as there's a safe word and you're both on the right track

- Totally down to try anything, just ask. He's eager to please.

- Yes.... He has a breeding kink. He wants a big family

- Idk what you call it but pls pls pls let him suck on your titties while you jerk him off. He can die happily

- Really likes the 69 position (with him on top)

Sorbet & Gelato

- Buy one get one free, you cannot get one without the other let's make that clear. They're both sadistic meanies and will not let you top

- Double penetration or spit roasting is a MUST

- Being in a relationship with each other for so long they've gotten good with aftercare, Gelato is more touchy feely while Sorbet is all about snacks and vitamins

- Sorbet bites, Gelato fucking claws. They're both very into marking you up everywhere and love the embarrassment they get from you

- They love you, they really do... But sometimes they can get a little caught up in the moment with their own makeout sessions

- Afterwards you all just collapse into a pile of limbs lol

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chongoblog · 1 year

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is it a good idea to get into jojo

Honestly, I can't think of any piece of media that's necessarily "bad" to get into unless it's, like, actively harmful, or if it's media that's just awful from top to bottom (which even then is a very high threshold to pass imo). So my default answer to that question with anything is gonna be "yeah sure".

That said, a couple notes for you to keep in mind if you so desire if you do want to get into Jojo (and apologies if this is A Lot, I am just Rambly™)

-There will be people who tell you to start at Part 3. These people are cowards. They recommend this because the overall structure of combat changes drastically at Part 3 to the whole "Stand" thing while Parts 1 and 2 is a lot more freeform, but 1 and 2 are really good if you want to get a feel for the tone. So if you finish Part 1 and 2 and you can vibe with the overall tone, then you'll like the rest, because after that, the fights get REALLY good (shoutouts to D'Arby)

-The show is very ridiculous, over-the-top, and campy. The sooner you decide to lean into it, the better.

-There are a couple kinda hashtag Yikes things in Part 2 and 3 (you'll know em when you see em, especially for P2). It's not enough that it's outright awful, but it's more of a "Part 3 was written in 1989" kinda thing.

-If you like rock music, you'll appreciate the show a heck of a lot more (I mean, the main antagonist is literally named "DIO" with prominent side characters "R.E.O. Speedwagon" and a family named after Led Zeppelin)

-Try to watch it subbed if you can. Nothing against the dub's voice cast since they do great, (especially from Part 3 onward, although Joseph Joestar in Part 2 LITERALLY just being Numbah 1 is very funny to listen to), but as I mentioned in the last bullet point, there's a lot of references to licensed music, and to circumvent that, the dubs (and most subtitles), have to resort to localized names. This can lead to a lot of funny hijinks (for example: hearing "STICKYYYYY FINGERS!!!!!" and seeing the subtitle "ZIPPER MAN!"). Also, the Japanese voice cast is iconic, especially for Jotaro and DIO. Also also "O H T H A T S A B A S E B A L L", "Go ahead! Mistah Joesturr", half of Joseph's dialogue, and many many more.

-Part 4 is the best part

-Don't skip the openings. Especially when you get near the end of each part. There are fun little surprises :)

#jjba #jojoposting

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brucebocchi · 4 months

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Ranking every new anime I watched in 2023, Pt. 2: #20-11

hey, i just started a ko-fi for my writing and possible other creative outlets. this post will also be available there, so please check it out and consider tipping/donating as i'm currently between jobs. the tumblr version of part 1 can be found here.

Let's get right into it.

20. Helck

I watched Helck’s first season for its entire half-year run, and I'm honestly still not sure how I feel about it. I’d heard amazing things from people who’d read the manga, and it had a hot start, but the pacing slowed to such a crawl after a while that it kind of felt like they stretched out the story just so they could make another season.

Helck, an enormous and impossibly jolly human warrior, enters a tournament to decide the successor to the throne of the recently-slain Demon King. Demons and humans had been at war for some time, so Vermilio, an adorably fiery elite lord of the castle, is naturally wary of him. Helck is naturally powerful, talented, and affable, so he easily breezes his way through the tournament in hilarious fashion, despite Vermilio’s best efforts at sabotage. Before the finals can take place, though, an immortal army sent by the human forces arrive to attack the demon realm, and Helck and Vermilio are teleported to the far edge of the realm.

The season largely covers Helck and Vermilio’s trek back to the demon kingdom, as well as the demons’ struggles against the mysterious warriors as they attempt to figure out just what the hell the humans are plotting. Vermilio remains leery of Helck, regardless of all he’s done for her, but it becomes further evident that Helck is harboring a very dark past, and eventually we get a lengthy arc where he sits down and explains it to Vermilio in flashback. There is, as you’d expect, plenty of tragedy there, and you’d like to see it resolved, but things just seem to keep getting worse.

There are powerful messages in there about toxic positivity and fighting the urge to shoulder one’s burdens alone, but they don’t become fully apparent until late in the season. Everything until then, at least after the teleportation, is… fine. I had higher hopes for this one, but it just feels like it’s missing something, and I can’t put my finger on what. It looks fine, the voice acting is good (the GOAT Katsuyuki Konishi is typically very good as Helck), the action is decent, it’s all… fine. The pacing just feels glacial at times, to the point where if I hadn’t been watching it weekly I might have bounced off of it.

Of course, the season ended with what appears to be the endgame on the horizon, so for all I know there’s still a lot more to come, but the story beats feel so familiar that I get the feeling it could be resolved with, like, a movie. I hope I’m wrong, because there are clearly some major emotional payoffs yet to come, and I’m still curious to see how it gets there. I may have to pick up the manga to find out if it’ll be worth any more of my time.

19. Urusei Yatsura (2022), second cour

Fresh off of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure’s possible series finale, David Production’s modern take on Rumiko Takahashi’s legendary comedy manga hummed along nicely into 2023. The cast continues to expand as the new version introduces characters like Ten, Ryunosuke, and Tobimaro to further raise the level of shenanigans inherent to Urusei Yatsura.

Lum Invader has been a sex symbol for pretty much as long as anime has had sex symbols, but the reboot’s second cour focuses a bit more on the side of her personality that makes her so iconic, and which I consider essential to several of my favorite female anime characters: Lum’s kind of a psychotic asshole. Her schemes to wring more attention and affection out of Ataru border on sociopathic at times, and she’s honestly so real for that. Her mortal frenemy, Ran, was introduced close to the end of the first cour, and there is still no shortage of sabotage attempts in the second, but we quickly come to learn that Ran’s undying vendetta is mostly because Lum has been a selfish, lying piece of shit since they were kids. God bless her.

Ataru continues to not be much better, serial philanderer that he is, as he continues to be surrounded by other hot crazy ladies who aren’t his not-fiancee. Mendo’s younger sister, Ryoko, is a real highlight in the 2023 run as a result of her escalating penchant for Looney Tunes-esque slapstick violence. The settings of Ataru’s and Lum’s respective worlds take more focus as well, between Ataru’s high school hijinks and Ten’s galactic mail-order mishaps, and the two often collide in hilarious fashion.

I still adore the look of this one. Character models have been cleaned up and simplified to a sort of retro-modern look while still being instantly recognizable to anyone already familiar with them. Everything is awash in an eye-popping Day-Glo color palette. Backgrounds and pop-in gags are often adorned with Ben Day dots to maintain the retro comic look. This doesn’t quite look like the manga, nor does it resemble the original 80s anime, but this is unmistakably a Rumiko Takahashi product. It almost looks like it could have come out at any point in time.

I’m only holding this back in the rankings because it’s the weaker half of a season that straddled the end of 2022 and the start of 2023, but the season as a whole is excellent. It is an essential watch for fans of comedy anime, especially considering so many tried-and-true anime gags effectively originated with Urusei Yatsura (it’s worth mentioning that Lum is largely considered the first-ever tsundere in anime and manga). Season 2 is imminent and I cannot fucking wait. Maybe I’ll even read the manga.

18. Tomo-chan is a Girl!

This is basically Monthly Girls’ No-jock-i-kun. Very simple premise: Tomboyish high schooler gets the hots for her childhood friend who is dense as fuck and forgets most of the time that she’s even a girl. Hilarity ensues and romance progresses glacially.

The voice performances are what really carry this one. Rie Takahashi is golden as the titular Tomo Aizawa, and this was the first entry in an MVP-caliber resume for her in 2023 that was so stacked that I still haven’t gotten to her best role yet. Rina Hidaka nails the conniving, misanthropic nature of Misuzu Gundo in a far cry from her turn as Emul the bunny in Shangri-La Frontier later in the year. The American-born idol Sally Amaki is a revelation as the airheaded gaijin Carol Olston, whom she also voices in the English dub. Even Carol’s mom speaks broken Japanese with a noticeable American accent, which is one of my favorite gags in the whole show.

Outside of the voice acting, nothing is particularly special about this show. Which is fine! There's nothing wrong with a solid 7/10 romcom; junk food is still food. It’s cute, it’s funny, it hits all the right beats, but nothing particularly stands out. Misuzu and eventually Carol give Tomo advice to try to woo her bestie Jun, while Misuzu is usually also playing Jun against that same advice so that it usually works and backfires at the same time. It’s all a game, and she plays both sides so she can always come out on top.

