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gvbejvmesmichaels · 2 years

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Drabble: Some Work, Some Play

Title: Some Work, Some Play Rating: R (language) Word Count: 1430 Characters: Andrew James, Maxwell Turner, Constance James (mentioned), Gabriel James-Michaels (mentioned), Jonathan James-Michaels (mentioned), Arabella James-Michaels (mentioned), Velvet Starr (mentioned), Emilio Ramos (mentioned), Steven Albright (mentioned) Relationships: Andrew James/Maxwell Turner, Gabriel James-Michaels/Jonathan James-Michaels (implied), past Andrew James/Emilio Ramos (blink and you’ll miss it) Trigger Warnings: Mentions of substance abuse, abandonment issues, unhealthy relationships, mention of canon murder, vague mention of medical trauma and misdiagnosis, this writer’s uses of fuck and shit as filler words, mentions of Gabe and Johnny’s “divorce.” Drabble Inspiration: This gif set Summary: What was that saying from that really boring “horror” movie? All work and no play made someone a dull boy? Whatever. He needed to let off some steam.

It’s been awhile since Drew had been out. Between taking over the classes all summer at Camp Art for his dad, and taking summer classes at NYU, he barely had any time for himself. And the spare time he did have was either spent hanging out at the house with his dad, Johnny, and Bella or hanging out with his sister, CJ. He hadn’t had time to do much of anything else, and it was showing. What was that saying from that really boring “horror” movie? All work and no play made someone a dull boy? Whatever. He needed to let off some steam, and that’s why he was at Club Cumming.

Going out clubbing had never really been his thing. He’d leave that to CJ; she handled crowds better than he did, but he liked Club Cumming. There were a couple of queer bars he liked to hang out in (straight clubs tended to stress him out), but Club Cumming was probably his favorite. They always had some sort of event going on (comedy, burlesque, dancing) which meant Drew could just hang out in the shadows. He was able to enjoy himself without stressing out too much about people getting too close to him. Sure, sometimes the lights were too much for him, but for the most part he could just drink, enjoy himself, and escape the mess that was his head.

That was tonight’s plan. There was a burlesque show and he intended to drink a couple of IPAs and eat something shitty. He should have known better than to go to Club Cumming. Because Club Cumming on a burlesque night meant running into Maxxie.

Maxwell Turner was one of the artists who worked at the Collective. They were a talented conceptualist, who just happened to be on his dad’s payroll and one of his dad’s friends. Technically he and Maxxie were co-workers but they were also… complicated. Maxxie was a whirlwind. They were bright, outrageous, and effortlessly sucked Drew into their life every damn time they crossed that coworker line. Maxxie was the longest relationship Drew had ever been in, but they were chaotic together; Drew knew this. When they were good, they were really really good, but when things got bad, shit, they got bad. Most of the time Drew was convinced he was in love with them, but they wanted different things out of life.

Drew was going to be twenty-seven this year, and while Maxxie was older, Drew was ready to settle down; Maxxie wasn’t. When his dad was his age, he’d already been married with two kids. Of course, his dad was a terrible example since he was in the closet, but Drew wanted a variation of that. He wanted to settle down with someone and build a life with them. Maxxie alternated between not wanting any sort of commitment at all, and saying they couldn’t be together because of Maxxie’s polyamory.

He wasn’t polyamorous, but apparently he was attracted to polyamorous men. It wasn’t the polyamory Drew had issue with. It was everything else. It was not wanting to talk about the trauma they’d been through before they moved to New York. Drew knew drama. He’d witnessed his aunt’s murder. He’d been medicated for a mental disorder he never had. He watched his sister leave him just like their dad had. Drew James knew trauma. But Maxxie didn’t want to talk. They self-medicated to the point of self-destruction, and Drew couldn’t watch the person they love slowly kill themself – especially when he was half-convinced CJ was doing the same.

“Pookie!” And it was like he hadn’t just seen Maxxie the day before at the Collective. When they were at work, it was like they hadn’t dated on and off for three years. They actually barely spoke to each other at work; they were too busy with their students during Camp Art. Sure, they said hi, grabbed water for each other, washed brushes shoulder to shoulder, but they didn’t talk. Not about anything of substance. Plus, he knew Maxxie – they were on something right now. “You should have told me you were coming. We could have worn matching outfits.” And Maxxie looked like they were one of the performers tonight. Or maybe they weren’t. Sometimes that's just how they dressed.

Drew forced a smile and picked up his beer, if only to use the coldness of the glass to keep him grounded in reality. “I wasn’t planning on coming out.” He admitted as Maxxie slid into the booth next to him. “I finished my term paper. Dad’s doing something bizarre with Lego pieces. Pops and Bella were watching some French cartoon movie. CJ’s not picking up. And I like burlesque nights.”

A smirk slid onto Maxxie’s face as they waved someone down for a drink. “That’s how your hang out options work now? Gabe, Bella, your stepdad, CJ?” And there was a look on his face Drew knew meant trouble – at least for him. “Where do I fall on this list of yours?”

He bit the inside of his cheek. He had friends other than his family. He just needed energy when it came to spending time with his friends. It was easier to be with his family.

“Vee’s at an amateur taxidermy thing.” Drew couldn’t help but to pull a face at that. “Emilio is… busy. Steven is out of town for the summer. You’re not even on the list.” He lied. Or at least he lied about the last part.

Maxxie rolled their eyes. “Liar.” They said fondly. There was a long pause and Maxxie crossed their legs, the lace of their skirt raising up to show shiny, shaved legs. The silence wasn’t awkward. If anything it was comfortable. They sat there, watching the performance on stage, and sipping at their drinks. At the end of the number, Maxxie turned to face him. “I’ve missed this.” They admitted, voice soft. Somehow they’d gotten close enough to touch, and their hand gently traced his cheek. “I’ve missed you.”

And the words hit differently than they were meant to. This was always his and Maxxie’s dance, wasn’t it? They separate, they miss each other, they hook up, they try to make it work for a couple of weeks, and then they start all over again. Drew was sick of putting all the effort into their relationship while Maxxie did fuck all.

“Don’t do that.” He pulled Maxxie’s hand away from his face, and traced their brightly painted fingers in his hand. They’d been doing this dance for far too long, and Drew wasn’t sure if he could handle another round of their chaos. It took too much out of him, and he swore it derailed the stability in his life every time. His life was good, balanced. He loved Maxxie, but he couldn’t do this again. “Please… don’t… just… that.”

Drew was on his feet, away from Maxxie’s touch. “Don’t do that please.” And he could tell by the look on Maxxie’s face that they weren’t expecting that reaction. They really thought that Drew would just let them into his bed again like nothing happened.

“Don’t do what?” And if anything Maxxie looked confused.

Maybe Drew was making a big deal out of nothing, but it made him think of something his dad told him once. After his dad and Johnny got back together, he asked him why he left him in the first place and his dad said: It was something I needed to do. I didn’t know I needed to leave him to find myself again, but in that moment, it was the only thing that made sense.

He finally understood what his dad meant.

“Don’t just, like, come back into my life unless you’re expecting to be here for a while.” And to anyone who knew they worked together, it probably sounded like a dumb statement, but there was a difference between work Draxxie and lovers Draxxie. They knew how to place nice, if only for his dad. And he knew Maxxie knew what he meant because they started to open their mouth, but Drew didn’t want to hear it. “I’m serious.”

When their mouth immediately shut, Drew knew whatever was going to come out of their mouth wasn’t of substance. He closed his eyes for a moment and nodded before pulling out some rumpled bills from his pocket and throwing them onto the table. “I’ll see you at work, Maxxie.” And as he all but jogged out of the bar, Maxxie made no effort to follow after him.

Maybe this really was the end.

#drabble #Andrew James POV

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wereadersworld · 2 years

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lgbtpopcult · 2 years

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2021 Year in Review for WLW Entertainment

Lesbian movies really took a hit in 2021 COVID times. When in crisis, studios will always heroically sacrifice women and minorities! While last year's lesbian movie selection included big players like Ammonite, The World to Come, The Prom, Summerland, Happiest Season and New Mutants, this year's selections were more muted and many came from smaller studios as well as the international film scene. Still, we had some variety this year too. TV, on the other hand, had equal or even better offerings this year with some networks and streaming services stepping up their game with female lgbt+ characters.

Let's take a closer look at what 2021 has been like for wlw entertainment...

On the movie front, Lifetime finally gave us its first lesbian romance movie with Under the Christmas Tree and Hallmark gave us its first movie with a lesbian lead who found romance in Every Time the Bell Rings. These two were our lesbian Christmas movies of the year. The Novice gathered accolades as a queer sports drama done right while The Divide gathered them for being the "healthcare in the times of Covid" movie with a same sex couple at its center. Winner of Cannes film festival Titane also portrayed its protagonist as queer but what that means in a surreal fever dream of a movie that included doing sexual things with a car I don't know 🤷‍♀️

There were, however, high profile projects as well. I Care a Lot gave us the mainstream lesbian comedy we deserve and threw in 2 big Hollywood names with amazing chemistry for good measure. No wonder it became an instant Netflix hit. Another instant hit was the Fear Street Trilogy, 3 movies that represent the best of the emerging lesbian horror movie genre. Smaller additions to the genre this year were The Retreat, Bloodthirsty and Seance. Australian coming of age romance My First Summer gave us the sweetest lesbian love story of the year. We also got our first queer protagonist in a major studio animated movie this year with The Mitchells vs the Machines. Saint Vincent made the lesbian mockumentary of the year, The Nowhere Inn.

Surprisingly, Benedetta was our only high profile lesbian period piece this year and, considering how subpar it turned out to be, maybe that was for the best. Let's hope upcoming The Chambermaid (releasing at the beginning of next year) doesn't disappoint. We may criticize the lesbian period romance a lot and often(mostly because for a long time it was all we got) but we still love it. It just needs to be done right.

Over on the TV landscape, some of last year's favourites continued to deliver while the variety we celebrated last year was a bright spot this year as well. Among the highlights: Legends of Tomorrow, that gave us a superheroic lesbian wedding only matched by the equally wonderful wedding episode of fire fighter show Station 19. Joining the Legends of Tomorrow lesbian/bi ladies on the superhero genre front, was our new Batwoman, Alex from Supergirl and Black lightning (that ended with its lgbt+ ladies married as well). Joining the fire fighter/medical drama of Station 19 were other traditional TV dramas with lesbian/bi women in lead roles like Law and Order Organized Crime, NCIS Hawai, New Amsterdam, Family Law and BBC gem Vigil. On the more hardcore cable/streaming scene one of the leads of The Morning Show came out, cop drama Hightown gave its lesbian lead a love interest, The Box gave us a surreal drama with a lesbian lead, in Dopesick a lesbian is at the center of the opium epidemic, Genera+ion gave us some interesting queer teen drama(before going the way of Everything Sucks! and Teenage Bounty Hunters) and The L Word Generation Q got slightly better at giving us couples with good chemistry (basically Dani and Gigi) even if it still, for the most part, failed to actually give interesting storylines to its lesbian characters. Network comedy gave us family sitcom Home Economics for a second season, Atypical gave us a happy ending for fan favourites Casey and Izzie, Dickinson gave us the comedy period romance we've been asking for, Queens gave us the black pop queen of our dreams, Disney+ gave us the first gay romance on the platform in Big Shot with a sweet lesbian teen couple, Saved by the Bell gave us a genuinely funny wlw couple, Spanish speaking production gave us Madre solo hay dos and Gentefied continued with the Latina lesbian representation.

