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anthurak · 8 months

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Funny thing I’ve recently realized: With just two minor changes in events, you could negate basically ALL of the major arcs/conflicts in Adventure Time post-Islands.

First, Finn doesn’t accidentally stab the Finn Sword with the Grass Sword during his fight with Bandit Princess in I Am a Sword.

Second, Patience St. Pim doesn’t walk in on Ice King and Betty while they’re hanging that we see in the flashbacks of Bespoken For.

The first point is pretty easily to explain. No Finn stabbing the Finn Sword means no grass demon corrupting and merging with the Finn Sword to create Fern. So everything with Fern just goes ‘poof’.

The second point on the other hand is a bit more complicated: To start, Patience not meeting Betty means she doesn’t get the idea to use her as a magic super-battery for her Element Awakening spell. Which in turn almost certainly means NO Elemental Apocalypse. Of course, the Elements Mini-series probably still happens in some form. Patience seems quite adept at making problems for everyone else. But it most likely ends up being not nearly as bad as what we see in the show.

So no Elemental Apocalypse likely means our heroes don’t have to hit the LSP-powered elemental-reset button. And that means Punchbowl, Crunchie and Manfred AREN’T reverted to their original forms. Meaning NO Uncle Gumbald and no Gumbaldia arc.

And then we have BETTY to consider. Because looking back at Bespoken For it seems that Betty was just about ready to actually try LETTING GO of her obsession with ‘fixing’ Simon. To finally ‘take him as he is’ as Tiny Manticore suggested. Instead however, Betty ends up getting frozen by Patience and used as an Elemental super-battery, which leads to her getting access to the Enchiridion thanks to Finn, which in turn gives her the idea to try and rewrite history. The failure of which sends her to Mars and puts her in contact with Normal/King Man, which in turn led to her getting the idea to summon GOLB.

Meaning that no Betty getting frozen by Patience means no GOLB, no GOLBetty, and no Ice King being reverted back to Simon. Also, no Gunter becoming Ice Thing either. Instead, we could very well see a Betty who tries to accept Simon as he is now, much like what we see with Marceline.

To really break this down, looking at episodes following a version of I Am a Sword where Finn avoids stabbing the Finn Sword and retrieves it from Bandit Princess, leading up to the Islands arc; most everything plays out basically the same, save for events directly dealing with the fallout of the original I Am a Sword, ie; the episodes The Music Hole and Two Swords which simply have no reason to exist. Though speaking of Two Swords, I do think the events of its preceding and succeeding episodes Reboot and Do No Harm NOT related to Fern play out mostly the same. As in, Finn’s grass-prosthetic still lashes out at a berserking Susan to protect him, though without the Grass Demon seizing remote control over the prosthetic, perhaps Finn is able to avoid hurting Susan quite as bad. Regardless, I imagine Finn’s grass arm does go somewhat out of his control and Susan still gets hurt, which means Finn’s time in Do No Harm can play out unchanged.

As for the Islands arc itself, I can’t imagine Finn having the Finn Sword and Grass arm changes things too much. Save maybe Finn having to convince his mom to not immediately remove his weird magic arm when they reunite. Though considering that part of the big resolution of the arc was Finn convincing Minerva and the rest of the humans that the weird magic/mutant shit of the outside world WASN’T something to be afraid of, I imagine this doesn’t change anything in the long run. It might lead to an interesting situation where Minerva tries to forcefully remove the Grass arm, leading it to lash out at her, which in turn leads to Finn making his mom see that his arm is not inherently aggressive but simply trying to protect him, again trying into the original resolution of the arc.

Now trying to envision a full version of the Elements arc where Patience doesn’t use Betty as her magic super-battery is WAY more than I’m prepared to do for this post. Like at that point I’m just writing a full blown fanfic. So for the sake of argument, I’m just going to be assuming three main points: No Elemental Apocalypse, no Betty trying to hijack the Enchiridion to try and change the past, and no need for the LSP-powered elemental reset-button. Heck, maybe whatever shit Patience stirs up in this version gets resolved before Finn, Jake and BMO even get back to Ooo.

Now one wildcard in all this regards Jake getting reverted to his ‘true’ half-alien form in the aftermath of the Elements arc. On the one hand, this may not happen at all in this version of events, especially if they play out before Finn, Jake and BMO return from the Islands. On the other hand if Finn and Jake are around to participate in this version of Elements, even if there isn’t a full-blown Elemental Apocalypse perhaps Jake still winds up afflicted with some form of elemental contamination. And when said contamination is reverted, this brings out his alien nature just like what happened in the series proper.

So in the latter scenario, the events of Abstract play out unchanged. In the former, they don’t play out at all.

Going into the final four episodes of season 8, the events of Ketchup, Fionna and Cake and Fionna and Whispers play out basically unchanged, save for some of Marceline’s recapping in Ketchup. Whispers is notable here because despite Fern featuring heavily in that episode, it’s worth remembering that he wasn’t able to actually DO much of anything against the Lich Hand. Finn was the one to chase the hand to its lair, while Sweet Pea was the one to battle and defeat it. Fern basically being useless was the point, as it led him further into turning on Finn. So Fern’s absence doesn’t really change the events of that episode.

Now however, things start getting really interesting. As with the setup we’ve made so far of ‘Finn not stabbing the Finn Sword’, ‘No Mass-Elemental Reset by LSP’ and ‘Betty not obsessively chasing a way to fix Simon’, we potentially have only TWO of the remaining fourteen episodes able to play out unchanged. With just two or three others potentially having at least minor changes, a further three or four having MAJOR changes, and a potential SIX episode simply not happening at all.

Because with these three simple changes, we have No Fern, No Uncle Gumbald (and friends) and No Betty trying to summon GOLB. Plus potentially one other thing…

Without Fern or Uncle Gumbald being a thing, Three Buckets and Wild Hunt straight up DON’T happen. No Gumbald also means the second half of Always BMO Closing just can’t happen.

Son of Rap Bear plays out unchanged, and ironically Bonnibel Bubblegum can potentially play out mostly unchanged, with Bonnie still having a reason to explain her backstory to Finn and Jake (I personally like to think Marcy already knew :D). The only change being that Bonnie doesn’t get some dramatic realization that her Uncle has returned at the end.

Speaking of which, no Fern and no Gumbald means the major conflict of Seventeen just doesn’t happen and Finn’s seventeenth birthday party goes off without a hitch. Or at least, without a Green-Knight-and-Gumbald-and-co. hitch. You never know what other shenanigans might happen XD

Ring of Fire is the other episode that can play out completely unchanged by our alterations. Meanwhile, no Gumbald means no Chicle/Crunchy to cause trouble at Marcy’s concert at the end of Marcy and Hunson.

Now The First Investigation can play out MOSTLY unchanged, but this is also where that ‘one other thing’ I alluded to earlier comes into play. Because if Jake doesn’t get afflicted with elemental contamination and in turn draws out his alien physiology, that could potentially lead to Warran Ampersand NOT seeking him out and taking Jake to space at the end of TFI.

Now Jake potentially not being off-planet means Blenanas can potentially play out unchanged (Jake is simply off doing something else leading to Finn hanging out with Ice King), with major changes (Jake goes with Finn and Ice King), or just no happen at all (Finn and Jake are just doing something else).

Of course Jake not being taken off-planet by his evil alien dad means Jake the Starchild and Temple of Mars simply DON’T happen at all. If he is, then the former episode likely plays out unchanged while the latter still undergoes major changes, simply because in this version of events, Betty isn’t on Mars with King Man.

Now we come to the last two episodes of the series, which in this version of events simply CAN’T HAPPEN. No Uncle Gumbald means no Gumbaldia.

And with no Fern, no Gumbald and no Betty obsessed with ‘fixing’ Simon, literally ALL of the conflicts of Come Along With Me simply do not exist. No war with Gumbaldia, no big conflict between Finn and Finn-that-got-possessed-by-a-grass-demon, and no Betty summoning GOLB, no GOLBetty and no Simon being fully separated from the crown.

Now of course, all this isn’t to say everything would be all fine/dandy/boring for our characters and there won’t be anything of interest or conflict in this time. Just that it would be something completely different than what we see in the series proper. In particular, this series of events has Betty not only actually hanging out with Simon/IK, but even gradually integrating herself into the main cast of characters, which certainly would create all kinds of interesting situations (Betty having an actual conversation with Marceline anyone?).

Rather, I thought this would be a fun little thought experiment on how just a couple changes could have massive effects on late-series Adventure Time.

#adventure time #adventure time ramblings #adventure time au #rambling about the butterfly effect in adventure time #finn mertens #finn the human #fern the human #jake the dog #betty grof #patience st pim #uncle gumbald #how to make almost all of adventure time season 9 not happen with two simple changes

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punderfulowl · 3 years

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Top 10 Anime (That I've Seen) in 2020

Well now, it has certainly been awhile. I'm currently sitting at eight months too late for posting this, but, y'know, something something life happens. More accurately, I already made this list, but wanted to try out what response I'd get from Reddit. Turns out, they're not as cool as you guys!

Anyways, as the title states, this is not a list of my favorite anime that came out during 2020, but instead my favorite anime that I just so happen to see during that year. While it's fun to have an end of the year retrospective, I find that having a list in this format not only adds variety, but also helps bring attention to anime that might have been lost in the shuffle in previous years (I also don't have enough time to stay caught up in seasonal releases).

Honorable mentions:

Aggretsuko S3, My Hero Academia S4, Today's Menu For the Emiya Family, Interspecies Reviewers (yes, really), and I Couldn't Become a Hero So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job

10. Maid-Sama (2010)

In hindsight, I find it a bit funny that I wanted to watch something wholesome to kick off 2020. Anyway, Maid-Sama is about a high school girl that is also a no nonsense Class President and she kind of has to be at a school where, until recently, was an all boys school. While she kills it in academics and is good at shutting down any shenanigans from the male student body, her financial situation isn't the greatest and has to balance a job at a maid cafe along with her school-related responsibilities. She does her best to hide her employment there to keep up appearances, but is one day found out by one of the boys who happens to be a big flirt and, yeah, hijinks ensue. While this anime doesn't have too many surprises, our main leads bounce off each other well enough to keep me entertained. Nothing I haven't seen already in other anime Rom-Coms, but I think it has more than earned its place at the start of this list.

9. Haganai NEXT (2013)

It's a personal rule of mine when making these lists that I don't include sequels of shows that were in previous lists. While I DID see the first season of Haganai a couple of years ago, it didn't quite make it into the top ten at that time. Because of that, it meets the criteria for this year's list. While I found the characters were just as charming here as I did during the first season, the development of their relationships really took off. It's a shame that it will most likely not get a third season, but I'm happy with what ride this show gave me. But hey! At least I can read the light novels/manga to continue the story! Wait, nevermind, the Haganai fans on Reddit are saying that's a bad idea.

8. Engaged to the Unidentified (2014)

Based off of a Four Panel joke manga, Engaged to the Unidentified tells the story of a girl in high school suddenly getting some life changing news. As it turns out, her grandfather made an arranged engagement with her and the son of a family he knew. Next thing she knows, the boy in question, as well as his little sister, moves into her family's house! While the boy is unassuming at first, there may be more to him and his family than he lets on. Plain and simple, this anime has charmed me. There's a decent amount of drama and mystery despite the source material and I applaud it! Even though this also doesn't have much new to offer, even to the point where I would compare this to Maid-Sama, what made me pick this at the 8th spot were the color choices and animation quality. Give this a shot if you can!

7. Grimoire of Zero (2017)

It's a fantasy/adventure story starring a loli sorcerer and a huge, anthropomorphic white tiger man. I honestly can't say anything else. I won't be able to do it justice. That first sentence should intrigue you a lease a little bit. Read it, again. Please check it out. It's an underrated gem that no one is talking about.

6. ID: Invaded (2020)

Hey, here's something recent! Unfortunately, this is also not something I can say much about. There may not be too many deep characters and the secret bad guy isn't hard to figure out, but BOY is this anime cool! The best way to describe this series is that it's like the movie Inception, but instead of brain heists, it's brain murder mysteries.

5. Carole and Tuesday (2019)

A runaway rich girl has a fated meeting with an orphan and they decide to make music together...oh, this also takes place Mars. Joking aside, this show was something special with its music (a new song almost every episode no less), interesting setting (freaking Mars, dude), and endearing main cast. Shoot, the music itself would be top 3, maybe number 1, but what bogs it down is the show's second half. I can easily see myself watching this again someday, and maybe my opinion will lighten up, but for now, 5 is a dang good spot.

4. Fate/Grand Order: Absolute Demonic Front - Babylonia (2019)

Part of me hesitates placing this high up on list due to this show being animated, fan service spectacle for Fate fans. However, that hesitation is overshadowed by the fact that I am a Fate fan myself and I can do whatever I want with this list. Even if you're not a Fate fan or play FGO, if you enjoy some solid fight animation, this is worth a look.

3. K-On S1 (2009)

I'll admit it, I might regret not watching the second season then putting the series on the list as a whole, but this how I've been doing these lists and I'm such a creature of habit. There's not much I can say about K-On that hasn't already been said. By itself it's an anime classic and one of Kyo-ani's biggest properties. It's a sweet and wholesome watch, but be sure to have some insulin within reach.

2. Princess Principal (2017)

Imagine you're working with a team of programmers trying to make a mobile game then all of a sudden someone asks to make a show out of it. You know, a show with different character motivations, plot, twist and turns and all that? Most might say that's just a shameless, shallow cash grab, but it turns out okay for Princess Principal. Sure, most might summarize this anime as, "cute girls doing espionage things," but with its cast, visuals, and interesting alternative timeline, it works! Apparently there's a new season or movie in the works and I am all for it!

1. Beastars (2019)

I was not expecting this to be number one, but with much deliberation (with myself obviously) this feels right. It tells a pretty unique story while showing itself to be the exception to the rule when it comes to 3D anime.....it being that it's actually good. While I acknowledge that shows like K-On are classics and deserves to be number one on many different lists, it didn't line up with my personal criteria like Beastars did. My biggest deciding factor is: Now that I've watched this, do I want more? It's true that while I'm excited to start K-On S2, Beastars intrigues me more and ever since season two was announced, I'm looking forward to that more.

Sorry again for this list being so late, but at least the silver lining is that the next end of the year list is about four months away (in theory)!

#anime #k-on #beastars #princess principal #fate grand order #carole and tuesday #id invaded #grimoire of zero #engaged to the unidentified #haganai #maid sama

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fluffymcu · 4 years

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Letting Loose

Part TWO

This series is TICKLE related. Outfits that are linked here are purely for picturing the clothes, you don’t have to look like the model.

Series Summary: You’re the little sister of the one and only Captain America. You’re also the youngest girl on the team, so that automatically makes you the avengers’ little princess. And they spoil you as such. They have become your amazing family and you don’t know where you’d be without them. This series will show random adventures and fluffy events in the daily life of the reader and her family, along with an unexpected turn later on as you read.

A/N: I’m so excited to be writing this series! This is my first time writing one and I’m a bit nervous but I hope it all goes well. :) The first few chapters will be about random events, not really following a timeline until Chapter 9. Hope you enjoy!