If I have a complaint about this show, it’s that it just… ends. I went back and read the manga, and unfortunately that issue is not the anime’s fault. If anything, it did a phenomenal job of fitting eight volumes of a 4-koma into a single season, and that’s always how it was supposed to go. I watched and read a ton of slice-of-life romance anime and manga this year, as it turns out, and the ones that really hit for me are usually the ones that take their time with the central relationship once it actually starts, rather than treat that big event as the climax, or worse, the finale of the story. Stuff like Kaguya-sama, Horimiya, Sweat and Soap, and even Wotakoi (though I have my own problems with that one) treat their central relationships as a step, not the goal. At the same time, for plenty of others, the fun is in the chase, and they just run out of time, and Tomo-chan is the latter. We got what we wanted, and we had fun getting there. Sometimes that’s all you need.

Also good god, Tomo’s mom. The second those genes kicked in for Tomo, Jun was doomed.

17. The Eminence in Shadow, second cour and season 2

The Eminence in Shadow is the smartest piece of stupid media I've seen in a minute. It so perfectly skewers dime-a-dozen chuunibyo isekai trash while still cannonballing into a McDuckian swimming pool of the stuff. It nearly overwhelms you with lore; the series abounds with rich backstories, centuries-old power struggles, palace intrigue, shadowy conspiracies, the artificially accelerated march of progress, long-simmering revenge plots, looming economic catastrophe, and love dodecahedrons. And the most compelling thing about all of it is that none of it fucking matters.

Cid Kagenou spent his teenage years in modern Japan trying to become the coolest badass dark antihero who ever lived, but he quickly reaches his limits in our boring normal world so he rides the isekai truck into a world with actual, like, magic and shit. He spends his new childhood leveling up and rescuing elf girls, all the while regaling them with his “wisdom” in the form of a bunch of horseshit he made up based on all the light novels he used to read. Turns out that he’s entirely too genre savvy; this new world is apparently so contrived that every single thing he told them ended up entirely true.

So now Cid’s a teenager by day and shadowy vigilante by night (under the apt moniker “Shadow”), with an underground legion of hot deadly babes at his disinterested beck and call. All he genuinely cares about is looking and acting like the coolest motherfucker a socially inept 12 year old boy can think of, and in his downtime actively trying to be a forgettable mob character. And I do mean that that is all he cares about; when I say none of the wheels within wheels happening in the background actually matter, I mean that Cid is completely and totally unaware of any of it.

Anything he does or says to drive the plot is either incidental or accidental. He spouts off some nonsense he heard in a video game once, and his cadre of elf baddies and beastgirls takes it as gospel en route to exposing a millennium-old conspiracy. He parrots a really cool line he heard ten minutes ago and a beautiful woman he just saved takes it as inspiration to turn her life around. It’s kind of like in Mashle, funnily enough; where Mash will go “I don’t know what’s going on, but you were being mean to my friend so I’m gonna beat the shit out of you,” Cid is more like “No clue what this is about, but that’s a really badass looking villain, so I’m gonna say some epic shit and do a big explosion.” And then he fucks off to go eat a burger or something, not knowing or caring that he just unraveled a prophesied master plot to destroy the global power balance.

The episodes that aired in 2023 largely revolve around the lovely Princess Rose, smitten with both Cid and Shadow (not knowing they’re the same guy), pledging fealty to Shadow Garden after failing to foil a coup d’etat. At the same time as her training, Cid is busy with a vampire something-or-other and then tries to make some coin for himself by teaming up with an assassin hellbent on revenge to create a credit crisis. The conspiracy later drags Rose back into the palace, where Cid sees a new opportunity. Every single one of these things has very specific reasons for happening, and everyone involved has a rich backstory and clear motivations to carry out their parts of the ever-evolving plots.

But that’s not why you’re here. You’re here to watch a bunch of hot ladies and a guy in a black cloak with one glowing red eye do some sick action stunts to bad guys with silly names, and this show delivers that in spades. This feels like a throwback in the best and worst ways. The Eminence in Shadow is stupid, and it is brilliant.

16. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, season 2

Mushoku Tensei is a tough anime to talk about. On one hand, it is one of the most gorgeous anime series ever put on television: Almost consistently movie-quality sakuga, lush background art, and a breathtaking score come together to form an immersive world unlike many I’ve seen in any medium. On the other, it forces some very unpleasant conversations about reincarnation in anime, particularly ones like this where a grown man is reincarnated as a child while retaining his mental age and is surrounded by potential love interests closer in age to his new body. What doesn’t help is that in his previous life in our world, the man who would reincarnate as Rudeus Greyrat was a socially isolated hentai addict, and much of his journey centers around him unlearning those proclivities in unfortunate and often damaging ways. If you can handle that, Mushoku Tensei is a rewarding watch, but if that’s beyond the pale to you, I don't blame you in the slightest.

However, even if you’ve been able to stomach all of the questionable shit in the first season, I'm sorry to say that the second season’s first cour doesn’t do much for the “bro I promise he gets better bro” crowd. The first cour covers the Quagmire and Academy arcs, which follow Rudeus’ struggle with being effectively abandoned by the only person to show him any physical affection in either life. The knock-on effect sees him retreating into an antisocial shell and developing, and I am deadly serious here, a seemingly incurable case of erectile dysfunction.

The first few episodes surround Rudeus growing into a young man, making a name for himself as a wandering adventurer in hopes that talk of his name will spread to his missing family and friends. At the urging of the god with a direct line to him (still unexplained), he enrolls in a magic university to investigate the calamity that flung his loved ones to the corners of the realm. There he finds an old friend in the figure-obsessed young prince who saved his life in the previous season, a girl from his previous world who seems to have also been transported to this one, and most crucially, his old childhood friend Sylphiette, hiding in plain sight with new hair and a sick pair of shades as a retainer to a scheming princess enrolled in the school.

Mushoku Tensei's initial season was at its best in its quieter moments, and those abound in season 2’s first cour. It's really lovely seeing him connect once again with Sylphie purely for who she is, even though for all Rudy knows he’s talking to a twinky dude named Fitz who makes him feel weird things. We get our amazing action animation early on, and things settle down quite a bit from there as Rudeus navigates all of these interpersonal relationships, old and (seemingly) new.

And while, yes, this version of Rudeus is a far cry from the drooling, grinning pervert he was in his first ten years of reincarnation, his improvement as a human being is not a straight line. He unfortunately takes more steps backwards than forward. The things he says in a drunken rage about his party member Sara (who inadvertently revealed his ED) are awful and undeserved, he literally ties up and gropes a pair of beast girls from his class (he has apparent reasons for both of those things, but come on), and he “frees” a young dwarven slave to take on as an apprentice. That last one seems admirable on its face, but uh. He went with the flow in a god damned slave market and still paid a slaver.

I'm not excusing those things, nor absolving Rudeus as a character; I'm simply saying they happen this season. Mushoku Tensei, for better or for worse, depicts gnarly subject matter as it is while neither glorifying it nor moralizing about it. It trusts you to make your own judgments, and if your verdict is “I can’t watch this show,” that is perfectly valid. If you can stomach watching through its worst moments and compartmentalize the uncomfortable aspects of it, Mushoku Tensei remains one of the best-looking and -sounding pieces of animation out there, and the part of its second season that aired in 2023 has an exceptional emotional payoff. Otherwise, I'll be talking about Frieren much later.

15. Spy x Family, season 2

The most succinct praise I can give season 2 is also the most backhanded: Well, it’s more Spy x Family.

I want to be clear that there is no shade inherent to that comment; the first season of Spy x Family was excellent! It was a stylish, beautifully animated, appropriately hilarious adaptation of a fantastic manga that did it justice in almost every regard; the second season didn’t need to move heaven and earth to try to one-up it. It wasn’t broken, so Wit and CloverWorks didn’t fix it. It’s still the blend of domestic slice-of-life hijinks, tense cold-war intrigue, and heart-pounding action it’s always been. Even the production music is largely the same, and that’s not a complaint, because SxF’s production music fuckin' slaps.

A lot of anime-onlys rightfully complained that Yor’s plot relevance seemed to fall off a cliff in the back half of season 1, so they have been eating GOOD this time out, as season 2’s (ostensible) first cour puts her directly in the spotlight. The Yor Cour, if you will. The season opened on a hilariously spot-on adaptation of my favorite Yor-centric chapter of the manga (the “bullet in the ass” one) and quickly moved on to a nearly perfect interpretation of the cruise arc that sees her protecting a government asset from a legion of assassins.

If you wanted to see more of Yor in her second life as the contract killer, Thorn Princess, this season was a meal and a half for you. Having her beset on all sides by an eccentric rogues’ gallery, with Anya fully aware and trying her damnedest to keep Loid from finding out what’s actually going on, is Spy x Family at its best. The tension constantly ramps up as the ship approaches its target, and Anya’s attempts at distracting Loid usually go sideways because, well, she’s Anya. Blood splatters, laughs are had, and Loid continues to struggle with both fatherhood and acting like his growing affection for his ragtag “fake” family is just “for the mission.”

