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#but honestly this music video - there’s just SO much to unpack

uhbasicallyjustmilex · 9 months

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right, can we please take a moment to talk about the bridge sequence in bad habits because oh my god the SUBTEXT??

at the start of the video, the distance between miles and alex is really highlighted, e.g. opposing colour palettes, the kind of divided imagery above, alex standing several paces behind miles etc. they're constantly in each other's eyeline, but also constantly apart. throughout the video, they gradually get closer, and the biggest catalyst for this is miles's guitar solo at the bridge of the song, where they start off at opposite ends of the room and miles moves backwards to alex as he's playing; by the end of the solo, they're finally properly side by side for the first time.

this is then immediately followed by shots like this of the two of them together:

in the earlier stages of the video, miles's singing was just intercut with sexual imagery of either women, or him and women - now, in the build up to the song's climax (and as the sexual imagery gets more heated), his singing is intercut more vividly and more frequently with clips of him and alex; the images of women become fainter and more infrequent, outnumbered by moments of him and alex wrapped around each other, while the women remain hazy and separate from miles.

this is then followed by a full on physical altercation between them; throughout the video, alex has been this silent, imposing presence behind miles, and at the bridge of the song here, miles finally turns around and confronts him in a way that has distinctly sexual undertones - and idk, this just feels so much like a metaphor for being followed around by desire and finally grappling with it (i.e. alex is the desire that's following miles around)

we then this gorgeous shot of miles's gaze and the fantasies behind it where (unlike earlier in the video) the images interposed behind it aren’t of abstracted female bodies, but of a woman walking up the stairs to him and alex lying entangled with each other, and then some fleeting imagery that clearly shows the three of them engaged in sexual acts together.

then - and this is the part that really gets me. the undertone of lust and fantasy laced through the video is finally being played out explicitly (in the scenario we get a glimpse of between miles and alex and the woman), and then is then IMMEDIATELY followed by a sequence of imagery that is ONLY OF ALEX AND MILES. and not just only of them, but of them being increasingly close to each other; they're no longer at opposite ends of the room, they're lying on each other and their faces are pressed together and they look utterly blissed out. all the shots of proximity are of them; the intercutting imagery of women has completely disappeared at this key point of the song and it's just them. them together in a situation that has been established as explicitly sexual.

the fact that throughout the song, alex and the two of them being together is inextricably linked with the fulfilment of desire and fantasy is just - it makes me a little bit insane, actually.

because it’s only once the two of them come together that the sex behind the images of fantasy interspersing miles’s singing actually come to fruition. it’s only once they’ve touched each other that others touch them, only after they come together that the sexual images that have been chasing them come into focus and become anything other than hazy, fleeting fantasies. in a music video so explicitly about sex and desire, it’s all about them.

#i just came across this in my drafts and totally forgot i’d written it in a haze of covid induced insomnia #so if any of it doesn’t make sense #that’s why lol #but honestly this music video - there’s just SO much to unpack #all the imagery and the subtext and the metaphors #i could write an entire essay on it #(and i mean. i kind of have 😭)#milex #tlsp #the last shadow puppets #bad habits #alex turner #miles kane #lulu posts

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urfriendlylocalidiot · 9 months

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GUESS WHO’S BACK ‼️

In honor of ITZY’s comeback

Reader x ITZY

Returning Home w/ ITZY

Coming home to your love is always the best part

Yeji

She would be so nervous about you coming home after 4 long weeks. What if you didn’t feel the same anymore? What if? Would probably stress-clean the apartment before you arrive. And it would be spotless to say the least. Everything just had to be just right for when you came home.

And just right it was, when you did arrive home, she ran into your arms, just for you to change it to a long-awaited makeout session. Even showing her the flowers you had picked up for her along the way. They were her favorite, proving that you hadn’t fallen in love with her after all. And although you were tired, you were full of adrenaline with being around her again.

Instead of unpacking, you guys decide to just have a long romantic date night. You both get changed and get ready to head out for a night out. Something she really needed, with all the stress of her comeback. You guys decide to get dinner together at your favorite restaurant and catch up on everything that has happened in the past 4 weeks. You end up staying until closing and having to carry Yeji back into your apartment, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lia

You guys definitely missed each other. Like so much. Like handwritten letters every other day since you left. And so when the day finally came that you were coming home, you were honestly both elated! Yes, you had some good times with your new friends, but nothing could truly compare to being with Lia.

When you do get home, she pulls you into a hug and gives you a signed copy of her comeback cd! Needless to say, you guys have a lot to catch up on. Even though you guys wrote each other everyday, there was still so much else to talk about.

You guys end up staying in bed all day, which was honestly just what you needed after a long day of traveling. She told you more about her comeback and you were finally able to see the music videos she had wrote about recording. Obviously you told her some memories you made while away, but they paled in comparison to a whole comeback.

Ryujin

The moment you step foot into your apartment — bags and all, she jumps you.

“I missed you” she murmurs into your neck.

“I can see that” you say, chuckling.

And don’t expect this to change for literal hours. You manage to set down your bags despite having a literal Koala attached to you. It was clear that today was not going to be the day you unpack your bags. Which was honestly fine with you. For the most part of the day you guys just stay cuddled up on the couch, nodding in and out of sleep.

You guys even manage to cook a dinner for you two, it was a simple chicken and rice, but it was still the first meal you guys had together for 4 weeks. It was honestly perfect for you two.

Chaeryoung

Definitely nervous and worried about you coming home. But the excitement easily overpowers that. You’re finally coming home!! After 4 long, stressful weeks without you, you’d finally be home again. And god, you had a lot to catch up on — daily phone calls still weren’t enough to fully express everything.

So when you do arrive home, she jumps into your arms. And she relishes the feeling of finally being with you again. Like she even cries a little out of happiness of you coming home. And she cries even more when she sees the flowers you bought her. She’s just so happy and full of love now that you’re back.

You guys obviously spend the rest of the day together. She even cooks your favorite dinner since you’re actually home now to enjoy it. My god, she’s missed you and neither of you guys can stop smiling from the joy of being together again.

Yuna

AHHHH!! To say she was excited was an understatement, she was literally counting down the days until your arrival back home!! 4 weeks was far too long to spend apart. She would literally wind up at the airport like 3 hours before your arrival time. She was just that excited to see you again!

In order to kill the 3 hours though, she buys you flowers and even makes a poster for you. God knows how she found a poster making shop in the airport, but anything for you. She’s just so happy that you’re finally coming home. She was so restless without you. But thank god, you’re coming home today, so all is going to go back to normal.

When you do land and come out of the gate, Yuna literally runs into your arms. And obviously you pick her up and give her a little spin. When you eventually put her down, you see her holding the poster and flowers and pull her into another hug. Only to pull away to pull out some flowers of your own for her. Needless to say you both missed each other a lot.

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zezah-xiomara-citrine · 3 months

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It's crazy to think about how HRT has improved my life and outlook so early on. I finally feel at home in my own body, and I have not even started to see real visual results yet. I am slowly starting to bud, I actually feel emotions outside of just anger and contempt. My mind is at peace with just being me for the first time in a decade.

I still have a ways to go. I'm unlearning some male tendencies that are not as nice as they should be. Or at least I hope I am. A lot of things to unpack from there. I did not know I was such a misogynist until really sitting down and thinking about how I responded to certain people. I'm still mean! But I'm learning how to temper my words and think before I just crush people now...

I can sit down and focus on what made me who I am today. The art and music and computing skills that I enjoyed as a youth. Everything seems so fresh and brand new again. I'm even taking time to play video games again, which I have not done regularly since my TF2 clan disbanded back in 2016.

I renewed my passion for movies and film. Animation and cinematography. I'm behind on my reading but I'm slowly getting back into the swing of that. Have to catch up on a few Halo books and such 😅

I feel pretty and soft and flowering. I realized that my past experiences trying to cope with being a male left some scars on me that I need to heal, but I think I have found people in my life who have already jump started that for me.

At first, I thought I had lost a lot of time. Like a huge part of my life was just cut out from not transitioning sooner. Now I understand that it's not about the times I missed out on, that was important for who I was. The times ahead are what makes me who I am and who I want to be now.

I was worried people would like me less now that I'm transitioning, but honestly I don't care anymore. I don't care about any of it. I have my peace and self-esteem back. I have my ambition and drive back. I have hope and community again. I'll take that any day over someone finding me "masculine and handsome".

For now on, I'm placing myself in a box of my construction. Far outside of whatever society and whatever anyone else had built for me.

I'm hoping if anyone else is debating experimenting with their gender identity, going on HRT or just making some form of change for themselves to just take the dive and do it. I think it has honestly saved my life and given me so much more willingness not to give up. In fact, it has made me more of a fighter than I was beforehand. And I'm super super thankful for it. I really am.

I'm in love with life, I am in love with myself, and I'm in love with the times yet to pass and the present time moving forward.

#hrt journey #hrt estrogen #hrt progress #transgender #trans #lgbtq #lgbt #nonbinary #hrt #transfem #girl goals #Zezah Xiomara Citrine

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ghost-qwq · 4 months

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Fallout HCs about video games cuz I'm absolutely batshit insane about these characters

(Fo3, NV and 4 but it's only characters I am crazy normal about)

Fo3 (Butch, Charon and RJ)

Butch

I'm being so honest with you, I think he'd LOVE rhythm games

He's a big music guy to me!!!

Rhythm games player,, he also would play the fuck out of multiplayer fps games

but Lone would have to make him stop because he gets really mad when he loses

He's fucking horrible at puzzle games also, he makes Lone solve puzzles for him but totally not because he needs help

He just uh... Thinks Lone is too dumb to figure it out... Yeah...

Charon

Okay I know I picked the characters but I'm so clueless for him

Maybe fps but idk

Actually this guy likes puzzle games

He watches Butch fail horribly and silently judges him

Puzzle games and like... Games with specific tasks you need to repeat

I'm thinking like Potion Craft and Sticky Business

bro would love cleaning games I think

PowerWash Sim and Viscera Cleanup Detail are his beloveds

This kid would play multiplayer fps games and absolutely kick ass too

He's the mean kid on mic telling you how shit you were...

He gets mad when he loses and quits

But not before saying that he's never playing that game again

... And then he's playing the same game the next day

He's such a little hater I think he'd say all kids games are for babies

He would LOVE to play them though :(

Would sooner kiss a Deathclaw than play a horror game though...

He'd act like he's not scared until he physically couldn't hide it anymore

FNV (Veronica, Arcade, Benny, Boone, Raul and Vulpes)

Veronica

Fps 100%

She's the one beating Butch all the time and she's having a blast doing it

Maybe also sorting games?

Ooh exploration games even

I barely traveled with Veronica but I feel like she would get really deep into the lore of whatever game she's playing

Unpacking fan I feel

I think she'd like ARGs too

She'd play slime rancher and throw tars into the sea as soon as she sees them

Arcade

He feels like a strategy game player

CIV player

Probably also likes cleaning/sorting games

I don't think he'd play video games very often... Sort of just a thing he does when there is NOTHING else to do

Probably would play Niche

Maybe Spore

I honestly have no clue with him beyond that

Benny

I'd like to start this by saying that he's comically bad at every game he plays

Other than gambling ones

He plays strategy games and loses every single time

He could not win a game to save his own life

Only games he's okay at are like... Ones it's hard to lose,,

And house flipper... He feels like a house flipper guy if he had to play

He also plays the Sims,, he loves that game so much

Boone

Really challenging myself here

I think he'd be good at fps but not really like them very much

Idk why but he feels like an rdr2 player to me a little

He also plays Plants Vs. Zombies because he's great

Idk he absolutely doesn't play games ever and when he does it's like,, card games

Boone is not the gamer of the group

Raul

Fuck oh God why did I put him on this list

Also a house flipper kind of guy but unlike Benny he's actually good at it

When he plays games it's to relax !!

He's playing fucking Stardew Valley and having a nice time

He plays Golf With Your Friends with the Courier...

