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wedreamedlove · 3 years

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MLQC Men Headcanon Notes

Now that I’ve spent more time with these men (it’s getting close to 2 years!) I wanted to share the general thoughts, themes, motifs, etc. that I keep in mind when I’m writing their character.

This is 1000% headcanon territory, so feel free to take what’s useful and ignore what’s not LOL but I’d also love to see people add in their own “character reference cheat sheet” to this!

(I’m especially curious because, due to being of Asian diaspora, I write best in English but my understanding of the characters come from CN/JP text). Incidentally, if anyone feels ANY of this when reading my fics, then that’s all I could ever ask for LOL.

LI ZEYAN

He is Capricorn² and, while the game doesn’t make explicit mentions to this, I associate the element earth with him because of this. He’s described with attributes like being steady, calm, and always in control. He is the epitome of an immovable boulder and things revolve around him, not the other way around. I like to draw on imagery of unbending steel and/or the stable ground.

Meanwhile, like the goat of his astrological sign, every step he takes to climb to his goal is assured. He doesn’t do anything spontaneous or without thought, so if he does lose control and act without thinking then it has to be a momentuous occasion. Basically, it’s really important to me that if I write a loss of control, then it’s likely to be the centerpiece.

Keeping in mind that his Evol is time control, I also like to try and subtly weave an atmosphere of how everything happens at his pace. Winter being his season only adds onto this because the world stills when it’s covered in snow; everything becomes muted, hushed, and slowed in this season.

The chemistry in his romance arc is how his pace and control gets disturbed, but he adapts quickly and learns to go along with these moments of whimsy. Or more like that’s his character development and how love changes him.

His canon (spirit) animal is the cat and lion. Felines go along very well with the emperor or noble archetypes he has in all his AU cards, because cats are stereotyped as being independent and haughty animals. He’s not big on PDA or excessive skinship, but he’s not disagreeable to them either. Too much stimulation and, like a cat, he’ll probably show exasperation. Ignore him for too long though and he’ll come to share his presence with you.

For me, his love is shown through quiet acts of service that don’t have any attention drawn to them. Him just being in the same room or giving his attention is how he emotes his love.

He’s quite low-key in his normal life so he doesn’t seem like someone who gets confused over commoner things, but there are also moments where he spends an enormous amount of money without blinking. If life can be made easier with money then why not, right?

Keywords: Calm. Steady. Earth. Immovable. Control. Exasperated Affection. Time. Cats. Literal Capricorn. Winter. Mature.

ZHOU QILUO

First thing that comes to mind is the sun and heat. Fire is his element and so I go for stereotypical imagery like flares of passion and burning bright. He switches expressions and moods at the drop of a hat and he’s a mood maker to the extreme, but there’s no hiding the way he shines with his love for his love.

However, because he’s also Helios, it’s really important for me to play around with dualities and explore the other side of this positive imagery. So, just like how the sun can bring warmth and life, it’s also a deadly laser something that can hurt people by blinding them or setting fires. It’s also fun to remember that the moon only has light from the sun’s reflection.

Game-wise, I believe Helios has been described with cold and ice imagery but, because I try to keep that imagery for Li Zeyan, what I like to consider instead is that extremely cold things can “burn” you too. Frostbite can also be called ice burn.

The sky is repeated imagery for Luoluo too, because of his eyes, but I’ll admit I’m still uncertain about how to interpret this for his character. Generally, the sky represents freedom but...? How I approach this is that the sky doesn’t discriminate and protects everyone below it (echoing his quote about how he protects the light in the dark).

On this note about the sky being welcoming, I view Luoluo’s love as one that accepts his love no matter what they’re like and he grows together with them (unlike the two adults, Li Zeyan and Xu Mo).

However, again, it’s super important to remember his duality and just because he’s a playful mood maker doesn’t mean he’s not able to switch into a serious and mature mode. He keeps his innocence and warm heart despite the darkness he’s seen and understands.

His canon animal is the bear which also makes me tilt my head. I can only see this as how bears are seen as both cuddly and cute, but also fierce and protective. He was also given a stag but... no one uses that LOL.

Keywords: Fire. Passion. Playful. Innocent. Little Sun! But Moon. Spring. Sacrifice. Darkness. Sky. Mischievous. Mood Maker.

BAI QI

Every single cell in his body is attuned to his love. You ever lose your phone and then, for the rest of the day, you feel as if you’re missing an important piece of yourself and you have intrusive thoughts wondering where it is? That’s him. You ever see something so cute you experience cute aggression and don’t know what to do with yourself? That’s him. You know those dogs that strain at their leashes on the streets because they want to go and greet you? That’s him.

It’s all about the yearning.

I know, I know, I wrote essays about how he can survive without his love and how he’s someone who carries both love and a greater justice BUT let’s not kid ourselves that he doesn’t revolve around his love like Jupiter around the sun.

Anyway, so the game shoves wind descriptions down our throats. It’s literally another vehicle for him to emote his love and, to be honest, I don’t do much with it other than use it for that. I talked about it extensively in my character essays, but I suppose I play with the irony of how he’s only free because he has a home can return to. [Loneliness SR Wind and Care Call] “Because I have a place for my heart, I can fly anywhere.”

I don’t believe the game emphasizes this any more than it does with the other men, but I try to always have a point of contact between Bai Qi and his love because, again, the yearning and vibrating with All That Love. He’s such a physical character (military archetype) that I also want to emphasize that in writing.

In addition, I’m all about him being the most feral of the men. Heck, his canon animal is the wolf which is great for both its stereotypical and non-stereotypical meanings, such as being a lone wolf and ferocious animal but also a pack animal that can’t survive on its own and needs a pack. Meanwhile, NW717 is described in-game as a monster.

Look, one of his signature descriptions in the game is resting his chin on or against his love’s head and nuzzling them. I’m not baselessly trying to push my kink I swear.

So, like how Bai Qi said in [Light Bath SSR: Tenderness Call] that maybe he only shows his gentleness towards select people (his love and mother), he’ll give the person he loves all the warmth of his being but, oh boy, I see him as being a beast who will remember his true nature upon being chained; the “chain” of love gives him the reassurance he needs to be truly free... in all its meanings.

Keywords: Ginkgo. Summer. Primal. Wind. Love is love is love. 3-Point Contact. Wolf. Yearning. Vitality. Justice. Freedom. Physical. Restraint.

XU MO

First, given how vocal I am about Elex’s changes, this is probably going to be the most drastically different section out of everyone vs. their English version.

Soft. Light. Gentle. Kind. Gossamery. Feathery. Ethereal. Faint. Whenever I write him, do I literally open up a thesaurus to find synonyms for gentle, light, and soft? Yup! LOL.

Fun fact, in CN and JP the word for “smile” and “laugh” is the same character and so sometimes there is ambiguity when translating if there’s no clear markers. The writers definitely had a word in mind when they wrote the scene, but unfortunately we don’t have the ability to check with them at every use and so sometimes it does come to subjective interpretation.

For me, Xu Mo is characterized by a lot of quietness. Game-wise, there are enormous usages of silence and descriptions of emotional fluctuations in his eyes so Significant Silences and Looks are a major thing with him and in my writing for him, which is why I always choose “smile” over “laugh” if there is any ambiguity in the line (I believe Elex leans towards chuckles).

On a similar note, the game also gives him a gigantic serving of descriptions that only ever use the word for “light, slight, faint, soft, gentle” in JP and CN. It gives him a very floaty and dreamy feeling, even if he’s doing something physical. So, it’s important for me to keep a similar atmosphere when writing and make everything feel as if it has to be shared in a whisper.

A bonus here is that it doesn’t require much to turn this ethereal feeling into a melancholic one, so you get that dash of angst that layers over everything. Leave a few things unknown here and there, incomplete actions, eyes that get averted and Boom. Angst.

Shifting gears, but if my imagery of Bai Qi’s love is like a tense, vibrating, and restrained chain of yearning then Xu Mo’s love is like a flood barely being held back by a dam. Knowledge of the quantity and weight behind the dam is terrifying, but it’s safe to be submerged inside it. Much like Luoluo and Helios, Xu Mo also has a dangerous duality in Ares and so I also like to play with this imagery.

So, on this point, I like to preserve an underlying sense of darkness (all-consuming possessiveness, etc.) and envision that he also wishes to stain his love in his colors, like a drop of ink on white paper and how it seeps into every fiber of the paper until the whole thing is saturated with him.

Incidentally, I’m reminded that—whenever possible and natural—I want to exclusively use water imagery with Xu Mo. The game supports this too! He is described with extensive water imagery and so I try to use water metaphors, analogies, and similes.

I try to make sure every sense is present, but I feel like the game emphasizes (especially with the red thread of fate imagery) that Xu Mo and his love are connected at a soul-deep level and so I always keep in mind a mental, emotional, and spiritual aspect.

Lastly, his canon animal is the fox (we ignore the black goat LOL) so contrasting his elegant, scholarly, and gentleman’s air with a black belly, teasing, and mischievous air is also important! Sexual but with, you know, class.

Keywords: Butterflies. Monochrome. Artist. Red Thread. Autumn. Melancholy. Water. Soft. Gentle. Light. Faint. Dreams. Spiritual. Fox.

LING XIAO

I’m getting more comfortable with him, but he’s still shrouded in so much mystery. If every one of the other men treat their loves with gentleness though Ling Xiao is definitely one who isn’t afraid of roughhousing. He’ll act first and then ask for forgiveness afterward, if needed.

But I like to keep in mind that, for all his roughness, he’s still a good kid at heart and when he saw MC’s skirt rising up when he tried to pull her over the fence he immediately stopped. So, a bit of a bully but without any humiliation.

Intelligent, strong, and dangerous but hiding all of that beneath a devil-may-care attitude and someone who does things on a whim. I don’t know what to do much with his canon animal being the shark except to attach it vaguely to this point and think that, as an apex predator of the sea, it does things at its own pace (somehow, it gives me the image that he likes to bite... but, uh, that’s probably just me LOL).

Keywords: Mercurial. Lightning. Sarcasm. Physical.

#love and producer #mlqc #mr love queen's choice #mlqc gavin #mlqc victor #mlqc lucien #mlqc kiro #mlqc bai qi #mlqc li zeyan #mlqc xu mo #mlqc zhou qiluo #love and produc(ing) meta

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mxxnspells · 3 years

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Pick a Card - Spring 2021

Hello! I hope you’re doing well. Today, I bring you a new pick a card, this one focused on Spring! There are three rows, each one referring to something different:

Life: Where I get the general energy for this season and how it connects to your past, present and future. Any message that doesn’t fit in the next two categories will appear here. Love: Where I read your love energy for the season. Remember that love can come and be in many forms. Money (finances): Everything related with money, your job, career will have its message here. It is also related with practicality and tangibility. If money can buy it or acquire it, then its message fits this category.

I will use Tarot to get the messages, my intuition and the language of flowers (in the life reading) as well since it fits with the spring theme!

How to make your pick: Firstly, take a deep breath. Close your eyes and become aware of your body and ground yourself in the question “What can I expect from this year’s Spring?”. When you are ready, open your eyes and look at the different images. Select the one in each row that sparks a memory in you.

Disclaimer: As always, these readings are for fun. Take what resonates, leave the rest. I am not qualified to give any legal, medical advice. Any major decisions should be consulted by a professional. This reading should not replace any of that.

Feel free to let me know if this resonates with you or not! I’d love to hear your thoughts about this so that I can improve and give you more quality pick a cards in the future! Any suggestions you may have, feel free to leave them in my inbox!

🦋Life #1

Tarot: VII (Seven) of Pentacles (Reversed), The Empress (Reversed), VI (Six) of Pentacles

I feel like you have been holding on to something and you don’t want to let go. I sense this can be someone, rather than something, and for some reason, it has to do with the idea you have of this person, not necessarily them. This has caused you to be extremely confused about where to go and what to do. I feel like you don’t feel capable of letting go of this and in a way, you feel trapped. However, with the VI (Six of Pentacles), help is on the way. I feel like this help will come in form of a conversation. I am getting the strong message that you need to open up. That’s what you need to let go of. These thoughts, ideas, whatever it is... you need to open up to someone about them.

Flowers: White Rose (Worthiness), Sweet William (Gallantry), Rosemary (Remembrance)

This is an advice from the universe to you. Somewhere along the way, you lost yourself. You don’t recognise who you are anymore and that is taking a toll on you. However, you must stay brave and remember you are capable of taking the next step. Remember that by finding yourself, by remembering who you were, you are acknowledging that change can be made. So allow yourself to grow this Spring.

🦋Life #2

Tarot: III (Three) of Swords, Queen of Cups, The Devil

This past year hasn’t been easy on you, has it? I feel like you keep blaming yourself for things that you had no control over, you couldn’t have possibly change that. People come and people go. And someone you loved dearly has left you. It wasn’t your fault, though. I don’t know if this is someone who has passed on or someone who broke your heart. Take what resonates. This Spring, you’ll be walking towards a more compassionate version of yourself. You will accept things, recognise that what is done is done and that the past cannot be changed. This is a different message but this Spring you might be asked to make a choice? Between ending something which you know will break your heart and something that on the surface seems like everything you ever wanted but deep down there’s not a lot of substance. You are the Queen of Cups in this situation. Between a promised white lie and a heartbreaking truth. Remember that whatever ends up happening, you have everything you need to deal with it. Just allow yourself to feel for once.

Flowers: Lilac (First Emotions of Love), Honeysuckle (Generous and Devoted attention), White Rose (Worthiness)

This can be two things. Either you are slowly coming to terms with who you are, learning to love yourself or someone else or this is someone else finally giving into their feelings for you. Just remember your value and self-worth. Remember that above anything else, you are the most important and precious thing in your life. You are worthy of love. And it all begins with your own.

🦋Life #3

Tarot: V (Five) of Pentacles (Reversed), The Sun, Queen of Pentacles

Look, I’m just going to say it, good for you! I don’t know exactly why but good for you! I feel like you have been in this semi-hermit stage recovering or planning something and this Spring, you are going to finally show the world your creation. I don’t know what it is but good for you. I am ecstatic, you feel euphoric or extremely happy, don’t you? I want to laugh, giggle, jump up and down in excitement. You are happy and you should be! Whatever it is that is happening at this time, seems to be providing you with stability for the long run. I have a feeling that because we’ve got the Queen of Pentacles, this will take some time to be noticed. I feel like by the end of Spring the fruits of your labour will start to show up. Just allow yourself to fully feel comfortable and then step out of the shadows and into the sun. It will shine on you.

Flowers: Petunia (Soothing Presence), Red Rose (Fidelity and Love), Lilac (First Emotions of Love)

This is a similar message from my teacup reading so maybe you also read that and now you’re here again. This to me, screams commitment. Commitment to someone, commitment to yourself, commitment to something. Whatever you are committing to, it brings you peace. It’s like that feeling “I am where I’m supposed to be,”. It is also something or someone you love with all your heart and you are ready to have it/them in your life for the long run.

🐝 Love #1

Tarot: III (Three) of Pentacles (Reversed), VIII (Eight) of Pentacles, V (Five) of Swords (Reversed)

If you picked this pile, then you are either in a relationship or you have been trying to fix a connection. I sense this is a love connection and I guess there has been a lot of fights, lack of communication, something related to one of you not understanding the other. I get that one of the people involved wants to either go back to studying or do something different but the other party is like “What for? You won’t need it,” which is leaving a big portion of you upset and devastated. You feel like there needs to be better communication and you want to put in the work to fix this. However, you are not sure how the other party feels. Do it. They are also ready to work on this. You need to honest and practical too. Maybe one of you is too idealistic and the other too practical/realistic. Just meet in the middle. And like the card in the middle of your spread, you have both to put in the work.

🐝 Love #2

Tarot: II (Two) of Swords, Knight of Swords, The Magician

This Spring, you will most likely meet someone. I feel like there will be a lot of chemistry between you two and it will come out of nowhere. However, I feel like you are blocking yourself to this connection. It’s not that you don’t want love, it’s just that you don’t know where to find it. But this person will come in quickly and swoop you away. You are not sure whether or not you should give into this connection. “Are they the one?”, “Am I ready for this relationship?”. I feel like these are questions that have crossed your mind at some point in time and you are letting them blind you. The thing is darling, you are the magician. You have everything you need for this connection to work. You may not have all the answers just yet but allow yourself to give in this time. It will feel magical.

🐝 Love #3

Tarot: Queen of Pentacles (Reversed), X (Ten) of Swords, Queen of Cups

I assume your work has been taking a big toll on you. I feel like you work long hours or spend a lot of time away from the one you love which is causing you and them pain. I also sense that the X (Ten) of Swords here represent your thoughts but also how you are seeing this. I assume you have made up your mind: they will leave me. I will be alone. Or you feel alone. Either way, the Queen of Cups is your partner in this situation. They understand you and they care about you. They are giving you space, that’s what I’m sensing. They know you are busy but they also know how much you value your relationship with them. And they know that right now, you need to prioritise your work. Just tell them you are thankful to have them by your side. They will appreciate it.

🌷Money #1

Tarot: VI (Six) of Swords (Reversed), The Fool (Reversed), V (Five) of Swords

There’s a lot of things you need to deal with but since this has to do with finances, be careful where you put your money in. I feel like you see this opportunity and think “this is great!” and probably invest with not enough knowledge which is not good. I feel like you are trying to get into the stock market or investments and you think you are ready but you aren’t yet. You want financial freedom so you are trying to find ways to make it happen at all costs. Just because something looks appealing, doesn’t mean it is. Remember the long run.

🌷Money #2

Tarot: King of Wands, The Emperor (Reversed), X (Ten) of Cups (Reversed)

In this scenario, you are the King of Wands. You are passionate, imaginative, you love what you do. Not only that, you are also a great leader. And I feel like you have been looking for a promotion at your job or a job offer for that matter. For some reason, I also sense that even though you are represented by the King of Wands, you are not in that energy yet. That is where you want to be. The leader, the one calling the shots, the one guiding and inspiring. But there’s someone on your way, The Emperor. This is someone who is above you. Someone with more power that doesn’t want to share it with you. The thing is, they know the value you bring but they don’t want others to see it. You are also not easily manipulated which they don’t like. I sense this promotion or whatever you desire will go to someone else. It will be shocking, devastating, heartbreaking. But remember, as I said, you are walking towards that King of Wands energy. You are not there just yet. But soon enough, you’ll get your chance to shine. Just don’t let this get in the way of the big picture.

🌷Money #3

Tarot: The Hanged Man, Death, V (Five) of Swords

Do not be scared by the Death card. I feel like this is something you have seen coming. I sense you want to quit your job? Or have a change of scenery, at least. I sense you have been weighing the pros and the cons and for sure you have come to the realisation that quitting will come with certain sacrifices: financial freedom you currently have. However, this step will lead to a new path and you know you need to do this, even if those around you don’t understand it. I feel like your colleagues will be resentful of you. Either because you left them without a notice or because you are jumping ship (which I don’t think it’s the case, this is how they see it). They don’t see you as a quitter, though. Quite the opposite. And that’s why they are resentful, because you were able to take that step whereas they are too afraid to do so. It costs you your financial freedom but I don’t sense you overspend. Maybe you even have some savings which have allowed you to come to this decision. Whatever it is, it has been a long time coming. And you need to leave the old to receive the new.

