Most of the sequels that are coming out just for capitalism's sake are pissing me off, however, I am excited for Disenchanted.

Hi! I'm sorry I took a few days to reply. Omg I'm so sorry you don't have a voice right now! That sounds so awful. Just try to drink as much water as possible I guess and hopefully it gets better. I think baking is a lot easier for me too..just because I don't make that many cooking recipes or anything and it's harder to know what dishes to make. I also think it takes a lot longer and same here..everyone is better at it than me and never gives me enough time to learn or anything. But I definitely think it will be a New Year's resolution for me to work on it more and just try harder. I hope your voice has at least gotten a little better since I last replied to you and that you're feeling better overall. Hopefully you can start the new year healthy but I hope you feel better sooner than that haha. The only time I've ever lost my voice is at concerts. I remember after my Taylor show, my sister lost her voice and couldn't talk for three days..but I've never had laryngitis. Well I also enjoy apple pie and I'm a fan of most desserts actually.

I think I will be happy with any vault songs she gives us and some of those are familiar to me too. I'm not sure why she didn't release Let's Go (Battle) but I think Need could be put on rep eventually..even if we know it's for Lover, it almost sounds more like rep. But it also reminds me a little of False God too so I'm not sure. I think she will add Beautiful Eyes to debut honestly which would be good since I don't really listen to it. The holiday album I'm more iffy on but I guess it could come this year maybe? I think I heard a rumor about it so idk.

Well I think I might have been confusing that one with NFU cuz he says I just miss the way that we talk..but I agree that I should give it another listen. But I really liked that one, and Glitter and Honey. I'm sorry you couldn't make the concert..that's such a bummer. Btw Saw you in a Dream is one of my fav songs ever but I actually haven't heard many other songs..just a few besides her newest album and maybe her EP before that. I don't actually know what my vinyl player looks like because it's unopened so I have not played anything on it yet but I hope you find what you're looking for and get lucky.

I liked him and think he will do good in the role but only saw one clip so far which was Wait For Me. I will have to look for more. Ooh who is the euryidice stunt cast? I hadn't heard about it. I still haven't got a chance to watch the parade performances or any Dancing performances actually. The only thing I saw was Taylors tour choreographer talking about the Vigilante Shit chair dance which is cool. She is the same choreographer who worked on the La La Land movie so that's pretty cool and I love the dancing in that movie so maybe I will watch a few. I also like the dancers in the tour during Lover and Enchanted.

Well I guess one goal I have is to finish more books that I start lol. Then of course finish the ones I'm in the middle of right now which is going to be paired up with a few on the list. My sister wants to read more too and I have a few in mind we can read together already that we never got to..which is the ones about twins and also the Night Circus. We also started Daisy Jones together a long time ago. Read more books that I own and are on my shelf and I made the goal of reading two books a month so far so we'll see how that goes. Wow that also is the same number of the year which is 24! So hopefully I stick to that. I also said that this year and failed miserably lol. I think I only read two full books this year and maybe two I was in the middle of from the previous year lol. Or maybe I will try to finish one or two I'm in the middle of right now before the year ends. I do not know many upcoming releases yet but Emily Henry and Carly Fortune are definitely two I'm looking forward to and the If he had been with me sequel. So I am supposed to reread that with my sister maybe next month since it comes out in February I think. Or Night Circus and Starless Sea too..idk cuz maybe those will take more than a month though. If you have any other books you think we can read together this year let me know. There is also the Today Tonight Tomorrow sequel and I hope to read the first one as it gets closer. What are some upcoming ones you're looking forward to?

So the movie was good! Like it was a pretty good and faithful adaptation I think. But I also didn't love it as much as other people really seem to either. It felt like they changed a few little things from the book or maybe just cuz I speed read it..oops. Although I'm not sure if you would get it as much if you didn't read the book..like if it would be confusing. I filled in a few things for my sister for example. I feel like the narration in the book made things clearer that was hard to show in the movie. The performances were good though at least. I liked the songs but I need to listen to the soundtrack again. It did not feel like the kind of movie I would wanna watch again really and it was kinda long. In fact it just made me want to rewatch the Hunger Games again and those movies were a lot better. It's just my opinion though I guess. I do like all the edits I've been seeing or connections and reading people's analysis though. I think we are also going to see the Renaissance movie this weekend too and I will probably enjoy that more lol. Although I'm worried it looks more like a documentary of the tour than the full concert..which kinda sucks cuz we didn't get to go.

I know she's been working on it a lot so I guess I wonder what will happen. What genre would you hope for in her new music? I've always wanted her to try more rock honestly so it makes sense why I loved I Can See You so much. I know it might be about her breakup though so I'm not really sure. Red also had hints of rock like State of Grace which is another one of my top favorites so I still have some hope. I also wonder if the music she's working on now could be for her upcoming film too..which it seems like no one has considered. That's so awesome that you saw all of your faves live this year..omg! If I ended up going to Paramore..then I could have said the same haha. They are definitely going to be one of my top artists haha. So I got Say Don't Go right technically but I think that was the only one. I also forgot that she already sang Afterglow or else I wouldn't have guessed it. Yes omg! I think that was my favorite pairing of these shows but I would've been fine with Innocent and Now we don't Talk. I love Say Don't Go but dislike it's Time to Go lol. Now that she's resetting the surprise songs next year, it will be harder to guess..which also makes it more fun! She also says there's extended version of the movie for her bday but didn't mention Cardigan in that list. Also she just put You're Losing Me on streaming finally. Maybe I will finally appreciate this song more but its also kinda just there for me lol. I wish I liked it more. I think it's honestly one of my least favorites out of all the songs she has released this year so hopefully TS11 has better songs. I hope you feel better and continue to have a good week. Happy wonderful Wednesday!!! 🩷

hi friend !! it has been ... ten (?) days without a voice now, which is just very frustrating but i'm mostly still in good spirits! the one downside is that my friend is coming into town friday through sunday, and i'm worried i won't have a voice by then still. but i can't really do anything about that, so we'll see. might have to continue doing text to speech robot voice! it's her first time in seattle too which makes it all the more interesting! but yes, staying hydrated, sitting next to the humidifier and just hoping i'll feel better soon! i went back to my best friend, the doctor's, and he gave me some new medication yesterday so hopefully that'll do it's magic soon! i'm surprised that i didn't lose my voice from eras weekend at all, but i did from boston (although that one is more so because i got sick → got laryngitis). guess it also makes a huge difference that eras took place over the summer!

what's your favorite dessert? mine is a toss up between black forest cake (what my mom makes for my birthday every year), tiramisu, and chocolate cake! but i also love oatmeal raisin cookies (probably my personal favorite thing to bake). my mom's also really good at baking bread, and i definitely need to pay more attention to her little tips and tricks when she does!

oh i could see the false god/need comparison! two of my close friends really want need to be released, and i hope it is for their sakes! i would loveeee the holiday album to come soon but i feel like it might be a "end of tour" gift next year? maybe? if tour is even over by then?

i was listening to i miss you already + i haven't left yet on vinyl yesterday as i worked! was thinking of you 🤍 i do think i still like his debut album more than i miss you already, but i also have listened to that one more/longer/etc. so maybe it's just recency bias! i feel like i'm starting to get burnt out (?) on new music? if that makes sense. but i'm also really excited for the holly/MUNA into your room, and then noah kahan/gracie abrams everything everywhere remixes that come out this week! but i think that's different since it's not new new music? i've been listening to fruitcake ep by sabrina carpenter a lot though! that one's really fun. saw you in a dream is soooo good and i also really like f a r a w a y ! but sunshine baby is definitely my favorite.

i heard rumors about lizzy mcalpine as eurydice? which i don't know how to feel about! for many reasons! here's an audioboot, if you're so inclined! i did see that quote and i thought that was really cool! i'm really excited that eras movie will be on streaming; i've got like ~ $25 amazon digital credits saved up, so i'm going to be streaming it on her birthday i think! just a little something fun! i notice new things every time, and i like picking a dancer — or two — to focus on! i would love to see a a BTS documentary of eras after it's done; i'm so curious about the quick changes, the rehearsal process, etc.

two books is still two more than you previously read! it's not a competition, and reading is supposed to be fun!! i almost started a new book tonight but i was too tired and then i remembered i haven't replied to you yet so i grabbed my laptop to do so! i think i'm going to try to work more on my les mis/night circus annotations tomorrow, and that'll probably be the last time i get to read until sunday or monday! i also need to update my reading thread — and make my 2024 reading tracker in google sheets! so much to do! i usually do a post on my book blog for 2024 anticipated releases, but i'm SO out of it that i can't even think of anything aside from my friends' books that are coming out!

i've never seen the hunger games movies aside from the first one, but i think what i want to do is do a series reread, watch the movies, read tbosas, then see it? maybe? or maybe read them all then watch them all? i have no idea! but all my friends have been talking to me about it and i have to be like WAIT I HAVEN'T READ IT YET DON'T SAY ANYTHING !!! it definitely has taken over my entire fyp, and i'm always in awe of how good people's editing skills are! i hope it's the full concert; you'll have to let me know how it is since i won't be seeing it for a while (if i end up seeing it)!!

i'm also not the biggest fan of it's time to go! i love the "but i've got me" line and think it's so symbolic of how this entire tour has been for her, and hearing her sing it live has definitely made me like it a bit more but i'm still not the biggest fan of it for some reason! out of all the surprise song combos in 2023, which one was your favorite? i wonder if cardigan will be on the streaming version, or in a physical DVD exclusive? we'll just have to wait and see! feels weird for her to exclude just cardigan. i did not expect her to release YLM today! i woke up and my phone was blowing up from friends about it haha! i do like it more with you know, proper production, dolby atmos, etc. and not ripped from an audio somewhere, but it's definitely not my favorite!

hope you have a good rest of your week!! 🤍 are you doing anything fun this weekend/anything you're looking forward to in december? love you!

4 Spoiler-Free Reasons Why “New Mutants” is So Good, It’s Actually Kinda Upsetting

In Josh Boone’s “The New Mutants”, Illyana Rasuputin is a character with the unique mutant power to access limbo: a magical realm between existence and nothingness.

And on Friday night, at the Mission Tiki Drive-In in Montclair, California, I too accessed limbo by watching this movie, which after going unreleased for over a year started to feel trapped in “development hell.” But I am both relieved and frustrated to tell you, this movie is good. It’s really, really good actually. And that’s kinda terrible. Let me explain...

1) The Pandemic Dilemma

Much has been said about this first reasoning, but a franchise movie being released in a time when it could literally be deadly to gather in large numbers is irresponsible at best. For over a decade, our nerd brains have been wired to loyally check out the newest installment of these ongoing stories and to avoid spoilers like the plague, even though there is now a literal plague to avoid. Sure, the X-Men franchise is much more disjointed than, say, the MCU, but if “The New Mutants” leads to just one reluctant fan contracting the virus, that’s one too many. Not to mention the fact that COVID has undoubtedly robbed this movie of the box office it deserved.

2) The Diversity Controversy

As a teacher “returning” to work, my plate has been plenty full as of late, and as such I went into TNM blind, knowing next to nothing about the film, the titular comics, or the “white washing” controversy surrounding Henry Zaga’s portrayal of the fiery mutant Sunspot. Apparently the origin story in the comics centered around ‘Berto’ being the target of a hate crime, and removing that aspect of the character and casting someone ‘more white’ is the exact opposite of what our country needs right now (especially for a movie released on the tragic night trailblazing actor Chadwick Boseman passed away from colon cancer). But I also can’t help but be discouraged by the fact that this blunder will undoubtedly overshadow the representation happening throughout the rest of the film. The main protagonist is Native American, and her heritage and prejudices she’s endured factor heavily into the plot. The film also takes huge strides towards LGBTQ representation in super hero movies, and even though the Sunspot character should have been presented as half-black like in the comics, I still can’t name a single other Brazilian superhero. Period. That’s gotta count for something...

3) The Upcoming Disney-fication of the X-Men Universe

I couldn’t put my finger on it, but for some reason I do not share the general public’s excitement for the inevitable day when mutants are rolled into the MCU. This movie finally made me realize why: I really LIKE the X-Men film franchise the way it is. For all its blunders, it takes chances that the MCU never has. It gives us movies like Deadpool and Logan… and The New Mutants. Without spoiling too much, this ‘spooky not scary’ horror movie gets real dark with its themes, most of them centering around the idea that adults with authority often do truly terrible things with that responsibility. At the end of the day, that gives this film more emotional gravitas and social importance than the VAST majority of super hero cinema, and I just don’t trust Disney to have that kinda guts with their bottom line. I prefer movies with something to say over movies that are mostly interested in selling plastic toys, but I digress...

4) It’s a Coming of Age Tale, but We’re All Robbed of the Pay-off

Director Josh Boone has recently gone public with his plans for a New Mutant trilogy: whereas this movie most closely resembles a haunted house story, the sequel would have been an alien invasion flick, and the closer a supernatural, apocalyptic battle against demons. But check your hype at the door, because the reason Boone is being so transparent is because he’s been told these movies will never happen. And they deserve to. 