Kinda feels like a Terraria player but he has actually no clue what he's doing,,

Plays Minecraft but only to build a house then turn the game off

If anyone tries to teach him a game he pulls the old man card

He will not play a game if he doesn't want too...

He's just "too old to figure it out"

Vulpes

Like Arcade he also plays CIV

But he's annoying about it somehow

Strategy and puzzle game player

No matter the game he acts like he's better than you for playing it somehow

Plays Terraria like Raul but he knows what he's doing and won't stop being a bitch about it

He acts like whoever he's playing with is stupid for not understanding whatever game they're playing

Fo4 (Nick, Deacon, Danse, Curie, Preston and MacCready again)

Nick

He's just like Raul tbh

When he plays a game it's to relax or with friends

He also plays Golf With Your Friends... Probably with Ellie and Sole

I think he'd like playing Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes...

Jackbox games too

He likes having fun with friends okay? :( let peepaw play a damn game

Probably would also like PowerWash Sim

Maybe even Slime Rancher

Deacon

I'm struggling more with what games he WOULDN'T play

He'd play multiplayer horror games with everyone and NOT do what he's supposed to

Not because he's uh... Scared or anything...

He's in the Railroad, obviously he likes Detroit: Become Human

Idk why but he feels like he would love OneShot

BattleBlock Theater kind of guy 100%

Like I said, I have no idea what he wouldn't play...

I think he'd play anything with his friends though

Kind of guy to find the absolute worst quality game to play and get it for everyone so they can all suffer together

Danse

Strategy games.

Or games with a very direct path

I think he'd be overwhelmed by open world games

Too much to do and not enough direction on where to go first

Survival games I think he'd like too

Hates horror games,, he would never admit it but he always gets jumpy

I honestly don't think he'd play anything other than strategy games without being pushed but shh.... If he were a gamer

Curie

Cleaning games or games that focus on science

HUGE Niche fan

She has no clue how to play a video game but she knows science!!

CIV player but she doesn't attack anyone unless they attack first... She just wants to make her cities and make everyone in them happy. That's literally it

Preston

I think he's in the same boat as Nick but he can't pull the old man card

He's just not a big fan of video games

But as long as he's playing with friends I think he'd have a good time

Probably would hate horror games too...

They're fun until it gets actually scary and then he doesn't want to play anymore

Honestly, I think he might like Don't Starve

Idk why... He'd play Wilson I think

Or Wendy

MacCready again

look he's older now

He still plays multiplayer fps games but he doesn't get as mad at them

He doesn't say as mean things anymore... And when he says it he says it to himself

I think Butch got him into rhythm games as a kid but he isn't good at them

100% would play video games with his kid.

He'd play like,, bugsnax when Duncan is older and lose his mind

I'm being so honest with you I think he's not good at any games that aren't fps...

EXCEPT. Stardew Valley. He would never in a million years admit it but he'd loved that fucking game.

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kamenstranger · 6 months

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Before I dive into this review proper I want to give a heads-up that I am about to get into book spoilers and will be approaching this review with the assumption you've read the source material, which the show also expects. Likewise, I cannot talk about the show without getting into spoilers, due to the very nature of it. If you want my one piece of spoiler-free advice; think of it as a spin-off. Cause it kinda is. You'll have a much better time in that "What If?/Elseworlds" mindset.

If spoilers are cool with you, let's jump into it.

So, I was pretty much obsessed with the series in 2010. I was about 17/18 when I first got into the series. The 6th book wasn't out yet, and I can't even remember how I got into the series to begin with. But I believe I ordered volume 1 followed by 2-5 as soon as I finished, or maybe I went all in. I know for a fact I preordered vol. 6 when I finished vol 5. Still have the receipt for it; July 18th, 2010. 10.58 total.

I followed the various video updates on the movie, fan art, fell in love with the game, bought a Smashing Pumkins shirt, and the Anamanaguchi soundtrack was even the first digital album I bought for myself. I was basically just at the right age and state of mind for the series to grab me and have a profound effect with its themes. I think it's something I needed at the time.

But as much as the series meant to me, it's something I mostly moved on from. After all, the book ended in 2010, and until recently I probably hadn't reread it since 2013 or so. My books are in remarkable condition, actually. I mostly kept up with O'Malley's other works, and preordered Seconds when that was announced. Sadly haven't been keeping up with Snotgirl as much as I'd like, but I digress.

So when the show got announced… well, honestly my first reaction was "That thing they should've done after the Adult Swim short" Because, yeah, animation is a better medium for it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the 2010 movie- one of the best theater experiences because the like 5 other people in the audience were massive fan girls loving all the bits. And there is a lot to love about the movie: its visual gags; the performances; the music selection; the overall direction- seriously, Edgar Wright doesn't get enough credit for how good he is at keying in on visuals. Dude knows how to translate comic panels and mimic the vibe of the source.

But it lacked the depth of the books. There's no major character arc for Scott and Ramona addressing their flaws. Hell, the books weren't even finished yet. There are a ton of great translations from comic to screen, but mostly the superficial. Moments like Scott's meeting with Knives in the alley showing that he's becoming more empathetic and confronting his mistakes are either absent or glossed over. Likewise, Knives' own journey of maturity isn't there. This isn't a complaint mind you, it's not like those cuts are unreasonable. I can hardly blame them for not cramming 6 (and incomplete) books into a two hour film. That just ain't gonna happen.

The biggest advantage in a series as opposed to a movie is the opportunity to properly explore the characters beyond a surface level. I'm not saying anything particularly revolutionary by stating the most universally agreed-upon element from the books is that Scott is a bit of a shit.

However, I think that statement is overly simplifying the situation and the character, one far too often invoked by hack frauds who don't truly engage with the work, because clickbait engagement is more valued than a nuanced analytical one. I won't sit here unpacking the full 6 volumes, you can check out someone like Popculturebuffet for that. But part of what works so well with Scott is that we don't initially know the extent of his baggage- and rightfully so. His worst aspect early on is ignorantly getting involved with Knives in the first place, stringing her along even after becoming enamored with Ramona, and being a bit of a slacker. This is something which is pointed out by literally everyone (sans Stephen) as being shitty. But otherwise, he seems fairly average and even endearing in a way. Scott's an affable character that's easy to like in spite of his very major flaws, and that's a statement that remains true throughout. The reader doesn't even get to simmer much on the scenario with Knives until later- and to some degree, this even applies to Scott himself. He's slightly oblivious to his actions, past and present. A prime example would be that we're initially under the impression that Scott doesn't like to drink, which is mostly true. Mostly.

It's not until volume 6 that it becomes clear he got into a drunken fight with Envy on New Year's, suddenly re-contextualizing that and other events. It doesn't negate how Envy was very much a bitch who treated Scott like complete garbage, cheated on him, and screwed his head up something fierce. She is unequivocally the worse person there. But it adds nuance that wasn't present before. I focus on the event with Envy because it's sort of a perfect microcosm of Scott as a character. Scott "doesn't" drink because of what happened, except on the 3-4 social occasions over the course of the 6 volumes, showing how he has a habit of just flat-out lying in various ways, including to himself. He's aware on some level, but simultaneously suppresses that awareness from memory and even re-imagines scenarios outright (Sometimes with a little help, unbeknownst to him) acting like everything was always fine on his end. This is even more true in his prior relationship with Kim.

Scott's solutions are half measures where he can pretend that he was always the victim in a breakup, or at least innocent and free of blame, thus never growing in a meaningful manner. Hell, that's the reason he ended up with Knives in the first place; he was trying to get over Envy, but not in a healthy manner. Change is seen as scary to Scott, and yet it's inevitable. That is, at least due in part to Envy changing into a hateful person. As such, Scott wants something simple where he doesn't have to put in effort. Knives is naive and doesn't see Scott for the dick that he is, she doesn't ask him to be better because he's already perfect to her naive mind. It's shallow, and a tad messed up, and everyone knows it, including Scott- hence his continued dreams about being alone. He knows it's not, cannot, and never will be serious. He's stupid, but not a monster- but stupidity can be a form of malice if one doesn't change their heart. It's not exactly like the story is even subtle about this. The entire existence of Nega Scott is that you can't fight the past, you can't run from it even if you hate that part of you. You have to confront it and accept it to move on, hopefully changing for the better. To say nothing of how Gideon is what Scott could become if he never owned up to it. That angle is why I felt Scott and Ramona worked. Quite frankly, Ramona is just as flawed of an individual running from her past. She's constantly trying to change herself, but always on a surface level. She's afraid of normalcy, of being stuck in a routine, of being happy. She makes out (Not that much) with her ex, Roxie, in anger because she sees Scott hanging with Lisa Miller and suspects the worst. She (rightfully) gets enraged at how Scott was still with Knives when he and her first went out, thus cheating- yet she did the same with the Katayanagi twins, and possibly Lucas. And, ya know, she never formally handed off the breakup letter to Gideon, so she's kinda doing the same thing Scott did with Knives and her. Ramona's past is just as checkered as Scott's. She's just as jealous, hypocritical, and nuanced. It just takes longer to realize that because she puts up emotional barriers and isn't the titular character/main focus. Neither one is evil, but they've wronged people. Often they've been wronged, and sometimes it's not a clean-cut scenario of easily blaming anyone. For all the great supporting cast, gags, fun references, and so forth, our two main protagonists being flawed yet likable is what makes the series compelling. The heart is two people gradually learning to get over their selves and their mistakes. To stop running away, and accept their faults and one another. Over the 6 books, we see them (albeit mainly Scott) put in the effort to be better, to build and maintain something special, and not just go with what's simple and easy. It's not about fighting the exes, it's about fighting for each other.

That type of character arc requires time for development. So, when it comes to this Netflix series, my biggest hope was simply that they would capture that element found within the books. In the lead-up to the show, there were some rumors about the exes having more to do, and I can see that working. As much as I do think the book does a fine job, Todd and Roxie are the only ones with a decent amount of depth. Matthew works perfectly because his simple backstory is a gag in itself. Lee is a fun character with a tiny bit of backstory, but it's barely there. Gideon I can forgive due to his mysterious final boss nature and his schtick is being the extreme opposite of Scott. But the Twins? They're shafted pretty hard. They're there to fill out a roster. Honestly, though, even Roxie would've benefited greatly from the smallest of backstories ala Lucas Lee. She's perhaps the most interesting because she and Ramona are on good enough terms to have coffee together. Hell, Rox genuinely cares for Ramona, and unlike Lucas Lee, she's prominent enough in the story that a simple flashback could have been the cherry on top of all that.

The other part is streamlining story elements. No surprise there. From the get-go, O'Malley said it was not a 1-1 adaptation, and honestly, it shouldn't be. Some parts should be changed for the sake of convenience, and frankly, the book has some superfluous parts. Does anyone even remember Jason Kim? He shows up like twice as "dude with car" and apparently dating Kim Pine until dorking her housemate. That gives the impression of each character having their own life and drama that we're not privy to, which is nice. But it's also not important to include outside the books. Kim (Pine) becoming self-conscious when Envy is brought up, smiling when Scott stays over, or her dead-eyed expression as she lies during the fight with the Twins. All of that says far more about her, her feelings, her love life etc.

Then there's Knives' dad. Fun in the book, wouldn't take him out. But completely unneeded for emotional and narrative development. Sometimes you gotta look at the source material and realize that even if you like something, tacking on an extra hour for the most obvious whodunit would kill the pacing in an adaptation. (That was a LOTR reference for those playing at home)

However, the above scenarios are a trepidatious path. How does one decide what needs reworking, cutting, or expanding? They're necessary for an adaption, but they're not always obvious. If you're not careful, you can completely undermine or mishandle key elements that made the original so beloved. You risk removing seemingly innocuous moments that add a lot to a character's growth. Above, I mentioned that the Twins got shafted in the book, but there isn't really a good place to expand upon them in the original story. They're not as important as Ramona's growing discontent. It's why Scott's fight with robot 01 is relegated to background gags while we focus on Ramona and Kim. You could put a flashback during the final confrontation with the Twins, but that would muck up the pacing and take away from Kim's far more important character moment in lying to Scott to bolster him. The Twins are just narrative scaffolding holding a spotlight on what we should be focusing on. That's what all the exes are to some extent. Shallow, sure, but only so the other characters get depth.