Word count: 2,462

Previous Next

____

You were really feeling the comfort of sleep right now. It was perfect. Your sheets were so comfortably warm and your blinds were shut to the max, keeping the lighting in your room dark. Your muscles were so relaxed and your body felt heavy, weighing you down to the bed at the perf-

“Wake up!” Peter said, painfully energetic that morning as he strolled through your room. You groaned loudly for a dramatic amount of time to make sure he knew you were annoyed. Peter disappeared into your closet for a few minutes before coming out with a simple outfit for school. “Come on, y/n/n, get up. I brought you some clothes, get dressed.” He said, tossing your clothes on the bed. You whined and hugged your pillow.

“Five more minutes. I promise I’ll get up.” You mumbled.

“Nope!” He quipped, grabbing you under your arms and dragging you out of your bed. You groaned loudly again, desperately grabbing your sheets, the mattress, the headboard, anything to keep you on the bed. “Empty promises. I’ve heard em’ all before.” Once he got you off the bed, you stood up with a sigh and grabbed the clothes off the bed and went to the bathroom to get dressed while Peter patiently waited for you on your bed.

Today you had a class with Peter. You were sitting in front of him and trying so hard to pay attention but the class was just so boring. Half the class was literally asleep and the other half already closing their eyes. You sighed, feeling bored. A few moments later you heard Peter sigh and shuffle around in his chair.

Your teacher had started to explain some interesting stuff now, so it was able to keep your attention for a bit longer. You were writing down some notes on your pad when you felt fingers ghosting over your side. You silently flinched, thinking it was just your nerves, since you were sleepy. But then it happened again, this time it was a squeeze. You sat up straight and quickly turned to look behind you. Peter was laying his head on his arm, his arm stretched out and resting right next to your side. He had a little smirk on his face and you dulled your eyes at him. “Don’t” You mouthed, turning back to face the teacher.

Not even a few moments later, Peter began to trace patterns on your side again. You flinched, biting your lips to contain a squeak. Peter’s smirk widened and he stopped for a few minutes before starting again, this time he was trying to get a laugh out of you. He dug his fingers into your sides, creeping up to your sensitive ribs. You yelped, accidentally hitting your knee under the table and making a sort of loud noise compared to the silence in the room. The teacher didn’t seem to notice as she continued on with her lesson. Thankfully, half the class was asleep and didn’t pay attention to you. You turned back around, giving Peter a death glare. He only shrugged and smiled innocently at you.

With a huff, you turned around and scooted up in your seat, only half of your butt on the seat. Peter smirked, as he was still able to reach pretty good. He waited a moment before using both hands to tase your ribs for just a second. This caught you off guard as you couldn’t contain the squeal that left your mouth. Peter instantly bowed his head, pretending to be writing something down and you did the same, resting your head on your hand. A few students woke up to the noise and after a minute of Ms. Jones looking around the room, the class continued. Your cheeks burned and you scooted up in your seat as much as possible. You were basically at the edge of your seat. If you scoot up anymore, you’d be completely off the chair. Peter was snickering to himself and you closed your eyes in frustration. First he wakes you up, now this. He’s close to getting a smack on the head.

Soon you felt Peter’s finger hook on the belt loop of your jeans, pulling you backward to sit on the chair better. You turn to look at him once again and he raises his hands in defense. “I’m not gonna do it anymore. Promise.” You turn back around and relax a bit. Peter left you alone for the rest of the lesson and when the bell rang, you packed up your bag and turned to face Peter with your most annoyed face. Well, tried. You could never stay mad at Peter, especially when he’d have that guilty yet cheeky look on his face. You felt yourself smile and you bit your lip to hide it. Peter just started to giggle at your inability to keep a straight face.

“You could have gotten me in trouble, Peter.” You sighed.

“I was bored! And so were you, I could tell.” Peter chuckled.

“That’s your excuse?” You scoffed, walking along side of him out into the hall. Peter shrugged sheepishly, and rolled your eyes and shook your head. “Whatever, let’s go home.”

----

You and Peter walked into the compound, giggling at another horrible physics pun Peter said. Surprisingly, no one was in the living room. Peter went upstairs to take a shower and you made your way to one of the hallways before bumping into Tony. You jumped a little and giggled when you saw it was him. “Hey Trouble, how was school?” Tony smirked, pulling you into a side hug. You smiled and hugged him back, following him to the kitchen.

“It was okay. A little boring though. Oh, and I’m just gonna snitch on him now, Peter almost got me in trouble today. Just cause he was ‘bored’.” You raised your eyebrows. Tony chuckled and shook his head.

“You just looove to snitch on him, don’t you?” He smirked, laughing a bit when you nodded proudly.

“Where is everyone? We didn’t see anyone in the living room when we came home.” You hummed, looking around. Tony started to prepare the food for dinner and the cheese out of the refrigerator.

“They’re all down in the gym. You know Tuesdays are their gym days.” He said nonchalantly.

“Oh yeah!” You said, forgetting it was Tuesday. You hopped off the stool and went around the island to help Tony cook. You were making burgers, flipping the patties gently, and cooking a vegan patty for Wanda on a separate pan. Little by little you saw bits of the team come out of the gym and greet you while passing by, heading up to shower. By the time everyone was showered and downstairs, dinner was ready. You were excited for Wanda to have her burger since you cooked it yourself and made sure to season it well so it could taste just like a meat burger.

You all sat down at the table and ate, Thor and Clint having an eating competition with the burgers. Obviously Thor won. Wanda took her first bite and you saw her eyes widen and look at you. “Wow, y/n, this tastes amazing! It’s seasoned so well! Tastes just like I remember meat to taste like.” She smiled. You grinned widely and felt really good about yourself. Proud.

“Thanks, I’m glad you like it.” You said, digging into your own burger.

“I love it!”

----

After dinner, you were all downstairs cleaning up the kitchen. It was quiet so Clint spoke up, making everyone chuckle.

“What is this, a death sentence? Put some music on while we’re here.”

You quickly perked up at the perfect opportunity to flaunt your “amazing” singing skills to the team like you always liked to do. “Oh! How about live music?” You pulled a smug grin, wiggling your eyebrows at the team. They instantly started protesting, only encouraging you more.

“Nooo no no no no. No live music I think we’re good, thanks.” The team said, waving their hands to make an X shape. You grinned ear to ear as you hopped on the counter.

“LIVE MUSIC IT IS, THEN! Let me grace you all with my amazing voice.” You cheered, grabbing a spatula and using it as a mic. Everyone started to groan and clean the kitchen faster. You started to sing the same song you sing to them every time, knowing that it’s the exact song they hate so much.

“Tell me somethin’ girl...” You started, everyone began to audibly groan and cover their faces, feigning frustration. You didn’t exactly have an angelic voice so to say, but that never stopped you from serenading them. They secretly loved it though.

.....

“I’M OFF THE DEEP EEEND, WATCH AS I DIVE IIIN. I’LL NEVER LEAVE THE GROUND!!” You sing loudly, your voice cracking and a bit off key. The team covering their ears dramatically to tease you, but it didn’t phase you. Peter was cracking up, being the only one actually boosting you up.

You finished your song, taking a bow. Everyone started booing you, and you put your hand on your heart and doing the wave with your hand. “Thank you! thank you! Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!” You said, making everyone else chuckle, going back to work to finish cleaning the kitchen.

----

Since Bucky wasn’t downstairs for dinner, you ran up to his room and walked in. He was on his bed, reading a book. When you came in, he looked up to see you and smiled sweetly. “Hey Princess!” You smiled and walked over to his bed.

“You weren’t downstairs. You missed dinner. I helped Tony make burgers.” You say, crawling onto bed with him, letting him engulf you in a hug.

“I know, I wasn’t hungry. Although I would have eaten if I had known you made it.” He said with a lopsided grin. You smiled and hid your face in his chest. “How was school?”

“Good.” You sighed, already getting tired with all the warmth his body was radiating.

“Did you behave?” He teased, smirking a bit. You rolled your eyes playfully and scoffed.

“Of course I behaved, Buck. I’m not a baby.” You chuckled. You were startled a bit when Bucky sat up abruptly.

“What?!?!” He yelped, feigning shock as he wrapped his arms around your frame securely. “What do you mean, you’re not a baby? Of course you’re a baby. You’re my baby!” He teased as he started to tickle you, rubbing his beard up and down your neck. You instantly broke out into giggles and and tried to push yourself away from him with no avail.

“Nohohohoooo! I’m nohohohot a bahahaby!” You whined in a fit of uncontrollable giggles. He started to poke and prod his fingers in your sides, causing your laughter to become more bubbly and desperate.

“Yes you are. Admit it.” He moved his head a bit to blow a raspberry right under your jaw. You spluttered, almost choking on your spit as you squealed, begging him to stop. He still had a tight grip on you but somehow he was able to lay you down and still keep you pinned, digging his thums into your hipbones.

“NOHOhhohoHOHOOO! Okahahahay! OhohoHOHOKAY! I ADMIT IT!” You squeaked. Bucky shook his head teasingly, signaling that it wasn’t enough.

“Say it then, Y/n.” He smirked, picking up the pace in scribbling his fingers into your belly. You arched your back before taking a deep breath.

“Ihihim a bahahaby!” You yelled, feeling your cheeks heat up. Bucky chuckled and nuzzled his beard in your neck again.

“Who’s baby?” He sure was enjoying teasing you to death. You felt your cheeks flush even more, if that was possible. The feeling on another raspberry forcing it out of you.

“YOHOHOUR BAHAHABY!” You giggled, panting when he chuckled and stopped tickling you, holding you close.

“That’s right. Don’t you forget it.” He said seriously, poking your side for good measure. You smiled and sighed, exhausted. The energy was really taken out of you with all the boring clases, cooking, and torture from Bucky. Yo felt your eyes slowly droop until you drifted off, not even noticing that you fell asleep. Bucky smiled, kissing your forehead and deciding to get some sleep too.

——

You woke up a few hours later, and Bucky was still holding you in a hug, and he was fast asleep as well. You looked over at his nightstand to look at the time. 11:06pm. You mentally groaned, because you knew you had school tomorrow and now you probably wouldn’t be able to sleep since you just woke up. But at the same time, you were feeling a bit tired so you didn’t worry about it too much. You gently wiggled out of Bucky’s grip, waking him up a bit. He opened his eyes a bit and hummed, letting you go and smiling. You smiled and bid him Goodnight, kissing him on the cheek before you left his room.

You heard noise from downstairs so you went to check it out and saw that Steve, Nat and Sam were watching a late movie. You smiled and hopped on the couch in the middle of Steve and Nat, cuddling up to her and she wrapped an arm around you. “I thought you went to bed.” She hummed. Steve turned to look at you.

“I took a nap with Bucky.” You smiled. Nat chuckled and squeezed you close.

“You looove your Bucky Bear, don’t ya?” She smirked. You nodded proudly with a smile. You all turned your attention to the tv, occasionally snickering at Sam’s snores. He was passed out on the other couch, his head dangling fork the edge.

With the soft sound of the tv playing and the comfort of Natasha holding you, you fell right back asleep, the rumble of your quiet snore grabbing Steve’s attention. He smiles fondly before gently and slowly picking you up and taking you to your room. You actually wake up a few seconds before he picks you up, but you pretend to still be sleeping because you’re not gonna turn down an opportunity to be carried to bed.

Once he reaches your room, he gently places you on your bed, and stands up straight to look at you with a smirk. “I know you’re awake.” He deadpans, poking your belly repeatedly to get you to break. You snort before letting out a stream of giggles. “Yeheheah.” Steve chuckles as he nods his head, grabbing your sheets and tucking you in. You smile and get comfortable in your bed. “Goodnight, Buttercup.” He quips, kissing your forehead and leaving your room. You bid him goodnight and quickly fall back asleep, feeling well rested for the next day.

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supercharmed-forever-mine · 3 years

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On the rating of 10, how do you rate the writing of each legacies characters, why and who deserves better? What aspects should be improved?

I updated some of the opinion for clarity and also added Finch because I forgot her originally

I'll just make a list and go down it and I'm sorry in advance I love responding but I'm horrible at grammar/punctuation and also I might tend to ramble but I'll try to be as concise as possible. It should also be noted anything I state that might possibly relate to ships is a personal opinion and I have nothing against any ships/characters gay or straight/Good or Evil. However would it be said that I definitely mean more towards the gay/Badass with a Golden heart side of shipping with any fandom.

Hope Mikaelson- As of now I would rate her writing at about a 6. And I only say that because as we know a majority of her characters personality slightly has always but this season especially related to her relationship with Landon. And I wish we would see the Badass Tribrid Hope we've been promised since season 1 I mean sure there are no lack of examples of her bravery and martyrdom. But I am tired of her always feeling down on herself and like she's a cosmic mistake when it has literally been proven by Lizzie's wish in season 1 that their life would be infinitely shittier without her. What they can do to improve it is have her focus on friendship and herself instead of trying to always focus on Landon. She deserves more than just to be a boy obsessed character I mean she's the daughter of Klaus F****** Mikaelson for Pete sakes she literally descends from the most powerful supernatural family ever to exist and is rightfully the most powerful being on the f****** planet.

Note: I found Handon's relationship cutesy in season 1 but now not so much especially since they use him dying as a plot line way too often it just doesn't have the same effect that used to***

Josie Saltzman-As of now I would rate her writing at about an 8. I like how her character at least for a while had her own storyline going off the mystic falls High School plotline and how she lived with delena because it was a good call back for us TVD fans but I think it could have definitely lasted longer than a few episodes. We all know it was just used as a lot device to introduce Ethan as a series regular and as an introduction for her to Finch's character. But overall I feel throughout the seasons she has experienced at least some personal growth as exhibited even in 3x15 where she admitted she has to stop saying sorry especially to Lizzie for not always jumping to do what she needs / she wants all the time. Whereas before Android AU version aside because she literally had to do what she was programmed to do. She has an exhibited that she's starting to do what she needs to do for Josie before others most of the time or she's trying to. And as far as her relationship to Finch well I don't see them being endgame I have no problem with them and I do see Finch being one of her major loves of the series that teaches her whatever lesson she needs that leads her to whoever her endgame love is. With her relationships I will always miss Posie and I wish they could get Lulu back at least just for one episode. Also I feel these last two episodes of the girls being a trio they have a really Been serving Hosie with the looks but also I feel like in general Josie and Hope have been really in f****** tune. In conclusion I just don't know because Kaylee's acting skills and just turning general I would rate a billion she could choke me and I would literally thank her.