New Mutants isn’t a perfect movie by any means, but it’s a tightly crafted, creative, compelling narrative featuring complex, likable characters. It’s an “X-Men” movie that finally realized the premise of vulnerable teenagers coming into horrifyingly powerful abilities is interesting all on it’s own. Sonic the Hedgehog is no longer 2020’s best theatrical release; this is definitely a movie worth seeing (safely). FINAL GRADE: A

By request from @violently-canary I am doing this writer interview, because why not?

Name: Lumilasi

Fandoms: currently Bnha, but I used to write for Bleach (Grimmichi, still have some fics incomplete OTL) and MCU (stucky, one Tony centric short thingy)

Where you post: AO3, fic illustrations on tumblr

Most popular multi-chapter fic: Family Secrets, Crossroads is close second. I’m still kind of amused how many people I half-accidentally made to adore a version of rotten potato man, namely as a dad figure, not that Hisashi is your classic rotten potato lmao

Favorite story you’ve written so far: Violinist. It was such an interesting Au to make, namely how it still got a lot of the canonical ’grit’ while the boys weren’t villains, and their relationship started differently from my usual writing style, where they were attracted to each other before any emotional bonds formed. It was also funny how canon reveal kind of solved plot issues I had with this by revealing Hana to us haha. I have to say my newest one (The Stringmaster) is also growing on me fast

Fic you were nervous to post: There’s, always a level of apprehension about posting something new, not knowing if people will like it or not. I was quite nervous with my first ever bnha fic (Reanimate) because it was my first dip into the fandom, and it did include ocs in significant roles. Thankfully the feedback was majorly positive with that story, which encouraged me to keep writing more stories.

How you choose your titles: Couple of ways;

First is the ’symbolic’ kind where the title somehow symbolizes the overall story themes. ’Reanimate’ was called that because of the whole ’Izuku enters into the body of his younger self in another world’ thing, essentially ’reanimating’ a body that was in a coma. Family Secrets is called that because it’s a story about a family (and a man) who hold a lot of secrets only the insiders know. Unravel is Unravel because they are unraveling a mystery.

Second is the ’literal’ where I just call the story something that it has, like Violinist, where its called that because Tomura is literally a violinist in the fic. The neighbor has that name because it is about two neighbors.

Sometimes the name if a mix of both like Crossover, where it’s literally a crossover story, but also refers to crossing over into another world haha

Do you outline: Roughly, it tends to be necessary given I make long fics. Things do evolve and change as the story progresses, though often the ending remains largely the same, because I keep it as a sort of destination point the story is building towards. Some details about it might change, but overall the end result tends to remain similar to the original draft

Complete: a lot; Family Secrets, Crossroads, Reanimate, Violinist, Soul Duality, Kitsune Tomura one shots, more one shots, crossovers and sequels, that one story with Izuku and Shoto whose name I forgot, several bleach and mcu fics...

In progress: Unravel (around the middle of the story rn) The neighbor (near complete) The Stringmaster (at the beginning) Diversion (one third left roughly) A Father’s shadow (I’d say halfway there) Depths (also halfway there) a crossover story with Leeontheneon (still at the beginning stages, I should forward it but...I’m so rarely in the mood for such pure fluff OTL) One giant bleach fic I should finish because I put so much effort into it, but I just don’t have the motivation or interest RN.....

Coming soon/not yet started: the final chapter of the Devil’s Doppleganger series, where Tenko and Izuku go to find and bring their dad home. Also to show that even crippled Hisashi is a badass - and such a dad. He will never escape his dadness mwa ha haa.

Do you accept prompts: Mostly no, apart from as contest prizes occasionally. I just prefer coming up with the ideas myself

Upcoming story you’re most excited to write: well, given there is only one, the final part of TDD, that one. From the ongoing ones, Stringmaster is always quite fun to write, and A father’s shadow has gotten into an interesting point too.

Upcoming story you are most excited about: Based on the response on the version I snatched this from (provided by canary) this is about other people’s fics. I don’t read other people’s works much, but there are two I can say I actively read each time they update; first is @theteapotofdoom’s fic Something Good (especially good if in need of fluffy feels) and @nightlilly0110’s No Heroes. It’s such an interesting concept and I get good laughs out of the humor in it!

If there is a fellow writer eager to do this, go right ahead!

So in-between writing fanfiction, working on my novel, work, the upcoming online semester, keeping the house clean, and getting my ass repeating handed to me in Dark Souls: Remastered and Dark Souls III, my increasing disdain for how terrible, unimaginative, and terribly imaginative some ‘fans’ of particular properties can be. And it’s not just from one particular instance, it’s from several occurrences over the years.

Yesterday, I was watching Maj0r Lee’s video reaction to terrible reviews of Final Fantasy 7: Remake. Side note, I’ve respected ML for not being afraid to speak his mind, no matter how much it goes against the nerd fan hivemind. And one thing that quickly got on his and my nerves about the reviews was how repetitive they were.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR-1NTCwLr8

“Tetsuya Nomura pulled a Kingdom Hearts and ruined the great story of the original FF7.”

“Nomura and friends turned FF7 into Kingdom Hearts-tier garbage.”

“I was going to give FF7: Remake a ten out of ten until that terribly ending turned it into a zero.”

Tetsuya Nomura this, Kingdom Hearts that, something something the original story was basically the bible. The same points repeated over and over again. It’s like listening to all the same complaints about the Last Jedi. I’d probably take those complaints seriously if it didn’t feel like the same arguments were being copy-pasted over and over because that generates more clicks on YouTube.

If I sound a bit salty, it might be because my favorite video game franchise (BTW, I would never say KH is flawless) is being used as a go-to example of bad writing. This must be how the Call of Duty fans feel all the time.

But there was one particular ‘review’ that pissed me off to no end;

“The more and more I think about it, I feel like Nomura and co. have little to no respect for the fans that have given their work this love, and perhaps even harbour some contempt for them wanting to to see their childhood imagination and memories of the story realised as they deserve to be.

There is a certain arrogance to twisting this world and story to their own whim, as if to say that “this is our world, our characters, what you fans think means nothing to us, we can do what we want with them and you can get fucked if you disagree”.”

You know what this reminds me of? Those laughable Anti-Horikoshi blogs that use the trans flag as their background to supposedly ‘protect’ the female characters of My Hero Academia from their ‘disgusting’ creator. Those lunatics that posted themselves burning their copies of Tokyo Ghoul because the main character banged his female love interest and called Ishida a homophobe. Or the the worst episode of South Park where Trey Parker and Matt Stone showed their disapproval of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by having Indy getting horrifically sodomized by George Lucas and Steven Spielburg.

This might be hard for some idiots to understand, so let me spell it out for you; YOU DO NOT OWN A STORY OR CHARACTERS JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE A “FAN”!

In the end, writers have their own ideas for how storylines, character progression, and character relationships will turn out. If all creators ever did was pander to the fickle desires of the most rabid ‘fans’, all media would be nothing but self-referential bullshit. Hell, we already example how bad this would be. It’s called ‘How the Last Jedi should’ve ended!’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCB8DUGpYQQ

While this video was clearly made to take the piss out of TLJ, it ironically demonstrates my fucking point! This is also why I am 100% certain that we’re never getting a Dark Souls/Bloodborne movie or tv show. Because any interpretation or story that dares to go against the most poorly thought out fan theories will get ripped apart by absolute lunatics with nothing better to do with their time.

And another thing, can we stop treating stories like they’re fucking scripture?! There’s a reason that the ‘Stations of the Canon’ trope is derided by many authors. I can probably name all the Naruto fanfics that aren’t just the same as the original story just with slightly altered dialogue and everyone wearing slightly-different clothing. And I was guilty of this too, until I realized how much more fun it was to go completely off the rails.

Not the mention that this kind of thinking leads to people holding stories to such a ridiculous degree that any sequel or retelling that fails to live up to those unreasonable expectations will get treated like a personal attack and a dumpster fire not even worthy to roast expired marshmallows over.

I’m not saying you should never criticize a story, game or comic for its actual flaws, but don’t try to make it into a sob story like ‘How dare the creator or owners of this story like go about it what they think is the best! These guys are worse than HITLER!’ Hate to break to ya, but no ones goes into a story or long-running franchise to purposely piss off the fans. They’re doing it because they got a story to tell...or to make money. Or both.

And try to come up with your own critiques instead of just copy and pasting the same arguments over and over again.

“Fairy Tail is terrible because all the girls have big tits and skimpy outfits.”

“I’ve heard all that before. Do you have any other complaints?”

“No, but that’s what everyone else is whining about.”

“Well then, piss off and come back when you actually form your own goddamn opinion.”

And I’m not saying that if your problem if a story is the same as someone else’s, then it's invalid. But at least try to say it in a way that doesn’t come across as just copying what the guy before ya said.

One last ramble before I go back to writing and getting attacked by video game monsters; can we stop with all the hyperbole? There are only so many times I can hear the phrase, “This is the worst thing ever” before it loses all meaning. Yes, I’m sure the newest Call of Duty game is worse than Santa Claus Saves the World. That the newest Star Wars movie is worse than A Serbian Film. Or that Black Clover is worse than Eiken.

And that argument is especially soured when the phrase ‘raped my childhood’ eventually rears its ugly head. It was outdated and terribly tasteless when Doug Walker reviewed Batman and Robin, and it’s gotten more disgusting and childish as a phrase over time.

Anyway, that’s my delusional rambling done for the day. Hope you all are safe and comfortable. Have a nice day!

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Seventy: For the Planet ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: When Dead Walk ] [ AO3 Link ]

When the sun rises, Sasuke opens his eyes, staring up at a growingly-familiar ceiling. It’s been a few weeks since he and his brother holed up in an old, abandoned farmhouse east of their hometown. It’s still in pretty good condition, a few chickens somehow still alive and rooting around the place. A hand pump means they can draw water, and the food they’d found lasted a while before they had to start making treks into other places to look for supplies.

Which, incidentally, is where they - or, Sasuke more specifically - ran into their newest guests while on the run from walkers. Literally. A pair of sisters, around or younger than his age. Hinata, the elder, and Hanabi, the younger. They’d literally crossed paths while fleeing a triggered boobytrap that attracted the dead like flies to honey. She’d managed to save his life, and then give him a lift back home in exchange for some of his spoils.

But the fall of night meant it not being safe to leave, so...the girls spent it here. While they claimed the upstairs, Sasuke and Itachi had camped out on the ground level.

Itachi is still sleeping, huddled up opposite his brother. He’s a bit pale...must be cold. The nights are getting longer, and with the sun gone longer, it’s only getting chillier.

Sasuke dreads the thought of Winter. There’s a decently-stacked wood shed, but he’s not sure how safe it is to use the hearth in the sitting room. They can block out the windows to hide the light, but the smoke might warrant...unwanted attention. And when the weather turns, going out in search of food will be even harder. Sasuke has no experience hunting, and they only have so much ammunition for the pistol and rifle they’ve come across during their travels further and further east.

They’ve been so unsure about surviving day to day, planning for the upcoming season just...hasn’t been a priority. And now that they’ve made it this far, Winter looms before them like a mountain. Sighing, Sasuke slings an arm up over his eyes. If he thinks about this too much, it’s going to give him a headache…

So, instead, he opts to get up, careful not to wake his brother. Itachi sleeps peacefully so rarely anymore, Sasuke would rather lose a hand than take any rest from him.

Looking out the nearest window, he finds the morning to be rather foggy, still overcast like yesterday. But the muffled sounds of birdsong still reach through the panes, and he can’t help but find a little joy in that. It’s funny...humanity is suffering, dying, clawing to survive. And the rest of nature just goes on like business as usual.

Funny, really.

Able to glean little else, he makes his way upstairs, skipping the steps he knows make loud creaks. The door to the bedroom the boys offered is closed, and he gently knocks once he reaches it.

“Come in.”

In a way, he’s a bit...hesitant. It’s been so long since they’ve had another cordial human being around, he’s almost unsure how to act. But permission has been given, so he carefully turns the knob and peers in.

Hinata’s awake, sitting up against the wall her bed lies beside. Hanabi, however, is still asleep, head on her sister’s lap despite the other empty bed. Hands weave slow fingers through her hair.

“It’s been a while since she’s slept so soundly,” Hinata murmurs, eyes turned down to her sibling. “...I hope we’re not overstaying our welcome.”

“Not at all,” he assures her, leaning against the doorframe. “It’s nice to have some polite company, honestly.”

“I know what you mean. It’s been a while.”

“...Itachi’s still sleeping, too. Figured I might as well let him rest.”

“It’s a precious commodity most nights.”

“That’s for sure.”

A companionable silence falls between them, Hinata still tending to Hanabi’s hair.

“...mind if I ask a personal question?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“What was your...situation like before the plague hit?”

“I was in college, studying botany. My sister was in high school. We lived with our father - our mother died not long after Hanabi was born. He worked in a law office. We were just...a fairly typical middle class family, I suppose.”