Outside of the cruise, season 2 maintains the series’ usual episodic pace, which can be a little jarring before and after the cruise arc, but that’s SxF for you. Shit can pop off at unexpected moments, and having read ahead in the manga, I’m excited to see the next time that happens. For now, though, things can feel kinda static from time to time, but the Forger family and the extended cast are always pleasant to just hang out with for a while.

And now to wait for the movie to come out in the west.

14. Undead Unluck

Up until this past Winter season, I primed myself on a lot of the more-hyped anime by reading the manga ahead of time. I knew that Undead Unluck is one of the bigger Shonen Jump manga out there, but this debut kind of crept up on me. I went in blind, got drawn in by the premise, and then got quickly overwhelmed with a wild amount of lore.

Fuuko, a young woman seemingly afflicted with a curse, is saddled with a brash, enormous man who cannot die after he foils her suicide attempt and is then himself grievously injured. Don’t worry, he got better. It turns out that he’s roughly 200 years old and has a completely cracked healing factor, while she brings terrible misfortune to anyone who touches her skin. They are both Negators, people with the ability to reverse or ignore the laws of nature: Fuuko’s ability is Unluck, causing tragedy for those close to her, while the man is Undead, exactly what it says on the tin. The man, who cannot remember his own name, believes their meeting to be kismet: If she can bring death to her loved ones, he vows to woo her so she can deliver the death he’s sought for so long. I promise this is a comedy.

Fuuko and Andy (whom she named as shorthand for the Japanese pronunciation of “undead”) foil a series of assassination attempts by other Negators, and take their spots as part of the Union eliminating threats to the universe. They team with an eclectic group, whom we’re still getting to know as of the end of the first cour, as they trot the globe to complete quests given to them by a mysterious (and seemingly nefarious) talking book lest the universe incur penalties for their failure.

The power system among Negators is one of the most inventive I've seen, with each one able to cancel out a specific element of the natural order of the world, and it’s a blast learning how each new one works. Andy in particular is wild; because he can regenerate himself so quickly, his weapon of specialty is his own body, never hesitating to use his own fingertips as bullets and his own gushing blood as a propulsion mechanism. He also has no compunction towards taking on the worst of Fuuko’s Unluck ability, often sacrificing himself to get hit by lightning or falling debris to deal damage to an enemy. Every new Negator power introduced adds a new wrinkle to the way this world works and the different shapes its action can take. Others can freeze matter into suspended animation, force people to act opposite their own intentions, or even subvert someone’s entire belief system. I cannot wait to see what else is in store.

The first cour’s pacing is a little off, and Andy's behavior towards Fuuko in the first couple episodes is nothing short of gross (I promise that eases up), but you can see the show finding its footing as it goes on. Shonen Jump series don’t last for nearly 200 chapters and counting by accident, and I'm excited to see where this goes.

13. NieR: Automata Ver. 1.1a

Those of us who played Yoko Taro’s 2017 masterpiece approached the announcement of an anime adaptation with some trepidation: So much of what made Nier Automata so outstanding and so beloved is that much of the delivery of its narrative is inherent to the fact that it’s a video game. How can a video game known for pushing against the fourth wall of the unique elements of its very medium be faithfully adapted as an anime?

The choice of studio was also concerning: Though A-1 has produced a ridiculous number of excellent series (and some aggressively mid ones that were nonetheless very successful), its track record with video game adaptations has been far less than stellar. The latter three films in the Persona 3 adaptations were solid if uneven, and the Valkyria Chronicles anime seems to have been well-received, but the same can’t be said of A-1’s takes on Ace Attorney, Persona 4 Golden, or Persona 5. Regardless, Yoko himself was heavily involved in the anime’s production, so if they could keep on budget and schedule, Nier Automata would have a fighting chance.

And while there indeed ended up being massive and likely unpredictable production delays, I'd say they’ve done almost as good of a job as they could have so far. While the first cour mainly covers Automata’s A and B routes, it does much more than just play that part of the story straight; it also takes the time to incorporate other elements of the Nier canon. A surprising amount of time is dedicated to the canon introduced in the “YoRHa” stage play (and by extension the Pearl Harbor Descent Record manga); Lily and the android resistance are woven directly into the narrative far beyond the vague overtures the game makes in their direction. Ver 1.1a also ties the history of the original Nier into the story at unexpected and intriguing (and in my case, tear inducing) moments.

Unfortunately, it’s still too soon to assess this series in its entirety. While too many people who played Nier Automata stopped after route A or B, there is still much more of this story to come. There was some very sloppy CGI integration in the first episode when it aired, but far from enough to put me off the series. For now, it’s a treat for Nier fans, but I’m not sure whether I can recommend it yet to people who are unfamiliar with the source material.

Until the anime is completed, go play Nier Automata. It’s one of my favorite games of all time.

12. Kaguya-sama: Love is War -The First Kiss That Never Ends-

This was a late 2022 theatrical release, but it didn’t see western release until this year and was split into a four-episode mini-season for streaming, so I'm counting it for this year. you can deal with it.

I got completely obsessed with Kaguya-sama early this year, and in record time. I binged the anime and the manga in the span of a couple weeks and irreversibly fell in love. I say with no reservation that it is the best romantic comedy, in any medium, of the 21st century. It nails both the romance and the comedy in equal measure; the characters are perfectly realized right down to the supporting cast, the dynamics between them are carefully considered and consistent with their personalities regardless of circumstance, and every emotional and comedic beat hits exactly as it’s meant to. There is a constant momentum moving the greater plot along, even in the smaller moments, and seismic shifts take over before you’ve even noticed they’re happening.

It’s rare for romcom manga adaptations to stay on the air long enough to actually reach the romantic payoff, and Kaguya-sama fucking nailed it in season 3. Well, we’re pretty sure it did; the central conceit of the psycho-romantic warfare between Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane is that they’re both chronic overthinkers and won’t accept any romantic undertones or overtures in any form but an explicit confession. So while the finish to season 3 is everything we wanted as an audience, these two dorks still sense a margin for error. Regardless, that would have been a perfectly acceptable place to end the anime.

HOWEVER, the “Ice Queen Kaguya” arc that follows in the manga is iconic, and A-1 was absolutely right to adapt it. Although Shirogane is ready to move forward with the relationship that (he’s pretty sure) they’ve both wanted for a long time, Kaguya has a crisis of personality and inadvertently reverts to the dead-eyed, emotionally walled-off version of herself he’d initially met, well before either of them had realized they’d fallen in love with one another. The interstitial omake preceding this arc in the manga has Aka Akasaka warning the reader that in order to counteract the massive emotional payoff that just happened, the ensuing chapters would get very, very silly.

And of course, hijinks do indeed ensue; this is Kaguya-sama, after all. But before you realize it, the story is neck deep in Jungian psychology as self-doubt begins to plague Kaguya and Miyuki and they struggle with the faces they think they need to put on for the other and whether their “real” selves even deserve to be loved by the person they idolize. It gets heavy! I cried every time I watched it! And that first time was in a damn movie theater!

I’m much more comfortable appraising First Kiss as a mini-season than as a movie, because frankly, it doesn’t work as a movie. The animation, while maintaining the series’ standard of excellence, isn’t a single degree better than what aired on television, which can be disappointing upon a visit to the theater. The pacing is also off for a feature film; the common knock upon theatrical release was that it felt like four episodes stitched together (it even has the omake-style interludes between scenes, like the show). The arc also focuses very heavily on Kaguya and Miyuki specifically, so the ensemble cast I mentioned earlier does have to take a backseat. Splitting this up for streaming and televised release was the right move here.

Season 3 would have been a very good ending for this series if it never got picked up for the movie. If it doesn’t get picked up for a proper fourth season, this is the perfect place for it to end. The manga has now been adapted up to just past the halfway point, and the next best stopping point would have to wait until a possible, like, fifth season. And that arc in question, while it does have some iconic moments, is very uneven. If this is all we’re getting, we’ve gotten plenty already, and I am satisfied.

If you've watched the first three seasons of Kaguya-sama, you owe it to yourself to watch The First Kiss That Never Ends. It is nearly everything you could ask for. Also, read the manga if you haven’t already. It’s genuinely one of my favorite things I've ever read.

11. The Apothecary Diaries

This one is basically House MD set in the Ming Dynasty, and it fucks.

Maomao, an apothecary raised in a pleasure district near the palace of a fictional East Asian empire, is shanghaied (pun intended) into menial work in said palace. She hears tell of a supposed curse plaguing the emperor’s newborn children and the concubines that birthed them, quickly deduces that it may be poisoning, and discreetly leaves a message for the ailing new mothers. She’s found out by an impossibly beautiful young administrator named Jinshi, who quickly deduces that she’s one of the few literate peons in the rear palace, and he puts her to work in the pavilion of the concubine that heeded her advice.