It's not an easy line to walk. If you push too hard on telling a more original story or focus too much on "correcting" various details, you can negate what were otherwise successful plot points. Do too little and the pacing falls apart because the medium is completely different. Would the changes made still contain a similar level of depth and satisfying character arcs, or would it merely be a shallow reworking of the broadest of strokes? The only way to not lose is not to play. These are the concerns I had in the lead up to the show, which is fairly routine. We also weren't getting a lot of information storywise, aside from that it would be mostly doing its own thing (This is something that should have been emphasized more in marketing) The trailers showed familiar set pieces; that Ramona delivers DVDs for Netflix now, which is a great and absurd change; You saw some of the streamlining by having Scott rent Lucas Lee films, thus inadvertently getting a head start on that and cutting out the No Account Video segment; there's a brief original bit where Ramona talks to Julie about how well the date with Scott went. Most of the setting also looked like it was from the first and sixth volumes, which was a tad odd. But other than that, they were tight lipped about the narrative. Most of the promotional focus was on music, the returning cast, and the animation. All great things unique to this medium that we will get into in due time. Speaking of, let's finally discuss

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

So you know how Final Fantasy 7 Remake emphasized the "Remake" part? Well, we kinda have that here with the "Take Off" part.

I'll just cut right to the chase. Scott seemingly dies in the fight with Patel in the first episode. Episode two is his absolutely absurd funeral. Almost the rest of the episode is centered around Patel wanting to take over the league for himself, and succeeding in doing so, gaining all of Gideon's assets, while the league dissolves once they realize Patel didn't even get Ramona back after winning.

This is uh, certainly a direction to go.

Let's put aside not following the source material and this being an original story. Why should I care about this story? I'll concede that he and Gideon have a great fight. The animation from Science Saru is great, and the voice performances are great: Shoutouts to Satya Bhabha, his delivery is impeccable, hilarious, and a major highlight of the show. But why should I care about these events, this retake? What's the hook? Thus far, the primary purpose of the show feels like a fake out, gags, and fights. I spent the opening of this review going over the emotional weight of the books, that's the anchor. So far, I'm getting moments without substance. Am I supposed to care because I have a prior connection to these characters? This is something I wouldn't figure out a proper description and answer for until the finale. My issues also felt exacerbated by both the advertisements not making the original story angle clear, and also how good the first episode starts off. Because Cera as Scott is truly perfect. Cera was a voice actor before transitioning to the screen, and his performance is top-notch in addition to being a great vocal fit to begin with. So it's kinda disappointing to not have him around for quite a bit. Anyway, the second episode ends with Ramona dreaming and hearing Scott's voice, meaning that Scott isn't dead, he's in Subspace or somewhere.

Episode 3: Ramona Rents a Video.

As if answering one of my questions immediately, the third episode finally gives a hook as Ramona starts playing detective, like Pikachu Columbo. That's the selling point, that this is primarily Ramona's story.

She checks out footage of the Patel fight, showing that someone pulled Scott through a portal (Hence the title of the show, wink-wink.) Ramona then heads to First Cup to get a person of interest list from Julie- which is a pretty damn funny sequence, actually. I'm starting to enjoy the show at this point, and it's kinda wild how much more enjoyable Julie is in both the movie and show compared to the comics. Sure, she's a bitch, but she's a fun bitch due in no small part to Aubrey Plaza's wonderfully riled vocals. After getting the necessary info, Ramona is led to Kim since she knew Scott the longest. We even get a cute story about the poorly drawn Sheep Scott did, which looks hilariously WAY worse in the show.

There's also a key comment from Kim that I think is to make a point for dorks like me. Kim mentions that she was once kidnapped by a guy named Simon and rescued by Scott. That was a false memory of Scott's in the books. In vol. 6, Kim pointed out to Scott that Simon was just a dude she went out with like twice, probably hugged, and Scott beat up. This is one of a number of clues that seem to be here to firmly establish this isn't the same continuity as the books being messed with, and should not be thought of as a sequel if that was a concern.

Anyways, their conversation is cut short when Roxie arrives in the hope of rekindling her former flame. But things go south pretty quickly and Roxie's hotheadedness takes over.

What follows is one of the best fights in the show, equal parts funny and clever. Hell, it starts with Rox drawing her sword and accidentally cutting the sprinkler line. It adds a dramatic pseudo rain that's completely negated by Kim's wonderfully deadpan expression as all the damn tapes in the store become soaked.

During the scuffle with Ramona, a shelf of movies falls on the two which… somehow transports them into various movies? I dunno, we're working off video game logic, I guess Gex counts. It's a sequence that I'm sure was done purely for looking interesting. To its credit, the visual styling is on point. From Japanese historical drama to a post-Matrix early 2000s green filter era, to a scratchy film-grain-heavy WW2 film. The backing track also flows into each film genre. I also love a quick gag where Kim watches the fight on a CRT and fucks around with the rewind and pause feature, allowing Ramona to counter an earlier attack. Roxie gets knocked back into the store, smashes the remote, and gets dragged back into the movies by Ramona. That's great.

As the fight continues, Ramona and Rox begin arguing about their relationship, and we get that flashback sequence! It's a small thing, but they show that Ramona left without a word and how that tore Roxie up. Good lord, someone hug that poor girl, she looks like a sad puppy. In a legit great moment, Ramona has to confront how she treated Roxie, sincerely apologizing for it, which Roxie tearfully accepts it. I gotta say, Mae Whitman really gets to shine in the role more than ever. She's one of those I point to when talking about just how perfect everyone sounds exactly how I'd expect.

After the fight, she hangs out with Ramona and Kim for a bit, being very flirty with both. Kim even smooches her for the hell of it, although both admit there wasn't anything there. But hey, they managed to still get a Bi-curious Kim in here, and in a way that was better than in the books.

Elsewhere, a beat-to-hell Gideon arrives in town, meeting with Julie, an old schoolmate.

I legitimately liked this, there's actual emotional weight going on, there's interesting shit being done, and I'm settling into the show's intent. I like the idea of giving Ramona her own story with a slight focus on how she feels about her past. I think her going out of the way as much as she does for Scott, a dude she just met, is a little flimsy. Again, it's really expecting the audience to care because we, in theory, care about them getting together.

Ep. 4: Whatever.

Things get really fucking meta in this one. Ruling Roxie out as the kidnapper, who didn't even know Scott was alive, Ramona turns her attention to Lucas Lee, who is starting a new picture in Toronto.

Turns out the movie is from Young Neil's screenplay, which "he" wrote back in ep 3, or rather a mysterious "sleep paralysis demon" he saw did. The movie is about Scott's life if he won the fight with Patel.

This toying with the universe thing is getting a little unsettling.

Most of this episode is one big meta gag about making a Scott Pilgrim movie with Director Edgar Wrong. I'm not even mad at this, I'm just completely flabbergasted at what the hell I'm seeing. And this will become a reoccurring bit throughout.

Also hope you like gags about Knives' age cause holy shit they reference this a lot throughout the show.

It's at this point in my viewing process I have developed a headache.

To give some credit, Lucas is fun in this episode. He's more in line with the film version, and Evans actually sounds better than ever, likely thanks to age and simply having more to say. And like with Roxie, Lee has a Flashback. There isn't much more than what was in the book, but I think the presentation is better. Seeing Ramona patch him up after a bad fall, and Lucas arranging his Locker (which is filled with photos of Ramona) as she and Todd walk behind him. Man, that stings.

Needless to say, Lee isn't responsible for Scott's disappearance and with the whole "controversy" regarding him dating a 31 year old actress playing a highschooler, he's hounded off the lot and has to be replaced by Todd, which seems to be a reoccurring thing for him.

Ep. 5: Lights. Camera. Sparks?!

I'm now starting to believe this entire show may have been an elaborate troll towards people obsessed with adaptation accuracy to a fault. I almost want to applaud the sheer audacity of it. Suffice it to say, 95% of this episode is done in a documentary style, and there are a lotta hijinks on set. Ramona is working as Envy's stunt double just so she can have easier access to the set and hopefully get a lead from Todd. Wallace also bones Todd. A LOT. Oh yes, Wallace shacks up with Todd, and Todd is really into it. Wallace, on the other hand, just wanted to hook up with a hot dude, leading to a whole excursion and depressive vegan breaking episode for Todd. Brandon Routh really gets to go full ham here, and it's wonderful.

Some damn funny parts aside, Todd wasn't behind the portal, but it was certainly vegan in nature. Ramona is otherwise back to Square one until Patel, by happenstance, arrives on the lot to fire everyone. Afterward, Patel has a brief confluence with Stephen Stills and Knives, who manage to get an in with him. Since Scott's apparent death, Knives has taken his place in Sex-Bob-omb on Bass (and keyboard) making decent music with Stephen Stills. The importance of that will come into play next episode.

Patel then turns his attention to Ramona. Obviously, Patel wouldn't have any reason to keep Scott around, but it's entirely plausible Gideon, or rather his real identity, Gordon Goose, would as part of a revenge scheme.

Ep. 6: WHODIDIT. This episode starts with probably the best opening gag that I kinda don't wanna ruin despite spoiling everything else. I'm probably gonna be adding "I was gone for 90 %#&! minutes" to my quotes, though.

In any case, this is a fairly straightforward episode. Ramona interviews Julie once again, but it becomes clear that Gideon, Goose, has neither the mental state nor resources to pull something like that off. As an aside, we get a flashback with him as well, showing that he was the school nerd. He supposedly had no fear (No pain) until he aimed well above his status in asking a girl out, leading to him being laughed out of school, which Julie remembers all too well.

It seems like another dead-end, but when Ramona accompanies Julie back to her house, they both see a familiar Robot, the Twins' 01 Robot, which has been making very unsubtle appearances in every episode up to this point; Lee's place; outside the video store; the studio lot, etc. We also have a B-plot with Stephen Stills and Knives making music for a stage adaption of Neil's Screenplay so it doesn't go to waste.

Cute.

It's here where it becomes known that Neil didn't write the script, and upon checking the original file, realize something is off and that Ramona should be informed. All parties gather in Ramona's apartment as she goes over the pertinent information in whodidit (dunit?) fashion, including treating us to another flashback, this time with the twins. It's probably the least engaging of the flashbacks, honestly. Even in this, they get shafted. Regardless, the who and how are solved. But Not the why or where. Where Scott is remains a mystery, but it's likely the Twins know, which is where Ramona intends to check out.

Oh, and the information the gang has about Neil's Script? The metadata says it was written 14 years from now. But just as more questions are raised, another winds up on Ramona's doorstep; Scott, safe and mostly sound. The Twins were in fact behind it, and the robot, and… himself.

Ep. 7: 2 Scott 2 Pilgrim.

Yes, the one who pulled Scott out of Time was himself, from the future; a 37 year old Scott. The how is rather simple and already answered; the Katayanagi twins. Older Scott and them became friends in the future, even starting a band; Pop'n TwinBee (RIP Shatterband.) By the way, if you ever wanted to hear Will Forte sing a hilariously bad cover of Konya Wa Hurricane from Bubblegum Crisis as an older Scott Pilgrim, this is the show for you. I was laughing my ass off at this.

Anyway, the robot was disconnected from a fixed time stream, and being a vegan cause, ya know, robot, is able to create portals. Therefore Time portals. As to the why, Scott showed his past self using a virtual reality machine on the Virtual Guuy[sic], complete with red and black pixel art mimicking the style of the game. Past Scott sees memories on the not Virtual Boy; Defeating the Evil Exes, future marriage to Ramona, their honey moon at Universal… and divorce. Well, technically they're just separated after 13 odd years of marriage. Older Scott has since been living with Wallace and his husband.