“Botany, huh?”

“Mhm...mostly because I love flowers so much. My mother was always very fond of them, so...they make me feel closer to her.” After an appropriate pause, Hinata asks, “...what about you?”

“Wasting my time on a business degree my dad wanted me to have,” Sasuke replies blandly. “Itachi was already working for him when things went to hell. My dad owned a pretty decent computer tech company. Wanted us both in on it. My mom was a school teacher, but took a few years off when my brother and I were little. She’d gotten back into it full time when I started middle school.”

Neither of them breech the explanations why none of their parents are with them now.

Likely for good reason.

“It’s so peaceful out here,” Hinata then comments as the conversation falls flat. “You can almost forget what’s going on out there…”

“Yeah...until you have to make a supply run...and get your ass saved by a madwoman with a shovel,” Sasuke replies, unable to help a hint of a grin.

Hinata does her best to suppress a smile. “I suppose that’s true. But it’s...strange, isn’t it? Just...seeing the world go on while we’re all so out of place and l-lost.”

“...yeah. It is. Was just thinking about that when I got up. Hearing the birds singing, seeing the weather change...nature really doesn’t give a shit, does it?”

“...sometimes I wonder if, in the grand scheme of things…” Hinata trails off, looking unsure if she should speak. “...if...if this was the best way things could go for the planet. It was pretty clear humans were going to be their own downfall one way or...or another. At least this way no bombs went off, nothing really...catastrophic happened. All of the industries killing the Earth are stopped, so few running cars...maybe life as a whole will do a lot b-better without us around, huh?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it. So long as some idiot doesn’t make their way to DC and uncover some launch codes just for the hell of it.”

“I hope not. But the more I get to just...sit and think about it...the more this all feels like it makes sense. We spent so long killing our home, acting like a disease...and now a disease will be the end of us. It’s almost...comforting, in a really w-weird way. At least to me. I can make peace with it. I’ll do my best to survive, and protect my sister. But...I know in the long run, we’re out of time. So...I just try to make due with w-what I have.”

For a long moment, Sasuke doesn’t reply...because he doesn’t have a reply. Maybe a foolish part of him - in spite of the logic - still thinks they can make it. Live out a decent chunk of life before meeting their ends one way or another. And yet he isn’t even sure how they’re going to conquer their first Winter. “...guess I don’t really think about it. I just...take things one day at a time. Each one we make it through is a little victory. But...I know what you mean. I might be the younger sibling, but...I do my best to take care of my brother. He’s always been a little...sickly. Kinda frail. In all honesty...I’m amazed he’s made it this far. I’ll do whatever I have to to make what time we’ve got count. And I’ll fight for every day I can give him, until...well, there’s none left.”

Hinata gives him a small, somber smile. “...then I guess our goals are the same. Hopefully that...makes us allies?”

“I’d like to think so. Humans are stronger together than apart. Maybe a few extra hands is a good thing.”

“Well, they also come with extra mouths.”

“Yeah...but I think the gains outweigh the costs. Once everyone’s up...maybe we’ll talk a bit more about it. I wouldn’t be against pooling our resources and abilities. But we’d better make sure it’s unanimous, right?”

“I agree.”

For the first time in a while, Sasuke feels...something in his chest.

He dares to call it hope.

“...well, I’ll go start some breakfast. These two’ll probably be up by the time it’s done.”

“All right. Need any help?”

“Nah. Besides, you’re occupied,” Sasuke replies, nodding to Hanabi’s head in her lap. “...let her sleep while she can.”

“...thank you, Sasuke.”

                                                          .oOo.

      (This is a sequel to day 197!)      More of the zombie apocalypse verse! It's been a while since the first one, and I'll admit I missed it a bit. I'm still a few days behind, but I'm hoping I can start catching up here over the next few days :'D We'll see what Life throws at me lol      Anyway, it seems we might have a potential alliance on our hands! Which would be good - many hands make light work, and though that does also mean more mouths to feed, it just might help them get through the Winter. Hinata's pretty skilled at taking out the undead with a shovel - maybe she can hunt with one, too xD      Anyway, it's veeery late, so I better call it a night. Thanks for reading!

Waya Owenasa Sequel Teaser

Sequel teaser for Waya Owenasa. Slightly longer than usual and does feature smut.  Also, I will be making text posts rather than direct answers now because the “read more” button works here, but not on answers...

WARNING: the smut could read as dubcon. That’s not my intent and I’ll do my best to convey that, but just heads up if that’s a sensitive topic for you.

---

Caroline heard the crack of her neck, had the world go black and lost all sensation from her body, but she had a feeling her transition wasn’t normal. Not unless everyone experienced spirit quest visions with their Wolf.

Said Wolf trotted out of the darkness, blood staining the silver fur of her muzzle and belly, eyes glowing golden as they met Caroline’s. The woman could feel her own eyes shift, nails turning to claws as her teeth sharpened.

The Wolf dipped her head to drink from the stream of blood that snaked bright and luminescent from the shadows. She cocked her head as Caroline crouched to join her.

An image of Klaus flashed in her mind.

Maker. Pack. Alpha?

The blood ran hot and sweet down her human throat and she could feel the growing bond; though it was effortless to savage part of the connection. For all that she was grateful for her life and would offer the Hybrid her loyalty, she would not have it forced from her.

As she drank new power pooled in her stomach, feeling like fire as it spread through her limbs. She could feel veins on her face tense and bulge, teeth transforming into true fangs. Across from her, the Wolf seemed to swell slightly, new strength in her limbs. They snarled at one another, daring each other to submit. 

But it was not in their nature to offer submission, it had to be earned. 

At some unspoken signal the two launched themselves at the other, tumbling in a ball of snapping fangs and gouging claws. Woman under Wolf then Wolf under woman. The two fought with feral aggression, jumping away only to re-engage once more.

And then for the first time, the Woman managed to fully pin the Wolf, sinking fangs into the fur of her neck and biting until blood ran over her tongue. The Woman pulled back, red rivulets running from her lips down her neck, gold eyes meeting gold eyes. The Wolf faded away, her wild presence once more within the Woman. 

She threw her head back and howled.

---

The world snapped back into focus in an instant and Caroline could smell two decadent blood sources in the room. One was her Maker, his taste still coating her tongue, but the other called to her. Her vision tunneled as she stared at the vial in his hand, snatching it from him as he held it out to her.

She drank deep, embracing the second rush of flame through her body, felt fangs and claws and veins. Her Wolf was right beneath her skin and in an instant they Turned. Bones crunched and fur sprouted, Wolf and Woman one being.

They crouched and snarled up at the Hybrid, demanding that he prove himself. With their challenge issued they leapt from the room, darting toward the forest they could sense.

---

Klaus was stunned to say the least. The she-wolf had woken quicker than any he had seen before. And none had ever shifted after completing the transition. But while the Man reeled, the Wolf howled.

“Keep an eye on the house,” he snarled at the hybrid that burst into the room, eyes already burning gold. He blurred outside, body near vibrating as the change washed over him more rapidly than ever. Soon he was flying over the earth, four paws digging into the dirt and grass, the scent of his newest sire calling to him.

---

They could feel him devouring the distance between them, pleased that the rumors of his prowess were proving true. But they wouldn’t make it easy for him, accelerated their pace until it outstripped any they had ever run before, climbing higher into the forested mountains.

Maker. Pack. Alpha?

---

The Wolf was delighted by his new sire’s ferocity, eagerly hunting her down as she ran through the wilds. She was fast, faster than any other he had turned, but not faster than him. His gaze locked onto the flashes of her silver fur through the trees and he sprung forward.

---

His presence blared behind them, approaching too quickly to dodge. His bulkier form tackled theirs and sent them sprawling. But it was a familiar motion and they rolled with the impact, managing to squirm out from under him. They whirled to face him, refusing to give him their back but aware he had caught them. They crouched, fangs bared, the time for running over.

A growl rumbled up from his throat as he took a few steps toward them.

Submit.

Their head lunged forward to snap at air.

Make me.

He leapt again and they barely managed to scramble out of the way, tried to bite at his exposed underbelly. But he was still faster, his shoulders slammed into them and sent them flying, their body impacting a tree with a sharp crack.

They let out a slight whimper as they tried to get their bearings, yelping as he bore down on them. It was reckless, their own stomach exposed, but they went for his throat, forcing him to jump back from the unexpected move.

Before they could capitalize on his surprise, he was on them again, moving quicker than they could see. His body pinned theirs and his jaw closed in warning around their throat, the vibration of his snarls felt in the fangs digging into them.

Shift back, they felt resonate in their bones, snaps filling the air as they both returned to human form.

---

Klaus still felt his Wolf in his blood as he pinned his fierce she-wolf with his hand on her throat. She was still baring her teeth at him and he snapped his own at her. Still demanding she submit.

---

A woman once more, their reaction to the battle was obvious, slick coating their inner thighs. His power was immense and it delighted them.

Maker. Pack. Alpha?

---

The scent of her arousal was heavy in the air, his Wolf howling.

Take her. Claim her. Mark her. Show her who owns her!

He growled, grabbing her wrists with his free hand and pinning them above her head. The hand on her throat trailing down over her breast and hip to lock around her thigh and spread her open.

---

Maker. Pack. Alpha? 

They bucked and writhed beneath him as they felt the hard length of him probe at their entrance, issuing one last challenge. Heat sparked up their spine and they could feel their arousal dripping onto him as he spread their folds with the tip of his cock. A moan caught in their throat as he started to press into them, they nearly let him too, but it was not in their nature to give in so quickly. Not yet.

It was a struggle to maneuver the leg not in his grasp but they managed, kicking up and launching him backward. They flipped over, about to get up, when he was on them again. His weight pressed along their back as he caged their body, forcing their shoulders down.

One hand on their nape, his other slithered across their stomach, shifting their hips and ass toward him. His hand dipped lower, slipping over where they were still slick and aching. They bucked and squirmed with what little room they had, stilling only when he plunged into them, a moan torn from their throat.

They clenched around the hard length of him, feeling delightfully full as his girth stretched their inner walls. Each powerful thrust had them softening under him, little whimpers and groans emerging from their lips.

Flashes danced across the back of their eyelids, feeling as if their every nerve was sparking under his touch.

Maker. Pack. Alpha.

They submitted, willingly baring their throat, as waves of pleasure washed over them. His fangs sunk into their neck just as a final thrust had him spilling deep within them, painting his claim.

The pull of their blood from their veins, the pulsing of his cock. It was overwhelming and they blacked out for a moment, coming to as he rolled them sideways. His cock was still hard and hot within them, but his body was still, just holding them in his embrace.

A pleased rumble echoed in their chest, and they twisted slightly in his arms, tilting their head back to offer a friendly nip to his chin.

Maker. Pack. Alpha. They sent through the bond. His grip tightened as he licked at the slowly healing mark on their throat.

Mine. He sent back.

---

List of current and upcoming sequels here.

Do you have any fics where harry protects Lou from the paparazzi or where paparazzi is involved in any way? Or he has to protect his kids from it and Lou ?

Here are some that fit what you’re looking for! Fics #1, 3, and 4 all feature Harry protecting Louis and/or their children, and #2 features a pap encounter where Louis gets knocked down by a pap before Harry knows him.

1) River Flows In You | Explicit | 9933 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users. It is also the third part in a series, so you may want to read the fics before it first.

Louis goes into heat early, part of their tour gets rescheduled, and Harry fucks him through it.

2) You Could Have Moonlight In Your Hands | Explicit | 20501 words

It’s the usual work for Harry—with awestruck fans crowding his space, cellphone cameras in his face, and rude paparazzi loitering around in front of the building to take his pictures, his day is turning into a not-so-brilliant one. And then a beautiful man falls into his life. Literally.

3) His Submission | Mature | 74448 words | Sequel

Louis Tomlinson lives in a world where Domination and Submission is a norm. When you are born you are either branded Sub or Dom. Subs get a little pink or blue, depending on gender, series of swirls on the back of their neck. Doms get Red or Black, depending on gender, series of swirls on the back of their neck. _

Louis Tomlinson was branded with a Blue tattoo and his day has finally come. The day of his 18th birthday where he will be randomly assigned a Dom. This dom could range from younger to older, poorer to richer, and male to female. You never knew what you were going to get. Some Doms were more harsher and stricter than others. Louis didn’t want a harsh Dom to submit to.

Harry Styles was branded with a Black tattoo and he just received in the mail that he was finally getting a submissive. Harry was a 32 year old man, settled in, and very very rich. He’s been waiting for an assigned submissive to be chosen for him for a very long time. His Dom friend, Zayn, has gotten his submissive two years prior, a little spit fire irish boy, Niall.

4) Camera’s Flashing | Explicit | 81773 words

With his breakout single platinum three times over and his second album still selling out in stores around the world, Louis Tomlinson has made it to the top. However, his position as Pop Heartthrob of the Decade is threatened by the edgier, more artistic Zayn, who happens to be releasing an album a week after Louis’ upcoming third. Louis needs something groundbreaking- scandalous, even- to push past him in the charts. Much to Louis’ dismay, his PR team calls in The Sexpert.