Lizzie Saltzman-as of now I would rate her at about a 7. I feel as if she has had great personal growth over the series and hell even this season. I also like hell despite everything in her life especially her eternal struggle with her mental illness she is always trying to do better and not just for herself but mainly for others and some people would say that's not good but I like it because it truly shows what she stated in 1x03 during the gargoyle incident that she never wants to be the bad or evil one. She has all this s*** thrown at her being called broken, being seen as the lesser than sister, and not to mention the absentee parents. Yet through all this she manages to only get stronger especially once she builds a genuine friendship with hope. However what I will say is that I don't like the regression of her friendship with Hope in correlation to her progress of especially her mental illness. And what I mean by that is it's almost been shown that once she had even the seeds of a true friendship with Hope that Hope would never give up on her hell not but like even an episode or two into their newly formed friendship in S1 Hope went to Josie when she Lizzie was on the verge of a bad episode and "sweet" Josie was basically like fuck her she needs to fall on her ass for once and Hope ass was appalled y'all she was like Lizzie can't control her brain chemistry and was so defensive/protective it's like once they got over that hurdle that mainly Josie gave them everything clicked into place and they were almost instant bff's. So for them to do so good in season 2 and then it seems like it showed especially in these last several episodes black magic incident to bring Landon back aside that Lizzie's old issues of resentment and jealousy towards hope are starting to come back and I don't like that because the more Lizzie had A Friend in Hope it seems like the better she got at coping and doing better mentally.(sorry if this has been a confusing several sentences). And no by that I do not mean that Lizzie is mental progress has solely relied on Hope but I do think it has helped significantly for her to have a true friend. Also let it be noted now out of every ship though I should Hosie too HIZZIE is my #1 ship on Legacies two phenomenally beautiful woman also the enemies to friends to lovers trope *chef's kiss*which might be plausible as I always wondered what they meant in the Hosie crush confession scene of season 1 when Josie said that she always went after everybody josie liked hinting that Lizzie might be at least bisexual or maybe that was just what Josie perceived at like 12/13 years old. Also on the note of relationships Mizzie was a cute concept at the beginning but I do love the fact that MG is finally finding himself and standing up for himself but he did also do it and I kind of a******-ish way towards Lizzie. And that's all I can say for her. Actually I could probably write a novel on this women and also Hizzie but I won't lol.

Alaric Saltzman- As of now I would give him a rating of like a 4 . In the last several episodes I think he's been trying to make progress at being a better person but that's about all I can say I'm not an anti. But he definitely will not be winning the father of the year award anytime soon and like many people have pointed out he was a great guardian to Elena and Jeremy so he has the potential in parenting he obviously just ain't using it or lost it over the decades. I don't hate him but I do believe they're doing a discredit towards the better man he was in The vampire Diaries especially at the beginning.

Landon Kirby-His writing is like a 3. He is just there to be arm candy for hope. Until the last couple episodes where he became this for once realistic not optimistic hardened badass he literally brought nothing to The season other than someone for Hope to obsess over. And to be someone that they repeatedly kill for shock value even though it literally shocks no one anymore. I don't hate his character but he doesn't tickle My Fancy as much anymore. His character has a lot of potentialy especially if they ever bring back in his Phoenix side and truly explore it beyond his almost endless ability to revive and being a "Bird Boy" lol. I mean truthfully they're doing him a disservice Aria is a phenomenal actor who could take his character places if they just let him be more than a basic ass plot device. Also can we talk about how gorgeous of a man Aria is especially in these last few episodes looking love it and fine as f***.

As it has become apparent to me I ramble too much and I just don't have the capacity as it is now almost 1:00 in the morning my time to do anymore characters in depth so I will be doing a simple excerpt for the rest now that I have done the main 5 people.

Kaleb Hawkins- His writing is a 8. I do like how he's coming to himself over the years and is a a right hand man to Alaric now instead of being just a uncontrollable vampire(the only hate on this part not towards Kaleb but Alaric is that it shows he will virtually mentor/uplift almost any teen that ain't his own daughters). Though in my opinion he always kind of had a point on some things especially about the hypocrisy of Alaric in season 1 especially on the bmood drinking thing. Him and Mg's relationship is awesome I'm glad they made up in the last episode and our brothers again. Also I was rooting for him and Cleo I think they would be a cute little couple. Also I need his backstory immediately especially after saying to Cleo the last time he was vulnerable he died I need to know how he turned.

Milton Greasley(MG)- His writing is a 9 the season. I say that because he is really came into his own and stopped being the punching bag. Though I think the idea or used to think at least that him and Lizzie would be cute together I am proud of him for standing up to Lizzie finally even though I liked him always being there for her I was tired of him being a fallback for her when it didn't work with whoever however I do think he could have went about the rejection a little bit gentler especially with how he knows of Lizzie's emotional problems. And don't even get me started on Alyssa that was just a disaster that should have never even been brought to fruition her cheating with Jed was probably the best thing that could have happened. I liked his little side adventure with Ethan though I do think they could have wrote it a little better I was sad when he had to compel the memories away like they still could have been friends he just couldn't have known about the supernatural stuff also I'm still not convinced Ethan won't become supernatural later in the series if he stays on. And that's all I have to say on that one love my baby.

Jed Tien-His writing I can't really give a writing I don't think it's horrible but I do think overall they could give him a better plot line as a series regular other than just being used for the comical relief eye candy/mentioning how he's the alpha. Though it was funny the whole pool tournament to decide who was alpha will Finch was just exactly that so bad it was laughable. However I do respect the fact that he even admitted to her that he knew she threw the game and that he is a genuine man of his word and has become better over the series from like this dumb jock stereotype to this genuine dude the Alyssa incident aside. He is a cinnamon roll and I will protect him at all cost.

Ethan- Again as he just became a series regular this season and barely showed up in his premiere season. I will not be rating him in any traditional sense. His writing is not totally horrible I liked his adventures with mg they could have been written better and they still could have let him be MG's friend without supernatural knowledge instead of compelling the friendship completely away. And I am still not convinced he will not become supernatural in some way depending on how long he stays in the series truthfully it's actually almost inevitable unless they go the whole route of making him the Matt/Token Human of the show which I really hope they don't I mean he can stay human but don't make him a supernatural hater.

Cleo-her writing is 10. I say that because she has been a phenomenal character and I've never seen the actress before but she is obviously phenomenal as well. I like her whole connection to Malivore and how it's a legitimate one that seems to be interwoven with the story that's already been presented and add something new. I also like how she tried and really wanted to genuinely be friends with all the characters especially hope but at the same time she was also very realistic and new probably and truthfully the only way for Malivore to be defeated was for Hope to Go full Tribrid and she wasn't above actually trying to murder hope to save herself and just get rid of Malivore which I can't blame her.

Malivore-after the end of season 3 / the first couple episodes of season 4 which were supposed to be the original ending to season 3 I better never hear the name again I am so tired of it this should have ended like at least a season ago at this point it's dragging on. This was supposed to be a monster of the week type of series which is okay me personally I have always appreciated having one big bad of the season and then a couple of minor baddies that get their characters arcs and take a few episodes to defeat or something as like a B or C plot. Point being is that this character and plot line has gotten stiff as can be. To be honest I think half of us aren't even here for plot line anymore we just want to see which of our ships get together.

Finch-I am loving her character and I do think she's cute with Josie. Also I stan anyone who is a sarcastic b**** Queen. I think it's nice how her will backstory was different than the traditional one but also I hated how sad it was like she literally didn't even know what she was doing. Though I will say calling Lizzie the "evil" twin that she can fight me because you don't talk about my blonde cinnamon roll like that is based on one impression from something that was only meant and done out of a good place and Lizzie's heart trying to find out her backstory. But other than that I have no real qualms with this character and it is too early to have a real in-depth analysis/opinion of her.

Thank you for reading this long rant hope I answered your question well enough if not PM me on anything specific.

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megaboy335 · 3 years

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Mega’s Top 2020 Anime

The year 2020 is finally coming to an end. It’s been an unusual year to say the least. Coronavirus more or less almost cancelled the entire spring anime season, which lead to a strange anime schedule for the rest of the year since delays have trickle down effects to what was in the pipeline. To be completely honest, this was not a good year for anime. I watched only a handful of very good shows, and the rest were mediocre at best. The top 5 shows I talk about here are definitely worth watching at least.

So with the introduction out of the way, lets get into this. As usual this list is just my opinions. Don’t take it too seriously.

1) Kaguya-sama Love is War? (Season 2)

The second season of Kaguya-sama took everything from season 1 and brought it up a level. The visual gags became more impressive, the voice acting was just as good, and the show is delivering sharper writing as we get deeper into the manga.

Season 2 added two new notable aspects to the show. First, a new member to the main cast by the name of Iino. She adds a new angle to exploit for the skits as someone who adheres strictly to the rules. This often means Iino and Kaguya frequently bump heads. In fact how they interpret a situation can be entirely different, which creates numerous misunderstandings between them. Second, Kaguya-sama began expanding the skits into long form stories. There were a series of skits that form an arc spanning an entire episode, or in some cases multiple episodes. Episode 11 was the highlight of the season where Ishigami confronted his past to overcome the bad stigma surrounding his character. Additionally, the story added depth to his connection with Shirogane while making us realize there was more to Ishigami than meets the eye. Kaguya and Shirogane also both became a little closer as the tangled web of their schemes yielded unexpected results at times.

Kaguya-Sama has an ova and season 3 planned. I eagerly look forward to seeing what new crazy situations the characters find themselves in.

2) A Certain Scientific Railgun T (Season 3)

After waiting 6 years since the conclusion of season 2, the Railgun anime finally returned to adapt two more arcs from the manga.

The first half was a Railgun version of the Daissheisai Festival arc. This version focuses on a completely different event in the arc with a story involving Misaki, Misaka, and Dolly. It pulls us deeper into the story threads established in the Level Upper and Sisters arc of what the scientists were doing out of the public eye. We meet the original Misaka clone and how Misaki came to meet her which adds a new layer to the current Misaka and Misaki relationship that we never knew. We see how Misaki is also a victim of the dark experiments occurring behind the scenes in Academy City. The experiment to turn Misaka into a level 6 was a very hype moment. Railgun’s Daissheisai Festival arc definiely hit all the right notes.

The second half of Railgun season 3 was the Dream Ranker arc. Like in previous seasons, I found the 2nd cour arc to be weaker than the first half. Indian Poker is a fun concept, but didn’t cleanly tie into the overall story. I also found it weird how special cards that can exchange dreams suddenly exist out of nowhere. Additionally, this arc brought it characters from the Accelerator spin-off which I wasn’t familiar with. It had a few cool and funny moments scattered throughout. The final fight at least brought the conflict to a satisfying conclusion. The only thing holding back Railgun for me like always is my lack of knowledge of the greater Raildex universe. Hopefully this won’t be the last we see of Railgun in animated form because I picked up the manga and the next arc is pretty neat.

3) The Journey of Elaina

The Journey of Elania is an anthology-centric anime where we follow Elania on her adventures. The first episode is a prologue to how she became a witch and the origins of her ambitions. Episode 2-onwards follow a fairly straightforward template of Elania arriving at a new location. She notices something isn’t quite right or learns about something from a local. As the story unfolds, Elania often takes a backseat role and opts to watch things playout. An anime of this style always brings a mixed bag to the table with the kind of stories that are told within the universe. Each episode/adventure is only loosely connected through the main character Elania traveling to a new location, but otherwise they are mostly independent besides a handful of recurring characters.

Naturally this format means there are both great and not so good episodes. There are bitter sweet tales, comedic, and even a few darker entries mixed within this show. In particular, there were a few standout episodes that cemented this show as something worth watching. Episode 7 was a comedy episode split into two halves. One half showed how two towns divided by a wall were ironically doing the same thing to the wall on each side. The second half recalled how Elania accidentally started a grape stomping tradition in a tiny village. Then there was episode 9, the darkest entry of the show so far, when Elania went back in time to help someone save their childhood friend. However, this person came to realize she hardly knew what her childhood friend was really like. Lastly, the last episode was unexpectedly deep where Elania met various alternate versions of herself and had to confront a dark version spawn from the events in episode 8. It showed how her journey can take all sorts of directions if events had transpired even a little differently.

A high part of the appeal to me was never knowing what kind of story we would get each week. Was it going to be light-hearted? Serious? Would it focus on Elania or not? Her adventures were certainly full of unexpected happenings. The light novels are 17 volumes in and still going. I wouldn’t mind seeing more if they ever wanted to make another season.

4) Tonikaku Kawaii

From the prolific author Kenjiro Hata comes an anime adaptation of his newest work under the “Crunchyroll Originals” label. The story is simply about a guy who is head over heels for his new wife and can’t get over how awesome it is living with her. Tonikaku Kawaii is a simple show that chooses to highlight the little moments between our main couple Nasa and Tsukasa. We go through all sorts of everyday events with them such as the act of buying a ring, a new television, bedding, and meeting each other’s family. All the characters are so earnest you can’t help but enjoy their silly banter. There is little to no drama here to drive the story forward. You just get to enjoy a newlywed couple discovering new things about each other as they go through everyday life.

However, at the end of the day Tonikaku Kawaii is far from complete and is honestly the type of show that likely wouldn’t make my list most years. It hardly scratched its overarching story during the 1 cour run. The thing that put it over the top for me was simply how likable each of its characters were. They all present their emotions like an open book and you come to enjoy the little quirks of each one. I was slightly confused at how this show became a “Crunchyroll Original” when anything by Hata would have probably gotten an anime sooner or later. There are plenty of other Weekly Shonen Sunday series that could really use an outside force to help them get animated. I can only hope it did well enough for Crunchyroll to consider investing into more from the magazine .

5) Ahiru no Sora

As usual, my list usually contains at least 1 show that began in the previous year. Ahiru no Sora is an anime that not a lot of people watched, but became one of my favorites each week. This is a 4 cour basketball series about a main character named Sora who is too short for basketball. Despite this set-back, he has a deep passion for the game imparted from his mother and wishes to someday find the same success as she did at the sport. The story begins when he enrolls in a new school and has to build the basketball club from scratch. However, the catch is the basketball team is basically non-existent. He ends up creating a team from a group of unlikely people: the ones who were bullying him. Ahiru no Sora presents a down to earth human side to the sport. There are no fantasy or supernatural elements found in this story. It follows a group of rough around the edges guys whose lives gets back in order through playing basketball together.

All of the main characters go through a decent amount of growth as their personal stories are explored, and Sora especially is taken through a series of events that allow his character to grow more than anyone. I was pleasantly surprised at how emotional it got at times. There was some real heart put into this series. In the middle of the show it genuinely felt the team had hit rock bottom. They lost a major game, the club room was lit on fire, and Sora lost his mother all right in a row. It was the recovery from that period and how each member matured from their experiences that solidified Ahiru no Sora as one of the top shows this year. The only thing holding back the show is that it's left incomplete since the manga is on-going (and actually on hiatus at the moment). I hope there will be an opportunity down the road to have more episodes.

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Disappointments of 2020

1) Deca Dence

I enjoyed Death Parade, Mob Psycho 100, and Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer was pretty good too. So I figured another original anime from Tachikawa Yuzuru would be something I would like, and yet Deca Dence barely resonated with me. I could never wrap my mind around the setting of the show where robots would enter an alternate world called “Deca Dence” for sport or how these robots had a human persona in the game. The humans were effectively NPCs in the game to the eyes of the robots. The show no doubt had a story it wanted to tell, and it certainly went through the plot beats it wanted to hit, yet I could never get invested in the show. I’m still looking forward to whatever Tachikawa Yuzuru does next. I’ll just consider this as something was not for me.

2) The Day I Became God

This show marks Jun Meada’s 3rd anime original project with P.A. Works. I understand that Angel Beats and Charlotte are flawed shows, but that did not stop them from being enjoyable for me. This unfortunately did not apply to The Day I Became God. At a base level it has many of the usual troupes you would expect from a Jun Meada title: the humor, baseball, an emotionally driven story. The place where this shows failed hard was having no backbone to back up the story it was trying to present. I enjoyed the comedy in the early episodes quite a bit and was somewhat intrigued by a subplot in the background that was slowly creeping up on the main plot. Ending each episode on a countdown to the end of the world helped to keep a looming sense of unease during the early part of the show.