Exactly what happened is never stated, just that the pain was so much Scott decided to follow through on a sarcastic comment from Wallace and prevent falling for Ramona in the first place. Old Wallace sums up the mental state of Old Scott to regular Scott, describing it as "Like after Envy, times ten." Which uh, yeah, no wonder Older Scott's a tad kooky.

It's at this point I have to bring up personal stuff, and it's something that I thought I might have to. So, when Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour dropped in 2010, I distinctly remember reading an interview with O'Malley about the ending. In the lead-up to the final book there was a lot of speculation from fans that maybe Scott and Ramona wouldn't end up together (there was a strong case to be made for Kim) maybe it would end badly since both Scott and Ramona have their struggles. Some people even thought he would end up with Knives, which is missing the entire point of her character arc, and also fuck no.

Ultimately we got the ending we did because, at the time, O'Malley was happy, so he thought Scott should be happy. But O'Malley divorced in 2014.

I dislike bringing that up, but that was leading me to speculate (and brace myself) if that would have an impact here. I mean, how could it not? And look, there is a good argument that Scott and Ramona needn't stay together for their journey together to be satisfying. It would fit right in line with the theme that things don't always stay the same. People can grow apart, even the important ones that change your life. I don't like that outcome, but it's not as if it's wrong to consider. Particularly for a story like this.

But I also think there's an element of overt cynicism to that. What's interesting is that the show doesn't go in that direction. In fact, it's actually insistent that Ramona and Scott can't help but be drawn to one another, there's a spark there. We even get a scene of Scott hooking up the 01 robot to the VR, and since 01 is connected across time, he can see into the past versions. The robot seen throughout the show was Scott seeing that Ramona was constantly looking for him, and that's genuinely sweet.

Still, the situation is bad, as Scott is trapped in the future and can't use the Robot to travel for reason.

On Young Scott's insistence, he and Older Wallace meet up with Older Ramona, discovering she was the one who went back in time and wrote Young Neil's Screenplay in a failed attempt to preserve their story and hopefully thwart Older Scott. (Let's not go crossed-eyed thinking too hard about paradoxes)

He's a misguided idiot, but Ramona still loves the moron, even if she has her doubts after her failed plan. But Scott's words of encouragement about his Ramona never giving up on him gives her hope. Importantly, she can time travel with her DeLorean roller blades, which is how Scott can and did get back to the past.

But even after Scott's return and reunion, their problems aren't over, as a force field prevents Ramona and Scott from kissing. Someone is still interfering, and the list of who might as well just be the entire list of exes. Thankfully, Stephen Stills and Knives have a convenient plan: The stage musical is going to have all the exes in attendance, so they've got one big gathering spot to get to the bottom of this.

This is one of my favorite episodes of the show. It's cool seeing older versions of the characters, and frankly, the presentation is just great. I do think that too much of that emotional weight is relying on events from the books for your investment. I know, I know. Can't enjoy a good thing without a critique. Still, this is a great episode, one of my favorites along with ep. 3, and our next and final episode.

Oh, and the end credits has a proper rendition of Konya Wa Hurricane, so that's fucking cool.

Ep. 8: The World Vs Scott Pilgrim.

So here we are at the big finale at the premiere of the Scott Pilgrim Musical.

The thing is, none of the exes seem to be suspect. Gideon is the only one with ulterior motives, but they're not towards Scott and Ramona, he just wants to blow up the stage and Matthew Patel.

But not long after everyone is seated something goes awry. A portal appears and transports all the exes and Scott's friend group (And also Julie and the robot) to a barren land.

The one behind this, and the force field, was an Even Older and very buff Scott (47) He slipped past Scott nano machines as a backup to prevent him from ever getting close to Ramona, but even that wasn't enough. So for 10 years he trained to take everyone out, as it's the only way to be sure. And so our final battle begins: The World vs. Scott Pilgrim. If you listen closely to the track during this scene "Big Bad" incorporates elements of "The Dark One" Nega Scott's theme from the game. That's a nice touch.

Even Older Scott is no pushover, he breaks Ramona's Hammer, and despite a fairly good comeback from regular Scott, he beats him pretty bad. The others come to his aid, Knives attacking with daggers, but Even Older Scott punches Knives so hard he knocks the highlights our of her hair.

Ramona begins handing out items from her bag, cyber broccoli for Todd, a cyber skateboard for Lucas, and a cyber sword for Roxie, just as the sub boss music from the game kicks in. Along with Matthew's mystic arts, they mange to actually lay into Even Older Scott, but that only causes him… to go… even further beyond, and One hit KO the four.

The Twins Robot is ineffectual and even Gideon's not quite the glow-douken has no effect. Even Older Scott just grabs it and turns it against Stephen, Knives, Kim, and Neil. This. This is actually fucking awesome. It's going full Shonen ham.

We're down to just Ramona and Scott, who team up and hit him together, followed by Scott and Even Older Scott literally butting heads. We get our obligatory speech between a younger Scott just wanting to live his life, and Even Older Scott saying he'll just end up where he's at if he does.

And it finally clicked into place what the hell Scott Pilgrim Takes Off actually is. This is like a Shonen spin off story. Your Broly Trilogy, Hunter X Hunter The Last Mission, Naruto Blood Mission. But with an X-men time travel plot slapped on. It's an excuse to play around and do different (mostly cool) shit with a set of familiar characters. Like a movie or OVA, the characterization isn't as deep as the main source material. It banks on you giving a damn because of the familiarity so they can mostly get right to the cool bits and not try as hard or waste time on the re-interpretative parts. Don't think too hard about the misgivings, think about Akuma Scott beating the shit out of everyone while the familiar music you're nostalgic for plays.

And goddamn that's frustrating because that's what they should've led with. All the damn trailers were dancing around the new material and making it seem like an adaptation. To keep on the Anime brand, if people are expecting a "Brotherhood" or "Ultimate" version with a Cast they like, and then they don't get that… well yeah that's not gonna go over well. I can't fault anyone for being mad about that. That's having the rug pulled out from under you. But once you realize what this is, and what it's doing, it's a lot easier to enjoy and be its own thing. It branches off a similar story to the books, but it's not like this is a canonical revision or sequel to them.

That said, just because it's "less developed" doesn't mean this is without heartfelt moments I enjoy. When it seems like Even Older Scott has the upper hand, an even older Ramona shows up to chew old Scott out for not even texting in 10 years, fighting people in the past rather than fighting for them, all because of one rough patch. It's funny, but it also confirms the biggest divergence. This is a world where Scott was never kicked out during the Roxie chapter, a world without Gideon's "Glow" mental manipulation, and presumably Scott never faced his inner demons because of it. This also means Ramona didn't run off after the twins' defeat because the glow wasn't affecting her mentality, and thus she faced her own. That one line snowballs into a lot of stuff not happening for their character growth. That- that is an interesting concept.

This all leads to a poignant scene where Ramona questions her older self if she should even bother. What's the point if it ends up like this? Maybe it's best to just keep moving. But, that's also Ramona's thing, isn't it? Running away from what she loves, which is presumably (along with his own stupidity) what set Older Scott down a spiral in the first place. In a scene that parallels Scott's own understanding within the books, Ramona comes to realize she's ran all her life.

In the end, Ramona chooses to stop running and embrace herself, quite literally. Both Ramona's combining into, as Scott puts it "Super Ramona" Able to see the situation for what it is, one Scott still in many ways a dumb kid, the other Scott just a sad mess. She simply sends Older Scott back to his time with the hope he'll straighten out. Meanwhile, the nano machines are still a problem with current Scott. But that's nothing a super form can't overload with a determined kiss. Daww.

Before things go back to normal and because she'll have trouble saying it later, she tells Scott she loves him, and that she tends to run away from what she loves. But who she was in the past isn't who she is now. She just needs help remembering that.

Everyone returns to the theater to enjoy the rest of the musical, and Patel's demon girls subvert Gideon's plans. After the show, he and Julie are apprehended, but Matthew instead begs Gideon to take all his crap back. He has no idea how to run a company, is stressed out, and has lost billions. All Matthew wants is to continue the stage show.

We then get an epilogue. Lucas Lee takes up a job at Second First Cup; Todd has returned to being a Vegan with coaching from Roxie; The rental store Kim worked at closes down; Wallace takes a vacation to Paris where he meets Mobile; Knives continues performing with Sex-Bob-Omb as their keyboardist; Ramona gives up delivery work and instead returns to being a stunt double.

We end on Ramona coloring her hair once again, before heading out and meeting with Scott and the others, as Plumtree's Scott Pilgrim plays us off.

Only for a mid-credits scene to show Gideon and Julie plotting revenge. Oooo.

And that is Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

s'allright, innit? Okay, joking aside- I think I'm gonna have a hard time conveying my feelings on this one. But I still have three more things to talk about before we get to my final thoughts.

First off, the voice acting is great, shockingly great. I'm a person who is very much of the mindset that you should hire voice actors for voice roles BUT, in this instance, I can understand why. It's incredible they got everyone back and how well they work. I've already given my praise to Cera, Bhabha, Plaza, Whitman, Routh, and Evans in the story portion of this review. But I'm drastically overdue to talk about Winstead's performance. I think this was the one people were most curious about because in the movie there was this aura of Ramona feeling more "cold" in her personality. This was due to the original direction they wanted to take that version, and sadly it meant we didn't quite get a more angles. Here? Yeah, this is pretty great. We hear Ramona full of regret, angry, annoyed, sentimental. It's a much more well-rounded version. My one nitpick is Winstead needs to work on her battle cries, it really stands out in the Roxie fight opposite a veteran VA like Whitman. But otherwise, this is how I imagine Ramona sounding. And I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up how anytime Ramona has a vulnerable moment talking about Scott, she genuinely sounds smitten. The Future Ramona (the first one) in particular stands out to me. That's a version of the character that's older, clearly hurt, and weary, but still very much in love. I can't help imagining that being applied to scenes from the book. In Vol. 5 the part after The Twins are defeated and Scott returns. That scene always tears me apart when I read it. I'm fairly certain if I heard Cera and Winstead's performance of that it would rip my soul out. So maybe it's best we only have this original story. So yeah, I'm happy to see that she fits right into the role better than ever.

Another performance I've yet to mention is Ellen Wong, who is just as perfectly energetic as she was in the film. It's a shame we don't get to hear her do a somber Knives in this setting, but it's hard to complain with how pleasant it is hearing her chipper over the top excitement. Alison Pill's Kim Pine is as sardonic as always, and much like Routh and Evans, I think she's even better now. Johnny Simmon sounds exactly the same, no complaints, 10/10. Jason Schwartzman is an experienced VA, so no surprise he sounds fine. He doesn't get to stretch out much since Gideon isn't super prominent here. Although episode 6 did show a lot of range and potential for what you could do with him. Maybe next season? Similarly Brie Larson's Envy doesn't have a whole lot of screen time, but she's equal parts charming and manipulative. Honestly, for a small as the role is, it made me realize just how much Larson is good at the role and how that level of emotion is often subdued in roles elsewhere. Honestly, I hate to say it, but Mark Webber's Stephen Stills is probably one of the weaker performances on the show. It's not even that it's bad, it's fine and works- except for the animation. That's the one caveat. There are a couple of moments where Stephen Stills is pantomiming, and the voice doesn't match that energy. Truth be told, I even sorta have a similar issue with Kieran Culkin's Wallace, which I swear looks like the syncing was off in the earlier episodes. The saving grace is that Wallace has more scenes than Stephen Stills and therefore Culkin got more opportunities. This is sorta the area I mean when I think it's best to get trained VA. It's a completely different medium and hard to jump into immediately.

I don't wanna end this segment on a downer, so I'll once again mention Will Forte sings Like a Hurricane. OH, Segue.