Fantasy and Science Fiction was, as it often is, good grounds for gay women in 2021. This year we got a lesbian lead character and a lesbian romance of the week in Fantasy Island, a lesbian lead reunited with her love in Motherland Fort Salem, queer teens in The Girl in the Woods, our little detective that could in Nancy Drew, survival adventures in Yellowjackets and our lesbian astronauts in Invasion and For all Mankind. By far the best one of the year though was Amazon Prime blockbuster adaptation Wheel of Time. In the meantime, just like Adventure Time, Shera and Harley Quinn the animated series before it, The Owl House and Arcane dominated the gay animated scene this year. Reality and competition shows added to the mix with lesbian contestants on both The Circle and The Voice, JoJo Siwa on Dancing with the Stars for the show's first same sex pairing, a new lesbian reality show Tampa Baes on Amazon Prime and 12 Dates of Christmas on Hbomax.

In the world of video games, selection wasn't as big but it did contain some real jewels. Life is Strange True Colors, a sequel to the popular graphic adventure game, dominated the conversation of course but fans of other genres had some choices too. Farming Simulator fans got a really fun game in Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town, fans of rogue dungeon crawlers got Sword of the Necromancer and Mass Effect fans finally got the remastered version for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows. Narrative adventure Lake gave gamers who like slow paced games a sweet lesbian romance to play, while life simulator Growing Up did the same in a different way. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous gave RPG fans another game to love and Unsighted gave everyone a great action 2D game to play. The surprise of the year? Mobile choice game Scripts that finally gave lgbt+ choice game fans the front and center lesbian romance stories apps like Episodes and Choices never put on the cover of their visual novels.

One of the most important milestones of the year came from the world of comics when DC decided to dedicate an entire comic book title to the romantic relationship of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. A spinoff from the Harley Quinn animated series (season 3 coming in 2022), The eat, bang, kill Tour gave gay fans of the couple everything we wanted. A close second, the regular Harley Quinn comic title also gave importance to the relationship while other DC titles like DC Pride and the Batman comics also cemented that the relationship is canon all across the board. Comic book titles like America Chavez: Made in the USA completed the lesbian comic book mosaic.

The gay girl music world seems to be having a pop renaissance brought on, in great part, by the popularity of online creators but some mainstream musicians also contributed. Lesbian music icons Hayley Kiyoko and Fletcher gave us a new song, "Cherry". Angele, Ladyhawke and Girl in Red gave us new albums. Internet popularity gave musicians like Dodie, Grace Gaustad, Rebecca Black, Marina Lin, Hollie Col and Zolita the chance to put their music out there. The very gay new music video of Maneskin for Mamma Mia cannot be ignored of course.

Variety on the online entertainment creator scene started to stagnate. Still, we got some good content from iconic YouTube creators Rose & Rosie who had a baby this year. Some other YouTube highlights included content from beloved couple Paige and Holly, Colombian supercouple Calle and Poche, the return of Lilly Singh aka Superwoman and the wedding of the German lesbian super couple from Coupleontour. The Instagram and TikTok lesbian couple scene also grew and many couples came to have huge followings and popularity.

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On a slightly different note, if you're a fan of TikTok episodic sketch comedy, one of the most popular TikTok creators in the world, kallmekris, has an ongoing lesbian romance of her own (and on her own 😌)...

Overall, in spite the set backs that COVID-19 brought upon us, 2021 wasn't a bad year for variety and diversity in lesbian entertainment. Here's hoping (and contributing so that) the upward trend continues. Happy New Year!

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mcnuggyy · 2 years

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may I know some new Clay facts? Claig if we're feeling spicy 👀

Clay facts!! Sure thing!! Clay has an interest in human anatomy, but specifically the gross fucked up things they have that unicorns don’t like organs and blood and death but especiallyyyy bones, Clay has a theory that humans love harder and more passionately because of their mortality, and in a way that theory might be true? Just because unicorns tend to be more casual when it comes to relationships and sometimes only really make things ‘dramatic’ for the fun of it if that makes sense lmaooo 😭 (life’s too long to get hung up on breakups sometimes jaja) Because of this Clay has an equal interest of both super grotesque documentaries and horror films, AND romantic comedies and cute romance dramas and stuff! (Though the lovey dovey stuff is usually watched with Mikey… no one else is really willing to watch that other stuff with Clay LMAO)

stuff I mentioned before but I think is fun to say just incase others aren’t aware: Clay collects human bones, but doesn’t realize the ones Mikey has been getting for the collection are absolutely fake; has had the most form changes asides from Hev and struggles pretty heavily with dysphoria because Clays feelings are pretty complex when it comes to gender and the ´base form’ Clays body has currently been taking, kinda has a bit of a crush on Craig, still unsure if it’s one of those “I really want to be close friends with this poor guy :-( ” type of deals or a “ohhhh this guy is soooo sad and patheticcc ohhhhh I wanna kiss him soooo bad” type of thing JAJAJA. Clay is sensitive to loud noises and super bright colors which is why usually you’ll see Clay on the phone, either scrolling through social media or playing like a super chill game (probably one of those like match 3 games or tamagotchi types that involves taking care of a little creature :-]<3) Clay draws a heart on the cheek every morning, and does a super extensive skin care routine at night, it’s pretty useless cause unicorns don’t really get acne but Clay likes the way it feels jaja. Takes the equivalent of unicorn anxiety medication and has gotten pretty good at hiding most of the little stimming habits Clay has (has def gotten some looks about it in the past so only really does it freely when alone with Mikey :-] <3) Clay and Mikey used to look quite alike, but as they both spent more time maturing and developing their own interests and opinions they slowly began to look less and less alike! Before it was very clear they had a little twin thing going on but now they usually have to tell other unicorns they’re “magic related” siblings if they don’t figure it out on their own lol. The spells/magic Clay knows (small scale) are: transformation, illusion, translation, telekinesis, and have also been trying to learn ´thought messaging´ to talk to Mikey when in loud social situations!

But yeah! That’s all I have for now but honestly if you all have any specific little thoughts or ideas about my funny guys I am alwayysssss game to hear it :-] no matter how small jaja <3

#callate guero #replies #anonymous #ocs #Clay rose #mike rose #craig bubbles #the rainbow factory #keeping the claig stuff to myself for now 😌💕#evil face :-)

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whereeammii · 2 years

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the litg s4 cast in my celebrity au idk if i’ll actually write or not…

warning: most of them are actors because it’s easier to make them interact with each other that way.

will: mc’s co-star and love interest on their very popular tv show. think game of thrones, the walking dead, bridgerton type hype. they’re not the main characters but they are the fan favorites. he’s known in the industry for being very upfront about his flighty and non-committal habits.

angie: known by her fans and within the industry as “the scream queen” angie is horror movie royalty. many people even forget her debut role was on a medical drama and often get surprised when they see her in anything other than a horror film. she does make a badass villain though.

thabi: this girl is buff and beautiful so i elected to make her an olympian athlete. originally, i wanted to choose snowboarding but i also like the idea of her and gymnastics. tbd. she oftentimes forgets she’s also famous and claims her two celebrity crushes are will and her fellow senior olympian henrik.

najuma: full-time model, part time actress. after experiencing all the amazing things a model can, she admittedly got a little bored. which is why she took up acting on the side. she thinks it’s important that other girls who look like her see themselves in her modeling jobs though which is why she will never quit altogether.

lexi: she did start on broadway but then she took up a role in a sitcom and her career skyrocketed. it’s something that everyone associates her with and her character is a fan favorite. this, unfortunately, makes it easier for her to amass a loyal following and get away with a more underhanded attitude. she is notoriously hard to work with.

hazeem: one of the most respected and talented directors in the industry despite his younger age. some call it nepotism considering one of his own parents was a huge director themselves—and perhaps that does play a part in it—but you can see with each of his movies that he actually has the skill to back it up.

james: a highly coveted screen-writer and while he has a big heart and impeccable manners, it’s common knowledge that he’s actually quite picky about the projects he takes on. he puts his all into every project so he wants to make sure it’s something he genuinely likes and will enjoy working on.

kobi: when he first stepped into the spotlight, it was alongside his childhood friend cora. the two of them formed a duo band together and for a good few years they did amazing. in the end, they decided to split up but only because kobi recognized cora needed more room to shine and he felt much more comfortable as a behind the scenes producer anyway.

bruno: a rapidly rising comedy actor and token comedic relief. people often ask him if he ever wants to do something different—and maybe he does, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and all that. he’s enjoying himself and his gigs for now and that’s all that matters.

youcef: once in the fashion industry, always in the fashion industry. starting out his career as a super model, youcef eventually decided to make the switch to fashion designer. he had far too many ideas for him to just be content with looking pretty. these days, plenty of his pieces can be seen in the closets of A-listers.

valentina: most commonly known for her most popular role playing a regina george type character. given how intense her vibes are and how well put-together she often looks, it always surprises people to learn how chill she actually is. she has some of the best online interactiveness with her fans and many of them feel like they genuinely know her.

juliet: she fancies herself a triple threat, but truly the only thing on her roaster is her job as a super model. admittedly an impressive feat. even so, any sort of interview or event with her becomes far more tedious than it needs to be when she has a habit of giving out unsolicited advice.

tom: another pretty english boy but tom takes this in stride. it took a lot of courage for him to pursue this dream instead of the one his parents had planned for him so he always does his best to be as authentic as possible…even when he’s playing a part.

cora: once known as part of a two-person band with her best friend kobi, cora is now a widely popular soloist. while it was her dream, she had some reservations about leaving him behind, but now he’s her producer so they still face it all together. now if only she could do something about those pesky commitment issues…

kelly: another actress in the show with mc and will. she got her ‘big break’ while she was working at a bakery in year 12. originally, she was aiming for broadway but instead fell in love with film. her small hometown will forever boast that they are her origins.

tiffany: a comedian with her own show on netflix. has a great community with her fans and does livestreams and other interactive activities often. used in tons of memes and referenced a lot. think john mulaney.

oliver: never actually aspired to be famous. believe it or not, his grandmother was actually a famous actress herself and as he got older, people often approached him with job offers. he was content to work as a tattoo artist but he decided to go to one audition with his friend. he spent so long pretending he didn’t like acting, that he never realized how good he was at it. nowadays he mostly does movies but he did just get casted in a highly anticipated exclusive mini series.

dylan: a professional volleyball player. there’s not much else to it. he does his best to be devious but he’s not quite as successful as his current girlfriend lexi yet he still somehow manages to get off the hook. blame corruption. most people claim she deserves better than him but they’re more alike than people think.

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departea-archive-again · 3 years

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HYSTERIA HEIGHTS / INTRODUCTION

status: being planned out, will possibly post some drabbles and excerpts around november, since i'm focusing on the palms universe for nano. genre: suburban goth meet scifi fantasy noir or idk really just speculative fiction setting: the town of hysteria heights. which, if you're familiar with my palms universe, is a universe that takes place on a different planet where superpowers and doors to different universes exist. but, while the 'bury me deep' story takes place when claudia (the main lead of this and bury me deep) is in her mid-thirties, this takes place when she's 20. the aesthetic is very 1960s and 1970s and while superpowers exist, they're not a big issue unless they're dangerous. pov: the story will be in 3rd person, but some drabbles might be in 2nd or 1st, since i’m just exploring. warnings: some horror elements / nightmares and unreality / death / people not coming back quite right / missing people / medical abuse

ABOUT:

Claudia prides herself on being observant, until it hits her that she's been blind to her environment her whole life. While she was able to leave town to attend college with her best friend Robin Kang, not many other people have been able to leave. There are stories that, if they try, they come back different or wrong. She's witnessed it firsthand with her cousin but it never became obvious until her friend Kit disappeared, came back, and wasn't the conspiracy theorist she knew and loved. Not only that, but other people have been known to go missing and come back different as well. Some blame it on the town's luck, some blame the government, but Claudia's curious about why she was able to leave unscathed. She also wants to know why the others come back wrong, and if it has anything to do with the doors and objects people whisper about that have the ability to take you another world.

While Claudia's not exactly sure she believes in doors to other universes, she does often dream of the missing and sees the dead while she's awake. She even has slight echos of thoughts thrown her way when she's in the company of a grieving family member. It's all too much, and very confusing, but she wants to learn more.