Then in typical Jun Meada fashion, the plot of the show hit all at once. Episode 9 was the big climax where the subplot and main plot collided to send the show into its “true” storyline. The hacker kid who uncovered everything about Hina in the early part was poorly utilized and underdeveloped. So when he joins our main group in episode 10 for a short period of time, his presence makes very little sense. I can only describe that part as a 10 hour VN plot condensed into 10 minutes. The male lead Narukami has almost no personal stake in the story. Hina is hilarious in the comedy episodes, but lacks any sufficient character arc built up to carry her into the final section. Jun Meada is trying to sell this as a love story between Narukami and Hina, but I just don’t see it. Narukami spent at least half the summer trying to wow his childhood friend only to suddenly change at the last minute. It felt so haphazardly put together.

The Day I Became God is an extremely bare bones Jun Meada story. It goes through the motions of similar elements to his previous works, but comes out feeling emotionally hollow. While Angel Beats and Charlotte also felt rushed in the grand scheme, I can at least say he got the emotional aspect right. This will be remembered as one of, if not Jun Meada’s weakest title.

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Top OPs/EDs of the Year

1) Jujutsu Kaisen Opening 1 - The song is great, but it’s the visuals that really sell this opening. Each shot is brilliantly connected to showcase how everything in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen is layered. There is far more than what meets in the eye in our surroundings. Curses and humans co-mingle more than you might think.

2) A Certain Scientific Railgun T Opening 1 - There still hasn’t been a bad Railgun opening yet. Flipside once again delivers a song that once again never failed gets me in the mood for the episode each week. The visuals highlight some of the best action moments in the arc too.

3) Black Clover Opening 10 - Unlike the other songs on the list this year, this a slower somber song. It always makes me think of Nero’s backstory and how the story was leading up to the fight versus the devil. The black and white aesthetic with rain conveys how everything is laid bare for this major story climax.

4) Kaguya-Sama Love is War? Opening - Just like how this season is more character focused, the opening animation is basically a 90 second skit. It never fails to get to get me in the mindset for the hijinks that are ahead in the episode. The song itself is also a great follow up to the previous opening.

5) Rent-a-Girlfriend Opening - It’s a colorful opening that highlights the best aspects of each character. It completely conveys what the show is about with some nice music. I love how fun and upbeat this opening is. It definitely helped to set the tone for the episodes each week.

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....and so, that brings 2020 to a close. The North American anime scene is shifting once again with Sony buying out Crunchyroll. Hopefully the result of the merger keeps Crunchyroll as an entity alive. I’ll be curious to see how everything shakes out. In the coming year I am most looking forward to Chainsaw Man’s anime. The manga is quite an experience and anime viewers will be spinning their heads over learning how such a series was published in Weekly Shonen Jump. I think it has a good chance of being one of the most talked about shows in the new year.

Lets hope 2021 is a good one.

#Mega's Words

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accio-victuuri · 4 years

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M/M Book Recommendations Part III.

Title: The remaking of Corbin Wale

Author: Roan Parrish

My Thoughts:

This book is cozy. Just thinking about it makes me want to go back to the day I read this— Christmas time. Well, you don’ have to wait for Christmas to read this, just saying it’s that kind of book. Anyway, this story is about Alex who opens shop in his hometown. A fresh start and doing what he always wanted to, then one day the mysterious Corbin Wale comes in and changes everything. It’s one of those meet cutes that i’m a sucker for. ❤️ Alex gets to know Corbin, who seems to be followed by misfortunes and he also wants to know the truth about his drawings and who he really is. There is ALMOST no conflict between them, everything is so soft and nothing hurts. I like how Corbin changes, well, how they both change each other. That whole becoming a better person for someone you love thing. That’s it. If you want a sweet read, with just a tiny bit of ache then go for this.

Title: Shiver

Author: Jocelynn Drake

My Thoughts :

I read this book cause I was looking for the “bodyguard” trope. This one delivered. It’s simple, a really rich guy gets threatened and he gets a bodyguard to protect him. Only, he gets more than that 😏😏😏. This is book one of a series so you’ll get alot of other characters that you can get attached to, don’t worry, they will get their own books. It’s a fast read and one that you can pick up on a weekend and you’ll be set.

Title: Enemies of the State

Author: Tal Bauer

My Thoughts:

The President and his Bodyguard fall in love. That’s the selling point of this book BUT THIS IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. Tal Bauer is an intelligent author and this one reads like a Netflix series that just happens to have an mlm pair. You have the in’s and out’s of the White house, politics, Russia, power dynamics, discrimination and terrorists. President Jack Spier is an American hero, who lost his wife in a War. He stayed single and spent his years in Politics, no scandals all his life and the perfect man to take the seat of a Leader. Then Ethan, a seasoned security detail gets assigned to him. This has the friends to lovers trope that makes you want to scream. The slow burn. The misunderstanding. Forbidden love with high as fuck stakes. THE ANGST. The hurt/comfort!!!!! I want all my ships to have an AU of this book 😭😭 Plus, the EXPLICIT scenes are just that. Explicit. HOT. What smut writers aim for HOT. 😂 Alot of things happen in this one book so be ready, there is almost something cinematic about this. You’ll understand once you’ve read it. This is book 1 of a Trilogy. You’re welcome. 🖤

Title: Twelfth Knight

Author: Victoria Sue

My Thoughts :

Merlin and Arthur. Need I say more? Yes. This story is set in the modern world with Arthur and his Knights. It may not be for everyone, like i think some people want something more serious, but the easy pace and language can be enjoyable. Merlin’s promise to Arthur before he died. There is so much more in this world in the books to come and I hope more fantasy aspect and plot in the Mix.

Title: The Watchmaker of Filigree street

Author: Natasha Pulley

My Thoughts:

There is something about the setting about this book that made me feel nostalgic even if I have no idea about their timeline at all. The author just painted this world, it’s people and every scene so beautifully. This book starts with Thaniel and a bomb explosion / a mysterious watch. Then the Watchmaker, Mori. I can’t say too much without spoiling stuff, but the fantasy aspect of this is Clairvoyance. How it’s worked into this story in itself is almost heart breaking. 😭 One thing I didn’t like is who the Villain was. I guess I wanted this “person” to be a different character or be “used” in a better way. The pairing, Thaniel/Mori has the whole age gap thing going on — and Mori saying he has to be in London. Ugh. 😭😍 There’s a sequel that will come out this year and I am very excited.

Title: The Wolf and the Sparrow

Author: Isabelle Adler

My Thoughts:

This one is a standalone fantasy story and that in itself sold me. Add in the arranged marriage trope, AND MAAAAAAN. I’m all in. The main drivers of this story : the marriage, Callan grieving for his dead wife, Derek moving to this new kingdom and trying to fit in and A War that’s threatening all of them. I can’t even count the amount of “arranged” marriage fanfics I have read and this one seems fresh all over again. I love the relationship between the main characters and since it’s just one book- expect some insta love. There is a part in this story where they both get captured and I must say, it’s one of the best things I have read. That. Whole. Experience. Plus, when they do get together? IT WAS HOT. I knew it was coming, but it was so worth it. Even with all the “instalove”, there’s still a really good pay off. The fantasy part in this is not shown too much though. It could be expanded, I’m not gonna be mad if they suddenly announce a sequel. But yeah, If you want just one solid read, this is it.

Title: The Last Sun

Author: KD Edwards

My Thoughts :

So, this is one of those books that I put off reading all because everyone was saying it’s super good & I didn’t buy it. BUT I WAS SO WRONG. This book. This world is amazing. I have never read a book that has the whole “ Tarot Cards” as a main theme , and how it works into this book is the reason why I have always loved Fantasy books. This is Book 1 of a projected 9 book series and I am so excited how this will expand, I haven’t read the second book cause i wanna save it. I love the relationship between the two main characters, Rune and Brand. A scion and it’s sworn companion. Something about it reminds me of a bond like with a parabatai ( city of bones) . I love their banter. The characters in this are A+. LORD TOWER. Max. Quinn. Ciaran. ADDAM FUCKING SAINT NICHOLAS. You will get attached to them, I’m warning you. It’s a really solid fantasy/adventure story. Rune and Addam as a pair is so delicious, I find myself smiling every time they have scenes together. Their love, as it continues on will be SO PURE. I can see it. Do yourself a favor the same way I did, BUY THIS BOOK. Read it.

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awaylaughing · 3 years

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I was playing around with the girls’ various backgrounds and a few wee HCs for some of them were spawned. There’s smth for each one here, some more or less though. (Pippa has the most tho bc I am. Very biased).

Aurora, Baroness Namaire

- wicked good at poker, she learned from her mother, and went on to teach all her siblings

- has a minor rivalry with one of her baronial neighbour’s wife: in a rare subversion from expectation though it’s centred entirely around creating Revair’s best plum wine, and growing the best northern plums in general. No one has died, been blackmailed, and so far, not one case of arson has occurred. It’s all very atypical.

- was named for her mother’s younger brother, Aurean, who backed the old empire during the coup and was executed for it.

- knows how to patch stucco and fix thatching, skills she’s not had any reason to flex since she was 17.

Michi of Holt

- hates super spicy food, or super spiced food, or even super sweet food – delicate pallet on this one.

- learned to draw because of her third tutor (the first two gave up) who realized that if he let Michi pick the class location and doodle, she learned way better than locking her in a room and yelling at her.

- had a really, really complicated relationship with her maternal grandmother Myrna of Brehna whom she loved, but also resented both for how her grandmother impacted her relationship with her dying mother, and her grandma’s ‘my way or the highway’ approach to teaching Michi etiquette.

- on the note of the Brehnas, Michi is related to Noa via that branch (Myrna’s father is Isador’s paternal grandmother’s brother - making Noa and Michi 4th cousins)

Noa of Hise

- despite the stereotype, much prefers to be decked out in silver (brings out her eyes)

- mildly dyslexic, she spent her childhood doggedly trying to hide her difficulties learned her grandfather, Bantim or “Bonny Tim”, had the thing.

- lived in Wellin for 3 hours after her mother died. Her father insisted they move back, and Noa, worried for his health agreed. Three days in one of Isadore’s brothers made an offhand remark about Blackthorn and Noa alike, and her father walked right out of the parlor and back onto the ship that had brought them to Wellin in the first place, a greatly relieved Noa trailing behind him.

- was terrified of heights when she was a younger, a condition she considered intolerable and thus found her scaling every vertical surface she could find. Cousins or her mother had to got fetch her down a few times, but she largely outgrew it and now she only get queasy very rarely.

Pippa of Corval

- was actually born an fraternal [edit bc I changed my mind] twin, however her sister died after only three days. Corvali traditions wait a week after birth to name children (or, the seventh night, to be more exact), so her sister was never named. Pippa doesn’t have much of an opinion about this, other than joking maybe sharing that space was why she ended up so short (a minor mystery in the family, as her mother’s quite tall and her father wasn’t tall but not really short, either)

- her snake was actually a gag gift to another girl, Mitra who hates snakes. Basically, Pippa cares for Hihissa 9/10 parts of the yeah, and whenever Mitra’s brother visits, Mitra holds her nose and pretends she’s totally been living with this snake for three years.

- looooves rose water sweets. And tea. A scented oils. Basically, smells like a rose garden all the time and aspires to eat one as well.

- had a reputation as a shockingly well behaved child, from the age 2 onward. In truth, she just figured out very, very young that if you agreed with the adults and then did what you wanted in secret, you got praise and could have fun.

- Once wore nothing but saffron dyed clothing for a whole season: it was on a dare by a lady hoping to beggar a rival. Alas for the lady, she did not realize the Pippa’s mother, Roshan, actually owns several acres of saffron fields. Roshan felt supporting her daughter’s flex was worth eating into the profits for a season (but just one).

- named for her aunt, Philippa, her father’s sister who died age 4. In fact, Philippa was meant to be her full first name but her mother never liked it, and so changed it to just be Pippa after Judicael died. A small selection of people do still insist on calling her Philippa however, assuming Pippa to be a familiar nickname.

- (technically her first name is Mehr, but that acts as a sort of generation name for girls in her family, and thus goes unused.)

- No one actually calls her Pip, she just wasn’t going to tell of a Princess so went the most obvious option outside of telling her Pippa is technically a nickname

- semi related to above: astonishes her mother with how much of her personality is a vivid reflection of Judicael’s, despite Pippa being born posthumously to him. The only major difference really is Pippa is more scheming - and from a Corvali perspective, Pippa’s an outright Non-Schemer, so that tells you more about Judicael than it does Pippa.

- lowkey hates wearing shoes, avoids when possible (and thus, pays special attention to her toes haha)

Temperance of Arland

- secretly a fan of adventure novels, especially “gentleman explorer” types. Her supplier is the head chef’s son, who leaves them under a bush in the garden for her to borrow from his rather less restricted collection.

- hates chocolate – cannot stand it in any form

- found out at 12 she was almost named Claudia and sort of wishes that had happened – there’s like 13 “princess Temperance”es in the Arlish royal family history, only two Claudias.

- is a natural blonde, but does secretly lighten her hair. As she grew up, it darkened to near-brown blonde. Temperance lightens it in pseudo-secret, because she’s not supposed to be so vain, despite also having to always be pretty.

- pretty neutral towards Innocent, who is 18 years her junior (she’s 25, having been just this side of 17 for the last Summit)

- in Zinnia’s World State, she’s a Wellish lady, daughter of a Landgravine, and far happier for it (her parents are basically a love match that was also politically astute, so it being recreated in another timeline is not unlikely).

Yaen of Jiyel

- grew up in the far, far south of Jiyel, and has never quite gotten used to the northern seasons in the capital.

- lowkey wanted to run away and be a pirate from ages 5-8, looking back, she’s not sure why she outgrew that particular wish

- would eat lemons like oranges except it makes her teeth feel worryingly weird

- when we say “minor lady” we mean it - the family was only entitled in the last three generations - Loda’s father being the rare true blue meritocracy story, going from poor fisherman’s son to high ranking civil servant in his life. Her mother in comparison didn’t have a title at all - but her family were wealthy merchants, specializing in dyes and fabric. Her stepmother, however, is the daughter of a (3rd rank) Marquis, but with three elder brothers that means very little in the land of titles - even for her step mother’s biological sons.

- the nickname used by her father, mother and older sister, Lian, is bug. For obvious reasons, she did not share this with Ana. Her step-mother could use it - Yaen wouldn’t mind, but doesn’t feel comfortable doing so for the simple reason that she’s a naturally anxious woman.

- it’s an open family secret she’s not actually Loda’s biological daughter, but she doesn’t know who her “real” father is. She’s not exceptionally curious about it however - in part because she doesn’t want to hurt Loda in any way more.

Zinnia of Arland

- is the only MC in my roster outside Pippa to have read the Corval Satires, Constance sent her an annotated collection six months before the Summit. “For research”.