Consulting with PR firm Shady, Lane and Associates pays the bills so that Harry Styles can spend his down time doing what he really loves: poring over data. On weekends and late into the evenings, he researches gender, presentation, and sexual orientation, analysing the longitudinal study that is his father’s life’s work. That is, until his newest client, the popstar with the fascinating secret, drags him off his couch and frighteningly close to the spotlight.

As the album’s release date approaches, will Tomlinson and Styles be able to pull off the most risky PR scheme of the millennium and beat Zayn in sales or will the heat of their feelings for each other compromise everything?

5) All I Want | Mature | 289298 words

When Harry and Louis got together it wasn’t under the best circumstances. Louis was taken by another. But go figure that the way they ended up together is the very same way it ended. And Harry left Louis. He left him with a lot more than he thought. A story about how people’s misconceptions almost destroyed a love that went beyond measure.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and our full rec list here.

mid-year book freak out tag 🤍

this annual book tag is really popular in the booktube community and through watching my favorite booktubers, i always get to hear about the books they’ve read so far in the year so i thought it’d be fun to join in!!

i don’t have a booktube channel myself but i do think it’d still be cool to get to talk about books on here so that anyone who does stumble upon this tag could enjoy this experience as much as i’ve had.

hopefully maybe some of these books could catch your eye if you’re looking for some recommendations and if not, you still get to learn a little more about my reading tastes.

all the books i mention below the cut have links so that you can check them out if any of them peak your interest!!

1. best book you’ve read so far in 2021

- fifty words for rain by asha lemmie

this is one of the very few books where i felt such immeasurable grief over a fictional character. the main character nori goes through so much pain that when she does receive the love she deserves, it’s enough to bowl you over. this book has one of the strongest sibling relationships that i’ve ever seen and deals with such difficult topics being that nori herself is a mixed race child dropped off on her own in japan in the late 1940s.

2. best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021

- our dark duet (book two in the monsters of verity duology) by victoria schwab

i haven’t read that many sequels this year, although there are some new & anticipated releases that will change that (ex: cazadora [book two in the wolves of no world series] by romina garber)

our dark duet is one of two sequels that i have read and it’s the one that stands out to me the most because new monsters, new perspectives, and really surprising writing choices towards the end made this book an absolutely iconic and memorable finale of the monsters of verity duology.

i feel like this author is the best example as to the kind of writing i love based on the books they’ve written, even though the endings to some of their works seem to always leave me a bit unsatisfied. with that aside, the way v.e. schwab crafts these characters and depicts different relationships in dire settings makes for darkly intriguing premises and i’m really glad that i got to stumble upon their books through this duology first.

3. new release you haven’t read yet but want to

- the chosen and the beautiful by nghi vo

a great gatsby retelling with a queer asian protagonist and magical realism (from what i read of the first couple of pages) !!

this book seems to include a lot of things that i love in fiction, which always leaves me a bit hesitant because even with that, it might just lead me down a road of disappointment, key word: might. i have read a bit of the beginning before buying a physical copy just to be careful but from what i have read, i’m really excited to get to this!!

4. most anticipated release for the second half of the year

- the taking of jake livingston by ryan douglass

i just recently found out that this book is pretty short so based on the premise alone, i’m really interested to see how the author handles these sensitive topics broached in the summary and subverts them to fit the horror genre.

i follow the author on twitter and love everything they’ve had to say so far about this debut (and it comes out in my birth month!!) so i can’t wait to support them after the release.

5. biggest disappointment

- the gilded wolves (book one in the gilded wolves trilogy) by roshani chokshi 

fun fact: i actually really enjoyed this one (i didn’t give it four stars on goodreads for nothing) but i did change my rating in my review to a 3.5 because as much as i loved the setting, characters, and fantastical elements that this story has (+ the writing was beautiful), i didn’t care about any of the romance between the characters, which i think for a lot of readers made their reading experience better but for me, it ruined mine.

personally, i feel like this book would’ve done well without any romance and so i could’ve absolutely given this a five-star. but then if there was no romance, the ending might be a bit different but even then, i just didn’t care about any of the romantic tension or angst that was going on between these characters. and from what i heard of the sequel, the silvered serpents, there’s even more angst and i feel bad that that just repulses me because i don’t experience romance repulsion much, i actually do like romance a lot of the time, but there’s some cases where i either just don’t care about the romance or something about it sets me off. in the case of the series, well ……yeah.

it makes me so mad, though. because again, everything else about this first book was amazing!! it is absolutely rich with history and its characters all have such distinct roles in the story that i enjoyed being in each and every one of their perspectives. enrique is the historian of the bunch so being in his eyes made all these different clues they would find so interesting as we learned about their backgrounds. and same with zofia!! who is beyond skilled when it comes to math, and i love how her mathematical skills transfer so well in her ability to understand certain things that the other characters might’ve glossed over.

all of that and……the romance just wasn’t for me. it wasn’t the main focus, per say, but it did drive certain things that would inevitably happen in the story and that irritated me way more than i care to admit.

6. biggest surprise

- happily ever afters by elise bryant

this book had a lot of things that i usually don’t enjoy as much in other stories and the main character, tessa, herself makes some decisions that are so naïve and seem so selfish that you would think i’d dislike her.

however, there was a lot charm and empathy in this book that made our protagonist feel more endearing to me and if anything, i could understand why she makes the choices that she does and how that affects the other characters. i loved how much care the author obviously had for her main character and there were just a lot of other aspects to this novel that compelled me to love it more than i expected.

the romance, too, the way the author handled it, was absolutely phenomenal (see: i do like romance sometimes), and as someone who cares about friendship a lot in stories, in this one, how the author portrayed the importance of having your friend’s back made the story even more top-notch to me

7. favorite new author (debut or new to you)

- olivie blake

i’ve only read her latest novel, the atlas six, but from just the writing in that book alone and how the author constructs the characters so well, there’s already this undeniable trust i have when it comes to her writing—when it comes to knowing how sincere and perceptive she is in the direction that she has and will take in her stories, in the fates of her characters.

every writer has their own story to tell but with this one, there’s something about how she’s already laid out the pieces on the board in the atlas six that makes me think she already knows what story she’s drawing up now, more than her readers will be able to expect.

i follow her here on tumblr and so i’ve seen her responses to inquiries about these same characters or just general themes she explores in all of her works and her insight and way of thinking absolutely blows my mind, so much that its made me want to read everything she writes. i just recently bought the e-book copy of masters of death and i’m really excited for that one, just the same with her upcoming release, my mechanical romance

8. newest fictional crush squish

- noah from meet cute diary by emery lee

i don’t have fictional crushes, much less crushes in general, but i do have squishes, which is basically like platonic attraction. and in the context of this question, i genuinely do like noah’s character enough that i’d love to be his friend

noah is a pretty interesting character as far as how readers perceive him goes. some readers absolutely despise him while others may see themselves in him and then again with the few who just generally like/love his character. in my case, i really like him, and for all these different readers, it all centers around one thing.

it’s the fact that noah is a bit of an asshole

he’s an asshole who’s sometimes selfish and makes judgements pretty quickly, even when those judgements are actually right. he has a bit of an attitude that makes him seem stand-off ish and it’s that attitude that throughout the course of this novel develops so that he becomes more endearing. there’s so much more i can say about it, but i feel like i’ve said enough in this review, so if you want to learn more him on that front, you can read it if you want

besides the reasons already stated well enough in my goodreads review, another reason why i’d want him to be my friend is that i feel like it would just be really fun to hang out with him since in this novel, he notes down a lot of potential settings for his meet cute diary submissions on his blog. these settings are more for romantic dates and to have the chance to flirt and be with your crush but it’d be nice to think how good of a time we would have as friends. friends can have as many dates, just as much as any other couple, and so with noah i feel like it’d be nice to get to hang out with someone and be out of the house

he’s also a big manga reader (it’s not fully explored in this book but it is briefly mentioned) and as someone who wants to get into reading more manga, i think it’d be cool to not only get some good recommendations from him but just in general get to talk with him about it and have cool discussions about the different plots and characters.

9. newest favorite character

- sinter blackwell from all the better part of me by molly ringle (no surprise there)

sinter’s just a character who’s really charming and has a heart of gold. his love for theatre and how he expresses himself in fashion and music, along with getting to see how he became more comfortable in his sexuality and learned what being bi meant for him meant a lot to me.

the twist in the middle of this book where we see him come to fit into this new role that neither he nor me as the reader could’ve expected made the journey throughout this book feel even more heartfelt and i love how much by the end, he becomes a better version of himself than he was in the beginning. and by better, i mean that he knows more about himself and what he wants and he grows even more confident than he’s always already been.

i just love him, that’s….yeah

10. book that made you cry

- the cost of knowing by brittney morris

i cried at what was one of the happiest moments in these two characters’ lives because i knew what would happen after, so you can imagine how much harder i cried when what happened actually….happened.

this book just made me feel really sad

11. book that made you happy

- anxious people by fredrik backman

for a book that i now consider one of my new favorite comfort reads, it’s really fucking sad. as sad as i just mentioned the cost of knowing was right above, this one is just the same except it’s in those sad moments that i got a lot of reassurance and felt this warmth from seeing how these different characters who were complete strangers to each other interacted with one another.

this story is absurdly funny and has some interesting twists but the root of it all left me feeling near the end so appreciative of having given it a chance since it did take me months to finally get to reading it. highly recommend 💛

12. most beautiful book you’ve bought / received this year

- night. sleep. death. the stars. by joyce carol oates

this book was at least $35 and you know what? it was worth it.

i don’t buy a book unless i’ve read it already and really liked it but there are cases where i do take a chance on some and take out my wallet—either because the book isn’t available at my local library or on libby/scribd. either way, even then i do try to be really careful because i don’t want my money to just go to waste like that

with this book, it isn’t just the cover that pulled me in nor the title (they’re both really beautiful, i mean), but i did read bits and pieces of the first couple of pages when i came across this hardcover copy during my visit at barnes & noble and the writing was stunning so i’m hopeful that the book as a whole can leave me with a nice reading experience.

13. books you need to read by the end of the year

- the messengers (book three in the greystone secrets series) by margaret peterson haddix

- infinity reaper (book two in the infinity cycle trilogy) by adam silvera

+ a lot more but my fingers are getting tired so here are just two i do want to get to in the near future. i pre-ordered a copy of infinity reaper over a year ago and have owned it since the beginning of march of this year and yet i still haven’t read it, i can’t believe myself sometimes.

to be fair though, i am just really terrified about what i’ll read in this second book after the events in infinity son, the first book. plus, the author is known for a lot of angst and pain in his stories when it comes to the fates of his characters, which yes, i absolutely adore. he’s my favorite author for a reason, but……i don’t think i can handle it rn :/

“Lupin, i have one more thing to ask of you. Let me have your name. Let me be Mrs. Lupin. It's not for the tabloids, I'm being serious. No matter how far away you are, all you have to do is hear the name Mrs. Lupin, and you'll know it's me. It'll be our own secret code. I want you to see it, Lupin. To watch me grow into a...good woman. I need to grow up into someone you can't live without.“

-          Rebecca Rossellini, Lupin the Third (Ep. 26)

The Toonami Trending Rundown for January 20-21, 2018. It’s a night of ends and new beginnings as among other moments, Dragon Ball Super begins the Future Trunks saga, while Asta gets recruited by the Black Bulls, and of course, we reach the thrilling conclusion of Lupin the Third: Part IV.

On Twitter, Toonami would trend as with every show during their respective East Coast airings, as well Hunter x Hunter and Outlaw Star as well during their respective West Coast airings. Lupin The Third in particular trended both US and Worldwide, making sure it completed its current run on a high note. Meanwhile on Tumblr, Toonami would also trend as with Dragon Ball Super, DBZ, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Hunter x Hunter.

This week’s feature was a game review of Animal Crossing Pocket Camp for the iOS and Android, as one of Nintendo’s first forays into conventional mobile devices. Interestingly enough, this was the first time Toonami has ever reviewed a game released on mobile devices, and was also reviewed by Dana Swanson, the voice of SARA, herself. It received a 7.5 out of 10 score.

As we begin seeing the English dub of the Future Trunks saga, those who watched ahead to where the sub is currently at will know that Toei has announced that the finale of the Universe Survival Saga, set to end in late March will serve as the series finale for Super. While this chapter of Dragon Ball will soon reach its conclusion, this most likely won’t be the end of the franchise, as Toei is presently hard at work producing the 20th feature film as well as mapping the franchise’s general path going forward, to say nothing about the manga, video games, and various other content for the future. Toei has hinted a potential continuation of the anime series down the line, so we’ll see what happens in the months and years ahead. Of course, we still have 84 episodes left to go until Toonami itself reaches that point, so this could allow the dub to catch up in time for the potential sequel, depending on how long this hiatus is among various other factors. Regardless of what happens, it’s been a great ride so far to see Dragon Ball continuing to shine both inside and outside Toonami’s scope, and I’m personally very confident on what the future of this great anime franchise is ahead.