However, if she learns more, there may be a price to pay. And it's not something small...

FEATURES:

stepford housewive-esque suburban drama but with a twist / weird town shenanigans / family drama / found family / dark comedy / superpowers being used like they're just part of life / best friends turned lovers / wlw romance / though some people die or go missing, most people of color survive

TAGS:

#wip: hysteria heights / #writing: hysteria heights

PINTEREST: CLICK ON SOURCE

CHARACTERS: (WILL ADD LINKS EVENTUALLY)

claudia daviau - has the gift of intuition and is basically haunted by her gift, her nightmares, and the fact that she knows where her missing brother is and that she almost died the same night he did....yet can't contact him from the beyond. also a sassy little shit with a heart of gold. quite sad and paranoid because she only gets severely ill whenever she's in hysteria heights.

robin kang - to add

susana daviau - to add

kit robinson - to add

more but i'll get there ...

tag list: @gothamrains @blackburnannie, @adelaide-kane / @yuriperhaps

#writeblr #wip intro #wip introduction #writeblr community #nanowrimo #noahs wip intros*#wip: hysteria heights

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silentfcknhill · 4 years

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FAVORITE SHOWS IN POSTERS

Well, we’re back for another installment of this tagged meme, this time for TV shows! I also stole this from/was indirectly tagged by @jcmorrigan. My taste in shows also differs a bit from my taste in movies, as I tend to like a lot of comedy shows with not as many horror ones. I’m not into shows as much as movies overall, but there are some that I am very passionate about so I picked twenty again. So, here we go for part 2, in order:

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend Of Korra (2005-2014)

I'm including these as one show since they take place in the same universe and tell a continuation of the same overall plot. Altogether this is probably the best piece of media to ever exist, including movies. It has so many great characters and villains especially and some of the most epic sequences, charming humor and heartwarming moments ever. I've never met a person who didn't like these shows, even people who normally don't like cartoons. My dad, who is biased against animation? He loved it. My mother? She loved it, watched it with her multiple times. My grandmother? Loved it. My ex-boyfriend? Loved it. My best friend? Loved it. I dare anyone not to, and I'm so glad it's making a resurgence since it's on Netflix for a new generation to enjoy.

2. Black Butler (2008-2014)

I never was big into anime growing up and only really started watching anime when I was like 16 and above, but this is one of the exceptions because holy shit is it ever dark and epic. I'm not sure I'd really recommend it for kids, it's more of a teens and young adults kind of anime and that's probably why it's so good, because it isn't afraid to explore dark and mature topics and do it with all of the intensity and gravitas required to do said topics justice. It has lots of great characters, and the story of demons who make deals with children who have a dark side is fun to watch play out.

3. Seinfeld (1989-1998)

My dad was a huge fan of this show so I watched it growing up since I was a toddler and it became a classic for me. I've watched thw hole show through at least 8 times, and I'll never stop because it never gets old or boring. It's also my only comfort show when I'm having a panic attack because of one time a few years ago when I was having a drug-induced psychosis episode and watching it calmed me down, so now it's like the opposite of a trigger and whenever I'm having an episode or something I watch it to bring me back to reality. For that reason it's more than a show to me, it's a medical treatment and I'm forever grateful to it.

4. The Good Place (2016-2020)

The big four shows made my Michael Schur all made it on this post (The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Office and Parks And Recreation), either in the main list of the honorable mentions, but this is my personal favorite of the four. It's so funny, quirky, relatable and basically tailor-made to suit my interests. Not only is it an entertaining and wholesome show, but I think watching it helped me come to terms with a lot of things like mortality, ethics, philosophy, religion and my relationships with other people. It gets alot of different viewpoints across and if you're a very analytical and philosophical person like me you'll probably enjoy seeing it all play out. Not to mention, every single character is 'favorite character' material. It's rare you find a show with no filler characters in the main cast, but I genuinely can't choose who is best.

5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-?)

Another of Michael Schur's shows, this one is just barely under The Good Place and to be honest it was tough to pick my favorite between the two because they're both equally funny. I know it's kind of controversial right now because of the whole law enforcement thing, but I actually think they do a good job of handling social issues in the show and remaining respectful of real-life systemic problems. As for the characters, this is another one of those shows where every single character is gold and I think that tends to be a trend among Schur's shows in general. He produces damn good comedy, and damn good characters. I can't wait to see what they bring next.

6. Rick And Morty (2013-?)

This is unfortunately one of those cases of 'great show, horrible fandom' and for that reason I don't get involved in the fandom even though I love the show. It's a shame because it really is a great show, so funny and, again, such good characters. I think it's a lot more accessible than the fandom likes to claim, so I'm hoping more people will give it a chance and not get put off by the intellectual elitism of the fandom because it does have some of the most entertaining and batshit crazy episodes ever, poking fun of some of the staples of science fiction in media while also poking fun of itself the whole time. Unlike the fandom, the show doesn't take itself seriously and that's enjoyable nowadays.

7. Orange Is The New Black (2013-2019)

While this show is a comedy, it is also a lot of other things and it's probably made me ugly-cry just as many times as it's made me laugh. Well, maybe not as often, but those few scenes (if you've watched the show then you know the ones I'm talking about) made me hysterically sob hard enough to be worth like fifty minor sads. But I didn't even mind because the show is just that good, and it makes you /feel/ something in a real way. Probably because of just how real it gets in terms of telling stories that happen all the time in the real world, sometimes with inevitably tragic endings. But these things do happen every day, and it's important to shine a light on that. It's not just representation for LGBTQ+ but also for POC, the neurodiverse, the poor, and many more. Give it a watch to broaden your perspective!

8. Big Mouth (2017-?)

This is probably the grossest show I've ever seen but by god is it ever funny. Maybe it's because I have an immature sense of humor or something, but I love this show. It definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea and I don't recommend you watch this show with anyone else around because it will get awkward. I think part of its appeal to me is that everyone I talk to who likes it considers it so relatable to their lives growing up but for someone like me who grew up on the autism and asexual spectrum and who was physically an early-bloomer by years, nothing about this show is relatable to me in any way so it makes it all the more crazy and bizarre watching how the people around me must have experienced things. Did y'all really have these experiences with puberty in middle school???

9. Dexter (2006-2013)

I recently heard that this show is coming back for a reboot soon and I'm so excited because this is my absolute favorite drama/thriller show, as evidenced by the fact that it's the highest one on the list so far that isn't a comedy. I love the idea of having a protagonist who is sort of a villain (or at least morally dubious), and the idea of a serial killer who only kills bad people is particularly satisfying for some reason. Maybe because he's the vigilante we all deserve and want in this unjust and evil world of modern times? Idk but the very premise of this show set it up for big things and aside from the ending I think it delivered consistently.

10. Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)

This show took us on some journeys, and you can't deny that. Sure, maybe it didn't always finish what it started and didn't always end in the most satisfying way, but part of its charm is that you didn't care because the experience was just so much fun. They took characters and stories that have been told to death and somehow managed to put a unique and unexpected twist on them, and that alone is admirable. Good twists, good villains, and pretty much every cliffhanger known to man will keep you hooked on binge-watching every episode.

11. RuPaul's Drag Race (2009-?)

A bit different than the other entries on my list in that it's not fiction but a reality competition show, but I couldn't leave Drag Race out because it's just so fucking iconic and perfect. Even when you disagree with the judges or can't stand a certain contestant you'll still be having a good time. It's got the personalities you love to love, the ones you love to hate, and the comedy that's completely meme-able. I mean just how much has this show contributed to pop culture and the internet? More than most of us, henny. I've watched every single season, even the international ones and all of the spinoffs. This show will probably be on for another thirty years when Ru is throwing shade from a hospital bed and I'll still be watching.

12. House (2004-2012)

Some people hate on this show, and I don't get it. I love House. Yes, he's an ass. That's the point. He's supposed to be unlikeable, and that's why I like him. Maybe because I always love the rude, sarcastic, misanthropic jerkass-genius characters for some reason. And I also love procedural shows, so it's a win-win. I also work in the healthcare field so it appeals to me for that reason too, because obviously the whole premise is outlandish which is what makes it funny. Of course it's not realistic for a hospital, so just enjoy the absurdity and don't get too hung up on the details of medical accuracy and professional ethics and you'll be fine.

13. The Office (2005-2013)

The third of Michael Schur's show and the last one that made the main list (sorry Parks And Rec, I love you too but there was just so many good shows to choose from and I saw you last so the nostalgia isn't as strong!) I don't think I need to hype this show up any, it's already a classic and you can't even turn around online without getting hit in the face by a dozen Office memes. You'll have to pry this show and it's relatable characters (especially Michael Scott) from my cold, dead hands.

14. All Hail King Julien/The Penguins Of Madagascar (2008-2017)

Like Avatar/Korra, I also consider this as one show for the sake of this list because it also takes place in the same universe (Madagascar, specifically) and I just couldn't choose one over the other because they're both so perfect. They're funny and I love all the characters (it cut out the weaker links of the Madagascar film series and just focuses on expanding the standout side-characters like King Julien and the penguins). It also delved into some lore, particularly the first show, and even though I didn't also agree with the directions it took (you may have seen me get salty about the ending because I cared too much), I can't deny how much I love it.

15. Bones (2005-2017)

One of the other scarce non-comedy shows on this list, it still has it's funny moments. It's also, like House, another procedural show that involves some medical stuff, but this time on a more scientific and forensic level which is even more interesting. It's nice to see a lead female with Asperger's, too. There's a lot of cop/law enforcement shows where they try to solve crimes, but this one is the best, and I'm saying that as a fan of CSI as well. Don't fight me on this, I'm right. Oh yes, it's corny, it's campy, it's cheesy, but I love every minute of it. Don't watch if you have a weak stomach though.

16. The Simpsons (1989-?)

We all grew up with this show, don't lie. It's been around longer than most people on tumblr have even been alive. Should it have ended seasons ago? Hell yes. But that doesn't take away what the first like 20 or so seasons gave us (there's a lot of argument about when the show jumped the shark, for me it wasn't until much later than the popular consensus). The characters are amazing, but the secret to the show's longevity is that they always return to status quo and there's comfort and nostalgia in that. Bart will still be in 4th grade when you're out there pushing 90. This show is persistent. This show is eternal. This show will outlive us all.

17. Ash Vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018)

Sorely underrated. This show is hilarious, gruesome and campy as hell and I love it. I don't think you necessarily have to watch the Evil Dead movies beforehand in order to get the plot of the show, although it would probably help. In my opinion this show ended way too soon and I'm hoping someday we'll get a comeback because Ash is the reluctant, self-absorbed hero we all need and it's 2020 so at this point there really might actually be a demon-zombie apocalypse and who's gonna save us then if not for the impulsive womanizer with a chainsaw for a hand?

18. Malcolm In The Middle (2000-2006)

Another show I grew up with, I don't think it gets as much credit as it deserves. It has some damn funny episodes and great characters, and it did a lot of the popular sitcom tropes before they were 'cool'. Some other great sitcoms, The Middle in particular, took a lot of influence from this show and it helped pave the way for the future of sitcoms at a time when they were about to make a comeback. If you want a good show about the real experiences of growing up, this is a much more accurate representation of the highs and lows of being an awkward tween from a dysfunctional home.

19. A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2017-2019)

Unlike most people I actually liked the movie version from the early 2000's, and I read the books growing up so I was excited when I saw there was a live action television adaptation of it on Netflix because I felt like they cancelled the movie franchise too soon. I was interested to see how new actors would handle the roles, and I was not disappointed. I wouldn't say I liked either portrayal of the characters better or worse, they both added their own twist to it and this show is a great and loyal adaptation to the books, probably because the author was so heavily involved. He knew just when to stick to the books and when to improve upon what he had done with the benefit of hindsight. This show is basically the books, but remastered.