- didn’t see her father once between the age of 1 and 7, spending those 6 years on her mother’s private lands while her mother coalesced and avoided her husband. As such, had very atypically non-stodgy (but by no means improper) childhood than most Arlish princesses (Helah is 100% going to be blamed for Zinnia marrying an Arlish Earl oh the shame)

- frequently broke into Prosper’s nursery growing up, because he was her brother and she wanted him to have as much fun with his big sister as she remembered having with Constance as a child (results: fewer frogs caught, but similar levels of big sister adoration from the younger sibling)

- her rebel streak has always been semi-obvious, usually in her doggedly dressing to her own standards – which usually just meant picking colours not necessarily in season (greatly favours greens and browns, not least because the Princess Dowager, her great aunt Evalina was overheard saying she looked like bog-witch in those colours)

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ceies · 4 years

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Vinland Saga – Spoiler-free

I decided to for once write a spoiler-free review of the first Season of Vinland Saga to maybe reach some who have not jumped on the bandwagon yet. I will do this by being purposefully vague, to spoil as little as humanly possible… so… Why not do this in a “10 Reasons Why”-Format?

What is Vinland Saga about?

Vinland Saga is about a young boy called Thorfinn dreaming about going on a big adventure and one day traveling to the fabled land in the west: “Vinland”. Through unfortunate events, however, he ends up with a band of Vikings growing up in the war between England and Denmark. There is also the leader of that Viking band, who he has a personal grudge against.

Why to watch Vinland Saga:

1. Characters

The Characters range from stubbornly straightforward and simple characters that you could easily manage to describe in just two sentences (even me who tends to ramble a lot) to amazingly complex characters that you won’t be able to properly describe within 20 pages. And then there is everything in between. These characters are amazing. The best part is, that they are in many ways unapologetically who they are. The viewer is not begged to like a character, instead the show somewhat challenges you with the question whether you even can like them. They may do amazingly heroic things one day and then vile and atrocious acts the next, and you go from cheering them on to almost being a bit ashamed for how much you like them. They will excite you one episode, and utterly frustrate you the next. However, we’re still lacking some strong females that actually play an important part.

2. Character relationships

This goes hand in hand with reason No. 1. One of the most fascinating aspects about this show is how these characters interact. They make for relationships which are almost as, if not more fascinating than the characters themselves. As the characters themselves are often only slowly developing and growing and it may sometimes be an arduous journey to wait for that one long awaited development in the characters, on the other hand the relationships between them are ever growing. They also sometimes don’t grow quite the way you would hope or expect. Sometimes just a chance encounter can create relationships between characters that are fascinating.

3. This is a cruel, cruel world

This is maybe a weird point. What I mean is not that the show goes the extra mile to put as much blood and gore in the episodes as possible – in fact it often does the opposite. While battles are carnage with flying body parts and fountains of blood, outside of battle, the “camera” often turns away from the brutality and cruelty as if in shame. The show does not try to shock you with that extra juicy scene of cruelty, instead it turns away, but it gives you just enough to know exactly what is going on. This world is brutal, and you are never allowed to forget that. And it is not like the main characters are above that. Often enough I watch shows where I see a brutal world, but our main character just happens to be beyond that and while I see other characters commit those actions, I can just shake my head about this senseless violence. In this show, we see the characters do it themselves. The show even at several points seems to reason with us, that there is sense to it, that there is a plan or a purpose. In fact, of course, it is just as senseless as anywhere else. But I at least at some point almost started to bargain.

4. I am an adult

I just appreciate a show that just lets its characters act, they all have a reason why they act, but I don’t need them spelled out every time. I’m old enough to make my own assumptions and if I come to a wrong conclusion, that’s alright too.

5. Don’t bend over backwards to surprise me

What I really appreciate, was how little they cared about when a plot-point was obvious. They even give enough hints prior to it happening, that if you stay alert can smell it a mile in advance. That’s not a bad thing. I think in recent years a lot of shows have forgotten that “setting up a story” involves giving hints to the conclusion, and if the audience arrives there on their own, that’s just as well. When I read a story, I expect it to be consistent, I don’t expect to be surprised by every twist and turn. The finale in the end still managed to surprise me.

6. It looks great:

Wow… I managed five whole arguments before even arriving here. The animation is great. Fights are amazingly fluent and there is a certain subtlety in facial expressions that I just appreciate. I like it when I can read the emotions off their faces by just a slight furrow of the brow without the voice actor saying anything. And not just the animation itself. There are backgrounds and images of forests, sky or the sea that are drop dead gorgeous. Dawn over Wessex or the autumn forests in England and the snowy mountains… Also…., the blizzards! They often use 3D on things like Rain or Hail, Arrows or blood.

7. Voice Acting

Talking about seeing emotions in faces… how about hearing them? At this point I just have to applaud especially the voice actors of Thorfinn (both of them) who can perfectly nail that kid’s rage in a tortured scream. They are by far not the only ones who are doing a good job, but Thorinn’s emotional outbreaks always give me the chills.

8. When the plot goes into gear

I can’t really say much about this without spoiling. I just want to say that around the midway point of the season, the story really shifts gears. And then every episode will be better than the last.

9. Themes

Again, something I cannot talk in dept about because of Spoilers, but while it is a show with a lot of violence and battle, what made this show great to me was not so much the action but… everything else about it. And part of that is the themes. The characters in Vinland Saga are often conflicted seeking answers to certain questions, some of which might be easy to answer for us now but it is fascinating to watch “people of the past” arrive to their own conclusion; some of which may be questions that we today did not resolve and are still struggling with. Many of these questions are centered around the “horrors of war” or “Paradise”. The show puts special emphasis on these themes, so much so, that some of the most anticipated battles may be interrupted, partly off-screened or cut short to instead talk about these questions and ideas that move these characters.

10. Fights

Yeah… the fights are cool.

#vinland saga #why to watch it #review #vinland saga review #vinland saga season 1 #spoilerfree #spoiler free

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digikate813 · 5 years

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My Top 5 Favorite Ponies from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

One thing that’s amazing about Friendship is Magic is just how many memorable characters there are. Not only were there six main ponies who each took turns having dedicated episodes, but each season brought with it new locations, new challenges, and yes, new characters. All diverse and most endearing. Which is why today I”m counting down my Top 5 favorite pony characters. And since ponies are what started all of this, we’re gonna stick with ponies. Although there are many great characters in Equestria and beyond who aren’t ponies that could easily make for a list of it’s own. But let’s start this off with…

#5 Derpy Hooves/Ditzy Doo

No I am not calling her Muffins. Nobody calls her Muffins besides Hasbro. But if that’s what it takes to keep this adorable wool eyed mare around, then so be it. As someone who came into the fandom right before Season 3, Derpy as a creative piece and what she represents to the fandom, fascinates me.

Of course what made Derpy special right from the start is how fans personified her. From a simple animation error, she developed a character that attracted people. And from what I can tell, as the first season continued, fans assigned her personality traits like they were an improv troop. Derpy is really excited about muffins? They must be her favorite food! She drops things out of a moving truck? Maybe it’s a delivery truck. Maybe she’s a mail mare! From becoming a companion to a time traveling stallion to being a single mom of a unicorn filly also in the background who looked a little like her. It was the first time (though certainly not the last, not even on this list) the brony fandom created such a rich and involved life for a character who was never meant to do more then fill in the background.

But then “The Last Roundup” controversy happened. And something about Derpy’s role in the fandom culture, changed. Suddenly Derpy was, a symbol. People related not to the people who complained that she was offensive, but how her presence on the show was censored and almost silenced. One of the most relatable things to a brony is being ostracized from the outside world for expressing yourself. As time went on, Derpy began to become a symbol of strength and self love. Heck my favorite song in the fandom and one of my favorite songs period, was inspired by a note left behind to the writer and performer at Bronycon saying “It’s Great to be Different. Love Derpy.”.

Derpy went from being a lovable joke, to an icon that represented the failures and triumphs of many members of the community, and those who chose to tell her stories. That even if you are different in some way, you can still live a full and loving life. And when “Slice of Life” came around, it felt like it was the true celebration of what Derpy was to all of us that she was meant to be back in The Last Roundup. But because there was more screen time now, they were able to show all of what makes Derpy so adorable and beloved.

From her many future appearances in the show itself, to the empowering and endearing fan made content surrounding the little gray pegasus that’s been produced since, Derpy is an amazing creation that is so wonderful to watch no matter what form she takes. And now for the complete opposite pony…..

#4 Twilight Sparkle

I generally consider MLP an ensemble show, since there are so many characters who get almost an equal amount of focus. However, there’s no denying that the show started with, and therefore mostly revolves around Twilight and her journey. Her friends and then their friends and family, as it expands into the massive cast we know and love. But that all started with a studious little unicorn.

There’s so much to like about Twilight. On the surface I always found her excitement for knowledge and study to be a great trait, especially to display to kids. Showing how excited people can be to learn and explore without being the “token nerd”. And of course her freak outs are legendary.

But what I appreciate about Twilight is her external and internal journey as a character. That despite being the studious one, she doesn’t know everything. That just because she’s really good at the skills she acquires, doesn’t mean she’s perfect all the time, or that she should be expected to be.

Twilight’s journey represents the path of the entire show. Learning different lessons on friendship and responsibility. That just because things happened in the past doesn’t mean you can’t evolve if someone’s willing to give you the chance. That just because someone is different and maybe a bit closed off, doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it to try and get to know them. That when you move up in the world and magically sprout a pair of wings, and it feels like you’ve achieved everything you thought you could, doesn’t mean you have.

There are always things to learn, ways to grow, mistakes to be made and friends to find. That lesson and advice can come from the most unlikely of places like Discord and Starlight.Twilight had a cray journey through the 9 seasons of Friendship is Magic, but the most important thing is that she never stopped learning. Even when she moved on to teaching.

Twilight represents how no matter what you think at the time, there’s no one path to life. One day you’re focused on being a princess’s best student, the next you’re a princess yourself. Or venturing out beyond the borders of your land. Or opening a school to all creatures so you can help them all. To eventually, ruling the land. And even after achieving that, there are still challenges.

A friend of mine once pointed out that Twilight’s journey is quite a bit similar to some of the reformed villains. Somepony who was isolated and alone and wanted nothing to do with friendship. Who thought she could do everything herself. Until five random ponies decided to march into a forest to lend a hand, and changed her life forever. Twilight represents that no matter how much you succeed or how much you fail, there’s always something to gain from it. And that nobody accomplishes greatness alone. TL:DR, Twilight embodies the magic of friendship. Which is pretty obvious I know but it’s still worth celebrating.

#3 Princess Luna

Luna Luna Luna. Everypony loves Luna. At least everypony in the fan base does, it took a while for the ponies in the show to warm up to her remember. So Luna makes this list above the main character who I just said embodies what the entire show is about because, thanks to Luna’s overwhelming popularity, it sparked my curiosity enough to watch the episode she featured in. My first episode of MLP was “Luna Eclipsed”. So yeah, Luna is partly responsible for getting me involved in all of this and why you’re reading this right now.

Some people think Luna is overrated or not worthy of all of this praise. And while I understand where these people are coming from, I can’t say I agree. The reasons to love Luna only got longer as the years went on, but I think the spark in the beginning was her story as Nightmare Moon. Can you imagine how easy it would have been to make Luna Celestia’s opposite in every way? Not just in their functions for the land? Relatives who are evil for the sake of evil are hardly rare in children’s media. Especially in the stuff marketed to girls.

But what set Luna apart is that they gave her motivation. An actual reason for why she wanted to plunge the world into eternal night. Because she wanted to be appreciated. And while Luna may not have, taken the best approach towards accomplishing that, who can’t relate to that?

And I’m always a huge fan of villain redemption stories personally, so as I watched “Luna Eclipsed”, and saw Luna fitting back in with the ponies was something I really liked. And after getting more involved with the series, it was really gratifying to see more of her as she slowly began to have a more prominent role in the show and progress more as a character.

Having her teach the CMC through their dreams was a great idea for a group of episodes, showing that Luna can use her past mistakes to teach other ponies to be better. Watching her still struggle with those feelings of guilt and regret from her actions as Nightmare Moon in the somewhat controversial, yet beloved to me and quite a few others, “Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?”. And much later, getting to finally see how she spends time with her very different, yet still loving sister.

The show may have had many villains see the error of their ways through the power of friendship and rainbow lasers, but Luna was the first, and to this day, most loved. She dominates the charts every time a “Best Princess” poll comes up because apart from Twilight, she’s the most interesting and developed.

There may have been times where they had to work backwards for development, but in the end Luna had an amazing presence throughout the series from Day 1, and in a way, may have been one of the keys to it’s first spark of appeal to older viewers. But who knows?

#2 Time Turner/Doctor Whooves

Well we’ve all got a favorite background pony. And as much as I love Derpy, this eccentric scientist remains my favorite. Like with Luna, part of the reason the fan named Doctor Whooves is one of my favorite ponies is because he got me more involved in the fandom. And just to clarify, no. I was not a Doctor Who fan before I was an MLP fan.

But there was just something about the bizarre combination of My Little Pony and Doctor Who that just peaked my curiosity. And thanks to the likes of the incredible audio dramas Doctor Whooves and Assistant and Doctor Whooves Adventures, I became even more interested in both MLP and Doctor Who, and dove full force into the fandom within a fandom that was the Doctor Whooves community. So many Doctors, so little time. And it was glorious!

Doctor Whooves is just one of those concepts that is so enjoyable to create stories and concepts around. Between the two worlds the possibilities are endless! And it was always fun and exciting to come across someone else’s version of this idea that’s, weird, but works. And I myself have celebrated my love for the time traveling stallion in all sorts of ways from animatics to reviews to traditional fan art.

And then, “Slice of Life” happened. While he wasn’t an actual time traveling thousand year old alien (not as far as we know anyway) I really loved how they characterized him in the show itself. His eccentric experiments, Peter New’s delightful rambly voice work, throwing in a couple of Doctor Who references that are blatant and subtle at the same time. It was so much fun to watch, and to see him again every now and then during the remainder of the series.

And to think all of that came from a random hour glass cutie mark and someone out there thinking his mane looked sort of like David Tennant’s hair. Have I mentioned how much this fandom’s imagination blows my mind???

#1 Fluttershy

Oh my dear sweet Fluttershy. One of the benefits to having six main ponies is that they can cover a broad spectrum of character types. Everyone develops a favorite among the group at some point, and while there are many different reasons for a character to be your favorite, 9 times out of 10 when someone is asked who their favorite is among the Mane Six, it’s usually because they can relate to them. That they see themselves in one of these pastels ponies personalities or goals or growth. That is what Fluttershy is to me.

I relate to Fluttershy, so much it scares me sometimes. Being really quiet around people I don’t know well. Getting nervous about things others might find ridiculous. Apologizing profusely for things. And most importantly, trying to be genuinely nice and understanding, even when it’s hard.

I understand both Fluttershy’s highs and lows. How she really tries to be stronger then her anxieties, that are tough for those who don’t have those issues to understand why she’s acting that way. How satisfying it is in those times when you can overcome your anxieties, and look a scary person or situation in the eye and face it. How the friends you make can make you more comfortable and open to new opportunities and experiences.

Despite her shy nature, Fluttershy is a tower of strength. And her development throughout the course of the series is the most satisfying to me. Going from not being able to talk to a new pony in town, to sincerely befriending the lord of chaos. From being kicked around by strangers in a marketplace, to being assertive with her own brother and helping him get his act together. From bending over backwards to not hurt other ponies feelings, to firing workers who weren’t respecting here wishes.