With her knowledge of, resistance to, and slightly masochistic infatuation with various poisons, Maomao slots right in as an attendant and poison tester to one of the emperor’s embattled concubines. Often at Jinshi’s urging (even though she immediately gets the ick at his habitual flirting), Maomao finds herself investigating deaths, mysterious ailments, and strange behaviors, on top of the foreign world of palace politics. Though she’s a deeply jaded person who only seems to care for her special interests, Maomao is incredibly perceptive and often able to suss out the finer details others miss.

Surprisingly, this one is a really breezy watch, and much funnier than you might expect. For all its lush environs, slowly-mounting intrigue, and often stunning cinematography, The Apothecary Diaries isn’t afraid to get a little silly with it. The dialogue is snappy, quick gags abound in a familiar single-panel chibi style you wouldn’t expect in a setting like this, and Komi-esque cat ears spontaneously pop up from Maomao's head whenever her interest is piqued. Interactions between Maomao and Jinshi are always a hoot, and you can pretty quickly figure out where it’s going, although Maomao can’t because she’s still pretty sure Jinshi is a eunuch.

As she does in virtually every role in her dozen-plus years as a seiyuu, Aoi Yuuki crushes it in the starring role. She really nails the disaffected cynicism that animates most of Maomao’s internal monologue and sarcastic dialogue, as well as her hair-trigger glee when presented with her personal interests in food and drink, medicinal herbs, and of course, poison. Yuuki is an indispensable element in ensemble casts like Persona 5, Ace Attorney, Wotakoi, and the aforementioned KamiKatsu (as well as others I don’t plan on watching like My Hero Academia, Rent-a-Girlfriend, and The Seven Deadly Sins), so it’s especially nice to hear her in a spotlight role outside of the odd Madoka Magica, spider isekai, or Cyberpunk Edgerunners.

There are a handful of anime on this list that will be continuing or returning in January, and second only to my #1 anime this year, this is the one I’m most excited to see more of. At time of writing, the show appears to be shifting in a new direction, and I’m hoping to see it take less of an episodic pace.

Part 3 is on the way! I'm going to split my top ten into two more posts, because I ended up writing... a lot more than I'd expected.

#anime reviews

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3niqma · 8 months

Text

𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞: 𝐥𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐨 𝐝𝐢 𝐧𝐨𝐳𝐳𝐞.

「あなたは見事に見えます。"

𝐣.𝐣 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬; 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭/𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭.

as the moon cast a silvery glow over the tranquil seaside villa, you and jonathan stood hand in hand, gazing out at the shimmering waves. it had been a whirlwind journey, from the intense battles against the undead and the malevolent dio brando to the sweet moment of your union after it all.

jonathan's strong, calloused hand gently caressed yours, sending a shiver down your spine. his deep, azure eyes locked onto yours with an intensity that made your heart race. the gentle breeze rustled through the palm trees, and you could hear the distant sound of the ocean, creating a serene and intimate atmosphere.

"you look stunning," jonathan whispered, his voice carrying a mixture of awe and love. he wore a simple white shirt and black trousers, a stark contrast to the aristocratic attire he was accustomed to. the bond you shared had allowed him to escape the confines of his family's legacy, and he had embraced this newfound freedom with you by his side.

you blushed and smiled at him, feeling the warmth of his admiration. "and you, jojo, you look handsome as always."

with that, he drew you closer, his lips meeting yours in a tender, passionate kiss. the world around you seemed to fade away as your lips moved in perfect harmony, expressing the love and desire that had grown between you since the moment you first met.

jonathan's arms encircled your waist, pulling you even closer. the intensity of his kiss deepened, and your heart pounded in response. you could feel the love he had for you in every touch, every caress, and every heated exchange of breath.

as the kiss broke, you looked into his eyes, seeing the depth of emotion there. "i love you, jonathan," you confessed, your voice filled with sincerity. he smiled, his thumb gently brushing your cheek. "and i love you, my dear. more than words can express."

"please, allow me to show you how much i do"

hand in hand, you walked back into the villa, leaving the moonlit beach behind. the night was young, and the beginning of your honeymoon marked the start of a new chapter in both of your lives.

⋆｡ﾟ ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

inside the villa, soft candlelight flickered, casting a warm and romantic glow throughout the room. the scent of freshly picked tropical flowers filled the air, mingling with the faint, salty breeze that wafted in from the open balcony. it was a scene of enchantment.

gently, he began to unzip your wedding dress, each touch filled with a reverence that made your heart flutter. as the dress fell to the floor, you stood before him, clothed in delicate, lace-trimmed bridal lingerie, the embodiment of beauty and femininity.

jonathan's eyes never left yours as he removed his own clothes, revealing the sculpted physique that had withstood countless battles. he approached you, his hands tracing the contours of your body, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. your breath hitched as his fingers brushed against your skin, igniting a fire within you.

he whispered sweet words of praise, each one a testament to the deep connection you shared. his lips descended to your neck, leaving a trail of soft kisses that continued towards your chest, that sent shivers down your spine. as his lips met yours once more, the room seemed to blur into a haze of fiery passion.

time seemed to stretch and contract, as if it had lost all meaning. every touch, every kiss, served to deepen the bond between you. the room was filled with the intoxicating scent of your love making and the soft sounds of your sighs and moans, a melody that echoed in the stillness of the night.

in each other's arms, you discovered a world of sensations, exploring each other’s bodies, bringing each other to the highest form of euphoria. the night was long, but it passed in the blink of an eye, leaving you both sated and utterly content, wrapped in each other's embrace.

⋆｡ﾟ ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

as the first light of dawn began to seep through the curtains, you and jonathan lay intertwined. your bodies glistened with the sheen of perspiration, evidence of the fervor that had consumed you throughout the night.

jonathan's fingers traced lazy patterns along your skin. you love how he’s pressed up against you, he smells heavenly, sweet and masculine. it sends shivers down your spine, and makes you involuntarily squeeze your legs together for some friction. he propped himself up on one elbow, his gaze filled with pure tenderness as he looked down at you.

"you are the most beautiful thing i've ever seen," he whispered, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on your forehead.

a contented smile tugged at your lips as you reached up to run your fingers through his tousled hair. "and you, my love, are the most amazing man i've ever known."

“how are you feeling, love? i wasn’t too rough, was i?” he asked with genuine concern; he would never forgive himself if he caused his lady any harm. even with stuff like this. your hand reached up to his cheek, stroking it reassuringly while telling him that it was perfect, he was perfect, the way he drove you to climax was perfect.

jonathan's lips found yours once again, placing a soft, lingering kiss on them. the intensity of the night had given way to a deep sense of connection and intimacy, a love that transcended physical desire. with a sigh, jonathan rolled onto his back, pulling you close so that your head rested on his chest. the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath your ear was a soothing lullaby, and you closed your eyes, content to stay in this moment forever.

as the sun continued its ascent in the sky, you both drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each other's arms. the events of the past days, the battles fought, and the challenges overcome had all led to this moment. finally the two of you could get some well deserved rest.

as you and jonathan lay butt naked and entwined, the warmth of your bodies providing comfort, a sudden commotion at the door disrupted the serenity of the moment. the handle turned, and the door swung open with a loud creak.

in a state of shock and panic, you both shot upright, clutching the sheets to your bodies, eyes wide with surprise. it was none other than robert e. o. speedwagon, the ever-loyal friend of the joestar heir, who had barged in without knocking.

"jonathan! i've got urgent news!" speedwagon exclaimed, his eyes initially focused on a document in his hand. it took a few seconds for him to realize the compromising situation he had stumbled upon. his face turned as red as a cherry as he finally looked up and saw the two of you, naked and disheveled, frantically attempting to cover yourselves. speedwagon's hat nearly flew off his head in shock.

"i-i...oh, dear heavens! i'm so sorry, i didn't mean to intrude!" speedwagon stammered, his face a deep shade of crimson. he turned on his heels, almost tripping over his own feet, and slammed the door shut behind him, mumbling apologies and profusely blushing. jonathan and you exchanged mortified glances before collapsing back onto the bed, laughter bubbling up despite the embarrassment. It seemed that even the indomitable robert e. o. speedwagon could be caught off guard.

speedwagon hurriedly retreated from the bedroom, his heart pounding like a drum in his chest. he leaned against the hallway wall, taking a deep breath to calm his racing nerves.

"by the saints, i've never seen anything like that before!" he mumbled to himself, his hand trembling as he held the document he had brought for jonathan. after a moment, he cleared his throat and straightened his coat, realizing that he had indeed come to deliver some news. he knocked lightly on the door, hoping that jonathan and you had managed to regain your composure.

the door opened cautiously, and there stood jonathan, now dressed in a hastily thrown-on robe. he looked somewhat sheepish, but his trademark courtesy shone through as he greeted speedwagon.