#pick a card #free readings #free tarot readings #tarot #tarot community #pickacard #pickacardreading #pick a card reading #tarot reading #spiritual #pick a card tarot #pick a card tarot reading #divination #free divination #mxxnspells #pac

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theres-a-goldensky · 4 years

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BL Show Review Series - 2Moons + 2Moons2

The next shows I am going to review come with some confusing context that made me nearly skip it altogether. That would have been a shame, because they quickly became some of my favorites. The shows are 2Moons and its sequel-reboot-thing 2Moons2.

Disclaimer that these are my own opinions, and I don’t know where the BL community as a whole stands on these shows. If I disliked a show you loved or visa versa, no disrespect is intended!

MASTERLIST OF BL SHOW REVIEWS

2Moons Rating: 7.5/10

2Moons2 Rating: 8.5/10

So when I first heard about this series, it was with the caveat that the sequel was better than the original. I also heard that there was a whole different cast, so I was under the mistaken assumption that it was an anthology series similar to the HIStory franchise. When I tried to watch 2Moons2, while I enjoyed the characters and the plot, I was turned off by the pacing. The whole thing felt way too rushed, and I gave up midway through episode three.

Then I tried 2Moons, and you can imagine my confusion when it was a different cast, but the exact same characters and story line. I finally did some research into it and discovered that 2Moons was meant to continue with the original cast, but due to contract disputes or blah blah something who cares, the entire show was re-cast for series two. Then to ease fans of the original into it, the first four episodes tell a condensed version of series one.

So while it’s true that you could just watch 2Moons2 and get the whole story, I believe it’s definitely worth it to watch series one first. The story line, which I felt was so rushed in series two, gets room to breathe in series one. If you enjoy slow burn with lots of pining and sexual tension, you’ll have fun with series one.

The cast in series one is excellent as well. Very different from their replacements, but I found it interesting to see the way that the two sets of actors told the same story.

2Moons

The biggest problem with series one is that, well, there’s no problem. In fact, there’s really no plot at all. It’s a story about Yo, who has a crush on Pha and follows him to university. Then, against the backdrop of the Stars and Moon competition, they get together over 12 episodes. That’s it. Literally nothing else happens.

You might think that the competition itself would create some drama, or at least some plot, but no. Yo rehearses and plans his musical performance, but he never seems particularly bothered about winning, which means that you as a viewer aren’t bothered either. In fact, they telegraph early on who is going to win, and then that person...does. And no one really cares. There’s no conflict at all. The setting is an excuse for the characters to interact and go to the beach.

There aren’t any villains or antagonists either. Yo and Pha each have a rival love interest, but neither of them provoke much more than brief jealousy on an otherwise very smooth road to Yo and Pha getting together.

But this simple love story is still very fun. It’s like cotton candy: sweet and pleasant and so easy to swallow that you don’t even need to chew.

(left: Wayo, right: Phana)

Bas, the actor who plays Wayo, has the sweetest face, something that they comment on several times in the story. Much of the heavy lifting in getting you to care about the main relationship is done by him.

Yo is supposed to have changed so much over his final year of high school that he’s nearly unrecognizable to people who knew him. Then, in both series, they show flashbacks, and it’s just the same cute kid, but with glasses. As I watched, I couldn’t help brainstorming ways they could have made him look different. Braces maybe? A different hair style? Some fake pimples? Whatever, roll with it for the sake of an entertaining story.

The character of Pha is a bit of an empty vessel in series one. He’s needlessly rude for reasons that aren’t at all explained. He is dim enough not to know Yo when he sees him, even though HIS NAME IS YO and he has the same best friend that he did in high school. But shh shh we are rolling with it. It’s fine. He is very handsome and has a great smirk, but his acting isn’t great.

(left: Ming, right: Kit)

Copter and Kimmon made me love the relationship between Ming and Kit. Their spin on it was adorable, and the extra time afforded in series one meant that their dynamic has room to grow. We see more little scenes between them, in addition to the big ones that are included in the series two retelling.

(left: Beam, right: Forth)

Forth and Beam get very little to do in series one. You can see that they were saving that for series two, so we’ll never know about the actors’ chemistry with one another. The actor who plays Forth did a fine job, but he seems a bit miscast. Forth is supposed to be a bad boy character, but they made him look like just a handsome, friendly, helpful guy. But again, he didn’t get a real chance to shine, so there’s no way to tell if he could have pulled off his bigger scenes in series two.

2Moons2

As I previously mentioned, series two suffers in its early episodes due to its breakneck pacing as it speeds through the retelling of series one. However, if you pair this with series one, then your mind can fill in the blanks that those four episodes leave out and let you enjoy watching the new actors tell the story.

But after that, when the series takes on new material, is when it really comes into its own. With Yo and Pha’s story almost complete, the focus shifts to Ming/Kit and Forth/Beam for the last half of the episodes. That’s how this series moves into the top tier for me. All three relationships get equal weight in the plot, and all of them are equally as compelling.

(left: Beam, right: Forth)

Forth and Beam’s plot doesn’t start until episode seven, but when it does, it comes in like a freight train. Despite minimal interaction before that, after episode seven, I was all in on that ship. Phoom, who plays Forth in this iteration, definitely better suits the part. They give him a neck tattoo and the actor looks more like the bad boy that Forth is meant to be.

Dome has the most freedom among any of the cast. Beam had so little to do in series one that he gets a clean slate to make the character his own. His Beam is the most difficult character on the show. He’s stubborn and weirdly prescriptivist in his opinions on relationships. For instance, one of his arguments about why he and Forth can’t be together is that they are the same size? Like, bro, what even?

(left: Ming, right: Kit)

Ming and Kit remain my favorite couple in series two. There is a moment when Ming puts a finger on Kit’s lips that made my heart actually stutter inside of my chest. It doesn’t hurt that Joong, the actor who plays Ming, is a 100% certified dreamboat. His Ming is very classically handsome and effortlessly charming. He follows Kit around like a puppy looking for a pat on the head. Kit never really stands a chance.

And speaking of Kit, Nine’s portrayal of him is as this fierce spitfire who is secretly soft on the inside and afraid to trust Ming’s feelings for him. And he has fantastic hair. Plus, Kit wearing glasses is an absolute mood, and it is a travesty that the show didn’t give us more of it.

(left: Wayo, right: Phana)

Lastly are the main characters of Wayo and Pha. Ben, who plays Pha, is so much better in the role. It might be because he’s given more to do, but his Pha has personality and charisma. It’s easy to see how he would be chosen as the Campus Moon. (Though I can’t imagine what he or Forth did for the talent portion of the competition. Is competitive brooding a thing?)

Earth, the new Wayo, plays up Yo’s naivete and nervousness in a way that made sense considering what his character goes through by the end. It would have been nice to see him stand up for himself a bit though. Instead, he needs Ming, Pha, and the Angel Gang to fight his battles for him. Also, his ability to rock a pink outfit is truly unparalleled.

And the ending? I mean, if the choice is between what happened to Yo or a character being raped (looking at you, Love By Chance), then I’ll pick this option every time. Doesn’t stop it from being a bit silly and over dramatic though.

I would highly recommend both series, and I am very much looking forward to 2Moons3.

And if you’re interested in fanfic, I put together rec lists for multiple BL shows including this one that can be found here and here.

MASTERLIST OF BL SHOW REVIEWS

(Send me an ask if you have a show you’d like me to review - with the understanding that I will be completely honest - or if there’s anything you think I forgot or got wrong in this review.)

#2moons #2moons2 #bl review series #mingkit #forthbeam #phayo #j9 #bl recs

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thezodiaczone · 4 years

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Aries Compatibility

ARIES + ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19) You're two high-strung, passionate Fire signs who both like to be the Alpha dominant. As such, you'll need to toss the hot potato back and forth, submitting to the other's rule—at times through gritted teeth. Acquiescence may not come naturally, but it builds a necessary trust. Aries is a paradox: you're the zodiac's infant (its first sign) and its gallant hero (you're ruled by warrior Mars). You want to save the world and be saved at the same time. You'll need to occasionally allow yourself to play wounded knight or damsel in distress, and let your mate charge to your rescue. However, don't spiral into neurotic helplessness or analysis paralysis. Nobody can beat a topic to death quite like you can—but that's what therapists are for, Aries. Neither one of you can be saddled with the emotional care and feeding of an adult baby. You're too independent for that. When your problems gain too much mental gravitas, it's time to move—literally. Disperse your Martian angst and anger with lots of physical exertion. As fellow adventurers, you travel well together. Try snowboarding, exotic bike tours, Costa Rican rainforest expeditions. Passionate sex is another antidote to prickly feelings for your high-touch sign. Like Aries Hugh Hefner, you have a champion libido (and an awesome sense of entitlement). Some Aries couples may mutually agree to flex the terms of your monogamy, although the jealousy it stirs might not be worth the trouble.

ARIES + TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20) The stubborn Bull locks horns with the willful Ram, nostrils flaring, heads bowed in determination. So begins a fierce but fiery courtship, as splashy and menacing as a Pamplona stampede. Aggression, however uncivilized, is part our Darwinian natures. It certainly is for your signs—who possess an arsenal of steamrolling tactics, from doe-eyed charm to old-fashioned philistine strong-arming. No weak-willed mate will survive your natural selection process. Nor should he. Neither one of you feels safe in the arms of a mate who can't protect you. Thus, your initial faceoff is simply a warning shot: Show me your strength so I can trust you. Once the fanfare is over, you make a great team—like British pop royalty Victoria (Aries) and David (Taurus) Beckham.

As tight as two mafiosos, you like to dress up and flaunt your natural superiority over the rest of the animal kingdom. The deal is sweet for both of you. Taurus gets an attractive show pony and a lusty mate to satisfy his Earthy libido. Aries has a lifelong provider and benefactor to supply creative freedom and endless playtime. Issues can arise if Taurus grows too possessive or tries to tame independent Aries. Indulgent Taurus will need to remain active to keep pace with the energetic Ram (read: lay off the nightly steak frites and vino). You both crave attention, but don't go looking for it outside the relationship, unless you want a real showdown. Like two tots in a nursery, you share a favorite word: Mine!

ARIES + GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20) ♥♥♥♥ You're the best of friends, so why not throw in some benefits? You certainly can…but not so fast. Your common traits are exactly what can snuff the spark before it combusts. Namely: impetuous, reckless, unstoppable drive for instant gratification. You want what you want, and you want it NOW. Sure, the adrenaline you evoke from trading edgy banter, bungee jumping, or playing footsie under the conference table might convince you that you're soulmates. However, this attitude will lead to an inchoate relationship, with the two of you skydiving into City Hall before you even know each other's middle names. It doesn't all come out in the wash, so check that laissez-faire attitude when you're ring shopping on the second date. That said, you do have the makings of a great match that's rooted in true friendship, intellectual chemistry and fun. The key is to pace yourselves and to continuously bring new adventures to the table. Boredom is the enemy; it leads to cat-and-mouse games and mental chess matches with each other. Remain active: get involved in a political campaign, build houses for the poor, take an eco-tour or scuba lessons. Host and attend lots of parties with your mutual friends, and busy yourselves with projects that satisfy your short attention spans. Above all, don't turn to each other for advice, unless you like impatient, tough-love coaching and draining circular conversations. Not exactly the soothsaying your sweetie needs in a rare vulnerable moment.

ARIES + CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22) Aries is the zodiac's baby (its first sign); Cancer is its matriarch, ruling the fourth house of motherhood, home and family. Is this relationship doomed to be an Oedipal cliche? Not if you temper these traits through steady, conscious self-development. Otherwise, you easily lapse into automatic roles that polarize you into a parent-child (or master-and-servant) dynamic. Aries can be selfish—not maliciously, but in a crude, clueless style that leaves Cancer resentful and dismayed at the Ram's lack of nuance. Cancer knows how to play the nurturing giver, but this delicate sign needs room to be vulnerable, too. Aries loves to be coddled, but Cancer's maternal indulgences will create a spoiled brat or a demanding diva. Besides, while the Crab may have a tough outer shell, the true warrior is Aries, ruled by aggressive Mars. Your differences are many: Aries is a diehard independent and Cancer is a family guy; Aries needs freedom, the Crab's possessive grip clings tight. You'll need to compromise, or else the relationship can turn into a competitive, jealous hotbed. You can both brood with the best of them, and your dark days eclipse even the tiniest sliver of hope. Talk about depressing. Swear off the silent treatment and learn to communicate as two adult equals.

ARIES + LEO (JULY 23 - AUGUST 22) Aries and Leo are Fire signs who love drama, passion and extreme adventure. You're a flashy, outspoken duo that plays by your own bold agenda. Restless souls, you need lots of physical and intellectual stimulation—politics, inspiring conversations, startup businesses—you'll juggle them all, making it look so easy. Of course, your emotional meltdowns require a team of therapists and devoted friends to fix, and you should keep those folks on speed dial. Adrenaline is your favorite drug; no surprise Aries Jennifer Garner and Leo Ben Affleck fell in love while co-starring in the action flick Daredevil. Like this Hollywood pair, who refuses to walk the red carpet together on principle, you respect each other's autonomy. Fire signs are by nature independent. You both need to make your own mark on the world, and you don't like anyone stealing your shine. In fact, trouble starts when one of you eclipses the other's big moment or makes the other look foolish in public. Rule number one: don't compete. With your rash tempers, it won't end well. Instead, be each other's biggest fans and champions. As the relationship progresses, put more effort into dressing up, especially if you become parents. Because you're so comfortable together, you could end up bumming around in burp cloths and track suits, dulling the sexy edge that attracted you in the first place.

ARIES + VIRGO (AUGUST 23 - SEPTEMBER 22) The razor's edge between love and hate lives in this common but contradictory coupling. Your attraction feels so fated, it's impossible to resist. Fire-sign Aries loves freedom and risk, but helplessly falls for prudent, parental Virgo, an Earth sign landlocked by practicality and protocol. The tips of Virgo's gossamer wings are singed by Aries' flame—yet, into the fire the Virgin flutters. Both signs have a hero complex, and this relationship centers around fixing each other, or exposing the other to new ways of life. For the first six to twelve months, it's exhilarating. Arduous Aries hand-delivers Virgo's sexual awakening with passion that's tender and all-consuming. Cautious Virgo teaches the impetuous Ram how to slow down, prepare and look both ways before crossing. New facets of your personalities unearth themselves—how lovely! Once the hormone flood is no longer at high tide, however, there are glaring differences to negotiate. Virgo's well-intentioned criticisms feel like a character assault to Aries ("who cares how I fold my T-shirts? I'm still a good person!"). Aries' myopic selfishness makes Virgo feel resentful and unappreciated—especially after hours of listening to the Ram's diatribes with the patience of a paid analyst. At this point, you realize that you've spent way too much time together, and you've lost touch with the outside world. Roll out of bed and reconnect with your individual friends, hobbies and interests. Trust that the other one will be there when you return.

ARIES + LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 22) ♥♥♥♥ You're opposite signs who can match up well, but you sometimes baffle one another, too. Aries rules the self and Libra rules relationships. Libra is a lover; Aries is a fighter. Your polar extremes can be a great complement if you borrow what the other does best. Rash, temperamental Aries could stand to give others the benefit of the doubt, to look before leaping—something the wise Judge does well. Languid, overly accommodating Libra can learn to speak up, say no, and take action instead of pondering the possible consequences for a year. Although your differences can be irritating, they also make you a well-rounded couple if you play them right. When Aries needs to rant, patient Libra offers uninterrupted listening, capped with sage, sensible feedback. In return, Aries helps Libra overcome a mortal fear of conflict, teaching this sign how to stand up for his rights. As parents, or even business partners, you play the good cop/bad cop routine like seasoned pros. Just be willing to adjust your internal thermostats as needed. Hotheaded Aries will need to dial down the anger, lest all that concentrated emotion throw Libra's scales off balance. Erudite Libra will need to descend from that lofty, cultured perch and take a bold risk. (No, Aries does NOT consider ten years a reasonable time to wait for an engagement ring—and never will.) Compromise is essential for you to find a rhythm.

ARIES + SCORPIO (OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 21) Aries' ruler, passionate Mars, also wields minor command over Scorpio (whose main overlord is Pluto). Fierce physical attraction draws your signs together, but it's a game of sexual gunpowder and erotic explosives. Not that either of you is afraid of such things. No sign is as darkly intense as watery Scorpio. When mixed with Aries' concentrated fire-power, you stir up quite the hydroelectric charge. However, this match can only last if Scorpio has evolved from a ground-dwelling, vengeful scorpion into an elevated "eagle" state. Here's the fundamental challenge: Aries takes; withholding Scorpio takes away. When Aries reaches out his grasping hand, Scorpio's first instinct is to jump back, which wounds the sensitive Ram. Aries energy is consuming, which leaves Scorpio weak-kneed but scared. Aries will need to temper the raw desire, or at least mask it to avoid overwhelming Scorpio. Jealous Scorpio will need to stop Google-stalking Aries and hiring private detectives whenever the independent Ram goes out for a beer with friends. One way in which you're alike? You're both hyper-sensitized to abandonment, and may even shun each other in a self-protection paradox: "Go away before you leave me." (This tactic only guarantees another hot reunion tryst.) Selfishness can also be this couple's downfall. Scorpio is the sign that rules other people's resources—his karmic job is to create wealth from another man's pocket. Aries is simply born entitled. In a sense, you both live by the credo "What's mine is mine; what's yours is mine." Who will refill the coffers once you empty them?

ARIES + SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 21) ♥♥♥♥ Chemistry and simpatico build fast between these two Fire signs, and you find a twin soul in each other. You're both independent explorers, driven by lust, joie de vive and a breathtaking moxie that others mistake for arrogance. That brio and derring-do is the badge of your spiritual kinship—a primal mating call that draws you together. You share a blunt sense of humor, and naturally understand the other's need for space and autonomy (at least at first). Thrilling conversations traipse expansive terrain: philosophy, art, human nature, science, spirituality, dreams. Together, the impossible feels probable, and your natural confidence soars higher. Caution: the view from your rosy lenses can be a bit myopic. Sagittarius is a gambler and Aries is a charging knight—neither thinks far ahead. You'll need crash insurance for the times that your grand schemes don't reach your projections. At moments, you both lapse into overthinking, which can kill the celebratory vibe. Aries also has a greater need to for coddling and personal attention. At times, the Ram may resent competing with Sagittarius' busy career, social schedule and hobbies—and Sagittarius gets impatient with Aries' needy spells. When angered, your burning tempers can raze a national forest to ash. Be careful not to unleash a spiteful spark, for that's all it takes to destroy this treasured landscape.