20. Winx Club (2004-?)

Sort of an odd one out on this list, but I really love this show even as an adult and it may surprise you to learn it is still going on and the most recent season came out last year. They take big breaks sometimes in between seasons, but it's still going strong and in multiple countries. The only thing I don't like about watching this show is all the different and inconsistent dubs since the original show is Italian and each dub only goes for a couple seasons so by the time you get used to one set of voices/names for the characters oyu have to abruptly switch to another, but it's still worth it for the beautiful animation and cool characters (especially the villains!)

Honorable Mentions:

13 Reasons Why, America's Next Top Model, American Horror Story, Arrested Development, Bates Motel, Battlestar Galactica, Black Mirror, Care Bears, Chernobyl, Courage The Cowardly Dog, Criminal, CSI, Duck Dodgers, Goosebumps, Kenny Vs. Spenny, Kim Possible, Kingdom Hospital, Lazytown, Lost, Making A Murderer, Mayday, Mindhunter, Modern Family, Monster High, Obsession: Dark Desires, Parks And Recreation, Prison Break, Project Runway, Queer As Folk, Queer Eye, Salem, Schitt's Creek, SCTV, Spongebob Squarepants, The Emperor's New School, The Good Doctor, The Haunting Of Hill House/Bly Manor, The Middle, The Pretender, The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Through The Wormhole, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Unsolved Mysteries, Yugioh

Tagging: @bullet-farmer and anyone else who wants to!

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itsclydebitches · 3 years

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YYH Recaps: Episode 1, Surprised to be Dead

Hello, all you hypothetical readers! It's a beautiful spring day and I have a free afternoon ahead of me, so what better time to start another massive project while I guilty stuff my other WIPs deep into the depths of my hard drive? Yeah. Iffy life choices aside, someone mentioned a few weeks back that they'd love for me to recap a show I have more positive things to say about than negative (RIP RWBY) and ever since Netflix announced that their live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho is in the works, I've been itching for a re-watch of the anime. With the RWBY hiatus underway, it seemed like the perfect time to fulfill both desires.

Before we begin though, I'd like to touch on a few things that are going to influence this project.

First, YYH is near and dear to my heart. Written by Yoshihiro Togashi in the early 1990s and later adapted for an American audience by Funimation, I had the pleasure of experiencing this story five different ways: as a serialized tale in Shonen Jump, a binge read when I had the money to buy the manga, tiny snippets of the anime on Adult Swim late at night — don't tell my parents ;) — as an after-school treat on Toonami, and then years later as a re-watch when I introduced it to a friend (who, in turn, blessed me by having us watch Fullmetal Alchemist next). I used to keep a Hiei bookmark in everything I was reading, the spirit gun made it into our witch-wolf-space adventures on the playground (middle school was wild), and there was a long period of my life where I tried very hard to teach myself to stand with my hands behind my back, precisely as Genkai does. Spoiler alert: I failed. So to say I love the series is... a little bit of an understatement. I bring this up simply as a way of demonstrating that there's more than a bit of nostalgia attached to YYH for me and that will inevitably cloud my reading of it. How can it not? So that's just something to keep in mind as I work through a series that, like any having hit its 30th birthday, has its outdated, flawed, and other questionable aspects.

Second, but very much connected to the first point, is that these are pretty casual recaps. I summarize and extrapolate, focusing primarily on plot and dialogue (but with the occasional cinematography aspect tossed in). I'm not conducting research on the cultural history here — something that will come up at least once in this episode — I'm not arguing an overarching thesis, and I've never been someone who focuses on the author/production/trivia of a series. I'm here for the story as the story is presented to the viewer. If you've read my RWBY Recaps, this will function precisely the same way, with the only difference being I'm engaging with a finished text as opposed to an ongoing one, so there’s a lot less, “Maybe ___ will happen” theorizing going on.

Third, I obviously recommend that you watch the show yourself (you can find it on YouTube!), but you don't have to know the series to follow along. As these massive paragraphs attest, I tend to be both detailed and verbose, so we'll be covering every major plot point — and most of the smaller ones too.

Finally, I'm working from the dub. I know, I know, the horror. But it's what I grew up on and, honestly, I think it's superior to the sub. YYH's dubbing is in a class all its own and to this day there are very few shows that compare to it. Trust me, it's a good call.

That's enough of the boring chit-chat though. Let's get started!

Our very first episode "Surprised to be Dead" opens on a crowded street. We see lots of traffic, people going about their business, and a pedestrian crossing sign that, crucially, turns red. This is our normality and, like in every genre story, you need to break that normality at some point so that the protagonists can go on their fantastical/supernatural/science fiction journey. YYH eases us into things by first breaking the normality of an everyday afternoon: there's a screech of tires, quick shots of a man pushing a child out of the way of an oncoming car, and then his back is hitting the windshield. We begin this story with a horrible — but otherwise mundane — car crash.

Now, these flashes alone have a fair bit to unpack. Despite later getting a brief shot of the man's scared face right before he's hit, the moment's focus is really on the child. He's the one foregrounded in the initial, slow-mo shot. He's the one who appears in color while the man is kept in shadow. This isn't just a hit, it's a rescue. The camera is also careful to follow the soccer ball this kid was playing with (more on that later in the episode), with it flying through the air as the man is hit and bouncing to a stop in the street, acting as the dramatic finish. It's childhood! It's innocence! It's play on a sunny afternoon! And it's all gone wrong.

This moment is chaotic and even a bit confusing. Not in the sense of what's happening — that is quite obviously a guy being hit by a car — but who the victims are, how precisely this came about, or even why we're meant to care about this beyond a generic capacity to feel for other human (fictional) beings... that's all removed. And it works. As the crash takes place, the camera pans across the stunned crowd and we, the viewer, become a part of that crowd. They don't know what precisely is going on either. We're all just horrified onlookers as a sudden tragedy takes place. We're all watching the same show.

So everyone realizes this guy has been hit. People are staring in shock and someone calls for an ambulance. We see the driver fall to his knees in the street, distraught, shakily saying, "I didn't mean to..." It's a very serious and emotional scene that —

— is immediately tempered by this guy waking up, complete with a cute 'pop!' sound effect when he opens his eyes.

This is YYH's brand, this Very Serious Circumstances skillfully interwoven with casual indifference/comedy. It's admittedly far from a unique brand, but it's an excellent choice given that this is the same attitude that will drive 99% of our protagonist's interaction with the world.

Speaking of said protagonist, our guy wakes up, opens his eyes, and realizes that he's floating. There's a great, disorientating shot from his perspective where everything is upside down, causing him to nearly fall out of the air. Well would you look at that, he's as confused as we are. It's our audience surrogate!

A narrator says, "And so it all begins. This boy's name is Yusuke, he's fourteen years old, and he's supposed to be the hero of this story. But oddly enough, he's dead."

Game of Thrones might have made it popular, but YYH did it better.

(Yeah, yeah, I know one death kick-starts the journey and the other is a shocking twist. Just let me have this.)

Now, it's a weird introduction, right? At least at the end. The announcement that change has occurred, a name, an age... that all checks out. But "supposed to be the hero"? What the hell is that “supposed to” mean? Our narrator gives us the easy, surface answer: "But oddly enough, he's dead." We're capitalizing here on the audience's expectation that death ends a character's journey and though they may have been a hero previously, they can no longer be one moving forward. That function within the story has passed. So it's this intriguing question of, "What kind of hero do you have when that hero is dead from the start?" but as we'll see soon, there's an additional meaning here of, "How can Yusuke be the hero?" As this premiere sets up, Yusuke doesn't act like the hero is “supposed to” act.

Until he saved this kid.

But right now he's just confused: "Okay, this is weird. Stupid weird."

Two EMTs arrive on the scene and are hilariously useless. You know how in any medical drama a doctor will stop CPR after a couple of seconds because obviously you're not going to spend half the episode on realism? Well, that's this only a thousand times worse. One guy just looks at the kid and announces he's fine except for some bumps and bruises. Meanwhile, the kid is sobbing.

"Well, at least one of them is," replies the other EMT, because I guess he can tell Yusuke is beyond hope without taking a pulse or anything? "I hate cleanup," he complains as they load his body onto a stretcher because that's? An empathetic response to have??

Honestly this scene is wild.

Yusuke is understandably upset that he's, you know, dead and all. He starts hounding the EMTs who, unable to hear him, just go about their business of taking the kid and his body to the hospital. "You think you can just do whatever you want because you have that stupid uniform on? You can't just write me off. Listen to me!" and Yusuke tries to punch one of the EMTs in the head, resulting in him floating right through.

What a great way to introduce your protagonist's personality. We see here that when things go wrong Yusuke's default emotion is anger and it starts creeping in even before he thinks the others are ignoring him: "Stupid weird." He has problems with authority — "You think you can just do whatever you want because you have that stupid uniform on?" — is used to others listening when he gets angry — "You can't just write me off!" — and is poised to use violence at the slightest provocation. Yusuke is a guy who, right now at least, is ready to punch first and ask questions later.

As Yusuke floats back up into the air and the ambulance drives away, he finally cools down enough to try and think his way out of this. "It's not like this is the first time you've been in a jam,” he thinks. Yusuke recalls that yeah, something was different about today...

...he actually went to school.

Catch me laughing that this idiot boy equates the weirdness of him dying with going to school. Good lord.

Anyway, this jumpstarts our flashback. We open on a generic, anime middle school (that always feels like a high school to me) where the principal is calling for Yusuke through the loud speaker. Oooo someone’s in trouble! We follow a young girl up to the rooftop and she gets a classic hair-blowing-in-the-wind moment to establish that she's our love interest. Meet Keiko Yukimura.

Keiko finds Yusuke hanging out and immediately starts lecturing him for trying to chew gum and refusing to wear the boys' uniform. "Oh, give me a break, Keiko. I look better in green." Note that it's here we learn her name and it's an easy, casual way to introduce it. I bring this up because Yusuke's introduction via our narrator is very much... not that. It's an on your nose statement about his name, age, and importance to the story, and if you're just starting the show in 2021, it might come across as a rather armature move. Like something out of a kid's show, perhaps. Yet here we see that this was a deliberate choice, considering that YYH is capable of introducing character information naturally when it wants to.

This moment also tells us that Yusuke cares a great deal about his image. More on that in a bit. Because Keiko isn't finished her list of grievances yet, going on to say that his attendance record has hurt their entire class, hurt her as class representative, and if he keeps going down this path he won't even graduate middle school. "Sometimes I think you don't care about anyone but yourself and then you don't even do that right!"

They're legit complaints. Too bad Yusuke is busy looking up Keiko's skirt.

Yeeeeah. Sadly, this is common for anime, particularly a 90s anime like YYH. Even presumably more progressive series like My Hero Academia feature characters like Mineta, whose entire personality is being a pervert, and the creation of abilities that "require" kids/young women to be scantily clad. See: Yaoyorozu. YYH is no different in this regard, with various forms of sexual harassment functioning as a shorthand for how much Yusuke secretly likes Keiko. "Boys will be boys," right? Obviously not.

Like so many others series, the creators get away with it because they’re framing it as a bad thing. It's totally fine because look, Keiko slaps him! This is teaching the viewer how wrong this behavior is. Never mind that this is clearly an established habit between them, that Yusuke laughs off Keiko's discomfort, and that the whole scene is meant to be funny for the viewer. That's the real purpose here; it’s not a PSA on harassment.

That, and to establish the long-suffering love Keiko has for Yusuke in turn, largely stemming from a life-long friendship. "Dumb boy! He hasn't grown up a bit since he was four years old." We see that Keiko's early interactions with Yusuke have given her insight that others lack. As she heads down from the roof she runs into two girls hiding around the corner, too scared to come out lest "the great Urameshi" set his sights on them. Isn't Keiko terrified of what he might do to her? "Or worse, what others might say of it?" Like any classic high school middle school setting, one's reputation is king. Yusuke cares about how others see him — maintaining that tough boy attitude — and the girls care more about what the rest of the school might think of Keiko's interactions with him than the presumed harm Yusuke could do to her. They heard he can summon 2,000 men with just a whistle and that he "kills for fun!" But that means nothing in the face of people talking about you. Despite being one of the most popular girls in school, Keiko is the outsider here via her disinterest in what other people think.

The animation changes here, giving us a good look at how the girls picture Yusuke: tough, scowling, surrounded by shadows, and backed by an entire army.

In contrast, we've already seen what Yusuke is really like.

Keiko laughs the image off too. Yusuke is more like a "lamb" than a killer and besides, he couldn't order around two people, let alone two hundred. "He doesn't have many friends."

"That's not what I heard," says one of the girls.

"Yeah," goes the other. "I think we would know."

Again, rumors rule here, with whispers in the hall considered more reliable than someone who interacts with Yusuke on a daily basis. Keiko doesn’t have a hope of changing their minds.

Oh, as a side note, I love that they gave Keiko Miyazaki-esque hair. It's very emotive.

Yusuke escapes outside where the principal is still calling for him to report to his office. He overhears a conversation around the corner and we cut to two boys, one of which is showing a wallet off to the other. He explains that some bully tried to rough him up, but he said he was Urameshi's cousin and the bully took off, dropping his wallet in the process. The guy's friend is impressed, but what is he going to do if Yusuke ever finds out he lied? Not to worry, he says, that "blockhead" would probably think it's true even if he did somehow hear.

Yusuke, obviously, does hear about this and he, also obviously, does not believe this guy is his cousin. He looms ominously and they scurry up against a wall, terrified and offering him the wallet as an apology.

"You think I want your money?" Yusuke yells.

YYH is, in many respects, a rather simple story, but I appreciate the hints of complexity in these otherwise straightforward interactions. It's not that this guy used Yusuke's name to steal a wallet, he used it as a form of protection against another bully — a far more sympathetic motivation. It's not that Yusuke's fearsome reputation has resulted in any genuine respect because once people think they're safe they reveal how little they think of his intelligence — he's a "blockhead." And Yusuke, though intimidating and violent, is not your average, schoolyard bully. He doesn't care about money, only the insult and the damage this guy using his name might have done to his reputation. There's a little more nuance here than you might otherwise expect.

Also, note how dark the boys' standard uniforms are and how much they blend into the rest of the world. Yusuke, as our protagonist, stands out in his bright clothing. He was right, he does look better in green!

So he's ready to clobber this kid when one of the teachers arrive: Mr. Iwamoto.

Iwamoto demands to know what's going on, but the boys are too terrified to rat Yusuke out. Noticing the wallet on the ground, he assumes that Yusuke was after their money, something that greatly offends him: "Whatever!" Iwamoto goes on to say that, "No good weeds like you should have been plucked a long time ago," making it clear that he considers Yusuke a hopeless case. The positive aspects that Keiko sees, as well as the complexity the viewer sees — to say nothing of his introduction of saving a kid — aren’t considered here.

Notably, Iwamoto exists in part to show us what Yusuke could become. Not a teacher (he's obviously not attending school enough for that!), but a cynical man who is cruel for cruelty's sake. Yusuke is already barreling down that path, ignoring Keiko's advice, terrorizing other students, trying to punch EMTs, etc. If his life (or afterlife...) hadn't changed through that accident, this is the kind of person Yusuke might have grown up to be, and we can see that clearly in the visual parallels between them. Dark haired men dressed in green who scowl with ease and toss out cutting insults. Yusuke is staring his future in the face.

For now he walks off with a final shot, "You shouldn't talk. It makes you sound stupid." This time Yusuke makes it to the school's entrance and tries to enjoy his second attempt at chewing gum, but someone hits him in the back of the head.

"Okay, somebody's DEAD — ah. Sorry, old man."

"That's Mr. Takenaka to you."

Our principal has finally left the office and hunted down Yusuke for himself! Putting this interaction immediately after the one with Iwamoto allows the viewer to compare them. Yusuke might be irreverent towards his principal, but it's clear there's still some kind of respect between them. Yusuke only starts threatening because he doesn’t realize who hit him and once he does realize it's Takenaka, he immediately apologizes. That "old man" comes across as a teasing insult and Yusuke allows himself to be briefly dragged back towards school, rather than throwing a now classic punch. In turn, Takenaka cares enough about Yusuke to try and keep him on the straight and narrow. He utilizes Yusuke's preferred language — violence — but in a casual way, nonthreatening way: slight hit to the back of his head, noogie, pulling him along by the ear.

It's the sort of physicality we're used to seeing in media between a parent and child who are outwardly antagonistic, but actually share a deep bond. Takenaka is also careful to frame their return to his office as a "discussion," not a punishment, and offers Yusuke tea along with the conversation. Whereas Iwamoto considers Yusuke to be a "weed" that should have been plucked from their school long ago, Takenaka is determined to help Yusuke bloom.

If we're continuing the flower metaphor :D

Yusuke isn't in the mood to play along though. He gets away by using a fake ear, startling Takenaka when it unexpectedly pulls free. Yusuke escapes the school grounds and Takenaka, suffering a back twinge from his fall, can't chase after him. Poor guy. I understand that pain lol.

Yusuke heads home where we're introduced to his mother, Atsuko. Most notable in her first shot is the soft lighting that highlights her looks. We're not told how old she is here, but I believe she's around 28 — and she looks it, if not younger. Given that Yusuke is 14, that means Atsuko was a mom at his age. This is a quick and subtle way to tell us about Yusuke's home life. There are more overt details in this scene — it's at least lunchtime and Atsuko hasn't left her bed yet, she demands that Yusuke make her coffee instead of greeting him, it's all meant to imply (before we actually see) that she's an alcoholic — but her age is another way to highlight the broken household here. There's no partner in sight and she clearly had Yusuke as a teenager. He hasn't had a strong parental figure to take care of him. If anything, Yusuke is taking care of Atsuko here.

"Oh great, mother of the year!" basically sums things up.

Atsuko wants to know why Yusuke isn't in school and he says that everyone is pissing him off today, particularly with their preaching. "Dear, if you hate preaching so much you should live on your own... but you can't do that, can you?" Alongside a rough upbringing, Yusuke is suffering from the common problem of being trapped in a dead-end life. He hates his school, his town, and coming home to find his mom hungover. Yusuke has no prospects and, outside of one principal, no one who is actively working to help him find some. Even the little things he hates, like being preached to, are unavoidable because if you want to live on your own, that requires money. Good luck pulling that off as a middle schooler whose only skill is street fighting!

Yusuke walks off in a huff, literally shouting in a street about what a bad day he's having (and hilariously scaring off pedestrians in the process). His shout brings trouble though. A couple guys appear to ambush him, their boss close behind. The music increases the tension, Yusuke's expression is serious, and we even get a Dutch angle thrown into the mix.

For any who don't know, the Dutch angle is a popular film technique to establish that something is wrong. There's tension in the scene, something uneasy is at play, and the world is now literally off center. It's perhaps most famously used in Do The Right Thing to establish the friction between an Italian-American pizzeria and the predominantly African American neighborhood it's based in.

But it's also used a great deal in horror as a way to say: yup, shit just got real. Scary real.

This Dutch angle introduces a character you may not appreciate at first, but absolutely should: Kazuma Kuwabara.

He's initially the comic relief and that's clear in his introduction. Within seconds we move from that intimidating arrival to, well, seeing him. To be clear, I've got nothing against redheads with big chins, but compared to Yusuke's design, Kuwabara is meant to be the funny looking one. His threat level plummets the moment we get a look at his face, especially in a series that will occasionally use looks as a (supposed) measure of intelligence.

Also, Kuwabara is dressed in light blue so, like Yusuke, we know he's important!

Any assumptions that his appearance isn’t meant to imply a goofy, embarrassing personality are put to rest when Kuwabara starts rambling about how they last time they fought Yusuke just got a cheap shot in and he'll definitely win this time. Yeah, he won't. Yusuke is thrilled by this diversion though and we get a shot of him looking almost as creepy as Keiko's friends think he is. Whatever else might be said about Yusuke, he is absolutely a monster in a fight.

Which we see here. If anyone picked up the series without knowing this was a fighting anime, they'll realize it now. Yusuke's choreography is stylized to show off his skill: he disappears with a 'whoosh' and dark lines to suggest inhuman speed,

attacking Kuwabara with a knee to the face, utilizes flying kicks, lands perfect, precision punches, and ends it all with the toe-tip landing we've come to expect of all powerful fighters. Kuwabara never even got a hit in.

Happy as a clam now, Yusuke wanders off whistling and Kuwabara's friends are left to pick up the pieces. AKA, his likely broken bones. I love that they're legit friends though and not just nameless goons for the sake of giving Kuwabara a small gang (though their names won't come up until later). "That makes 0 wins an 156 loses!" one of them cries, trying to get Kuwabara to stop ending up in the hospital, probably. We establish that Kuwabara is The Most Dramatic Ever when he pulls his broken body into a seated position, shouting, "No! I almost had him that time!"

Then he passes out.

Kuwabara, honey, you obviously did not almost have him, but god bless you for the outlook. The most optimistic thing on this Earth is a well-loved Golden Retriever, but Kuwabara comes in at a very close second.

With his dream to one day beat Yusuke in combat established, we cut to Yusuke wandering the street where the episode opened. "Okay, I'm remembering" he says in a voiceover. "After that I met the kid."

The soccer ball reappears as it rolls to a stop at Yusuke's feet. He grabs it and immediately starts yelling at the kid. Horrible protagonist, right? Well, Yusuke is trying to instill in him the danger of using this street as a playground, a worry the viewer already knows is 100% justified. “Listen, kid, that’s dangerous! There are cars going by that will splatter you into the pavement!” It's one of those quick moments where we get to enjoy Yusuke's duality: he's someone who is nearly making a toddler cry, but for rather understandable reasons. He's got the right idea, but needs to go about it in a more mature manner.

Which is precisely what he attempts to do. Sort of. Yusuke changes gears, though whether it's a more "mature" route is certainly up for debate lol. He tries entertaining the kid instead, raising and lowering the soccer ball to reveal goofy faces.

When these fail to impress, Yusuke goes full out by stuffing the ball into his pants, pushing his nose up with a pair of chopsticks he got from god knows where, and generally just putting on a display.

So Yusuke cares very deeply about his reputation... but only when it comes to those who are an established part of his life. Keiko, Mr. Takenaka, and the other kids at school all need to maintain a particular image of Yusuke, one that he's carefully cultivated. But random pedestrians on the street? Who cares about them? Let them talk.

This shows us that Yusuke does indeed have priorities over his own, selfish goals. Namely, the happiness of some kid is more important to him than looking "cool" for a bunch of strangers. Lots of characters with Yusuke's surface attitude would sneer at the idea of degrading themselves for — their words — some brat. But Yusuke, as we constantly see, actually does have that heart of gold. “Well, if all else fails I can still make kids happy.”

Although... I'm not sure what to make of his display itself. I have the distinct sense that there's something prejudiced here that I'm not able to fully articulate, what with the chopsticks, slanted eyes, bald head, and the like, though to be entirely frank I don't have enough knowledge of Japan's history to say precisely what it might be. Or, really, whether it exists at all. Just something to chew on.

What I am sure about though is the importance of having the child label Yusuke as monster — "Yeah, monster! — but in a delighted manner. Yusuke is indeed some kind a monster, someone who disappoints adults and terrifies his classmates, a demon fighter on the streets too, but here that identity is reworked into something positive.

Having successful secured a laugh, Yusuke tells the kid — calmly this time — to go play elsewhere. The toddler stares up at him with the blank expression only kids can manage.

Well, kids and whatever headspace I'm in after writing these metas.

To absolutely no one's surprise except Yusuke's, the kid does not go elsewhere. Instead, he continues kicking the ball down the street, causing Yusuke to exclaim, “Dammit, what’s the use? The kid can get smashed by a car for all I care!” Liar, liar.

The picture becomes desaturated as the kid kicks the ball and it flies into the street, time slowing down to show it landing precisely in the middle of the road. Yusuke again yells for him to stay put, but when has a toddler ever listened? He begins to walk into the road as our driver arrives, speeding, swerving, and paying more attention to the girl at his side than what's in front of him.

This time, we see the accident from the front with both Yusuke and the kid presented equally.

There's a cut to black and when we return we're in the present, Yusuke floating above the policemen now investigating the scene. “So that’s it? I’m roadkill?” As Yusuke realizes he's dead, specifically that he's a ghost, a voice goes,

"Bingo! Bingo! You win the prize!"

A woman has appeared who is quite obviously othered by the standards of the episode so far. Unlike the greens, blues, and browns of the series' modern clothes, she's dressed in hot pink kimono with blue hair to match. She's also, you know, floating on an oar.

“I didn’t expect you to figure it out so quickly," she says, referring to Yusuke's revelation that he's dead. Apparently, those who meet unexpected and/or violent ends tend to take some time coming to terms with their demise. It's a nice acknowledgment of Yusuke's intelligence in an interaction that's otherwise... not great for his self-esteem.

Meaning, this woman is about to drag him lol.

She introduces herself as Botan, pilot of the River Styx and guider of souls to the afterlife. You might also know her as the Grim Reaper.

(Hey, RWBY fans: I originally wrote that as Grimm Reaper 🤦‍♀️)

It's an claim Yusuke takes issue with because 1. Botan is too pretty to be the Grim Reaper and 2. If she was really some god of death she'd be taking this much more seriously, not laughing and saying, "Bingo!" For the audience this does two things. First, it acknowledges our own expectations and validates them. Yusuke's world isn't so far removed from our own that he takes Botan's looks and personality at face value, he also expected a skeleton with a scythe. So don't worry, all the weird stuff in this series is weird to our protagonist too. They'll be explanations. Or, even if there’s not, you’re not wrong for being surprised.

Second, it sets up the very common theme in YYH of undermining those common assumptions again and again and again. We've already seen it with Yusuke, wherein characters who look and act a certain way are, supposedly, destined to be that person and nothing more. Yusuke is meant to be just a "weed," a dumb, violent, angry loser who goes nowhere in life... but we already know he's more than that. Botan is supposed to be scary and serious, but she says nah, I want to be cute and bubbly instead. No character in YYH embodies who they're "supposed" to be when you look past those surface characterizations. They play the part of archetypes — and do keep certain parts of their expected personalities — but they're also far more well-rounded than that. Which yeah, is something most people expect from any story nowadays, but YYH is particularly adept at making you think you're watching Simple Show A only to turn around and surprise you with More Complex Show B.

It's great, trust me.

So Yusuke is pissed that Botan isn't adhering to those expectations, in the same way that he works hard to validate others expectations of him. He doesn't know how to deal with someone challenging his world view yet. Rather than angering Botan though, she just nods and says that this response makes sense for him. “Rather than being scared, or surprised, you yell a lot and tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about." Taking out a notebook, she quickly summarizes everything we learned in the flashback — minus Yusuke's complexities: he's fourteen, in middle school, is ill-tempered, violent, hates authority, and is a horrible student.

Typically, Yusuke responds by getting angry and trying to snatch the booklet out of her hands, only for Botan to pull it out of his reach, laughing. The tables have turned! Rather than being surrounded by people who cower at Yusuke's imposed authority, he now finds himself faced with someone who laughs at his transparent attempts to take control of the situation.

Calming down, Yusuke wants to know if the kid he saved is really alright and Botan offers to let him see for himself. That offer produces Yusuke's first, genuine smile.

They fly to the hospital where a doctor is in the process of giving the kid a clean bill of health, his mother crying with relief.

That's enough for Yusuke. “Alright, Botan, I’ve got no regrets, so you can take me to hell or wherever it is I’m going.”

That tells you all you need to know about Yusuke's self-worth, despite his bad boy attitude. His life is a dead-end as far as he can see and most of those around him haven't done anything to dissuade him of that idea. He says he doesn't care if the kid lives or dies, but then instinctively saves him. Post his death, Yusuke doesn't have anything he considers a regret, or anything he'd like to do before he leaves, like saying goodbye to a loved one. Oh, he's also pretty sure he's going to hell and has resigned himself to that without a fight.

Uplifting!

Botan just laughs though, saying that she's actually here to offer Yusuke an "ordeal" that could bring him back to life. See, he wasn't supposed to die today — let alone die saving a kid — and frankly they don't know what to do with him. It's another neat summary of what we've already learned: Yusuke is a far more complicated case than the afterlife assumed and now, when push comes to shove, deciding whether he belongs in heaven or hell is... muddled.

There's a fantastic story there about the problems with an afterlife that reduces a person's entire life to a few surface characteristics recorded in a book, refusing to acknowledge the context of their situation, or their capacity for change. “Run someone with your credentials a thousand times and they never would have saved a kid like that." Except, of course, Yusuke did save him, so those "credentials" are suspect, to say the least. However, YYH is not a story that explores these issues. Instead, I recommend you watch this!

Rather than being upset at the afterlife's low opinion of him (because let's be real, Yusuke shares it), he latches onto a little detail Botan let slip. If he wasn't supposed to die today... then was the kid?

Mmm... no. Actually, without the chaos of Yusuke jumping into the road, the driver would have swerved at the last second and the kid would have not only lived, but actually come out with one less scrape.

So Yusuke is obviously upset by this news! I would be too!! Holy shit, hang onto the "it's the thought that counts" message with everything you've got.

Also, don't think too much about the fact that the afterlife apparently knows exactly what will happen to people, down to how many cuts they accumulate in an accident. Also, don't think too much about where the afterlife foreseeing the crash begins and the unexpectedness of Yusuke interfering ends. That way lies madness. This will never come up again, so just let it go.

Sorry, 2013 me hijacked the post for a second.

As said, Yusuke is understandably upset by this revelation and as he fumes I'm reminded that this series likes to pull some amazing expressions.

Botan reiterates that it's all fine because Yusuke can come back to life. Weren't you listening? He should feel honored, in fact, considering that an offer like this only arrives every 100 years or so. Well, that explains why all of humanity isn't grappling with people coming back to life on the daily. One person every generation isn't going to cause much of a stir.

However, instead of jumping at the chance Yusuke announces that Botan is just like the teachers at school: she doesn't know what she's talking about. “You said yourself my life was kind of pathetic, right?” he says, going on to explain that everyone will be happier now that he's dead. His school won't have to deal with his behavior, Keiko won't have to nag him, and his mom will be able to party whenever she wants. It's a win-win for everyone involved.

Hmm, this feels familiar.

Don't worry, Yusuke doesn't need to experience a whole alternate reality to get the message.

“I’m sorry you feel that way at such an early age," Botan says and she is sorry, because despite her teasing nature that's a legitimately horrifying thing to believe. Yusuke won't budge though and after a little back-and-forth Botan leaves, telling Yusuke he should think it over while visiting his wake. She'll come back once he decides what to do.

“Do you have worms in your ears, lady? I did decide!” but Botan is long gone.

We cut to that night where Yusuke has indeed decided to attend his own wake. Maybe because of Botan's advice, maybe because he's just morbidly curious. We’re not given insight into the decision.

Atsuko is a mess, to put it mildly, not dressed for the occasion and sitting slumped against the way, staring vacantly as the guests offer their condolences. Yusuke is surprised by the fact that his entire class is here, but quickly writes them off when he sees two of the boys laughing. I'm on the fence about this detail, which I'll unpack in just a second.

First though, Yusuke sees Keiko exiting the house, inconsolable in her grief. She collapses on the ground with her two friends trying to offer comfort, despite the fact that they had nothing good to say about Yusuke himself. Good on them.

Before he can think too long on this though, Yusuke is distracted by Kuwabara's arrival. Unlike Keiko's crying, he expresses his grief through yelling. Specifically, yelling at Yusuke. For dying. For daring to "run away." His own friends are physically holding him back as he charges into the wake, screaming, “Who am I gonna fight now, huh? Who am I gonna fight?" It's not really about the fighting, of course. At least, not the fighting alone. "You’re supposed to be here for me," Kuwabara finishes, the punch he's thrown at Yusuke's photo going limp and catching his first tear.

You know, for all the goofy expressions, this show really is gorgeous. Just wait until we get to the fight animations.

Kuwabara's reaction is why I hesitate to write off the classmates like Yusuke has. Granted, we have no reason to believe that they care for him as Kuwabara does — they're nameless background characters defined only by their terror of "the great Urameshi" — but it's still a split second taken out of context. We don't know what they were laughing at, or if laughing is a part of their grief. God knows I personally laugh at the most inappropriate moments. If you tell me someone has just died there is a very good chance I will laugh awkwardly as I try to process that. It’s just a reflex. All of which I bring up not because these side characters are important, but because Yusuke's perception of his own worth is. The point of each of these moments is to show that those around him have always cared for him, even if Yusuke didn't notice. It's nice to think that extends to his classmates too. The variety likewise exists to show us how people grieve differently, with Kuwabara's friends not understanding that this is how he's working through the trauma: “This place is for mourning!” He is mourning, even if his way of mourning isn't as socially acceptable as Keiko's. So if screaming and throwing punches is valid, crying is valid, staring stoically in a drunk stupor is valid... why not laughter too?

Not likely, perhaps, but possible.

As an additional possibility to chew on, watching this premier again, it struck me how more emotional Kuwabara's scene is compared to Keiko's. Don't get me wrong, crying and calling Yusuke’s name gets the point across, but it's two seconds of generic grief compared to a much longer scene rife with intensity. When Kuwabara arrives the music swells and everyone is forced to pay attention to him. His grief is loud, violent, and given symbolism with his fist and the photo. There's more effort put into his reaction, frankly, so it wouldn't surprise me if fans started shipping them after this. That grief combined with an "enemies to lovers" possibility is a pretty potent mix. To be clear, Yusuke/Keiko is the (oh so obvious) canonical endgame and in the fandom Yusuke/Kuwabara can't compare to another slash ship that will turn up later, but this is a good example of how writers can craft some Very Gay Scenes without realizing it. When you have the girl crying prettily for a second and the guy absolutely losing his mind over Yusuke's death, questioning his purpose now, his support network, and then collapsing in grief... don't be surprised if your audience goes, "Oh hey, maybe they'd be a good couple instead."

But I digress.

The only people who are unquestioningly happy about Yusuke's passing are Mr. Iwamoto and his co-conspirator, Mr. Akashi. You know Akashi is another bad guy because he has bucked teeth and "ugliness" is an easy way to code for evilness. YYH is not immune to those mistakes :/

These two are really something else though, standing in the middle of a wake and claiming it's “too bad that car wasn’t big enough for them too," referring to Kuwabara and his friends. Wow! What stellar members of the academic community. Iwamoto goes on to say that Yusuke dying at least accomplished something good. Not, mind you, saving the life of a child, but rather looking good for their school's reputation. Akashi agrees, but says it's likely Yusuke only accidentally saved him while trying to steal the kid's lunch money. Remember, that accusation of theft is the one thing Yusuke has said outright that he does not do.

He's pissed listening to all this — wouldn't you be? — but knows by now he can't do anything about it. In another fantastic shot, Yusuke hovers his hand over Iwamoto's shoulder, desperate to grab him, when Takenaka's arrives there instead.

“What do you suppose is more disgraceful? That boy showing his misery, or your insensitive and idiotic words!”

HELL YEAH. You tell 'em, Mr. Takenaka.

Yusuke gets his third shock of the night at this passionate defense. Takenaka leaves the teachers to go pay his respects, but admits to Yusuke's picture that he just can't speak well of him. He was surprised to hear that Yusuke gave up his life for another and it's a fact that he acted selfishly. Though he doesn't say it in as many words, Takenaka explains that he's not grieving because Yusuke was a good person, but because it's so clear to him that he might have been. “Why didn’t you stay? You could have made something great out of yourself.”

Normally, "Why didn't you stay?" is just something for the living to grapple with, as the dead obviously don't have any say in what happens to them. But Yusuke does. It's here that the lighting grows soft again and Yusuke considers Takenaka's words. Keiko and Kuwabara grieve for who he was, but Takenaka grieves for who Yusuke could have been — someone that might still exist if Yusuke decides to undergo this ordeal.

Atsuko adds fuel to the emotional fire, breaking down and hiding her face in her knees.

Finally, the kid Yusuke saved arrives with his mother. Because yes, Yusuke saved him in every way that matters, considering no one else knows — or will know — that he'd have lived anyway. I like that the show doesn't allow that knowledge to undermine the emotion of their arrival, or what Yusuke’s act meant to them.

The mom tells her son to pay his respects and the kid thanks Yusuke for saving him, and for "making faces." He clearly doesn't get what's going on here. This is confirmed as the two leave and he asks his mom if he can play with Yusuke again tomorrow. “I know some people sounded angry at him, but he’s really nice!"

They're probably just crying because they want to play with him too, he thinks, which just makes his mom join in. Everyone is crying in this club tonight.

Those words are the cincher for Yusuke and with a brief montage of all the grief he's witnessed, he makes his decision.

We cut to later that night where Yusuke floats above the city, admiring the moon. Botan reappears and he asks, “Have you ever not known about something that seemed obvious to everyone else?” Yes, everyone has experienced that at one point or another. She asks if he's made his decision and Yusuke agrees to try and come back to life.

Emotional revelations out of the way, we're allowed another tone shift as Botan yells with joy, speeding off and causing Yusuke to grab hold of the end of her oar, lest he be left behind. Cranky as always, he demands to know where they're going. "To the spirit world, of course!" They're off to see someone who can explain the ordeal and give Yusuke the tool needed to complete it. Just hang on and enjoy the ride.

Thus ends our very first episode! Ah, the nostalgia. This is part one of a four arc series, with the anime cutting out a lot of the filler stories found at the start of the manga — a smart decision, I think. They primarily do the work of teaching Yusuke what he learned at the wake, so if you can accomplish that as quickly as the adaptation did, all the better. Especially since Yusuke needs to grow a great deal beyond the basic understanding that people might, sort of care for him, and that work will occur primarily through a job he's going to take on. The series isn't really about his death and it's not about an attempt to come back either — it's about what happens once you get that second chance. So this is the setup, but it's important setup all the same.

No need to skip ahead though. I've blathered enough for one recap. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you when the writing gods next bless me with energy! 💜

#YYH #Yu Yu Hakusho #YYH recaps #mymetas

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theanonymousb · 3 years

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My 20 Best Korean Drama

1. Hi Bye Mama

Genre: Fantasy, Drama

Plot:

Cha Yu-Ri (Kim Tae Hee) has been a ghost since she died 5 years ago. She left behind her husband Jo Kang-Hwa and their child. To become a human again, Cha Yu-Ri carries out a reincarnation project for 49 days.

Meanwhile, Jo Kang-Hwa (Lee Kyu-Hyung) works as a chest surgeon. He was loving, but, after his wife died, his personality changed. After 5 years, his wife Cha Yu-Ri reappears in front of him.

2. It’s Okay to Not be Okay

Genre: Romance, Drama

Plot:

A story about a man employed in a psychiatric ward and a woman, with an antisocial personality disorder, who is a popular writer of children’s books.

Moon Kang-Tae (Kim Soo-Hyun) works in a psychiatric ward. His job is to write down the patients’ conditions and deal with unexpected situations, like if patients fight or they run away. He only earns about 1.8 million won ($1,600 USD) a month. The woman (Seo Yea-Ji) is a popular writer of children’s literature, but she is extremely selfish, arrogant and rude.

3. Angel’s last Mission

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Plot:

Kim Dan (Kim Myung-Soo) is an angel. He is also a troublemaker and also optimist. Lee Yeon-Seo (Shin Hye-Sun) is a ballerina who does not believe in lve.

Dan then receives a mission. If he succeeds, he can return to Heaven. His mission is to find true love for Yeon-Seo, but soon falls in love with her.

4. Prison Playbook

Genre: Black Comedy

Plot:

Je-Hyeok (Park Hae-Soo) is the best relief pitcher in Korea. He will to the U.S and sign a contract with a major league. One night, he hears his sister screaming and sees a man running out of her apartment. Je-hyeok and the man get into a physical struggle with Je-Hyeok striking the man with a rock. Later, Je-Hyeok receives a 1 year prison sentence for using excessive force. Devastated, Je-Hyeok must adapt to life in prison.

Meanwhile, Joon-Ho (Jung Kyoung-Ho) is a friend of Je-Hyeok and works in the prisonas an officer. He waits for Je-Hyeok’s arrival.

5. Chicago Typewriter

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Friendship

Plot:

This drama follows the lives of two men and a woman through two eras; one during the 1930s Japanese occupation of Korea and the other in the 21st century. Han Se-Joo (Yoo Ah-In) who was a writer in his past life and a bestselling author in the present. But Se-Joo is depressed with writer’s block so he can’t write his next book.

Yu Jin-Oh (Go Kyung-Pyo) owned a bar in his previous life. In 2017 he is a talented ghostwriter who can bail Se-Joo out of his predicament, but the mysterious man has a condition for his services. Se-Joo may not be able to meet it.

Jun Seol (Im Soo Jung) was a sniper. Now she has extremely variety expertise. She is a former Olympian hopeful, a veterinarian and a book lover who runs her own delivery service. She oscillates between extreme fandom and an anti-fan of Se Joo.

The intricately woven story of these three characters unfolds to reveal strange mirroring connections between the time periods as well as possibilities for past lives to be redeemed or improves in the modern world.

6. Uncontrollably Fond

Genre: Romance, Melodrama

Plot:

Sin Joon-Young (Kim Woo-Bin) and No Eul (Bae Suzy) were in love in ther younger days. But uncontrollable circumstances separated them and they went their separate ways. Joon-Young is now a superstar actor and singer, while No Eul became a producer-director of documentaries. When their path cross again years later. Joon-Young discovers that No Eul is now very different person than he remembered – materialisticand willing to do anything to get ahead.

7. Penthouse: War In Life

Genre: Suspense, Life, Drama, Family, Mature

Plot:

The residents of Hera Palace, a luxury penthouse apartment with 100 floors, have many secrets and hidden ambitions. Sim Su-Ryeon (Lee Ji-Ah), who was born into wealth, is the queen of the penthouse apartment. Cheon Seo-Jin (Kim So-Yeon), the prima donna of the residence, does all she can to give everything to her daughter. Oh Yoon-Hee (Eugene) comes from a poor family background, but she strives to enter high society by becoming the queen of the penthouse, the pinnacle success in her eyes. A battle for wealth, power, and prestige at Seoul’s most coveted penthouse begins.

8. Crash Landing On You

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Military, Political

Plot:

Yoon Se-Ri (Son Ye-Ji) is an heiress to a conglomerate in South Korea. One day, while paragliding, an accident caused by strong winds leads Yoon Se-Ri to make an emergency landing in North Korea. There, she meets Ri Jeong-Hyeok (Hyun-Bin), who is a North Korean army officer. He tries to protect her and hide her. Soon, Ri Jeong-Hyeok falls in love with Yoon Se-RI.

9. Itaewon Class

Genre: Romance, Business, Friendship, Life

Plot:

On the first day of attending his new high school, Park Sae-Ro-Yi (Park Seo-Joon) punches his classmate Jang Geun-Won, who was bullying another classmate. The bully is the son of CEO Jang Dae-Hee (Yoo Jae-Myung). The bully's father runs restaurant business Jagga where Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s own father works. CEO Jang Dae-Hee demands to Park Sae-Ro-Yi that he apologizes to his son, but Park Sae-Ro-Yi refuses. Because of his refusal, Park Sae-Ro-Yi gets expelled from school and his father gets fired from his job. Soon, an accident takes place. Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s father dies in a motorcycle accident caused by his ex-classmate Jang Geun-Won. Burning with anger, Park Sae-Ro-Yi viciously beats Jang Geun-Won. He is soon arrested and receives prison time for the violent assault. Park Sae-Ro-Yi decides to destroy the Jagga company and take revenge upon CEO Jang Dae-Hee and his son Jang Geun-Won. Once Park Sae-Ro-Yi is released from prison, he opens a restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul. Jo Yi-Seo (Kim Da-Mi), who is popular on social media, joins Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s restaurant and works there as a manger. She has feelings for Park Sae-Ro-Yi.

10. Hotel De Luna

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Horror, Fantasy

Plot:

Jang Man-Wol (IU) is the CEO of Hotel del Luna. The hotel is situated in downtown in Seoul and has a very old appearance. She made a big error many years ago and, because of this, she has been stuck at Hotel del Luna. She is beautiful, but she is fickle, suspicious and greedy.

Koo Chan-Sung (Yeo Jin-Goo) worked as the youngest assistant manager ever at a multinational hotel corporation. He is a sincere perfectionist. He looks level-headed, but he actually has a soft disposition. Due to an unexpected case, he begins to work as a manager at Hotel del Luna. The hotel's clientele consists of ghosts.

11. Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Plot:

Goo Ra-Ra (Go Ara) is a pianist. She has bright personality. Something happened that caused her to become bankrupt. She doesn't have anything now and she is frustrated with her situation.

Sunwoo Joon (Lee Jae-Wook) doesn't care what other people think about him, but he has a warm heart. He is free spirited and doesn't have a specific dream or goal for his life. He makes ends meet by working part-time jobs.

Goo Ra-Ra and Sunwoo Joon meet at the small private piano academy LaLa Land in a country village.

12. 18 Again

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Youth, Drama, Fantasy

Plot:

Tells the story of a husband named Hong Dae Young (Lee Do-Hyun) who is on the verge of divorce but finds himself back in his body when he was at the prime of his life 18 years ago. He ends up changing his name to Go Woo Young when he becomes 18- years-old again. Meanwhile, his wife Jung Da Jung(Kim Ha-Neul) joins the workforce as an anchorwoman later on in life after raising their 18-year-old twins.

13. Goblin: The Lonely and Great God

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Fantasy

Plot:

In ancient times, Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) is an unbeatable general in wars, but the young King (Kim Min-Jae) is jealous of Kim Shin and kills him. Kim Shin becomes Dokkaebi (Goblin), possessing an immortal life. At first he thinks that he is blessed, but he realizes that he is cursed.

Closer to the present day, Kim Shin has waited 900 years for a human bride to end his immortal life. One night, he saves a dying pregnant woman (Park Hee-Von) who is destined to die. Meanwhile, the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-Wook) is unable to find the dead pregnant woman. The woman gives birth to a baby girl named Ji Eun-Tak (later played by Kim Go-Eun). 9 years later, Ji Eun-Tak lives with her mother and is able to see ghosts. One night, her mother suddenly dies. On that night, she meets the Grim Reaper.

In the present day, Ji Eun-Tak is a high school student. She still sees ghosts and hears their whisper of “Dokkaebi’s bride.” She now lives with her aunt’s family, but she is mistreated by them. On her birthday, Ji Eun-Tak sits by the sea with a lighted birthday cake. At that time, Kim Shin suddenly appears in front of her. Kim Shin does not know why, but he can hear her voice and appears in front of her against his will. Coincidentally, Kim Shin lives with the Grim Reaper at the same house.

Now, Kim Shin appears in front of her against his will, whenever she turns off the lights. One day, Ji Eun-Tak tells him that he is Dokkaebi and she is his bride.

14. It’s Okay That’s Love

Genre: Friendship, Psychological, Comedy, Romance, Drama

Plot:

Jang Jae-Yeol (Jo In-Sung) is a mystery writer and radio DJ. He suffers from a obsession. Ji Hae-Soo (Gong Hyo-Jin) is going through her first year fellowship in psychiatry at a University Hospital. She chose psychiatry because she doesn't want to perform surgeries. After she meets Jang Jae-Yeol, her life goes through big changes.

15. Let’s Fight Ghost

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Horror

Plot:

Hyun-Ji (Kim So-Hyun) studied for most her life before she died at the age of 19. She is now a ghost and has wandered around the world for several years. Hyun-Ji then meets exorcist Park Bong-Pal (TaecYeon). Hyun-Ji and Bong-Pal listens to various stories from ghosts and sends them to the otherworld.

16. Hospital Playlist

Genre: Friendship, Comedy, Romance, Life, Medical

Plot:

A drama depicting the stories of people going through their days that are seemingly ordinary but actually special, at the hospital, a place known as the microcosm of life - where someone is being born and someone's life meets their ending. The five doctors are longtime friends of 20 years who started their undergrad in 1999 in the same medical school, and now they are colleagues in the same hospital. The drama will also deal with a story of a band formed by the group of doctors.

17. Fated to Loved You

Genre: Business, Comedy, Romance,

Plot:

This drama is the story of an ordinary girl, Mi Yeong, (Jang Na-Ra)who has neither outstanding looks, a prestigious college degree, nor any other charming qualities, facing her whole life abruptly changing when love comes knocking at her door. While on vacation, she accidentally happens to spend one night with Lee Gun (Jang Hyuk) and even gets pregnant from that night. Because of this incident, her life will never be the same, and this fateful encounter brings love that transforms this not-so-special girl to an attractive, charming lady.

18. Go Back Couple

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Life, Fantasy

Plot:

Choi Ban-Do (Son Ho-Jun) and Ma Jin-Joo (Jang Na-Ra) are both 38-years-old and a married couple. Choi Ban-Do has been burdened with being the breadwinner and Ma Jin-Joo is a housewife with low self-esteem. Even though they loved each other when they married, they now hate each other. They both regret marrying at such a young age. The couple travel through time and find themselves as 20-year-old university students, when they met for the first time.

19. To The Beautiful You

Genre: School, Teen, Romantic, Comedy, Sports

Plot:

Kang Tae-Joon (Minho) is a gold medalist in the high jump, but he has been mired in a slump due to an injury. In order to help her idol, a girl named Koo Jae-Hee (Sulli) disguises herself as a boy and enrolls at the same all male high school.When Tae-Joon (Minho) is competiting at the World Junior Competition, Jae-Hee (Sulli) watches him on TV in America and becomes very touched.

Despite her friends telling her otherwise, Jae-Hee cuts her long hair by herself. She then flies to South Korea, with a plan to stay with Tae-Joon who is now injured. Jae-Hee disguises herself as a boy and enrolls at the all boys Genie Physical Education High School. On her first day at school, Jae-Hee goes up the stairs with her suitcase, but her suitcase bursts open and all her clothes fall out. A boy comes by and helps her pick up her stuff. Jae-Hee realizes that the boy helping her is none other than her idol Tae-Joon. In her excitement, Jae-Hee sits on her suitcase, which proceeds to slide down the stairs.

20. When the Camellia Blooms

Genre: Triller, Comedy, Romance, Family

Plot:

Dong-Baek (Kong Hyo-Jin) is a single mother living in the small town of Ongsan. She runs the bar-restaurant Camellia, while also taking care of her son Pil-Gu (Kim Kang-Hoon). The people of Ongsan frequently gossip about Dong-Baek. She grew up as an orphan, is a single mother and runs a bar where many of the men in Ongsan frequent. Regardless of what the locals may whisper about Dong-Baek, local police officer Hwang Yong-Sik (Kang Ha-Neul) is deeply in love with her. Meanwhile, Dong-Baek's ex-boyfriend Kang Jong-Ryeol (Kim Ji-Suk) suddenly reappears in her life. He is a famous baseball player, that hid their relationship when they dated. While Dong-Baek tries to find happiness, something truly sinister lurks in the background. A serial killer roams Ongsan and Dong-Baek may be a target.

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welanabananaworld · 3 years

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Joker and the symptomatic laugh

Never before, in the history of cinema, has a laugh been such a source of uneasiness and discomfort

Contrary to previous portrayals of the emblematic villain of the DC comics, Batman, as a malicious, crazy and evil character, Todd Philipps chose, in this version, to make him a human first; a tormented human being struggling with life in Gotham City.

By digging through the psyche of the soon-to-be villain, to get to the roots of the Joker’s mythology, the director manages to subvert the conventions of the superhero film sub-genre. Though subverted, the well-known manichean approach assumed in such films reveals itself here in the manner in which the main character strives to combine his ingenuous nature and the chaotic outside world. Todd Philipps relies on the evocative power of the voice to build his psychological thriller. Indeed, the character’s mental distress is expressed by a nervous laugh that works as a kind of leitmotiv throughout the film.

In Joker, Joaquim Phoenix plays the role of Arthur Fleck, a pitiful professional clown and aspiring stand-up comedian who lives with her mother in a dingy apartment. Simple-minded and excessively naive, Arthur keeps being bullied and ridiculed wherever he goes. Wantonly beaten by strangers, mocked by his colleagues, laughed at on TV, abandoned by social welfare services, and coming from a dysfunctional family, Arthur progressively goes mad and violent, just like Gotham city; a city plagued by political corruption, vice, poverty, filth, unemployment, extreme violence and delinquency.

The inevitable psychological distress, that emerges from so strong a contrast and so many repeated physical assaults, does find not only its physical expression into a nervous laugh but also its symbolic expression into the joker’s vocation as a clown. As such, it comes as no surprise that the film opens with these two central and closely intertwined themes.

The opening scene shows Arthur putting clown makeup on his face while listening to the news on the radio. Instead of showing a colorful and enchanting depiction of the circus scene and its stages, Todd Philipps immerses his public into a dimly lit and rather gloomy room that looks like an old and insalubrious lock room. The environment is plagued by outer and inner noises due to traffic congestion and the radio which keeps airing unfortunate news about the state of the city. Filth, garbage, typhoid fever, bad smell, rats, increase in heating oil prices… those are the news which help to create the stuffy atmosphere in which Arthur grows in professionally. From the start, one has the feeling to suffocate and witness something pathetic at work; a feeling amplified by Arthur making faces in front of the mirror of his dressing table.

Arthur seems unable to smile naturally and spontaneously to such an extent that he needs to stretch his mouth with his fingers to mimic a smile; a smile made pathetic by the tears running down his face. Arthur’s factitious smile and look of despair present, at first sight, a contradiction with the character he is supposed to embody but if one takes a closer look at the symbolic of the clown in pop culture, this attitude reveals the drama that exists behind such a figure. Behind the extravagant make up and exaggerated facial mimics generally lies a darkness which can go from deep sadness to monstrosity.

In the last decades, the clown has become an ambiguous, ambivalent and subversive figure due to the visual dichotomy between the surface (the make up, the facial mimics, the caricatures and the bright colors) and what is under the surface (the identity, the life story, the feelings). What is under the surface is, by definition, hidden from view, therefore open to imagination, and synonymous with concealment, hence the disturbing strangeness that emerges from the potential dangerousness of such a concealment. In addition to this, the mirror is also used to underline Arthur’s dual nature. By duplicating one’s image, the mirror signifies conflicting personalities and can mark a need for introspection.

Pennywise, the evil clown in It by André Muschietti (Stephen King)

Twisty, the clown inspired by John Wayne Gacy, known as the Killer Clown, in American Horror Story by Ryan Murphy

In Joker, Arthur successively fits the different representations involved by the idea of duality, from the caring, harmless and cheerful clown to the sad, neurotic and eventually violent clown. In that respect, it is worth mentioning the direct reference between Joker and The King of Comedy by Martin Scorsese (1983), in which Robert De Niro, playing a delusional and aspiring stand-up comedian, is so desperate for recognition that he goes as far as to abduct the famous talk-show host, Jerry Langford, to appear on his television show.

Arthur’s gradual transformation is foreboded by the way he exercises his mouth in a happy and sad smile in the opening scene. By doing so, Arthur reveals a myriad of emotions. He must, as any self-respecting clown, put a smile on his face but this one bears no warmth, no spontaneity. Its rigidity and exaggeration alternatively give way to alarming, threatening and desperate grins.

The duality expressed by the greek masks of comedy and drama displayed by Arthur is to be associated to his ever-present laugh. Right after his first assault on the street, Arthur is found sitting opposite a psychologist. The scene opens with Arthur laughing uncontrollably for a very long time. His laugh is anything but infectious and hearty. On the contrary, Arthur seems in pain while doing it. His facial features are distorted and uptight, his face tense as if he was about to cry. One can easily describe his laugh as bloodcurdling and disturbing; a laugh which is on the verge to choking him, even.

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Just like the perverted clown figure which instills more pity and fright than buffoonery, Arthur’s bursts of laughter give away a real medical condition. Whenever Arthur is ill-at-ease, confused or bullied, he starts laughing madly and does seem unable to stop it. This condition is called pseudobulbar affect (PBA), which is a type of emotional disturbance condition, due to neurological disorder or brain injury, characterized by uncontrollable and often inappropriate episodes of crying, laughing, anger or other emotional displays. The scene that most exemplifies his mental disorder and extreme vulnerability is when Arthur entertains a little boy in the bus and his mother, misjudging the situation, asks him to stop. Taken aback, Arthur explodes in laughing, unable to control himself, and shows his medical card in an effort to explain what is happening. Combined with the beautiful but tragic film score, Arthur appears utterly powerless and crushed by inner and outer misery; a mental and physical misery materializing in a nervous laugh which makes everyone uncomfortable, including him.

The therapy session provides a glimpse of the aggravating factors of the neurological disorder by capturing Arthur’s current psychological state. He is depicted as a deeply depressed and troubled man who takes many medications with no result. His persona as a sad clown is reinforced by a certain dark humour which he overuses in his notebook : « I just hope my death makes more cents than my life ». As if Arthur’s traumatic life experiences were not enough, one finds out later that his PBA and awful thinness (see his protruding bones) are actually due to serious physical abuses inflicted, when he was a child, by his unstable mother.

In the end, one can conclude that the voice, as a narrative tool, is used in this film to anticipate, announce, hint at and explain Arthur’s journey to madness.

Contrary to traditional superhero films in which the villain’s tragic past is quickly mentioned, Joker builds its storyline precisely upon the villain’s progressive journey as a victim. And who is more likely to become a time bomb than someone who has been a victim all his life? The origin of the joker’s malevolence is to be found precisely in his traumatic experience of life.

The contrast between a kind and optimistic nature and the ruthlessness of a city and its inhabitants, reinforced by regular humiliations and family dramas, is enough for anyone to blow a fuse and turn to the dark side. But the Joker, considering who he is, puts a smile upon his face, finally embraces chaos - « Isn’t it beautiful? » he asks the policeman in a thrilling voice while on his way to prison» - and laughs at the irony of life, hence the ending. The piece of music, hummed by Arthur in front of the psychologist, concludes the film on a bitter note, its title underlining how unfair and unpredictable life can be: That’s life. But Frank Sinatra’s song is much more than an appropriate conclusion. By using the soundtrack as a diegetic and extra-diegetic music, Todd Philipps evokes both Arthur’s understanding of what he has been through all along and his ensuing thirst for revenge, fueled by injustice, the lack of meaning and the lack of a sense of belonging. Arthur’s smile, while humming, forebodes the joker’s rise of terror in Gotham city. Psychotherapy is over. It’s time for action! It’s time for his destiny to unfold…

That’s life… And as funny as it may seem, some people get their kicks, stompin' on a dream. But I don’t let it get me down cause this fine old world, it keeps spinning around…

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