"well, it seems like you two wasted no time starting your family, huh? i've heard the phrase 'honeymoon baby,' but this might be a record!"

jonathan and you shared a hearty laugh, the tension in the air dissipating completely. "oh, speedwagon," you said, your cheeks still flushed but your mood lightening, "we're just enjoying our time together. it's a bit early for that, i assure you!"

with a wink, speedwagon handed jonathan the document he had been holding. "well, it seems i may have jumped the gun a bit, but there's a property near the ocean that i thought you might be interested in. a lovely place for a family someday, perhaps?"

jonathan's eyes lit up with curiosity as he scanned the document, and you couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for the future. speedwagon had an uncanny way of turning even the most unexpected moments into memorable ones.

as the door closed behind speedwagon, jonathan turned his attention back to you, his deep blue eyes filled met with yours. he couldn't help but be captivated by your beauty and the intimacy you had shared, even if it had been interrupted by their dear friend. gently, he pulled you back into his embrace, the sheet that had covered your modesty slipping away as your bodies pressed together once again. his lips found yours in a passionate, yet tender kiss, his love for you burning brightly.

"despite the interruption, my love," he murmured against your lips, "i cannot resist the feelings that you ignite within me." his hands traced the contours of your body, his touch both electrifying and affectionate. your heart raced as jonathan's kisses traveled from your mouth to your neck, his breath warm against your skin. his fingers danced along your curves, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. the connection between you two was more than physical; it was a love that transcended time and circumstance.

“i have never seen you so straightforward, jojo. i’m not complaining, however.” you admitted, giggling as he pressed a soft kiss on the top of your nose.

jonathan let out a soft chuckle at your comment as he continued to lavish you with affection. "i cherish every moment we spend together, and i want to make our honeymoon unforgettable in every way."

with that, the room was once again filled with the sounds of pleasure. jonathan was clearly a natural at this.

speedwagon, who had retreated to a comfortable sitting area downstairs to give the newlyweds some privacy, suddenly found himself in an awkward position once more. the sounds of your passionate affection echoed from above, the unmistakable signs of lovemaking in full bloom. his face flushed crimson once again, and he couldn't help but cover his ears in embarrassment, muttering to himself.

"oh, my word, i didn't sign up for this." he fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to focus on anything else to distract himself from the vivid images playing in his mind.

however, the persistent sounds from above continued to remind him of the present situation, and speedwagon couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh. "i suppose it's a testament to their love," he muttered to himself, "but i do hope they remember they have company downstairs."

in his mind, he couldn't help but picture you, the object of jonathan's deep affection and desire. your beauty and charm had not gone unnoticed by him, and he had always held a deep respect and admiration for you. now, as the sounds from above intensified, he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild. speedwagon bit his lip, trying to suppress his own rising desire as he contemplated the passion shared by you and jonathan. his heart raced, and he found himself fidgeting in his seat once more, his own longing stirring against his better judgment.

he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and remind himself of his loyalty and duty as a friend. "robert e. o. speedwagon, you must maintain your dignity!" he muttered to himself, attempting to redirect his attention to something, anything else.

he continued to listen to the faint sounds of affection and desire from the room above, feeling a sense of contentment for the newlyweds. speedwagon had seen jonathan through the darkest of times, and he was thrilled to see him now, so genuinely happy and in love.

finally, after what felt like an eternity but was likely just a matter of minutes, the sounds from upstairs began to mellow. speedwagon let out a relieved breath and offered a silent prayer of gratitude. he knew that he had inadvertently intruded on a private and intimate moment between two people deeply in love. as the villa fell silent once more, speedwagon decided to quietly excuse himself and step outside for some fresh air, hoping to clear his mind and regain his composure.

a wry grin tugged at his lips as he chuckled softly to himself. "ah, young love," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head in amusement. "those two really are quite taken with each other, aren't they?"

#jjba #jjba headcanons #anime #headcanon #jojos bizarre adventure #18+ minors dni #smut #jonathan joestar #jonathan joestar x reader #jonathan joestar smut #speedwagon #speedwagon x reader #robert eo speedwagon #phantom blood #jonathan lives #dio dies #18+ only #victorian england

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absolutebl · 1 year

Text

This Week in BL - I’m Bored & Conflicted

Dec 2022 Wk 2

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying the most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

My School President (Fri YT) 3 of 10 - Honestly Tinn acts and talks like the voice inside of Sarawat’s head (from 2gether), I’ve never seen a bigger simp. The private tutoring was a good idea (Tiew is another one up for best wingman of the year). The way Tinn keeps getting accidentally defeated in his attempts at flirting is fun, and I love how they keep teasing us with tropes and then flipping or subverting them. GMMTV is being clever with audience expectations around the history of Thai BL and I love that. Also finally Gun is starting to feel something back... we enter phase two of a HSBL - moot pining but they both idiots. YES!

Never Let Me Go (Tues YT) 1 of 12 - GMMTV’s answer to KinnPorsche this is (mafia lite?) spoiled prince + attack dog (whipping boy + bodyguard) suspense BL that’s actually a lot more like Golden Blood. It’s a pleasure to see PondPhuwin in something that’s not FUTS. Jojo (3 Will Be Free) is directing and daddy got himself a bouncing baby drone! We got a very dramatic opening with Paa shot on 18th bday. Puwin’s English is v good. Who knew? And Pond is v good at portraying insta-crush on poor little rich boy and I am not mad about any of it. IT’S GREAT.

Between Us (Sun iQIYI) 6 of 12 - I still like WinTeam but I’m beginning to get annoyed by how many couples there are (5!) and how many of them were (DeanPharm) or are (BeePrince) in an entirely different show tonally. I understand they needed to pad-out this story, but they shouldn’t have, they should have just given us a shorter show. WATCH ALONG HERE.

609 Bedtime Story (Fri WeTV) 4 of 11 - We are finally getting Dew’s side of the story! And… its kinda dull.

Remember Me (Sun Gaga) 10 of 12 - So Name is talking now? And they put Ja in a wig too? Did UWMA teach us nothing? Now I’m just annoyed with this show. Some more marriage equality schilling, because Thai BL has an axe to grind these days. Good luck boys!

I Will Knock You (Fri Gaga) 5 of 12 - Honestly, the costumes in this show are insane and I also kind of like them in an odd way. There’s a Grease thing going on, and thus I keep expecting them to break into song (and being grateful that they don’t). The wardrobe is like the plot and the acting: loud and obvious and not very good but weirdly entertaining. Do I like it? Not really. Am I still watching it? Apparently.

Ai Long Nhai (Mon iQIYI) 12fin - Yes, Ai did use particles to claim Nhai again. Jealous boy. Honestly, this was kind of an epically boring final ep.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

My Tooth Your Love (Taiwan Fri Viki) 11 of 12 - They are so stinking cute together. They also now have all the matching jewelry (not taken by MarkKit). This was a quintessentially them episode 11 of doom, in that they were parted because of communication issues and a maturing relationship occupied by immature characters. Still the leads were apart for most of the episode and that made it a lot less interesting as an episode.

Oh! My Assistant (Korea Thurs Viki) 5-6 of 8 - Kisses and separation! As drama llama episodes go, the reasoning is typically flawed and manufactured, but after watching Why R U? anything goes in an ep 11 (or its equivalent). So I’m still enjoying this show a lot. I don’t need my panicking gay boys and confused bisexuals to behave logically, certainly not in a KBL.

Candy Color Paradox AKA Ameiro Paradox (Japan Fri Gaga) 1 of 8 - A stakeout throws reporter Onoe together with photographer Kaburagi. Kaburagi's haphazard work style and player personality go against Onoe’s ethics. Yet, in joint pursuit of a scandal, these opposites attract move from enemies to lovers. Adapted from manga Ameiro Paradox by Natsume Isaku. Oh no! Our reporter is an unbelievably adorable pouty baby. Also big-ish cast and high production values in a BL, even for Japan. Even though it’s only been a little while since the last JBL, it’s such a pleasure to have one on my watchlist again! And the love interest is a big time flirty player. Very cliché (I still hold that the actor playing him looks like First of JaFirst). This is a lot more serious and a lot less slapstick than I was expecting, and I’m enjoying it because of that. But because it is serious, and this is Japan, we now cannot expect it to end happily. If you or someone who can wait, or likes to binge, and is very invested in an HEA you might want to consider holding off on this one.

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner (Korea Thurs iQIYI) 1-2 of 10 - A new employee whose director claims to have lived 300 years and insists that they have to date (eat, hug & kiss) if baby doesn't want to die. Office, fated mates, and that’s kinda my jam. I’m always annoyed when I really like a show that’s on iQIYI or WeTV. Sigh. But I really like this show, it has a lot of Japanese elements to it not the least of which is the office setting, but also the personality of the uke character. Hilarious to watch Korea deal with a plot that requires physical contact. It’s weird, but I like it, it’s also extremely short. Like shorter than most KBLs even. Each app is so padded there ultimately less than 10 minutes long (which is why is is 10 esp rather than the usually KBL 8, it’s gonna end up the same length in the end).