ARIES + CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 19) Aries is the Alpha in most relationships, but here the Ram meets his match. In the Goat, Aries finds a more seasoned pack leader, and backs into a rare state of obedience. This weighty respect comes from Capricorn's ruler, wise old Saturn, the planet of maturity, authority and command. Capricorn is the zodiac's father sign; Aries is its firstborn child. It's the difference between a king and a knight, a queen and a duchess. Both are noble, but one is clearly the elder. This can be a dealbreaker for Aries in some cases, as too much paternalism makes this independent sign run for freedom. However, it usually works. Although Aries can be a hellish brat, Capricorn is unruffled and even amused by the tantrums, giving Aries space to act out. If you accept your cosmic roles, you can make excellent partners in both love and business. Aries is ruled by warrior Mars, and Capricorn is a four-star general by nature. You both see life as a battlefield to conquer, and with Aries' grit and Cap's determination, there's no goal you can't achieve. Earthy Capricorn excels at structure and planning, and is the terra firm beneath the Ram's restless hooves. Fiery Aries is a daring playmate who amuses, excites and entertains the sober Goat, especially in the bedroom (where Capricorn has a lesser-known lusty side). Aries is a flirt, and this can spark jealousy in traditional Capricorn. Over time, trust and mutual respect abolish the Goat's fears, and you make supportive lifelong partners.

ARIES + AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20 - FEBRUARY 18) ♥♥♥♥ You're laugh-a-minute friends who make a fine comedic duo, but the romance isn't as hearty as your side-splitting guffaws. You're amazed by how quickly the other delivers a hilarious comeback or a clever opinion, and it turns you on. Banter leads you to the bedroom fast, where the sex is playful and experimental (though not heavy on the emotional connection). It's as though you've met your twin; and alas, you may soon feel more like siblings than lovers. After a couple weeks, the Bickersons sideshow routine gets old, especially for Aries, and you run out of things to talk about. While casual Aquarius likes to keep the conversation light, Aries has intense, brooding spells that demand way too much emotional attention. For Aquarius, problems are solved with steely logic or left alone, but Aries is unable to curb obsessive thinking, which drives Aquarius mad. Your styles of affection are different, too. Cool Aquarius gets overwhelmed by the Ram's passion and physicality—there's way too much touching, grabbing and kissing for the airy Aquarian temperament. If you're determined to be together, push yourselves to go beyond platonic borders by traveling, taking classes, even performing on stage together. Closeness breeds more ennui than affection. Cultivate mystery through time apart. Your independent signs need to develop your own lives, then reunite with thrilling tales from the road.

ARIES + PISCES (FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20) Aries is the zodiac's first sign, Pisces its last. You're the Alpha and the Omega, the dawn and the sunset. You're as far apart and as close together as two signs can get. Although your differences are vast, you also have a broad expanse of material from which to fashion your relationship. Your polar positions can actually make you a great match. Aries loves to be adored and spoiled, and generous Pisces will give everything in the name of love. In Pisces' worshipful gaze, Aries feels brilliant and boundless, and his insecurities melt away. This is important for the sensitive Ram, whose "wounded soldier" archetype is healed by the Pisces nurse. In this relationship, Aries is free to follow his natural hunting instincts; Pisces prepares a banquet from his conquests. The danger: You both have vivid imaginations, but with two dreamers at the helm of this romance, the ship can veer off course. Aries is a take-charge leader, but needs a strong second mate. Bravado and confidence don't come easy to insecure Pisces, who falls into feigned helplessness under duress. Moody spells are common for your signs, and digging yourselves out of emotional ditches can be a challenge. You'll need a council of advisors to help you manage aspects of daily life—accountants, lawyers, coaches, therapists. Aries can be naturally aggressive, where Pisces is passive or passive-aggressive. You'll need to adapt your communication styles in order to be heard.

#aries #compatibility #astrology #zodiac #love #relationships #aries compatibility

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arabian-bloodstream · 4 years

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Why I love ‘Attack of the Clones’

I think that Attack of the Clones is the underrated gem of the Star Wars universe. Yeah, I said it. And here is my review of the film and why I think so!

The beginning of the film sets up the rest of the film so well. It's beautifully done. We begin with Amidala's attack, which is a neat reference to how Padme had her bodyguard/double all throughout The Phantom Menace. From that we get the concise, digestible explanation of the Separatist vs. the Republic, and why the Jedi Knights are needed and why Amidala specifically needs Jedi protection as well. It wasn't ham-handed, it wasn't confusing, it flowed so naturally. By the way, it also proved how wrong the Machete Cut is (which cuts out TPM). You *need* TPM for the moments between Amidala/Palpatine to work, and boy, do they work.

Speaking of Amidala needing Jedi protection, what that scene also gave us what further insight into Anakin and Obi-Wan's relationship. Further insight because our first introduction to the two with Anakin as a young man was fantastic. Say what you will about Hayden Christensen's acting–and, no, I don't blame him, I've seen him in other things, he's been good–but he and Ewan MacGregor are fantastic together. Great chemistry, wonderful ying and yang. Their quick ride in the elevator showed a bit of sibling, but also a touch of a father/son vibe, with a dose of mentorship. Overall their friendship shone through. Ah, until that scene with Amidala when the mentorship came into strong play and whoo, boy! that little "discussion" about what a Jedi mandate is and is not right in front of Amidala and her entourage was the very definition of AWKWARD! It set up the differences right off the bat between Anakin and Obi-Wan and really Anakin and the Jedi.

OK, fine, the scene could have been better (as so many in this film--but the same could be said for Revenge of the Sith) had Hayden Christensen done a better acting job. However, as I wrote above, it's really not that Christensen is a bad actor, it's that he's an actor who truly needs direction. For example, Samuel L. Jackson is not a bad actor. At all. And, yet, he's kinda dreadful in these films. Frankly, I never thought I'd think that SLJ is a bad actor. However, He is in this Prequel Trilogy and that's because George Lucas is not a strong director for actors. So Christensen's acting woes can be laid at the feet of Lucas. MacGregor, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid are simply the types of actors who can deliver a performance without the aid of director to guide them. Some can do so better than others. Christensen isn't one of them. So essentially I just accepted that I could harp on the less than stellar acting coming from the co-lead thanks (or no thanks) to the direction or enjoy the overall storytelling, the brilliant weaving together of the threads and how well the characters, the plots and the action pieces worked.

Yes, the actions pieces... like the chase sequence with Obi-Wan, Anakin and Amidala's would-be assassin. That was awesome. Thrilling, sharply-directed and I just loved the humor. The banter was just top-notch between Anakin and Obi-Wan. When Obi-Wan asked what took Anakin so long, had he stopped with just saying he was looking for a speeder he liked it would have been eh, a one-liner without any punch but he kept it up while Obi-Wan was giving directions, with bits about what he liked in a speeder which gave just enough resonance that it had the feel of a long-running joke. This gave it a touch of realism, familiarity to their relationship. It was great, and, again, Christensen and MacGregor are just so good together. Lucas wrote these two so, so well.

And he knew how to twist the knife! Obi-Wan to Anakin: "Why do I think you're going to be the death of me?" {SOBS}

OK, so I wrote above about how if one can put aside Christensen's acting issues it is very possible to see the good of this film. A shining example of this is the juxtaposition of Kamino and the Lake Country on Naboo. Firstly, let's just talk about the awesome of Kamino itself. I simply cannot get over how GORGEOUS everything about Kamino is. The aliens, the design of the infrastructure, the costuming, it's just all top-notch gorgeous. I love every single, solitary moment of the Kamino stuff. The creation and history of the clones, Boba Fett's backstory, him being a clone of Jango–the one who wasn't changed or accelerated, how it so naturally fit into the introduction of the Clone Wars. So brilliant. And also how Jango and the clones were tied into that exhilarating open sequence/attack on Amidala. Aah, just so good.

Now, let's tie that brilliance in with Lake Country... because it *does* tie into Kamino and that is a big reason why I just can't hate on the love story as presented in Attack of the Clones. Because of *how* it's presented. By giving us Anakin and Padme falling in love in the Lake Country at the same time we (through Obi-Wan) learned about Kamino and the clones we saw love and war side by side. It made perfect sense juxtaposing the Lake Country and Kamino. You have the two young lovers falling on the one side, and the Clone army, set up for war, on the other. We know that Anakin falling in love with Padme is going to eventually lead him to take the Dark Path, and the Clone Army is going to turn on the Jedi somehow. Having the introduction of the clones and the introduction of the love story juxtaposed is brilliant because here you have the two key forces that BRING THE JEDI DOWN: Order 66 and Anakin Skywalker falling in love. It's so perfect.

Yes, yes, again, the love story section probably features Christensen's worst acting, but again, I blame Lucas. As for the actual scenes themselves (outside of his acting), well, I like them. I'm fine with the over-the-top dialogue. I don't think there was anything wrong with it. Was it extra? Yes. Is he a Skywalker? Yes. Are Skywalkers extra? Is the sky blue? It's who he is, he's gonna go overboard with his exclamations. It's completely in character for the Skywalkers and for Anakin Skywalker. Totally. Also, in addition to his over-the-top exclamations of love, these scenes also showed us that before he went fully Dark Side, yes, Anakin already did believe in the idea of someone like the Emperor. That idea was something he was for.

Oh, and biggie here, I absolutely think that the "I don't like sand" was a fantastic line. It was about Tatooine and all that it represented, and like he said the opposite of what Padme was. It just meant so much and was (a) a callback to his childhood as a slave, being owned by someone, and the freedom that his mother never got, and (b) foreshadowing for what was to come with Shmi's death because "sand" was representative of Tatooine. *sigh* Yeah, Shmi. Man, oh, man. Shmi's death scene just guts me every time. Seriously, it makes me cry. Now, this... this is easily Christensen's best acting in the entire trilogy. The love and connection is just immediately there between them and when she's gone his devastation is so real and that switch from pain to anger is just ON! Ugh, and when he starts killing and then it swipes to Yoda and we hear Qui-Gon crying out "Anakin! Anakin!" it just breaks my heart. This is one of the best scenes in the entire Saga.

And then were back to the action. The "machines making machines" set piece and the arena sequence are both awesome and fun, with Anakin, Padme and Obi-Wan showing off their skills, wit, bravery, bravado and just overall awesome. And in between the two, oh, I loved, loved the scene between Anakin and Padme before they were brought out into the arena where she confessed her love ("I truly, deeply love you"). It was a beautiful scene, my favorite Anakin/Padme scene. I don't think that Christensen and Portman had the best chemistry or that Anakin/Padme love story was the best written, but this scene was one that I think showed the best promise of what could have been had a better director (sorry, George) and a better love story writer had taken on that aspect. Anyway, back to the action, past the arena battle where the trio were losing despite a valiant effort before the Jedi showed up was awesome, but then they were losing too... until Yoda showing up with the clones and took over and that was awesome!

OK, we're reaching the end now and still we're continuing to get those signs of what's to come. Anakin is truly caught between love over duty, wanting to save Padme over going after Dooku and Obi-Wan is witness and has to really push to keep him on the right path. But wait there's more goodness ahead! Oh, yeah, the triple header of a lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan and Dooku! But wait! There's even more! And better! I just... man... I will never not love the Yoda/Dooku lightsaber fight because, dude, Yoda in a lightsaber fight is AWESOME!

Finally, we reach the end and for those who have seen the Original Trilogy we know where this all leads and so it's perfect. This wedding of Anakin and Padme with no dialogue, just the two at the Lake Country on Naboo where they fell in love. It's perfectly done because it should be a happy occasion, but it's a somber affair. Even during their wedding kiss, neither is really smiling. The final long shot of the two, with R2 and C3P0 as their only guests on the balcony where they shared their first kiss against that gorgeous backdrop is so lovely... ah, but we know, we know there is no happy ending here. As the overall feel of the scene tells us despite the visual beauty of it.

So, yeah, this is why I love this movie. This is all the good, the great I see in it.Attack of the Clones: Underrated gem of the Star Wars universe.

#attack of the clones #star wars #anidala #anakin x padme #anakin x amidala

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elareine · 5 years

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In the shallows

Chapters: 1/6 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, some swearing Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd Characters: Tim Drake, Donna Troy Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, NO CAPES, Identity Porn, Romantic Comedy, Drama & Romance, Texting, Online Dating AO3: /18803473

Summary: Jason Todd is a rock star... and an asshole. Dick Grayson has to do a movie with him. Luckily, there's this cute guy he's started texting recently.

Jason Todd was a rock star.

Yeah, exactly. Now, Dick had worked with some… less than talented people on set before. He’d made his debut in dance movies, for God’s sake, of course not everyone had been ready to play Hamlet.

But a total newbie? Never been on stage or on a movie set before? Dick really wished the producers had consulted him about that before making the decision. They hadn’t even done a chemistry test.

Okay, sure, it was a blockbuster movie about an interracial gay couple. Funding wouldn’t come easy. If the names ‘Richard Grayson’ and ‘Jason Todd’ had to be attached to make the money happen, they would be. And Dick knew Tim Drake, the executive producer, well enough to trust him with this. Tim wouldn’t have cast Jason if he thought it’d be a total shit show.

The thing was - the script was beautiful. The writers had really poured their hearts into it, and it showed. Dick had almost forgotten to read it from an actor’s perspective, he’d been so engrossed. By the end, blinking away tears, he had texted his agent that he would do it before going on a run to shake some of the heaviness away.

It wasn’t like there was a sad ending, exactly. Dick wouldn’t have taken anything with a ‘bury your gays’ feel to it. It was just… it made him feel a lot, this script.

He wanted to do it justice. Hopefully, Jason Todd wouldn’t be the one to drag them all down.

Dick sighed and looked at the script in front of him again. Specifically, at the part marked: ‘Vano: [singing]…’

The other worry he had was quite the opposite from his first. At least Jason Todd didn’t have to worry about singing. Dick had heard his songs as much as anyone could without actively seeking them out, which was to say all the time and everywhere. Jason had been around for years at this point; it didn’t seem likely that his popularity would be abating any time soon.

(When he wasn’t busy critiquing Jason’s casting, Dick could freely admit that his songs were pretty great. They always gave him that on-the-road-looking-for-freedom feeling that he loved. He might be following Jason on Spotify, even, but shush.)

Dick, however… well. He’d been taking singing lessons ever since he’d moved into closer consideration for this role. His vocal coach attested him with enough skills for the songs he’d seen so far. He’d gotten the accent of his character down to pat, too, even when singing and screaming. Still, compared to Jason Todd…

And they would be singing duets.

Giving up on his concentration for the evening, Dick decided to just go for a run. He was already pretty sure he wouldn’t sleep tonight, but exhaustion might help.

It didn’t really. Dick slept like shit and then had to deal with the worst traffic he’d ever seen (and he’d lived in New York for years). He barely made it in time. Tim was already waiting for him outside the lot. That was a sure sign he was getting ready to herd Dick exactly where he needed to be as quickly as possible.

Tim greeted him with a friendly wave. “Hi, Dick, welcome on set! Kate is over at the sound studio, but she’ll be here any minute to start the read-through.”

“Thanks, Tim. Good to see you.” Dick refrained from hugging him only because he knew the younger man preferred it that way on set. “Sorry, I wanted to be here early. I seriously underestimated LA traffic.”

“Yes, I expected that. Just plan in enough time from now on, okay?”

��Of course, Tim.”

Tim sighed. “We’ll see, I guess.”

They entered the building together. Tim guided him towards a smaller meeting room. Jason Todd was already there, sitting in the small circle of chairs. There would be a full cast reading tomorrow; today it was pretty much only Kate, Jason and Dick with the producers.

Dick’s first thought was that he hadn’t expected Jason to look so… soft. He was used to the torn jeans and t-shirt look he rocked in his videos. The knitted sweater he was wearing didn’t exactly fit that image.

The smirk on his face, however, did.

Dick mentally steeled himself. Here we go. He held out his hand. “Hi, Jason. Nice to finally meet you.”

“Hi, Dick.” Jason’s handshake was firm without being too crushing. “Sorry we couldn’t meet up before. I’m pretty literally just coming back from a World Tour.”

Oh, great. Bragging.

“No worries. It’s good to get this started now.” He looked pointedly at the script in Jason’s hand. If Jason had just been on a world tour… “Did you get any time to prepare?”

“I’ll know my lines if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“It’s kind of about more than that.” Okay, that came out catty. “Like, the music, for example.”

Jason seemed to perk up at that. “Oh, yeah, that’s done. I did send the tapes of some suggestions to Kate. But we’ll workshop together, see what you think first.”

Dick would’ve preferred it if Jason had just presented him with finished sheet music and a tape he could imitate, honestly. He had no idea if he had any musical input to offer. And how did you workshop music, anyway? He’d done that with scenes before (though Kate wasn’t the type to welcome a lot of input from her actors beforehand), even settings, but music?

“Sure. Yeah. Let’s do that.” He tried to smile. “I’m looking forward to hearing what you came up with.”

It was probably a good thing Kate entered the room at that moment, introducing herself again and bidding them to start the read-through.

Dick usually lost himself in a performance pretty easily. Even in a read-through, it only meant that he focused even more on letting every emotion shine through his voice.

Vano was pretty unlike Dick himself. Sensitive, shy, in desperate need of approval (okay, that one Dick could relate to) and unsure. Dick found it interesting how his character was juxtaposed with his actions. Vano was so, so afraid; yet he let himself be swept up in a whirlwind romance and even ended up the one pursuing Jason’s character when everything seemed to fall apart. His courage, in the end, was as quiet as it was present. Dick was determined to do him right.

So he concentrated on developing his voice further. He wanted it to be recognisably different from Jason’s character, but also harmonious.

Still, he couldn’t help but judge Jason’s performance.

He wasn’t bad. Honestly, this wasn’t a great script for a read-through - a lot of stuff went unsaid between the two main characters. So a little wooden-ness was expected. Dick was a bit annoyed at the way he stumbled over lines sometimes as if he was reading them for the first time, though. Unprepared partners were the worst.

Afterwards, Kate didn’t look happy. Her first critique was voluminous, including more background notes on their characters and a very detailed rundown of what had sucked about their dialogue. Ah, well. Dick didn’t mind. She wasn’t known to be a coddler.

She complimented Dick on his excellent accent, though. He thought Jason (who spoke in his own accent, or at least the one he always used in interviews and stuff) looked a bit sour at that, which pissed Dick off. He’d worked hard for this, okay. He was actually a trained and studied actor, despite what some people might think.

It also made him wary of the months ahead. Jealousy on set wasn’t cool, even if it was purely professional.

“Tomorrow we’ll go through the script scene by scene and talk through your suggestions. Is there anything fundamental you’d like to say now?” Kate asked.

Dick shook his head. This was honestly one of the best scripts he’d ever read, and he trusted her direction fully. Jason seemed to hesitate, but then he followed suit.

Dick spent some time after talking with some of the crew members that were setting up the sets. He knew some of them from previous movie sets - Tim liked to reward good work with more, better-paid work - and was glad to chit-chat about their careers and families.

Still, Jason seemed to take his time, too. They arrived at the parking lot at about the same time.

“Can I give you a ride?” Dick offered when he noted that Jason was looking a bit lost.

“I’m actually here on my bike,” Jason said, pointing at a frankly gorgeous machine, black, sleek and utterly pretentious.

Dick mentally snorted. Of course he was. Rock star and all that

His own family sized van didn’t match up to that, but honestly, who cared.

“Okay. See you tomorrow, then.”

Jason didn’t even say goodbye, just waved. Dick was tired of him already.

When he entered the house he’d rented for the year, Dick headed straight for his studio and dropped down onto the mat. He needed a proper stretching after today and couldn’t quite face this house yet.

Mostly he was happy with it. It was spacious, including his own dance studio and a pool, and not too far away from the Wayne Brothers lot, but he was able to keep it up without no personnel beyond a cleaner and the occasional garden hand.

Days like these, it was a bit… lonely.

He would have been better off staying with his friend Donna Troy. She’d offered, after all. Dick had thought he would need some quiet to focus on this part, not to mention a room where he could practice his singing parts without annoying the shit out of everyone.

It was just that he wasn’t made for the quiet. His head got too loud when he wasn’t exercising. Usually, he filled that space by concentrating on his current role; he wasn’t precisely method but slipping into someone else’s headspace had always come easy to him. Today, though, that was exactly what he wanted to get away from.

He briefly toyed with the idea of going out and picking someone up. Getting laid worked better than pretty much anything else for him.

Except that wasn’t exactly what he wanted, either.

Look. It wasn’t as if Dick had problems meeting people. The opposite, really. Dick knew he had a good body, okay, and he was charming enough.

He wanted something else, though. He wanted to get to know someone without them already knowing (or thinking they knew) everything about him. He wanted to be sure someone actually liked him for himself. He wanted someone to call in the evenings when he came home from set. Someone to come home to.

Dick sighed and re-arranged his limbs into a backstretch.

People wished for this kind of things all the time. He was just being silly. His mother would’ve straight up laughed at him if he went to her complaining about the drawbacks of fame, a profession he loved and obscene amounts of money.

Dropping his hips open and leaning into that delicious burn, he took out his phone and texted Donna: Going out and getting laid, yes or no? Any bar tips?

The answer was immediate.

Donna: Honey just use tinder like the rest of us

…Why not.

Donna: That was a joke.

Donna: But go ahead I guess.

Thinking about it, Dick finished his routine and headed upstairs to change into some comfy sweats, then back down to the kitchen. A bowl of cereal wasn’t exactly a glamorous meal for a movie star - but neither were Dick’s cooking skills.

Grabbing a beer, he plopped down on his couch and gave in. At least the tinder app was free on the app store. Going through the set-up motions, he hit the next snag, though.

What do I use as a profile picture??? I can’t show my face on this, can I?

Donna: Use your abs

Donna: no wait

Donna: Your butt

Donna: Or maybe that’s too recognisable. Abs it is.

Dick chuckled.

…Thanks I think.

For a second he considered just cutting something out of a promo pic or one of his dozens of semi-nude photoshoots, but who the fuck knew how well Google would be able to match these up. Dick wasn’t going to risk the headline ‘Actor famous for starring in romances is looking for hook-up on tinder’ (though of course TMZ would be far pithier than that) just for his vanity.

Though he did find some shots that hadn’t ever been released and cropped his face out of one of these. That would do. As for his username… he went with the hero of the first movie he’d ever starred in and combined that with his year of birth once the system informed him the name was taken.

After a brief hesitation, he set his sexual preferences to ‘all genders’.

Finally, everything was set up. Dick settled down to check out some hot singles in his area.

Sadly, the selection wasn’t that great. Especially with the dudes. Dick was sure that about half of them were either a decade older or younger than they pretended to be. The women were clearly better at taking selfies, too.

It was possibly the wrong time to be picky. Dick wasn’t usually - a good smile was pretty much all it took on a good day. But hey, he had just spent the day in the company of the hottest rock star the 21st century had produced so far. Every mortal would have difficulty competing with that.

(Not with Jason’s personality though. Easily bottom 20% material there. Urgh. Dick was trying to forget about that.)

After that thought, he swiped right a few times. So far, no one had matched with him, but that was fine. He had just signed up, after all.

Then, finally, came a pic that stood out.

Funnily enough, this profile pic was as profile-less as Dick’s. All it showed was a bare back. It was mirror shot, probably, but with none of the glariness of the other pictures. The guy’s skin was almost as tanned as Dick’s, but what caught his eyes was the sheer endless mass of muscles it stretched across.

Dick swiped right.

A message appeared on the screen. ‘You matched with Rock_n_Rumble, 29’.

He switched apps and texted Donna again: There’s a cute guy! We matched! But I can’t just go meet up with him, can I? Wally would kill me

Donna: you genuinely just thought of that???

Yes^^’

Donna: Stop trying to make manga emojis happen again, Dick

Donna: Just… talk to him, flirt a bit; maybe it’ll be ok

Donna: This is LA after all

Donna: Or he’ll just send you a dick pic

Donna: I do not want to know if either of these possibilities occurs.

I will describe everything that happens in explicit, excruciating detail.

Dick switched back to tinder and pressed ‘OK’. A chatroom opened. He stared at the entry field for a long second, pondering how to start the conversation. He’d never felt the need for chat up lines before. Honesty and friendliness had always worked best for him. Hopefully, that would translate over into the Internet.

Nightwing86: Hi

Rock_n_Rumble: Hi.

This was where Dick would usually make a comment about the venue they were at or the way the other person looked, but… how did you compliment someone’s bare back without sounding like a total creep?

As he watched the seconds tick by without either of them writing anything, he realised that oh. Rock_n_Rumble wasn’t exactly in a better situation. Oh well, there was nothing for it then.

Nightwing86: With a body like that - what on Earth are you doing on this site?

Rock_n_Rumble: Shouldn’t I ask you the same thing?

Rock_n_Rumble: Musician, ex-addict, grew up in New York - and also shit at flirting, in case you didn’t notice. Should I continue with that list?

Nightwing86: Eh, you’re doing fine.

He was. Dick kinda dug the self-deprecating sarcasm. And at least he had something to work with now.

Nightwing86: Musician?

Rock_n_Rumble: I’m a guitarist

Nightwing86: Oh, you’re in a band?

Rock_n_Rumble: Kind of

Rock_n_Rumble: Nothing fixed, but I go on tour a lot. Weird staying in one place for work right now

He must be recording an album then. Considering that good guitarists in LA were like sand at a beach, Dick mentally re-evaluated the fame level of his conversation partner.

Nightwing86: I get that; I travel for work a lot too

Rock_n_Rumble: What do you do?

Dick considered lying, but honestly, what was the point? And anyway, they were in LA. There were thousands of people calling themselves actors here.

Nightwing86: I’m an actor.

Rock_n_Rumble: oh cool. Film or theatre?

Nightwing86: Mostly film these days. Was up on stage in NY for a bit, kinda miss it.

Rock_n_Rumble: Oh really? When? Might’ve seen you, I went to Broadway a lot once I could afford it.

Nightwing86: its been a while, 2004-2006

That information wouldn’t give him away. Again, tons of people tried to make it on Broadway. Still, maybe he should address the fact that he wasn’t ready to talk about who he was.

Rock_n_Rumble: So I notice neither of us is forthcoming about names and identifying information.

Rock_n_Rumble: Proposal: We stay anonymous for now, see how we get along, decide if we want to actually meet up later.

Nightwing86: oh thank god

Nightwing86: yeah, that would be great. I don’t like lying, but coming out to a stranger isn’t…

Rock_n_Rumble: same. Like, I’m technically out, but with the industry being what it is, the gossip isn’t fun.

Nightwing86: How does being ‘technically out’ work? All I ever get is ‘if you so much as breathe into the direction of someone who isn’t a cis woman we’ll kill you’

Rock_n_Rumble: It’s called ‘being a shit liar’.

Rock_n_Rumble: Also contrary enough that management knows that my reaction to being told that would probably result in me sucking a dick on stage.

Dick laughed.

Nightwing86: Now that is a mental image to take to bed with.

Rock_n_Rumble: I like that we’ve been chatting for ten minutes and I’ve already got a kink noted down.

Nightwing86: You remember you’re talking to an actor, right? Pretty sure we’re 85% exhibitionists.

Rock_n_Rumble: …okay, that’s a fair point.

Rock_n_Rumble: Still noting it down, though.

Nightwing86: Please tell me you’re not literally doing that.

Rock_n_Rumble: Maybe.

Rock_n_Rumble: Look, you want to exchange numbers? I’m not going to stay on this platform, I think.

Nightwing86: Aww, am I enough for you?

Nightwing86: 344-394-2222. Do me a favour and don’t pass that on.

Rock_n_Rumble: Promise. I’ll text you, just one sec.

Barely a few seconds later, a WhatsApp message popped up: Hi it’s Rock_n_Rumble. Thought this might work out better than text if you’re travelling a lot, too.

After some consideration, Dick saved the contact as ‘R_n_R’. The consideration was mostly about adding a butt or shoulder emoji to it, but he decided to be classy instead.

Out of curiosity, he checked out the WhatsApp profile of the other guy. Sadly, the pic was of a bright red guitar. His own was of the bird plushie that had accompanied him through his childhood and ever since, though, so he probably shouldn’t complain.

Hi again. Good thinking.

R_n_R: Oh good, it’s you and not someone completely unsuspecting.

R_n_R: So what are you up to? Apart from tindering, obviously.

Trying to decide if I want to watch something. Any Netflix recs?

Dick later mentally congratulated himself, because that question started a conversation that lasted for at least half an hour. Their taste didn’t seem too different, though Dick kinda had to snort when R_n_R recommended some of his own movies to him. In the end, they settled on ‘Luther’, because Idris Elba and murder. How exactly ‘recommend me a movie’ had turned into ‘let’s watch this series at the same time and shoot the shit over text’, Dick wasn’t sure, but it was pretty fun.

So fun, actually, that it took a text from Donna to remind him how much time had passed.

Donna: So how was it? Don’t leave me hanging, bird-boy.

I’m getting rid of tinder. All I got were three dick pics and two girls accusing me of catfishing them using Dick Grayson’s photos. Another girl explained to me that headless pics usually mean someone is married or in a relationship and doesn’t want their significant other to see. She called me an asshole for that, that’s why she even swiped right. Then she blocked me.

And if Dick was honest… he kinda liked the thought of trying this with Rock_n_Rumble, and Rock_n_Rumble only. The first person he’d talked to on there. The only one he connected to, even if only on a superficial level so far.

(Yes, he had screenshotted and saved that picture. Whatever.)

Donna: One gender clearly came out ahead in this.

And the cute guy is still chatting with me. We’re keeping it anon for now though. It’s been an hour and no sex talk, so I guess he’s legit.

Donna: facepalm Dick, do you ever consider your life might’ve turned into a romantic comedy?

We’re just talking.

Donna: Right. Well, I’ll leave you to do that. Good night, Dick. Have fun.

#jaydick #jason todd #dick grayson #fanfic #elareine writes #in the shallows #dc

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random-imagines-blog · 5 years

Text

In Between Days {Kiernan Shipka x Platonic!Reader Oneshot}

Requested by: @h-a-j-i-m-e-ru Wordcount: 2422 Synopsis: Your best friend is away filming her hit Netflix show. You miss her and decide to do something about it.

Kiernan’s face finally came up, replacing the blue Skype loading screen. You could see your own face in the corner, much smaller than hers, and made yourself laugh by making a face at her. “And here I thought you were too busy out in Studio-land, earning your fortune.” You said, laying down on your bed. She rolled her eyes, shook her head and made a face back at you, making you laugh again. While she was distracted, you looked behind her to see a grey screen - she was probably in the middle of filming an interview or something, which made you feel a bit downhearted. “Are you ever coming home? Your mom misses you.”

“First of all, it’s Vancouver.” Kiernan said, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear. “Your hair looks cute, did you get it cut? And soon, I hope. There’s a couple more weeks of shooting left and then I can take a break.” You knew what she was doing - using the haircut thing to attempt to distract you from missing her. It never helped. Kiernan could act but she was never able to fool you. She smiled though, and that made you feel a bit better. She was happy - that’s all that really mattered.

“Kiernan, my hair always looks cute,” You joked, going along with her. You brought your legs up behind you, kicking at the air in the stereotypical female fashion. “You said break, that means you’re not going to be back for long, am I right?”

There was a pause as Kiernan looked past her phone at something, and then back to you. Icicles hung near your heart as you knew what her answer was going to be. You sighed before she even opened her mouth. “The break is only for two weeks...” She said nervously.

“You might as well start waving around a Canadian flag, you’re there enough. You know the national anthem yet? Lunch everyday is poutine and freedom? How is your igloo doing, is it warm enough?” You stuck your tongue out at her, making her roll her eyes.

“I think you’d actually like it up here. Vancouver is really nice - it’s a mix of city and nature, right on the water.” She said, enticing you. The thought was nice, actually. The fact that your best friend was working so far away made you realize that you were feeling stuck where you were at, and like your life wasn’t really moving anywhere. A plan started to hatch in your mind, and you had to turn your face to hide it from Kiernan.

“It sounds nice,” You said, rather flatly. You avoided looking into the webcam, and feigned like you heard something in the background. “You know, I think there’s someone at my door, and since I know it’s not you, it’s probably my dinner. You going to be around later?”

“I might be, text me first!” Kiernan said, leaning forward to look at you in her monitor, sensing that something was going on. “You aren’t very good at hiding things, I know all your tells.”

“Kiernan, I’m shocked and appalled that you think I would hide anything from you!” You acted dramatically, giving her your best Macauley Culken in Home Alone impression. You laughed afterwards, and hovered near the end call button. “Love you, talk to you later.”

You signed off of Skype, effectively getting rid of your friend for the next couple of hours. But you did open a couple of websites and started to do some researching.

“Kiernan...” Lucy Davis said, shuffling towards her young co-worker. After her came you, bent down low and hiding behind her dress, hand over your mouth to stiffle your giggles. It took all of your muscles not to burst out into laughter at the anticipation of seeing your best friend again. Kiernan was not expecting anything, as far as you knew, since you had skyped her the night before from your room, signing off just as your cab came up to take you to the airport so you could fly up to Canada for the next week. Much like Kiernan thought you would, you did find what you saw of Vancouver to be beautiful.

“Socks are a bit loose, they keep falling down,” You heard your friend telling the wardrobe woman. But she did eventually notice the woman who played her Aunt Hilda come into the room. “Morning, Lucy!” She said, cheerfully. “Your carrying a stowaway, I think.”

Your cue, you assumed. There was a moment of confusion when Lucy didn’t move out of the way quickly to expose you, so you stuck your head up over her shoulder and gave your friend the biggest grin that you could muster, and it was entirely real. The blonde gasped and jumped up from the chair where they were trying different length socks on her, in different colors, since apparently Sabrina is really into socks.

You shuffled past Lucy and gave your best friend a hug that took up most of your strength. This wasn’t very much since you were a bit jet-lagged and had to wake up early to take a cab to the studio and meet the people you talked to in order to let you onto the set in the first place.

You both wore the same perfume, and you could smell it on her while the two of you were so close. Kiernan was the first to pull away, look at you, shake her head, then hug you again. The wardrobe woman laughed and excused herself so that you two could have some time to catch up before the scene would begin to be shot, and Lucy left as well, claiming to need to go over her script again.

“You are actually here, in Vancouver?” Kiernan said, her expression a mixture of shock and happiness.

“There just so happened to be a couple of vacation days saved up, so I took them all now. Surprise!” That made Kiernan laugh and shake your arms to make sure that you really were there. “Later though, show me the set Miss Sabrina!” You insisted.

Forgetting about the socks, which were starting to fall down on her calfs and puddle around her ankles, Kiernan took your arm and started to show you around. There were plenty of people to meet, and things to see. It was a whirlwind adventure, being on a TV set like this. Too much was happening that it was hard to learn it all. You weren’t used to this hustle and bustle, even though your own job could be a bit busy at times.

“Your job is way cooler than mine,” You said, walking into Sabrina’s room. You made sure not to touch anything, because you figured that these people would be nitpicky about that. You whistled and settled your gaze back on your friend, who had her thinking face on. It was a face you recognized well, since her thinking got the two of you into trouble many times.

“They might let you be an extra, if you wanted to be. So you can maybe be in a school scene we’re shooting later!” It wasn’t a bad plan, and one that probably wouldn’t turn out to be troublesome so you eagerly agreed to it. It only took a second for Kiernan to grab your arm and drag you over to the director to ask them on your behalf.

It was soon time for your first scene. You weren’t a character that was even named, but you were put into a more trendy outfit and positioned down the hallway from where Kiernan’s character, and another girl you hadn’t been introduced to, were standing.

And then, it was go time. You started to walk down the hall, adjusting your backpack strap, doing your utmost not to look at the camera. The first half of it started off well, but when the camera went into the other actress’s face to get a clear look at her expression, Kiernan turned her head sharply to look at you, and made an ugly face. You attempted to keep your composure as you were walking, and you almost succeeded. Almost.

The bulky shoes that they put on your feet, some sort of heel because apparently people wore those everywhere these days, bumped into one another and you fell onto the floor, laughing in shock at the fall and in amusement at your friend’s face. You weren’t embarrassed or ashamed, but you did cross your eyes at Kiernan and blamed her for making you fall.

“Cut!” The director called out. “Tell me that it won’t happen again, we don’t need another long day.”

Kiernan was about to speak for you but you got onto your feet and smiled as sweetly as you could. “You got it boss!” You returned to where you were before walking onto the scene to get ready to do it again. You had no idea that just walking through a hallway in front of a camera could be so difficult. That it would play at your self-conscious like were you making an odd face, did you have a weird walk, were your shoes making squeaky sounds? Really, you had no idea how Kiernan did this so often.

You waited for the director to call action and walked out again. The scene went smoother this time, and you didn’t have to do a reshoot. Kiernan didn’t make any faces at you, or acknowledge you, though you could see that she angled her body so she would be able to see you walk past. Even that was nearly enough for you to start giggling but you held it all in, as painful as it was.

You had a couple of other scenes together, and were getting ready to film one of them now. It was during a party scene, so you could be more loose, you could smile and laugh. But you weren’t prepared for your best friend’s tricks.

“You better be on your best behavior.” The make-up artist said after sweeping a bit of powder onto your face to reduce any shine from the lights. “It annoys the director that you have more chemistry with Kiernan than any of her on-screen friends do.”

Kiernan and you really did have that connection. Which, of course, made it hard not to talk to her during shooting. She always seemed to catch your eye and you had to stop yourself from referencing a private joke or making one of the faces you knew would make her laugh. You knew it was probably hard for her too since the director always called her out on taking too many steps away from her co-stars towards you. Kiernan did her best to remain professional, since this was her career, but you quickly realized that acting wasn’t going to be in the cards for you after this.

The scene had to be re-shot five times before the Director finally pointed at you as you were talking in the background to one of the other extras, telling the story about the time that you and Kiernan went swimming when it was too chilly and ended up with blue lips. Kiernan had overheard what you were saying and laughed, which certainly was not in the script.

“You, you’re outta here.” You looked at the director to see that he was indeed pointing at you. The rest of the actors looked at you, and Kiernan whispered a sorry in your direction. In your defense, all you did was give a sheepish smile then made your way off of the set to get a cup of coffee. Helpful was the director’s assistant who came with you and explained that it wasn’t really your fault, but you did take responsibility anyhow. You were a distraction.

You met up with Kiernan in her trailer once she was done shooting the party scenes. The actress had all but run towards you, and wrapped her arms around you in a hug. “You didn’t deserve to get fired, I’m so sorry!” She rambled about how she was going to talk to the director tomorrow but you laughed and stopped her.

“You know me, I’m not great in front of cameras.” Your face scrunched up as you remembered some of the god-awful pictures that you two had taken together, which no one else in this world would ever see. “Kiernan, I came here to hang out with you, not to be on set. I’m totally fine with just hanging out with the wardrobe woman or making sure that everything catering makes is wonderful.”

“You sure?” Kiernan asked you, looking into your eyes to make sure that you were telling the truth. To be absolutely sure, she always knew exactly where to look.

“You know it,” You scoffed. Kiernan smiled, seeing that you were being honest with her, and hugged you again.

“It doesn’t mean that you can’t be around on set, you just can’t tell those embarrassing stories about me anymore.”

“It probably means that I can’t go on set since I’m ‘such a distraction’” You said the last three words in an imitation of the director that wasn’t entirely kind. “That’s okay though, I’ll just be surprised like everyone else when I binge your face on Netflix. Really though, it’s going to be so weird seeing me on TV.”

“You get used to it.” Kiernan laughed. “It gets less overwhelming over time. Are you sure you’re okay though?” She asked, still looking a little guilty.

“Psh,” You waved your hand. “This is just one of your many acting jobs. To be honest, there’s going to be so many directors out there who will love me and beg for me to do a scene with you, I might just overpower your career.” You joked, making Kiernan nudge you. She did smile though, which made you feel a bit better.

“You’re going to be my best friend forever, you know that?” She said, finally relaxing and sitting down on the bed of her trailer. Your legs followed hers and you sat down beside her, stretching out.

“You can’t get rid of me, duh.”

#Kiernan Shipka #Kiernan Shipka x reader #Kiernan Shipka oneshot #celebrity #celebrity oneshot #oneshot #oneshots #request #kiernans

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laceyeb · 7 years

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Another Ride: Chapter 21 - Kiss the Girl

So this chapter got a little over the top and cheesy, but it was awfully fun. Next on my list of things to write is the OTHER James and Sharna Disney night fic which mill be much less cheesy.

Chapter 20

There had been several comments this season about their chemistry. It was much the same as last time. All about their amazing connection and how they fit and they move so well together. It surprised Sharna that it hadn’t evolved yet beyond that. Then again, there were other factors at play this time.

They weren’t being shown as the “showmance” couple because so many others had that story line already. There was Alan and Paige, with whom no time was wasted jumping right back into their cute and flirty relationship. Though Paige confessed to Sharna early on this season that there probably wouldn’t be anything between them, she also made it clear that she certainly wasn’t disappointed to be spending this time with him. Jana and Val weren’t immune either, but Val never seemed to be, so that was no shock. Even Jenna and Noah got some slightly excessive comments about their “connection.” Sharna found this very amusing, much to Noah’s embarrassment.

With all this happening throughout the past weeks, it really wasn’t that surprising that James and Sharna had flown under the radar. Maybe it was because everyone had seen them together last time and just expected this from them. It wasn’t any different this time from the average person’s point of view, even though everyone close to them knew the truth.

No one would tell Sharna Monday night what the ultimate decision was for their next dance. They said they were doing a “pull the cd out of the envelope” reveal in the studio. Even when they did this, Sharna often knew ahead of time.

“It’ll be better as a surprise,” she was told. The smiles were making her nervous. And these words brought back the memory of her, now two months ago, talking to Val, waiting to find out if she would be dancing with James again. That turned out well. She could only hope this would, too.

When they arrived at the studio the next morning, Sharna was impatient. She pulled James down the hallway by the hand.

“You do realize that we’re half an hour early the way it is, right?” he asked, actually knocking into the wall as they turned a corner.

She ignored him and walked faster. She pulled him into their room and found the camera crew mercifully already there and set up, even though they were so early.

They were given their instructions. Sit together on the floor and hold the envelope. Talk about what they hoped would be in there. Open the envelope and reveal their song. James was told that he would look first and then he would show it to Sharna. This made James smile amusedly, but only Sharna seemed to notice.

“Ready?” James asked dramatically as he looked down and read the song title. Sharna nodded eagerly, closing her eyes and crossing her fingers in her lap. Most of this was for show, because she honestly didn’t know what she was hoping for.

“Kiss the Girl!” James announced.

“I knew it!” Sharna said loudly. “Oh, this is going to be fun!” She laughed at the skeptical look on James’ face. She pointed to the dance style listed that James hadn’t noticed. “And it’s jazz, too. This is going to be really fun. Are you ready for this?”

They followed their next piece of instructions, to discuss what they were most looking forward to this week and what they were nervous about.

“Jazz is good,” Sharna said. “It gives us a lot of freedom to really perform, which is where you shine. And you killed it last time with Jenna. One of your best. So this’ll be good!”

“That was one I made a mistake in, wasn’t it?” he said to her, looking more nervous than was necessary.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s really time you let that go, you know. Think of this as redemption.”

“I like that.”

She looked into his eyes trying to decide what to say next and just how much. But then she decided she might as well do the thing right. “Now, you’re not actually going to try to kiss me this week, are you?” she asked him, wrinkling her nose.

This caught him by surprise and it took him a moment to recover. But again, Sharna thought she might have been the only one to notice this. And then he smiled. “Oh, you should be so lucky,” he teased.

She laughed. “Oh, really? You think so, do you?”

“I do, actually.”

Sharna realized now that there was no turning back. This would be the moment. This week would be it. She wondered if she was ready for it. But he took her hand in his as he helped her to her feet and it felt right.

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They usually held back on the flirting during rehearsals so as not to provide any temptation to portray their relationship in such a way, but it was like they had both thrown the rulebook out the window this week. James could feel it from the moment they started rehearsing Tuesday morning.

There was more touching than usual. More laughing and more closeness and just more of everything. It was like everything had been turned up a couple notches. Before long, they were having more fun than ever before. The choreography came to James quickly and easily. Other couples poked their heads in periodically just to say hi, everyone having a good time discussing their songs for the week and not bothering to hide their reactions to James and Sharna’s song. All of this just felt like freedom somehow.

On Friday night, they sat curled up together on the couch. James was already half asleep, but he could feel Sharna shift and move next to him every couple minutes.

“You alright?” he said softly.

“Fine,” she said, not meeting his eyes. “Just… thinking.”

“About?”

“About Monday.”

“Oh, that. What about it?”

Sharna sat up now and turned to look at him. “Are you nervous?” she asked.

He knew she wasn’t talking about the dance. “Honestly? A little, yeah. I just… You know that these are some of our last days of peace and it’s a little daunting. But also it’s so good.” She narrowed her eyes and he went on. “It’s good because I love you and I’m tired of not being able to tell the world. I want to do all the stupid and silly things people in love get to do. I want to post a picture of you and talk about how hot you are.” Sharna rolled her eyes at this, but again he continued. “I want to go out to dinner with friends and hold your hand and sit next to you and kiss you before I open the car door for you. I want to do all of those things and if it means getting a little extra attention, I’m not sure I mind.”

Sharna sat in silence for a moment, letting his words wash over her. “That’s… a really good answer. And I agree with you, just so you know. I want to be able to do all those things, too. To just be us. I’m definitely ready for that. And I don’t feel the need to hide anything. When it’s something real like this, I want everyone to know. I’m ready for all of it.”

“All the things?” James teased.

“Absolutely.”

They both fell quiet and Sharna settled against James again. She felt his breathing start to slow as he drifted off to sleep. When the idea hit her, she jumped so suddenly and woke with a start.

“What happened?” he said at once, looking alarmed.

“Sorry!” Sharna said quickly, trying not to laugh. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just… I had an idea. For our dance, I mean.”

“Right now? Can’t it wait until morning?”

“Hear me out. So have many times have we been asked in our little interviews and sound bites if we’re going to kiss during our dance?”

“I’ve lost count,” James said sleepily, resting back against the couch again.

It had to have been at least a dozen and they both gave the line they agreed on: “You’ll have to tune in and wait and see.” James didn’t actually care either way and Sharna had been leaning toward not doing it, but this idea that had just struck her was too good to pass up.

“Exactly. So everyone with the show thinks we’re not going to, but they’re also the ones who are going to unleash all this madness. It’s a good thing, but still. I think that maybe they deserve a little payback.”

James looked interested now. He sat back up and focused on her. “What do you mean?” he asked curiously.

“Let’s kiss. In the dance,” she explained. “Right at the end. We don’t have to change anything. We’re already close enough to it. Let’s just do it, but not until the live show Monday night. Do dress rehearsal and everything else like normal. Then mess with their minds and suddenly throw it in when they least expect it.”

James was still for a moment, then his face broke into a wide grin.

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It was like the sound had been turned on after he kissed her. He did his best to stay focused during the dance, but he lied to both himself and her when he said he wouldn’t be distracted thinking about what they were going to do. He only caught small pieces of the judges’ comments. He thought he heard “effervescent fun” and “unexpected.” He also thought he caught the word “finally,” but he wasn’t sure in what context and to what it was referring. Until they got upstairs and talked to Erin.

She was shaking her head at them as they walked up to her and James’ heart had slowed down a bit. He was able to focus on what was around him. Erin’s smile. Sharna’s hand in his own. The clapping and cheering from the others assembled around them.

“So,” Erin said when they were standing next to her. “Julianne’s exact words were, ‘I have a confession: Finally!’ What do you have to say to that, James?”

James laughed nervously. “Uh, I don’t know what to say to that actually.”

“Well, do you agree with her? What?” Erin added as James glanced at Sharna. “Did you think I was going to let you off the hook that easy?”

“Let’s just say we’re glad that she enjoyed it,” Sharna chimed in now.

“Alright. Then I have two questions for your partner here, James. First, whose idea was it?”

James turned to Sharna again and saw her slowly raise her hand. He couldn’t help but laugh.

Erin smiled, apparently satisfied with this. “So, here’s the second thing. I saw this dance in dress rehearsal. I watched closely. So, my second question is: What the heck?!”

Sharna laughed now and James jumped in.

“It was a last minute addition,” he explained. He was starting to feel more calm now. Back to normal. “She stuck up for me saying it was her idea, but really I begged for it. I mean, how could I not take this opportunity?”

“All I can say,” Erin told James, “is that I didn’t hate it.” She turned to Sharna. “And you? Blushing one over there? What did you think of it?”

James could see the wheels spinning in Sharna’s mind before she answered. “I didn’t hate it,” she said with a casual shrug.

The audience laughed and cheered and Erin shook her head, completely amused. She turned to the camera. “Well, then. If you want to revisit this conversation next week, and I know I do, then remember to vote for these two.”

Hours lately, they were in bed and James had his arm draped across Sharna. She was fast asleep, but he couldn’t shut his mind down just yet. It had been an evening of awkward but amusing questions and conversations. A lot of “What’s happening here?” and “Is there something we should know?” and “Whose idea was that kiss really?”

Each time, they said the same thing: “Keep voting for us and maybe you’ll find out.” Then Sharna would laugh it all off and James’ heart would feel like it was floating at the sound. He looked over at her now. She slept on peacefully. He very gently slid closer to her and closed his eyes. That night, his dreams were full of her kiss and her laugh.

#james and sharna #jamesandsharnafics

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freshmandarin · 7 years

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K-Drama Review: Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People

Hey everyone! I finished up Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People and am finally reviewing it on my blog- give it a read! I break it down into categories: story/plot, romance, characters, cast/acting, impact, substance, music/OST, and overall impression. This review below has spoilers, but you may read my non-spoiler review here!

[SPOILERS BELOW CUT]

Story/Plot:

The overarching plot was a refreshing presentation of the Joseon era. Rather than focusing on the King and his court, we see life through the eyes of servants; not merely just commoners, but the lowest caste of servants. Of course, later in the drama the King and political struggle are eventually roped in, but the major heroes and focus of this drama are the common people of Joseon rather than the crown prince’s romances *ahem, every Joseon mini-drama ever*.

To put it in simplest terms, the plot isn’t astounding, and I like it that way. Incredibly complex twists (like in Nirvana in Fire per se) would muddy this drama’s brilliance. The straightforward rise in ranks of a commoner and overthrow of a tyrant king isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, but it’s the perfect framework to add complexity through detailed writing and characterization. The way that Ah Mo Gae and the Hong people rise to prominence is interesting, and the comeback of a hero (Gil Dong) after tragedy (Prince Choong Won’s destruction of their town and separation of the siblings) is a classic trope that never seems to get old. The story is nothing new as rebellion results from an overbearing and cruel king, but it’s certainly written carefully and coherently enough to not become trite.

Verdict? The story definitely works.

Romance:

Another plot point I loved was the portrayal of love. The romance was more realistic and practical than most in other dramas. The “love triangle” was so well done that I can’t even call it a love triangle; it was natural and made sense. To elaborate, the first instance of attraction is seen between Gil Dong and Gong Hwa. Gil Dong is taken by her beauty, and loves her regardless of her flaws. The key here is the freedom in their initial relationship, Gong Hwa doesn’t hold back in honesty about her motivations and her past, and Gil Dong isn’t judgmental nor possessive of her. Gong Hwa leaves the parlor despite Gil Dong’s promise to return, but that was her own choice and sacrifice; in the end Gil Dong despairs, but doesn’t blame her, and Gong Hwa chooses to live without regret.

The next phase of romance is between Gil Dong and Ga Ryung. The pure fluff and joy of this pair aside, what I love about this relationship is that their romantic love was preceded by platonic love: caring for each other, recognizing what’s important to each other, and supporting each other. Ga Ryung falls for him first, but it’s not in an unhealthy and obsessive way; she resolves to help him even before he end up loving her back. Rather than desiring to be in love with him, she starts off just loving him for who he is. Once they actually get together, their support for each other is hoenstly just beautiful. Great chemistry, great scenes, and great interactions. Ga Ryung’s devotion to Gil Dong becomes a devotion to his cause, and by the end she would rather sacrifice her life rather than the integrity of Hong Chum Ji’s cause. The only part that could be considered over the top was her plot to avenge her husband, but hey- what kind of sageuk doesn’t have a revenge plot? Honor is on the line here ladies and gentleman!

The additional complexity introduced is between Gil Dong and Gong Hwa after becoming Nok Soo. It’s clear that they still love each other, but they no longer wish to be together. In Gil Dong’s case, he’s moved on after she left him. In Nok Soo’s case, she has decided to let go of the past and stick with her choices. Nok Soo still does everything she can to save Gil Dong, and Gil Dong still wishes to save her from the palace. Love manifests itself in different ways; although marriage and romantic pursuit is most common, things like sacrifice, letting go, respect, and protection from afar still count, and I’d like to see more portrayals of this kind of love rather than pure romance. Now, some viewers may be wondering: “I’m not sure how I feel about Gil Dong still loving Nok Soo after marrying Ga Ryung.” Well, personally, I differentiate polyamory with unfaithfulness. I think Gil Dong’s character is strengthened by his love for others in tandem for his commitment to Ga Ryung. Conflict of emotion is a part of being human; just because Nok Soo abandoned him doesn’t mean he’s vengeful and hateful. Just as Gil Dong is patient and caring of the people of Joseon, he’s patient and caring towards Nok Soo, but that doesn’t make him unfaithful to Ga Ryung. Therefore, I can’t even call this a love triangle because it’s not. I view it as Gil Dong being a decent and caring person without any other agendas.

A special note on romance is the hinted one of Mo Ri’s attraction to Ga Ryung. It seems a little bit thrown in there, but I appreciate Mo Ri’s desire for Ga Ryung to be alive and happy rather than a desire to be her lover.

Verdict? You’ve got fluff, you’ve got a bit of angst, but mostly, you have reality- and this one’s a happy ending (for the main couple at least).

Characters:

As a whole, Rebel really brings it with its amazing characters. As I said earlier in my story/plot section, the plot itself isn’t what is astounding. Swap out any of these characters and the whole immediately becomes weaker. We have Ah Mo Gae, who is strong and intuitive despite being a servant. He fights for his community in a way that is admirable and respectable. We have Gong Hwa/Nok Soo who is resolute in her actions. She makes mistakes and falls into despair, but I admire how she accepts her actions and takes full ownership of her life. The consistency of her character is something more dramas should take note of. Her character is able to remain true to herself without stagnating in development, to grow without losing her sense of self. Lastly, the people of Ilkhwari are simply amazing and lovable characters. They’re not only badass, but a heartwarming family, especially the scenes when they dote on Uh Ri Ni.

Verdict? Characters are well-written so viewers have a solid grasp on who they are and what they want.

Cast/Acting:

In general, I thought the entire cast was phenomenal. Kim Sang Joon’s amazing performance as Ah Mo Gae and Yoon Kyun Sang’s performance as Hong Gil Dong are just wonderful and unnecessary of explanation; from their first appearances you’ll love them. In this section I’m actually going to highlight 2 of my favorites: Honey Lee and Chae Soo Bin.

We’ll start with my absolute favorite: Honey Lee’s portrayal of Nok Soo. First off, a nod to Honey Lee for her ability to convey deep emotion through a song, a facial expression, and even the mere nuance of what I call “acting within acting.” When Nok Soo is in the palace, she has ulterior motives and lies to the King frequently. Honey Lee is able to maintain a semblance of the Gong Hwa the viewers once knew from the kisaeng parlor, while balancing out the obsequious persona she takes on to appease the king. For me personally, a huge measure of acting quality is the the actor/actress’ ability to ascertain who exactly is the character they are assuming and the ability to maintain it. Therefore, when an actress must act as a character who herself is acting/pretending within the show, the actress’ ability to identify with her character is tested, and Honey Lee’s accomplishment of that was perfect. Honey Lee was a captivating as Gong Hwa in the first half of the drama, but absolutely stunning as the multi-faceted Nok Su of the palace. Beyond acting ability, what surpassed my expectations was her commitment to the role. From her singing to her dancing, Honey Lee pretty much convinced me that she was born for this role. From what I read on Soompi, she apparently rehearsed for three months with traditional dancers in preparation for a drum dance scene. That is commitment to a role.

Next is Chae Soo Bin as Ga Ryung. Now, I have absolutely loved her ever since Sassy Go Go and Love in the Moonlight, and this may be slightly biased since I have prayed to the gods ever since for her to finally snag a leading role. Although I am a big fan of hers, I admittedly kept my expectations low since I’ve only seen her as a second female lead in shows directed towards younger audiences. However, she completely blew me away, especially in the last few episodes.

What I appreciate about Chae Soo Bin is that she’s already got the “cute” vibe nailed as someone who’s a younger actress, a solid articulation of melodramatic expression as someone who’s played an antagonist, and the classic spunky heroine attitude that I knew was residing within her. Ga Ryung is character who is meant to be lovable like a younger sister, but absolutely lethal when it comes to fighting for Gil Dong. I’m convinced that only Chae Soo Bin is the only younger actress that could fit this role both before and after time skips. While most actresses of this generation can certainly pull off Ga Ryung’s cute side, Chae Soo Bin draws upon years of antagonist experience to capture post-time skip Ga Ryung’s more mature demeanor and emotional outbursts. Although I preferred Honey Lee’s performance over hersoverall, she certainly suited the role and is taking a step in the right direction. I’m excited to watch her grow and improve and see what she has in store for her next drama!

Verdict? Even though the male characters drive most the story, the female actresses absolutely shine through their respective characters.

“Oomph” factor:

In every drama, there’s a certain highlight. Something about the drama that makes to squeal out loud, smile fondly, spam the “Next Episode” button, or possibly all of the above. I call this the “oomph” factor. While a drama can be amazing overall, certain aspects really pack a punch. For Rebel, the “oomph” factor is found in the song “If Spring Comes.” There are two versions: one by 62-year old Jeon In Kwon with a folksy sound, and one by spunky pop-traditional fusion singer-songwriter Ahn Ye Eun (who actually wrote the song) with a more upbeat vibe. Whether if it’s setting an action scene or playing during the ending credits, it never fails to get me to raise my hands and scream out loud “MANSAE!” during the chorus. As a huge fan of traditional and older music, I live for this kind of modern take on an old genre of music.

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Substance:

This drama is probably the epitome of why I love period dramas. A setting that is removed from the current era, yet still set in a time that once existed, provides a great framework for both excitement and relatability. The relatability comes from the fact that history often repeats itself, allowing modern messages to work in these settings. The excitement comes from the romanticization of the past often seen in sageuks through sword fighting, class struggles, palace intrigue.

First off, this drama conveys political statements that are clearly very applicable to modern day. Officials that may not necessarily want to harm society ultimately do so while pandering to a tyrannical king in effort to secure their own livelihood. Those who are governed only have power over their ruler when they come together. What is right and what is lawful do not necessarily align; law is dictated by those who have power, while morality is decided by the individual.

This drama nails two ideas: justice and morality. Justice is clearly portrayed throughout all of Gil Dong’s fight with the king. Not much elaboration is necessary when talking about a rebel leader fighting to save innocent lives from a violent king. So next is morality. Morality can often be confused with lawfulness. Law in Joseon is meant to maintain order: punish sin, stay in your lane, and don’t cause trouble. Most people can see the merits in order; however, Hong Chum Ji is breaking order left and right, yet he’s a hero nevertheless. Rebel is able to unambiguously draw a line between law and morals. I also really appreciated how Hong Chum Ji evolved from being a vigilante to an idea. Hong Chum Ji isn’t a single person. Hong Chum Ji is a cause, a fight, and a beacon.

Now for the criticism of substance. Here’s where the villains disappoint. Even though the overall drama wasn’t hindered too much by these lackluster villains, better ones could have taken this drama to the next level. I personally enjoyed unequivocally rooting for Gil Dong and his gang; however a next-level drama would have made the villains more convincing. Yes, I understand the Jo family’s motivation of vengeance and their value of class order. However, they seemed more malicious than complex. Yes, I understand Teacher Song following the teachings of Mencius. However, the disappointing part was when I realized that Teacher Song, while following Mencius, was primarily interested in blatantly grabbing power. They touched upon how he was mocked before, but I wasn’t wholly convinced of his side of the story. As for the King, Kim Ji Suk did a phenomenal job portraying his descent into madness, but the way the character was written didn’t do it for me. I’m not quite sure what exactly was behind his method of cruelty and violence. The villains were mostly one-dimensional (especially the prince), but the drama was still amazing in spite of this.

Music/OST:

10/10. Just listen to it. If Spring Comes is legendary. Ahn Ye Eun is legendary. It’s all so good that you’re practically transported into the drama as soon as you hit play.

Overall Impression: 10/10 stars!

Great drama, probably the best sageuk of the past year. It’s certainly more substantial and well-written than a lot of what’s out there right now. It’s fun, exciting, heart-wrenching, and humorous all throughout, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

#rebel: thief who stole the people #rebel hong gil dong #kdrama #review #kdrama review #mp #drama review #drama

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travisandersondatingblog · 6 years

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Important Dating Advice for Women After Divorce

Life has taken an interesting turn, hasn’t it? One minute you’re married…the next you’re Googling dating advice for women after divorce.

Whatever happened that led you down this path, it’s okay. Whatever pain you’ve been through, you’re now doing well enough emotionally to think about opening up the door again to love.

But even if you’ve healed from your heartbreak and are ready to dip your toes in the dating pool once again, you may be completely and utterly terrified. The landscape looks completely different from what it did when you were last single…and that may have been decades ago.

Dating advice for women after divorce is different than when you were in your 20s.

Let me reassure you: no matter how much insecurity and doubt you have about dating again, you will quickly gain your confidence and get back on the horse once you get the valuable dating advice for women that I’m about to impart.

And who knows? You might even find more benefits to dating now than you did last time around! You might find dating more fun than when you were in your 20s, simply because the pressure to find a husband is off.

But before we dive in, let me explain why this article will be different from other articles boasting dating advice for women: the advice I’m going to give you is specifically targeting you, sweet lady. You don’t need advice on bar hookups, womanscaping, or how to get a guy to propose.

Those topics might be relevant to a never-married 22-year-old, but you’re at a different place in your life.

So this article is written with you and your specific dating questions and concerns in mind. I know you feel vulnerable and unsure of this rocky terrain, but I’ll make it my personal mission to help you navigate it.

Then vs. Now: How Dating Advice for Women Has Changed Since Your 20s

Dating in your 20s seems a million years ago!

So much has changed in the past 10, 20, or 30 years since you were last single. The dating world has changed too, thanks to technology like dating apps and texting. You don’t need the same advice that your 20-year-old self would have wanted…or even your daughter or niece today would want.

Chemistry vs. Reliability

In your 20s, common dating advice would tell women to focus on chemistry, that spark. While certainly, we all seek those fireworks with a member of the opposite sex, sizzle isn’t everything in a relationship. Now that you’ve experienced a bit of life, you know that having a partner you can rely on for the long haul, who will be honest and open with you, is as important — if not moreso — than that chemistry.

There’s also less focus on the physical now that you’ve grown into yourself and understand that there is a man out there who will love your upturned nose and your voluptuous thighs. In your 20s, you had less life experience, so maybe you relied on your youthful good looks to help you find a man. But now that you understand truly that beauty is fleeting, but smarts, personality, and confidence will last forever, it changes how you approach dating.

And it goes both ways; you might be attracted to a bald man with love handles. He may worry that he no longer looks like a young Tom Cruise, but all you see when you look at him is his gentleness and intelligence.

What else do you need?

Bad Boys and Husbands? No More!

In your 20s, you were warned to stay away from bad boys (though you wanted them oh, so much). After being divorced, you may have personal experience in what being in a relationship with a bad boy can do to you…and you’re ready to stay away. So that dating advice for women may not have changed much, but fortunately, as men have grown up, there are (hopefully) fewer bad boys than there were in your 20s.

And back then, the focus for many single women was to find a husband.

Been there. Done that! Over it.

While 70% of divorced people get remarried at some point, that still leaves 30% who don’t, either because they don’t find someone or they don’t want to get married. Many women are reluctant to rush back into marriage after the pain of divorce.

That’s a good thing when it comes to dating, actually. Not having the single-track focus on getting married again gives you the freedom to move slowly as you navigate the dating world, and takes pressure off of a new relationship. Whether you decide to move in together or simply live apart in harmony for decades, do what is best for you.

And of course, you probably didn’t have to navigate the world of dating when you have kids when you were in your 20s. Now they’re a big part of your decision-making when it comes to letting a man into your world. Put them first and foremost in your decision making when it comes to dating.

While dating advice for women may have changed over the decades, it’s your instinct you should rely the most on.

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What Happened to the Good Old-Fashioned Phone Call?

Technology in dating has changed.

The tools of dating have also changed in the past years. Today’s single 20-year-old is adept at using dating apps and texting to meet the man of her dreams. But you? You remember the days of picking up the (corded) phone to check that there was a dial tone when the boy you liked hadn’t called. You’re more accustomed to phone calls than text messages, so you’ll need to ramp up in that department.

Yes, things have changed. You’re not the same person you were when you were young, naive, and hadn’t yet gone through the rollercoaster of a long-term marriage. But you’re older and wiser now, and that will play to your advantage as you start dating again.

The best part about dating in your 40s and beyond? You make up the rules. No longer do you have to feel beholden to the social laws of the jungle that you adhered to when you were younger. Date a much younger man. Date a much older man. Don’t date at all. It’s your call. Whatever makes you happy.

Allow me to offer you real, actionable dating advice for women who are exactly where you are in your life: Reinvented. Renewed. Ready.

Online Dating Advice for Women

Dating apps have changed the name of the game.

You’ve heard all about Tinder, and you want nothing to do with it. And yet you’re frustrated because you don’t have an opportunity to meet a man outside of work and the gym. And you don’t want to go there.

Realize that each dating app (and there are dozens!) caters to a different audience. And yes, Tinder probably isn’t for you…unless you’re looking for a hookup. Match.com and eHarmony tend to attract men and women who are more interested in a long-term relationship, and Coffee Meets Bagel, Bumble, and OKCupid cover the spectrum in between.

What’s the worst that can happen if you give online dating a try?

If nothing else, it gives you the opportunity to practice talking to men and flirting with them. If your interactions with the opposite sex have been arguing with your ex or telling your son to tie his shoes, you might benefit from a little practice in that department.

Start Slow

When it comes to my online dating advice for women after divorce, I say go slow.

While there are many dating apps out there, pick just one to get familiar with how they work. And they’re all different. On Bumble, for example, ladies make the first move, sending a message to a man who reciprocates interest. Other sites let either party initiate the first conversation.

Fill out your profile in detail. While not every man will read what you’ve written, having a detailed profile can at least weed out the ones who do and ensure that only men who fit what you’re looking for actually respond. Some sites like OKCupid have a ton of questions you can answer, all designed to algorithmically help pair you with likely matches.

Choose Your Profile Photos Carefully

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and it’s worth even more on dating apps. Some men will only swipe through your photos before reading your profile (yes, it’s shallow, but you’ll end up doing the same too), so you want to put your best face forward. And take a note from men who do profile pics badly: if you want the impression you make to be that you’re crazy, narcissistic, or just don’t know how to take a good photo, then, by all means, proceed haphazardly.

Otherwise, spend some time flipping through your phone to find those selfies that really make you shine. Or ask a girlfriend to take a few in good, natural light. Aim for a mix of photos, like one of you doing something interesting (hiking), an attractive up-close shot, and maybe one of you with friends.

Avoid photos with your kids in them. Because: creepy.

You don’t want a weirdo looking at them online.

Don’t Invest Too Much in a Conversation

Him: Hey lady. I was drawn to your photo and had to reach out. How are you?

You: Purrrrrr.

It can be an ego-boost when a man sends you a message. And certainly, it can result in a date in a few days or weeks. But realize that most people on dating sites are talking to multiple people at the same time. It’s a numbers game.

The more men you talk to, especially early on, the better you understand what you do and don’t like. One guy might dive into asking you out for coffee before he’s even had a conversation with you.

Nope.

Another might bring up 18 points from your written profile, showing how well he’s paid attention.

Creepy.

Still, another might check in with you every morning, wish you a good day…and then disappear.

Whaaa?

That’s why I encourage you to look at these conversations as a game. These men need to level up to get your real attention. Find one who’s consistent, who delivers witty banter and engages your brain. That’s the one you want to actually meet.

When You Finally Do Meet…

So you’ve found a guy that lights all your senses, at least via text, and he’s asked you out. That’s great! Congratulations.

But again, I say, take it lightly. A guy can look great on paper — or…digital, as it were — but then fall flat in person. Why? Men give it their all when trying to woo a woman via text. Some might assume that if you’ve agreed to meet them, they’ve got it in the bag, and stop putting out so much effort.

Or else there might be no chemistry. That’s not your fault. It’s just how it is.

Let a friend know where and when you’re meeting this guy. (Hey, you can never be too careful.) Agree to meet in a public place. Coffee shops are great first dates because you can meet during the day, there’s no alcohol involved, and there’s little investment if he’s paying and it doesn’t work out (you don’t feel obligated to stick around like you might after a $50 steak dinner.)

If things go well, you can kiss him on the first date…or not. That’s totally your preference.

If you aren’t feeling it, give him a gentle hug, thank him for the date, then skedaddle. You don’t need to lie and make plans for a future date if you don’t want to see him again. If he puts pressure on you, say something like I had a really great time, but for me, the chemistry just isn’t there.

Who can argue with that?

Get Back on the Horse

You will go on many dates if you invest time in online dating. One bad date doesn’t mean you should give up. Get back on the app and keep looking for Mr. Right. If you get frustrated after a series of bad dates (hey, you’re far from alone), then take a break and spend some time by yourself. Look into other ways to meet men, like mixers and meetups. And be patient! Finding a great guy — no matter the channel — takes time. You’ll find him, I promise. Just follow this online dating advice for women, as well as what your gut…and maybe your friends…tell you.

Dating Advice for Women with Kids

When dating with kids, prioritize your children.

So what happens when you have kids and are dabbling in the world of dating?

It’s a whole different ballgame, but one you absolutely can master. Start by really identifying what you want out of dating. Are you looking for a long-term relationship? If so, consider how that will affect your children. Are they emotionally in a place where they can handle knowing that Mommy is dating?

Some women elect not to date or at least get into a serious relationship until their children have graduated high school and left the nest. I don’t know how easy or reasonable that is.

I believe that you need to be happy and whole in all areas of your life, including both family and love. My dating advice for women with kids?

Don’t be afraid to look for love. Just be extra cautious, knowing you’re not the only one this will impact.

Carve Out Dating Time

Because you likely don’t have your children with you 100% of the time now that you’re divorced, you need to prioritize the time you do have with your children. Dating should happen when you don’t have them with you, as much as possible. If you have them every other week, schedule your dates for the weeks you don’t have them with you.

Make it clear to your kids, yourself, and the men you date that your children absolutely come first.

Be Honest…But Don’t Overdivulge

This will depend on the age of your children, as well as their personalities, but I believe you should be open with them about dating. That doesn’t mean you should rush home from a date and gush out all the gory details to your 6-year-old! But you should be able to tell them when you start dating in general, that Mommy is making new friends. And when you start seeing someone with long-term potential, tell them. Just be fairly certain that the relationship is heading somewhere.

Never lie to your kids.

They’re smart, and they’ll figure you out. Then you will lose their trust, and coming after a divorce that rocked their household? That’s the last thing you want.

Skip a Beat Before Introducing Your New Man

You’re excited to have love in your life again. I get it. But before you present your new man like a Christmas present to your offspring…

Pause a moment.

What’s the rush? If this guy is as good as he seems, he will be around in a few weeks or months. Realize that introducing a man to your kids will have a ripple effect, depending on how they take it. They may immediately go on the defensive, thinking you from Meet Positives SM Feed 3 http://ift.tt/2BKVz84 via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Meet Positives SM Feed 3

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fayecallasdatingblog · 6 years

Text

Important Dating Advice for Women After Divorce

Life has taken an interesting turn, hasn’t it? One minute you’re married…the next you’re Googling dating advice for women after divorce.

Whatever happened that led you down this path, it’s okay. Whatever pain you’ve been through, you’re now doing well enough emotionally to think about opening up the door again to love.

Dating advice for women after divorce is different than when you were in your 20s.

Those topics might be relevant to a never-married 22-year-old, but you’re at a different place in your life.

Then vs. Now: How Dating Advice for Women Has Changed Since Your 20s

Dating in your 20s seems a million years ago!

Chemistry vs. Reliability

What else do you need?

Bad Boys and Husbands? No More!

And back then, the focus for many single women was to find a husband.

Been there. Done that! Over it.

While dating advice for women may have changed over the decades, it’s your instinct you should rely the most on.

youtube

What Happened to the Good Old-Fashioned Phone Call?

Technology in dating has changed.

Allow me to offer you real, actionable dating advice for women who are exactly where you are in your life: Reinvented. Renewed. Ready.

Online Dating Advice for Women

Dating apps have changed the name of the game.

What’s the worst that can happen if you give online dating a try?

Start Slow

When it comes to my online dating advice for women after divorce, I say go slow.

Choose Your Profile Photos Carefully

Avoid photos with your kids in them. Because: creepy.

You don’t want a weirdo looking at them online.

Don’t Invest Too Much in a Conversation

Him: Hey lady. I was drawn to your photo and had to reach out. How are you?

You: Purrrrrr.

Nope.

Another might bring up 18 points from your written profile, showing how well he’s paid attention.

Creepy.

Still, another might check in with you every morning, wish you a good day…and then disappear.

Whaaa?

When You Finally Do Meet…

So you’ve found a guy that lights all your senses, at least via text, and he’s asked you out. That’s great! Congratulations.

Or else there might be no chemistry. That’s not your fault. It’s just how it is.

If things go well, you can kiss him on the first date…or not. That’s totally your preference.

Who can argue with that?

Get Back on the Horse

Dating Advice for Women with Kids

When dating with kids, prioritize your children.

So what happens when you have kids and are dabbling in the world of dating?

Some women elect not to date or at least get into a serious relationship until their children have graduated high school and left the nest. I don’t know how easy or reasonable that is.

I believe that you need to be happy and whole in all areas of your life, including both family and love. My dating advice for women with kids?

Don’t be afraid to look for love. Just be extra cautious, knowing you’re not the only one this will impact.

Carve Out Dating Time

Make it clear to your kids, yourself, and the men you date that your children absolutely come first.

Be Honest…But Don’t Overdivulge

Never lie to your kids.

They’re smart, and they’ll figure you out. Then you will lose their trust, and coming after a divorce that rocked their household? That’s the last thing you want.

Skip a Beat Before Introducing Your New Man

You’re excited to have love in your life again. I get it. But before you present your new man like a Christmas present to your offspring…

Pause a moment.

#IFTTT #Meet Positives SM Feed

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recentanimenews · 6 years

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AnimePalette's Guide to Fall 2017

This article is cross-posted with the permission of AnimePalette that does not reflect the opinion or values of Crunchyroll

The chart is meant to be a compact tool to quickly pick the shows you might be interested in. The longer reviews below were written by a few friends of mine from the 2016 /r/Anime Awards jury, who frankly who have been helping me out with the charts for quite some time now.

The Ancient Magus' Bride The show to watch. Maybe not the best of the season (critics will give that to Land of the Lustrous, Girls' Last Tour, or one of the sequels), but certainly the best compromise between quality and accessibility.

Magus Bride starts out like a shoujo cliche - a frail, sensitive girl, troubled by life, gets rescued by a gentle, mysterious individual. One might question the relationship (words "Stockholm Syndrome" are bound to appear), and such unhealthy relationships are kind of a plague in fiction written for girls - but this is not as much of a problem as it might appear to be. Whatever your questions or problems are, the show will address them, and will not let them go as easily. However, the romance element is in the background, as the show's main strength is the breathtaking journey into the world of magic and fantasy. Magus Bride manages to enchant the audience with a world, cast, and visuals that never fail to cause the sense of wonder and amazement.