Soundtrack

So I did not know what to expect going into this. I mean, I was a fan of Anamanaguchi, but I hadn't kept up since Endless Fantasy, sans the Miku single- which is really good by the way. And Joseph Trapanese I was most familiar with from his collaboration with Daft Punk on Tron Legacy, so no worries there. But I did wonder how well a chiptune heavy sound would work. As much as I dig it, it's a very upbeat vibe. Even some of Anamanaguchi's more dramatic tracks have a charming bubbliness to them. How would that work within a series? Well, the short answer is they don't have as much chiptune going on as you would assume. There are a few that incorporate chiptunes to a limited degree, others a bit more, but most not at all. The vast majority of the OST is more traditional fair and Synthwave, and in a way, it sorta mimics my own evolving tastes. I still listen to Chiptune stuff, but I'm also really big into synth music nowadays. It feels like a proper bookend to my late-teens early twenties listening to Anamanaguchi, and later Dance with the Dead and Midnight Danger, and now Anamanaguchi's synth offerings. One of the tracks, Yet Another Winter Again (Calling back to the first stage in The Game) has a Redbook audio sound with a hint of Chiptune, but not the NES/GB Anamanaguchi is known for. It sounds like a SNES. In fact, I would compare the track to something you'd hear in VA-11 Hall-A. So even when there are chiptunes, we're branching out quite a bit in both sound fonts and style. Of course, there are a couple of vocal tracks as well. Like the movie, there are universe songs for Sex-Bob-Omb. They have a unrefined roughness to them, which is perfect for a small unprofessional indie band. As for some of my favorite tracks, the aforementioned Yet Another Winter Again; He's You; And They were Roommates; Blame it on the Goose; Big Bad; Bad Guys; Knives & Kim; and God Only Knows. I'm sure that'll change as time goes on. I'm really digging Lucas' flashback music, and Fond Memories, nice parallel between those two. In fact there's quite a few pieces that, in tandem with the animation, do a lot to sell those heartwarming (or wrenching) moments.

Animation.

Oh right, the animation. So, if you read my Castlevania Nocturne review, you know I went on a slight tangent about how I think it's silly that they labeled it an anime despite it being produced and partly animated in goddamn Texas. It was just a label because they're embarrassed to call their super serious animation what it is because they think anime sounds more mature. I swear some people still think it's 1985 and Vampire Hunter D is the wildest shit cause blood.

Funny thing about Scott Pilgrim though, it's just straight-up animated by Science Saru. I'm not here to get into semantics, because then we'll be asking if Batman TAS counts because Sunrise. I just find it funny. At the very least Takes Off certainly fits the bill more than Nocturne does. But back on topic, it's fucking good. I mean, I don't think that comes as any surprise. Science Saru has made a name for doing really impressive work from Devilman Crybaby, to Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, and the shorts Akakiri and T0-B1 for Star Wars Visions. Not to mention supplemental work for the Garo anime, OK-KO, and Adventure Time. So Scott Pilgrim is perfectly in their wheelhouse, and they do an incredible job capturing O'Malley's illustrations while adding their own unique flare to the styling.

Sadly Tumblr's gif size limit means I can't easily showcase some of the fights as much as I'd like, but suffice it to say the level of fluidity and cinematography is astonishing. Again, episode 3 is an amazing showcase in itself.

To say nothing of how expressive everyone is in the show.

Also this is a weird one, but I think with the exception to episodes 5 & 7, each episode has Ramona going through a bleaching and dye routine. It is bizarrely satisfying to watch, like the tea making in Samurai Jack.

Final Thoughts.

Takes Off was both a confusing shock and a pleasant surprise upon first viewing. It's impressive in its existence, and has moments that I fucking love. Like the Shonen it emulates, it does also come off as a tad superfluous or melodramatic in many respects. But it is fun to bust out old toys and play with them again. The fact that in 2023 I'm seeing a new work related to Scott Pilgrim is fucking incredible. I'm happy that this exists, I'm happy to hear the cast together again, and happy to hear some great music tracks. And I do love the characters of Scott Pilgrim, I love the performances in this show, I love numerous parts of this show. But, I also think it's fair to say what I love most aren't these characters. And that's okay. Those characters should remain in the series that ended in 2010, while these are easily malleable versions for an animated series to have fun with. Maybe you could never capture or replicate the exact magic of the books again, so it's better to just do your own thing. Takes Off was, in the end, a fun time that I think works best when you know what you're getting into. Once you're armed with that knowledge, I think you'll find a show much easier to appreciate.

All that said, as backhanded as this is going to seem, I still think the nicest thing that Takes Off did was get me to re-read the book series for this review. I got to re-examine a profound series from the perspective of a 31 year old, but still find all that I originally loved as a 17 year old. When it comes to adaptive works, no matter what, the nice thing is you'll always have the originals to go back to. You change, maybe your tastes change, and certain things hit differently or don't hold up when you go back. But it's nice to revisit. I think nostalgia can be a poison. Too many people get caught up in wanting to relive the exact moment, to be trapped. But I think it's more fun to see something you love still remain a love even after so much time has passed. I'm happy with how I felt as a teenager reading a story about emotional growth. Some personally, some apart, and others closer. In my 30s, I still appreciate that, and it still affects me and resonates. But just because I cherish that above all else doesn't mean I wouldn't be interested in more Scott Pilgrim. And if O'Malley and Grabinski wanna make more people sing 80s anime songs badly, I'll be on board for that alone.

Or Roxie flirting with every woman. Seriously, she's so much fun.

As always, thanks for reading. Reblogs are appreciated and you can find me elsewhere on the worldwideweb at: Bsky Ko-Fi

So does Gideon still have his exes frozen somewhere, or is that another difference?

Oh, and now that we have a Netflix Series, can we get a Nendoroid Ramona? There's been like no high end merch since Mondo in 2017.

#scott pilgrim #scott pilgrim takes off #netflix #bryan lee o'malley #edgar wright #bendavid grabinski #science saru #anime #animated

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bi-bard · 2 years

Text

And All of the Lights will Lead into the Night with Me - Lance Sweets Imagine (Bones)

Title: And All of the Lights will Lead into the Night with Me

Pairing: Lance Sweets X Reader

Word Count: 869 words

Warning(s): none that I can think of

Summary: (Inspired by "All of the Stars" by Ed Sheeran) Lance and (Y/n) knew that they were meant to be together. They just needed to get over the gap that's between them.

Author's Note: Just a short and sweet imagine because this boy deserves it.

-------------------------------

"Hi!"

Lance smiled as soon as he heard (Y/n)'s voice through the computer speaker.

"Hey," he said.

The two of them had started off discussing things on a professional level. Lance had contacted about a paper (Y/n) had written. (Y/n) was more than happy to discuss their research.

After that, the professional relationship turned into a friendship. Then, the friendship turned into something very different.

They would talk whenever possible. They'd spend nights on video chat eating dinner. Sometimes it would be about work that they had done. Other times, they would just ramble about nonsense.

It was lovely. For both of them.

Neither one wanted to be the first to say they had feelings for each other. Despite the obvious signs that they should've been together, the distance made both of them stop. They refused to be a weight to the other, no matter how much they just wanted to blurt out that they had fallen for each other.

On some nights after their calls, both of them would find themselves just sitting in silence. No TV or music or anything. Sitting in silence. Thinking about what they could be. What was truly possible.

"I have exciting news," (Y/n) said while the pair ate dinner one night.

"Oh," Lance asked, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I got a new job," they cheered throwing their arms up in celebration.

"Congratulations," Lance sat up a little straighter. "I'm so proud of you."

(Y/n) grinned and looked down for a moment, trying to ignore their face heating up.

"Thanks," they muttered. "I... I might have a bit of trouble calling over the next few days. This is all very last minute."

"Yeah, that's okay," Lance nodded. "Just keep me updated."

The rest of the night seemed to dance around the subject of (Y/n)'s job. They just fell back into their normal conversation. It wasn't intentional. It kind of just happened.

Not that either one of them would ever complain about it.

--time skip--

"Sweets."

Lance looked up from the work on his desk when he heard Booth speak up. Booth had a smirk on his face. It made Lance a little uneasy.

"Have you met the new shrink on the floor," Booth asked.

"Not yet," Lance replied simply.

He had honestly forgotten that he was going to be working with someone new. He was focused on his work and keeping in contact with (Y/n). The last few days had been quiet between them. (Y/n) had been doing a lot of unpacking and settling in. Lance was very understanding, but he missed calling them already.

"You should go introduce yourself," Booth leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. Lance raised an eyebrow at him. "Just trust me. I think you'll be very interested."

What Booth didn't mention was that he had stopped by their office and found out their name. He had pushed Lance to tell him who was always calling and avoiding nights with the team to call.

"Why," Lance asked.

"Just go," Booth said, pointing behind him. "Now."

Lance held up his hands and stood up. He felt Booth stare him down until he got out of the office and started walking away. He rolled his eyes at the agent's behavior as he did.

The door was open when he got there. He picked up his hand and knocked on the door lightly.

"Hey, I just wanted to introduce... my... self..."

Lance trailed off when the new coworker turned around.

(Y/n).

They had a wide smile on their face, recognizing Lance instantly. When Lance didn't speak at all, (Y/n) shifted on their feet a little bit.

"Lance?"

Lance was still frozen in shock. (Y/n) couldn't help but chuckle a little bit at the wide-eyed look on his face. He seemed to snap back to reality before he ran over and pulled (Y/n) into a tight hug.

(Y/n) let out a laugh and hugged him back, "Hi."

"Hi," he muttered back. "You didn't tell me your next job was at the F.B.I."

"I didn't?"

Lance shook his head.

"I... I could've sworn that I did," (Y/n) muttered, trying to remember when they mentioned it to him. "I... am so sorry."

"It's fine," he said. "Well, now that you're in town... want to go to dinner with me? Proper dinner, not just us sitting on a video call while we eat in our living rooms?"

(Y/n) started smiling again as they nodded, "That sounds really nice."

"Good, good," Lance's face heated up a little.

There was a knock on the doorframe. Booth was leaning into the room slightly.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have a crime scene to look at," he said to Lance.

Lance nodded before looking back at (Y/n), "I'll talk to you later."

"You know where to find me," they replied. As Lance went to leave the room, (Y/n) said his name. He turned around and was stunned when (Y/n) leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Good luck."

As Booth and Lance continue their walk out of the office, (Y/n) could hear the sound of Booth teasing Lance and Lance telling him to shut up.

The move was already proving itself to be worth it.

-------------------------------

Masterlist (Includes links to All Writing Challenges)

What I Write For

Some Original Characters

#bones tv imagine #bones tv fanfiction #bones tv x reader #bones x reader #bones imagine #bones fanfiction #fanfiction #imagine #x reader #lance sweets x reader #lance sweets imagine #lance sweets fanfiction

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yourimagines · 6 months

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Can u do sean strickland x reader where reader is mad at him because hes always grumpy and bad tempered so he starts being really really cheerful and you can complete the rest thank u so much

Yess I will, thank you for your request I hope you like this one

Happiness

* English is not my first language I apologise

* Gif is not mine

* Triggers: swearing, fluff

Y/N POV

I was watching a tv show when Sean come back from the gym. “Hey! How was it at the gym?” He throws his bag down on the ground and sits down in his lounge chair. “Fine.” He pulls back the chair and closes his eyes. “Okay, do you want some cake? I made one this morning.” “No I’m fine.” He said in a monotone voice. I nodded even he couldn’t see me doing that. I looked back at the tv as the people on the tv started to yell. I laughed as one of them got hit in the face. “She crazy.” I said with a laugh to the tv. “What are you even watching?” Sean had his eyes opened and look dead serious. “Temptation island.” He shook his head. “What a bullshit.” He closed his eyes again. “It is but it’s fun tho.” I looked back and laughed when the all started to fight. I heard Sean moving his chair back right up. “Can’t even take a small nap here.” He mumbled and stood up. “Where you going?” “Away from here.” He picked up his bag and walked upstairs, probably to our bedroom. I rolled my eyes and looked back at the tv. “Bye Sean.” I quietly said to myself while grabbing a piece of my home made cake.