And speaking of DBS, for those wanting to get more of your Dragon Ball fix, Arc System Works and Bandai Namco have just released the newest video game fighter to the franchise, Dragon Ball FighterZ, presently available on all major platforms except for the Switch.

To commemorate Lupin’s finale, Jose Argumedo and Discotek had another Q&A periscope livestream with several of the show’s staff and voice actors including Richard Epcar (co director and voice of Jigen), Ellyn Stern (co director and voice of several minor characters), Lex Lang (the voice of Goemon), Michelle Ruff (the voice of Fujiko), and Doug Erholtz (the voice of Zenigata).

Ever since Monkey Punch began publishing the original manga in 1967, Lupin the Third has grown to be a very illustrious media franchise, with numerous manga, anime, anime films and OVAs and the like released over the decades. Back in 2003, Adult Swim in its early days aired 26 episodes of Part 2, though episode 3 was skipped over for content issues, and the remaining 129 episodes of part 2 never aired for various reasons. While Lupin’s legacy among long time Adult Swim viewers and Toonami Faithful isn’t as large as some of Toonami and Adult Swim’s other highly acclaimed and well requested classics, the series still is pretty well regarded among fans and the Toonami crew to this day, and it perhaps comes as no surprise that Lupin was looked into to make a comeback to the better cartoon show, especially with the series having a renaissance on the Japanese TV scene.

In 2016, Toonami attempted to bring Lupin back with The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, following the end of Michiko and Hatchin’s run (both series were directed by Sayo Yamamoto, whom would also go on to create Yuri on Ice) however issues regarding nudity (ie. too many boobies to censor) would have required Toonami to heavily chop the show’s content into bits barring objections from the network and advertisers, forcing them to choose an encore run of Samurai Champloo instead. While Toonami found a way to air the likes of Black Lagoon, Hellsing, Kill la Kill, and soon episode 23 of Outlaw Star with as little edits as they could to appease the network and advertisers in that regard, Toonami decided that that the amount of censoring needed that time around just wasn’t worth it.

But Toonami and Lupin fans would not give up, as over a year later, Lupin would eventually find its way back onto Adult Swim, as Toonami partnered up with Discotek to bring in the newest edition of the main Lupin series in part IV, the first acquisition for Toonami from Discotek and the first from TMS since 2003. While Discotek has been around since 2005, considering that they mainly focus on classic titles and underrated gems, including helping to bring IGPX DVDs back into production, and it wasn’t until 2016 with Lupin that they started producing dubs, its not a surprise that this company was under the radar from many fans and perhaps even the Toonami crew as an acquisition partner for so long. Then again, classics and underrated gems are sometimes just what Toonami needs.

One of the earliest hints that this was going to occur was when Jason released a poll to gauge interest on shorter shows like Tokyo Ghoul, Mob Psycho 100, and Lupin potentially airing on the block. While industry politics among other factors between Toonami and the distributors have unfortunately dashed Mob’s Toonami hopes for now, Tokyo Ghoul would get its shot on March, while Lupin would finally make its return on June 17, 2017 as Toonami premiered the English Dub premiere of Part IV.

26 episodes of Lupin and his crew doing what they do best and avoiding Zenigata to do so, finding love with Rebecca, and solving the mystery of Leonardo Di Vinci, and now this season is in the books. During Part IV’s run, the hashtag #LupinThe3rd trended in the US during all but 2 weeks of its run as well as worldwide during the season finale. The show did not produce any character trends or trended on tumblr during its run.

For those wanting to check out more Lupin in the interim, Discotek has been hard at work producing and re-releasing Blu-rays and DVDs of Lupin’s previous installments and several films, so feel free to check those out. And of course, this won’t be end of Lupin as TMS and Telecom Animation Film are presently working on a part V to the franchise, set to premiere in Japan this upcoming April as Lupin and the gang travel to France, the home of Lupin’s grandfather. The sub will be simulcasted on Crunchyroll and Hulu.

No word yet if and when Discotek will be tasked to dub the new season or if Toonami will pick up this new installment down the line, but we’ll see what happens. As I would say with every potential show and every successful Toonami show looking to return for a continuation, if you wish to see Lupin return for Part V and perhaps beyond, keep supporting the show by legal means and to send your show recommendations to Toonami's Facebook and Tumblr message boxes as well as letting Discotek know in their respective outlets.

Regardless of what happens, Lupin’s return was quite a fun ride for both fans watching since Adult Swim’s early days (and perhaps even before then) and the new fans it gained along the way, and I’m sure I can speak for every fan that we’re all looking forward to what adventures Lupin and the crew will be taking in the future. So until then, Arrivederci, Lupin, and hope to see you again soon.

As previously mentioned, there was a show that was originally supposed to replace Lupin on the schedule, but unfortunately Toonami and the distributors ran into some legal issues preventing a broadcast, delaying the show announcement and premiere to a future date. We’ll keep you posted on when it does happen as well as any other incoming shows in the year to come, but in the meantime, Space Dandy will be having an encore run beginning tonight at 2:30 am, while Naruto Shippuden and Outlaw Star also move up to 1:30 and 2 am respectively in the interim. Until then, see you again next week and stay dandy, baby.

Legend: The shows listed are ordered based on their appearance on the schedule. Show trends are listed in bold. The number next to the listed trend represents the highest it trended on the list (not counting the promoted trend), judging only by the images placed in the rundown. For the Twitter tweet counts, the listed number of tweets are also sorely based on the highest number shown based on the images on the rundown.

United States Trends:

Toonami/#Toonami [#6]

#DragonBallSuper [#8]

#DBZKai [#7]

#BlackClover [#9]

#JoJosBizarreAdventure [#8]

#GundamIBO [#8]

#HunterXHunter [#6]

#LupinThe3rd [#1]

#Shippuden [#9]

#OutlawStar [#8]

#CowboyBebop [#6]

#GhostInTheShell [#6]

Worldwide Trends:

#LupinThe3rd [#10]

Tweet Counts:

Toonami [8,616 tweets]

#Toonami [11.7k tweets]

#DragonBallSuper [12.8k tweets]

#DBZKai [10.5k tweets]

#BlackClover [9,102 tweets]

#JoJosBizarreAdventure [11.8k tweets]

#GundamIBO [10.3k tweets]

#HunterXHunter [11.1k tweets]

#LupinThe3rd [19.7k tweets]

#Shippuden [10.1k tweets]

#OutlawStar [10.9k tweets]

#CowboyBebop [12.2k tweets]

#GhostInTheShell [10.1k tweets]

Tumblr Trends:

#toonami

#dragon ball super

#dbz

#jojo’s bizarre adventure

#hunter x hunter

Notes and Other Statistics:

#GundamIBO: @WhoTrendedIT reported that @KyleMcCarley started the trend in the US.

Special thanks to @coreymbarnes, @jmb70056, @mmorse1017, and others I forgot to mention for spotting some of the trends on this list.

The Grind is Real. Only Toonami on [adult swim] on Cartoon Network.

Final Blog: Mad Max, Then and Now

When Mad Max: Fury Road hit theaters in 2015, the general public seemed to like the film immensely - it received a 8.1/10 on IMDb, and a 97% on rotten tomatoes. It ended up being the highest-grossing film in the Mad Max franchise, and yet the success of the film can almost fully be credited to the pioneering influence and impact of the first film in the franchise: Mad Max (1979). Daniel Chadwick-Shubat notes in a classic film review of the original film, “When Mad Max opened in the U.S., it came out of nowhere, taking the country and movie world by storm. It immediately became a cult item...a new type of film, an uncompromisingly brutal, post-apocalyptic action thriller from an unknown director at the time, George Miller” (Chadwick-Shubat). Now we have had many cult classic films in America - just take The Room (2003) for example. But the reason that this cult classic became so popular that it spurred sequels and reboots is fascinating. However, it is essential to consider the most recent film in the series. It is significant to note that Fury Road is technically a reboot of the original film. While it is not a remake, the concepts, history, and general atmosphere of the film are inspired from the original film. Many may argue that it finds more inspiration aesthetically from the second film, Mad Max 2 (1982), also known as The Road Warrior. In the second film, the main crisis of fuel scarcity that appears in Fury Road has begun and become more prevalent. As Vox writer Emily Todd VanDerWerff notes, in Mad Max 2, “...the energy crisis has worsened to the point where fuel has become a precious, hard-to-find resource. Max, hardened by his experiences in the first film, comes upon a band of settlers and ends up helping them survive attacks by a gang led by someone known as ‘the Humungus’” (VanDerWerff). After seeing Fury Road, this connection becomes more prevalent as the similarities appear, especially in the costuming and prominent conflict of the film in addition to the main storyline and primary crisis is established. As VanDerWerff also notes, “All four films tell self-contained stories, and everything you need to know about Max is conveyed in the first five minutes of Fury Road. Having seen the earlier films will certainly enhance your viewing experience, but it's not necessary to have a great time” (VanDerWerff). Fury Road, therefore, was able to attract audiences outside of the original trilogy as it presented an action film for car enthusiasts and Mad Max enthusiasts alike, increasing its box office revenue. However, this did not mean that everyone came to see the film.

While many outside the franchise might see the storyline of the films as nothing more than just one big car chase, VanDerWerff actually took the time to consider the statistics and screen time of chase scenes, finding surprising results.

Even while Fury Road does contain the most time on chase scenes than any of the other films in the franchise, the total time of chase scenes of its predecessor, Beyond The Thunderdome only contained 13% of chase scenes, while the staggering 87% of the film was actual plot and story. And this story, of course, dates all the way back to the original Mad Max film in 1979.

The significance of the original, as previously and briefly stated, is immensely important. As The Conversation writer Gemma Blackwood states, “Much has been written on the way that the Mad Max movies managed to blend high-concept mythic and epic narrative with daggy snatches of local humour and down-to-earth dialogue to appeal to both national Australian and overseas audiences. It is easy enough to see why Mel Gibson’s Max on his legendary suicidal missions serves as a cipher for both the international hard-boiled hero and for the American Western hero” (Blackwood). While the story and concept of a post-apocalyptic anti-hero gained popularity among the audience, the film’s visuals are also almost unmatched by any other film. It can be argued that the visuals are almost equally as important to the plot, since the environment aids in moving the plot forward. While Blackwood notes the limitations of the spectacle of the film, she also notes that the extended periods of time that contain dialogue and other elements that aid to create a full and rich film world. And, in its most basic sense of the meaning, without the original film, Fury Road would not have been made. Because of the immense success of the first three films, the creators were able to receive larger budgets and more freedoms to create relatively higher-quality sequels and reboots. 

And these reboots are indeed very anticipated. Sequels, while they have notoriously been harbingers of the downfall of many franchises, have always been hotly anticipated and highly attended. Take, for instance, the Star Wars saga. Many die-hard fans of the franchise are not the biggest fans of the newest installments of the series; however, the films still remained relative successes due to open-minded fans and those new to the film world and lore. This is largely due to the fact that many sequels contain references to the older films for the dedicated fans, yet they are also easy to understand for those new to the story. This concept is once again realized and put into effect in the Mad Max franchise - the reboot style of Fury Road allows for it current films’ success. As one critic Benjamin Moore notes in his excitement for the upcoming Fury Road, he says “...here was a trailer that felt right at home in the world of Road Warrior, that didn't depend on computer-generated effects like a crutch, but also looked stunning and action-packed in a way that no movie from the 1980s would've been capable of. The marketing for Fury Road reminds us of those old Mad Max movies...” (Moore). Clearly, there was immense hype and excitement behind this film. I remember seeing the trailers and feeling very excited, and yet felt a lack of interest due to my lack of experience and history with the franchise. However, I will give credit where credit is due. The film had a budget almost 4 times larger than the third installment of Thunderdome, and made almost 3 times of its budget back in box office gross. But the question still remains: does a larger budget, and by extension, better effects and more ability to create spectacle, equal a more successful film? 

It seems, especially in the current decade, that more and more films, with the larger budgets and bigger following that they have, seem to rely more on special effects, CGI, and artificial imaging to create the spectacle. Take, for instance, this video of the before and after CGI effects. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7VBVoDW9bs

As you can notice, some of the biggest hits of the year like Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Fast and Furious 7 (2015) are on this list. It is almost unbelievable to see how much of these films, even films that try to be realistically accurate like the film about Mt. Emerest, is digitally created in post-production. 

So, with Fury Road having such a huge budget and a relatively decent success, it should include a lot of CGI, right? Wrong. In his interview with George Miller, writer Ian Failes notes  “‘I’ve been joking recently about how the film has been promoted as being a live action stunt driven film – which it is,’ says Jackson. ‘But also how there’s so little CGI in the film. The reality is that there’s 2000 VFX shots in the film. A very large number of those shots are very simple clean-ups and fixes and wire removals and painting out tire tracks from previous shots, but there are a big number of big VFX shots as well’” (Failes). This once again harkens back to Moore’s point of Fury Road’s trailer using practical effects. So while there is so much CGI in the film, most of it is less of re-creating and generating main character and action, and more focused on creating the environment and atmosphere surrounding the practical effects. Take, for instance, the photo of the war rig crashing into the canyon. 