Probably the best thing about Fluttershy’s character development is that, it takes it’s time. But the progress she makes is clear. As she says in “Fame and Misfortune”, it took her a while to get there, but you don’t learn a lesson once and completely change who you are. Fluttershy represents the very subtle development we all make everyday if we try. It may not show too much the next day, but if we keep striving to be better and more outgoing, the results will speak for themselves over time.

I love absolutely everything about Fluttershy. Her design is adorable. Her voice work from Andrea Libman is perfect. Her work with animals and the kindness she spreads throughout the show is sweet and admirable, and she’s a beacon of hope for those who feel weak or suffer from anxieties. Who feel like they can never improve. Fluttershy shows that you can make improvements every day. It doesn’t mean you have to change overnight. And that the quietest pony, can turn out to be the strongest.

So those are my Top 5 Favorite Ponies, and be sure to let me know who some of your favorite ponies are. Not just your all time favorite, but some of the runner ups. There are many different reasons to love certain characters and that might not all apply to one of them. That’s the fun thing about this topic. With so many great characters and so many reasons to like some of them, everyone’s answer is unique and interesting. Just like the ponies themselves.

#My Little Pony #analysis #top 5 favorite ponies #derpy hooves #twilight sparkle #Princess Luna #doctor whooves #fluttershy #MLP;FiM

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madisonballer23 · 6 years

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5 Reasons Why “The Office US” is the Best Show EVER

One of the most memorable and successful American TV shows is none other than “The Office”. This television series aired from 2005-2013, yet it is still a very popular show that people watch on live-streaming services such as Netflix, over and over again because it never gets old, and its humor continues to keep audiences hooked. The show is portrayed in a documentary style, where a never-seen camera crew follows around the office workers (interviewing them from time to time), and is focused around a seemingly boring paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. With nine seasons of romance, huge laughs, pranks and awkward moments, “The Office” is widely known to be one of the best shows to ever be on TV. Each character that is a part of the cast is unique in their own cooky way, and they quickly become endearing to the viewer. They make the viewer believe that their dream job is to be a paper salesman in Scranton! Becoming one of the most beloved television sitcoms in history is no easy task, but in support of this idea, here is my list of five reasons why this show was and remains the best.

1. The Plot

The plot is one of the key aspects that makes this show great. The idea of a documentary crew filming everyday life in a paper company office? Though maybe odd-sounding, it is actually hysterical -- while at the same time, being strangely relatable. This is what grabs the viewer’s attention, to want to continue watching it since it turns a job that is originally thought of as boring, into a comedic environment that the viewer can’t stop watching -- wanting to see what could possibly come next. There are a lot of people in the US who work in offices similar to Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. It could easily be anyone, sitting making sales calls about cardstock. Because the viewer can easily picture themselves working in such an environment, it adds additional intrigue into what the next episode (or even the next scene) will bring!

The idea of filming the shenanigans of seemingly regular people at their regular job is a simple one. With the added bizarreness of Regional Manager Michael Scott, the show’s hilarity is elevated even more, and in a way only “The Office” can be, all in the little town of Scranton, Pennsylvania. While it may seem odd to have this popular show be centered around a fairly unknown town, it is the heart and soul of Dunder Mifflin, and adds to the show’s charm.

2. The Setting

“The Office” needed to ground itself in a real city, and it found its voice in the mundane details of everyday life. Having the setting of this show be in a little town in Pennsylvania, makes it unique, yet also very relatable to everyday Americans. Scranton is indeed a smaller town in Pennsylvania, that is not really well known, but the people who do live there notice the tiny details they see in their town, like lesser-known company and brand names and and “Ma and Pa” shops. These small things that are put into scenes of this show, really grab the attention of many people, and not just the locals from Pennsylvania. It is part of the show’s genius, and helps the viewer fee a part of the fun.

This proves that the writers of “The Office” paid attention to where they were setting the story. The fact that this place is just a normal, everyday town with a slightly abnormal company, makes the show relatable to us and funny all at once. What the show did for the town of Scranton was almost unmatched, in that people started to go there to tour it and to see where this great show was filmed, and of course, where all the love stories from the show began. It created a reputation of Scranton that no one could have imagined when the show started.

3. The Love Stories

A lot of love fills the air in this TV series, which is an aspect that makes the audiences want to keep on watching as well. Everyone loves a good love story! There are multiple amorous adventures (i.e., love triangles) that form throughout the 9 seasons of “The Office.” Some examples of these include the very clingy Kelly and her love-interest Ryan, an on and off relationship between Angela and her love-interest Dwight, Phyllis and her husband Bob Vance, and of course everyone’s favorite, Jim and Pam.

One vexing issue with the relationship between Pam and Jim is that they have to deal with a never-ending flood of distractions like Roy (Pam’s old boyfriend), along the way to an incredible marriage ceremony in what has become an iconic cliffhanger episode. However, Jim and Pam aren’t perfect, and yet, that’s what makes them feel like the perfect couple to the viewer. They’re just two average people who just happen to work in the same zany office. If they can find love in that everyday environment, why can’t I? They deal with losses, distance, and breakups and everything else that life throws at normal couples today.

4. The Humor

“The Office” is mainly loved for its great humor. This show is my all time favorite because no matter how many times I have seen an episode, many of them still make me laugh out loud, even if I am by myself. People like myself who watch “The Office” over and over again, cry laughing more times than one can count and it never seems to get old -- that’s not easy to do (when the viewer knows exactly what’s coming next.) It is the comedic acting, timing and skill that make the show what it is.

From examples like the “That’s what she said” jokes by Michael Scott, to the pranks that happened between Jim and Dwight on a daily basis, to the weird sentences that seem to come out of Creed’s mouth, “The Office” brings a brand of humor that is not offered in most other shows we watch today.

5. The Characters

This show is absolutely character-driven, without a doubt. Every single episode involves Michael doing something mind-numbingly rude or outlandish, Dwight being insane and Jim’s popular “look” into the camera. The cast that was chosen to play the roles of these characters were very skillful in improvisation since it is a huge part of what makes this show a great comedy. They really play the roles of the characters like they were really talking to the viewer. What really makes them stand out is that they are all unique and yet, relatable at the same time.

It is easy to see yourself as Pam, for example, wondering if a receptionist is all she will ever be, and debating whether or not she can chase her dream by going to art school. Even Michael has relatable characteristics -- in wanting desperately to be loved and admired. All the characters bring something to the table; even those the viewer never thought would matter. The actors that play these characters, really bring the best out of themselves to help us grow closer to them as you watch. It doesn’t take long before the viewer connects with each of them, and that is a big part of what makes “The Office” extraordinary.

The actors skill in portraying the characters in the way they do, wrapped-up in zany plot-lines, really sets up this comedy in ways that are incredible and well thought out by the writers and directors of this show. This aspect also helps the viewer really dig deeper into the emotions of each character and what roles they play in any particular plot-line. But, perhaps most importantly, the viewer will get three main things out of watching “The Office” that seem to be universal: the viewer will laugh at all of the jokes made by Michael and his fellow employees, cry of laughter when they do things we never would think are funny, and you will want to continue watching because it will never get old.

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monkey-network · 6 years

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Good Stuff’s Best of 2017

WARNING: I’d like to thank everybody who was here for me when times were low. Thank you, take care out there, and enjoy.

Cartoons; the one thing that I will continuously watch until I go blind. 2017 was an emotional handful and an exhausting trudge, can’t deny that, and I’m counting down the best cartoons/animations I’ve seen and loved this year in no particular order. Only two rules, no sneak previews of future projects (sorry to Unikitty and Hideo Kojima). Here we go....

10. HANAZUKI: FULL OF TREASURES

This was a sleeper hit tbh. The fact all the episodes were free on Youtube blew my mind, but having a well structured story with a lovely cold space color palette, actually relatable characters, and a sinister undertones below its tender, colorful charm to be as a nice headliner to when Friendship is Magic came back in spring. It was an inviting start for the year, and with the guy behind Motorcity and Superjail taking the helm and having two more seasons being produced, Hanazuki is something I find is in good hands come 2018.

9. LITTLE WITCH ACADEMIA

Four long years. I waited FOUR long goddamn years...and fuck me was it worth it. A spectacle is what I can call Little Witch Academia. Almost every episode dazzled me with its stage made bravado and confidence that always made me say, “Okay. Let’s make it til’ the next week”. Even when things got serious, LWA knew how to have fun and make the most of its concept. There is a sense of predictability sometimes, but the series would still throw you some good curve balls to never lose your interest. What did lose my interest was Netflix’s sorry excuse of a dub. The movies: fine. But Netflix, try that again, with any other anime, and I will rip your nuts off.

8. Now I might be cheating here since it’s not a cartoon, but shit it might as well have been

CUPHEAD

The effort that went into this is phenomenal, beyond the many other games of the year no doubt. While not everything is animated, I could tell they were cutting corners in some areas, the frame BY frame animated enemies, bosses, and effects made this one of the most visually colorful and alive games to date, next to Mario Odyssey. Not only was this game a frustrating yet joyous romp to start and finish, but the music and art flawlessly channeled the essence of a time where the word “cartoon” was only starting to make good progress. My favorite character would have to be Satan King Dice, whom is an animated homage to great musician and composer Cab Calloway. His stache, his clothing, even his Cheshire grin captured the cool, jazzy vibe Calloway always provided in his performances. He and his fight was the highlight of Cuphead for me and I hope this game, if a sequel isn’t possible, is well remembered for its unexpected excellence in how a video game can look.

7. CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS/L-EGGO BATMAN

Faithful is what I can describe these two. Captain Underpants was just an awesome book to elementary schooler me, but to see a well animated, well written movie about a dude in his underwear was nothing short of a simple yet powerful masterpiece. As for Batman, this is one of the three truest DC and Batman movies around this time, and it has a gay undertone with Batman and the Joker’s relationship (how can you not pull that off, Suicide Squad?). While not a big fan of lego myself, The Lego Movie put my faith WB making another one equally as good, and they did not disappoint. It’s a shame it got snubbed at the Golden Globes, it deserves the award more than the Boss Baby. Plus it had a Superman that didn’t bore me while having a terrible CGI lip job that’s only made worse by his two way dick nose....

Justice League costed 300,000,000 dollars.............

6. DANGER & EGGS

To me, this series felt like one of the few steps forward the world took to make the LGBT+ community feel more welcome and inspired in public outlets; a small step, but progressive none the less. It is a colorful and lively action comedy, a first to be created by a transgender person, where you can see a non-binary character, a pride fest, diverse background characters of orientation and ethnicity, and it feels like they are a part of the world and not footnotes that states that you should respect queer, bi, ace, and so on based on a say so. It’s a show don’t tell type of series and it brightened my summer before I had to remind myself that college exists and is expecting me.

5. TANGLED: THE SERIES

*ring ring* “Hello?” Ye, Disney? How fucking dare you?

My hype for this was undoubtful. I love Tangled the movie, I consider it one of my favorite 2010 disney flics beside Wreck it Ralph and Moana. And when the art style was up for a preview for this (?), I just sat and waited until it finally premiered and damn. I never stopped loving it, but it is until episode 16 where the series starts to hit high note after high note with the direction it’s going for the story. The fact that this all takes place not long after the movie makes the thought where Eugene and Rapunzel finally get married feels all the more earned. It’s working its way to a happily ever after, I adore this show, and this makes me appreciate Frozen a bit more for how far that’s fallen in the world after its one year of fame. Seriously, Gigantic had to get chopped, but Olaf can still live? Give me a break, Disney.

“Sir, I understand your enthusiasm....but this is Domino’s.” Then I will have the 5.99 large with Salchicha and pepperoncini with a liter sprite on delivery.

4. MADE IN ABYSS

This was so beautiful, so awesome, and much better than...

I wasted my life and I cannot say that I will ever reclaim that time proactively again the Anime

Made in Abyss is like Hunter x Hunter except Gon’s more booksmart and Kilua’s a timid robot. The bond between Riko and Reg was a fucking dynamic and heartfelt where Riko’s helps build Reg up and Reg kept Riko and himself safe with his bodily arsenal. That and this series has the best world building where they not only give the low down on almost everything about the titular abyss, but the atmospheric environments and the designs of the inhabiting creatures made this a unique world to want to explore myself. It knew what to show, and knew what to share. When things got serious, I actually tensed up at the thought of shit truly going down; they knew how to soften the terror while maniacally instill fear in us for the safety of the traveling kids. I want to recommend this link to an awesome breakdown of how great Made in Abyss was. However, as it seems that a season two has gone down the abyss as well, and I’m afraid it can’t come back up.

3. LET’S BE HEROES!!

Is it safe to call this the M.U.G.E.N. of cartoons? Just an all up mashup of stuff I love in a Saturday morning? Campy, action, and laid back, this is something I can be sober or grab some kush and I would be enjoy the show just the same. They even have references you might not have ever heard of, but might like the search. OK KO’s a popcorn cartoon, it’s not for everybody, but it established itself well into the modern CN era when Adventure Time finally has to move on.

2. SAMURAI JACK

Getting this out of the way: episode 6 toiled the final season of Samurai Jack for me. Not gonna go into detail, but if that episode was remade, I would have been more satisfied looking back. However, that does not stop me from saying this is how a revival should be, this is how a reboot should work, THIS is how you can bring nostalgia back. Samurai Jack was great back then, but this season, wrapping up the loose plight of our boy trying to get back to the past and defeat the demon Aku, was satisfactory to many fans. Even those who’ve never heard or remember Jack could just enjoy this as a dynamic mini-series; it gives you context of what happened before without having to recap the original plot of it. For non fans, it’s mostly about an ageless samurai, longing to return to his own time, stuck in the future for over 50 years to the point of losing his honor and his mind. It’s a binge worthy 10 episode season, originally intended to be a movie, and aside from polar opinionated finale, this made Samurai Jack feel great to love again.

1. TRUE AND THE RAINBOW KINGDOM

This is a personal choice from me because 2017 was an honest to god terrible year for me; nothing but turmoil, season to season, and the struggle to cope with that despair in a way I felt actually could help. However, this small series here boosted my spirits because even with it being a show for little kids that I originally wanted to watch as a joke, the competent, enthusiastic spirit it had just moved me in a way that cartoons that I love for eons could only try to do on a whim. It’s not the best made cartoon, it’s not something I sincerely recommend to you all, but it helped me realize that the best thing about life is finding and seeking things that don’t just distract you from the hard and testing times reality puts on you, but gives you a moment of honest bliss and happiness that can influence your outlook on looking forward to better things because things like this, cartoons like this, CAN make you feel better.

*sniff* Which is why, the actual cartoon of the year....

1. is STEVEN U., BABY!

Just kidding, guys! You will NEVER win, Steven!

TEEN TITANS GO! WINS IT AGAIN, BABYYYY! ONCE AGAIN BABY (i don’t even like it no more...), YOUR NEW FAVORITE SHOW (i don’t even fucking like it no...) RISES TO THE TO-

But Steven Universe in Space, though. That’s when it’ll be great again.