I heard Sean walking down the stairs. I was watching a baking video for a chocolate filled cake. He looks at the tv and walks into the kitchen without saying anything. I heard him opening the fridge and grabbing a drink. I heard him closing the fridge and walks into the living room. He sits down in his chair and places his drink on the side table. “What are we watching?” He said with some irritation in his voice. “How to make a cake filled with chocolate.” He nods and grabs his phone, starts to entertain himself on there. “I can put it off if you want.” He shakes his head. “No watch what you want.” “You sure, I don’t mind.” He sighs out loudly. “Woman I don’t care about the stupid shit you watch, just stop bugging me.” He went with his hand over his head, looking irritated at me. I nodded and stopped the video. “You know what Sean, I’m done for now with your attitude. You know it would be so easier to just smile for once at me instead of looking like a dark cloud filled with hate. I’m done with your whole depressing mood.” I stood up and walked away, grabbing my keys and left the house. ‘I can’t deal with his shit right now.’ I stepped into the car and went to the grocery store, ready to get those ingredients for the chocolate cake.

I came back home a hour later and walked in with some groceries. Sean appeared and smiles at me. “Hey baby, let me help you.” I was surprised as he took the bags from me. I followed him into the kitchen. “I see your going for that chocolate cake.” He was acting a bit to much, almost in a mocking way. “Yeah for tomorrow.” “Tomorrow why not tonight. I know you like to bake.” He was unpacking the groceries and putted them away. “Sean what are you doing?” “I’m unpacking the groceries.” “That not what I mean.” I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows. “Are you trying to mock me or something because it looks like it.” He stops and looks at me. “I’m not mocking you, I’m trying to be more cheerful.” “It not working.” He sighs and mumbles something to himself. “Sean, let’s forget about it yeah, just stop doing this because it’s not honestly.” I grabbed the groceries from him and placed them away. He stands there watching me. I moved around the kitchen and he silently leaves.

I was cooking us some pasta for dinner as he joins me the kitchen. I was listening to some music from the 60s. “You look absolutely beautiful.” He said as he wraps his arms around my waist from behind. I giggled as he kissed softly my neck. “Let’s dance.” He said against my shoulder. “Dance?” “Yes darling, dance with me.” He was softly swaying us back and forth. I leaned back against his chest as he hummed along to the song. Both totally enjoying each other’s presence. I looked up at him and he smiles at me. “Let me help you darling.” He moves away and helps me around the kitchen. “Sean you want to taste the sauce?” He nods and joins next to me. “Careful the spoon is hot.” He carefully taste the sauce and teased me a bit by licking the spoon afterwards. “Okay we all ready know what you can do what that tongue.” I took the spoon away from him as he laughs. “Can’t help it baby.” I snorted at his comment and shook my head. “Don’t act innocent here now. You loved it.” “I didn’t disagree with you.” He scoops me up and placed a kiss on my cheek. “Sean, please don’t let me fall.” I grabbed his shoulders firmly. “Darling I would never let you fall.” He carefully placed me back on my two feet. “Thank you.” I kissed his cheek and turned back to the stove. I felt him behind me, softly hugging me. “Do you forgive me darling for me being absolutely an asshole to you.” I pretend to think. “Hmm. Maybe.” I felt him smiling against my shoulder. “Maybe? What can I do to make that maybe a yes.” He placed a trail of kisses on my shoulder. “Don’t be an asshole to me.” “Check.” “And rub my feet while we are watching the next episode of temptation island.” He chuckles against my shoulder. “Then you’re not mad at me anymore?” “Then I’m not mad anymore at you.” I moved the sauce to the pasta. “Okay deal.” I smiled down at the stove. “Okay.” I said back at him. “Can I still help you here in the kitchen?” “Yes, you can grab the plates. The food is ready.”

We both lay down on the sofa. I had my feet laying in his lap while I was looking at the tv. He was rubbing them like he promised. “What a bitch.” He said while looking a the tv. “I know she’s so annoying.” He was secretly invested in the show. “Why are they not punching her.” “They already did that in the last episode.” “Do it again.” I giggled as he made a fake bitch clap in the air. “Like that?” “Yes full force. Smack that smirk of here face.” I giggled at him as he starts to laugh. “Stupidest people of the world are there.” He pointed at the tv. “Yes but it is entertaining tho.” He started to rubbed my feet again. “True, stupid people are always entertaining to watch.” I smiled at him as he smiles back at me. “Do you forgive me.” I nodded and crawled back to him. He reached his arms out and pulls me in. “I do, I’m sorry I was mad at you.. You just killed my whole vibe and stuff.” “I know I’m sorry as well. I’m not so good in this but I try to smile more.” I kissed his lips. “We are in this together.” He pulls me closer and kissed the top of my nose. “We are.” We both heard some yelling on the tv and both looked back at the tv. “She’s getting hit again.” “Move I can’t see.” He slightly pushed me away. I giggled and lay my head against his shoulder. “You like this shit too. Just admit it.” He huffed. “Maybe but it still bullshit tho.” I smiled at the screen. “I knew it.” I said while he rolled his eyes at me. “Just watch the damn show.”

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proton-selfships · 22 days

Note

🎵Music, 🕯️Candle, and 🧵Thread for the s/i ask game!!

Lore and S/I Ask Game

Thank you, Starshine!

🎵 Music: If you/your self-insert had a theme song, what would it be?

youtube

I was gonna flex my music taste and pick "The Noise Inside My Head" by Assemblage 23 for this one, since that one's got similar themes of feeling overwhelmed by your own mind… But this is the theme song for my S/I.

If I can be real for a second while sparing you all the grisly details, I feel like I struggle in silence a lot against my own mind. Really, it's a struggle just to acknowledge how bad it actually is when I feel like I need to punish myself for being lazy and selfish and inhuman since that's how it must look to anyone on the outside looking in… And that's just in real life! My S/I getting overwhelmed by the sensory input from her powers and feeling like even more of a monster because of how much potential they have to hurt people would just make all of that even worse!

But a big takeaway from my arc is that I don't have to be alone. And really, I never was.

And the way the chorus is addressed to "kid" just hits given all the younger familial and platonic F/Os I've collected in this series who are all going through their own shit, too ;;w;;

🎵 Bonus: An extra song that fits you/your self-insert and your F/O!

youtube

I was going to put specific lyrics from this one here, but honestly if I did I'd just be putting down all of them because it fits my perspective of my relationship with Laurel so well! I want to be with her and I'm choosing to be with her! Even if the past still weighs on her, she deserves happiness now and to make her life what she wants it to be with her newfound freedom from the social pressures that threatened to divide us and the lifelong mission that she'd chosen too young! Because I know that's what we both want, and it'll be scary at times and take a while to get there, but we'll walk that road together!

This song's basically the embodiment of my idealistic refusal to give up on Laurel, from the lyrics to the way it sounds! It makes me so emotional to think about askdfjsdkafhsdf ;w;

🕯️ Candle: Do you/your self-insert have a secret? If so, what is it and why do they keep it to themselves? Is it dark and mysterious or something small, yet impactful?

Well, if I told you, then it wouldn't be a secret anymore, would it? ;3

I don't know if I really have any secrets so much as things that I don't talk about in contexts where I don't see a need to or fear it'd make people uncomfortable.

So… Being as vague as possible for the purposes of keeping it suitable to this blog… I end up keeping it a secret for a bit that I secretly enjoyed having been manipulated by Laurel. Not the part where I was complicit in a plan that ended up hurting people, but that feeling of being looked after, and being told what to do and think and being owned by her in some way, was really nice. Plus, it all lined up a little too well with past fictional crushes I've had both in-universe and out LMAO

Laurel and I unpack that later on our own, but it stays between us for obvious reasons given that we're supporting characters in a show aimed at teens, so it wouldn't impact canon at all! (Aside from a throwaway joke or two, since that'll never be off the table in any canon where Gomez and Morticia exist.)

🧵Thread: What would you/your self-insert wear in the source your F/O is from? It can be multiple outfits or just one! Bonus: Do you have a weapon? If so, describe it or show it!

Honestly, just the stuff that I wear in real life since the source is so similar to our world! My go-to is a t-shirt and jeans with sneakers, with a jacket or flannel over it depending on the weather, since it's easy and unobtrusive and having a shirt with cute or cool stuff on it makes me happy! I imagine that'd be a way for the costume designers to slip in a bunch of references to different video games and bands if my S/I were canon.

And the bonus part doesn't apply this time since my S/I never uses a weapon, only her powers. And even then she's not a combatant, she's faculty at a school. A school where a bunch of wild shit happens, so those powers do see a lot of use, but still!

#peyton got mail!#ask game answers #peyton ravenna #laurelton #suggestive #wisemins

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ratherembarrassing · 1 year

Text

2023: week 14

i took the week off work and spent the time alternating between cleaning the explosion of mould in my shower (don't leave your house for the better part of two months, kids) and watching a shitload of tv.

class of '07 (amazon, 2023). i have never once in my life craved representation in fictional narratives, and the experience of watching this show probably explains why. much to unpack. anyway, i find very little in australian popular culture to recommend to the wider world, but this one hits.

grease: rise of the pink ladies (paramount+, 2023). oh boy. the first two episodes dropped the other day and i am still processing to the point where i think i might need to watch them again. it's not like i'm precious about the original, because it's grease 2 that's my very most favourite movie ever made. i have a horse in this race, but it's not the good one! i will say the music is awful, like on a par with the original songs of glee, if you can imagine. it did start to find its feet at the end of the second episode though, and the four leads are infinitely shipable in every combination, so there's that at least.

mae martin's sap (netflix, 2023). i watched because of the post with the caps about printing out buffy the vampire slayer pictures off the internet in the 90s. this was mostly good but watching the final bit flop was rough.

boygenius' the record (2023). i am not immune to the powers of a queer supergroup. this slaps, it's mid 2000s indie rock - a genre of music that should never have gone away.

boygenuis' pitchfork video 'over / under with boygenuis', which honestly made me laugh more than anything has this year. i would die for lucy dacus.

a fucktonne of youtube videos about 3D printing, which lead to a fucktonne of youtube videos about making things in general, and now i'm just obsessed with laura kampf.

potato gems (aka tater tots). they're back, baby! (there has been an extreme potato shortage in australia since the start of the year and it's been impossible to buy frozen potato foods.) when i spotted them in the frozen section at my local woolies i might have woo!'d out loud.

succession, episode 403 (aka tonight's ep). omg.

#this week in ashleigh

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rawliverandcigarettes · 1 year

Note

7, 28, 33 !!!

Thank you for the asks!!

7. What is your deepest joy about writing?

Probably trying to figure out what the images, ideas and characters burrowed inside my skull are really trying to say to me, and finding the correct way to convey that idea once I have figured it out. I love the exploratory phase, but I also love trying to nail it down with specific points, either in story beats or with language. I really love writing, as an artform, for its evocativeness, and the way it's often very participatory since the reader's brain need to put the elements together themselves to get a vivid reaction, and there's kind of a leap of faith in hoping that you put the right elements in to get a meaningful reaction on the other end.

28. Who is the most delightful character you’ve ever written? Why?

I... think the character that gives me the most delightful experience overall, regardless of how delightful she is as a person (and I think she qualifies), is probably Nagatha T'selvi? Unpacking her is a lot of fun, every scene that involves her is so needlessly dramatic that it's instantaneously a good writing time, and I find her mind pretty fascinating. Her prose voice is also pretty energetic and preppy, while being sleeker and more observant than a lot of my other PoVs, so yeah. Every scene that involves her is one I look forward to diving in (there's a reason her chapters were the first I managed to complete while drafting TEoP).

33. Do you practice any other art besides writing? Does that art ever tie into your writing, or is it entirely separate?

So besides video games and narrative design, which seem like a pretty obvious pick, I draw and I used to do music (don't really do that too much anymore), and uhh voice acting tho you would know about all of these!! But I think everything feeds into everything, personally. Lessons learned working with one medium can always help casting another in a new light. Honestly, I believe narrative designers in particular should dabble in many hobbies just to understand how to express ideas with different paintbrushes, and understand what each of them can help with, and/or fall short on depending on how it's used.

Thank you again!

Taken from this!

#asks #writing #personal #nagatha t'selvi #nagatha #the empire of preys #halfway home #narrative design

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misssagustd · 9 months

Text

Unreleased (2)

"Noona, I had concerts in three countries in Asia and you never went to one of them. I told you just email me and I'll send you the QR tickets." Yoongi would not let you off the hook for ditching his offer to watch one of his shows. He's now pulling the noona-dongsaeng card to get you to watch one of the Korea legs of his tour. "Come to the last day! The final final!" This got you confused as fuck. "The last final final?! Jesus Christ, Yoongi, get the name of your tour right." You can tell he was laughing silently by the short gasps of air he was taking. "The announced dates are just two - June 24 and 25. But the other three I'll announce on the 25th. Surprise!" You roll your eyes at his humor. "Noona, you said I'm your bias even if you dated Namjoon! Come on, I promise it will be worth the flight to Korea. Don't you miss us?! The maknaes do - more than Joon!" This concert means so much to your bestest friend in the world, so how can you say no? One of the things you feared you'd lose when you and Joon broke up was your friendship with Yoongi. After all, they've been literally together more than half their lives. Thankfully, Yoongi was the kind of person who can balance friendships no matter how complicated they seemed.

You left Korea a month after you broke up with Joon. Yoongi and the rest of the guys kept in touch, but they were careful not to mention Joon or any of his whereabouts. Yoongi did say that Joon had a complete signed set of his album, Indigo, ready for you, but they were now stuck in Genius Lab because Joon didn't know you'd left for good. "Get your albums when you come here. There's a vinyl, too. The white boxes look so out of place in my studio," he complained. "So when is the final final final?" you ask. "August 6! But stay longer after the concert. I don't have much time to go out between June and August. Hyung's getting married and I've other stuff planned. We miss you, stay with us a bit longer." Hearing Yoongi say that suddenly made you miss them all, too. "Hmmmkay. How about August 1 to 10? Or 12? Two weeks should be enough! I might not have a job waiting for me when I get back." Yoongi was so happy, you can imagine him happy-dancing all over his studio. "See you, noona!!! I'll get the team to send you the QR ticket for August 6. Wooohhhoooo!!!"

It's been three years. Everything felt familiar, yet also new. You were surprised you still knew how to navigate your way around Incheon's arrival area, and even more surprised that you can still carry a decent conversation in Korean with someone who's not Yoongi. Normally you would've just taken the shuttle bus or taxi to your hotel, but Yoongi sent a car for you, which was already waiting at the exit bay. You drive through familiar buildings, streets, malls, and restaurants. On the flight here you were expecting to be flooded by unpleasant memories, but they seemed distant and nonexistent as Korea's rush hour welcomed you back.

Your phone rings. It's Yoongi video-calling you from his studio. "Are you here already?" He asks as he lowers the volume of the music. He was obviously working on something. "Yeah, maybe 15 more minutes to the hotel." He looks at the clock on his desk. "Cool. Jimin's coming off from rehearsal in an hour. You up for dinner with us?" Honestly, you just wanted to sleep because your supposed to be early-morning flight from Manila was pushed back to the afternoon, but dinner sounds good, too. "Your treat?" Yoongi scrunches his nose at your question. "I know you'll say yes if I say yes, so yes."

After checking in and unpacking some of the clothes you brought, you realize you have time to spare so you take a quick shower before heading out to dinner. Yoongi already texted you the name of the restaurant, and the same car that fetched you from the airport will bring you there. Apparently, he hired it for your entire stay here. "So I wouldn't have to think how you'll get back to your hotel in case I can't drive you," he said.

When you got to the restaurant Yoongi and Jimin were already there. You've video-called Yoongi frequently over the years so you already knew what he looks like, but seeing Jimin's built for the first time took you by surprise. "Jimin-ah!!! You've been working out!" He looks up from his phone and gives his signature eye-smile laugh. "Yaaaaaah! So good to see you again, Y/N!" He stands up and gives you a tight hug. "We thought you forgot about us already. Good thing Yoongi-hyung has these concerts otherwise we'd have to find a reason to go to you to Manila." Yoongi motions to the empty seat beside Jimin. "Are we waiting for someone else?" you ask as you take a seat. You catch Yoongi and Jimin exchanging a quick uncomfortable look with each other, then Yoongi looks at you. "Nope, just the three of us."

You catch up mostly with Jimin and how he's been doing since his Billboard feat. Yoongi was silent most of the time that you and Jimin were talking, but you notice him glancing anxiously at his phone several times. "Yoongi, you okay? Are you waiting for someone?" He looks at Jimin again, then the latter shakes his head as if to say, "Give it up, hyung." Yoongi sighs and leans back in his seat. "We asked Joon if he could come and join us - just me and Jimin. But Tae slipped in our group chat that you arrived today, so..." Jimin sighs. "So he hasn't been replying to us for the past two hours." He continues after taking a swig of his beer. "We just thought it was a good idea for him to see you again. He was a mess after your breakup. Wouldn't leave the studio, wouldn't go out with us. It's like he was on auto-pilot, only smiled and talked and socialized when needed at work." "Otherwise, he's dead," Yoongi added.

You wanted to hit Yoongi and Jimin on the head. Of course, Joon would back out the minute he knew you were joining them for dinner. It was not a "good idea" at all to set him up like that with his ex after not seeing her for three years. But you say nothing and just shake your head. "Don't bug him. If he doesn't want to see me, it's okay. He's not what I'm here for, anyway, right?" You raise your glass for a toast and smile widely at Yoongi.

On the ride back to the hotel, you think about how Jimin and Yoongi described Joon post-breakup. This is the first time they've talked about Joon openly - mostly it's about his album or upcoming projects. You can't imagine Joon being a mess because, between you, he's always the composed one. He isn't easily fazed by chaos and would still manage to have time to hear out your problems even if he's got a million things running in his head already. You admired this about him, but he said he only became like that because he was exposed to pressure at a very young age.

Your phone buzzes and a familiar number flashes on the screen. You blink once, twice. The call was about to end when you slide the green icon to accept it.

"Hey." There's no mistaking that deep voice, almost talking in a whisper. "Are you really here?"

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slyboldreynardine · 11 months

Text

get to know the simmer

thank you sm to @olya-occult-lover for tagging me! i'm sorry i've been so unsociable on here, but i really appreciate getting tagged in these games<3333

What’s your favourite sims death?

this is super boring but i love death by electrocution bc once in high school i played this super successful family, super functional, great kids, wonderful parents, and the mom died while trying to fix a dishwasher and it DEVASTATED me. no sims death has affected me that much it was insane.

Alpha or Maxis Match CC?

i would say maxis match but c'mon i think most people like at least a little alpha texture sometimes.

Do you cheat when your sims gain weight?

no it's a bit weird to me.

Do you use move objects?

i do not know how i'd build anything without, my building is bad enough LMAO.

Favorite mod?

besides mccc, healthcare redux, and i haven't used live in business in a while but i love that mod<3

First expansion/game/stuff pack you got?

i think it was city living?? i remember that was the pack my friend recommended bc she loved the festivals and fashion.

Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing?

alive mode!! in my head i go "and we're live!" like i'm directing a sitcom about my little guys.

8. Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made?

hildegard my beloved<3 i'm also extremely fond of my bjergsens, esepcially clara.

Have you made a simself?

yeah i have! idk if i'll ever post it bc Gender Is Not Finished Loading and i keep switching the body frame which we do not have to unpack at all

What sim traits do you give yourself?

perfectionist, music lover, lactose intolerant (i'm not joking)

Which is your favorite EA hair color?

i love the blue-ish shade of black and that sort of brownish blonde!!

Favorite EA hair?

that single braid from cottage living with the strands falling out makes me so happy idk why, i just like the realism of the hair not staying in place lol.

Favorite life stage?

adult! i love getting to add aging details and sending screenshots to my friends and saying "new milf/dilf everyone clap"

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

gameplay and CAS<333 love my virtual dress up dolls and putting them in situations.

Are you a CC creator?

a little bit!! i know the barest basics of recoloring. the most sophisticated thing i've done is remove the clerical collar from a priest's shirt for a ghost-themed render.

Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad?

not a squad per say but i'm so impressed by everything my mutuals post!! hi guys!

What’s your favorite game?

ts3 will always have a special place in my heart, but it's the sims medieval!! i've always loved anything medieval themed and it's one of the few quest-based games i love playing bc you can also just hang out in this kingdom and have fun. playing as a physician is my favorite.

Do you have any sims merch?

nah i actually don't own a lot of merch for anything. i like fan-made stuff a lot more, usually.

Do you have a YouTube for sims?

no but i've considered uploading videos sometimes!

How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing?

it honestly hasn't changed all that much. every once in a while i get super attached to a legacy and i still love townies and preexisting characters. i guess my interest in storytelling has matured a bit, but that's still only like a year old interest.

What’s your Origin ID?

i think it's vonnegutz? don't quote me on the spelling, i also wish i could change it.

Who’s your favorite CC creator?

there's honestly too many to name, but if you make hair and skin detail cc, please know those are the features i agonize over the most and i love integrating those as much as possible! that's where the bulk of my mods folder is!

How long have you had a simblr?

boring answer but i can't remember lmao it's been at least a year but i've been so on and off about it.

How do you edit your pictures?

i'm very much still learning how to edit, i've tackled a lot in blender but i also use photopea. this is a render with photopea overlays/filters.

What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far?

idk if this is still an unpopular opinion but i never get bored with island living! also a big fan of cottage living, vampires, and GET TOGETHER<3

What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next?

we need more music-themed gameplay. bands, orchestras, more instruments in general, etc. i also really want more supernatural gameplay but it'll be bittersweet bc ea will keep fragmenting it and making it cost more instead of the beautiful cohesive pack that was ts3 supernatural.

thank you again for the tag! i'm tagging @plasmajayne @potionio @drakessimblr and @salemssimblr!! no pressure tho!

#speaks #tag game

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pascalishere · 1 year

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Yeah Vulnicura is Bjork’s best album. It honestly tops Homogenic and Vespertine for me. Don’t get me wrong, I think those albums are masterpieces as well. I adore all of her discography minus Debut, Volta, and Fossora for various reasons but.

Holy shit I just love Vulnicura so much. Within the first ten seconds of Stonemilker starting, you know you’re in for a ride. Everything from that track to Atom Dance is Peak Music for me. The emotional depths and production feats that happen within those seven tracks are nothing short of miraculous. The strings, the beats, and Bjork’s voice are all exactly in the perfect place, lining up with each other magnificently. There’s just so much to unpack in each second of the album, it’s incredible.

AND BLACK LAKE. Holy shit that is A Masterpiece. I don’t have any other words. I love the whole song, but I think my favorite moment of Bjork’s discography is when she destroys the icon, and you’re just left with the overpowering beats. IT’S SO GOOD

Mouth Mantra and Quicksand are admittedly a bit weaker than the rest of the album, but I still think they are excellent songs in their own right. The beats on Mouth Mantra are so…is complex the right word? It just feels so chaotic in comparison to the rest of the album, I like it. Quicksand I feel the same way about, and I love the fragile sense of hope pouring out of it, it wraps up the experience very well imo.

Yeah, Vulnicura is That Bitch.

I wanna eventually write video essays for all of her main albums. I’m trying to write about Biophilia rn, but I want to do Vulnicura right after that.

#pascal barks #music #bjork #vulnicura #stonemilker #lionsong #history of touches #black lake #family #notget #atom dance #mouth mantra #quicksand #ART

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moonybadger · 2 years

Photo

Felt like doing this!

Blank template here: https://www.deviantart.com/slevanas/art/About-You-Video-Games-Template-896207231

A few thoughts on my choices under the cut

So I’m not REALLY sure I’d call Undertale my favorite game of all time, but it felt wrong not to include it on here in some capacity. It almost went into best music!

Okami was also in the running for best art style and best boss fight (the clockwork owl fight)

Surprisingly, best protagonist was the hardest pick for me! I wanted to pick someone who wasn’t just a self insert (or even partially a self insert, like the Persona protagonists or Commander Shepard; like to at least some extent those characters are always gonna be at least half headcanon) This is Siffrin from “Start Again Start Again Start Again: A Prologue” game btw. I just think they are a very neat fella, and the multiple dialogue choice options feel more like them exploring different timeline possibilities then the player self inserting into their character.

I know everyone dunks on Solas a lot, but I honestly think he’s a really fascinating and compelling character! We would be here all day if I talked about how how much I enjoy Solas as a secret antagonist, but I LOVE the relationship between him and an Inquisitor who is really good friends with him. Loghain from the first Dragon Age was my second choice for this though

I don’t think I can fully articulate just how much Night In the Woods resonated with me, and was really the only other game I considered for the “favorite game of all time”. Mae was almost my choice for favorite protagonist

I don’t if people really HATE Mass Effect Andromeda, but it’s definitely a divisive game in the community

It’d be a stretch to say I hate Skyrim too, it just really really was not for me

I lied earlier, Persona 5 also almost made it into the “favorite game of all time”, but I do have some nitpicky issues with the story that demote it just a bit

I played SO much Unpacking during my last semester of grad school lmao, it’s very calming

Beginner’s Guide on the other hand, feels like being stuck in a room with two people having a very personal angry argument

I do love Hakuouki, but you gotta admit parts of it are VERY silly

If you count both Rebirth and the original release of Binding of Isaac, I have put about 1200 hours into this game

#bored badgering

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cassandrattpd · 25 days

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ttpd first listen opinions incoming:

fortnight- not what i was expecting at all but somehow exactly right???? like i was expecting poppy, angry, synth, with the signature post dreamy and it IS all of those things to a T but something in the narrative makes it more interesting and compelling. LOVE that she is continuing to be an author inspired by her own life. creating characters inhabited by her emotions.

the tortured poets department - ooooooooohhhhhhh oh no uh oh i was not looking out for this title track at all at it fucking HIT. who's gonna love you like me??? NO FUCKING BODY!!!!!! that's some shit. the bridge 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 about the ring 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 ohhhhh i'minsane im insane I'm snane whomstsg literally right here right now is wearing a ring on their left hand ring finger that is not an engagement ring and is not really anything but a desperate wish LMAO 🙋🙋🙋 TAYLOR I REALLY NEED TO TALK TO YOU

my boy only breaks his favorite toys - ONCE I FIX ME HE'S GONNA MISS ME????????????????????? JAIL JAIL JAIL JAIL this is a fucking bop wrapped in mental illness wrapped in a gnarly relationship dynamic. pack her up, she's coming home with me!! i found the one!!!! i mean it's been a few minutes since i heard it bc i paused and i'm typing this up so i don't remember it exactly but the line about pull my string and i'll tell you how he runs bc he's scared of loved L M A O taylor youuuuu are mean to me specifically and i love you

down bad - naked and alone in a field in my same old town that somehow seems so hollow now they'll say i'm nuts if i talk about the existence of you 😐😐😐😐😐😐😐 but also...is there going to be an alien music video. i'm being so dead serious, with the cosmic love and all the space mentions and beep boop spaceship sounds i deadass think the "naked and alone in a field" is gonna be used as an alien abduction metaphor in a mv ORRRRR i am high OR both! regardless: certified banger ✅

so long, london - .... wow. honestly i need more time to process that. not unexpected at all, but just so impactfully said and i can't remember any of it because every line hit me and knocked the last one out of my head. i need to listen 1000000 more times on repeat.

but daddy i love him - again not at ALL what i expected but oh my god???? i am so in love and so charmed by this song????? like hello country taylor 🥹🥹🥹👢 LOVE that we're flipping the convention of using religion in country songs and instead say um no actually keep your predatory misogynistic institution away from my body thx

fresh out the slammer - wearing invisible rings 😐😐😐😐😐 were they 😐😐 invisible... like 😐😐😐... the.. .😐 invisible string g 😐😐😐😐😐😐😐 this is not the cringe bop akin to vigilante shit i was expecting so i am simply processing.... so much. and like. i just have to say i love this album so much so far i love her

florida!!! - little did you know your home's really just a town you're just a guest in 🥴🥴🥴😵‍💫😵‍💫🥴😵‍💫🥴😭😭😵‍💫🥴 MAAAAAM!!!! I'M UNWELL!!!! IM GOING TO HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS IS A SONG CALLED FLORIDA FUCKING STOP IT SONEOBE STOP THIS WOMAN

guilty as sin? - more exploration of societal perceptions of female sexuality! and virginity! and masturbation! unpacking the religious trauma of christian girlhood!!! literally i am over the fucking moon.

who's afraid of little old me? - 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 THIS IS THE BITCH THIS IS MY NUMBER ONE IM NOT EVEN DONE BUT I CANNOT IMAGINE ANYTHING BETTER THAN WHAT I JUST LISTENED TO I KNOW THERE IS MORE BRAND NEW TAYLOR SWIFT MUSIC BUT I WANT TO LISTEN TO THAT ONE AGAIN RIGHT NOW

i can fix him (no really i can) - ummmmmmmmmm well. i liked some lyrics, i liked some music. i think this one is gonna be a grower lol

loml - fucking.........fuck. the absolute LYRICS in this bitch. my mouth is lit er a ly AGAPE !!!! i yet again need to listen to this one or twenty hundred more times to process, but also loss of my life truthers rise

i can do it with a broken heart - i like most of it! I could do without the "i'm so depressed i act like it's my birthday" part of the chorus even though i relate to it but also i just know it's gonna grow on me. right now tho.......

the smallest man who ever lived - OHHHHHH SHIT not to be that person but joe alwyn literally found DEAD IN A DUMPSTER sucks to suckkkkkk i just!!!!! damn

the alchemy - 😳 she's a rebound song....iiiiiiii - hmmmmm. people who listened to leaks and have thus claimed the good lyric urls i just wanna talk.

clara bow - OH HELL YEAH. OH HELLLL YEAH. The Themes Of It All!!!!!!!!!!! hollywood/the media/culture at large just cyclically preys on young women. THE WORLD just cyclically preys on young women. hollywood is just holding up a mirror to the rest of society!! the rest of society is failing to realize the humanity of the offerings they're served!! PERFECT ALBUM CLOSER

now that i've taken 2.5 hours to do a first listen, a quick first ranking after hearing everything only one and seeing no one else's opinions:

1. who's afraid of little old me?

2. my boy only breaks his favorite toys

3. loml

4. the smallest man who ever lived

5. florida!!!

6. guilty as sin?

7. so long, london

8. clara bow

9. down bad

10. but daddy i love him

11. the tortured poets department

12. i can do it with a broken heart

13. fortnight

14. the alchemy

15. fresh out the slammer

16. i can fix him (no really i can)

#ttpd #leanne.text #very excited to see how this changes and see what you guys think and bow lose my mind with everyone bc this album is AMAZING

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thatshrillsymphony · 10 months

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First Broadway Trip!

I had my first Broadway trip earlier in July and it was really cool! I just want to ramble about it for a bit. So here’s what I saw the 8 days I spent in NYC:

Plays:

Prima Facie (on closing night)

Life of Pi (lottery win)

The Cottage (first preview night)

Grey House

Musicals:

Some Like it Hot

Wicked

Camelot (lottery win)

Little Shop of Horrors

Shucked

Of the 9 shows I saw, I saw two of them twice (Grey House and The Cottage). Going into the trip, I was most excited for Prima Facie, Grey House, and Some like it Hot. At the end of the trip, I’d say my I’d also have to add The Cottage to my list of favorites.

Some of my brief thoughts about each show:

Prima Facie

I actually chose the week of the trip based on how/if Prima Facie dates lined up with me having enough PTO. Luckily, I was just able to make it to the final show the day my plane landed.

Jodie Comer was amazing; the reviews describe her as “Tour de force” and that’s accurate. The play itself deal with the topic of sexual assault in the context of legal processing of it and all that. It was such a powerful performance; I knew I was going to cry but holy shit. I cannot fully stress how phenomenal the everything about it is. Truly grateful to have gotten to experience it.

Grey House

I wanted to see as soon as I heard about it from Sophia Anne Caruso’s instagram. I went into this blind. I knew MatPat posted a theory video about it and there was a subreddit but that was about it. I did get some of the jump-scares spoiled for me just by over hearing people talk about the play right before curtain, but there nothing I could’ve done to avoid those. I just had the misfortune of being in earshot. It was still really eerie and suspenseful and more gore than I expected. Honestly, I wasn’t really sure how I felt about it after seeing it. I decided to see it again (if i was able to get discount tickets) just because there’s so much to unpack there. It ended up working out and I’m glad I did see it again. I decided I really liked it. It’s definitely not for everyone and is the most unique production I’ve seen.

The Cottage

I saw this because I saw Elizabeth Teeter post about it in support of Dana Steingold. I also saw it was opening the week I was there and I thought it would be neat to be able to see a show on its first preview.

This was the funniest thing I’ve seen. I loved it, so much that I saw it twice. I’d see it on official opening night and closing night if I could. Side note, The Hayes Theatre also had the nicest bathrooms lol.

Life of Pi

I didn’t actually have this play on my radar. I just had a night were I didn’t have anything plan and decided to enter more raffles and see what happened. I ended up winning. I’m glad I went. I was blown away by the puppeteers.

Some Like it Hot

I started listening to the soundtrack because my friend mentioned that this old movie that they watched with their dad was being made into a musical. I loved the soundtrack so much. I wanted to see it so badly and couldn’t want for the tour to (hopefully) come to my city. Since I’d be in NYC, I knew I would be seeing this show. There was actually the understudy for Sugar that night and she was so good! The musical was everything I wanted and more. No complaints just phenomenal. It’s fun and funny. The set design is so cool and I love the train car scene so much. I’d see this again in a heartbeat. I’m excited to see how the crew/creatives are able to modify the set design to something functional for touring.

Camelot

I got an instagram for this and Phillipa Soo was in it, so I’m like I gotta try and see it. But, I wasn’t hell bent on seeing it. I actually won lottery tickets; the seats were sooo good. I love Phillipa Soo. Beyond happy that I got to see her.

Little Shop of Horrors

Honestly I got tickets to this because a friend of mine liked it. I’d seen the movie musical a couple years ago and enjoyed it; but I didn’t love it. Seeing it live was really cool! Joy Woods as Audrey; amazing! I got to talk to the puppeteers for Audrey II at Stage door for a bit and they were really nice. The puppets for Audrey II were all really cool. Tbh I want a plushie of the little Audrey II (like Act I).

Shucked

I knew it was about corn and it was a comedy. I got tickets from the TKTS booth because I wanted something chill and thought why not. After seeing the musical, I must say it’s corny and a little horny. It’s just a fun silly musical about corn and marriage and rocks.

Wicked

My friend was obsessed with this musical when we were in middle school. So, it just made me think of her. I really enjoyed the set design and all the effects and costumes and the performers were really good! I just was really baffled by the plot/pacing among other things. Nessa’s character deserved better.

I have a lot™ of thoughts about some of these shows, that probably warrant their own post so I’ll probably do that.

#textpost.mine #broadway trip #long post #these are just my personal thoughts #you can tell which shows i went into with no thoughts just vibes #that being said the vibes were good

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