Choco Milk Shake (Korea Strongberry Tues YT) 11fin - airs Dec 20th

Happy Ending Romance (Korea Thurs Gaga & Viki) 7-8fin - I actually LOVED the ending, very hinting at poly, and mature. But this show ended up not really being a BL, no tropes and not really a romance either.

It’s Airing But I’m Not Watching It

War of Y (Thai Gaga) 20 eps - it’s just all too much for me.

2 Moons 3 (Thai) 10 eps - Possibly a future binge watch. Rumor is it’s banal.

Love Bill (Vietnam Sat YT) - Bah Vinh is back but I’m too distracted. Also there’s a lot of fund raising stuff going on. I’ll wait and binge.

The Star Always Follow You (Vietnam YT) - same Team RL peeps we have seen before (Sunshine, Stupid)

Till the World Ends (Thai YT) 10 eps - ?

Why You... Y Me? (Thai Weds YT) 10 eps - It's not primarily a BL, but another meta show about BL shipping, with side BLs. @heretherebedork is watching it, ask them about it.

Ended This Week

Happy Ending Romance

In this series, all the gay boys romantically behave like lesbians and professionally like straight dudes. It’s... odd. As a BL it kinda isn’t (sorry to say), there’s no tropes dropped and no real romance beats. This is about ego and dishonesty and pride and there is an elegance to the plot. Which is essentially the idea that possession is not love, and therefore, both men who love the Writer have to prove their love by letting him go. Honestly, I’m not sure how to rate this show. This is a blog about BL and this wasn’t it. 8/10 RECOMMENDED (but not if BL is what you’re after). Full review.

Ai Long Nhai

Look this show was just a typical Thai BL university pulp about a confident gay and a clueless manic pixie dream boy. It had potential, chemistry, and earnestness going for it, but no plot and not enough side dishes. In the end, it was boring and you know I always rate boring lower than hot messes (because at least the hot mess TRIED). Still, Ai Long Nhai is better than your average Thai BL pulp, nothing happens but at least the nothing mostly shirtless, the gay dads are the BEST, which is about all I can say for it. 6/10 WORTH WATCHING BUT FLAWED

In Case You Missed It

With the help of @isisanna-blog, here’s a cobbled together a Domundi line up (peeps behind Cutie Pie) for 2023 Thai BL. Lots of established pairs and it looks good if they can actually make them all, includes beautiful historicals, paranormal, other high concepts, and a royalty bodyguard romance (knight/prince) with ZeeNew!

Next Week Looks Like This:

Still coming:

Dec 21 - The New Employee AKA The New Recruit AKA Shinib Sawo from Korea, (prob Gaga or Viki) - From WATCHA (Semantic Error) virginal Seung Hyun scores the office internship of his dreams but on his first day at work he gets into it with his cool reserved boss. As you do. Stars Moon Ji Yong (Once Again). Based on Moscareto's web novel of the same name, directed by openly gay & queer activist Kim Jho Gwang Soo (Just Friends?).

Dec 28 - H5: Love in the Future from Taiwan (prob Gaga or Viki) - A cheerful and energetic student from 2000 travels to the future (2022), works as a deliveryman, and meets his first customer, an heir with a domineering personality. Directed by Nancy Chen (HIStory 4, Papa & Daddy).

I’m working on my end of year wrap ups, trends lists, and BL stats reported. Let me know in a comment if there is any specifically you want to know of have deep feels about.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Beautiful pining work you’re doing there, Palm. Yearn, baby, yearn. (Never Let Me Go)

Fated mates, always a favorite of mine. (The Director who Buys Me Dinner)

GMMTV got itself a drone. Not sure how I feel about this.

Games is my spirit animal (609 Bedtime Story)

(last week)

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sparkles-rule-4eva · 7 months

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I’ve officially been a Sonic fan for a year!

And to celebrate, since my bestie @thewritingautisticat and I were first properly introduced to said fandom via the movies, I decided to post a big fat rant about how much I absolutely ADORE the movie universe. Right alongside every other aspect of this amazing franchise.

Here’s the thing. I’ve seen people claim to be the #1 SCU defenders/lovers/etc., and then I’d explore their blog and still find them complaining about the human characters, and still imply that the movie universe isn’t as good as the games because it’s different.

Me? Dudes and dudettes, I think I’m one of the only people who can truly claim to be the #1 SCU defender. Because I love the movies in ALL their differences and wackiness. I don’t just tolerate the presence of the human characters, I love them. Right alongside Sonic and the original cast. During those wedding scenes in the second movie, the parts where everyone seemed to complain that they were bored and just waiting for it to get back to Sonic? I was loving every second of it. I see the human characters to be just as much Sonic characters as Sonic himself, Knuckles, Tails, etc.

I love scenes with Tom because he’s Sonic’s adoptive father. I love scenes with Maddie because she’s Sonic’s adoptive mother. Rachel is his crazy, unhinged aunt. Jojo is his chill cousin. That’s his family right there. Right alongside Knuckles and Tails, his adoptive brothers in the cinematic universe. I love and accept them just as much. I’ve barely seen anyone else do the same.

I love that the movies give Sonic (and the others) the ability to do something that the games can never do: be a kid. They show him to be kind, compassionate, empathetic, energetic, fun-loving, adventurous, sassy, and heroic, just like his game counterpart. And then they give him more: they give him parents who love and support him. Who cheer him on from the sidelines as he’s off fighting giant robots. Who will give their lives for him without a second thought.

People complain that the first movie isn’t a good “Sonic” movie? I disagree there, too. Because it’s missing the other characters and the lore and all that? Is Sonic not Sonic if he’s separated from his friends and original home? No. The first movie didn’t focus on the lore. The first movie focused on Sonic, him as a character. They established the settings of this new, alternate world for Sonic. Gave him a backstory because the games never do. They let him be a hero and a kid at the same time.

Guys. Paramount found themselves with rights to make a Sonic movie. A movie with a version of Sonic who had zero mandates hanging over his head. Did you really think they were just going to make a story that we’d probably see as a game someday? No, they were not going to miss this opportunity. They rewrote his story in this alternate version. They let him be a few years younger. They let him be emotional. They even gave him extra epic powers linked to said emotions, and those powers have even impacted the games.

I love the voice actor they chose for Sonic. People complain he doesn’t sound like he does in the games. So? The people who casted the voices weren’t looking for a soundalike voice actor. They were looking for an energetic, optimistic voice. Because that’s how they saw Sonic. Is he not? He feels like the very embodiment of energy and optimism a lot of the time. So I love the choice of Ben Schwartz. He does amazingly.

And about him getting adopted by humans? Found family is not a new trope in the Sonic franchise. In the games, we have Sonic raising Tails as his little brother. We have the Chaotix, a team consisting of a grown dude, an angsty teenager, and a literal child who see each other as family. We have Amy being a big sister to Cream and Tails. We have Vanilla being a mother figure to half the cast. We have the ARK siblings. The list goes on. Is it really so “cringey” to let Sonic himself get adopted? Especially when he’s younger than the game version, and was properly given the chance to be a kid? To have fun with his brothers and parents outside of fighting Eggman? And by parents who accept him wholly for who he is, strive to take care of him where they can, and allow him to relax and enjoy the remainder of his childhood??

Not to mention, Tom and Maddie are literally the perfect parents for Sonic (and later Knuckles and Tails). For one, they’re a very healthy couple. They’ve loved and supported each other for years even before their marriage and before meeting Sonic. Green flag number one. For two, they understand Sonic, they see that he’s still a kid and they want to help him, they try to “steer him in the right direction,” and they don’t try to stifle him and his love of running and adventure. Tom is a cop, a very good cop I might add (I absolutely refuse to listen to any of the crappy hate I’ve seen towards Tom just because he’s a police officer), and he’s inclined to help people just like Sonic is. Maddie is a vet, she loves animals. Sonic is literally an anthropomorphic hedgehog. She knows better on how to take care of him; and even before she got to know him, she still tended to his needs when he was out of it, even being cautious in doing so because she didn’t yet know his physiology.

So yes, I love the SCU. I love seeing the Wachowski family doing mundane, everyday things just as much as I love seeing the boys in epic battle scenes. I loved watching Sonic and Tom have a father-son bonding moment on a fishing trip. I loved watching them play along with his airport setup the same way parents play along with their child’s imagination. I loved watching them ask for a hug goodbye, make sure he knew how to contact them in case of an emergency, blow him kisses as the ring closed. I loved that Tom kept calling and texting Sonic to check in on him just like any parent would while they were away. I loved seeing Tom express wishing that Sonic could have buddies like him. I loved seeing Maddie call him “their kid.” I most especially loved seeing Sonic finally call Tom “Dad.”

I loved seeing my favorite trio of alien boys ride in the back of a truck, even though none of them needed the transportation, bickering about the baseball game they just played as their parents drive them out for ice cream.

Does this mean I prefer the SCU over the games? No. I love the games just as much, and I could easily rant on everything I love about them as well. I’m just not planning to because it’s not necessary. They’re the mainline thing.

Even though I’m disappointed to have missed so many years in this amazing fandom, I think I like being a fresh fan. I constantly see people griping and complaining about this or that in some area of the franchise, and tbh it annoys me. I’ve been ruined for reading reviews because I find people hating on things I liked. I introduce “NO-HATE REVIEW!” Not complaining about what I didn’t like, because there’s not much. Just loving on what I loved. Sharing my excitement with others.

As a result, I’ll later post similar rambles about other parts of the franchise I want to defend. Such as the IDW comics. Sonic Prime. Sonic Frontiers. All the parts people are far too quick to judge.

Replies that are hateful or irrelevant will be deleted. 👌

(A little later I’m also going to make a celebratory post about how this franchise literally changed my life in a good way XD)

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nikathesiren · 2 months

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Not-Jojo content for a hot minute! Let's talk about the Borderlands movie...

First things first, I don't know if you know this, but my nickname comes from Borderlands. Although now I only talk and draw about Jojo's, I'm still a big fan of the Borderlands games.

When I played the first game, I loved the concept about sirens, and it was back then when I started using my actual nickname (circa 2010). Then, when Borderlands 2 came out, I was obsessed with Handsome Jack. And when I say obsessed, I mean OBSESSED with huge and bold capital letters. I consider Borderlands 2 the best Borderlands game of them all, and The Pre-Sequel is a close one just because of my full Jack obsession, lol.

Keep reading for my opinion about the trailer...

I don't remember when they announced that they were making a Borderlands movie, maybe 2017-ish??? I was extremely excited, thinking that they would adapt the story of the games (back then, I think Borderlands 3 wasn't even announced, but they could have started as a trilogy...). I even fantasized about the idea of Dameon Clarke, Handsome Jack's VA in English, being Jack in the movie as well. But that dream was long gone when I read that the film would not exactly follow up the story we all know. And the wait to see something about this movie was LONG.

I finally watched the trailer when they released it, and even it's not the story I was hoping to see... I kinda like it. I didn't feel the hype I expected being a huge Borderlands fan, but I think I can still enjoy it. Some stuff from the movie feels off (like Roland's personality... he doesn't feel like Roland at all... and where are Lilith siren tattoos!?!?!?), but other stuff feels total in the style of Borderlands (people bullying Claptrap in some way is a must). The movie has its flaws, but people on Reddit keep bitching about Lilith and Tannis being too old, Roland being too short... ugh, I don't fucking care about the cast not being aesthetically perfect (but I admit that I would have liked them to). If the actors and actresses do a good job interpreting their characters and the story fits the Borderlands' universe with good humor and action, I'll consider myself lucky.

That was my impression of the trailer in English, but I'm from Spain, so the next day I watched the trailer again, but dubbed in Spanish, and... it felt way funnier! At least Tina's phrases sounded funnier for me (instead of saying "it's in my mouth!" she says "I swallowed it" lmao), and some voices suit the characters better than the original ones. Usually, it's the other way around, lol!

I think the localization will improve the movie for me, and that gives me some hope to enjoy the movie besides all the bitching on Reddit. Seriously, guys, stop complaining about people's bodies... there are other things to be criticized...

To try to introduce myself into the mood, maybe I'll do a redraw of an old Borderlands fanart... it'll be coming soon!

#personal #borderlands #borderlands movie #opinion #i tried to be respectful #at least I'm more respectful than some people out there

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sweetness-pop · 2 months

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If Husk was voiced by Daisuke Ono

Ono's roles include

Jotaro Kujo of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders

Erwin Smith of Attack on Titan

Sebastian Michaelis of Black Butler

Shizuo Heiwajima of Durarara!!

Kyousuke Hori of Horimiya

Sinbad of Magi: Adventure of Sinbad

& Jyushimatsu Matsuno of Osomatsu-San

Now I know that Hazbin Hotel already has an official Japanese dub, but I decided to just go ahead and continue my dream/ideal voice cast posts for HH characters. I posted Charlie Morningstar's (Rie Takahashi), Vaggie's (Ami Koshimizu), Angel Dust's (Toshiyuki Toyonaga), & Alastor (Mamoru Miyano) before HH appeared on Prime.

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mrs-johansson · 9 months

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Strangers in the night - Scarlett Johansson x Fem!Reader

Part 17:

*third person pov*

Mid July, the sun shining on the pavement. People moving around with portable wardrobes, tents set up for hair and makeup, all this on the streets of Prague.

Cameras standing in a line, looking right at the center of the town. The buildings looked so bright but the picture just looked sad and empty of life.

Taika and Y/n stood behind the cameras, surrounded by monitors, talking over the next scene. Coffee in both their hands, headphones resting around Y/n’s neck as she said in her director chair. Hair tied back into a tight bun, trying to hide the hair that she wasn’t able to wash in a week. Although she looked fresh and very put together, she was exhausted. She covered up the dark circles under her eyes with light makeup and the smile was a constant on her face.

Scarlett was sitting in her makeup chair, getting the final touches from the makeup artist. Her eyes were on her girlfriend through the mirror watching as she was giving out orders to the set designers and camera men. Y/n was very different on set than she was at home. At work, she looked confident and sure of her voice and job, looking like a real professional who’s been doing this for years. But at home, in the safety of their little bubble, she was very insecure and fearful of the work she’s been doing. Scarlett couldn’t tell her enough how amazing she was at her job and that she had nothing to worry about. Sometimes Y/n just went with the flow and accepted her girlfriend’s praises and even believed them, which made her calmer at work. Mostly she just acted like she was putting up this front but in reality, she was scared of every little move she made on her own set.

“She’s doing pretty well so far,” the makeup artist’s voice brought Scarlett out of her daydream. “What?” “Y/n. She’s doing a great job,” repeated the woman. “Oh yeah, she’s awesome.” The actress hid her smile and the blush that crept up her cheeks.

Filming scene by scene, everyone knew that this movie was something that will be very well put together. Y/n has shown great potential at directing and producing, which she obviously didn’t feel but everyone else did.

Weeks went by and there was less and less filming needed and it all seemed very real for the young director. Taika was always there to remind Y/n that she has been doing incredible. But she always said, “We’ll see when it comes out.” She was right but so was Taika.

As the last two weeks of shooting rolled around, the marketing team organized an interview/behind-the-scenes video for the cast. The actors and directors each shared their thoughts on the filming and their cast mates and crew.

***

Inside Jojo Rabbit - Behind the scenesnes

“The first time we thought about the movie, we were sure we wanted this to be funny. And while writing the script, we didn’t know how far we should take this comedic relief, so we took it the furthest we could.” Shared Y/n Cole, director and writer of the movie.

Taika Waititi as Imaginary Adolf:

“Through the whole writing process, I always had Taika in mind for Hitler’s role. Of course not because they are so similar, but because I couldn’t imagine someone else being so… accepting of this role and taking it seriously, in an acting way. It’s a very complex character and Taika is the only one I think who understands the purpose of this figure. When you play a character so questionable or any kind of character, as an actor you have to lose any judgment to play them and he was able to create this whole other person with his acting but also be authentic towards the character,” said Y/n.

Scarlett Johansson as Rosie Betzler:

“Scarlett’s screen test was the only one I could not be present at because I was working, but Taika called me right after she was done. The only thing he said on the phone was, I think I just hired Scarlett Johansson as Rosie and you’re gonna love her so much. Okay, bye. I have to go. And he hung up. Then as pre-production rolled in, and then the table read, seeing Scarlett and Roman interact and act out the scenes, I was so happy that she was the one for this role because she’s the kind of person who takes the role and cherishes it with care and it fits her so well.”

“When we were talking about her role, it was clear that this type of comedic but also serious and responsible mother character was new in her career but not in her everyday life. And when at specific scenes the actors are free to improvise, she’s so quick and witty with her parts and I think that’s definitely a relief for us that we have actors who are incredibly professional but also able to contribute to the creative process if that makes sense.”

Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo Betzler.

“I was very excited about this role and the casting of it but also terrified. But when we met Roman, all my worries disappeared. The whole screen test was about 25 minutes, and he did not take his eyes off Taika. You know… it’s hard to have a character like his but also make the audience love him or to think about his point of view, not just go like oh gosh he’s supporting Hitler, he’s horrible. Finding Roman was a changing point. When you look at him, you only think that he’s the cutest and sweetest kid.”

“He is the kindest little human, an honest gentleman who is a complete professional and a kid blessed with amazing acting skills. Roman has such a fresh approach towards acting since this is his first time doing it, and he is willing to learn from anybody who gives him any advice. You know… being surrounded with actors like Scarlett, Taika or like Sam Rockwell, at the end he gained so much experience and just little secrets about acting.”

“But also he is such an appreciative boy. Whenever he wasn’t shooting and I had time off too, we’d rate the food and candy we had on set, and one time, I had a very bad day. I was tired and frustrated and he came to my trailer with a basket full of things that I liked so far and we watched cartoons for the rest of the day. The next day, he came up to me and said, thank you for choosing me for the role and I’m so happy to work with you. My heart melted. He has the biggest heart and besides that, he’s an amazing actor.”

Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa Korr:

“Taika was the one who suggested Thomasin for this part since he knew her prior. And as production was getting along, and we got to know each other better, I recognized so much of Thomasin in Elsa’s character and I find that so interesting. Working as an actor you don’t realize how much your co-stars are similar with their roles because you're so focused on how you would actualize your character, but seeing everyone from the third person’s view, it was easier to see these things.”

“I especially like the dynamic between Elsa and Rosie. Thomasin and Scarlett had this incredibly great chemistry and with Rosie being the mother figure to Elsa, I think they did such an amazing job with the scenes.”

Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf:

“Captain K has been one of my favorite characters since the beginning of the whole process. Whenever I wrote a scene with him, I just wanted to make him as sarcastic as possible. Him being a gay natzi I think was so ironic and drama-like so when Sam Rockwell came up as a possibility, I was pushing until he got the part.”

“His character has this similarity with Jojo, that you have to make the audience like him. But he also has these elements that make him more like someone who you’d love as a character. You can already see from the beginning that he is so done with this war and on top of that he has to train all these kids. Captain K is definitely one of the more chaotic comedic reliefs in the movie, which Sam did an amazing job doing.”

“While being a natzi captain, he is also a lowkey ally. In particular scenes you can see that he actually has other opinions about the whole natzi thing but rather goes with what is expected from him as a man and captain during this time, and I think it makes him a complex and mysterious character too.”

Y/n Coles as director, producer, screenwriter

Y/n:

“At first I was very nervous about playing the director’s part. I didn’t really think about doing it, I was just like… you know I wrote this with Taika, I'm sure he will do a great job with it. But he insisted that I direct it and produce it. Still, terrified. But here we are.”

“As the whole casting part was over and it started getting very real, I sat down with Taika and asked him, did we just ruin our career? He looked at me, took a deep breath, and said, I guess we’ll know when it’s in theaters. So yeah, that’s how we started filming.”

“When the script was finished, I didn’t know who to give it to read it first. I was very afraid of how people are gonna actually react with now the real thing in their hands. My dad was my first choice and I gave it to him, but he asked me to pitch him the idea. And I was like, you can’t be serious, there’s no way I will tell you a sentence about this movie that will make you want to watch it. He handed me back the pages and I had to give it to him when I had a pitch speech. But I kinda have one so…”

“Jojo Rabbit is about a boy, who lives in Natzi Germany and his imaginary friend/father figure is Hitler. But as the war continues he finds himself opening up his view about the world and what he has believed so far. Kind of… It’s still not perfect, just watch the movie.”

Taika:

“Working with Y/n was amazing. She has such a creative mind and just such a great approach toward her work. Actually, she’s the one who keeps me in line. She was the real boss around here while also being the most fun and loving person. I guess it was because she wasn’t dressed as Hitler while directing, that’s probably easier.”

“When we first thought about the idea of making a movie of this story, she was scared of the comedy part of it. I was like okay yeah, try to write something, write a scene then we’ll get back to it. A week later, she sent me the opening scene. The one you see in the beginning. Not a line has changed ever since she wrote it. The rest is history.”

“As an actor, she knew how to treat the actors while directing. Her attitude was just brilliant. She’s a genius. It was her first time directing and producing but she killed it, absolutely killed it. When she wanted to add an element we haven't discussed prior, she was really passionate about it. Her ideas are well thought over and amazing, but making it real was how I think she won over everyone.”

Scarlett:

“Y/n and I became friends before pre-production started and she voiced her concern about her directorial debut a lot of times. She was very scared about people not taking her seriously because of her age and “lack of experience”. But you know a woman like Y/n, she has that kind of posture that you don’t see in every director. She is an amazing actor and that definitely contributes to how she works as a director. Y/n has her own methods already on how to make her ideas real and how to speak with us to understand her vision.”

“The first time I read the script I was just so impressed with her writing skills. The dialogues she wrote are just so so good. And she is very shy about her work so whenever someone compliments her creation she's way too humble about it.”

“Y/n is a very approachable person and I think that is one of the reasons why it is so easy to work with her. She is direct with her words and thoughts which is always helpful for the actors, especially if there are kids involved. Y/n speaks their language so naturally and her connection with Roman definitely helped him to reach his best in the movie.”

Roman:

“Y/n is the best director I’ve ever worked with. Even if she’s the first one.”

“She is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met and she is very kind. She gives the best advice and I think she is easy to understand and doesn’t use these crazy words to explain what I have to do, so it was great to work with her.”

“But she’s also very fun when she’s not wearing the headphones and sits in her chair. Whenever she has free time she makes sure I’m okay and spends time with me. We often read lines together too, which is very cool.”

Thomasin:

“Y/n is the first female director I’ve worked with so far and she put the stakes very high for the next ones. She was just fantastic, truly.”

“When you first see her, you think she’s a beautiful young woman who is an actress. A lot of people actually don’t know how witty and how comedic her personality is. We always have fun with her on set.”

“I especially loved how Y/n gave us instructions. It was great because both she and Taika are actors and know what they need to understand a certain scene. Her instructions are always very straightforward but she’s also very flexible with how we play, which is I think very unique of her.”

Sam Rockwell:

“I’ve been following Y/n’s work for a while now and I think she’s a phenomenal actress. And because of that, I was very curious about her as a director.”

“On the first table read she was very reserved and observing, and I was very surprised that she’s so quiet and kinda lets Taika talk forever. But on the next one, she knew how all of us were and how to work with us, you know. She basically did a test run in her head on how this is going to work, oh Sam does this and Roman speaks like this, so she was just silently putting the whole picture together.”

“Although, what I was not expecting, is that she took her part in basically everything. She had ideas for the costumes, the buildings, and every type of artistic element. It is very important for her to not only show the darker ones of the time but like the light of it, which is very hard to find.”

***

It was done. The last scene has finished and everyone who worked in the film was standing in the room, looking at Taika and Y/n. The man gave his speech, making everyone laugh with his words, then looked at his directing partner who had tears in her eyes, holding them back with every strength in her body. Y/n got the mic and stepped forward.

“I don’t even know where to start…” She cleared her throat, scared to even look at her cast. “First of all I’d like to apologize for crying in the upcoming minutes, look past it please, I’m a mess as you can tell,” she chuckled tearfully.

She lifted her eyes to Scarlett who had the proudest smile on her face seeing her girl shine was something she’ll cherish forever.

The room was silent and everyone was listening to her words.

“Gosh uhm… I never thought that I would be here when I wrote this with Taika and it’s still surreal to me that we are standing here, with endless footage of the script. Firstly, I’d like to thank the crew who helped us create this amazing experience. The hair and makeup department, the costume department, the sound, camera, light crew, and our amazing set designers who made every little detail look incredible. Without all of you, we wouldn’t have a movie like this, our actors wouldn’t look like they just stepped out on the street in the 40s, and for that, I am so thankful,” she said and a round of applause filled the silence.

Y/n turned around and saw Taika standing with his hands in his pockets, also teary-eyed but with a big smile on his face.

“Without this man, I probably wouldn’t be crying here in front of you all. Taika, I will be forever and after that, grateful for you, that you pushed me and not saying that I was crazy for wanting to do a film about Nazis. You’ve been a mentor to me for years and I wouldn’t wish for anyone else. You did nothing but encourage me throughout the whole process so far and I adore you for that. I could not thank you enough for this,” the tears slid down her pink cheeks as Taika gave her a nod.

Then she looked at the cast. Her vision was slightly blurry from the tears but she saw every single one of them. Y/n could even see the tears in Scarlett’s eyes and that Roman was silently crying by her side.

“Oh gosh and you guys,” Y/n spoke but the knot in her throat made her stop for a second. “I don’t think I’ll ever have the words to express how much love I have for every single one of you. You made these characters alive, you gave them a voice, a face. Nobody would’ve done a better job than you and I wouldn’t wish for anyone else. You guys are incredible actors but mostly exceptional people. The work you all put into this project is everything we could’ve asked for and more. One day I hope we’ll work together again because I just love all of you with my whole heart.”

“This was an experience that I will never forget. You were the ones who helped me begin this amazing amazing journey. I don’t think I will ever be able to express the gratitude that I have for everyone in this room. Thank you for supporting me and believing in me despite my lack of experience. What I’m trying to say is that I love you and thank you for being a part of this amazing voyage.” She put her hands together like she was ready to pray but she bowed for their love.

y/ncole: and that’s a wrap on Jojo Rabbit!❤️ the love that was present on our set everyday was something I’ll never forget. Our cast and crew is filled with amazing people and I’ll be thanking you all for the rest of my life for making the start of this journey for me the best experience ever! Jojo Rabbit is something I can’t wait for everyone to see. The love this movie represents is something unique and special. I am biased but it truly is. Jojo Rabbit is coming to you next year, all love until then!❤️

#scarlett johansson x reader #scarlett johansson x you #scarlett johansson imagines #scarlett Johansson #scarlett johansson x female reader #gxg

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