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bluezey · 6 years

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Bluesy ramblings about Spongebob SquarePants

@scribblinglee made a post about Spongebob as a cartoon currently, and it's basically what I hear about a lot. Usually people who talk about the show miss the older seasons and believe the current seasons are hollow or utter trash. Which makes me think, where do I fit in this? Because, I'm not sure myself. So, I thought I decide to talk about my experience with the show.

So, Spongebob began in 1999. And, here's where things get interesting from my perspective: I was a freshman in high school at the time. Maybe that's not weird cause the show can reach teenagers and adults, but I dunno, it still baffles me. And what did I think of the show when it came out? I thought it was a good show. I wasn't obsessed with it, it lived it, but I did see it's potential. I liked it enough to watch it and have a few favorite episodes. One was Pizza Delivery. I think one reason I liked it was how in the end of the episode Squidward stood up for SpongeBob. He does in other episodes, but how he did it in this one felt perfectly Squidward. Another all time favorite of mine was Band Geeks, but that's for a biased reason as I was a band geek in high school. So, seeing an episode about a marching band was awesome to me, and also amazing as I don't remember watching another cartoon that focused on marching bands. While in the end it didn't show off marching bands as accurately, compared to the movie Drumline, Band Geeks was as accurate as band geeks are gonna get. Also, I love the ending of the episode, and how Squidward came out on top.

You know, I'm noticing now that even back then I may have found a favorite character with Squidward. I have my reasons for liking him now, but back then I had no favoritism, I just liked him out of the others. My best guess was even back then his character seemed to be the straight man of the series. He was gruff and mean, but you could sympathize with him as you can tell he got that way from life beating him down when he chased his dreams, while others kept chasing their dreams in the show and not getting much of a beating from life. I think Squidward was and is representing how jaded adults got after trying to pursue their dreams, and every decade I'm seeing people become jaded sooner in life, even before they graduate high school.

But, back to the show. The episodes were funny, clever at times, and even brash with it's humor. I mean, looking back, they got away with a lot of crap in the early seasons. Like the Christmas episode has aired fir nearly two decades, and every year they get away with blatantly calling Squidward a jackass. Oh, and how Sailor Mouth got away with swearing, and the infamous cut scene from Just One Bite and how it managed to make it to air for a while before being cut from future airings. And the characters were loveable, funny and relateable, but if I had to make one critique they did hammer in one particular aspect of their personality. It didn't make them one dimensional, but enough that we only knew Spongebob as happy, Patrick as dumb, Krabs as money loving, Sandy as a cowgirl and Squidward as grumpy. The one who barely had a blatant personality trait to me was Plankton, and that's barely as his motivation for being the villain flipped between evil and jealousy. One episode he just wants the formula to destroy the Krusty Krab, and another episode it's world domination. But they weren't blatant flaws, just little speed bumps that kept a great show from being perfect.

Now I remember watching the Spongebob SquarePants movie in 2005 on DVD, and I thought it was fun and simple like the show. But, I'll admit, as we went into the era of seasons 5-8, I did see a slump in in the show. But, believe it or not, I couldn't grasp why. I just assumed it was going through the same slump all shows go through when they've been on the air for that long. Every show hits their slope, and usually it's a sign that the show would end if it didn't hit that upswing back to what it once was. But, looking back, I can see the problems some fans gripe about. Mr Krabs got a little too greedy for money that he came off as evil as Plankton at times. Patrick would be mean, and at first I thought it was because he was too dumb to know any better, but there are times when even I couldn't see that as an excuse. I mean bratty toddlers don't know right from wrong, but eventually someone would step in and talk some sense into the kid. Squidward kept getting brow beaten by life for seemingly no reason. I mean, I actually believe Squidward getting the shirt end of the stick would work if he did something to deserve it. Like in Scavenger Pants, the more dangerous the tasks he gave the two, the bigger his coneuppance. But in these seasons, most of the time he didn't do anything to get what life gave him, so the joke fell flat because it was a punchline with no setup. And, yeah, eventually it just look like cruel torture at his expense. But, despite these major flaws and the show losing it's spark, I could still see it's potential. It had it's okay episodes, some good episodes, and even some jokes that would get a big laugh. I could still see effort, and the crew trying to make the show work. So while many call seasons 5-8 it's dark times, I just see it as a rough patch. This was after the creator left, and the show was showing that they were running out of ideas.

So, eventually I stopped watching Spongebob around season eight. Now, you may think it's because I gave up on the show. But, funny enough, it was an outside source that pulled me away from the show, as well as Nickelodeon. That's when my college roommates introduced me to Cartoon Network, and their shows were better, funnier and more bizarre than what Nick was making at the time. So I quit watching Spongebob and whatever Nicktoons the network was trying or failing with, and was watching shows like Kids Next Door, Camp Lazlo, Foster's, and Ed, Edd and Eddy. Oh, Chowder and Flapjack too. And, they still had reruns of Courage and the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, and I was surprised with how much Cartoon Network got away with such scares.

So, for years I was watching Cartoon Network. I went through it's dark times of CN Real, and it's next generation of classic cartoons such as Adventure Time, Regular Show and Steven Universe. While I switched over to Nick for Avatar and Monsters vs Aliens (I liked the DreamWorks movie and Dr Cockroach okay? Also Staabi was a great character too), I hardly ever saw Spongebob, and when I did catch it it was an episode I saw before.

I did come back to the show, and how is kinda as strange as how I left it. It was also kinda an outside force. It was when I saw the cast of the Spongebob musical perform Bikini Bottom Day at the Macy's Parade. After that, it was a full month of following clips and pictures from the musical, until I came to a point where I needed more, but the bootleg wasn't out yet. (By the way, I keep losing my link to the bootleg!! Can someone link me a good copy of the Broadway show so I can FINALLY see this thing??) So, I went back to the show by watching a livestream on YouTube, full of never seen episodes from seasons nine and ten. And guys, it's like seeing the light of heaven. This is Spongebob! This is the show! They got back on track and are making new episodes for a new generation!

Okay, now that we got my initial reaction out of the way, let's talk about seasons 9-11. First, drastic change in animation. But, you have to expect that for being on for twenty years. There's a wider aspect ratio, and the animation is now digital. But, it's not that distracting, it's just the show, only brighter and bouncier. Now, the controversial thought, I like the bouncy animation. It reminds me of bouncy animation from the 50s, 60, hell, even 90s, and Spongebob is a 90s show. Is it reminding me of Ren and Stimpy? Only because Ren and Stimpy does bouncy, expressive and over detailed still. If anything, the bright and bouncy reminds me more of Superjail. Nice to know where those animators went. (Oh, can we have the Warden guest star?) The characters are back to how they started, mostly. Patrick can be mean, but usually he's just dumb. Krabs isn't mean for money, but damn is he still hungry for it. Squidward gets some torture, but now there's setup and reason. Also, he's not tortured in every episode he's in. Mustard O'Mine had him following along, hell he was happy at times. Mermaid Pants may had him grumpy, but man was his shift at the end perfect! Pate Horse, horse puns. Squid Noir. Squid Noir. Other changes, I can see they're being inventive. Some shows are mixing up character dynamics. At least two episodes have Squidward and Plankton. One episode had Sandy and Karen. An upcoming episode has Squidward and Pearl. Hell, Mall Girl Pearl was all Pearl. They're doing small things that surprisingly make a big difference. For example, Spongebob isn't always happy. Yeah, he can not be happy, like sad, but it was so rare yes almost one dimensional. In Drive Happy, however, we see him get sad, tired and even pissed. In Old Man Patrick, he starts acting like an adult when babysitting the old folks at Bun E Buns. And back to Squidward, but did you know he's germophobic, claustrophobic, allergic to nuts and snails (but he can handle one or two snails in a room) and apparently has an inking problem. Okay, I could go on and on about this part, now controversial thanks to Ink Lemonade, but did you know Stephen Hillenberg himself wanted ink jokes to begin with? The biggest character change I believe is Plankton. Ever since Sponge Out of Water (and yes, I saw that too, a lot, Nick plays it every other week) Plankton has become somewhat of a friend, at least with Spongebob. Sure he's the villain, but Spongebob sees him as a friend who happens to be a competitor, and I think the others do too since the second film. I mean, Grandmum's the Word would never had worked before the second film.

So, we've gone from classic from the 90s, to so downhill that I switched to Cartoon Network, to back to it's original stride. But, is it the same show or us it a hollow shell? Guys, it's neither. Spongebob has gone through a lot of development over the years. It's had it's golden times, it's been out of ideas, it's had it's instant classic and it's blunders. The characters are still the same, but if they appear different it's because they've been through a lot. We all act different after twenty years of life's crap. And yes, to reiterate, this show has been on for twenty years!! It has it's own big task of changing for a new generation while entertaining the old one. It needs to bring in new viewers while keeping the old ones. It needs to be fresh and relevant while remaining classic and timeless. It will follow the trend of theonth, but it will try not to steer too far from it's core of being a 90s cartoon. Will it lose viewers? Yeah. It even lost me for a time. Will it deserve it? No. Even it's bad episodes have a silver lining. Did you know I watched a list of dark kids episodes where the reviewers said good things about Are You Happy Now? (Please send all flames to where they will most likely ignore you https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hXwhVUWwHlM) Through it's ups and downs, Spongebob's going to be on for years. But, just years. Sadly, the creator has ALS, and if the show doesn't retire after the creator does, every show has to end sometime. But through it's ups and downs, and even the praise and criticisms, we can all agree that fans young and old will enjoy the ride.

#spongebob squarepants #bluesy ramblings

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thefilmsnob · 3 years

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Glen Coco’s Top 10 Films of 2020

This has been the weirdest damn year for film--and basically everything else--we’ve ever witnessed. Theatres closed, re-opened, then closed again; dozens of films were postponed, and no one knew where to watch the ones that weren’t. I didn’t see nearly as many films as I usually do and, even so, the selection was relatively underwhelming. Nevertheless, there were still some good pictures released, so, as always, I’m sharing my top ten films of 2020 plus a bonus track...there’s always a bonus track.

#10b. (Bonus Track) Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Director: Jason Woliner

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova

On the surface, Sacha Baron Cohen’s characters may seem utterly absurd and childish--and maybe they are--but, the genius behind them is their ability to reveal the ignorance of the people he encounters and make you question where the true absurdity lies. Cohen accomplishes this yet again, even if this sequel isn’t quite as fresh as its 2006 predecessor. Yet, in the United States of 2020, ravaged as much by asinine politicians, disgraceful racism and dangerous conspiracy theories as by the actual Covid pandemic, Borat is an entirely welcome presence. He makes all the right people look as wrong as they should, especially former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani who’s caught red-handed in a compromising position opposite a very young girl, thus exacerbating his epic fall from grace while reaffirming Cohen’s brilliance.

#10. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Director: George C. Wolfe

Starring: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman

Despite my initial ambivalence, this movie has lingered in my mind for months and that’s always a good sign. Set almost entirely in one location, a 1920s Chicago recording studio, and focusing heavily on a group of musicians shooting the breeze in its basement while their demanding singer talks business with the big wigs upstairs, seemingly nothing much happens and, yet, everything happens; dreams are envisioned, pain is recalled, ideas are shared and, of course, music is made. Those elements are enhanced by the film’s stellar technical features from the production design, to the costumes to the hair & makeup. Yet, it’s the performers who steal the show, which is expected from Viola Davis but a pleasant surprise from Chadwick Boseman who, sadly, gives his final performance. The late actor saved his best for last playing a young trumpeter whose ambitions are constantly hindered by his inability to let go of his tragic past.

#9. The Way Back

Director: Gavin O’Connor

Starring: Ben Affleck

For those of you with the misconception that Ben Affleck is a bad actor, you might want to watch The Way Back in which he plays a former high school basketball star and current alcoholic who’s dealing with the death of his child and separation from his wife when he’s asked to coach his former team. Sure, this covers familiar ground, but it does so better than similar films, finessing the more predictable aspects, adding some welcome touches and treating the subject matter with the respect and seriousness it deserves. The basketball takes a backseat to the character drama here, so the film’s quality relies heavily on the performance of Affleck which might be his best to date; he makes his character’s inebriation so convincing you can practically smell the beer on his breath. And you hope to God he gets the help he so desperately needs.

Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/613090953214001152/the-way-back-12-out-of-5

#8. News of the World

Director: Paul Greengrass

Starring: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel

This is a film we need right now for several reasons, not least of which being we get to spend two hours with ‘America’s Dad’ Tom Hanks, a decent, honourable man playing another decent, honourable man in 1870 who encounters a strange young girl on the road near an overturned wagon and promises to return her to her remaining family. With Hanks’s character Jefferson Kidd traveling from town to town reading the newspaper for its citizens, this is also a timely film, stressing the importance of a free and fair press as opposed to the propaganda that saturated the Trump administration and his favourite news outlet. An unusually--yet refreshingly--straightforward and old-fashioned Western for 2020, its highlights include a climactic exchange between adult and child, made so effectively tender with such minimal effort by Hanks, as well as a meticulously crafted chase and shootout sequence at the halfway point, directed with optimal tension and clarity by the great Paul Greengrass.

#7. Nomadland

Director: Chloe Zhao

Starring: Frances McDormand

It’s about time we start including Frances McDormand in lists of greatest actors. In Nomadland, in which she plays a wanderer of sorts who’s lost her husband to cancer and her company town to a poor economy, her performance transcends labels like ‘realistic’ or ‘natural’ and arrives at a place that doesn’t feel like performance at all. She blends in seamlessly with a cast of real nomads playing themselves, living out of vans in the western US, as unconstrained by societal norms as the film itself is by conventional story arcs. We want to see this minimalist lifestyle, which includes seasonal Amazon warehouse gigs and long nights in a freezing cold van, as depressing or unfulfilling, but writer/director/producer/editor (Jesus!) Chloe Zhao dares us to admire both the freedom and sense of community formed among this nomadic subculture. Cinematographer Joshua James Richards also plays with our expectations, bathing the screen in soothing blues and purples, transforming the unremarkable landscape into a thing of beauty.

#6. Da 5 Bloods

Director: Spike Lee

Starring: Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Norm Lewis

In Da 5 Bloods, writer/director Spike Lee deviates from his usual urban American setting to explore the tropical forests of Vietnam, but his focus remains fixed on the African American experience, their plight and search for justice. His subjects are a group of Vietnam War vets who reunite in present day Ho Chin Minh City to retrieve a cache of gold bars left behind some 50 years prior, originally part of a political transaction, as we see in appropriately grainy 4:3 full screen flashbacks. The reason for this mission is more righteous than a simple payday, but Lee refuses to paint these complex characters with the same brush--there’s even a MAGA in the bunch!--nor does he oversimplify the film’s profound issues. A genre-defying work, Da 5 Bloods is a character study, social commentary, war picture and action/adventure flick all rolled into one with some truly shocking developments and one of the finest casts of the year. How Delroy Lindo was denied an Oscar nomination for his volatile performance is beyond me.