Let it bewitch you. If you're a fan of Mushishi or Natsume's Book of Friends, this is most certainly a must-watch. [lukeatlook] Land of the Lustrous A true hidden gem of the season, Land of the Lustrous finds it hard to shine in the shadow of Anime Strike’s truly outrageous double paywall as well as being ignored or even straight up called “awful” by prominent voices in the anime community. However, this show is hardly the type to fracture under stress, as so far each episode has delivered a landslide of interesting character interactions and solid animation. That isn’t to say Land of the Lustrous is a perfectly cut gem - the low frame rate and lighting effects can sometimes be jarring to those sensitive to unpolished frames. However, this diamond in the rough is a jewel of a show and has left me glassy-eyed and over the moon with how it’s shattered my expectations for CGI anime. While it’s certainly not perfect, I would adamantly recommend everyone give this show a shot. [Pandavenger] Land of the Lustrous is an adaptation of a fairly esoteric manga with the same title, about a group of androgynous immortal gems that inhabit a small island in a (post-)post-apocalyptic world, while defending themselves from the Lunarians who want to take them to the Moon and make jewelry out of them. Such simplicity in premise and setting, while leaving many questions to be answered, allows the focus to be put on the dynamics of our long-lived characters, who day by day face the existential horror of being immortal beings, by questioning the meaning and value of their existence and fulfilling their small but meaningful roles constantly. Through the eyes of Phos, our clumsy but good-willed and charismatic protagonist, we slowly get to discover the nuances and tensions of these relationships, as well as slowly get to know more and more about the current state of their world.

The series features excellent comedic timing, and balances both its lighter and more dramatic chords competently, managing to capture at least a fraction of the bittersweet melancholy its source material presents, helped by a brilliantly composed and utilized OST featuring subtle percussion, with piano and strings being at the front. The choice of getting this adapted by a CGI studio like Orange is a good one, given the fast-paced action and intensity of movement the manga has, since CGI animation allows to make this kind of action look consistently good with extra technical freedoms, which is also the staff’s specialty in this case.

Definitely recommended for those looking for something out of the norm in terms of presentation, don’t mind lack of a clear-cut plot direction, and want a more world/character focused show. [Karmic_thread]

Kino's Journey -The Beautiful World- Kino’s Journey is a show of two parts - first, there is the titular journey to a multitude of culturally, politically, technologically unique and diverse nations (more like city-states), which serve as a setup for hypothetical thought experiment showcasing a philosophical dilemma. In essence, they act as parables and you view this via the lens of the second part of the title, Kino, who’s a biased but non-judgemental protagonist with a moral code that allows you to come to your own conclusions about the actions of both parties in any given episode. That’s the core appeal of the show, really: it forces you to interact with the stories it puts forth, leaving you in deep thought about the core moral issues at play in a wide array of contexts. It engages you, yet lets you choose your own way, accepting any answer that you present it as truly yours and thus worthwhile - and that’s honestly a pretty rare thing in media.

On a side note, given the inherent nature of the show, it’s a totally episodic affair, and this new adaptation is trying to appeal to both fans of the old series, by adapting mostly new stories, as well as newcomers to the franchise by readapting the 3 stories that are crucial to understanding Kino’s unique viewpoint. Considering this, I’d highly suggest you check out the 2003 series if you have the time, as while this new show is pretty good, it stands nowhere near the level of the original, in terms of not only the presentation of the material but even the content of the material they have adapted, at least thus far. [AdiMG]

Girls' Last Tour "Wow, is this like Made in Abyss"? Eh, not really. But the comparison is fair - little kids adventuring into a dangerous and unknown world sounds familiar, right? However, I believe this is where the similarities end, as Girls' Last Tour is much more of a slice of life before anything else. Even though the setting is terrifying (a presumably post-apocalyptic world, with no human civilizations in sight), the focus of the show lies in the interactions between the main duo, Yuuri and Chito, and those tend to be light-hearted with a tendency to the cute and/or funny side. Despite the focus, Girl's Last Tour still approaches subjects common in any post-apocalyptic story, such as the meaning of existence and the value of weapons in comparison to food and other resources. Still, even when dealing with such matters, Girls' Last Tour tends to take a positive view on it, leaving the depressive storytelling for other shows. Rarely do you find a tale that handles themes like these this way, but more importantly you not often find anime that use their setting as well as Girls' Last Tour does, utilizing a rich and detailed worldbuilding to tie in amazingly well with the characters and their way of life, resulting in a beautifully developed canvas for the plot to take place in.

It is, of course, possible that at some point this light-hearted approach to a presumably hostile environment will change, after all a theoretical threat is present and it could cause Yuu and Chii some degree of suffering in their future, frankly though, I doubt we will ever get to such point. You can probably watch this and expect nothing more than smile-inducing moments, beautiful backgrounds and exploration, and the occasional philosophical question.

Overall, Girls' Last Tour has so far introduced us to a mysterious and intriguing world, a couple of main characters with great comedic and dramatic chemistry with each other, and a narrative that might go in several different directions, making the viewer as curious as the girls themselves to what the future holds for them. If you are a fan of unique slice of life shows don’t miss out on this one. Oh, and it has one of the best OP and EDs of the season. [Patureau]

JUNI TAISEN: ZODIAC WAR There have been some new battle royale anime in recent times, most noteworthy the oh-so-popular Fate series, but here we have another challenger entering the fray with Juni Taisen. The rules of this clash is a simple ”last man standing” deathmatch with all the participants more-or-less content with that. The show managed to make the characters interesting and relatable by delivering backstory for one of them each episode.

The animation and choreography, especially in the fight scenes, are great. For the fans of action series, this show is pretty much a must-watch. And while you can criticize whatever flaws it has, it's indubitably the least bad edgy action show this season has to offer. [MilanY]

GARO -VANISHING LINE-

There are numerous shows centered around a superpowered protagonist fighting monsters. The newest addition of Garo takes this seemingly simple format and turns the action up to 11. While the two previous iterations of Garo occasionally shied away from the exciting fights, Vanishing Line absolutely revels in it. Set in the fictional town of Russel City, the show follows our battle-hungry protagonist as he fights monsters known as Horrors while searching for the truth behind the words “El Dorado”. Are you a fan of incredibly well-animated action fights? Complete balls to the walls action sequences with entertaining characters? A fresh MC who's virile and joyous? Then Garo -Vanishing Line- is definitely the show for you.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Although Vanishing Line is the third installment of the Garo anime-series, it is not a sequel. All three series are completely standalone, and there is no preference to watch any installment before or after another. Each series also has a dramatically different tone and atmosphere, making it closer to three completely different shows. [Vaxivop]

Just Because!

Dozens of school slice of life shows come out each year that try to stand out among the others by using all kinds of quirks carrying from revenge plots to age pills, but usually failing to stand out in the most core parts of slice of life. Just Because!, on the other hand manages to shine above most other school slice of life shows we’ve seen this year while staying true to the core fundamentals of the genre: Characters living their ordinary lives. Just Because! manages to have some of the most interesting, entertaining and charming slice of life characters of the year while still keeping everything simple. The show has a very good grasp on the ‘simplicity’ of its setting and manages to use that combined with strong production to make the show feel genuine, human and true to life. The driving force behind the show is the friendships and romances blooming between the cast but the show never overplays them for cheap drama.

Overall Just Because! is a show worth checking out for any fan of character-driven light slice of life shows with a mild focus on romance. It’s not much more than that, but it’s damn good at what it is.

[DoctorWhoops]

Recovery of an MMO Junkie

Seemingly just another MMO focused romantic comedy, MMO Junkie is a pleasant surprise of the season, showing charm in many aspects, and providing the viewer with a mostly pleasant experience. The plot follows Moriko Morioka, a 30-year-old woman who willingly quits her job to become a NEET and play computer games all day long. Here we can already see one of MMO Junkie's main appeal, its unusual main character. While the NEET MMO player is a trope overused at this point, a relatively old woman who fits the description is something new, and thankfully it does not fail to deliver an interesting approach to this type of character. Morioka’s funny/sweet’ reactions and thoughts are the main driving force of MMO Junkie, making all the usual MMO tropes a lot more bearable.

But that's not all MMO Junkie has going for it, the romance between Morioka and her in-game guildmate is surprisingly well done by this point. Both characters have been making rational logical decisions (not much Misunderstandings! here) and their relationship has been progressing in a nice, believable pace. Now the show is set to have 10 episodes only, so it is hard to assume such development will maintain such qualities until the end, but it's a possibility.

In the end MMO Junkie is a nice romantic comedy that does not rely on fanservice to get the viewers attention, instead it showcases a (mostly) mature relationship between two adults with constants modern gaming references, like gacha mechanics, and it's certainly worth a try for anyone looking for a decent romantic comedy.

[Patureau]

BLEND-S

Welcome to the meme town - Blend-S hits off with the inherently most memetic opening of the season, creating fertile ground for dozens of parodies. The anime features a cast of characters working in a maid cafe. Unlike typical "cute girls doing cute things" shows, it's not all cute girls - there's male characters, too, which makes the whole ordeal a bit akin to Working!!. Certainly a positive change in cast dynamics, because it's still a "cute girls doing cute things" at heart, with girls standing firmly in the foreground.

It's a simple idea, really - in this maid cafe, the girls embody several popular anime archetypes - the tsundere, the imouto, the idol, the sadist, the older sister... thing is, none of the girls are anything like the characters they're supposed to play. Their real personalities are far, far away from the ones they act as - which creates a simple yet effective vibrancy of the cast.

Watch this if you're looking for the most upbeat comedy of the season.

[lukeatlook]

A Sister's All You Need

There was a AnimeMaru article once, titled “Eromanga-sensei’s Author No Longer On Speaking Terms With His Sister”, which was a satire on the works of the infamous author of OreImo. This show, in particular, seems to follow the exact same joke - by portraying a character who lives off writing light novels featuring the incest romance taboo - in a cynical manner that Watari’s Oregairu and Gi(a)rlish’s Number would be proud of.

At this point, it doesn’t even surprise me that the most upvoted reactions of the community are the ridiculously blatant lewd jokes. The irony is not lost on them - we’re just horrible people and this show knows it. The first few minutes are what you'd call a "normie filter", and hopefully you're expected to be on the verge of dropping the show there. Otherwise, I fear for you.

Watch this if you liked Eromanga-sensei. Watch this if you hated Eromanga-sensei. [lukeatlook]

INUYASHIKI

The opening 10 minutes or so are some of the most gut-wrenching scenes this season has to offer. I don't think we've seen a protagonist that shat on by life in a good while.

Inuyashiki is most probably going to be a complete adaptation, which is already great news, of a somewhat popular or at least acclaimed manga. Animated by MAPPA, with OP from MAN WITH A MISSION (this time not as memetic as the legendary Database), this is a solid piece of anime with an odd taste of CGI that you simply need to get used to. [lukeatlook]

KONOHANA KITAN

Do you like Hanasaku Iroha? Do you wish it had fox girls and yuri vibes? Look no further, Konohana Kitan is the anime for you! The story follows young and adorable Yuzu as she moves into the Konohana Inn and starts working there while interacting with a cast of lovable youkai, ranging from a Kanna-esque little girl to a tsundere-ish black haired beauty, these are all likeable characters, even though they don't have the most original templates, through good comedic timing and decent writing one can grow attached to them rather quickly… and by the way, there is a Saber with fox ears.

Konohana Kitan is one of the best slice of life series of the season but, despite being the trademark of the genre, comfy relaxing moments isn't all it offers, even though these are abundant, Konohana also brings in some quality tidbits of possible romance between the girls and some genuine heartfelt moments, wrapping all that up with a great atmosphere of Japanese culture, presenting interesting references to religion and customs of old age Japan. Also, did I mention it has a fox-eared Saber? [Patureau]

URAHARA

Urahara is definitely one of the most controversial shows of the season. Despite the fact that the show sits at a very meager 5.29 on MAL, it is garnering praise and attention in specific circles. With the unconventional (yet gorgeous) style and plenty of quirks and absurdities, the show hasn’t left the best impression on most people because it’s quite difficult to get into. However, I think despite this I think it’s a show that really has to be checked out.

The visual style is bright, expressive, and beautifully comes together with other elements of the show like characters, setting and narrative to create a very complete picture of how the show and world express themselves, and the more you watch of it the more it builds upon itself. The character interaction is charming and entertaining and also a has a very distinct style to it. The music is one of the better if not one of the best soundtracks of the season and all these parts come together to create something unique and highly engaging if you take the time to get used to it.

Of course, it might not work for you, but it’s definitely worth the try. If you get into it, it’s an incredibly unique and highly entertaining show to watch. I won’t call it a ‘must watch’, but definitely a ‘must try’. [DoctorWhoops]

My Girlfriend is a Shobitch

Remember My First Girlfriend is a Gal from the last season? If you take that and dial the lewdness waaayyy down, you get Shobitch. The side characters, although mostly one-dimensional, seem much more mature in regards to how they react to relationships. While the show is still chock full of sex-jokes and one-liners, it forgoes the panty shots (mostly) for a bit more of an innocent atmosphere. This overall results in a much less frustrating watch, at least for me. It feels more like Seitokai Yakuindomo in regards to its humor, as opposed to a raunchy ecchi-comedy. While it’s certainly still a “trashy” show to watch, it’s certainly not awful. not to mention we get to hear the wonderful voice of Aoi Yuuki talk about sex positions.

If you like slightly more innocent sex humor, give this a shot. If you’re specifically looking for a show full of ecchi tropes, this show might not be for you. It’s certainly a fun show to sit down and watch after a long Wednesday. [Pandavenger]

Anime-Gataris

Something something Monogatari watch order joke. So far, I haven’t been impressed with Animegataris and I genuinely thought I was going to like it. The character designs are cute and interesting and the surrealness of the talking cat and beret still have me intrigued, but the episodes are a drag to sit through. While many can certainly appreciate and even laugh at some of the references in the show, it feels like it has no soul. The characters we’re supposed to relate and empathize with are just caricatures of each subsect of the anime community and, as a result, all they feel like are characters reading out a script. Credit where it’s due though, some of the references made have been very on point, and the meta-ness of the third episode, where the characters literally talk about the show getting dropped if nothing happens in the third episode only for nothing significant to happen, could potentially pay off if the rest of the show executes on it.

The first three episodes haven’t left a positive impression, but there’s plenty of screenshot and meme fodder here, and the premise and set-up is still very intriguing. If a (potentially surreal) show about the adventures of joining an Anime Club with a bunch of uber-weebs interests you, give this show a shot. [Pandavenger]

Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~

Straight women and gay men rejoice! We have another cute boys series besides Free! that isn’t complete garbage! Following a ragtag group of bishonen versions of famous fictional characters such as Arsene Lupin, Frankenstein, and Van Helsing, Code: Realize centers around a girl named Cardia who disintegrates anything she touches. This superpowered gal is taken by our previously mentioned squad in order to keep her away from a dastardly secret organization who plans to use the relic replacing her heart in a terrorist attack.

Overall, the show doesn’t do anything special but is still very enjoyable. An interesting steampunk Victorian London setting, fun characters, and a plot that at the very least makes sure something exciting is happening keep the show afloat. Perfect for casual viewing, but nothing more. [chrispy294]

Love Is Like A Cocktail

There’s not much to say about this. Each week is a 3-minute clip into the life of a complete lightweight whose husband loves to get her drunk (and who can blame him? Drunk anime girls are C U T E!) There’s a short recipe for each cocktail at the end of each episode as well. Watch this if you enjoy drinking cocktails, want a new recipe to impress your weeb friends, like drunk and/or adult anime girls, or just have 3 minutes to kill each week. [Pandavenger]

TWO CAR

From the studio that brought you beloved shows like Tanaka-kun is Always Listless and Kokoro Connect comes their 10th-anniversary celebration show about sidecar racing that no one asked for.

I have no idea why a studio that usually makes romances and comedies would do a racing show, but I guess they thought it would be a great idea! Somehow, beyond all believable doubt, they managed to suck all the excitement and tension out of racing. Pair that with poor animation, rough art, and annoyingly bad characters, and you have a mess of a show worth no one’s time. Unless you like staring at CGI anime girl butts as they go around a curve? [chrispy294]

Black Clover

Have you ever been watching anime and had the sudden urge to listen to something that’ll make your ears bleed? Well then, Black Clover is perfect for you! With an amateur voice actor, poor direction, and an obnoxious shounen MC cliche, this anime is perfect for all your deafening needs.

Horrible voice for the MC aside, Black Clover otherwise isn’t much more than another mediocre shonen battle anime. If you like Naruto and want a fantasy version that doesn’t even reach the low bar set by the long-running series, then maybe you’ll like Black Clover. For everyone else, the shallow characterization, bland storytelling, and overabundance of poorly-used tropes probably won’t do it for you.

[chrispy294]

King's Game

What do you get when you cross-breed Mirai Nikki, Mayoiga, and Another? Well, I’m not sure what it is but it’s called King's Game and goddamn is it entertaining. Combining the worst elements of all three shows and wrapping it up in a whole lot of awful writing, this show becomes something so hilariously bad that it reaches levels only rivaled by the unintended comedy classic Garzey’s Wing.

The show follows a class of students being forced into a death game by a weirdly fetishistic almighty being called the ‘king’. The King forces them to do a variety of unusually sexual tasks that vary from licking each other’s feet, to forcing characters to have sex. All these tasks have to be obeyed to avoid a cruel punishment which usually ends up being a violent and bloody death only matched by Another in its ridiculousness. If you think you’ve got the jist of just how silly and ridiculous this show gets, then prepare to have your expectations blown away as every time you think you’ve seen the worst the show can offer it manages to pull a brand new beautiful disaster out of nowhere. If you love a good shitwatch, or want a beautiful example of just how low Anime can get then Ousama Game has got you covered, probably much more than you bargained for. [DoctorWhoops]

EVIL OR LIVE

A strong contender for the "least watchable", "most edgy", and "unintentionally funny" awards. If you're puzzled by how silly the title sounds, the entire show is exactly like it. Watch only if you want an experience you'll get to share with fewest other people possible. [lukeatlook]

Dies irae

Ever since Saga of Tanya the Evil, the community has had a hankering for some good (but, also not good) evil Nazi anime girls. Dies irae tries to cash in on that demand, but with an emphasis on “tries.” The prologue episode was confusing and impossible to follow and, while the following episodes were better, it wasn’t significant enough to convince me to continue watching.

The show itself is a mess, and while I am assured by the visual novel readers that it will get better (and in their defense it does appear to be very critically acclaimed), I think I can see myself more likely to sit down and play the VN rather than continue watching the show. I’m 100% sure clicking through the VN would be infinitely less boring than sitting through the anime. The music is pretty epic and that’s about it. If you like the character designs or the premise of the show, I would say that you should keep watching in case it does get better. It’s certainly not anything I would recommend anyone pick up, although I think I might check out the free common route on Steam. [Pandavenger]

Welcome to the Ballroom

Adapted from a critically-acclaimed and successful manga, Welcome to the Ballroom comes in as easily one of the best and highly-anticipated shows of the season.

The focus of the story lies in our young protagonist who only just finds out about the wonderful world of dancing and gets dragged into a dancing school. The show explores themes of rivalry, competition, and talent like you’d expect from sports anime with finesse and great writing, but on top of that manages to be an incredible story of overcoming anxiety, finding your passion, and opening up which is told through the awkward but dedicated main character. On top of that, the show has lots of fun characters like the many rivals and some of the dance partners Tatara meets in his career from zero to hero.

Don’t be scared off by the fact that this is about dancing, because Welcome to the Ballroom is one of the most well-written and highly enjoyable shows of the season that shouldn’t be missed out on. [DoctorWhoops]

MAGICAL CIRCLE GURU-GURU

Hailed by plenty of avid anime fans as the "hidden gem of the season" this renewed adaptation of an old '90s manga holds up as one of the more interesting watches this far down the list.

The show tells the story of a young and incredibly smug hero and his adorably bubbly magician travel companion, who set off to defeat the demon-kin in a quirky RPG style comedy story. And with RPG style I mean that quite literally, with 8bit text boxes showing up on screen and the show often resorting to classic elements and tropes. The show is filled with a silly but incredibly fun style of comedy that makes it a great watch. The old style is there, but it holds up, and the show’s humor doesn’t feel outdated. If an old-school JRPG comedy with a totally unique style sounds like your thing, you can’t miss out on this. [DoctorWhoops]

Altair: A Record of Battles

Turns out that when you write a Middle East historical drama from the Far East perspective, there's more than enough interesting cultural groups in what's modern Turkey alone and the European perspective goes out of the window.

That means there's no DEUS VULT memes, but it's alright as a political drama. Nothing to write home about, but if you're a fan of the genre, go ahead and give it a try. [lukeatlook]

Food Wars! Third Plate

Boobs! Foodgasms! Hype! Asses! Epic Soundtrack! More Boobs!

Yeah, you know the drill and, if you don't, do yourself a favor and go back and watch the first seasons. Just don't be too sad when the animation quality drops for this season, because it does. But hey, maybe it will improve again later on. [Patureau]

March comes in like a lion

This show can’t save anime, anime can only… wait shit, wrong Shaft show. In the newest installment of Homura-chan did nothing wrong… wait fuck, that’s not right either. Which one is this again? Oh yeah, more shogi with plenty of Shinboisms! So 3-gatsu no Lion is back and, of course, it’s as beautifully powerful as ever. Directly continuing from the ending of season 1 this season approaches one of the most highly anticipated arcs of the manga. Anyone who liked season 1 cannot miss out on possibly the best sequel of the year. [chrispy294 & DoctorWhoops]

Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond

When Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond was announced, a lot of fans were understandably worried that it wouldn’t live up to the previous season, given the director change. Luckily, there was no need to worry. The second season of BBB is as strong as ever, this time seemingly focusing more on the rest of the cast instead of the first season's heavy focus on Leonard, Black, and White (the latter two being anime original). All its charms, all its wacky nonsense, and all its over the top action is retained and if you liked the first season, then you will definitely not be disappointed in Beyond. [Vaxivop]

Osomatsu-san

Probably the least noob-friendly show of this season, wildly popular in Japan - a successful remake of a cult classic cartoon. If you "get" the Japanese humor, this might be the pinnacle of it. [lukeatlook]

Himouto! Umaru-chan R

Surprisingly enough, a genuine improvement upon the first season. R changed focus from Umaru being a spoiled little ball of hate to her learning to be a normal human being and having fun with her friends. It’s still not great, but it’s much less annoying.

[lukeatlook]

Yuki Yuna is a Hero

Last but not least, the second season to what I like to call the milestone of post-Madoka magical girl anime. Watch the first season to understand why. It's got the punching kickass action from Symphogear, the melancholic mood of Madoka (just with acid trip dimensions being colorful instead of creepy) and the upbeat joy of cute girls doing cute things slice of life - all in a mix that acknowledges its predecessors and plays with the audience's expectations for the story.

The second season is... weird. Half is a prequel, based on a light novel that was published alongside the first season, and it was already released in a movie version. Second half, however, is a sequel, with no source material to speak of, so let's just say the fans are pretty fired up for that one.

In Japan it sold pretty well (we're talking top 2 of the season), hence the continued development of this multi-media franchise. The confusing release made it look pretty niche and forgotten in the West, but it's certainly a show with a dedicated fanbase. Taking just the production values at face value, it's got the character designer of Sword Art Online, the composers of NieR:Automata, and... well, the scriptwriter is the mangaka of Akame ga Kill, but hey, it's all renowned titles.

Give it a shot. Everything's gonna be daijoubu.

[lukeatlook]

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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thedivinenudge · 7 years

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MONTH OF February

You're a force to be reckoned with on your own, Leo—but is it getting a little lonely at the top? Come join the other hunters and gatherers out on the savannah, Lion. All month, the Sun (your celestial guardian) is blazing through the most relationship-driven parts of your chart, reminding you how much of a tribal creature you are! Until February 18, el Sol is in Aquarius, your seventh house of committed partnerships and equality. In business and romance, you could link up with complementary souls to create win-win scenarios in boardrooms AND bedrooms. Or maybe your life will become one extended remix of the Women's March, as you push for parity in unbalanced areas. Don your metaphorical pink hat (or your actual one—all you knitters worked too hard for this to be a one-day fashion statement) and speak up!

Not surprisingly, you'll have plenty to say (because, well, #Leo), since all month long fiery Mars is in Aries and your outspoken, visionary ninth house. Skip the petty small talk and dive into your world-changing ideas. You're hungry for knowledge, making this a great time to take a class or book some long-distance travel. Devour wisdom wherever you find it, and share your own enlightened views. Write, speak, teach, post, publish. During this high-minded transit, you have a rare bird's-eye view of the world—and this perspective is sorely needed now. How can you help people rise above in-fighting to see a greater common mission? Be careful not to take on TOO much. With impatient Mars in your ninth house of excess, you can easily bite off more than you can chew.

Another reason to pace yourself? From February 6 to June 9, expansive Jupiter spins retrograde (www.astrostyle.com/learn-astrology/retrogrades) in Libra and your third house of communication. Take a mental break and ease up on the multitasking. Some of your best ideas are getting short shrift because you've spread yourself too thin. You could pick up a sidelined writing project or reconnect with friends you've been missing. Since the third house rules neighborhoods, you might explore options for a move—to a different part of town OR a different city. Retrogrades are best for information-gathering and research, NOT for hasty actions. Iron out the kinks with a sibling or friend if things have been strained between you.

Jupiter has been in Libra since September 9, 2016, and will remain there until October 10, 2017. This short pause will give you a chance to catch your breath and make necessary course corrections before charging ahead again this summer. Give yourself a break if you're on social media overload—unplug and turn your attention elsewhere. Finish that novel, build that blog, revamp your personal branding. You'll be back with a vengeance in June, making a splash in true Leo form!

Of course, you won't be able to fly TOO far under the radar. Jupiter and disruptive Uranus will travel in close opposition (www.astrostyle.com/aspects/opposite) all month, making an exact faceoff on March 2. With Jupiter in your expressive third house and Uranus in your outspoken ninth house, your words could shake things up—but they can also come back to bite you. Translation: Use them powerfully and mindfully!

A Jupiter-Uranus opposition only occurs every 14 years—and we'll experience three of them in this cycle (the first was on December 26, 2016, and the last will be September 28). This revolutionary phase could tempt you to burn bridges, scorching the earth with words you can't take back. But like fellow Leo Madonna dropping the f-bomb on the National Mall, you might not care. Just be mindful when using shock tactics this month, because they can have a stronger impact than you expect. You might get news that shakes up the status quo or opens your eyes to a whole new perspective. Stay open, Leo—and suspend judgment until you have the full story.

The headline news arrives on February 10, with a full moon lunar eclipse in…Leo! Brace yourself for a major turning point as this game-changing spotlight shines directly on you. This is the launch of a two-year eclipse series that will fall on the Leo/Aquarius axis between now and January 2019. This will revolutionize your first house of self and your seventh house of relationships, recalibrating the balance between "me" and "we." Over the next couple years your closest ties may evolve dramatically, and you could earn recognition for a solo project. You might be offered an exciting contract or partnership—one that puts you squarely in the public eye.

Of course, eclipses aren't always a soft landing. This one could sweep away a situation that no longer serves you, clearing the path for a big reinvention. If you've been toning down your personality, consider this your cosmic coming-out party. Ready or not, it's time to walk your talk! Need some firsthand encouragement? Check out life coach Lois Barth's new book Courage to Sparkle (http://astore.amazon.com/astrostyle-20/detail/1628653051), a playful but practical guide to being your own champion. The last time there were eclipses in Leo was 2008-09, so reflect on changes that occurred then. You may see similar themes emerging.

A second eclipse arrives on February 26, this one a solar (new moon) eclipse in Pisces and your eighth house of intimacy and investments. It's the grand finale of a Virgo/Pisces eclipse series that's been revolutionizing your finances, self-confidence and emotional bonds since March 2015. Today kicks off a six-month cycle that helps you set your GPS for prosperity, perhaps with a joint venture. It can pave the way for an engagement, a pregnancy or some other major move in your personal life. The eighth house plays for keeps, and the past couple years have been preparing you to pledge your allegiance to a person or cause. We realize that sounds a little intense, but when you direct your energy like a laser, you become a magnet for miracles. So let this eclipse sharpen your focus, Leo—then get ready to manifest!

LOVE & ROMANCE:

Love could take on a new demeanor this month, as romantic Venus and sexy Mars blaze through Aries and your expansive ninth house. Forget about the same old same old: It's time to move past the familiar and open your mind to new types. A cross-cultural connection could bring sizzling chemistry, or you could meet someone intriguing while traveling. If you're in a relationship, this is the perfect month for a mid-winter getaway, perhaps as a Valentine's Day gift to yourselves.

With the love planets in your outspoken ninth house, honesty is a turn-on. For coupled Leos, this could mean sharing your desires and getting experimental behind closed doors. Or you could use this authentic cycle to clear the air about something that's been frustrating you. Single? A long-distance relationship has a certain appeal, or maybe you'll savor your freedom. Why not sample all the options before you "settle down? Either way, all Lions will need room to roam. If things have gotten a little TOO close for comfort, mix it up by reviving your independent spirit. Under these stars, you answer to nobody!

Opportunity Days: February 7-25: Mercury in Aquarius Time to make it official? Not without some negotiation. With expressive Mercury in your partnership house, it's time to clarify your commitments. If you're in a relationship, what are the unspoken assumptions you're both operating under? Maybe your comfort zones don't begin and end at the same place, so discuss that openly. A long-simmering relationship prospect could heat up for single Leos. This is a perfect opportunity to verbalize what you want in a partner—or write it down in your journal. For contented couples, there could be talk of moving to the next level. Time to put a ring on it this Valentine's Day?

February 11: Sun-Jupiter trine Another great day for deep discussion arrives, as the courageous Sun and outspoken Jupiter unite in your relationship houses. You'll be able to express yourself in a way that inspires your S.O. or love interest. Put your real feelings out there and listen to theirs. Single? Your colorful personality could catch the attention of an intriguing admirer, either online or in-person. Thought you wouldn't have a date for Valentine's Day? Guess again! By speaking in a positive and unapologetic way, you'll attract people who are on the same wavelength. Not that you should be afraid of disagreement. In fact, you might just welcome it as a fascinating glimpse into a refreshingly unique way of thinking. Vive la difference!

February 14: Valentine's Day V-Day getaway? With the love planets tag-teaming it in your long-distance-travel zone, jetting out of city limits could make for a magical celebration on Cupid's big day. But since it falls during the workweek, you might have to settle for a sexy staycation or doing something a little more "exotic" within city limits. Luckily, sultry Mars and expansive Jupiter are together in your third house of local events, helping you get creative in your own backyard. Given the day's emphasis on learning, how about taking a cooking class or couples' massage workshop? If you're single, gather your friends for an evening of pub-crawling, paint-and-sips or sampling the chef's tasting menu? The emphasis is more on adventure than romance—freedom is a turn-on!

February 25-March 13: Mercury in Pisces You want to do WHAT? Messenger Mercury blazes into your erotic eighth house, turning up the heat and inspiring a little "dirty talk." Confess a desire, send a sexy Snapchat or get honest about your most intimate feelings. If you're healing from a breakup, this is a great time to deep-dive into your psychological patterns, processing any hurts from the past. Caution: You can get a little obsessive or jealous now, so check yourself if you start to fixate! Couples might discuss permanent merging, like buying a home or combining your finances.

February 26: Pisces new moon & solar eclipse There's nothing light about today's emotional climate, as the Pisces solar eclipse ignites your eighth house of sex, intimacy and intense emotions. If you've been on the fence about commitment, this new moon can offer a burst of clarity—and the guts to say "yes" if your gut gives you the green light. A searing soulmate attraction could come seemingly out of nowhere, so stay alert! For some Leos, this eclipse could bring a key exchange or surprise pregnancy.

Challenge Days: February 27: Mars conjunct Uranus in Aries Honesty can be refreshing—or it can be brutal. Today, yours might fall into the latter camp as hotheaded Mars and rash Uranus unite in Aries and your communication house. If you can't say something nice, Leo, it's best you don't speak at all. But hindsight may be 20/20 as these impulsive planets could find you spouting off or pressing "post" before you can take it back. Remember, the Internet has a looooong memory, so if you have even the faintest doubt about whether to say THAT in public—don't!

MONEY & CAREER:

Partner up for prosperity! All month the energizing Sun is moving through your collaboration zones, making February prime time for sealing some promising deals. Until February 18, the Sun is in Aquarius and your seventh house of contracts, followed by a month-long stint in Pisces and your eighth house of real estate and joint ventures. While you're an excellent self-starter, at a certain point even you fizzle out if you don't get support. Apply the rule of "greater than or equal to"—in other words, team up with people whose skills either match or surpass your own. After all, great leaders cultivate leadership in others. Together, you'll rise!

Extend your search parameters while you're at it. Go-getter Mars is in Aries and your worldly ninth house all month, which can bring exciting connections from afar. Cast a wide net if you're job searching, and put yourself out there boldly. This is no time to tone down your fierce opinions—especially at the February 10 Leo lunar eclipse—so take a bold risk. The ninth house rules entrepreneurship, travel and learning. Under the red planet's reign, you could be inspired to launch a startup venture or spread a message through publishing or media. Whatever platform you choose, don't water things down. You'll stand out from the pack by speaking your truth and teaming up with people from diverse backgrounds around a common cause.

What's a Leo to do with all this mojo swirling around? Plant your high-waisted jeans down at the negotiating table and make your big ask, that's what! Thanks to motivated Mars, you might request more than you think you can get—only to be stunned when they say "yes" without batting an eye. Is it possible you've been underestimating yourself, Leo? If so, we recommend TheDailyWorth.com founder Amanda Steinberg's new book Worth It: Your Life, Your Money, Your Terms (http://astore.amazon.com/astrostyle-20/detail/150114099X) to uncover the psychological reasons you might be blocking abundance.

Opportunity Days:

February 7-25: Mercury in Aquarius Don't hate; negotiate! With expressive Mercury in your seventh house of partnerships, this is a stellar time to hash out the terms of a deal or contract. Reach out to your network: A close friend or possibly your S.O. could open doors. If an important alliance has hit a rocky patch, restore balance by talking things out.

February 10: Leo full moon & lunar eclipse This is YOUR moment, Leo—so own it! A game-changing lunar eclipse blasts into Leo, pushing you and/or a personal project onto center stage. With radical Uranus forming a helpful trine to the moon, you may shock a few people with your forthrightness. However, your bold approach should work in your favor. As fellow Leo Mae West famously said, "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful." So turn up the volume on that legendary roar of yours. If it scares a few skittish gazelles away, that just means they're not tough enough to be on Team Leo.

February 11: Sun-Jupiter trine Pass the mic—you've got wise and inspiring words to share! The bold Sun in your partnership house forms a helpful trine (www.astrostyle.com/aspects/trine) to Jupiter, giving you silver-tongued prowess. This is an excellent day to pitch a big or speak on behalf of your team. If a project has lapsed into ennui, revive the weary troops by reminding them of the importance of your mission. Feeling adrift on your path? Reach out to a mentor or influential contact. They could provide useful guidance that clarifies your path.

February 26: Pisces new moon & solar eclipse Time to go all in? The solar eclipse in your eighth house of mergers could jumpstart a joint venture or refocus your money plans. Take a radical new approach to creating financial freedom by learning about investing or pursuing a passive income venture. Maybe it's time to tackle your student loan debt or pool your finances for mutual gain. Out of the blue, an opportunity to build wealth—whether that takes five months or five years—could become apparent. Since the eighth house rules the mystical, check out the work of Barbara Stanny (http://barbarastanny.com), who coined our new favorite term, "metafiscal" (where the metaphysical meets the fiscal). A spiritual approach to prosperity might inspire eye rolls from more traditional types, but money, after all, is just energy. So tune in to yours and make sure your energetic channel is set to the abundance network!

Challenge Days:

February 6-June 9: Jupiter retrograde Say what? Step back and clarify your message, Leo. Expansive Jupiter begins a four-month backspin through your communication house. If you're a business owner, refresh your brand and marketing materials, making sure your message is coming across clearly. Revamp your social media, build a Squarespace blog, polish a pitch. Between now and June, your best work will be done behind the scenes. Hold off on sharing any big announcements until you're absolutely ready.

February 22: Mars-Pluto square Where's the fire, Leo? You could be trying to get things done at warp speed, but a controlling micro manager seems to be opposing you, demanding paperwork or nitpicky details that slow down progress. Or you might be the one riding the brake as someone rushes ahead recklessly. Today's intense faceoff involving rash Mars and domineering Pluto sends you hunting for the middle ground between being foolishly optimistic and paralyzed by fear. Calculated risks are the best kind, but don't let perfectionism stop you from pursuing a big opportunity.

February 27: Mars-Jupiter opposition Too much information is as bad as having none at all. Under today's face off of reckless Mars and outspoken Jupiter, facts get skimmed over, and someone could overwhelm you with a pushy sales pitch. Don't be so quick to buy into something that smells like an "alternative truth." If it sounds too good to be legit, it probably is. Manage your own expectations. Trying to supersize a venture before the seedlings have taken root is a recipe for failure. Take things one step at a time—even if the steps are giant ones.

February 27: Mars-Uranus meetup Well, nobody has to ask where YOU stand on the issues, Leo. A volatile mashup of hotheaded Mars and disruptive Uranus ignites your ninth house of unfiltered honesty. But can they HANDLE the truth? Um, maybe not with the delivery style you're about to unload on them. If you can't hold your tongue, be prepared to burn a bridge. Otherwise, consider venting to a neutral third party (or punching a pillow). Impatience could get the better of you, but remember to mind your manners. Other people have busy lives, too!

Love Days: 18, 24 Money Days: 3, 12 Luck Days: 27, 10 Off Days: 8, 22, 26

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