This photo shows a surprising lack of CGI, as the bulk and main spectacle of the stunt is practical. Many more of these photos, including before and after photos, can be seen in Failes’ article. In addition, this short video highlights the relatively minor differences between the film with and without practical effects. Usually, when showing huge explosions or major catastrophes like a war rig crashing, it would be CGI. But not for Mad Max.

https://youtu.be/ent02yItm60 

Part of what made the original Mad Max so appealing was the realistic nature and practical effects, which spurred the practical effects used in the latest release in 2015. So where did all of that budget go if so little of Fury Road is CGI? Once explanation could be the creation and customization of the cars used in the film. Just take a look at the cars used in the film, from the very first film all the way to Fury Road. 

These cars are almost completely practical, all the way from the smallest buggy to the enormous war rig. All in all, 150 cars were hand-built and customized for Fury Road. However, in continuing with the theme of this blog, we must remember the beginnings of the franchise. The budget for the initial, very first film in the series was a mere $350,000. Mazda Bongo’s own personal van was actually smashed in the first film during the first chase scene, since they didn’t have the budget to do multiple takes or buy cars just to crash them in the film. Consider this chart for the budgets and gross of each of the Mad Max films, adjusted for inflation. 

Now with this, the relationship between budget, CGI, and the success of the film becomes an interesting topic to discuss. While the first ever film had an incredibly small budget and a huge success margin by using almost completely practical effects, Fury Road has essentially followed in the footsteps of the original. By using so many practical effects, the films have retained their appeal and realistic nature. Even with an enormous budget, it is almost all put into practical effects and creating an immersive environment. Kristen Thompson is a close coworker with David Borwell, an America film historian and film theorist that has written a number of volumes on film theory. Thompson, on her and Borwell’s joint blog on “Observations of Film Art,” notes that the directors and visual effects artists were adamant about not using CGI when it was trying to simulate something that adhered to the laws of physics. “Miller commented, ‘We don’t defy the laws of physics–there are no flying human beings, no spacecraft–so it doesn’t make sense to do it as CGI. We’ve got real vehicles and real humans in a real desert, and you hope that all that texture will be up there on the screen.’ Miller had in fact assumed that he would have to create the ‘pole cat’ sequence, which has men perched on long, swaying poles atop speeding vehicles. Action unit director Guy Norris, however, shot a test scene on video, with no CGI” (Thompson). Once again, the main action and stunts of the film are realistic and non-CGI. Comparing it once again to the Avengers franchise, Robert Downy Junior needs to do little to no stunts at all, since his suit is almost completely CGI - all the directors need is his voiceover to add into the action. But for Fury Road, the directors were adamant about using most of the budget they received for practical effects and the creation of a rich movie atmosphere.

Ultimately, because Fury Road followed so closely to its predecessor’s footsteps in regards to the way they were made, it was able to find relative success, and the reason for this almost runs contrast to the reason that many current blockbusters are doing so well. The creators and directors of Mad Max basically created a popular post-apocalyptic genre due to the necessity of having a small budget and using scraps and donated items and junk to create their atmosphere. This western, post-apocalyptic setting created the film world that would eventually become a staple of the franchise. As J. Emmet Winn notes in her journal article, “Westerns may be viewed as having two main ingredients: the hero and the locale. These two elements are often defined, in large part, by their appearance. The stark landscape, six-guns, hats, horses and leather are all part of the iconography that create the style and sense of the Western” (Winn). The key elements of westerns, while Fury Road and the rest of the films in the franchise are definitely not westerns in the classical sense of the word, they certainly draw inspiration from the deserted, dusty locale and the renegade main character. As Winn notes, the film benefits from a desolate, western-like environment. This, once again, stems from the aesthetic that was created by the low-budget, scavenger-type costuming, cars, and stunts. 

This extensive quote from VanDerWerff again sums up this argument entirely. “In almost every case, if you see something happening on screen in Fury Road, somebody really went out and performed it. Computer-generated effects are mostly used for scenes that would simply be too cost-prohibitive to actually film on location, like the one involving a giant sandstorm..This gives Fury Road a palpable sense of reality that has been missing from too many action movies in recent years. When cars smash into each other, it's real. When characters dip from tall poles mounted into the backs of vehicles into cars beside them to snatch up passengers, that's also real...There's nothing inherently wrong with computer-generated effects, but far too many movies use them as a crutch to depict absolutely anything at all. That means everything skews toward being as ‘awesome’ as possible — and when that happens, nothing is” (VanDerWerff). And this, in line with the very first film in the franchise in 1979, can be credited as the main reason why Fury Road did as well as it did. With a staggering budget, especially compared to the budgets in the past and the diminishing returns of the films as seen from the chart of budgets and gross revenues, this film drew upon what made it so popular and successful in the first place in order to create an incredibly immersive film environment that captivates and thrills audiences with every crash and explosion. 

Blackwood, Gemma. “How Mad Max Wrote the Script for the Action Blockbuster.” The Conversation, 7 May 2015. https://theconversation.com/how-mad-max-wrote-the-script-For-the-action-blockbuster-40627. Accessed 21 November 2019.

Chadwick-Shubat, Daniel. “Classic Review: Mad Max (1979).” Get Reel Movies, 29 March 2016. https://getreelmovies.com/classic-review-mad-max-1979/. Accessed 21 November 2019.

Failes, Ian. “A graphic tale: the visual effects of Mad Max: Fury Road.” FX Guide, 29 May 2015. www.fxguide.com/fxfeatured/a-graphic-tale-the-visual-effects-of-mad-max-fury-road/. Accessed 21 November 2019.

“Mad Max: Fury Road Without Special Effects is Still Freaking Awesome.” YouTube, uploaded by Sploid, 5 June 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ent02yItm60&feature=youtu.be.

Moore, Benjamin. “Take Note, Hollywood: ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Is How You Do A Decades-Late Sequel.” Forbes, 31 March 2015. www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminmoore/2015/03/31/mad-max-4-fury-road-best-decades-late-sequel/#7365d2913d0. Accessed 21 November 2019.

“Movies That Look Nothing Like You’d Expect Before Special Effects.” YouTube, uploaded by Trend Central, 29 September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7VBVoDW9bs.

Thompson, Kelly. “The Waning Thrills of CGI,” David Wordwell’s Website on Cinema: Observations on Film Art. 24 May 2015. www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2015/05/24/the-waning-thrills-of-cgi/?fbclid=IwAR2WtUxyo7l17VkRbk8zXEVQ2dRLF68zJ9AmY2sjEKKahUtN_TjYq1rQo. Accessed 21 November 2019.

VanDerWerff, Emily Todd. “The Violent, Beautiful World of the Must-See New Movie Mad Max: Fury Road, Explained,” Vox, 15 May 2015. www.vox.com/2015/5/15/ 8612481/mad-max-review-fury-road. Accessed 21 November 2019.

Winn, J. Emmett. “Mad Max, Reaganism, and The Road Warrior.” Kinema, Fall 1997. 

Opinion: Breath of the Wild 2 Can't Just Give Us More of the Same

New Post has been published on https://gamerszone.tn/opinion-breath-of-the-wild-2-cant-just-give-us-more-of-the-same/

Opinion: Breath of the Wild 2 Can't Just Give Us More of the Same

How do you follow up a masterpiece? It’s a question many artists face, and it’s what Nintendo must ask while developing the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Breath of the Wild was a revolutionary title for the Zelda series and the open-world genre. The, “go anywhere, climb anything” approach was the breath of fresh air (pun intended) the franchise needed, and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest Zelda games of all time (and the best game on Nintendo Switch.) The reveal of Breath of the Wild 2 was Nintendo’s big announcement to cap off its Nintendo Direct for E3 2019, but the trailer told us very little about what to expect from our next trip to Hyrule.

I don’t believe it’s enough for the sequel to just give us more of the same. Breath of the Wild was special because of how fresh and new it felt, so a game too similar likely wouldn’t have the same effect– we’ve already been there, and done that. In fact, people are still discovering exciting secrets in Breath of the Wild, like figuring out that Lurelin Village is clearly inspired by Wind Waker’s Outset Island.

After all, the reason many fans got tired of the 3D Zelda games is because they followed the same formula for so long. Nintendo can avoid similar fatigue with Breath of the Wild 2 with some kind of unique hook; let’s look to history to see what kind of direction the publisher could go in.

After ‘Ocarina’, The Moon Fell

It’s hard to ignore the comparisons being drawn between Majora’s Mask and Breath of the Wild 2. We already know that Breath of the Wild’s sequel is not directly related to the N64 classic, but that doesn’t mean it can’t take the same approach when it comes to following up the franchise’s newest masterpiece. After all, Majora’s Mask borrowed the assets and engine from Ocarina of Time, the generational classic that came before it.

Breath of the Wild 2 is doing the same thing, but- according to the only trailer we’ve seen- it appears to be set in the same world as the original Breath of the Wild. The only other Zelda game to reuse an overworld was A Link Between Worlds, but that was 20 years after A Link to the Past. With the same engine, assets, and overworld, the Breath of the Wild sequel has to find a way to differentiate itself despite its similarities.

Majora’s Mask stood apart from its predecessor in a number of ways. The dark, haunting tone, the three-day time limit, and the way different masks allowed for a variety of gameplay styles gave Majora’s Mask a completely unique identity, even though it looked almost identical to Ocarina of Time. The mask itself is one of the most recognizable icons in the Zelda franchise, and that’s thanks to the risks the team took during Majora’s development.

The key to success for Breath of the Wild 2’s world will be density, not size.

“

Our first look at Breath of the Wild 2 paints a very grim picture of Hyrule, as we watch Link and Zelda trudge through a sewer crawling with rats and reawakened mummies. Breath of the Wild Producer Eiji Aonuma has commented on the sequel’s dark nature, saying that the upcoming title is, “currently a little darker” than Majora’s Mask. This is a promising first step: a tonal shift is a great way to forge a new identity, especially after the idyllic, peaceful vibe of the first game.

Same Map, New World

Often, sequels feature larger, more expansive worlds than their predecessors, but Breath of the Wild’s overworld is already huge. The key to success for Breath of the Wild 2’s world will be density, not size. Fans recently discovered how beautiful Breath of the Wild’s underwater areas are, but they’re practically unexplorable. Opening these areas up to the player would make the world feel even more open and accessible, without making the map itself any larger.

Additionally, we don’t yet know how much time has passed between the original Breath of the Wild and its sequel. Zelda is sporting a new haircut, which is traditionally (especially in anime) a trope used to convey the passage of time. Hopefully, it’s been long enough to give Link and Zelda the opportunity to rebuild Hyrule, meaning new towns, attractions, and landmarks to explore. It would not only be a great way to see what’s new in the world we spent countless hours in during the first game, but a smart way to make the world feel more alive.

The question that seems to be on everybody’s minds, though, is if we’ll get to play as Zelda in this game. That would be a great new twist on the Breath of the Wild formula, and it could open up tons of new gameplay possibilities. Imagine a fully realized moveset completely unique from Link’s, focused on magic like Din’s Fire and Nayru’s Love from Ocarina of Time.

Of course, there is plenty more Nintendo might do to freshen the next Breath of the Wild. Dungeon design that returns to the earlier 3D Zelda games, the reintroduction of some fan-favorite items, and more varied enemy design would definitely be great additions, if not groundbreaking ones. But ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see what direction the developers choose.

I trust that Nintendo will deliver something remarkable with Breath of the Wild 2– after all, there’s a reason the Zelda series has survived for over 30 years. The stories and moments we experienced in Breath of the Wild all felt deeply personal, and I hope some of that DNA carries over to the sequel. But, I hope this game will also take risks and pursue new ideas, because that’s how it will cement itself as something truly special.

Logan Plant is a freelancer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant

Source : IGN

More immortal champion discussion, continued from here bc otherwise it’ll get way too long

@fallen-angel-lucifer

 I've been thinking about that and tying myself into knots while attempting to figure out a fix-it because imagining movie Liu alone breaks my heart. What if Liu Kang saves Kung Lao with some help from the Elder Gods by somehow binding their souls together? Literally making the whole "We die together or not at all." oath real. Do you suppose the Champion immortality would extend to the other? C'mon, Raiden. Make it real. Immortal Shaolin Tag-Team Kombat champions!

You and me both, friend.  To be honest, with his reduced role in favor of Cole in this newest movie, there’s no guarantee that Liu Kang will actually be the ultimate champion this time when the tournament rolls around. But the hole I’ve written myself into with this upcoming WIP is that in this one he is, and he needs to be bc it’s relevant to how things go after that.  So basically my choices are either pretend this isn’t a thing (like every other person writing movie fic tbh), or change something major one way or the other.  Either way, it’s thrown a bit of a wrench in something I finally had at least kind of planned out. -_- I don’t think your suggestion here works for what I’m doing but I would be here for it if somebody wrote it!  Though tbh it only kind of takes the sting out of the fact that everyone else will still age normally and die.  I really just want LK 2021 to have his found family dammit ;_;

@fallen-angel-lucifer

BUT If you want to go for the angst route, there's always reincarnation. Don't know if that idea is any better or if it just hurts more.

Oh no you cannot say that to me though >.> that gives me ideas

@bastardsunlight

In both the original and the netherrealm studios canon, Liu gets smoked before we can see how that would end. In the OG, Raiden inexplicably brings him back as a chain swinging zombie while his soul chases him around and then Armageddon occurs. It is addressed in Defenders of the Realm, but not in the games as far as I recall, save some skins in X that feature a silver haired but otherwise youthful Liu Kang and an aged Kung Lao.

all that to say that I think it should be addressed and the games seem to play fast and loose with it

Hm, fair.  The thing that’s bothering me here is that like...that makes perfect sense within the original conceit of the game, in that the characters are representing different realms or whatever but it’s still a one on one tournament to the death with a single winner.  Idk which game introduced this concept but I think it makes sense within that framework- and that’s not really a framework in which you’d bother to think much about the implications of that.  But trying to turn that into an actual story tends to lead to what we get in the movies, which is a story focused on characters divided more clearly into teams/sides, most of whom live and end up friends.  The part in the 2021 one where they split off into individual fights but still with a team strategy gave me more YYH Dark Tournament vibes than anything else (which might contribute to me liking it XD).  But in that context, after they’ve made a point to bond these characters into a team? Longevity for one person while everyone else stays normal sucks.  And especially in the context of resurrecting Kung Lao, and their whole promise to only die together, it’s just like...depressing, and not in a way that I find fun to think about.  Also that promise doesn’t really make sense in a world where immortality for the winner and only the winner is a thing, since they seem to have established that Kung Lao has a lot of pressure on him to win and defend Earthrealm and all that.  It just seems like it would come up, idk. But also, in the context of a movie where the characters are friends and most of them live, how do you decide who the champion is?  Like, in the 95 one, if Johnny beat Goro and Liu Kang beat Shang Tsung, shouldn’t they then have to fight to see who is the real winner if it’s gonna just be one person?  Shang Tsung was orchestrating shit, but Goro was the previous champion, so those seem like pretty equal victories.  But no, they don’t, because they’re on the same side and that’s what the movie cares about, the good guys won XD But that’s not how a tournament works, unless it literally is a team affair like the Dark Tournament.  So like. I feel like in the context of the movies, if nothing else, you can maybe ignore it, unless any future sequels to the 2021 one decide to make it a thing. I’m really not sure why I’m agonizing this much over kanon compliance for a property that can’t decide what its supposed protagonist’s first name is, but that is unfortunately just who I am as a person.

Hello Hello Book Lovers! I’m a bit past the mid-point of the year but I was reading some FAB books I couldn’t put down & risk them not making this list. I’m pretty sure there are still some new faves out there I’ve yet to read but I’m also very happy with the ones that did make the cut in this tag. The fact that we’re still finding joy in a hobby we love in such tough times is a blessing in & of itself. This tag took me just about a day to work through but while working on it I caught up with some Booktube videos as well as my binge of The Cold Case Files on Netflix.

Best book you’ve read so far this year

Without a doubt the honor goes to All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson! (My review) this book will forever stay in my heart & soul as a genuine collection of stories (essays) that are raw & powerful. George gives us a intimate look at life growing up as a queer black man in America. At times it was very hard to listen to & others I felt like an honorary guest at the kitchen table. Race, gender, sexuality, and socio-economic differences are all explored here. Poignant & life changing, this is a book you want to have read Luvs!

Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

Out of all the prompts in this tag, this is the one I can say was the reason for this tag going up past the month of June. I was honestly holding out to read a few more sequels that I’m pretty certain are going to blow my mind but for now I have selected Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan! (My review) This was 10 times darker than Wicked Saints & I was sort of anticipating this since I follow the author on Twitter. This book is more focused on Serafin but overall the character development was *chefs kiss* & the set-up for the final book which btw will be driven by a Malachiasz POV…was just A+! slower paced sequel & worth every page 😉

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson (Goodreads)🖤 First off I’ll start by saying that I love reading all things witchy, even before I had read the synopsis this book was in my cart. Described as a feminist fantasy with gothic vibes that takes on race, misogyny, religion and homophobia to name a few. I received my copy in the mail about a week ago & will be reading it in August!

  Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Wayward Witch (Brooklyn Brujas #3) by Zoraida Cordova the final book in a witchy series I absolutely fell in love with! This book will be following the youngest of the sisters Rose as she comes into her newfound powers. This is the third & final book so I’ll just leave it at that cause spoilers. If you’re looking for more Latinx Representation, Zoraida Cordova is such a talented writer who has become one of my top 3 favorite authors!

  Biggest disappointment

This is the year I’ve re-discovered my love for reading & that’s partly because I’ve made it a priority to only read what my spider senses detect will be a hit. I’m sort of riding the wave between mood reading & arc timely reading if that’s even a thing. No disappointing reads to report as of yet and a gal is crossing her fingers it stays that way 😉

Biggest surprise

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria (Goodreads) When I first saw this book announced I knew that I had to read! not only for the Latinx representation but also because it’s centered around telenovela stars which I figured would be pretty nostalgic for me. This book was more than what I expected in the best of possible ways. We see two Latinx characters cast in a major telenovela that is set to break barriers & stereotypes for the Latinx community. This is also the first time I read a book with Latinx characters where the Spanish in text is not italicized which gave me a more organic reading experience. I have a review in the works but for those that are interested, some of the content warnings are PTSD, anxiety, talk of loss of a parent, Cancer, alcohol as coping mechanism.

Favorite new author (Debut or new to you)

I’ve recently fallen down the rabbit hole with buying all of anything written by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia with ZERO regrets! I read Mexican Gothic (review coming) this month while at the beach & was just teleported to High Place with its Gothic/Horror vibes turned all the way up! I’ve legit started collecting Moreno-Garcias books since I plan on binge reading for a future blog post. One thing I have noticed about this author is that she isn’t boxed into any particular genre. So far I’ve seen books she’s written under the Horror, Sci-Fi, Urban Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mythology, Magical realism genres. The one thing that makes Moreno a favorite for me besides the A+ writing is that her characters are all Latinx. I’m really looking forward to reading all of her back-list books.

Newest fictional crush

Artwork Credit: Hellhoneyy (Click on photo for artist website)

I’ll admit I’ve never had a fictional crush but then Talia Hibbert went & changed all that with Zafir Ansari in Take a Hint Dani Brown (My review) he is the perfect balance between sweet cinnamon roll & a knight in shining armor. Not that Dani needed one at all but he’s old school & seeing to his ladies needs/wants is at the top of his priorities. Zaf is attentive & nurturing, he’s also super supportive. To top it all off, he has. foundation where he helps young boys shed toxic masculinity by providing a safe space where they can talk about their feelings. Zaf has my heart!

Newest favorite character

Artwork Credit: Melanie Tranchemontagne (click on photo for artist Instagram)

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas (my review) was the last book I purchased before Quarantine in NYC & I LOVED it to pieces! There are so many stand-out characters but one in particular stole the show…Lehabah the small & curvy Fire Sprite. Lehabah is bashful & loves watching Fangs & Bangs. Her love for Fangs & Bangs is only rivaled by her love for our MC Bryce Quinlan. Lehabah fretted over Bryce & I just adored her!

Book that made you cry

This may come as a surprise but the book that made me cry was House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas (my review). If you’ve yet to read this one I’d suggest steering clear of the Goodreads synopsis since it’s VERY spoilery & in my opinion also takes away from the emotional reaction it may illicit. However, I will say what I loved most about this book is the awesome ride or die female/female friendship at its core.

  Book that made you happy

Take a Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters #2) by Talia Hibbert (My Review) was THE book that made me smile & just radiate happiness all over! Between Zafir being the ideal love interest & Dani king this independent bi-sexual witch Goddess, I was LIVING for their story! the body positivity & acceptance of personalities and differences is #GOALS If I’m being honest for favorite new to me author it was a tie between Sylvia Moreno-Garcia and Talia Hibbert. Love them both so much! but this is the book that put me in a happy place.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia is STUNNING!!! Noemi our MC is serving 1950’s glamor with a Gothic/Horror Vibe on the cover with what looks to be dead flowers in her grasp. I LOVE this cover & story so much that I have it on display on my bedroom shelves. It is legit a source of inspiration for some upcoming paint/artwork I have planned for my bedroom walls.

  What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

There are SO many wonderfully Diverse titles as well as some highly anticipated sequels hitting our shelves in the second half of this year that I absolutely can’t wait to read. These are just a few I plan on reading THIS year in an attempt to deliver my Top 20 of 200 by the end of the year…

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2020 Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag Hello Hello Book Lovers! I'm a bit past the mid-point of the year but I was reading some FAB books I couldn't put down & risk them not making this list.

Netflix's extremely bold present flawlessly turns bizarre into outlandish- Leisure Information, Firstpost

http://tinyurl.com/y6jyegej Language: English I ended and rewound a couple of minutes of Darkish in season 1, after a corpse of 1 little one was revealed to be the corpse of a child that went lacking 30 years in the past. I ended and rewound once more — when an previous watchmaker was abruptly disclosed to be the writer of a e book that was given to him by a mysterious stranger. I ended watching altogether and pulled out my pocket book to make notes when the 4 households depicted within the present had been revealed to be interconnected via three totally different timelines. As a result of every time the present switched timelines, the soar felt like an examination designed to check your participation degree and detective abilities.  And even after I grew to become wholly comfy with the world and the huge array of characters within the present, I stored sneaking again to my pocket book, peeking on the character names, their ages and faces prior to now, current and future — generally numbing myself within the course of. Progressively, my eyes adjusted to the darkness. By the point season 1 ended, I knew Darkish was going to be my all-time favorite Netflix present.  A nonetheless from Darkish Season 2 By halfway via Season 2, Darkish felt much less like a sequel to a detective examination than like a masterpiece of pure atmospheric pleasure and narrative audacity. With hints of the horror of Stephen King, the sci fi journey of Looper and the gloom of Tarkovsky, Darkish Season 2 has a proper ambition that simply explodes in our faces. It flawlessly turns the bizarre into the outlandish and vice versa. Individuals forcibly wade via a nightmarish sequence of occasions; discoveries are made that could possibly be reversed; households are torn aside for the sake of different households patching up. Over time, patterns emerge, revealing an uneasy meditation on the idea of alternative, the vulnerability of a hero thrust in an unlikely state of affairs, the ability of realizing the long run, and its skill to make us do one thing we thought we’d discover ghastly. Very early on in Darkish, we’re informed concerning the non-linearity of time and the way the previous, current and the long run don’t have to be consecutive — an idea defined over pictures of various individuals pinned to the wall. That second is absolutely realised within the second season. It’s a becoming subject for the present to discover as its central character Jonas navigates via it. All through its large second season, Darkish is within the transformational points of time journey. Sure, it’s largely baked in with the Again to the Future-type sci-fi style conventions and its messy however entertaining tropes.  However this can be a sci-fi story much less about what occurs when one man goes again in time, and extra about what occurs when the boundaries between the individuals linked to him turn out to be leaky and permeable due to the time journey. Season 2 completely ups its recreation in that division. The connection between Jonas (Louis Hoffman), Noah (Mark Waschke) and the Winden caves they frequent is supposed to terrify us much less as a result of Noah is basically a serial killer burying his our bodies in a distinct timeline, however as a result of Jonas and Noah are so carefully interlinked that if their relationship ever ruptures, the harm to the entire city of Winden, and due to this fact the world, is perhaps unsalvageable. It’s virtually like Jonas and Noah are imprinted into each other, like Neo and Smith in The Matrix.  It’s, admittedly, a daring technique for the showrunner Baran Bo Odar to aim, notably when the primary season was made on the inspiration of darkly foreboding gotcha moments of ‘which character is an older model of themselves’ whodunit, and the noose tightened a bit with each episode. In distinction, the second season is extra fluid and self conscious with its twists and turns, notably after its electrifying fourth episode; publish which the present leaves behind its blistering tempo in favour of extra meditative moments between Jonas and Martha (Lisa Vicari), the love of his life whom he can’t be romantically concerned with as a result of the time journey mechanic has turned them into family.  The moments are fantastically captured in an uncharacteristically sunlit ‘previous’ of Winden, the place we see Martha desires to be with Jonas however he has to withstand, despite the fact that he can really feel bits and items of himself slipping away. And throughout him, the opposite characters within the present’s world, like his mom Hannah (Maja Schone), his mates, Martha’s household, and even the ominous setting of his dwelling Winden itself mirror his tragic predicament through their very own prisms. A nonetheless from Darkish Season 2 It’s sometimes irritating, particularly within the episodes that soar again even additional in time that exit of the way in which to confuse you and lead you to imagine the present is portray itself right into a convoluted nook. But the ultimate episode, with its extremely heartfelt finale juxtaposed to Peter Gabriel’s ‘My physique is a cage’, pulls every thing collectively right into a type of cosmic steadiness of storytelling. Winden suffers as a result of Noah dwells in it and is manipulating occasions in it like an ideal God (or the satan). Jonas is the imperfect man who spends his time being manipulated by the particular person he least anticipated to activate him. His character arc actually captures the essence of what it means to be a hero, even when it means failing to be the dangerous man’s good reverse, a failure each human being can be able to.  It makes for a well-ordered inversion of the construction of Season 1, which slowly and intentionally pulls the characters of the present aside on the seams, as Noah’s relationship with Jonas and different individuals in Winden, and the grand conspiracy, is progressively revealed. There may be the unnerving impact of Darkish being a present with no solely constant centre, one the place each time the viewers thought itself positive of its personal footing, the showrunners yank the rug out from underneath it another time. The dangerous man(s) doing the yanking in Season 2 fantastically obscure their true motives from the individuals who know them, together with us, the viewers.  That might show attempting, notably when the sequence was introducing, say the brand new ‘investigator’ character who arrives in Winden simply as mysteriously because the individuals who appear to vanish from the city. However his presence, identical to all the opposite characters, looks like a vestigial limb throughout the construction of the season. The opposite characters, like Jonas’ faculty mates, who kick-started the sequence of occasions, may have simply been lopped off to simplify the story, however their loss would have diminished the latter half of Season 2’s wild spiral, the place they’re compelled to confront the horrors of their very own actions in numerous timelines. One doesn’t escape from the equipment within the cave with out scars in every single place, as Jonas and his mates discover out a method or one other.  The sunny ‘previous’ of the second half of the season makes extra sense within the context of its closing episodes. The primary half, which is essentially set within the ‘future’ that Jonas leads to on the finish of Season 1, wants far fewer {qualifications}. However it doesn’t matter what episode you’re at, the pacing and the knowledge rendering is relentless, making Darkish essentially the most thrilling program mounted on Netflix, made all of the extra harrowing with the portentous music by Ben Frost, and the showrunners’ intense understanding of the characters’ psychologies and motivations. It actually is sort of superb how a lot transpires over simply eight episodes. To think about the creators engaged on an enormous manufacturing and seamlessly crafting out a coherent narrative is as thrilling than something on the present itself. In any respect turns, Darkish Season 2 pursues wealthy storytelling and murky themes. It sometimes bites off greater than it could actually chew however is ornate, lovely in its nastiness. It’s a present that’s at all times pushing to search out new territory. With its second season, it has, very similar to Jonas in numerous eras, remodeled into essentially the most intriguing model of itself. Darkish Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix. Ranking: ****half of Up to date Date: Jun 25, 2019 08:48:29 IST !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function() {n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)} ; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '259288058299626'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "http://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/all.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9&appId=1117108234997285"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

Viral Advertising and marketing Company Performance

reklama Why use viral promoting methods in your organization marketing attempts. Making use of shock therapy to put into practice an on-line promoting marketing campaign for your enterprise. Utilizing viral advertising in your social media advertising and marketing and Fb Fanpages will excel your results significantly quicker. Never shove your marketing message down their throats, enable it go viral by natural means. Present unique and artistic advertising campaigns to enhance targeted traffic and expose new prospects. Generating a viral epidemic of prospective buyers is your major business target with your advertising and marketing strategy. Learning to leverage your advertising and marketing funds for sustainable momentum. Build a good results formulation that can be repeated in your company viral advertising over and more than all over again. Incorporate the most essential component to your promotion strategies and that is creative imagination. Be well prepared to embrace new technologies, computer software and Applications in your promoting approach. 1. There is nothing at all additional successful in advertising and marketing your concept as a excellent viral promoting marketing campaign. Viral advertising and marketing is intended to use the electricity of several and encourage other folks to market your message for you. This is merely "word of mouth" promoting, is amazingly effective. A business proprietor can start out a viral marketing marketing campaign with no income invested, and allow the on the net neighborhood unfold your message like wildfire. You can now help save marketing money that you were investing on newspaper adverts, flyers, door hangers, and even Television commercials. Viral advertising is estimated to be 500 and even up to a thousand occasions a lot more powerful that a standard advert campaign. If you can find out how to express an plan with motivation and determination that has an emotion hooked up to it, you will get people's awareness. It isn't going to subject if you are a madman or fool, even negative push receives great push time. You can not remember to every person but you can get an psychological response out of most men and women, when possessing a robust view and sharing it. Being neutral in your viral marketing will not provide you in the income. Have anything to say that will impression their lifetime, or at the very least make them respond a bit. Do not worry about whether or not they adore you or dislike you, just be confident that your merchandise is worth their focus either way and keep dedicated to gaining their rely on. two. Get your business discovered by shock marketing, condition anything fully surprising that will make them halt and read through additional. Getting extraordinary and executing anything out of the ordinary with your solution will get attention. Are you just marketing and advertising advertisements, or are you advertising and marketing an amazing exiting story about your product or service. If you Ad is fascinating and highlights your item in a refined way, you will preserve people's interest extended, and get closer to bringing them to the "I want" it stage. Viral advertising is a hundred% about thoughts, so consider them by shock and do one thing fully sudden. three. Set Up Fascinating Viral Information in Parts and then sequels, the place the viral advertising and marketing concept continues. Ever hear of Portion 1, Part 2 and Portion 3 - when you create Portion one they start out looking for the place do I uncover Component 2 as they want to know the finish of the tale or the end of the element comparison prompting them to acquire your merchandise. Make confident you maintain their consideration when you have it by providing a "Contact To Motion". Promote them on the benefit of why they need your widget, gadget or helpful product or service then introduce an offer you they can't refuse to acquire the item. The upcoming move is to motivate them to share your great and interesting presentation with an additional affiliate. This is the meat and potatoes of viral promoting, existing facts that is so fascinating and distinctive that absolutely everyone wishes to explain to a person else what they examine, read or saw. Established up your "Shock Wave" content material so that some others can obtain and then embed it into their individual weblog or e-mail to others. Add a brief video collection on all your promoting "bloopers", or business bloopers, perhaps trying to put together a piece of home furniture or products and obtaining it all improper the initially time. Then provide one more "Contact To Motion" using your Fb Fanpage that they can "Like", along with the other best social media sharing sites. four. It is not stunning to hear that several consumers sense jaded when it will come to online buying. Nobody needs solutions shoved down their throats by mass promotion techniques and utilizing challenging offer advertising. If you want to get the shoppers focus in this rapid paced modern day planet, you will need to be distinctive and most importantly exciting. Intelligent buyers are quickly distracted from dull content and they will convert a blind eye and a deaf ear to your viral advertising and marketing concept. A demonstrated and trusted system of promoting and advertising and marketing that get results is viral advertising and marketing, and fortunately for the marketer new software developments can make all the variation. Your individual recommendation is even now much better than any other type of promotion on the planet interval! Individuals have confidence in men and women, and with intelligent phones utilizing textual content messaging by the second, and social media websites getting posted on each and every function of the day, if you have introduced your solution offer you in a way that would make them remember you, you have a single fifty percent the struggle. five. By satisfying some special promoting techniques you clear away your enterprise from the mainstream humdrum advertising practices. It's a regarded actuality that many individuals truly feel pissed off with the common conventional way a lot of companies promote their solutions. Do not allow your company fall into this pitiful trap of no return. Stage to the plate and be the one who stands out in the crowd, who motivates potential clients to burn up blisters on their fingers, texting about your fantastic acquire of the working day. Business homeowners are turning out to be substantially more acutely aware of income and losses because of to marketing decisions they have produced, and it's effect on their ROI (return of expenditure). So the questions will come forth "can we influence men and women from the inside of, from their psychological self and not just from the intellect"? So is viral marketing becoming not only the new development but the should have trend to do well online. It is our skill to affect the mass community at large that results in prosperous viral advertising campaigns. Adverts that influence the actions of the viewer in this sort of a strategies that they are determined to share their enjoyable encounter is the purest testament of what viral advertising and marketing is all about. If adequate of their pals and get in touch with embraces their excitement over what they have been uncovered to the viral advertising and marketing cycle starts to circulate. 6. Your best objective of training course would be to generate an viral marketing marketing campaign that causes a behavioral epidemic of buyers. An infectious viral outcome wherever all people desires to be ready to say "Indeed I Saw That", or "Of course I heard about that", or "Sure I viewed that", so that they look to be in the loop with the latest and newest very hot promoting protégé. Some marketers prey on the notion of possessing a "Key", something so specific that only a handful of get obtain to it. It then gets to be an obsession everyone desires to know the mystery and will go to any duration to get obtain to it. If you can only offer you medium media publicity of your item, then relying on these viral promotion techniques becomes important. So is your target to spot an ad that is noticed by 10 who notify 1 human being just about every, turns into twenty who explain to one particular man or woman becomes 40 and so on. Or do you want real viral promoting good results in which you position your viral advertisement and get 100 who tell ten, who notify 10 who tell 10. So who is in regulate listed here, the organization marketing supervisor of training course, the one who decides how the advertising spending budget is allocated. Is he reserved and previous fashioned, or is he brave and uninhibited and adventurous. It is an knows truth that Viral Advertising does in actuality function quite effectively, and it is the enterprise homeowners target to search for out a reliable viral advertising small business resource. 7. After your viral marketing marketing campaign has grow to be viralized, it is proof that you have identified a suitable goal industry viewers for your product or service. After this is identified, you can leverage your viral promotion price range sustaining a perpetual cycle and not a static ad marketing campaign. In buy to often be ready to discover your most efficient viral promotion marketing campaign, it is significant to use proven methodologies with distinct monitoring actions built appropriate in. eight. So does your enterprise have an "On the internet Viral Marketing Method"? Is your business aiming substantial for countless numbers of hits, a correct testomony of a productive viral advertising campaign. Advertising consultants know that the additional enlightening your advertising the far more persuasive it will be to the customer. What seriously makes the customer determine to invest in your product or service is primarily based on the information supplied in the advertisement much more than it's structure or and no matter if or not their is some thing worthy of sharing, or texting about. With the ever modifying quick shifting online earth coming up with a components for viral advertising and marketing is not an uncomplicated job. A great rule of thumb is "What motivates you to share a seen advertisement is various to what motivates you to get out your credit card and end the obtain. 9. Heading back again to our conversation about feelings, if you can make an individual chuckle or gasp or appear in disbelief to what they are viewing your possibilities are the greatest that they will share that knowledge with their pals, associates, and followers on social media sites. The magic of every single productive viral promoting campaign begins with a great exceptional idea. The 1 principal ingredient in all on the internet prosperous advertising campaigns is creative imagination in your graphics, your presentation, your keywords and your identified concentrate on current market. Instruction business owners though to give every viral promoting marketing campaign they embark on time to experienced, time for the seed to sprout, time for the momentum to construct and the benefits to pour in from all their difficult work and efforts. 10. Do not be shy to take benefit of the at any time quick transforming technology earth to gain your enterprise advertising initiatives. Discovering a good viral promoting company can be a authentic match changer for your on the web promotion effects. Most importantly look for a viral promotion enterprise that is absolutely free to join, and that makes use of condition of the art software program created to generate your enterprise into the following galaxy. Viral promotion will generally get in the finish just thanks to the considerable measure of viewing figures. A solid viral advertising method will really encourage individuals to share an write-up, a podcast, a online video or simply an on the internet ad, ensuing in exponential publicity by it's massive impact. The rippling effects of 1 single viral marketing message can actually reach hundreds and even thousands of audience in a number of short hours. You can speedily improve your viral promotion achievement by providing a totally free give away solution. This "Cost-free" merchandise can be a tiny bodily item that can be mailed out, or it can be a digital merchandise that is sent promptly on the web. It is a very well recognized reality that "Absolutely free" if the most potent phrase a marketer can use in any viral advertising marketing campaign. Usually the company owner experiences what can be referred to as delayed gratification when making use of the "Cost-free" energy phrase in their viral promotion campaign. Include the frequent expression "OTO" or A single Time Supply" that just about usually follows a free of charge give-a-way, and you have a successful mixture. Initially you bought their attention, and then you present them one thing of this kind of great worth, they are unable to afford to pay for to say "NO" and buy it when it is so cheaply priced. Always maintain in intellect that the total goal of partaking in viral marketing strategies is to spread an concept, and that idea even though it is spreading during the net, essentially aids industry your market organization or solution and is attached to your internet site. Have you recognized how enterprise owners have grow to be obsessed with Free of charge exposure in any arena? Way too numerous instances marketing and advertising campaigns have been thrown alongside one another substantially as well rapidly and may well get consideration but your product or business does not.