#5. Promising Young Woman

Director: Emerald Fennell

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie

In one of the most unique films of the year, Carey Mulligan delivers a brave, bold and beautiful performance as Cassie, a woman with a tragic past who spends her weekends at the club pretending to be blackout drunk, only to shame and humiliate the sleazy men who try to take advantage. Writer/director Emerald Fennell does a masterful job at peeling back the layers of this dark revenge tale ever so gradually to reveal Cassie’s true motives while rebuking, not just society’s abhorrent offenders, but those enablers and silent bystanders who try to hide behind a flimsy shroud of innocence. Benefiting from one of the sharpest screenplays of the year and a fitting score, Promising Young Woman never ceases to ramp up the tension, a strategy that culminates in a shocking final sequence which is at once disturbing and satisfying. It’ll all leave you guessing until the final, brilliant shot.

#4. The Invisible Man

Director: Leigh Whannell

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid

Originally conceived as part of the ill-fated ‘Dark Universe’--Universal Pictures’ planned movie franchise featuring its classic monsters--and starring Johnny Depp, The Invisible Man was drastically retooled and produced as a stand-alone film with a modernized story. And like so many horror projects of the last decade, it’s refreshingly inspired and well-crafted with a deeper purpose than merely spooking its audience, though it succeeds at that as well. Writer/director Leigh Whannell uses this movie and the fearless performance of the great Elisabeth Moss to examine abusive partners and their persistent hold on their lovers-turned-victims long after the relationship has collapsed. Moss is stunning as usual, portraying an already traumatized woman trying desperately to convince everyone she’s not going crazy as well, even though that’s exactly how it looks. Equally impressive is the restraint by the filmmakers who use the ‘invisible’ effects sparingly yet strategically, creatively and, ultimately, very effectively, making every scare plausible and entirely earned.

#3. Sound of Metal

Director: Darius Marder

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci

In a world in which people are complaining about losing their freedom because they have to wear a simple mask to save lives, it’s good to see a film that shows what real loss looks like. If you can’t imagine being a heavy metal drummer who suddenly goes deaf, writer/director Darius Marder spells it out for you in big, bold, sorrow-inducing letters. He’s aided by Riz Ahmed giving possibly the best performance of the year as a man who, on the surface, tries desperately to hold on to his life and passion while, deep down, he knows that’s impossible. Sound of Metal is a tender and heartbreaking yet hopeful story, but what’s even more effective than the film’s dramatic presentation is its remarkable sound design. At times, characters sign to each other amidst ambient noise. Other times, the sound is muffled as if we’re putting our ears up to a wall and hearing a fraction of the dialogue from the other side. And, less frequently, when Ruben’s condition is at its worst, we hear nothing at all. Just complete and terrifying silence…which speaks volumes.

Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/647329085467574272/sound-of-metal-out-of-5

#2. The Trial of the Chicago 7

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Starring: Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Frank Langella, Michael Keaton, etc, etc, etc...

Aaron Sorkin could write about two accountants conducting a routine audit and make it absolutely absorbing. So, imagine what he does with a courtroom drama about the volatile situation surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the group of anti-Vietnam War protestors accused of inciting riots at the event. Now an accomplished director too, Sorkin organizes all the moving pieces involved with style and grace while deploying his famously kinetic dialogue. With those lines coming from the mouths of his stellar cast, it’s hard not to hang on their every word and be invested completely in their struggle. I could listen to Mark Rylance’s showstopping line-reading of the simple phrase, “No, he doesn’t!”, all day and never get tired of it. Among its many achievements, The Trial of the Chicago 7 deftly navigates heavy topics like police brutality, unpopular wars and a corrupt justice system, showing just how little things have changed in the last 50 years.

#1. Palm Springs

Director: Max Barbakow

Starring: Cristin Milioti, Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons

Anyone who knows me may be surprised by this pick, but here we are. Nothing makes sense these days. We’re all as confused and anxious about life as Sarah and Nyles are at a wedding in Palm Springs. Despite what the title suggests, the film doesn’t follow a group of horny teens getting up to shenanigans in the famous resort town, but if I describe the actual plot in depth, I may spoil the fun. I will say these characters seem to be reliving the same events over and over again. What’s so impressive about this film is that, although it repeats itself, it never feels repetitive. The twists and turns, the absurd hilarity blended with bracing poignancy, ensure our unwavering focus on this briskly paced little gem. Yet, it’s the irresistible chemistry between the two leads, played by the equally irresistible Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg, that forms the glue that holds it all together, whether they’re pulling off childish pranks, discussing their unusual sex lives or debating the very meaning of life. I’m telling you, this movie has everything: comedy, drama, romance, science-fiction (?!), J.K. Simmons, several weddings, an inflatable pizza slice, dinosaurs, a crossbow and colourful beer cans and summer wear that seem destined to become iconic.

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peacefulheartfarm · 3 years

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Flavored Cheese

Have you considered flavored cheese in your home cheesemaking operation? Likely most of you are not making your own cheese. You’ll want to seek out some flavored cheeses from your local markets for a real treat. There are so many possibilities here that I couldn’t possibly cover them all in this short podcast. Today, I’ll give you just a brief overview of what you might consider in tasting and in creating with your cheeses.

Welcome new listeners and welcome back to the veteran homestead-loving regulars who stop by the FarmCast for every episode. I appreciate you all so much. I’m going to start off with what’s going on at the homestead and then I’ll get right into talking about some tasty flavored cheese.

Our Virginia Homestead Life Updates

I want to start off with talking about our herd share program. We are opening up our raw milk cheese herd shares to more people. One full share will provide you and your family with about two pounds of our hand-made, aged, raw milk cheese per month. A half share will provide about one pound of cheese per month. We have four varieties from which to choose.

Our Peaceful Heart Gold is a danish Havarti-style cheese. It is a washed curd cheese that is soft, buttery and the sweetest cheese we make. Moving from the mildest to the sharpest, the next in line is our Ararat Legend. This is also a washed rind cheese made in the Dutch gouda tradition. It is a firmer cheese than the Gold with nearly as much butter flavor. This cheese ages well and the flavor deepens with each passing month. The next two kind of tie for sharpest, depending on how long they have aged. We have a wonderful aged cheddar and an alpine-style cheese we call Pinnacle. The flavor complexities of these two cheeses are amazing as neither is even ready to taste until 9 months or more of aging. Well, we do offer the milder cheddar at three and six months, but you will definitely want to wait for the good stuff.

Details and costs can be found on our website at Peaceful Heart Farm dot com. Product pickup is available at the Wytheville Farmer’s market, the Independence Farmer’s market and from our homestead. Support us or some other local farm. Keep good food alive. Give us a call and we can get you set up.

Cows

We are on calf watch with Rosie. This event is happening far ahead of our expectations. Her udder is developing and filling with milk. It may be only a matter of days. You never really know, any more than you know for humans, when the exact date will be for the event. She is looking good and Scott and I are feeling pretty good about Rosie and her calf. We are still cautious and watching her very closely, but again, she looks really good right now. Buttercup is doing a good job of keeping Rosie company. She is our only cow that is not going to have a calf this year.

After Rosie, next up for giving birth is Cloud followed closely by Claire. Butter and Violet are much further down the line, due in May and June respectively. And as I said, Buttercup is not having a calf this year. If all goes well, we will end up with five calves this year. Praying for some heifers.

Goats and Sheep

The sheep are doing well. Their expected delivery date is the 27th of March, so about a month more for them. We are likely to have six to eight lambs this year.

The goats have been reduced to five. Yes, finally I got moving on reducing our goat population. We are moving more rapidly toward changing over to meat goats. If you are new, we currently have cashmere goats. I had this grandiose idea that I was going to have time to gather their cashmere, have it made into yarn, and knit up some wonderful cashmere items. It took a few years for me to realize that I was not going to have time to include yet another enterprise into our business model. By that time, we had well over twenty goats.

Now these wonderful animals are great at keeping the pastures cleared of brush, briars and small pine trees. So, we definitely want to keep a few of them around. However, it makes much more sense for our homestead to have meat goats. That way they can keep the pastures pristine and also provide more nourishment for our family. Later this fall we will process the final five goats. At that point we will be in the market for a small herd of meat goats. Right now, I am focused on Kiko goats but would probably consider Spanish goats.

Quail

A few days ago, Scott and I went over the costs of raising these great birds. It’s pretty expensive according to my year-end profit and loss statement. My first, knee-jerk reaction was to just stop raising quail. However, after waiting a couple of days, I decided to break down the actual cost and how much we are benefiting from the eggs and meat.

Back in 2006, Scott raised just short of 150 chickens in the Joel Salatin-type chicken tractors. He calculated that it cost a little over $1 per pound to raise those chickens. Our cost to raise quail is somewhere between $5.50 and $6.50 per pound of bird. However, there are also the eggs to consider. Scott and I sat down and tried to come up with a better comparison. If we had to buy eggs, what would be our cost? Subtract that from the total costs, based on four quail eggs per one chicken egg, and the rest of the cost divided by the approximate weight of the birds raised for meat. The bottom line is that we decided to give the quail one more season to prove their worth. I also decided to feed them a little bit less. They did seem to be putting on quite a bit of unnecessary fat so this seemed the first place to cut a little cost. We shall see what happens this year. I’m going to keep better records.

I’m still anticipating when we will be able to build our chicken facilities. It won’t be this year. The quail get a well-deserved reprieve.

Garden

I just received a couple of rolls of woven fabric ground cloth. Yes, we are about to get started on the garden. The biggest change this year will be the strawberry bed. I’ve order 500 bare-root strawberry plants. Yes, you heard that right. I ordered 500 plants. We are pretty much starting from scratch with our strawberries. I’m excited about this new opportunity.

I’m also going to start some plants for sale at the farmer’s market. If you are in my neighborhood, I should have some herbs, tomatoes and perhaps some green pepper starts ready for your garden. I’m not going to grow very many tomatoes or peppers this year but I really love growing plants. Growing for you guys seemed to be the best way to fulfil that desire to grow stuff. And I chose to grow some culinary herbs, because they are sometimes harder to find. I’ll keep you posted on which herbs I was successful in sprouting.

Flavored Cheese

Today want to talk a little bit about flavored cheese. If you’re making your own cheese at home, this could be a great adventure for you. On the other hand, if you’re just a real cheese head and love to try new cheeses, you might take a look at some of the cheeses available that have had either spices and seeds added or maybe they have herbs added, and some have been created using ale wine and/or spirits. You may even be able to find a cheese wrapped in leaves. These are just a few of the methods used to add various flavors to cheese. In this short podcast, I’ll be briefly touching on those flavorings that I just mentioned. There are others, but I’ll stick with these for today.

Seeds and Spices

The first flavoring I want to mention is seeds and spices. Your first thought when considering what seeds and spices to add should be the quality. You don’t want to use three-year-old dried herbs from your cabinet. Next, think of what you like. Now temper that with the thought that sometimes there’s a good reason that you haven’t seen that kind of cheese made. However, don’t let that thought stop you from experimenting. Sometimes it could be as simple as it not being economical to produce such a cheese on a commercial basis. If you’re making it in your own kitchen, the costs are much less of a factor. If you’re concerned at all, simply start with a combination that you’ve seen or tasted.

There are two things that you want to consider when preparing your experiment. Getting the right distribution and the size of the seed. I’ve seen lots of cheeses use whole peppercorns. Those are pretty big seeds so you would use less. On the other hand, if you have a small seed such as Caraway, you don’t want to put so many in there that you ruin the texture of the cheese. For a cheese maybe 2 gallons of milk, you are likely going to choose one to 3 teaspoons of your chosen seed or spice.

When you’re preparing your seeds and spices for addition to the cheese curd, you might consider boiling them for 5 to 10 minutes. There are couple reasons you might want to try that. If you suspect any kind of contamination or you want to soften a seed so that the flavors are more readily incorporated into the cheese.

Adding your seeds or spices can happen in a couple of different ways. Almost universally, the whey needs to have been drained. You don’t want to lose your spice with the whey. One of the easiest methods is to simply stir your seeds and/or spices into the drained cards. Another fun way would be to layer it in the mold. Put little curd in, add your spices, put more curd, add spices again and so on. You want to be careful with that method. There is always a chance that you will bunch your spices up too closely together and over spice one area while another would be under served. You may even have trouble getting the cheese to get together properly. The trade-off is the visual effect of layers.

Here are some of the most popular seeds and spices used in this method flavoring your cheese. I’ve already mentioned caraway seed and peppercorns. Other seeds might be mustard, fennel, fenugreek, or cumin. Some useful spices include cloves and red pepper flakes. Generally, you want to stay away from using herbs for aged varieties of flavored cheese. They will be prone to breakdown and change the color of your cheese. That’s not a good look. Herbs are most often used either mixed into a soft cheese or spread. Or lots of times you’ll see them used as a coating on the outside of a fresh, soft cheese.

Ale, Wine, and Spirits

This is a great way to create a flavored cheese. And ale or beer can be incorporated directly into the cheese curd in the same way that the seeds and spices were added. Wine and spirits on the other hand, work better on the outside. This is most commonly done in washed rind cheeses. I briefly mentioned wrapping a cheese in leaves. Using alcohol to macerate the leaves, that is to soak them for a period of time, prior to wrapping the cheese is a favored practice.

Adding beer or ale, similar to adding seeds, happens after the whey has been drained. When making cheddar, it can be added after the cheddaring process has been completed and the curds have been milled. Otherwise, simply stir into the curds after they have been drained. You don’t need much. I also think it would be hard to use too much. Whether you pour the whole bottle into the curds made from your 2 gallons of milk, or you use only a half cup for your cheese and save the rest for yourself, that’s up to you. I’ll use a whole bottle for 15 or 20 gallons of milk. But again, I don’t think you can use too much.

There are several things to consider when deciding to use wine or spirits on your washed rind cheese. Because you’re adding wetness to the outside of your cheese, you can be prepared for softening. Sometimes, for a softer cheese, you might let your cheese dry for 2 to 3 days. Then begin the wash. Or, for a harder, drier cheese such as an alpine style, you can begin the wash right away. Something else to consider would be experimenting with the frequency of washing and the humidity in your aging room. The hardness of the rind and the texture of the cheese will also influence what your final results are going to be with the washing. Obviously, the softer rind is going to absorb more of the flavors.

Wrapping Your Cheese with Leaves

Many flavored cheeses utilize some type of leaf wrapping. Sometimes the leaves are dry, but more often they have been macerated in a strong alcohol, such as brandy or bourbon. This is a wide-open field. Choose your favorite spirit, and parent with your favorite leaf. Some leaves to consider are chestnut, maple, or grape.

Not all leaf-wrapped cheeses use spirits. Nettle, sycamore, or walnut are good choices here. Like with the herbs, you don’t want them to break down and become mush.

I hope you enjoy your experiments whether in making the cheese or trying out a new cheese from your local market.

Final Thoughts

I hope you’ll give some thought to becoming part of our herd share program. We’d love to be of service to you. Come on out to the homestead and see where it all happens. Say hello to Claire and the rest of the girls. Pet the donkeys. Be sure to wear rugged shoes and/or boots. Animals are messy creatures and if it has rained, omg, the mud.

I hope I’ve titillated your senses a little and you’re on your way to trying some new flavored cheese. Whether you’re making it from scratch or buying from your local market, your enjoyment is sure to be mooua, superb.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts or whatever podcasting service you use, SUBSCRIBE and give me a 5-star rating and review. If you like this content and want to help out the show, the absolute best way you can do that is to share it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content. Let them know about the Peaceful Heart Farmcast.

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

To learn about herd shares:

Visit our website Herd Share page

To share your thoughts: